Freelance outdoor writing offers plenty of reward for those who love the outdoor lifestyle. Paid opportunities to travel, explore and spend time outside are wonderful when they come along but, compared to other areas of writing, freelance outdoor writing is a competitive industry.

Campaigns such as Sport England’s This Girl Can and Ordnance Survey’s Get Outside have helped people build outdoor confidence. The outdoors is now a very popular place to be and marketing teams have been quick to pick up on the advertising value of the outdoor lifestyle.

Which is good news if you want to be an outdoor writer.

You can’t sell outdoor gear or outdoor experiences without a blog and social presence and the best outdoor writing blogs are highly visited and valuable assets.

All of this has led to a growth in requirements for outdoor writing but, with more and more people keen to become outdoor writers and the growing influence of AI on all types of writing, breaking into the outdoor writing industry still takes time and persistence.

Would you trust a tent review written by AI?

Outdoor writing tips

My outdoor writing career started nearly 17 years ago with a personal outdoor blog. I have been writing professionally for outdoor publications for eight years now. I have gained and lost clients, and along the way I’ve learned a lot about the industry.

Freelance outdoor writing is a fabulous job to do but it’s not an easy way to make money. I would recommend the lifestyle to anyone but never as a sole source of income.

Here are my five top outdoor writing tips updated as we head towards 2025.

1. Get outside yourself

Sounds obvious?

I thought so too but you might be surprised by the number of outdoor articles that are written by people who have spent relatively little time outside.

No, I’m not going to point fingers.

After a great pitch, the first thing outdoor editors look for is authenticity. You don’t have to be a winter wild camper or a mountain marathon runner to demonstrate your outdoor enthusiasm but it will help if your social media channels and portfolio can show a consistent passion for the outdoor environment.

Action points:

• Go outside and do things
• Take photos and notes as you go
• Remember that authenticity matters
• Write blog posts about your experiences
• Share your experiences on Instagram or TikTok

2. Write your own outdoor blog

Not only does an outdoor blog show your enthusiasm for life outside, it is also an opportunity to showcase your writing and (perhaps more importantly) your personality and interests. If you’re wondering how to write about outdoor adventures, I would advocate starting with what you enjoy.

Hiking, outdoor swimming, camping, paddling, the list is endless.

I love writing outdoor gear reviews and walking routes but my favourite outdoor adventures are the ones I take by train. This sustainable travel approach has become one of my most enjoyable and successful niches.

Having a few niches is better than putting all your writing eggs in one basket.

Five reasons women make the best bloggers.

Use your blog to experiment with different styles of outdoor writing, and your blog metrics to hone your writing skills.

Should I start my own blog or share on social media?

That’s a really good question, and one I’m asked often. SEO (how search engines find you) is now an important part of the selection algorithm for platforms like Instagram. In other words, if you write high quality captions under your Instagram post, the algorithm is more likely to present your reel or post to other people.

This is great news if you like writing.

But if you want an outdoor writing career, I wouldn’t advise using social media as a blog substitute. I say this for one simple reason;

The future of your blog is under your control, the future of your Instagram account is not.

When it comes to blog writing, our best advice is to write regularly and write well. After time, your personal blog will act as both a CV and a portfolio. It will also eventually become an attraction point for potential clients.

Action points:

• Start a personal blog (that’s the easy bit)
• Commit to writing regular posts (not so easy)
• Be honest about your experiences
• Write different types of articles
• Pick a niche because you love it
• Use metrics to hone your writing

On my first personal blog, Two Blondes Walking, my friend and I wrote a daily blog post for over seven years.

3.  Support your writing with social media

A personal blog is definitely the best way to build a career as an outdoor writer but that doesn’t mean social media platforms such as Instagram can’t play their part.

Because they help the world find your writing.

With time and patience your personal blog will build up an audience and start appearing on Google first page searches but I can tell you from experience, this takes a while and a certain level of commitment.

Social media can help.

Social media offers great opportunities for leading readers (and potential editors) to your writing portfolio. Catch people’s attention and build a community with clever images, creative videos and keywords, and you’ll have the perfect opportunity to direct people to where you really want them to be (reading your outdoor writing).

Not only that, social media is also a great way to put your name in front of targeted publications.

Action points:

• Use social media to help people find your writing
• Tag potential clients in your posts
• Focus on quality not quantity
• Don’t try and run too many social media accounts
• Remember that your blog belongs to you, your Instagram account doesn’t

4. Ask yourself what you would like to write

Nobody likes homework but the research you put in at the start of your outdoor writing career and as it progresses will not be wasted. Read as many websites, guide books, outdoor magazines etc as you can and decide which are a good match for your outdoor and writing styles.

How to write children’s walks.

It is far easier to write for a publication you admire than one you don’t, and you’ll save a lot of time pitching articles if you understand exactly what the publication is after.

But be open to surprises.

One of the things I love about my outdoor writer jobs is that some of them have been really unexpected. I’ve been contacted by local hotels, travel companies and outdoor gear manufacturers because they found my writing online (usually on my personal blog).

I’ve even been sent on writing missions to Europe.

Which just goes to show, you can do all the planning you like but the best jobs are often the ones you were least expecting.

Action points:

• Read other people’s outdoor writing
• I mean REALLY read it
• Find a style that suits and represents you
• Be open to unexpected writing jobs
• Expect career pivots, they’re here to stay

5. Write pitch articles and send them

As a budding outdoor writer, one of the first things you need to accept is the concept of writing an article that might never be published. Pitch articles or synopses are written and sent to editors and potential clients in order to demonstrate your writing skills.

That means you won’t get paid for them.

The best way to view pitch articles is as writing exercises. Before you start, read the publication’s pitch guidelines, familiarise yourself with their style and pick a topic to fit in with, but not repeat their existing content.

Action points:

• View all writing opportunities as positive
• Be as careful writing an unpaid article as a paid one
• Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback
• Find a person not a role to send your pitches to

Building a career as an outdoor writer

When it comes to developing a successful career as a freelance outdoor writer, there are three keywords that should become your mantra. You’ll need all of these to see you through.

• Authenticity
• Persistence
• Patience

One of the best things about freelance outdoor writing is that it can fit in really well with other work commitments.

How to write about outdoor adventures

The best way to write about outdoor adventures is to have them. Ideas flow when you’re doing what you love. So get yourself outside, have a great outdoor experience (or a not-so-great one), find a hook for your next pitch or blog post, get writing… and don’t stop.

Trust me, an outdoor writing career is worth the hard work!

We outdoor writers have a responsibility.