
Wild Ideas Worth Living
High-impact interviews for those who love adventure and the outdoors. Host and journalist Shelby Stanger interviews world-class explorers, athletes, authors, scientists, health experts and entrepreneurs about how they’ve taken their own wild ideas and made them a reality, so you can too. Some of the wildest ideas can lead to the most rewarding adventures.
Latest episodes

Apr 23, 2024 • 24min
Merging Freediving and Art with Oriana Poindexter
Oriana Poindexter is a professional artist whose work weaves together photography, science, and marine life. Her art is very unique. Oriana uses seaweed and light-sensitive chemicals to make stunning, almost haunting prints. She lives in San Diego where she free dives in kelp forests for inspiration, and to harvest materials for her art.Connect with Oriana: Website Instagam If you enjoyed this episode: Listen to Submerging Into the Deep Ocean with Susan Casey and Freediving for Inner Peace with BJ GriffinCheck out:Take the Wild Ideas Listener Survey!!REI Re/SupplySign up for Hipcamp and REI’s “Summer of Magic Campout Series” Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVA

Apr 16, 2024 • 31min
Traveling to Every Country Without Flying with Thor Pedersen
In 2013, Thor Pedersen left his home in Denmark for the trip of a lifetime. His goal was to travel to every country in the world. He had three rules for his journey. He had to spend at least 24 hours in each country. He couldn't return to Denmark until he had crossed off every nation on the list. And last but not least, no air travel.Connect with Thor:Website InstagramCheck out:Take the Wild Ideas Listener Survey!!REI Re/SupplySign up for Hipcamp and REI’s “Summer of Magic Campout Series” Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVA

Apr 9, 2024 • 29min
Cycling Around the World with Lael Wilcox
Lael Wilcox is known as one of the world's best ultra-endurance cyclists. She's ridden over 150,000 miles in more than 50 countries. Now, Lael is going after her wildest idea yet: to break the record for cycling around the world. Her goal is to ride more than 18,000 miles in 110 days.Connect with Lael:Website InstagramCheck out:Take the Wild Ideas Listener Survey!! Sign up for Hipcamp and REI’s “Summer of Magic Campout Series” Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVA

Apr 2, 2024 • 27min
Taking Less on the Trail with Glen Van Peski
Glen Van Peski is known as the king of ultralight backpacking. While backpackers will hit the trails with a pack that weighs upwards of 20 pounds, sometimes even up to 50 or more, Glen's pack usually only weighs around 12 pounds. Glen is also the founder of the functional lightweight backpacking and hiking gear company, Gossamer Gear, and the author of Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker. Connect with Glen:WebsiteInstagram Gossamer Gear InstagramGlen's new book, Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight BackpackerCheck out:Take the Wild Ideas Listener Survey!! Sign up for Hipcamp and REI's "Summer of Magic Campout Series" Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVA

Mar 26, 2024 • 26min
Sailing Solo Around The World with Ruby Gates
At the age of 50, Ruby Gates left her career and home to get on a sailboat for seven months. At the time, she knew nothing about sailing, but the trip changed her life. Now, nine years later, Ruby has decided to go after the wildest idea she's ever had. She's circumnavigating the world by sailboat.Connect with Ruby: Sail with RubyInstagram Thank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVACheck out:REI Re/SupplyOutside in 5REI Co-op Adventure Travel

5 snips
Mar 19, 2024 • 24min
Retiring From Competitive Skiing at 23 with Grace Miller
What if your wild idea no longer brings you joy?Retired pro skier, Grace Miller, is intimately familiar with a change of course. Grace grew up in Alaska and started skiing at a young age. Before she was out of high school, she was recruited to compete at the highest level, but at age 23 after competing on the world stage, Grace decided to leave skiing behind to pursue some new wild ideas.Connect with Grace: InstagramThank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesTEVACheck out:REI Re/SupplyOutside in 5REI Co-op Adventure Travel

Mar 12, 2024 • 29min
Microadventuring with Alastair Humphreys
Alastair Humphreys is an author and adventurer who has walked 600 miles across Southern India, ran an ultra marathon through the Sahara Desert, and hiked and rafted across Iceland. Alastair's newest wild idea is to embrace the concept of "microadventures," an adventure that is short, easily accessible, and affordable while still being fun, challenging, refreshing, and rewarding. Connect with Alastair: WebsiteInstagramOrder Alastair's new book, Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and WildnessThank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesBirkenstockCheck out:REI Re/SupplyOutside in 5REI Co-op Adventure Travel

Mar 5, 2024 • 29min
Becoming the First Woman to Travel Around the Moon with Christina Koch
What if you had an opportunity to travel around the moon? Christina Koch has worked at NASA for the last 10 years, and has been a part of groundbreaking missions in outer space. In 2019, Christina embarked on a 328-day stay on the International Space Station, setting a record for the longest single space flight by a woman. Now Christina has a new assignment on the horizon. She was selected to join a crew that will travel around the moon.Connect with Christina: InstagramChristina's NASA bio NASA Artemis InstagramIf you enjoyed this episode: Listen to Studying the Cosmos with Sarafina El-Badry Nance and How To Become An Astronaut And Get A New Perspective On Earth From Space with Shannon WalkerThank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesBirkenstockCheck out:REI Re/SupplyOutside in 5REI Co-op Adventure Travel

Feb 27, 2024 • 23min
Snowboarding as a Creative Expression with Travis Rice
Travis Rice has been pushing the envelope of what's possible in snowboarding for over 20 years. He has won prestigious awards for his riding, and completely recreated what it means to host a winter sports competition. Travis has also built new businesses like Sendy and changed the way action sports films are made.Connect with Travis: InstagramSENDYNatural Selection TourThank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesBirkenstockCheck out:REI Co-op Adventure Travel

Feb 20, 2024 • 23min
Birding and Nature Photography with Dudley Edmondson
Dudley Edmondson is a legendary outdoorsman and birder, nature photographer, cinematographer, speaker and an author. In 2006, he published a book called Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places. He hopes that his books, photos and film work will inspire the next generation of Black, Indigenous and other people of color to get outside.Connect with Dudley: Website Instagram Dudley's book, The Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places If you enjoyed this episode: Listen to For the Love of Birding with Corina NewsomeThank you to our sponsors: Capital One: Check out the REI Co-op Mastercard program and learn about local REI Fund granteesBirkenstock Check out:REI Co-op Adventure Travel
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