Ep 46: Megan Taylor on Belay Expeditions & Ecopsychology

Megan "Belay" Taylor is the owner of Belay Expeditions . She is a mountain climber, long-distance expeditionist, and extreme minimalist. Once entirely nomadic living only on the open road with her bicycle, She now calls Lake City, Colorado home. 

Belay turned full-time entrepreneur at the age of 35 even though her love for the great outdoors has been ironclad since she was 23. Her entrepreneurial endeavors came after the tumultuous yet life-changing decision to exit a life-long career in academia.

Megan lives by and operates BELAY EXPEDITIONS by three values: BE Outside, BE Simple, and BE in Pursuit. She believes these three values coalesce for a life lived better. Hence the BE motto: BE You. Better.

Belay credits her achievements and happy life to these three guiding values and motto.

Quotes:
"Where there is interest there is education"
"If you don't care about something you're not going to preserve it"

Topics Discussed:

• How Megan got into mountain guiding
• How she became an extreme minimalist
• Why she considers her expeditions to be a "journey" 
• Why her nickname "belay" has nothing to do with rock climbing
• How challenging experiences in nature contribute to a higher quality life
• Why she wants to own nothing
• How her personal values of be outside, be simple, be in pursuit affect everything she does
• Why schools should require a field trip to landfills
• Why ecopsychology is so important for us all to understand
• How epigenetics affect people's interest in the outdoors
• Why the best gear makes all the difference in your outdoor experience
• What the "3 day effect is"
• Her required expedition gear
• Why Belay quit social media

Resources Mentioned:

• Belay Expeditions
• Big Agnes Copper Spur tent
• Sea to Summit
• Big Agnes
• Jet Boil
• Patagonia
• Book: Wild New World
• Book: Let My People Go Surfing
• Book: The Man Who Quit Money
• Book: The Outrage Machine

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Paul Lewis is the founder of FHF Gear, a high quality brand of hunting, fishing, and tactical outdoor gear. He is an avid fly fisherman, bow hunter, and retired law enforcement officer and SWAT Team Leader from Bozeman, MT. He has a bachelor of science degree in wildlife management from Montana State University. He started FHF Gear as a side gig by hand making gear for himself, teammates and hunting partners, which eventually turned into a full time business that was recently acquired by Meat Eater.

Quote:

"Always be willing to look at both sides of an opinion"

Topics Discussed:

• How Paul started FHF Gear
• His creative process for gear design
• How they test new gear
• How the company has changed and grown over the years
• What it was like getting acquired by Meat Eater
• Where Paul gets his creative inspiration for new gear
• How their popular bino harness differs from others in the market
• Why conservation is so important
• Paul's thoughts on predator reintroduction 
• Why changing one's mind is a sign of intelligence 
• His craziest adventure flipping a canoe
• Essential gear when venturing into the wilderness

Resources Mentioned: 

• FHF Gear
• Instagram: FHF Gear
• Facebook: FHF Gear
• YouTube: FHF Gear
• Paul's personal Instagram 
• Argali Outdoors
• Seek Outside
• Sparten Precision
• Marsupial Gear
• Weatherby
• FirstLite
• Book: Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
• Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
• Book: The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt
• Book: Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage by Dan Crenshaw
• Book: The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
• Book: American Buffalo by Steve Rinella
• Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience 
• Podcast: Meat Eater
• Podcast: Bear Grease
• Podcast: Andy Frisella

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Jess Caldwell is an outdoor educator, wilderness survival instructor, nature lover, and yogi. She’s the founder of Wildkind Academy, an immersive program of outdoor education, training, and leadership development.

We dive deep in this interview about Jess's wide ranging interests and experience.

With a degree in Health & Wellness Promotion from Portland State University, a 25-year study as a Yoga teacher and as a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Jess has developed a holistic health & rewilding program for those seeking one-on-one lifestyle design, and she's one of the most fascinating people I've met in the outdoor space.

Quotes:

"Always listen to the inner calling of your soul"

Topics Discussed: 

• How Outward Bound helped create her love of nature and the outdoors
• How Jess started Wildkind Academy as a way to write off her outdoor equipment purchases
• How losing her father led her into the home funeral and green burial industry and becoming a death doula as part of Hospice
• The difference between a “green burial” and a “conservation burial”
• How the funeral industry and cemeteries have become an ecological disaster 
• How rituals and ceremonies are so important for both birth and death 
• Why nature based coming of age ceremonies are essential for society and culture and how she’s implemented these in her own family
• How a 7 day solo survival trip changed her life
• How she finds a feminine balance in the male dominated outdoor industry 
• How Wildkind Academy is helping people gain a new appreciation of nature and the wilderness through foraging, fishing, & hunting
• Why she’s moving away from the term “rewilding” and leaning into “wild integration” 
• Why plant medicine might be the solution to overcome our environmental issues
• Why you always need to follow your intuition, especially in the outdoors
• How she has evolved from a "prepper" over the years
• What gear Jess always carries with her

Resources Mentioned: 

• Wildkind Academy
• Wildkind Facebook
• Wildkind Instagram
• Jess on Instagram
• Jess on Tiktok
• Outward Bound  
• Nature is Metal Instagram account  
• Survival University 
• JetBoil
• Wazu Gear 
• War Bonnet Outdoors
• Book: Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening 
• Book: The Four Agreements 
• Book: The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life
• Book: The Comfort Crisis

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Adam Gall shares his work in the outdoor industry, from working with wolves in the wild to managing client expectations when guiding hunts. He also shares some of his favorite gear brands and books that have significantly impacted him.

Adam grew up in Caledonia, MI. When he was 20 years old, he moved to Idaho, where he fought fire for USFS. He was hired as a wolf biologist in Idaho with the Nez Perce Tribe for about five seasons.

Adam is the owner of Timber to Table Guide Service and Dark Timber Outfitters in Hotchkiss, Colorado, which he started with his wife, Anastacia, in 2015. In 2017 they expanded with Dark Timber Outfitters. Hired as a public high school science teacher in Hotchkiss, CO, Adam resigned from teaching and began guiding fishing and hunting trips. He is involved in numerous state wildlife and conservation efforts with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Adam and his wife have two daughters, Penelope and Olympia, ages 9 and 5.

Quotes:

"Anybody that hunts is going to get humbled over and over and over again."

Topics Discussed:

• The origins of Timber to Table 
• Balancing hunting and guiding 
• Building the business
• Food education
• The varying attitudes of hunting by region
• The importance of being in nature
• Challenges to conservation management 
• Global changes to the environment
• Memorable hunts 
• Tackling a wolf 
• Wolf re-introduction controversy
• Gear to carry
• Favorite books

Resources Mentioned:

• Timber to Table Guide Service 
• Dark Timber Lodge 
• Instagram:  @timbertotable 
• Kenetrek Boots
• First Lite
• Eberlestock
• Kuiu
• Mystery Ranch
• Exo Mtn Gear
• Buck Knives
• Kershaw Knives
• Book: The Frontiersman by Allan Eckert
• Book: Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose
• Book: The Ninemile Wolves by Rick Bass
• Podcast: Backcountry Hunters and Anglers with Hal Herring
• Podcast: Mountain & Prairie
• Podcast: Smartless 

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Stu Shank is the Co-Founder and CEO of Reiff Knives, a new direct to consumer, family-owned American made knife company, 

Last summer, I first became aware of them when they launched a very successful crowdfunding campaign to back their knives. I was super impressed with their branding, marketing strategy, and, most importantly, the quality of their blades.

My brother Adam and I had the pleasure of hanging out with Stu and his brother Ben last month at Blade Show Texas, and all four of us really hit it off over drinks talking about family-owned businesses, the outdoor industry, and our passion for creating high quality, American made products. 

Quotes:

"Be passionate about what you do."

"If you're going to be stressed out about something, it might as well be your thing and not somebody else's." 

Topics Discussed:

• Stu's background & previous work experience 
• Starting a family business
• Going full time with Reiff Knives
• Working in the outdoor industry
• From conception to launching a company
• Navigating a Kickstarter & pre-orders
• Knife designing
• Being a steel nerd
• The "perfect" knife
• G10 handle benefits
• American Made
• Drop point vs. Tanto 
• Crowd Funding
• Industry relationships
• Being in love with the outdoor experience
• Personal responsibility for nature
• Building quality products
• Principals, ethics & a moral compass
• Scaling a startup
• Building a generational business
• Essential outdoor gear
• CPM3V Steel

Resources Mentioned:

• Reiff Knives
• Instagram: Reiff Knives
• Facebook: Reiff Knives
• Youtube: Reiff Knives
• Kickstarted: Reiff Knives
• ESEE Knives
• Tuff Possum Gear
• The Hidden Woodsmen
• Warbonnet Outdoors
• Stargazer Cast Iron
• Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 
• Book: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
• Book: The Bible

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Reuben Bolieu shares about his many travel adventures over the years and how it's shaped his outdoor lifestyle and work. He also shares some woodsman hacks, favorite gear, knives, and why we should care about spending time in nature. 

Reuben is an adventurer, writer, photographer, musician, world traveler, and survival instructor for Randall's Adventure & Training, the makers of ESEE knives. He's spent most of his life hiking and backpacking through the wildernesses of the world. He's traveled abroad in extreme environments, from the cold climate of Alaska to the desert heat of Egypt & Jordan and the humid conditions of Southeast Asia & South America. 

Reuben continues studying survival techniques, construction, and use of knives and edged tools from South America, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, and numerous countries in the South Pacific and Scandinavia. He's a part-time knife designer and created the TOPS Knives C.U.B. and ESEE Knives RB3. He has published many articles on survival, knife and tool use, woodcraft, shelters and remains a lifetime survival student.

Quotes:

"Like laughter, the next best free medication for anything is to be outside, to be outdoors." 

Topics Discussed:

• Getting into the outdoor industry
• "Peak Bagging" 
• The glory days of Forums 
• Knives & the backpacking community
• The necessity of signaling 
• Altitude sickness & preparation
• Packing your fears
• Trail runners & moccasins 
• Thin polyester dress socks for hiking
• Having strong ankles
• Rewarming cold extremities 
• Breaking the gear rules
• Avoiding the "ugly American" stereotype
• Climbing mountains
• Knife preferences 

Resources Mentioned:

• Adventure Ready Brands
• Gossamer Gear
• Tuff Possum Gear
• Wazoo Survival Gear
• Uberleben
• Victorinox
• Platypus 
• Morakniv
• TOPS Knives
• Asolo Boots
• S.O.L.
• Wilderness Athlete
• Coalcracker Bushcraft 
• Randall's Adventure & Training
• ESEE Knives
• Reuben Bolieu
• Adventure Food Guy
• LMNT
• Dave Canterbury
• James Gibson
• Book: The Ultralight Backpacker by Ryel Kestenbaum
• Book: Beyond Backpacking by Ray Jardine
• Book: S.A.S. Survival Handbook by John Wiseman
• Book: Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties by D.C. Beard
• Book: Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart
• Book:

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Seth and David recount this year's SHOT Show experience, what they expected, learned, company updates, their favorite part of Vegas, and what they're excited about in the months ahead.

Seth and David Spears are two of the four founding brothers of Rewild Gear. They are deeply passionate about helping others get back into the great outdoors, living an adventurous life, and being conservational stewards of the land.

Topics Discussed:

• Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show
• Highlights & expectations
• Getting into retail & wholesale
• ROI & expensive booths 
• Fulfilling pre-orders 
• New product ideas
• "Unwilding"
• Pricing
• Product feedback
• Newest product release
• Las Vegas experience
• Next trade show

Resources Mentioned:

• Rewild Gear
• SHOT Show
• ESEE Knives
• White River Knives
• National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) 
• Reuben Bolieu
• Shane Adams
• The Sand Dollar Lounge
• Jason Tietz
• Instagram: Jason Tietz
• Episode 5 with Jason Tietz
• Blade Show Texas
• Blade Show Atlanta
• Aguila Ammunition 

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Jordan Jonas shares his experience on the survival reality TV show Alone. He gives a firsthand look at his life, telling stories of hitching train rides and befriending hobos, living in Siberia, falling through ice, and how his many life experiences prepared him for the outdoors and have contributed to his success. 

Jordan is a Wilderness Living & Self-Reliance Expert and the Winner of Season 6 of the History Channel's popular survival reality show, Alone. He grew up in the mountains of Idaho, and as a young adult, he spent a year riding freight trains across the US, where he learned to navigate both rural and urban environments. 

Jordan spent ten years in Siberia, where he lived with fur trappers and traditional nomadic reindeer herders, which is where he learned the art of primitive survival. During his time on Alone, he spent 77 days in the Arctic while also successfully hunting a bull moose, a wolverine, dozens of rabbits, squirrels, grouse, and numerous fish that he survived on. 

Quotes:

"Take the time to think deeply about what matters to you and organize your life around that." 

Topics Discussed:

• The mindset required for Alone
• Confronting inner turmoil before going into the wild
• 77 days in the wilderness 
• Focusing on the "present" rather than worrying about the future
• Growing up on a farm
• Hitchhiking & Hobos
• Waiting on trains & entertaining yourself
• Living in Siberia & fur trapping
• The "Old Believers" 
• Preparing for Alone
• Snaring Groundhogs 
• Hunting for meat
• How life has changed after winning Alone
• Jordan's wilderness school
• Conservation thoughts 
• Life lessons from the outdoors
• Falling through the ice in Siberia
• Essential gear for the outdoors 

Resources Mentioned:

• Website: Jordan Jonas 
• Instagram: Jordan Jonas 
• Facebook: Jordan Jonas
• YouTube: Jordan Jonas
• Documentary: Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
• Book: The Gulag Archipelago
• Podcast: Hardcore History
• Podcast: The Fall of Civilization
• Kifaru
• Sitka
• Kryptek

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

• Getting started in the outdoors
• God, nature & appreciation 
• Losing a father at a young age
• Becoming a Firefighter
• Working through depression
• The importance of mentors
• Being the father, you didn't have
• Land stewardship & being environmentally conscious 
• Balancing work, family & hunting
• Encouraging kids to love the outdoors
• Hunting in Colorado & Alaska 
• Favorite gear & brands

• Instagram: Patrick Schaefer
• Katadyn Water Filters
• KUIU
• First Lite
• 4Ocean
• Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
• Book: Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
• Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience 
• Podcast: The Meat Eater
• Podcast: Anglers Happy Hour

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!

Seth gives a recap of 2021 for Rewild Gear and the Adventure Made Podcast, including the most popular gear and brand recommendations from guests, along with the most popular podcasts and book recommendations. Seth also provides a look ahead to 2022 and offers his best advice.  

Seth Spears is the CEO and Founder of Rewild Gear and the host of the Adventure Made Podcast. Seth is a world traveler, water lover, and all-around adventurer. 

Quotes:

"Turn off your phone and see the natural world for what it is."

Topics Discussed:

• 2021 recap
• Company highlights
• Most popular gear
• Supply chain issues
• Product updates
• Gear recommendations
• Mindset & knowledge
• Dehydration & almost dying
• Brand recommendations
• Advice for 2022

Resources Mentioned:

• Instagram: Seth Spears 
• Sawyer Mini Water Filter
• Gasper 4 Knife
• Nalgene Water Bottles
• Hydro Flask Water Bottles
• Klean Kanteen Water Bottles 
• Trailside Utensil 
• Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
• Book: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
• Book: The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
• Book: Dune by Frank Herbert
• Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience 
• Podcast: The Rich Outdoors
• Podcast: The MeatEater
• Podcast: Kifarucast 
• Patagonia
• Hilleberg Tents
• Kifaru International
• ESEE Knives
• Sitka Gear
• First Lite

The Adventure Made Podcast is sponsored by Rewild Gear. Essential gear built for the great outdoors, designed to fuel your next adventure. Come find your wild at RewildGear.com!