1. Find the best adventure partner in the world. Dogs are a man’s best friend, and they love the outdoors. Dogs are the perfect companion animal to bring along with you no matter the journey. After you’ve found the perfect breed for you, start training them young. Make sure your puppy is acclimated to all environments. Take your dog in the car, woods, dog parks, downtown streets, anywhere that you go the dog should too.
2. Choose your favorite piece of gear. For fishermen this might be a net, rock climbers a rope, foragers a machete, whatever your tool is… discover it. Experiment until you stumble upon something that supports your lifestyle and goes on your adventures with you.
3. Embrace the rain. Some hikers, campers, or boaters always travel prepared for rain while others will see a 45% chance of showers and still neglect to pack any waterproof equipment. No matter which one you are, learn to welcome the stillness and tranquility in the rain, don’t just pack up and rush home. Speaking from experience, not much motivates you to reach your destination more than rain. I learned that the hard way during a motorcycle camping trip across country. I was not at all prepared for the rain. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing from that trip. But then again, hindsight is 20-20… so a rain jacket might have been helpful.
4. Go out and buy yourself a knife. Not just any blade, but a good one. Do a little bit of research beforehand. Find a size good for your hand, and whatever you plan to do with it, while making sure you can still clip it onto your cargo shorts.
5. Never force your children to be active. Demanding your kids to switch off the X-Box and go outside isn’t going to help them fall in love with the outdoors. Create fun and exciting ways to engage them. Challenge your kids to a race, make up a fake treasure map at a state park when hiking, start geocaching around town. You will learn more about your children’s personalities while they fall in love with the outdoors.
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6. Get your kicks on Route 66. Embark on an epic road trip. Open pavement, great company, the perfect playlist, and junk food make for a classic adventure for someone who just needs to get away for a bit. Your destination could just be an hour, or five states away. Whatever the case, remember a road trip is never a race.
7. Tell a tall tale. Have you ever seen the Tim Burton film Big Fish? The moral of the movie is that a story does not have to be factual to be true. Tell a story that captivates your audience with laughter and leaves your listeners with warmth in their hearts, not just from the campfire.
8. One man, a solo tent, and sleeping bag. Challenge yourself. Camping alone can be hard, but getting through any set back on your own will be a rewarding experience. Not to sound like an overdone cliché, but you will most likely learn something about yourself.
9. Mother Nature’s health regimen. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, nature-based activities have suffered a 35% drop in the US over the last 40 years. Being outdoors in clean air with the serene sound of animals playing in the background is therapeutic and good for the soul. We just have to detach from our technology based lives and get out there.
10. Take on the outdoors with the person you love. Food for thought: Agree on a compromise meal, don’t judge each other’s diet. Pitch the rules before the tent. Make sure that the two of you cover the basics. Share your pet peeves, how you both like to organize, and even cleaning tendencies. Make sure you meet at a common ground through communication early on; that way there are no surprises down the road.
Curated article from Outside.
