A woman's guide to the wild : your complete outdoor handbook
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Outdoorswoman, geologist, writer and dancer, McConnell was raised in the urban landscape of Portland, Oregon, but thanks to a mother who ordered her to “go outside and play” year-round and sent her to summer-camp, being outdoors became second nature. As she grew older and spent more time in the outdoors she encountered gender bias and the jeers of men, but persevered and discovered that men are no better (or worse) equipped than women to survive in the wilderness, not in better shape, not better navigators, not equipped with an innate sense of the weather. She exhorts women to exercise agency over their own outdoor experience, to try new things, and build a new skill set, while shrugging off doubts, rude remarks, and stereotypes. Instead she advises finding supportive people and learning your limits and ambitions. She also offers projects and recipes for the outdoor experience.