Learn the ultimate in roughing it by taking a primitive survival-skills class. You'll camp in the wilderness and learn from expert instructors how to pare your concept of camping down to eliminate such gadgets and gear as GPS, camp stoves, tents and sleeping bags. You can find a variety of survival-skills schools at locations around the U.S., enabling you to save on plane fare by staying close to home or to choose your favorite region of the country and challenge yourself against it in the wild.
Journey through exotic locales on a motorcycle. Depending on your degree of expertise in both riding and repairing cycles, you can either plot a DIY journey on two high-powered wheels or join an adventure-travel excursion. You can find outfitters to take you to a variety of locations on five continents. Namibia, Vietnam, Peru, Nepal, Tasmania and Mongolia are just a few of the places you can tour by motorcycle.
Put your strength to good use by volunteering to help build homes for people who need them. Habitat for Humanity has volunteer vacations in the U.S. and abroad. Leave your mark in Jordan, Thailand, Romania or Nicaragua by building a decent and affordable place for a family to live. All types of volunteers are welcome, but people with construction and building skills can play a key role in making someone's dream home a reality.
If you have the time, the necessary fitness level, backpacking experience and equipment, take a very long hike. The Appalachian Trail offers 2,175 miles of walking between Georgia and Maine. You can hike solo or with a buddy, but make sure whoever accompanies you is prepared for blisters, forgoing daily showers and carrying all their own drinking water. Completing the entire trail typically takes 5 to 7 months, but some people break it into sections and hike a portion each year.
