The Outdoor Exploring Family
Nature's Therapy
“The Outdoor Exploring Family, a group of nature enthusiasts, found solace in the outdoors after Dad's unexpected battle with anxiety. They share their adventures, especially waterfall hunting, through their website and social media, hoping to inspire others to embrace nature for mental well-being”.
A Family Rooted in Nature
We are the Outdoor Exploring Family. Both Dad and Mum were brought up in a small market town called Barnard Castle. It's a lovely place surrounded by countryside, which has been a significant part of our lives. We have two boys and two dogs—one is 13, and the other is a lively, playful pup.
Growing up was like any other regular family, but the best bit was the local woods where we used to build dens and go exploring. Those were the days before mobile phones, so as long as we were back before dark, everything was fine. This probably sparked Dad's sense of adventure.
We both have full-time jobs. Dad is a furniture maker, which keeps him connected to nature by turning raw trees into beautiful pieces of furniture. Mum works in an office but has amazing views over the rolling hills. We've never been city types, and that idea actually scares us—laughing face.
Family Dynamics
Dad very early 40s, mam late 30s and two boys 8 and 10
Our loving old labrador and his nephew a playful pup. We never planned on getting a pup but as it was his nephew we couldn't refuse. It is an absolutely chaotic life, but we wouldn't change it for anything. As our dogs come on every adventure or walk, we have started to have to shorten them as the older one struggles a bit and there is no way we could leave one behind, they are part of the family.
Waterfall Hunters
We are not extreme adventurers, but we love hiking and day trips, especially to waterfalls. Waterfalls are one of our favourite things to find. We enjoy looking at maps to discover hidden gems and then setting out to explore them. Currently, we are working on putting together a waterfall map on our website. The site is still in its early stages since everything is done by us, and we are learning how to create our website, take better pictures, and shoot videos. It's a lot of work and can be challenging, but we enjoy it.
The waterfall map is essentially a map with pins. Our followers tag us in their amazing waterfall videos or pictures on social media, and we add these to the map with a link to their social media. Our goal is that no matter where you are in the world, you can use our map to locate the nearest waterfall, complete with an attached video.
Aside from waterfalls, we love woodland walks and lakeside walks. We're also slowly ticking off the Wainwrights in the Lake District. These activities allow us to enjoy nature and share our experiences with others.
The Power of Nature
What prompted us to start getting outdoors more with our family is a bit tough and somewhat embarrassing, which is why we maintain a faceless profile on social media. We want to focus on helping and inspiring others to step out into nature rather than making it about us.
It all began unexpectedly when Dad started experiencing terrible anxiety. To this day, we don't know why or how it happened, but it's something we are learning to deal with. He would worry about everything and imagine every possible scenario for even the smallest things, which took a significant toll on his body. He experienced symptoms like vision problems, muscle twitches, pains, and panic attacks. This anxiety spiralled into health anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.
That's when he realised, he needed to calm down and find distractions to trick his mind, which was causing all these symptoms. Although it's difficult to explain, at the time, the anxiety felt very real. Nature had always been our escape, but we needed to step it up. The mind would often get lost in worry, and it was hard to break free. However, every time we went out exploring, it felt like a massive weight was lifted. Being in nature was so soothing; it made the worries disappear.
We used to watch lots of YouTube videos of people walking and exploring, wishing Dad could fight the anxiety and push to get out more because it truly helped. The hardest part was the initial push to get out. That's when the Outdoor Exploring Family was born. It served two purposes: it provided a big distraction for the mind through plotting and researching routes, and it gave us the push to create our own content to post, which kind of forced us to get out more—in a really good way. We thought if other people's walking videos could encourage us to get out, then maybe our videos could help someone else to step out and experience the healing power of nature.
Their Favourite Place
We live in a beautiful little market town, so within two minutes from our house, we're in nature and surrounded by fields. Our go-to place, however, is the Lake District, which is very close to us. Every time we visit, it always feels like we're going home. The Lake District has such a calming effect on the mind, and life slows down there, allowing us to appreciate the smaller things.
We try to have an adventure in the Lake District every other weekend. It's a bit of a balancing act since we both work full time and the kids have school, so our evenings are usually spent on shorter local walks and plotting new places to hike in the Lake District.
In the past couple of years, we've also started taking trips to the Scottish Borders to explore new places. It's beautiful there, but for us, the Lake District always holds a special place in our hearts. It's hard to explain the calmness and positive effects it has on us, but it's truly a sanctuary that plays a massive part in our lives.
Standout experiences
This is tough as every adventure stands out to us, from the plotting of the routes and researching the destination to finally getting there and seeing the place in real life
Loughrigg Fell: A Memorable First
The most interesting and unique place we've ever travelled to is probably our first ever Wainwright as a family—Loughrigg Fell in the Lake District. Although it's one of the smaller hills, it offers wonderful views that made it a memorable experience.
The hike to Loughrigg Fell was a perfect introduction to the Lake District's beauty. When we reached the summit, the panoramic views were breathtaking. But what made this adventure truly special was walking across the fell to Lily Tarn
Lily Tarn has become my happy place, my favourite spot in the whole wide world. There's nothing grand about it, but for some reason, it's just perfect for us as a family. The tarn is calming and relaxing, surrounded by rolling hills with a full view looking down at Lake Windermere.
The combination of the serene landscape, the sense of accomplishment from our hike, and the quality time spent together as a family made this place unforgettable. It's a place where we can unwind, connect with nature, and simply enjoy being together.
The Pros and Cons of Family Adventures
Pros: bonding time together as a family has a great impact on us but saying that it's not always easy and doesn't come without its conflicts. I'd like to think the outdoors keeps us in relatively good shape but more importantly our mental health. Another pro is showing our children the great outdoors and teaching them map reading
Cons: Logistics are a nightmare trying to make sure everyone has the appropriate clothing, footwear and snacks, that is so stressful. Different Interests: Finding activities that engage every family member can be challenging, although if we tell the children that we will take them to a park after the hike normally puts them in the right mood or in the summer letting them have a couple of hours in their blow up boat normally on Derwentwater makes them really want to go.
Weather and Conditions: Outdoor adventures are subject to weather changes and unpredictable conditions, which can impact safety and enjoyment. Especially with having young children.
Energy Levels: Maintaining enthusiasm and energy levels throughout the day, especially for younger children, can be demanding.
Despite the challenges, the benefits of exploring as a family often outweigh the cons. With proper planning, flexibility, and a positive attitude, each outing can be a rewarding adventure that brings the family closer together while fostering a love for the outdoors.
Essential Gadgets and Exploration Style
For us it's the Outdooractive app this is a complete must for us, it's a great community of likeminded people where you can share your routes plot new routes, we must spend hours every week looking at the maps on there looking for places to go, we have even teamed up with them to offer €10 off the pro and pro+ subscriptions with code ODEXPLORINGFAMZ43Q7
Other gadgets are phones as that is how we take pictures and videos. We are in no way professional photographers and never claim to be, but we would love to improve this skill. We don't like to over edit our pictures we like people to see the true beauty of nature.
We have started to use a drone to capture footage, but we rarely use it as we will only send it up if absolutely no one else is around, although they are quiet, we don't want to pry on people's time in nature for our own gain.
What's your favourite way to explore a new city or town when you visit - walking, biking, taking public transportation, etc.? Why do you prefer that method?
It has to be walking. We feel that's the best way to explore, to slow your pace down and enjoy the smaller things.
Social Media Mission
We launched our social media channels with a simple mission: to promote the beauty of nature and inspire others to step outside for a healthier mindset. Having experienced firsthand the profound impact of nature on our family life and mental well-being, we believe in its transformative power. Through subtle quotes and captivating images or videos, we aim to encourage everyone to discover the therapeutic benefits of the great outdoors. We share moments of tranquility, adventure, and connection with nature, hoping to ignite a passion for exploration and a deeper appreciation for the natural world.
Future Aspirations
Our ultimate travel bucket list dream? To own a converted van—a sanctuary on wheels for those spontaneous escapes. Picture it: parked by a tranquil mountain or lakeside, where we can unwind and immerse ourselves in nature.
To tick off the Wainwrights would be a huge achievement for our family, but we don't want to rush them, we want to enjoy every single peak and try to hold on to every single memory.
More importantly we want people to see our content not for our gain but to help push them to step out even if it's just in their garden, a walk in the local woods or park.
Plans for the future
In the near future, our focus remains on refining our skills in taking pictures and videos as we are no way professional photographers just snap happy hikers, to promote a deeper connection to the natural world, nurturing a more positive mindset among viewers.
A more ambitious aspiration, albeit uncertain in its realisation, is to establish a clothing line branded "Outdoor Exploring Family." This aims to provide comfort for individuals navigating outdoor adventures while managing anxiety or other mental health challenges. The concept includes a distinctive logo designed to signal that they are using nature for their mental wellbeing—a subtle nod or friendly smile recognizing shared experiences. Profits from this venture would be directed towards supporting mental health charities, acknowledging the urgent need for accessible and immediate assistance in times of crisis. Not sure how to bring this idea to life but we will keep researching.
Words of Wisdom
Fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.
To continue following our explorer’s the Outdoor Exploring Family journey or simply want to reach out and say Hi, you can connect with them on the following accounts:
Email: OutdoorExploringFamily@gmail.co.uk
We are on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and sometimes YouTube all can be found @OutdoorExploringFamily
Website: https://www.outdoorexploringfamily.co.uk/