At TripOutside, we are passionate about getting outdoors and want to share our passion with the world. We have come up with an extensive list of ways for people of all ages and abilities to get active outside, from mellow nature walks to extreme sports. The benefits of getting outdoors are plentiful and have strong positive impacts on your body, brain and soul. Did you know that research shows that natural sunlight helps mitigate pain? And being outdoors boosts your immune system? Here are some great ways to improve your well-being and get active outdoors!
SUMMER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
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NATURE WALKS
An outdoor activity for people of all ages and all experience levels. Just get outside, pick a trail and walk around enjoying the great outdoors. Take in the beautiful views, nature around you, and wildlife. You can even search for specific plants or wildlife on your walk.
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HIKING
Discover why so many people fall in love with hiking! Get into the outdoors and leave your worries at the trailhead. Hiking can be any difficulty, from a quick half hour saunter along a river to a strenuous multi-hour mountain trek. Choose what best suits your ability and study up on trail reports before going – usually found on state recreation sites online.
Wondering if you need hiking poles for your next hike? See this comprehensive hiking pole guide for more information!
TIP: Our favorite hike finding and navigation app is Alltrails. The Pro version allows you to download offline maps, which can come in really handy for backcountry adventures if you’re not packing a map and a compass.
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BACKPACKING
If you enjoy hiking and camping in any form, then combining those outdoor activities is exactly what you should do! While backpacking, you will carry everything you need for the duration of your trek on your back. This approach to adventuring in nature can be highly rewarding as people can feel much closer with nature and aware of their surroundings. Be sure to have the right gear and look up trail and weather reports before setting of on your journey! Some essentials for your backpacking trip include:
PACK
- A quality backpack is a must – check out some great brands like Osprey, Lowe Alpine and Kelty.
- This sizing guide will help you determine what the best size backpack is for your needs.
SLEEPING
- We love our Marmot Limelight camping tent from Backcountry.com – it packs up tight and only weighs 5 pounds!
- Therm-a-rest makes top quality camping pillows, sleeping bags and sleeping pads with options that will keep you warm on even the coolest nights.
- Kammock also makes some great hammocks and shelters for ultra-light backpacking.
COOKING
- Jetboil cooking system (boil water for your favorite backpacking meals!)
- Sea to Summit makes our favorite cooking sets, quick dry towels and biodegradable wilderness wash
- We LOVE the Ketadyn water filter – this uber-packable pump-style filter removes sediment, particles and microrganisms from water to make it drinkable
OTHER
- Don’t forget headlamps and flashlights – we also love Luci’s solar powered lanterns (the new ones even have a mobile charger included!)
- And don’t leave home without your first aid kit and knife or multi-tool!
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ROCK SCRAMBLING
Rock scrambling is essentially a mix of hiking and rock climbing: when the hike is too steep to continue on without using your hands, but not so steep that you are actually supporting yourself with your arms. These are often found near the summits of mountains, or underneath cliffs where large boulders have broken off. Rock scrambling can be very fun and might be more appealing to those daunted by the exposure of rock climbing.
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ALPINEERING
Take mountaineering to the next level and reach new higher, snow-topped peaks! Named after mountaineering in the Alps (we had to look it up too), alpineering refers to pursuing mountain top summits as the final destination of a hike. We recommend being strong hiker before you try alpineering, and research easy, lower elevation, and non-technical peaks near you to get started!
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CANYONEERING
The exploration of a canyon from point A to point B. At times it may require ropes and harnesses but some canyons can be explored just on a hike and you can use your hands and feet to Spiderman across the canyon playing ‘’the ground is lava’’. It’s a popular activity if exploring Southern Utah. If you are new to the sport, we recommend getting a guide to show you the ropes (no pun intended!) – canyoneering can be dangerous if you don’t follow the proper safety protocols.
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TRAIL RUNNING
For those that enjoy normal running, trail running is a great way to mix up the usual and get off the pavement. Trail running gets you to new, less traveled locations, and changes up the topography of the ground you run upon with normally softer surfaces and more turns and elevation changes. Get away from the city noise and out onto the trails for a run that you won’t regret!
TIP: Having the right trail running shoes matters, slipping and tripping can cause severe ankle sprains or injuries (speaking from experience, sadly..) Looking for a deal? Check out Steep & Cheap for 50-80% off top brands like Arc’teryx!
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MOUNTAIN RUNNING
Mountain running or vertical / skyrunning as it is often referred to, is for people looking for an extreme cardio workout. Rather than just getting to the top of mountains, people who pursue mountain running want to see just how fast they can do it. This could be the new activity for you if you are fit and enjoy pushing yourself to new limits. The views on top of the mountains after the intense but shorter duration (relative to hiking) efforts are worth it!
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TRACK RUNNING
Maybe you dabbled in track back in high school, or maybe you have never run a lap before. Tracks offer a great way to track personal progress. Each standard track is 400 meters, so it easy to pick a distance and time yourself over days, weeks, and months to see your fitness improve. The key is to keep the perspective about you and your own personal improvement over time.
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CAR CAMPING
It is important to get out into nature and clear one’s mind every now and then. Car camping offers a way to do so that is relatively comfortable, allowing you to bring anything you want that will fit in the car (extra smores, the guitar, air mattress, supersize tent). Car camping is a great way to get introduced to camping in the outdoors, while still offering time out in beautiful nature. Check out our camping essentials list in #3 above (you can leave off the pack if you are car camping!) Front Runner also makes some awesome rooftop tent solutions for off the ground camping.
Check more 52 ideas @ TripOutside.com by Julie Singh
