How to find adventure at home
Brewing up
Like most of us who love the great outdoors, travel and adventure is a huge part of my life. And I feel lucky to have had some incredible experiences over the years.
Things like backpacking around the world on a one-way ticket. Going on countless climbing trips in Europe, staying in small mountain villages. Hiking abroad in places like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Crete, Spain, France - and many more. I was even invited into a stranger’s home once to drink tea with the family in a remote Turkish village when there was a three hour wait for the final bus of the day.
Not all adventures have to be grand trips abroad. Some of my favourites have been in the UK. Bikepacking in the Outer Hebrides was incredible. Walking the West Highland Way finally ticked off a dream to walk a multi-day trail, whetting my appetite for more. And I can never forget the thousands of one-day walking, climbing, and mountain biking trips all over the UK.
I could chat forever about the grand adventures. But if, like me, they’re a big part of your life, it can be difficult when real life gets in the way - work, finances, family, health, you name it.
More recently though, I’ve realised that adventure is not a place, or even an activity.
Adventure is about how we approach life. When we have a curious or adventurous mindset, even small activities close to home can feel fun and satisfy a craving for something different.
Here’s an example…
Throwing the camping stove into your rucksack to make a brew on your walk is a hassle, and maybe a little crazy when there’s a flask in the cupboard which would be sooo much easier. But, I promise you, it’s a different experience and feels good fun.
I have tons more ideas along the same lines.
So, whether you’re feeling stuck indoors because it’s winter, or life is getting in the way of your outdoor adventures, buckle up and join me for some of my favourite ways to find adventure on your back doorstep.
Ideas for outdoor adventures close to home
Pack the camping stove and go make breakfast in your favourite place, watching the sunrise.
Camp out in your garden. You can shelter in a tent, see the stars from your bivvy bag, or simply roll out your sleeping bag on a mat.
Put your head torch on and get out walking before the sun comes up. It’s amazing watching the colours change from dark, to inky blue, and then daylight.
Make a flask of hot chocolate (or take your stove 😉) and go somewhere to watch the sunset.
Embrace the night and go for a run using your head torch. Double bonus because you still get fresh air and exercise after work during the winter months.
When it snows, go out and build a snowman - or even an igloo.
Spend a full day outside doing your favourite sport from sunrise to sunset.
Grab a map of your local area and start exploring paths and tracks you’ve never been on before.
Take a picture in the same place every day for a month, or every week for a year.
Learn about the stars, the stories, the myths, then wrap up warm and go outside to look for them.
Early morning sunrise
Ideas for travel adventures at home
Recreate a meal from your favourite holiday.
Find a pen pal in another part of the world and get chatting.
Create a vision board or tick list of all the countries you plan to visit and the things you want to do while there.
Learn a language, so you can chat and make new friends when you next travel abroad.
Sort out the photos from your last adventure - maybe even share them on a blog.
Coed-y-Brenin just before lockdown
Ideas for armchair inspiration
Stream adventure, travel or extreme sports documentaries online. Read 10 awesome adventure films to keep you inspired.
Visit national parks virtually - here are links for Virtual escapes to the UK and National Parks in the USA.
Connect with other outdoor adventurers either on social media, blogs or YouTube videos.
Listen to outdoor podcasts. Veggie Vagabonds has a great blog post with the 10 best outdoor podcasts for adventure seekers. If you’re a mountain biker, take a look at the Ride Companion or the MTB Fitness podcast.
Read outdoor adventure magazines and books. Vertebrate Publishing in Sheffield trades as Adventure Books and has a huge selection of books covering a multitude of activities.
Igloo building using a washing up bowl
Ideas to get you ready for your next adventure
Create an A-Z list of different adventures close to home and start ticking them off.
Brush up your navigation and map reading skills. The Ordnance Survey has Map reading skills beginners guides on their website. Also look for local outdoor skills training providers - you don’t have to be in the mountains to learn.
Hone your survival skills. The original survival skills guru back in the 90’s was Lofty Wiseman and you can grab his book SAS Survival Handbook on Amazon. Ray Mears also has a range of bushcraft and outdoor survival books.
Research and test new home made trail snacks or dehydrated meals. The Backpacker website has a blog post with 13 mouthwatering homemade hiking snacks.
Feed the birds in your garden and then learn more about them when they arrive for dinner. The RSPB website has a fab A-Z Find a bird section.
Checking the map to brush up on navigation skills
Hopefully, these 25 ideas will help get you started. If you really want to see into the mindset of someone who creates crazy every day home adventures, check Australian filmmaker Beau Miles. For me, he oozes the exact spirit I’ve been rattling on about. His films also make me laugh out loud and give food for thought.
Let’s make the slow adventure months more fun with these every day tweaks. Got any better ideas? Drop them in the comments 👇
You may also like:
5 wild adventures close to home
28 mini adventures you can do in winter
Happy adventures 🏕️
Wild camping
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Before you go…
I’ve always wanted to keep this website ad-free but web hosting and developing new content costs money, meaning I’m paying out instead of earning from the site. So, if you’ve enjoyed this post, been inspired, grabbed a route GPX download, or found something helpful, maybe you’d like to buy me a cuppa via Ko-fi. You don’t have to, but thank you if you can 🙏
Outdoor-Girl is run by Jacquie Budd, an outdoor adventure and marketing content writer for brands that care about their impact on people and the planet.
