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Confessions of an Amateur Adventurer

January 30, 2017 Deanna Jensen
Confessions of an Amateur Adventurer: How to enjoy the outdoors, even if you don't know what the heck you're doing

I’ve recently come face to face with something about myself that I didn’t want to be true: I am not the experienced outdoorswoman I thought I was. Sure, I’ve got a decent number of stamps in my National Parks passport, I’ve tackled - and conquered - some iconic trails (such as Angels Landing, in Zion National Park), I love camping, and I’m drawn to the difficult and primitive trails when I come across them. If I could do anything for a living, it would be to explore wild places full-time; spending my days hiking, camping, writing, and making art far away from civilization sounds like perfection to me.

But I’m not an expert. I’m nowhere near as experienced as I thought I was. And I have a lot to learn.

It wasn’t some big camping fiasco or hiking disaster that brought this to my attention; it was a book. It was while reading Ruby McConnell’s A Woman's Guide to the Wild, that I realized my relative lack of knowledge and experience in the outdoors. I had picked up the book thinking that I would probably already know at least half of the information in it, especially in regards to basic outdoors skills. After all, my dad and older brother are both Eagle Scouts, so I absorbed a lot of outdoorsy knowledge by osmosis growing up. I can pitch a tent, start a fire, and navigate with a map and compass. I've picked up a small array of survival skills, and I've read several outdoors and survival handbooks.

Sure, I knew some good stuff, but there’s a big difference between head knowledge and true experience. And I just don’t have that kind of experience. Ruby writes in the book about her decades of experience with all sorts of outdoor sports, in all kinds of environments and conditions. The more I read, the more I realized how my own background paled in comparison. I didn’t even have as much head knowledge about the outdoors as I thought I did.

My first thought once I finally recognized that I’m actually an amateur: How the heck can I run a brand and write a blog about the outdoors when I don’t even know that much, myself? I was pretty down about it for a while, until I realized that we all start somewhere. I’m not a complete newbie at this outdoors stuff. I do have some experience and insight. And that’s still worth sharing.

The only way to get better at something is to do it. So I’m going to get outside and hike and camp, and maybe even go backpacking someday. I’m going to keep reading and re-reading great books like A Woman's Guide to the Wild (I really do recommend it, whether you’ve never hiked in your life or you’ve already conquered the Pacific Crest Trail, you’ll learn a lot!) and Richard Louv's Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to the Nature-Rich Life. I’m going to continue forward in this journey towards being a true adventurer, and maybe eventually get to be called a real outdoors expert.

And I hope you’ll join me.

In fact, I have some ideas on how to become a better adventurer, no matter what skill level you’re starting at:
 

5 Ways to Become a Better Adventurer

  • Get outside as often as possible.
    You don’t have to go for a 10 mile hike every weekend, but a little bit of time outside, as often as you can, will make a huge difference! I’m personally committing to at least 20 minutes a day, rain or shine, even if it’s just a walk around my neighborhood.

  • Surround yourself with the outdoors.
    Figuratively, that is. Decorate your home or office with outdoorsy and nature-inspired pieces. Read good outdoorsy books, both fiction and nonfiction, adventure stories and adventure skills.

  • Join an outdoors organization.
    There are general outdoors organizations such as the Sierra Club, and more focused organizations such as Hike It Baby for families wanting to tackle trails with their kids, and Trail Mavens for women’s guided camping and backpacking adventures. (McConnell includes a great list of organizations and groups in the back of her book.)

  • Take an outdoors skills class.
    Check your local Conservation Department, state parks, and even gear stores such as REI for classes at all skill levels and for all sorts of outdoor activities.

  • Plan an adventure that pushes you out of your comfort zone.
    Maybe for you, that means hiking a trail that’s a few miles longer than you’ve hiked before, or in weather or terrain you’ve never tackled. For me, it means taking my baby girl on a hike longer than two hours (I’ve hiked much longer than that, but not with her along for the ride!). Do your research and prepare wisely, then go do it!

 

What are you going to do to grow your adventure skills? How do you plan to get outdoors more this year? Share it in the comments!

 

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In Hiking Tags everyday adventure, Hiking, Adventure, outdoors
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Deanna Jensen, Founder and Artist at Dear Sumit Supply Co.
I'm Deanna, artist, designer, and maker of durable gear for adventure seekers and nature lovers here at Dear Summit. I love sharing about my creative, outdoorsy, and entrepreneurial adventures in the hopes that it might inspire and inform your own adventures!

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↟ Happy National Park Week! ↟ In appreciation of these greatest of national treasures, I’m so excited to announce my newest sticker, celebrating all national parks!
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↟
I believe that God created this earth for us to use and enjoy and care for, and it’s our responsibility to respect this amazing gift he has given us. We’ve only got this one earth, and as a whole, we humans are doing a pretty rough job of caring for it.
That’s why every singe day is Earth Day at Dear Summit. I’m all about getting out and enjoying this amazing wild planet, and that’s not much good if I’m not also taking great care to keep from destroying the earth I so love. In every product I make and everything I do at Dear Summit, from the sourcing of the shirts to the materials used to ship your orders, every step is done with environmental responsibility as a top priority.
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My favorite naturalist, conservationist, and wilderness writer was born on this day in 1838, in Dunbar, Scotland. I know several of his quotes get thrown around a lot, especially on social media (some of them grossly misquoted), and it’s become a little cliche, but if you sit down with one of his books or essays, you’ll quickly see why he is so well loved.
I’m currently reading his Travels in Alaska, and it is full of the most vivid and enchanting descriptions of his explorations of the mountains and glaciers of southeast Alaska in the late 1800’s. If you want to read a book that transports you to the most stunning wilderness scenes, spiced with plenty of adventure and a little science, get yourself a copy of a Muir book.
↟
Also, fun fact: John Muir shares his birthday with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 92 today!
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Here’s one of my favorite Muir nuggets:
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What’s your favorite book or quote from Mr. Muir?
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Do you see that leather mountain journal on the lower left of this gorgeous photo by @isleofspring? Many of you will probably recognize it, as that was my most popular design for quite some time - until I phased out these journals around the beginning of this year.
I have to say that while I am absolutely loving my current work of designing things and either working with ethical/sustainable producers to have them made (such as the patches and vinyl stickers), or printing them myself (the shirts), I have a serious desire to get back to crafting something in three-dimensions with my own hands. I’m not bringing the journals back, but I do have some ideas I’m pretty excited about; but I want to make sure I am serving you well in everything I do here.
If you could pick one type of product to see from Dear Summit, perhaps with some of my art on it, what would it be?
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I love this quote, another gem from Mr. Muir. The benefits of a walk in the wild (or even in a city park or your neighborhood) are immeasurable and indisputable.
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What motivates you most to seek time in nature? (Relaxation, exercise, clearing your mind?)
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#dearsummit #mountainlovers #ecofriendlyfashion #mountains #nothingisordinary #creativelifehappylife Are you as excited as I am about these one of a kind paintings?? First, I screen-print the graphic design (same as on my Mountains are Home shirt), and then I paint them individually. The two concepts are Cloudspotting and Stargazing, and I have two of each style, each one is different from the other. (Swipe to see one of each!)
↠ Here’s the deal: you can only get one if you’re on my Insider’s List (email list)! I’ll be sending out the email tomorrow morning, so you have a little time to get on the list if you aren’t already.
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PS - I’m working on more of those watercolor/prints this week and I’ll be releasing them on Thursday, but only to my email list! Each piece is first printed by hand (with one of the designs you see on my hand-printed shirts) and then I paint over the printed design in vibrant watercolor paint. Each one is a unique and original piece of art!
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I had a small number of these made as a test, and they’re going fast, so there’s only a handful left! I do plan to order more, but it may be a while before they’ll be available again, so I don’t recommend waiting if you’re interested in one!
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#dearsummit #dearsummitsupplyco #hikinglove #hikinggear #adventurers #hydroflask #liveadventurously #wearehikers #casualhikers #womenwhohike Finally had a chance to spend more time with my watercolors this afternoon. Here’s a little sneak peek at what I’m working on :)
I can’t wait to finish this piece up so I can show it to you!
•
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#dearsummit #mountainart #workinprogress #showyourwork #bluemountain #watercolor #mountainlovers #creativelifehappylife #creativeliving “‘This time is going to be different, she thought.
Because this time I have no expectations beyond today.
And today, feels pretty good.’ - JMS
T-shirt from @dearsummit. It’s soft, it fits great, and it’s the loveliest shade of green. 🌲”
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Get yours at dearsummit.com!
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📷 and caption by @ajessinthewoods
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#dearwild #dearsummit #hiking #sheexplores #womenwhohike #outdoorwomen #forceofnature #hikingheartbeat #hikelikeagirl #optoutside #naturelovers
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