Starting Backcountry Squatters at 23 was a leap taken with more heart than experience — and never alone. This reflection looks back on the joy, mistakes, growth, and community that shaped the organization, and what it means to step aside while believing deeply in the work and the leaders carrying it forward.

Long-distance friendships take effort, but they’re so worth it. From silly vlogs to commuter calls, shared challenges, and showing gratitude, these tips will keep the love alive no matter the miles. 💛

Backcountry Squatters partnered with Nyasaina Kwamboka (@nyasaina.k.omanga), founder of the African Environmental Youth Advisory (@african.environmental.advisory), to bring you our latest blog. This partnership is a first step towards bridging global communities, inspiring all women and queer folks to connect with nature and each other.

Understanding your reproductive health is essential, especially when it comes to fertility. In this blog post, one of our board members reflects on their experiences working in Reproductive Endocrinology and shares key insights on fertility factors, treatment options, and what everyone should know about family planning.

February, the actual start of the year, is when you make good on some new resolutions, tidy things up, and rebrand yourself completely. In honor of the new year (Ibby’s New Year™), I thought I would share some of my “In’s and Out’s” for 2023.

As outdoor athletes, we all care about the environment and are committed to combating climate change, but we often forget the impact our outdoor adventures have on the environment.

A reflection on grief, growth, and the meaning of being “badass,” this essay traces how outdoor challenge, memory, and perseverance became a way to honor a friend — and a reminder to live fully, push limits with intention, and carry those we’ve lost with us into wild places.

What began as a final goal became a turning point. This powerful reflection shares how training for and climbing Mount Rainier transformed despair into a desire to keep living — and how the mountains, community, and movement helped one person rediscover meaning, connection, and hope.

From being the only junior girl racing mountain bikes in Oregon to leading a Backcountry Squatters chapter at Montana State, this piece explores why women-centered outdoor spaces matter — and how support, shared identity, and permission to fail can change the way people learn, grow, and belong outside.

From a last-minute college decision to finding confidence in the mountains, this essay traces one woman’s journey into the outdoors — through fear, failure, joy, and the freedom that comes with choosing a path that feels true.

It was powerful, knowing that I could do whatever I wanted, that I could experience all that I wanted to, and know that I would always be there for me.

From soggy socks to strategic squats, this essay explores one woman’s long journey toward mastering a foundational outdoor skill — and why learning to pee in the woods is a rite of passage worth talking about.