10 Unpopular Opinions I Hold About Outdoor Adventure

You're welcome to fight me on these.

I’m feeling spicy today. 🌶️ You, too?

July brought me a more spacious schedule. It’s giving my brain time to stew on what’s most important. So, naturally, I’m mulling on questions like, “How can I help adventure brands better serve women?” and “What’s bugging me about the outdoor industry these days?”

Soon, you’ll hear some proposed solutions.

But first, we rant.

---

10 Unpopular Opinions I Hold About Outdoor Adventure

1. Gear talk is cool and all, but what I really wanna hear about is your body. 💕

I couldn’t tell you a thing about these poles and I don’t know the model of those hand-me-down shoes, but let me tell you about how I started my period a few hours before reaching this finish line and just let it bleed.

Or let me tell you about how a decade before that photo, I didn’t eat or rest enough to train well for a half marathon, let alone 100 miles.

Sure, tell me about your GPS watch and your ultralight tent… but let’s really dig into your relationship with menstruation, food, body image, and injury. 🤕

2. We focus way too much on metrics. ⌚

Numbers aren’t the whole story. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good look at my Coros graphs post-adventure. But there’s so much more that my watch doesn’t measure well: resting, stretching, quitting, socializing, grieving, celebration… That all counts as training, too.

I don’t wear my watch 24/7. I’m afraid I’d become obsessed. I wear it for scheduled runs and rides. I don’t wear it while lifting. I don’t wear it at frisbee or in other team sports. I don’t wear it sleeping. I couldn’t tell you my resting HR or my HRV or how many minutes of REM sleep I got. If I could, I’m afraid I’d rely on watch data more than how I actually feel.

And isn’t this all supposed to be about how we feel?!

3. I’m not on Strava and you can’t convince me to join. 🙅‍♀️

Similar to #2. I know this could be a Me Problem (these are “unpopular” opinions, after all), but how do people not get wrapped up in comparison on this app?! If I used Strava, I’m afraid I’d start using it as another public stage.

If you post your run and your pace looks “too slow,” do you title the workout “Easy recovery jog on hilly sand, so much headwind, during Mercury retrograde” so people know you weren’t trying your hardest? Do you have to post your rest day walks to make sure you get a cool mileage badge at the end of the year?

IDK. Strava can suck the fun out of things. I don’t need yet another feed telling me to hustle and impress.

4. Men need to calm down about women wearing cotton or not wearing the “right” skis or whatever their latest soapbox is. 🤫

How many times will the algo show me Reels of women laughing in the wild with their friends, just for a bunch of men to comment, “Stop doing this for attention.” “You can’t call yourself a skier when your turns look like that.” “You clearly care more about your hair than your safety.” 😖

It’s not just women; it’s anyone “beginner.” Yes, ideally, in many environments and activities, we’re not heading outdoors wearing cotton that can keep us cold if we get wet or sweaty. But also, most people most of the time aren’t actually heading that far from the frontcountry in that consequential terrain.

For many adventurers, being a bit underprepared is a rite of passage. Experiential learning.

I’ll come clean. I hiked Mt. Washington (“Home of the World’s Worst Weather!”) in a cotton t-shirt, and I didn’t bring long pants.

Most of us survived our first hike in jorts and a school backpack. We’ll be okay.

5. The best stories aren’t the most epic. 📖

Of course I love a good avalanche survival story, or hearing how you came back from last place to win the race. But the stories I think about most aren’t the flashy ones; they’re the relatable ones.

My favorite stories are the ones about turning around before the summit, or building adventure into your community, or training for a massive peak from your NYC apartment. I wanna hear about your DNFs, your grief, and adventuring with your kids.

Subtle moments often make the best stories. And I believe in your voice.

6. Fear is a great adventure partner. 😱

We treat fear like it’s something to overcome or eliminate. But I think it’s something worth listening to.

Fear makes me alert. It reminds me why I care. It shows that I’m resilient AF and stronger than I think.

I don’t want to be fearless. I want to be courageous with fear beside me. Fear’s coming with me, and now I’m finally okay with it.

7. Eating solves most problems. 🍫

Tired? Eat a snack. Angry? Eat a snack. Cold? Snack. Bonking? Snack. Can’t hit your split? Snack. Sad? Ditto.

^ This was a top takeaway from my panel with elite trail runners Rachel Entrekin and Sarah Allaben. EAT THE CARBS. (I learned this the hard way.🥲)

8. Going slow is a flex. ✌️

Anyone can bust their ass trying to go hard and fast. Going slow on purpose? That’s rad.

I’ve spent so much of my life rushing from place to place, including on the run/ride/hike. Part of me loves moving quickly. Part of me is a ‘lil bit exhausted.

I love seeing folks taking their time in nature, checking out the flowers, sticking their feet in a cold creek, painting a scene with watercolors. Slow can be a strength.

Getting into ultramarathons reframed speed for me. I run slower now than I used to – but I can go far longer. And I try to slow down to soak in special moments, like putting my hand on old trees to see how giant the trunks are. Slowness is a skill I’m… slowly building.

9. The patriarchy will hurt you more than bad weather will. 😒

You can train for the cold, prep for the rain, and pack for the wind, but you can’t out-layer systemic bias.

I’ve been in wild places where the conditions were tough, but the gender dynamics were tougher. Where the weather didn’t break me, but someone’s condescending tone almost did.

Folks are quick to say “the mountains are for everyone.” Maybe so, but the other people enjoying it aren’t always so welcoming.

We’re not free until we’re all free.

10. A “women’s specific” label doesn’t mean it fits. 👕

Can outdoor brands stop being like “we serve women” by taking their gear and making it teal and purple k thanks.

Too often, “women’s specific” is a shortcut. It means smaller, lighter, and pastel, or compressing a range of shapes, sizes, and needs into one “feminine” option (if there’s an option at all). I don’t care for lazy design. (Shout out to my friend Andrea at Make Plus Equal.)

If you’re going to “design for women,” then do it for real: Test on diverse bodies. Offer more than one cut. For Pete’s sake, get women in the design room! Your smaller, pinker model isn’t revolutionary (even though I love pink). Show women who aren’t only elite athletes in your marketing. Develop features that work for menstruating and nursing and peeing in a harness. Make space for feedback that challenges your assumptions! We will give you our money! 🤑

---

If you wanna fight me on any of these, be my guest! I love hearing others’ hot takes and know life is more nuanced than a top-10 list.

And if you mostly agree with my takes, I love working with outdoor brands and nonprofits to make their work more inclusive and welcoming to girls, women, and underserved populations. (Stay tuned for something new and fun next month…)