For women

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Race and privilege in the outdoors

By Alexandra Lev / November 2, 2020 /

In this series we have covered a wide range of topics meant to help aid and educate women in preparation for backcountry travel. It was brainstormed a year ago and designed to add to this website a woman’s perspective on some fundamental outdoor topics. Our final post was to be about “Giving Back” and would…

A women’s guide to backcountry hygiene || Menstruation, pee & poop, UTI’s, skin care

By Alexandra Lev / August 14, 2020 /

Has the fear of managing your bodily functions kept you from hitting the trail for a weekend of fun in the outdoors? Does the thought of dealing with your period in the backcountry prevent you from backpacking for several days in a row? Don’t fret! You are not alone in having hesitations about managing feminine…

Fueling & nutrition for the female trail athlete

By Teresa Hagerty / August 10, 2020 /

My first summit hike of Mt. St. Helens took over 16 hours round-trip, and I hit the wall a little more than halfway up. From there, every step to the summit was a struggle, and it took days to recover after the climb. I didn’t know it then, but a flawed nutritional strategy had set…

Outdoor fitness & training for the female athlete

By Alexandra Lev / June 22, 2020 /

Since I never played sports in high school or college and since I don’t enjoy conventional forms of working out, I’ve never really considered myself an athlete. Yet everything I do in the mountains is a form of athleticism and requires training, especially as my mountain goals have become more technical and challenging. The first…

Tips for handling harassment on the trail

By Alexandra Lev / May 21, 2020 /

While hiking alone on a trail, has a man ever slowed down a little when walking past you, and perhaps even brushed your shoulders ever so slightly, giving you that uneasy feeling and prompting you to look over your shoulder the rest of the way? Or how about a man on the trail who asks…

Women-specific gear: What’s the difference, and do you need it?

By Teresa Hagerty / May 13, 2020 /

On my first backpacking trip, I used a rented backpack, a massively unwieldy sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad better suited for a guest room. My pack must have weighed over 50 pounds.  In the years that followed, I have gained hands-on knowledge with almost every gear category, and I have bought and replaced a…

Face Your Fears: The real risk of wild animals & injuries for women

By Teresa Hagerty / May 5, 2020 /

As a female outdoor leader, guide, and mentor, I hear a wide range of worries that women have about being outdoors. Wild animals and injuries are two of the most common. I’m here to tell you that women are no more vulnerable than anyone else outdoors.  Real vs. Perceived Risks The first night I camped…

Should women hike solo?

By Alexandra Lev / April 28, 2020 /

It’s always been natural for me to be alone, including on the trail. Sadly, society has conditioned us to think that it is unsafe for women to recreate outdoors solo. This attitude is wrong and perpetuates negative stereotypes about women– hiking, running, and camping alone can be both safe and rewarding. So it’s time to…

women rock climbers high-fiving on rock

Outdoor Women: How to Find Your Community

By Alexandra Lev and Teresa Hagerty / April 20, 2020 /

This is for the incredible women still seeking their outdoor community. I’ve been there too. This is the article I wish I’d found years ago to support my search for my own female adventure partners. Allow me to provide you with the map to your outdoor sisterhood. The destination is worth the journey. When I…

How is backpacking different for women than men? Series intro

By Andrew Skurka / April 13, 2020 /

While reorganizing and streamlining the blog categories late last year, I found two lonely posts that demanded their own section — For women — and that also highlighted the need for more related content. On this website I generally stick to subjects about which I’m an expert, so historically it’s been light on female-specific subjects…