It finally arrives, that package you’ve been waiting for, for so long – that new tent/ice axe/helmet/anything else. After months of reading, comparing, checking again, asking friends, going to the store to try and then doing it all again 3 times, you pick what you want. You order it and wait. You know that the […]
What inspires me to go outdoors
Staying at home is great, it really is – you are mostly comfortable, you have company, entertainment, food as you like, water that doesn’t need filtering, you can sit/lay/rest as you wish and many other great things. Yet for some reason we still go outside, to the cold/hot weather, the bugs, the sweat, the wet […]
Dealing with solo weekend guilt
There is a real problem in being torn between two worlds, between the family/home world and the outdoors. It is almost like having a demanding mistress but knowing the demand exists only in your head. I guess this guilt exists with any hobby or personal activity that takes us away from home; but there is […]
How to mentally climb a mountain
Climbing a mountain is not just a physical challenge, it is also a mental and emotional one. Often times when I find myself going uphill on a long stretch, I have the words that Robert M Pirsig wrote in “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” echo in my head: Mountains should be climbed with […]
Winter blues and going outdoors
It’s cold outside, again, or should I say still? It is wet, too, and might freeze with how cold it is, but it will never turn into snow. Winter blues are a real pain. I’ve been craving some outdoors time for a while now, but winter and my daughter’s nursery blessed me with a truly […]
How to approach gear reviews
Gear reviews are probably my main use of the internet by now. I’m guessing this is a problem for any gear head, and outdoor gear heads are not any different. We want to upgrade, replace, change, have another or just-in-case kit for anything, so we read reviews. We read reviews from small one person blogs, […]
Why there is no such thing as the best outdoor gear
If you have been searching for gear for any outdoor outing lately, you will find lists everywhere – “Best gear for…(name the activity)”, “Best 10 jackets for….”, “The 10 best packs for 2015” and so on. Those lists are offered by many sources – from major chains to niche retailers, gear reviewing sites, personal blogs […]
What acivities can you do outdoors?
We have already discussed the fact that we go outdoors to have fun, and as much as just being helicoptered to the middle of nowhere for a few hours with an icebox full of beers and snacks sounds great, most people want to actually do something when they are out – but what? The outdoors […]
Defining the idea of “The Outdoors” and what it means to us
If you had a quick look at the “about us” page, you saw that for me the outdoors is my sport; while some are just runners, or climbers, or hunters, or golfers or skiers, I’m an outdoors guy. But does that mean? And what is the big “Outdoors”? Let’s start by understanding what it is […]