Recommended: Podcasts on the Outdoors

You can experience the outdoors even when you're stuck inside, with a podcast! I love podcasts because they introduce me to new ideas, bucket list items, and adventurers. Plus, they're easy to listen to inside and out.

A podcast is a recorded show you can download or listen to by streaming  online. Since most podcasts are offered in a series, you can use a number of tools to automatically download new episodes. Stitcher and Apple's iTunes store both empower you to find and subscribe to podcasts. Podcast creators, from ordinary folks to celebrities, have created a nearly infinite array of podcasts on every imaginable topic! 

I like to listen to podcasts in the house, on road trips, and on runs. Here are a few of my favorite podcasts that fellow lovers of the outdoors might enjoy (and please comment below to share your suggestions!):

Outside/In

This podcast discusses our relationship to the natural world. But it's not just for hardcore outdoors folks: it bills itself as "the show for anyone who has ever been outdoors... a show for almost everyone." Outside/In is a production of NHPR, New Hampshire Public Radio. Examples of recent episodes: What's really happening in a frozen lake during the winter? How did the Leave No Trace movement get started? And whatever happened to the mysterious night parrot of the Australian outback?

Outside Magazine

Outside magazine hosts several podcasts: Science of Survival, The Outside Interview, and Dispatches. My favorite is the Dispatches podcast series, which examines a topic in depth. One of my past favorites: Can Nature Heal Our Deepest Wounds? features incredibly moving stories of abused and trafficked women undergoing wilderness therapy. Ayesha McGowan's quest to become the first African-American pro cyclist on the women's professional circuit is also worth a listen. And, on a lighter note, everyone should learn about the problems associated with managing human waste in the wilderness, which the episode An Amazingly Crappy Story tackles with more than a few jokes about, well, poop. Finally, if you ever wondered about what would happen if you were attacked by killer bees, ate deadly mushrooms, or nearly froze to death, then the Science of Survival series is for you. The Outside Interview focuses on engaging with a range of people whose lives, livelihoods, or work connects them to the outdoors.

Wild Thing

Bigfoot, Sasquatch... myth or reality? After discovering she is distantly related to WSU Professor Grover Krantz, who was both celebrated and mocked for his Bigfoot research, journalist Laura Krantz dives into the science and the legends of the Pacific Northwest's most famous hominid. “There’s no way Bigfoot could be real... at least that’s what I thought.” Deliciously addictive listening.  

Boldly Went

Boldly Went is a podcast that is based on live story-telling events held around the US. Boldly Went events bring together outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds to share intriguing, inspiring, and impactful adventure stories. I got started listening to this podcast when a friend of mine attended Boldy Went and shared his story about seeking healing after a difficult life event by deciding to voyage solo through Iceland. The podcast is a digest featuring the best stories. And one of the founders of Boldly Went is a Seattleite who's a trail runner, a sport near and dear to my heart!  

Dirtbag Diaries

The original outdoor adventure podcast, The Dirtbag Diaries started in a closet in Seattle and has grown to be one of the most prolific outdoor podcasts available. (The founders also created Duct Tape Then Beer productions, and are responsible for many of your favorite outdoor films). Listen to The Shorts, short essays written and read by listeners, or Features, longer interview/narration style episodes.

The Wild

This brand-new podcast from Seattle's own KUOW is my latest discovery. Podcast host Chris Morgan, wildlife researcher and award-winning filmmaker, uncovers the surprising connections we share with animals and the wild around us. Join The Mountaineers and KUOW at a free kickoff event on Friday evening, April 26, 2019. I'll see you there!