Longform: The Modern Outdoors Woman
Recently, you've probably noticed a serious surge in images of women outdoors—not so much in the #mountainbabes kind of way, but more in the #outdoorwomen kind of way. Women, in terms of trend, are having a major moment. Terms like feminist, #girlboss, and lean-in, now punctuate everyday conversation
Johnie Gall, Dirtbag Darling
Some use the outdoors to disconnect from the usual social networking and selfie hustle, while others are using those very networks to create new communities, building a bridge to connect to other Modern Outdoors Women. Jeanine Pesce is the founder & editor of RANGE, an agency, magazine, and content-hub dedicated to discovery in sports, lifestyle, and the outdoors. She spends her days embracing nature, trend forecasting, and consulting for your favorite sports and lifestyle brands. Recently, she took an in-depth look at what it means to be a Modern Outdoors Woman—or a brand that aims to capture her attention. Read on for her thoughts, insights, and observations.
The Modern Outdoors Woman
an essay by Jeanine Pesce of Range
Recently, you've probably noticed a serious surge in images of women outdoors—not so much in the #mountainbabes kind of way, but more in the #outdoorwomen kind of way. Women, in terms of trend, are having a major moment. Terms like feminist, #girlboss, and lean-in, now punctuate everyday conversation (Editor's note: take the growth of Create & Cultivate as proof)—women are stronger and more successful than ever, doing a great job of balancing work and family, and seriously interested in getting outside. According to the Outdoor Industry Foundation’s in-depth report on participation, attitudes, and behaviors, called “Getting < Women < Active,” 61% of women currently participate in outdoor recreation, and individually spend an average of $295 annually on outdoor apparel and equipment.
As more women are empowered to discover the simple things that being in nature provides, we wanted to ask ourselves: What defines today’s modern outdoors woman? Is it about tactile skills and experience, or is it more a state of being? We interviewed a dynamic group of women with varied levels of traditional outdoor experience to find out. The Modern Outdoors Woman is inquisitive, kind, and willing to introduce her less experienced friends to the outdoors. She looks to Donna Carpenter; owner of Burton Snowboards, Melissa Arnot; an American mountaineer and the only female guide on Everest, Liz Clark; a sailor, surfer and National Geographic Adventurer, Gina Bégin; founder of the Outdoor Women’s Alliance and Caroline Gleich; professional big mountain skier for inspiration. She is beyond stoked to collaborate, and her competitive nature, although present while in motion, is more passive when creating content. She finds strength in her femininity, and doesn’t feel that words like “tomboy” define her. She is just as comfortable casting a line as she is shopping online, and is constantly daydreaming about trips and adventures.
Gale Straub, founder of She-explores, a site dedicated to women who wander, describes her as “curious and ready-to-go, invariably planning her next endeavor. You could just as easily find her climbing in the mountains as rediscovering her hometown. She explores with an eye for color, an appreciation of technique and a pull towards what’s next.” According to Sasha Cox from Trail Mavens, which specializes in outdoor adventures for urban women, “An outdoors woman is someone who's not afraid of getting dirty outside of her comfort zone, and likely believes adventure is adversity in retrospect. Regardless of what happens, it's a learning experience and probably a great story.” This sums up the main difference between our experience as women in the outdoors and that of our our traditionally pragmatic male counterparts. Simply put, we are on a journey to discover something deeper and more meaningful.
"75% of women agree their feeling of connection to the outdoors is the most important reason to get outside"
The Outdoor Industry report states 75% of women agree their feeling of connection to the outdoors is the most important reason to get outside. “Unlike men, who are drawn to the tactical, logical applications of gear in the outdoors and an almost engineering-like mentality of deciphering maps, putting up tents, cutting snow pits, and chopping wood, women connect with the emotional side of being in nature. Then there are also those of us who like the adrenaline rush, but not without the fresh air and good scenery to feed our souls,” explains Ali Carr Troxell, an outdoor gear editor, adventure travel journalist and founder of PR agency Headwaters Collective.
Another key difference is the way we purchase product. Men like buying things quickly and concisely, but women want to be romanced into a purchase by an editorial point of view. 64.7% of women say they look to store displays for their apparel inspiration, confirming the fact that ladies want to shop where they feel captivated and engaged. Women get pumped for in-store events, sample sales and collaborations, so why not apply that formula to the way they shop for gear, in the form of clinics, product testing and group activities? The old days of “pinking” and “shrinking”— a term used to describe the antiquated habit of brands who shrink men’s designs and color them pink to appeal to women—just won’t cut it. Women want contemporary silhouettes, trend-driven color options and prints that are more evolved than paisleys and daisies. When conducting our own interviews about the Modern Outdoors Woman, we stumbled upon a very interesting fact: only a handful of the women we spoke with admitted to wearing hiking pants. The rest wore leggings because they were more flattering on the form, felt better against their skin, and didn’t make them look like a “funky aunt.” Discuss amongst yourselves.
So who is nailing it when it comes to women’s apparel and hardgoods? That is a loaded question and really depends on who you are asking.“To me, doing it ‘right’ means you aren’t promoting harmful gender stereotypes, your messaging/brand isn’t misogynistic, you truly support the female athletes on your team, and you make gear and clothing women actually want. There are a lot of really well-intentioned companies still constructing their women’s lines out of pastel fabrics or producing short and soft skis. As the owner of a hard-goods company, I understand there is a process and you can’t please everyone. What one woman loves, another may despise,” explains Jen Gurecki, CEO of Coalition Snow, which makes skis and boards by women for women.
Social media inadvertently plays a huge role in how women interested in the outdoors are connecting with each other. “I felt like I was the only woman I knew mountain biking on the weekend or surfing on the East Coast in the winter. Social media offers me a sense of instant community in a space where I used to lack many female friendships. It's especially relevant while I'm traveling. I've been able to bum couch space from women all over the country who have become my good friends strictly via Instagram,” notes Johnie Gall, founder of Dirtbag Darling, a blog that “celebrates the outdoor woman,” including those with “dirty feet, salty hair, goggle-tans and borrowed surfboards.” And what about the outdoor selfie? Isn’t it only natural to include our gorgeous faces in these scenic vistas? Well, not in every case: “I typically leave my face out of pictures because I've lived that experience already. I prefer to let people put themselves in my shoes, and they don't need to see my mug to do that,” explains Gall.
Everyone has a different level of comfort and an individual set of skills when it comes to being “outdoorsy.” Some connect through sharing their outdoor experiences online, while others join all-women workshops to enhance their technical skills. We know our textbook definition of an outdoors woman is someone who skis, snowboards, climbs, camps, surfs, cycles, runs, backpacks and does yoga, but that list could run on forever—or at least we hope it does. All the women we spoke with were different, but they all had the same things in common: a unified, deep-rooted love of life and an absolutely pure appreciation of nature and the great outdoors.
Johnie Gall, Dirtbag Darling
Little is the New Large: A Tiny Home with a Big Message
A Tiny Home with a Big Message
by Whitney Leigh Morris
I live in a tiny home. I moved here four years ago, not because I was on a minimizing-mission, and not because it was the “on-trend” thing to do. I don’t even consider myself a minimalist per se. I simply fell in love with the space. I had no idea that it would ultimately change not only my entire outlook on life, but also completely reroute my professional career.
My Tiny Canal Cottage, located in Venice Beach, California, is just 362 square feet. That’s roughly the size of a standard two-car garage. It’s my office, studio, and living space, and I share it with my fiancé, Adam, and our beagle-mix, Stanlee. Thanks to editorial coverage, creative collaborations, and the power of Instagram (#TheTinyCanalCottage), the Cottage is now widely known by individuals and businesses around the world. And while I am still madly in love with my home, I must admit that it isn’t this exact space that has captured everyone’s attention. It’s the message within the space that resonates with audiences: We don’t have to live large to live beautifully.
"We don’t have to live large to live beautifully."
For decades we’ve been inundated with the message that bigger is better, and that full, successful lives are measured by large homes, expensive cars, extravagant vacations, and numerous belongings. To each his or her own, but I personally am delighted by the recent shift towards finding fulfillment in simplicity.
Let me be very clear—I am not demonizing larger homes nor lifestyles that differ from my own. (I was raised on a 10 acre wildlife preserve, and my favorite place to live/work when I’m not at my cottage is an insanely gorgeous rustic castle in France, so I can hardly claim that my entire life fits into 362 square feet.) But I’ve never felt happier and more balanced than I do while “living little” with my guys in our mini-home.
Downsizing my possessions allowed me to focus on exploring new projects and endeavors, and gave me a mental clarity that resulted in discovering the love of my life, enjoying a lack of jealousy or resentment over other people’s lives, and experiencing ever-increasing success with my small business.
As the economy continues to shift and the freelancer community expands, presumably more and more people will find themselves operating predominantly from live-work spaces. Thanks to the capabilities of our latest gadgets, most of us no longer need dedicated offices in order to properly do our jobs.
(I routinely fit up to three comfortable workstations in the Cottage with ease. See here & here.)
I challenge anyone who is thinking of downsizing to take the plunge. Truly commit to it, and I believe you’ll find pride and remarkable joy in the mindful curation of your belongings, and in divesting the weight of the unnecessary.
Whitney Leigh Morris is a firm believer that you don’t have to “live large” to live beautifully. She operates her creative consulting firm from her 362 sq. ft. #TheTinyCanalCottage in Venice Beach, California, where she is dedicated to making life—even the little things—delightful, thoughtful and meaningful. Her company specializes in simple style for small spaces, gatherings, and visual content, and has recently been featured via Domino, One Kings Lane, Design Sponge, CB2, Urban Decay, and more. She’s a must-follow @whitneyleighmorris.
Happy Hour: Pimp My Gimlet
We know sometimes it can be all hustle and no flow. Rachel Mae Furman is Create & Cultivate's resident Leisure Expert, and our go-to girl for tips on cocktails, parties, and the art of entertaining. She'll regularly be serving up the best ways to mix and little business with pleasure. It's always Happy Hour somewhere, so we'll drink to that.
Pimp My Gimlet
by Rachel Mae Furman
I love the classic Gimlet for its simplicity, and it’s really easy to add your own twist to it. Whether adding seasonal fruits or herbs, a dash of liqueur or artisanal soda, once you have the base recipe down, you can do a whole lot from there.
Let’s start with the basics: A Gimlet is simply gin (2 oz.), lime (.5 oz.), and simple syrup (.5 oz.). And just like I explain in this article about a citrus cocktail template, as long as you have equal parts lime and simple syrup with about twice as much booze, you’ll start with a balanced cocktail.
So what can we do with our little Gimlet friend to make it more magical?
Master this simple template for a Gin Gimlet, then break rules.
Infuse the Booze
Regular gin will feel so ordinary once you’ve infused it with fresh blackberries, or even bell peppers. Throw in your farmer’s market finds and suddenly your gin will be the life of your next cocktail party.
Use a Flavored Syrup
A simple syrup is just that: simple. Does the trick, but why not use something more fun? You could use a syrup from small artisanal brand like P&H Soda Co like I did for the cocktail above, or make your own by adding fruits, herbs or spices to the syrup while you’re melting the sugar. (See this article in LA Canvas for more of my recipes using Hibiscus Syrup.)
Top with a Fancy Soda
With the boom of artisanal food and beverage products, there are oodles of handcrafted sodas that would make the perfect top-off for a fresh gimlet. All-natural soda company Joia’s Grapefruit, Chamomile and Cardamom soda would be a delight atop a gin cocktail.
Get Herbal
Whether just a garnish or shaken right in with the cocktail, a sprig of fresh rosemary or sage leaf will add another level of fresh to your drink.
Swap Gins
There are so many small batch “American gins” breaking the boundaries of what defines a gin. The traditional English recipes are tried and true style, but they are no longer the standard. Swap your usual gin for something a little different like a barrel-aged gin or a garden gin.
As you see, one simple cocktail has the potential to be so much more, and you definitely don’t have to visit a fancy craft cocktail bar to enjoy it. Master this simple template for a Gin Gimlet, then break rules, and just have fun with it from there.
This post was adapted from Rachel's blog, Smoke & Honey.
Rachel Mae Furman is a self-proclaimed “Leisure Expert" on a quest to elevate moments, create occasions and curate experiences at any given moment. She has spent the last decade traveling the country scouring the back roads and small towns of America for inspiration, then jet-setting from city to city on the corporate dime, building booze brands in the liquor business. Inspired by her Grandmom Doris to be the perfect little hostess, Rachel is known for whipping out a mason jar Old Fashioned from her purse just when you need it. Her blog Smoke & Honey celebrates the art of leisure, from cocktails to entertaining, style to homemaking.