Outdoor Diary: On Gear Failure & Friendship

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Listen to this episode of Amy’s outdoor diary to hear how she got outside last week and all about her epic gear fail! And what exactly are “running wives” anyway?

Some of the good stuff:

[:48] Why Amy doesn’t always do the same thing
[1:40] How Amy is always “that” friend
[2:29] What went wrong with Amy’s water pack
[2:51] Amy’s two life questions (for now)
[3:14] Outdoor friends as outdoor heroes

Connect with this episode:

Follow three of Amy’s “running wives” on Instagram: Rachel, Clare and Kate
The Osprey pack that’s great except for the new leak
Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Listen to this episode of Amy’s outdoor diary to hear how she got outside last week and all about her epic gear fail! And what exactly are “running wives” anyway?

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Share your outdoor life with the hashtag #humansoutside365.

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Here’s an edited transcript of this entry of Amy’s Outdoor Diary. Listen to the episode on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Raise your hand if you are always “that” friend with the gear failures?

If you’re raising your hand right now, then you and I are the same. 

My outdoor adventures this week were primarily focused on running. It’s just so nice outside now — mid-50s during the day — and running makes me feel so good. 

But we did make sure to take time for other things, too, out of this conviction I have that I shouldn’t always do the same activity over and over again, even if I love it. Variety is the spice of life. 

Plus I think that making myself step outside my super comfortable outdoor comfort zone – even if it’s for an activity that’s also comfortable – builds some kind of muscle for self control or doing hard things or something.

That alternate activity took the form of scheduling in reading time outside Saturday afternoon, fire pit time Saturday evening, and then blocking out the whole day Sunday to drive an hour and run a gorgeous, but out of way trail for 16ish miles. 

I am totally that Friend — or at least I feel like I am. Without fail I have some kind of epic gear fail or great oversight that results in me needing to be rescued by the people I’m out with. The first time I ever went backpacking, my new-to-me water filter basically didn’t work. I’ve had friends loan me jackets when mine weren’t enough, feed me even though I thought I packed well and, mostly recently, let me bum water when all of mine streamed between my legs onto the ground 1 mile into a 16 mile run.

Pause with me here and picture it, if you will. I am standing on a trail, water gushing down my back and between my legs, making it look like I am relieving myself in the middle of the trail, but at the volume only a horse could produce. 

Lovely. 

My connector hose on my hydration bladder in my Osprey Dyno 1.5 pack had popped out draining all the water from my bladder onto my shorts and onto the ground. Awesome. And, well, wet. 

At this exact moment, someone we didn’t know rounded the curve on the trail to witness my leakage. I can only imagine what he thought. 

Two questions: WHY did this happen and WHY does it always happen to me!?

You don’t need to answer either of those. 

It was a gorgeous day on the trail with the best of friends.


Speaking of friends, outdoor friends – specifically MY outdoor friends – are this week’s out heroes. 

I think we can all agree that we appreciate these people more than ever after not getting to see them for a while. I jokingly call them my running wives, and they not only keep me sane, but also give me the push I need to try new things and run farther that I think I want to. 

They also feed and water me after my gear fails, take epic photos, and make each adventure exactly what it needs to be. Thank guys, you’re great. 

You can see many photos of my running wives on Instagram @humansoutside. While you’re there, give us a follow and post your own daily outdoor time with #humansoutside365. I can’t wait to see you out there. 

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