Epic travel stories, life-changing lessons, and history-making movements are being shared through the lens of some stellar photographers, adrenaline junkies, environmentalists, activists, and writers on Instagram. We’ve put together a list of must-follow accounts of women living in the outdoors and making a statement whether it’s about environmental impact or a liberated way to live. Each feed features its own unique point of view, captivating photography, and authentic storytelling that propels conversations forward in the outdoor adventure space. These accounts have us all fired-up as summer comes into fully swing, and brings to mind a quote by Roman Payne: “She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city.”
@briannamadia
From 18 likes to 200K followers, Brianna Madia, her husband Keith, dogs Dagwood and Bucket, and their orange rolling home named “Bertha” have come a long way on Instagram and accumulated die-hard fans from around the world. Her bio tagline says it all: “desert-dweller, storyteller, never leave the dogs behind.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BietR-cHhWk/?taken-by=briannamadia
Why we love this:
Madia’s feed is not only visually pleasing with images of candy-colored slot canyons and climbing adventures with their doggos —but her stories are food for the soul. Her refreshingly honest posts about the realities of van life, love, marriage, money, fears, and her overall perspective of the human condition give hope in a society that needs more brutal honesty and less bullshit. In a recent interview with Dyrt, Madia states, “What I am is a storyteller. If I can use the power of my words to tell you about a place you’ve never been to….a place you didn’t know about…perhaps I can make you understand why you should care.”
@thecatchmeifyoucan
From surfing in Senegal to day-tripping in Latvia, Jessica Nabongo is on her way to becoming the first black woman to visit every country in the world. With a deep and profound respect for and knowledge of every continent she explores, Nabongo takes her Instagram followers right along the globetrotting experience filled with honest cultural insights, captivating stories, and gorgeous travel photography.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMxHKTF74t/?hl=en&taken-by=thecatchmeifyoucan
Why we love this:
Vibrant photos and engaging travel posts combined with her history-making goal makes Nabongo’s Instagram feed a fascinating follow. Her ultimate mission? “To hit the 195 UN member countries and observing states, which includes the Vatican and Palestine. She has 89 to go, before her self-imposed deadline of May 15, 2019, which is also her 35th birthday,” according to Forbes.
@erinoutdoors
With her bio tagline, “Let’s talk about your comfort zone,” Erin Sullivan raises travel photography to a whole new level through her Instagram feed. She brings vulnerability, insane talent, and tons of hustle to the table—separating her from the typical #wanderlust social media pack.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbLjwVGlELn/?taken-by=erinoutdoors
Why we love this:
As one of the few successful full-time female adventure photographers in the industry, Sullivan has made her mark by mixing her breathtaking captures and stories with personal development coaching, photography workshops, and some brutally honest (but very helpful) advice about getting started in this business or as she states, “Folks ask me for guidance on how to get travel jobs, or how to get into photography, blogging, or anything adventurous or somewhat entrepreneurial. My answers are almost always “Big Picture” and not step-by-step because even if guidelines for this kind of thing DID exist, they would not apply to everyone.”
@kelleesetgo
Journalist and host of Mysterious Islands and The Trip 2018 on the Travel Channel, Kellee Edwards is a true force of nature and is taking on the world of adventure travel by land, sea, and air.
Why we love this:
Following Edwards on Instagram is literally watching one of the most interesting people in the world do extraordinary things – and after scrolling through her feed – viewers will be left with a serious case of wanderlust. According to Outside magazine, “She [Kellee] broke into the overwhelmingly white and male world of travel television with her over-the-top credentials, like pilot certification, scuba diving certification, and soon, a motorcycle license.”
@nativewomenswilderness
Photographer, activist, hiker, mountain biker, social worker, and full-blooded Navajo, Jaylyn Gough founded Native Women’s Wilderness (NWW) and has been breaking down barriers and dismantling stereotypes about Indigenous women ever since the launch of her Instagram page in 2017. Why did Gough start this movement? She states, “NWW was created out of frustration regarding the lack of representation of women of color in the outdoor industry, especially Native women.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjgHR8uAbce/?taken-by=nativewomenswilderness
Why we love this:
This powerful feed takes followers on a virtual journey showcasing Native women and girls sharing their passion for outdoor adventure experiences, the importance of diversity in the outdoor realm, heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of life on the “rez,” and how viewers can educate themselves and others about the indigenous land they recreate on.
@tinyhousetinyfootprint
Through Instagram, writer, photographer, environmentalist, and Tiny House, Tiny Footprint founder Kathleen Morton gives followers a glimpse into her alternative lifestyle of living with her dog Peaches in their 40-square foot 1987 Toyota van.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjX1iMcHGNB/?taken-by=tinyhousetinyfootprint
Why we love this:
She also showcases lives of other mobile dwellers on similar journeys in tiny abodes ranging from campers and trucks to yurts and sailboats—yes, nothing’s off limits. Morton explains why she chose this lifestyle, “If I wanted to be able to travel, truly reduce my carbon footprint, live with intention, and have outdoor experiences like meeting other van-lifers, working on farms, or taking other opportunities as soon as they came along—I knew a mobile lifestyle would give me this freedom.”
@glographics
This self-described “Risk-taker, reluctant bill-payer, intermediate adulter” is Gloria Atanmo (aka GloGraphics) a travel blogger, author, and all around adventure junkie that booked a one-way ticket to Europe in 2013 and never looked back.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhN3eBLn7Hd/?taken-by=glographics
Why we love this:
She worked her ass off to get to where she is today and you can feel her drive and energy through every raw, inspirational, and authentic Instagram photo and caption. Atanmo states in a recent post, “So what makes you happy? For me, that’s when I’m creating. My happiness is directly correlated to my levels of productivity, whether I’m creating for me or someone else. Teaching myself new tricks, capturing special moments, and meeting people who were put on this Earth to shake things up and disrupt the peace. THAT is when I’m at my best.”
@rachelroams
Explorer, journalist, producer, and TV host of several travel shows, Rachel Rudwall’s Instagram feed brings the world to its followers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi9wAzgH48l/?taken-by=rachelroams
Why we love this:
From paragliding with a hawk (a.k.a. “parahawk”) and ice climbing while simultaneously producing a PBS show to scuba diving cage-free with bull sharks, Rudwall’s insane track record speaks for itself when it comes to her willingness to do anything in the name of adventure and why this feed is worthy of a follow.
A recent post highlights Rudwall’s philosophy on what the great outdoors does for the soul, “When the answers evade you, make your way outdoors. Seek ridges or cascades, shores or mighty peaks. When you’ve got big questions, it’s the big places that will support you. They’ll widen your perspective, and remind you’re connected.”
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