The crisp breeze, the crunch of dried leaves, firecrackers of fall foliage and sweeping summit views: all season long, we marvel at the autumn landscape’s wonders. And it’s no wonder that this is our favorite time of year to gather with friends and family and head outdoors for an autumnal adventure. These outdoors adventure essentials will keep you warm, safe, and dry no matter where the landscape takes you.

NEMO Men’s Disco 30° Down Sleeping Bag – Regular

This sleeping bag lets you personalize your comfort. Plus, it’s water-resistant, keeping your feet dry and ensuring a great night’s sleep wherever you are.

SOREL Women’s Out ‘N About Plus Leather Duck Boots

Pesky afternoon showers are unpredictable, so be prepared with these waterproof boots. They’re as functional as they’re fashionable.

Osprey Exos 48 Backpack

This backpack offers mesh Airspeed™ Suspension for airflow and an ExoForm™ hipbelt and shoulder harness, ensuring all-day comfort while hiking.

Cotopaxi Unisex Teca Windbreaker Half-Zip Pullover 

This pullover is easy to pack and weather-resistant: perfect for any terrain!

Hydro Flask Unbound Series Soft Cooler Pack – 22L

This cooler pack keeps your goods cold for up to 48 hours and offers enough room to store 24 12oz cans, as well as side and dry storage pockets for additional drinks.

KEEN Women’s Terradora Waterproof Mid Boots

Designed especially for women, these boots provide all-day comfort whether you’re on a hike or hiking through the mall for Christmas shopping.

Gentlemen’s Hardware Survival Kit

The Gentlemen’s Hardware Survival Kit’s includes a compass, fire starter tool, six-in-one penknife tool, tweezers, 210cm of rope, ten safety pins and wire saw. It’s a must-have travel tool for any outdoors enthusiast.

Salomon Men’s X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking Shoes

With a mid-height ankle, aggressive grip and GORE-TEX® weather protection, these shoes are a hiker’s best friend.

Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad

The Static V is designed to conform to the shape of your body, providing the ultimate comfort for a great night’s rest.

Lole Women’s Emeline Packable Insulated Jacket

With its compact pouch and lightweight packability, this insulated jacket from Lole will keep you warm no matter how chilly the campsite may seem in the morning.

GoPro Hero 7 Black Bundle with SD Card

The best that GoPro has to offer, the Hero 7 enables you to shoot up to 4k video with Gimbal-like Stabilization.

Hydro Flask Limited Edition Escape Collection Wide Flex Cap – 32oz

These bottles keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours. They’re perfect for all-day hydration.

Text by Nick Adrian

The air’s getting frosty, the leaves are falling, and everyone’s starting to break out their favorite sweaters. There’s never a more perfect time to start planning your next outdoor adventure than right now. We spoke with our own outdoor expert, Matt Stone, to get the best advice on how to plan an outdoor adventure in Alabama.

Start with your destination

The first step in preparing for your adventure is researching where you want to go. Matt’s top five places in Alabama are The Sipsey Wilderness, Cheaha State Park, Ruffner Mountain, Monte Sano State Park and the Walls of Jericho. If you know where you’re going, you’ll be better able to prepare yourself, your friends or maybe even your date for the trek ahead. He suggests learning the distance of the trails, elevation, amenities, water sources and beyond.

Gear up and get prepped

Knowing where you’re going is important; knowing what to bring while you’re there is crucial. Once you’ve picked a place (and learned all you can about it), then you can start prepping your gear. If it’s just a day trip, Matt suggests bringing only the essentials — think water and maybe a few snacks — to keep unnecessary weight out of your pack. Another good tip is to dress in layers and invest in a pair of wool socks. Matt’s favorite are Merino moisture-wicking wool socks that keep you from getting blisters. Of course, you should always pack a map and a compass, and let someone know of your plans. Give a timeline of when they should start to hear from you again — there’s not always cell phone service in the wilderness.

Enjoy the silence

Going on an outdoor adventure gives you the opportunity to escape from everyday life and experience nature without the hectic hubbub of urban life. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to spend time with friends and family with minimal distractions. There’s a lot that you can do when you go on an outdoor adventure but sometimes it’s great to just spend some quiet time in the woods relaxing. Matt’s favorite part of outdoor adventuring is listening as the wind blows through the trees and watching leaves fall to the forest floor.

If you were on the fence about it before, we hope that these tips make you reconsider spending your next free weekend on an outdoor adventure. Now get out there and Be Outdoors!

Text by Kaitlin Cochran. Updated June 16, 2020.

Looking for weekend camping adventure essentials? We can help! Alabama Outdoors wants everyone to enjoy the outdoors, and we work to build loyalty one connection at a time. Visit one of our stores or take advantage of our shipping or curbside pickup! #BeOutdoors

Have you ever considered hammock camping? Have no idea what hammock camping is?

Join Meagan and the staff of Alabama Outdoors at our Mobile location as they explain the advantages and disadvantages of hammock camping. You’ll learn about the equipment you may or may not need and how to use your hammock shelter safely and responsibly.

The class takes place on Thursday, June 7th from 6:00 – 7:30 PM.

See you there!