What can we say about women that hasn't been said before? We could talk about how they're bold and brave, powerful and compassionate, resilient and unstoppable, generous and hilarious. But you already know how amazing women are, because you are one!
We're kicking off Women's History Month in our usual manner—by leading a group of adventurous, inspiring women to the highest peak in Africa. But we also want to spotlight some incredible women who are making history, and making us smile every day back home.
Consider this email a shout-out to a few of our current girl crushes—badass women who are bringing hope and positivity into the world while earning their own place in women's history. We're sharing them with you in hopes they bring a little more joy, nature, and inspiration into your life, too!
It's our way of saying "Hey awesome woman, you should know about these other awesome women!" Because no matter what life throws our way, individually or collectively, there's always one thing we can count on: women.
Photo Credit: Grace Taylorson Smith Pritchard
ELISE WORTLEY
TELLING THE STORIES OF MOUNTAINEERING'S OVERLOOKED WOMEN
🏔️ 👣 📜
Elise, or Lise as everyone calls her, brings back women who were erased from mountaineering history by recreating their historic expeditions using the same gear and clothing. By stepping into these forgotten female explorers' boots, hats, and wool layers, she makes history feel real instead of theoretical.
She shares our belief that legacy matters, and that we climb higher when we know who came before us. By crowdfunding her journeys she's able to keep the storytelling independent and community-backed, which is always something we respect and support. Aside from her upcoming Women’s History Month hike in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales, her latest documentary, The Bride of Mont Blanc (which recreates the first female ascent of Mont Blanc in 1838) is currently doing rounds at the film festivals.
We love that Lise is making history by recreating history, and is living proof that sometimes the most powerful way forward is to first look backwards.
Photo Credit: Tim Johnson
ALEXIS NIKOLE NELSON
TEACHING US TO CONNECT WITH WONDER UNDER OUR FEET
🍄 🪻 🌰
Alexis reminds us that adventure starts with taking notice: slowing down, learning the names of things, and respecting where we stand.
Her Instagram @blackforager brings humor, culture, and sheer joy into sustainability conversations while simultaneously broadening who feels welcome in outdoor spaces. She makes environmentalism feel accessible instead of elitist, and reclaims ancestral plant knowledge through joyful, easy-to-understand education around foraging.
She's also the author of Happy Snacking, Don't Die! a collection of recipes and foraging wisdom that will teach you how to turn common plants, flowers, and fungi into delicious plant-based meals (without dying, obvs). We love how she turns simple curiosity about the land into rooted connection with it. Her passion is contagious, and nerding out to something you love is always something we can get behind!
AMY POEHLER
MAKING US LAUGH WHILE CELEBRATING OTHER WOMEN
🎙️ 😂 💕
We've always loved watching Amy Poehler on TV, but she continues to bring the laughs (and inspiration) well beyond it.
Earlier this year Amy won the first Golden Globe for Best Podcast for Good Hang, which brought us SO much joy all winter long while training (logging miles is always better when you're laughing). We especially love the way the show highlights genuine female friendships that are full of mutual admiration, celebration, and hyping each other up without competing.
She also co-founded Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, a platform that amplifies young women’s voices and encourages curiosity, confidence, and leadership in the next generation. We love that she models aging out loud without apologizing or shrinking. No matter what she does, her energy always proves to be such a force for championing women and good-spirited laughs.
ANASTASIA ALLISON
MAKING PEE TALK NORMAL (AND FUNNY) WHILE DESIGNING GEAR WE NEED
🧻 🌿 💦
Anastasia is the founder of Kula Cloth, a reusable, antimicrobial pee cloth that reduces waste and makes outdoors adventuring so much better for women. Chances are if you've been on a WHOA trip, you've seen plenty of these dangling from bags—probably even your own!
Her seriously funny Instagram normalizes women’s hygiene on the trail by talking openly about periods, pee, and all the very real things that come with being a female business owner and woman outdoors, without any shame (seriously, go read her Substack). By leading with honesty and vulnerability around mental health and resilience, she creates safer, more inclusive spaces, and we look forward to her incredible pocket poems every Monday.
We love that Anastasia built a cult-favorite product simply by listening to women on the trail. If you don't already have one, get a Kula Cloth for your next trip and see why it's on every one of our packing lists!
JANETTE SPIEZIO
MAKING SUSTAINABLE LIVING FEEL DOABLE (AND FUN)
🛍️ ♻️ 🌎
As founder of Sustainable Haus, Janette has created one of our favorite local shops in New Jersey and an online store that makes sustainability feel approachable, design-forward, and genuinely inviting.
Online and through her Instagram, she's created an education hub for conscious living that feels grassroots, community-focused, and refreshingly practical. She makes “eco” feel doable, not performative. By amplifying small, ethical brands and helping consumers better understand supply chains, she brings clarity and hope to something that can often feel overwhelming or hopeless. Janette is also on a mission to end plastic pollution in NJ and beyond as cofounder of Beyond Plastics NJ, and her workshops and local events make sustainability a social event people can actually participate in.
Follow Janette on Instagram for smart swaps for your backpacking, travel, and camping kits, plus everyday life, too!
Photo Credit: Christopher Dibble
LISA CONGDON
MAKING BOLD, JOYFUL ART THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING
🎨 🌈 ⚡
We live for bright pops of color and joy, and Lisa embodies all of that and then some! She has built a wildly successful art career later in life, proving that reinvention is always possible and has no expiration date. Her bold color and typography champion activism, equity, and joy in a way that feels both powerful and playful (something that's so hard to do, but traits we see all the time in our favorite women)!
We especially love her line of NoSo patches, which extend the life of worn outdoor gear and reduce waste one vibrant patch at a time. We are totally on board with the idea that fixing your jacket shouldn't be boring or expensive—it should be fun and expressive!
Since we know you love supporting women-owned brands like NoSo, check Lisa's patches out. No one ever said sustainability couldn't be joyful!
If we included every incredible woman we admire, this blog would never end! Know someone we should spotlight? Let us know in the comments. From the trail to big ideas, we’re always cheering women on every step of the way.