When it comes to challenging yourself in the outdoors, it has a lot to do with how far you're able to push your mind and your body. – Andy

What drives your appreciation for the outdoors?

Wolf
When I’m out there, I sleep more restfully, and it’s just rewarding to live with less. It gives me a little bit more purpose during the moment.

Alex
I think it was my upbringing. Growing up in the freezing cold nature of Montana gave me the mental strength to persevere. Those experiences helped build me into a person that didn't give up then and still doesn't plan on it.

Andy
I like being able to hunt my own food. I like being able to provide for my friends. It's awesome to go out in the wilderness, bow hunt, and bring good, clean meat back, put it in my freezer, and cook chili for my friends and my family. That's as wholesome as you can get.

What are some significant moments you have experienced in the wilderness?

Wolf
I love taking every opportunity to stick my head completely into cold water, just submerge it completely—in a creek, a river, a lake, or even some sort of icy situation. It wakes me up and removes the fog. It freshens me up. It reinvigorates me.

Alex
Not too long ago, I was out hunting with some family members, and it was late and getting dark. Nightfall came and it suddenly started snowing, which really threw off our sense of direction. Something that should have been super easy and would have taken an hour during the daylight turned into two or three hours, maybe even four, of struggling to find our way out. It was a learning point for our whole group.

Andy
Starting a fire is cool. When you sleep warm on a cold night, and you know that if you hadn’t created this bed with hot rocks underneath the ground you'd be freezing. It’s great to accomplish something that you've been trying to learn.

What advice would you offer to other outdoorsmen?

Wolf
The mental aspect, I'd say, is most important. A strong mind will get you out of sticky situations or keep you healthy, keeping you riding the good wave. If you're physically strong, it seems to only get you so far.

Alex
A crucial piece to any trip you go on, whether it be a road trip, a hunting trip, or a hike on one of the tallest peaks in the world, is preparation. Making sure that you have full battery in your phone, printed GPS routes, all these kinds of things, and not getting complacent or letting something slip, is essential. ‘I'll be fine’ – that's a killer right there.

Andy
Mental strength is the key factor. If you’ve faced adversity from a young age, you can draw on your experiences to push through hard times and overcome challenges in the wilderness.

What are some lessons that can be learned from the outdoors?

Wolf
Being out on a trek forces me to concentrate and helps me feel a little more grounded. I’m focused on the surfaces that I'm climbing, the ground I'm walking on, and foot placements so I don’t roll my ankle or get twisted up. Forced concentration's a big benefit for me. It minimizes a lot of those unproductive, unwanted thoughts.

Alex
Mental strength is absolutely something you can learn in nature. And it's learned through doing.

Andy
You go into the mountains—the Himalayas, the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite—and realize nature is so much more powerful than you. You just realize how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things and how absolutely incredible this Earth is and the outdoors. The magnificence around you puts everything in perspective. It makes me not want to be selfish. It's so amazing and so powerful.