Even if they live in the suburbs or the cities, the heart of an outdoorsman is always in the countryside, where they feel most at ease. Culture isn’t their thing. Neither is socializing, unless it’s around a campfire or in a cabin after a long day of hunting, fishing, kiteboarding or mountain biking.
Outdoorsmen like Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt are well known for their interest in hunting and fishing. But Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, was a great outdoorswoman who would have been more of a kindred spirit with Sarah Palin, an avid Caribou hunter. Country singer Miranda Lambert loves to hunt too, and writes songs with titles such as “Airstream,” in which she fantasizes about living in the mountains.
Indeed, there is something of the innocent in every outdoors lover, even when they use the most sophisticated devices to trap, boat or fly. Many, such as frontiersmen Daniel Boone and mountain man Jeremiah Johnson, have a tenuous relationship with society.
Some nature lovers have turned their fixation into corporate success stories. Yvon Chouinard, kayaker, falconer, surfer and fisherman—and the founder of Patagonia—is one. Backcountry snowboarder Jake Burton is another. Then there’s Leon Leonwood Bean, the avid early 20th century outdoorsman who needed a better shoe for his hunting trips in Maine. “Outside of your gun,” he once said, “nothing is as important to your outfit as your footwear.”
Other Examples
Davy Crockett, Bear Grylls, Jewel, Matthew McConaughey, Ted Nugent
Strengths
Outdoorsmen and -women are physically fit, environmentally conscious and adventurous. They are resourceful, unmaterialistic and appreciative of nature’s quiet beauty.
Weaknesses
Some outdoors-lovers can be misanthropic and disagreeable around the rituals and expectations of contemporary 21st century life.
Passions
Guns, fishing rods, boats, boots, tents and other gear, travel, camaraderie, storytelling
Reading
- Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
- The Pathfinder by James Fenimore Cooper
- The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank
- The Last Empty Places: A Past and Present Journey Through the Blank Spots on the American Map by Peter Stark
- Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall
Words
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” -Aristotle
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