⛱️The Great Go Outside 2021 Summer Bucket List & a Special Giveaway🎉
Brand new patches, a SmartWool contest and some To-Dos for this summer outside
It’s been a long 16 months. As we’ve written before, pandemic life has been lonely, bizarre and challenging. Going outside, breathing in fresh air and exploring our beautiful backyard has provided comfort to many during this strange time.
With both of us more than two weeks out from our second vaccine doses (thank you, science!💉) and restrictions lifting in Alberta, it’s beginning to feel like this summer will be more “normal” than last years. For us, that means a whole lot of hiking, biking, camping, s’mores, mountain lake swimming and being outside with friends.
We’ve compiled a 2021 Summer Bucket List and encourage you to keep these ideas in mind as you enjoy your summer. Tell us your own Summer To-Dos and advice in the comments, and please scroll to the bottom of this post for a very special giveaway and reader survey!
The Great Go Outside 2021 Summer Bucket List
Sweet, Sweet Summertime
#1 Mix Up Your Typical Ways
Always hike in the mornings? Try an after-work sunset jaunt. Always pre-book a campsite and thoroughly plan a trip from start to finish? Try visiting a first-come, first-served site and adding some spontaneity to your adventures. Always go to the same park to walk the dog? Expand your horizons and try visiting a new one. One partner always picks the hikes and plans the routes, while the other packs snacks and drives? Switch your typical roles! We’re big believers in mixing up routine and adding adventure to your adventure.
#2 Invite a Friend to Go Outside With You
Sure summiting big peaks is fun but more often than not, the company is even better than the destination. Expand your horizons this summer and invite friends new and old to enjoy the great outdoors with you. Have a friend that’s never been camping? Show them the ropes. Have a friend itching to go hiking? Take them with you! Going to give canoeing a try? See if a friend wants to join. Always tell that one friend you’ll do something outside together…this is the summer to do it! The more the merrier, as we like to say, and something made easier this summer with the easing of COVID restrictions.
#3 Embrace Misadventure
Not every trip is going to go exactly as planned. That’s part of the adventure. Whether it’s an unexpected water crossing by bike or foot, a wrong turn on a trail or road that adds distance to your trip, changing weather right before you’ve reached the summit, or arriving to a backcountry site and realizing you forgot to pack a change of clothes, understand that misadventure is part of the journey (and often forms the tales you tell friends later). That being said, safety should always be a top priority. Always be prepared (including packing additional food, water and layers), research conditions and routes beforehand, have a backup plan, carry first-aid equipment, bear spray and extra supplies, keep communication open and honest and regularly check-in with your outdoor partners. Situations can turn very quickly in the great outdoors, so set out prepared for a range of conditions and circumstances.
#4 Learn a New Skill
Whether it’s finally perfecting the perfect s’more, learning how to properly read a topographic map, or trying a brand new sport (think stand up paddle boarding or mountain biking), we encourage you to learn a new outdoor skill this summer. There’s something extra fulfilling about learning new skills as an adult and it need not be too time-consuming or complicated. You could learn to identify wildflowers, master the perfect Backcountry Charcuterie and impress your friends on your next camping trip, or take your kids for their very first hike.
#5 Sleep Under the Stars
What’s summer without at least one night spent making s’mores and sharing stories around a campfire, then sleeping under the stars? If tent camping isn’t your cup of tea, no worries, there’s lots of other options in Alberta from yurts and comfort cabins to renting someone else’s trailer (or Boler, as Cailynn did several years ago before we bought our own!) Maybe your star sleeping involves hours driving in a car, or maybe it takes place in your backyard…No matter how you go about it, just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful nighttime skies.
The Great Go Outside 2021 Summer Giveaway
You may have noticed our brand new logo and header, thanks to the talented illustrator Adrienne Tollas. We figured after 10 months and a growing community of 1,700+ subscribers, it was time for an official look!
We’ve also made the logo into cute patches, and are pleased to announce a Go Outside Giveaway. We’ve got two outdoor prize packs up for grabs, each valued at more than $125 and packed with useful outdoorsy goodness courtesy of a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
To enter this random draw, please take three minutes to fill out the Go Outside Reader Survey. We really, truly value your feedback as we plan for the months ahead.
Prize Pack #1 (on the left in photo above)
Smartwool Mountain Trucker Hat (Unisex, One Size)
Men’s Smartwool 150 Tee (Size L)
Men’s Smartwool PhD Cycle Socks (Size L)
Brand New Go Outside Patch
Prize Pack #2 (on the right in photo above)
Women’s Smartwool 150 Graphic Tee (Size M)
Spot 350 Black Diamond Headlamp
Women’s Smartwool PhD Cycle Socks (Size M)
Brand New Go Outside Patch