This Is What Women Who Work in the Outdoors Really Look Like

This Is What Women Who Work in the Outdoors Really Look Like A woman wears waders catching fish, but she captures her fishtail braid for Instagram instead. Women in color-coordinated athleisure stand at the summit of a mountain theyd just climbed they lock their perfectly polished fingers for a victory photo before the sweeping valley below. Abedrngnisher woman rides the lift with designer sunnies and a beanie in lieu of snowboard goggles and a helmet shell pose for her picture before gearing up to make her descent.If women were to take Instagram at face value, itd be easy to assume were bedrngnis enough leid groomed enough, not coordinated enough, notmanicured enough, not beautiful enough. The hyper-curated app saturates our screens with glorified photos thatsuggest thatwomen should look a certain way even after hiking tens of miles or skiing black diamonds.But unterstellung Instagrammable glamour shots of flawlessly coifed women in the outdoors arent only unrealistic they abase w omens credibility and dexterity.Its the effort behind the adventure thats incredible we dont need to dress it up, Begin, the founder of Outdoor Womens Alliance (OWA), told Travel + Leisure. Doing so removes the focus from the strides were making as women outdoors and puts it back on that age-old media fallback our looks.The truth is that our braids and nail art dont keep us alive in the outdoors skill does. So we caught up with real women who work in the outdoors to share what their lives really look like.Photo leistungspunkt Daniel BaylisMary Ann Thomas Cycler Trekking Across IndiaA few years ago, on my solo bike tour across the US and Canada, I camped fruchtwein of the way. I didnt often have access to mirrors. As a result, I didnt think about the way I looked much. Instead of caring about my appearance, I cared about biking up mountain passes, dipping my legs in cold rivers and making campfires nightly. I reprioritized. It truly did not matter what I looked like because I was bi king across a continent. That was badass enough.Now, I follow all these accounts on social media with gorgeous women posing half naked in front of waterfalls. Theyre beautiful. Their lifestyles are beautiful. Theyve worked hard for that lifestyle, and I respect them because creating that kind of platform is hard work. Looking gorgeous in every shot is hard work. Thats not the kind of work Im willing to do. I have four brothers and bought my first make up at the age of 25, so that specific kind of femininity is, for me, the kind of work I just dont want to do when Im climbing mountains or swimming under waterfalls or backpacking...Watching beautiful people outdoors fill my feed has made me think about how I curate my own feed. On this bike tour across India, Ive asked myself Do I want things to look shiny, easy, beautiful all the time? My answer is always no. If I want to share this journey with others, I want to share the pain, sweat, dirt and struggle alongside the moments that mak e it worth it. If someone is to use my journey as an inspiration for their own, I want them to know that this isnt easy. Its not pretty. Its impossible to stay clean. Im always sweating. I want them to know the truth, and go for it anyway. Because we learn the most when things get messy.Katrina Belle Construction Lead forHabitat for HumanityWomen in carpentry? Practically dont exist. Labor Statistics (2013) cite 1.4 percent as the number of women in the field. Personally, Ive met two. Two. Instagram isnt even relevant to my daily work life. I think the recent discussion of women on Instagram in the outdoors has mainly been focused on pursuits like skiing, hiking, running, camping, etc. Everyone knows the spandex-dressed chick with wavy blond hair down to her ass. Honestly, I havent seen any fake-looking pictures of women in carpentry because there are so few pictures of women in the trades.Personally, I try tohide my sexuality as much as possible at work. I wearCarhartt-like pants a nd large tee-shirts in the summer, and heavy layers in the winter. I never wear makeup. In the summer, when some of my male coworkers switch to shorts, I dont because womens shorts show a lot of leg and, to be honest, I have enough trouble trying to be viewed equally as it is. I try to blend in as much as I can, so the men I work with see my skills over my gender.As far as looks Im usually covered from head to toe in sawdust or dirt. On Fridays, I spend 15 minutes pulling splinters out of my hands and scraping the dirt out from underneath my fingernails I dont think women in my category of outside work even exist on Instagram. Those women that do truly work in the carpentry field are most certainly not taking pictures of themselves during work.Sarah May FarmerOn my feet are one of my favorite farming footwear options theyre my Muck boots Theyre waterproof, warm and comfy. My other favorite farming footwear option is nothing at all. I love feeling the Earth being barefoot. My jack et is aNorth Face I got for free. I wear it in the snow because its lightweight and keeps me dry. Otherwise, Im wearing an old-school Montgomery Ward denim stable jacket. Also free. On not snow days, Im wearing jeans, which sucks because they get dirty, ripped, covered in poop or any combo of that. Then I have no jeans to wear out. Ive asked for womens double-front Carhartt work pants for Christmas, which Im pretty sure Ill be getting. YayPhoto Credit David Herasimtschuk davidherasimtschukJennah Stillman Adventure Guide at Cascadia ExpeditionsIve definitely found myself shamelessly scrolling through Instagram feeds, looking at beautifully curated shots of women in the most perfect of places, and unintentionally compare myself, or my trips, and my Instagram to theirs.Yet, the tables have turned as well when friends tell me that they look at the photos I post and they wish they could do those things, too, or that they saw how amazing my life looks. I then feel self conscious, becaus e I realize that I am guilty of posting the good times and perhaps choosing to leave out the numerous times my car has broken down in the middle of nowhere. The time when I forgot my hiking boots and had to cram my size-9 feet into a friends size-7 running sneakers. When I forgot my backpack rain cover and had to swaddle my tent fly around my pack to keep my gear dry in the downpouring rain. These moments are the real ones, and the stories behind the adventures, but thats not what people necessarily get to know, when scrolling through social media. Ive been trying to be mora honest and transparent about my life and adventures, and encouraging more female friends to pursue a life outdoors. Everyones capacity and breaking point is different, and its important to know where yours is then push it. Thats how we grow.Cindy Jones Founder of Colorado AromaticsI work outdoors as a farmer. I grow herbs for my skin care line called Colorado Aromatics When on the farm, I tend to cover up. I wea r a hat and a long-sleeved mens white shirt to protect my skin from sun damage.I do think it is important for women to get outdoors because of the benefits it provides in mental, physical and spiritual health. But I think an important thing to remember is that just going out for a walk is ok. It is not necessary to get involved in an extreme sport. Instagram photos may make women feel that unless they are super athlete and go out for long, long hikes that it is not enough. Anything you do outside is great gardening, walking around the park, biking around the block, etc. Just get out, clear your head, get some exercise and some vitamin D.Kim Purtle Teacherat Schuylkill Center for Environmental EducationWe bring science materials to underserved schools in the area. My job consists of outdoor excursions and educational emersion in every weather, all for the sake of procuring and stoking curiosity in the natural world.Im wearing Uniqlo fleece-lined snow pants I found theyre the most versatile for work here, my bike commute, and if I get called in to work my waitressing job downtown. Other products are too thin, dont work, and arent worth my money. My leather jacket, and most of my jackets, are from a thrift store. Leather has proven to me to be the most durable against the raspberry, multi-floral rose and other prickled bushes I ramble through throughout my day. The suggested industry puff jackets and lightweight down end up getting too many tears to repair. So this is the best chance of keeping my wallet and consumer ability down.My footwear and socks are always bought at retail price, and it takes me hours to choose them because they will last me hundreds of miles, hours of mud and stream, and as many years as they will let me. My leather boots are from REI, bought 10 years ago in 2007 for my first backpacking trip. My gray Merrel waterproof boots I used for nearly three years. They saw their early death at the end of my cross-country bike tour this summer, w here I wore them for nearly two and a half months as my only shoe I recently switched to only Darntough socks as they are made of durable, moisture-regulated and stench-controlled merino wool.Samantha Lewis schi Instructor at Beaver Creek Resort and Program Instructor at Berkshire Outdoor CenterThe outdoor education center I spend much of my time at is one of the few places where we have more women then men working, so the Instagram vs. real life conversation has a tendency to come up. Although much of the time we are all in awe of some of the amazing outdoorsy Instagrammers, when we post we are usually so proud of what we have accomplished or excited about who we are with to care about how we look. We havent showered for days covered in dirt and rings under our eyes, but we do not care.Me and my friends wear a lot of Eddie Bauer L.L. Bean, Arcteryx, Black Diamond, Patagonia, North Face and Macpac. Of course, we dont just resign ourselves to a certain lists of brands, but each rol le knows what works for them and has a list of preferences. Trying to understand the trends of the outdoor industry isnt really something I have really thought about before. The time I think about it the most is when I have to work. My boss always insists we look outdoor professional. This means no leggings for women, sturdy shoes you can spend the day hiking around the lake in, a uniform shirt and a clean-cut appearance.When I am on my own time I dress in those same shoes, whatever pants smell clean and whatever shirt goes with the pants. The shoes are a brand called Forsake. Forsake is a brand that advertises themselves as summit to street, and they have an amazing Instagram Not all the photos are focused on the shoe and that makes it even more impressive. They are the kind of shots I strive for but will never achieve. For one, I am not that good of a photographer and, when I do get to a view like that, I am usually pointing the camera away from me and towards the view.Kiri Brooke s UK-Based Equine Expert, Teacher and Livery Yard OwnerI think the glamour shots on Instagram of women outdoors are totally unrealistic.They dont depict everyday life working outdoors. For me working with horses is often cold and wet in the winter and hot and exhausting in the summer. It is physically demanding and strenuous on the body. But in my case I come second to the horses needs. I dont work outside because its glamorous. (I certainly dont put make up on every day or do my hair, and my hands and nails show the wear and tear I put them through.) I work outside with horses because I love it I love the outdoors, seeing the countryside every day through each changing season. I like the physicality and strength I gain from it, and I love horse riding and caring for the horses.As with any social media, it can give a glossy appearance to something, which isnt always true.It would be nice to see more reality in pictures of the outdoors, through all types of weather and showing the real skills of people working outside not staged photos.Becky Howell Equine Myofascial Therapist and Saddle FitterThis idea of only posting staged, made-up, filtered shots as representations of outdoor work is ludicrous. I am a strong individual and am comfortable in my own skin. Seeing the staged shots does not lessen my self worth I own my sweat and I am happy with my body.But for the women I coach, it is taken as a reprimand for not looking perfect.That is why I do both. The pretty shot for aesthetics and the real shot for truth. Id like to see anyone bust a gut and work through 10 horses a day in July and look pristine. That isnt reality.Women have always been judged on looks and decorative value. It is past time to let that outdated view go and boldly share our amazing selves.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by nigh t.