Humans Outside

If the deep, dark winter and cold are hitting you like a ton of bricks just like they are hitting me, it might be time to stand back and remember what you've done in the past that can boost your mood this time of year.

It's OK to say you hate the darkness and winter weather. Saying it out loud helps me move through it. But what isn't going to help me is giving up and hating it from my couch. So to fight back I'm trying a pair new outdoor habit experiments to see if they can help my mood and get me through the dark months.

Learn more in this episode.

Connect with this episode:

A Humans Outside episode about Seasonal Depression (SAD)

More about the "one big adventure, one little adventure" idea with Laura Vanderkam

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

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Some of the good stuff:

[:35] We've got the outdoor blahs

[1:00] Oh, hi seasonal depression

[3:00] Let's just acknowledge that everything actually is terrible

[3:39] Busting me out of this mood in two parts

[3:54] Chasing daylight

[5:20] One big adventure, one little adventure

Modern American culture uses Greek mythology to refer to stars and constellations in the night sky. But a rich tradition of Native American astronomy and indigenous star stories is out there, too, waiting for us to learn it. Better yet? Learning star stories can help us chart the seasons and help us enjoy heading outside.

In this episode of Humans Outside Carl Gawboy, a Native American astronomer, Native Skywatchers elder and Ojibwe artist based in Minnesota, guides us through his groundbreaking work in Ojibwe star stories and what they can mean to us today. At almost 80, Carl shares a lifetime of work, study and cultural understanding with us.

Connect with this episode:

Learn about Native Skywatchers

Learn about Carl Gawboy's art

Read the Forest Service pamphlet that doesn't recognize the star stories

Learn more about the Hegman Lake pictographs

The Sun Dagger documentary

Talking Sky by Carl Gawboy and Ron Mortin

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

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Some of the good stuff:

[3:32] Carl Gawboy's favorite outdoor space

[5:55] How Carl became someone who likes to go outside

[7:31] How indigenous star stories because a part of his journey

[16:32] How he discovered the connection of Ojibwe pictographs to star stories

[26:19] What the Hegman Lake pictographs mean

[32:05] The Ojibwe words for what's in those pictographs

[34:00] What do you indigenous star stories teach us about our world today?

[38:19] How Carl's artwork and star stories connect to simplicity

[42:29] The role of myth in understanding our world

[45:44] Using star stories to chart the year

[48:57] How to learn more about star stories wherever you are

When I moved to Alaska from Tennessee I was not someone who spent a lot of time outside, and I owned virtually no clothing you and I would think of as "winter gear." I simply had no experience spending time outside in cold weather, and I had no idea what I was doing.

In the years since I have quite a lot of time to practice going outside comfortably in all types of weather and seasons, which means I have had some time to figure out what I like to wear out there -- and what I don't.

Maybe these experiences can help you, too, as you learn to how to stay warm and comfortable outside all winter long.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

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Some of the good stuff:

[:35] I have a whole lot of practice with outdoor gear because it's winter here for months and months and months

[1:30] First let's talk about the things I like the most and why

[2:00] The star of the show

[2:45] Foot stuff

[3:31] The core of the issue

[4:06] Neglect not the hood

[4:41] Skip this stuff

[4:45] Things that don't fit right

[6:07] Cold heads even if they're cute

Learning how to stay warm and, therefore, comfortable in cold weather can be the difference between a great outdoor experience and one you never, ever want to have again.

And while so much of the "what" of the clothing that you wear outside will be based on your own personal preferences and needs (helpful, right?), there are some basic building blocks that you can lean on to get started.

Enter the mysterious yet necessary "base layer."

What do you need to know about picking a great base layer? What kind of fabric and fit should you look for? What goes on top of it? And why do some outdoor adventure clothes cost so much? In this episode Jen Loofbouroow, founder of the outdoor apparel company Alpine Fit, tells us all of the secrets to layering, gives her best tips for staying warm and happy during any outside adventure and walks us through what we need to know about getting dressed for cold weather.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Visit the Alpine Fit website

Follow Alpine Fit on Instagram

Follow Alpine Fit on Facebook

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:59] Jen Loofbourrow's favorite outdoor space

[4:55] The very Canadian way she became someone who likes to go outside

[5:51] The Alpine Fit story

[8:35] A word of caution about too many good ideas during adventures

[11:40] The secrets of sizing

[22:32] What the heck is a "base layer"

[24:02] Why we're glad layers don't have butt flaps anymore

[25:00] A few gear essentials

[28:41] What to wear on a normal person cold day

[31:47] A digression on the subject of hand warmers

[35:50] What to wear on a really cold day

[41:24] A little bit about price point and why things are so expensive

[50:16] Jen's favorite outdoor moment

If the annoying perky people in the world are right and your perspective really does determine your reality, then there's one tried and true way to make heading outside in less than great circumstances -- weather, schedule, whatever -- just a tiny bit better.

I've tested what it's like to go out there with a bad attitude.

So, what happens when I take a different track?

And what happens if I do when things are really, really hard? I'm talking -15 degrees, blowing, very frosty, don't want to be there, have other stuff to do hard?

Let's find out.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] A reality check

[1:03] What happens when you have a bad one

[1:45] I know this because I've tested it

[2:20] A little hunting for the good and what I've found

[2:58] A smart aleck saying that's true

[3:59] Check in on me on this

Call it a gift of my daily outdoor habit: I am surprised to be grateful for some outdoor stuff that old me would've considered either not a big deal or downright bad.

And yet here I am, including it on a gratitude list? Life is weird.

Gratitude is a healing practice, and when it comes to challenging seasons (like winter … or any bad weather … or hard personal life stuff …) taking time to name it and claim it can be a powerful practice.

And so here we are, listing it out.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Back when I first started all of this

[1:12] I am surprised by what I am grateful for, honestly

[1:53] Here's a list of crazy things, including birds -- which, frankly, is weird

[4:53] Here's the thing I'm still not grateful for, sorry

There's pushing yourself to chase big goals outside because it's something you want to do -- and then there's doing it because someone else can't.

When Laura Carney found her dad's unfinished bucket list years after his tragic death, she knew completing it wasn't just a fun sounding idea -- it was something she absolutely had to do. And since many of the list items were outdoor activities, that meant digging deep to find the courage to step outside her comfort zone and tackle a series of crazy. Impossible-sounding tasks.

What she learned on her journey to finishing his list for him goes beyond just self-discovery or liking new hobbies. The courage and insight she found through her time outside is fueling her life today -- and can inspire you to chase big dreams, too.

Don't miss this excellent and inspiring episode with Laura. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Laura Carney's website

Follow Laura on Instagram

Follow Laura on X (Twitter)

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:27] Laura Carney's favorite outdoor space

[5:33] Who Laura became someone who likes to go outside

[6:52] A little about Laura's dad and his list

[10:39] What is a "thin place?"

[15:33] Getting outside for list items

[17:52] How working on the list changed her relationship with herself

[21:34] How the list project changed her relationship with her husband

[25:51] Some really good lessons from the list work

[28:39] The big life lessons from the list

[30:19] The value of learning to laugh at yourself

[38:40] Making her own list and the rules that don't exist

[42:54] Laura's favorite outdoor moment

If the weather outside is frightful or simply not delightful, how do you make yourself go outside anyway? What's the trick for getting past the discomfort and I-don't-want-to so you can experience what nature has to offer even in bad weather?

I lean on two tools to help me -- and you can lean on them, too. Learn how in this episode. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Yes, it really is hard out there

[2:00] So how do we make ourselves go out?

[2:57] Here are two tools

[3:29] First tool: gear

[4:02] Second tool: a plan

We know heading outside helps us all sort through the junk of life -- a tough day, actual trauma, relationships, whatever. And veterans know spending time in nature also has special power over the wounds of military service.

For Vedia Barnett, a disabled Black Air Force veteran and founder of the nonprofit organization Black Vets Outdoors, spending time outside has extra power. She's seen it work to heal the double trauma carried by those who carry both the burden of military service and the weight of racism. In this episode she talks about:

• Creating a sense of belonging outdoors
• Why reaching out and supporting Black veterans is important
• The power of heading outside for everyone

Join us as we explore the transformative impact of nature on veterans, the incredible resilience and camaraderie found within veteran-led groups like Vedia's -- and how you can make an impact for them, too.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Black Vets Outdoors Connect with Vedia Barnett on LinkedIn Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:33] Vedia Barnett's favorite outdoor space

[4:01] Vedia's outdoor story

[4:40] About Vedia's military service

[6:18] Yes, to join the military, she really did have to sign over custody of her son

[9:08] Vedia's work with veterans

[11:06] How does going outside help veterans?

[14:06] Why a sense of belonging matters outside

[16:44] Do military veterans experience healing outdoors differently from other people?

[20:03] All about Black Vets Outdoors

[22:38] Why outdoor affinity groups are important

[25:00] Simply finding outdoor joy

[29:02] How spending time outside impacts the Black veteran community, specifically

[32:00] The impact of historic trauma

[35:18] How Black vets can access the group and how allies can help

[43:12] Vedia's favorite outdoor moment

When everything is cold, and drab and just not that great outside, are you able to find the small wonders in nature? It's that time of year when things aren't exactly lovely or pleasant all the time, and hunting for the good takes some work and some practice. It also takes understanding that the small wonders aren't going to be predictable -- you're going to have to work for them.

So how do you make that happen? Learn how I'm doing it for myself in this episode. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:53] No, I really am ridiculous about my habits

[1:36] But heading outside has shown me this

[2:06] Why October is terrible

[2:25] How finding the small daily wonders changes my outlook

[3:14] And then there are the bigger wonders

[4:03] Take the time for this