Humans Outside

The outdoors offers space -- both physical and mental -- for deep thought and conversation. And when it comes to sorting through the racial issues with which America is grappling right now, it's the perfect setting for tough stuff. Here's how Amy experienced that this week.

Connect with this episode:Black Lives Matter Protests

REI Kingdom 8 Tent

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

If there's one thing we've learned over the last few months, it's that life doesn't always go the way you planned. Sometimes the world shifts in a way you didn't anticipate, and you have to make a decision: are you going to let it derail you, or will you ultimately adapt and overcome?

This week's guest Craig Vaream faced that decision when he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. One second he was healthy, athletic and living life to its fullest -- and the next he was learning to live with and manage a complicated disease.

Rather than let it sideline him, he chose a different path -- and used it to fuel his fire. In this episode Craig, now an inspirational speaker and author of the new book No Limits: Adventures and Lessons from Living with Diabetes, shares how spending time in the outdoors helped him do so, and how people can do the same.

Mentioned in the show:Read Craig's book, No Limits: Adventures and Lessons from Living with DiabetesLearn about the Juvenile Diabetes Research FoundationFollow Humans Outside on Instagram

Affiliate links above.

Register for our newsletter for a chance to win a free Humans Outside decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us

Share your own outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

Connect with us on Facebook: https://humansoutside.com/

As we confront racial injustice in our world, Amy reflects in this week's outdoor diary on both her privilege and those providing inspiration as they fight that injustice.

What inspires a person to conquer big things outside or try for the seemingly impossible? Those are questions this week's guest Darcy Gaechter had plenty of time to ponder as she became the first woman to ever paddle the Amazon River from source to sea. A journey now detailed in her new memoir, Darcy joins us on the podcast to talk about that adventure and what she learned along the way.

Mentioned in the show:

Favorite Gear: Jackson Kayak Nirvana

Most Essential Gear: Kayak dry suit

-----

Register for our newsletter to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/ Follow us on Instagram and share your outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

As of May 27, 2020 Amy hits an incredible milestone: 1,000 days in a row doing her daily outdoor time challenge. That's 1,000 days spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside every day. In this week's Outdoor Diary she gives a window into what those 1,000 days mean now that they are over.

-------

Visit the Humans Outside website

Register for our newsletter to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/

Follow us on Instagram and share your outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

When was the last time you were fired-up? We mean really fired-up?

Fired-up-ness is status quo living for Mike Erwin, founder and Executive Director of veteran service organization Team Red, White & Blue, which connects veterans with their communities. Mike is laser-focused building leaders and living a life focused on positivity, and he's doing it through fitness, community service -- and heading outside.

Catch Mike in this episode drilling down into how he's seen heading into nature develop strong leaders, plus tips on keeping that leadership fire burning when the going gets tough.

Mentioned in the show:

Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB)

Team RWB Eagle logo

Team RWB ethos

Veterans

First Responders

Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Addarondacks, New York

Lake of the Pines

University of Michigan

Positive psychology

Army Special ForcesVA Hospital, Ann Arbor

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Rock climbing

CrossFit

Triathlon

Military transition

Kerri Walsh Jennings

Volleyball

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Rucking

Running

Runners high

Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)

Mental health

Spending 20 minutes outside a day

Tommy Caldwell

Estes Park, Colorado

Fort Polk, Louisiana

The Village Arboretum, North Carolina

Pinehurst, North Carolina

Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

Instagram

Solitude vs. isolation

Snowshoeing

Lake Placid

Appalachian Trail

JFK 50 Miler

Favorite Gear: REI pants

Most Essential Gear: Cowboy boots or ruck

Affiliate links above.

-----

Register for our newsletter for a chance to win a free Humans Outside decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/

Don't forget to follow @HumansOutside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside/

Share your own outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

Connect with us on Facebook: https://humansoutside.com/

As restrictions ease across the country and numbers continue to drop, it seems like outdoor life, at least, is starting to return to normal. At least that's how it's feeling where Amy is. And her outdoor adventures are starting to reflect some of those normal patterns -- sort of.

Hear all about it on this week's Outdoor Diary.

--------

Check out Goodr sunglasses

Look at Eska Falls trail

Register for our newsletter to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/ Follow us on Instagram and share your outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

When neither addiciton nor a suicide attempt ended her life, Kate Arnold found the strength to not just change everything, but to live boldly. Now she's a runner, athlete and fitness coach in Palmer, Alaska, soaking in creation and living each moment boldly and loudly because she can. In a world of Instagram fame, "influencers," and self-promotion, it can be hard to find the folks who are out there just humbly doing incredible things while no one is watching.

Kate is that person and she has a deeply felt reason for doing it. In this week's podcast she shares what drives her and her no-big-deal (except that it is) view on what it's like to be a total outdoor badass like Kate, where she draws her strength and how she's taking others out to explore Alaska, too.

Mentioned in the show:

The Butte, Alaska

Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska

Wisconsin

Alcoholism

Addiction

Susitna 100

Faith

12 step programs

"Higher power"

Iditasport 100k

Lazy Mountain

Dave Johnston

Christy Marvin

Pioneer Peak

Run Like a Girl running adventures

Iceland

Patagonia

Costa Rica

Italy

Reindeer Farm

Musk Ox Farm

Palmer, Alaska W Trek, Patagonia park

Favorite outdoor gear:

Montbell down pants

Most essential outdoor gear:

Buff

Affiliate links above.

-----

Register for our newsletter for a chance to win a free Humans Outside decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/

Don't forget to follow @HumansOutside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside/

Share your own outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

Connect with us on Facebook: https://humansoutside.com/

How are you spending your outdoor time? Leave us a message and we might feature you on our weekly Outdoor Diary episode. Call ‪(360) 362-5317‬.

A window into Amy's why and an important ask make up this week's Outdoor Diary. With Memorial Day just a few weeks away, you can take a moment to plan how you are going to mark it, and Amy has a suggestion.

Mentioned in the show:

wear blue: run to remember: https://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/

wear blue: run to remember Memorial Day walk/run pledge: https://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/memorial-day

--------

Register for our newsletter to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/ Follow us on Instagram and share your outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

In the U.S., creating space for conservation and outdoor use is directly tied to public lands. But what do you do when most land is privately held? And how do you encourage conservation and nature appreciation in major cities like Dallas? For Joni Carswell and Texan By Nature, an organization founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, the answer comes down to everyone - businesses, nonprofits and citizens - working together to focus on what we share around the outdoors.

Catch Joni's beliefs around conservation, her love of Texas, tips for encouraging conservation in your own backyard, plus the inside scoop on why, exactly, it always looks a little bit like the George W. Bush Presidential Library's lawn is getting out of hand.

Mentioned in the show:

Austin, Texas

El Paso, Texas

Laura Bush

National Parks

Bird Watching

Texan By Nature: https://www.texanbynature.org

West Texas

US Fish and Wildlife

Natural Resource Management

Monarchs

Land restoration

Biodiverse habitat pollinators

Ogallala, Texas

George W Bush Presidential Center

Dallas, Texas

Blackland Prairie

Rainwater capture

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower

Crawford Texas

Texas State Parks

Texas Bee Keepers Association

Health benefits of going outside

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texas Children in Nature

Conservation Wranglers

Texas Monthly MagazineTexan By Nature 20

Guadalupe Peak, Texas

Favorite Gear: Icebreaker Gloves

Most Essential Gear: Polarized sunglasses

Affiliate links above.

Register for our newsletter for a chance to win a free Humans Outside decal: https://humansoutside.com/contact-us/

Don't forget to follow @HumansOutside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside/

Share your own outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

Connect with us on Facebook: https://humansoutside.com/

How are you spending your outdoor time? Leave us a message and we might feature you on our weekly Outdoor Diary episode. Call ‪(360) 362-5317‬.