Ready to start backpacking?
Learn how to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient outdoor backpacking badass (no matter what age or level of experience you’re starting at), so that you can go on and finally take charge of your biggest, wildest, outdoor adventure dreams.
Become an outdoor Backpacking badass!
YOU deserve to feel safe,
confident, and self-sufficient
on the trail (& in life). And
that’s EXACTLY what I teach.
Hey, I’m Allison
I’m an Outdoor Backpacking Educator & Empowerment Coach.
I teach women how to become truly confident, safe, & self-sufficient in the outdoors (specifically through the skill of BACKPACKING) so that they can finally start taking real ownership of their safety on the trail and start making some real momentum on their big adventurous dreams – no matter what level of experience or time in their life they’re starting from.
Through outdoor backpacking and our signature coaching program, Become an Outdoor Backpacking Badass®, we teach women how to be self-made, self-sufficient, and the creators of their dreams—and to stop living on the sidelines of their dreams due to fear. We believe backpacking is a powerful catalyst for self-empowerment and is a radical form of self-care that every woman who is drawn to the outdoors can benefit immensely from.
Safe, confident, self-sufficient, resilient, empowered, free >> That is a Backpacking Badass™ Will you join us?
Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit
START TODAY: I created the ultimate Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for you (and it's FREE)! This starter kit is filled with 14 pages of my best hiking and backpacking tips to help you learn what it takes to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient outdoor backpacker!
The adventurous womans guide to thriving during chaotic & uncertain times
YOUR ADVENTUROUS MINDSET: Inside this free 11 page PDF guide you’ll find my very best tips for shifting from panic & uncertainty to thriving & growing no matter what you have going on in your life.
Backpacking Resources & Packing Checklist
GET ORGANIZED: Grab my full Backpacking Gear Checklist that is perfect for 2-5 day backpacking trips. In addition to this organized checklist, you’ll also get a visual checklist, layering essentials tip-sheet, and 25+ backpacking food ideas that I personally love on backpacking trips.
A Complete Guide to Hiking the West Highland Way in October | Whether you’re dreaming of hiking the West Highland Way one day or you’re actively planning your route, I put together a full behind-the-scenes guide to how I thru-hiked 100 miles across the Scottish Highlands in October—plus all the planning tips, logistics, and trail insights I wish I had when I was prepping. | shedreamsofalpine.com
35 Best Gifts for National Parks Lovers | Know someone who loves national parks but don’t know what to get them? This guide to the best national parks gifts will totally help you find the perfect gifts for national park lovers. From candles that smell like national parks to books, clothing, and more, you’ll find the perfect national park gift here. | shedreamsofalpine.com
35 Best Gifts of Camping Gear for Dogs | If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your favorite furry friend, this curated list of gifts of camping gear for dogs will help you find it. From dog toys to dog camping beds to dog hiking backpacks, you’ll definitely find just the right gift of dog outdoor gear here. | shedreamsofalpine.com
45 Awesome Road Trip Gifts for Your Favorite Nomad | Road tripping is a fantastic way to explore incredible outdoor spaces throughout the country, but the right gear is crucial to make long road trips more comfortable and fun. This guide to the best road trip gifts will help you find the perfect present for your favorite nomad who loves to hit the open road and explore. | shedreamsofalpine.com
45 Best Gifts for RV Owners | Whether they’re living life on the road full-time or just taking lots of road trips, nomadic RV owners can seem hard to shop for. How do you find gifts for RV owners that are worth taking up valuable space in the RV and won’t be left behind when they hit the road? This guide will help you pick fun and practical gifts that RV owners will adore! | shedreamsofalpine.com
33 Unique Camping Gifts for Her | Picking a present for a woman who camps can seem overwhelming!There’s so much fun camping gear, it seems like she can never get enough stuff – but where do you start to choose the best camping gifts for her? We’ve got you covered with this list of unique gifts for your favorite camper! | shedreamsofalpine.com
39 Best Gifts for Outdoorsy Men | Get the outdoorsman in your life a birthday or Christmas gift that they’ll truly love to use in the backcountry with this specially curated list of outdoorsy gifts for him. From outdoor clothing to outdoor gadgets to outdoor gear that’ll keep him safe in the backcountry, you’re bound to find the perfect gift idea for any outdoorsy guy in this blog post. | shedreamsofalpine.com
63 of the Best Gifts for Rock Climbers and Boulderers | The holidays are fast approaching, so I put together a rock climbing gift guide based on products that I love. These gifts are perfect for the avid climber in your life, or even for yourself. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for indoor rock climbers or those who love to get outdoors on real rock, you can’t go wrong with any of these gift ideas. | shedreamsofalpine.com
41 Campervan Gifts that Every Van Owner Would Love to Get| The holidays are fast approaching , so I put together a gift guide for the campervan owner. These gifts are perfect for the van owner in your life, or even for yourself. From cozy gifts to practical gifts, you’ll be sure to get them something they’d love to have with this van life gift guide! | shedreamsofalpine.com
50 Best Gifts for Outdoor Women | The holidays are fast approaching and so we put together a gift guide based on products that we love for outdoorsy women. These gifts are the perfect gifts for outdoor women in your life, or even for yourself. From wool socks to down jackets, these are all great products that we can personally vouch for. You won't go wrong with any of these outdoor gifts for her. | shedreamsofalpine.com
47 of the Best Gifts for Backpackers| The holidays are fast approaching, so I put together a gift guide for those in your life that love backpacking. These gifts are products I love that are perfect for the avid backpacker in your life, or even for yourself. From water filters to GPS app subscriptions, these are all great products that I can personally vouch for. You won't go wrong with any of these gifts, I love them! | shedreamsofalpine.com
day hiking
In my day hiking gear list post I go through my complete hiking gear list with examples of brands I trust and love for my own hiking gear, but also be sure to download my day hike checklist and print it off so that you never forget the essentials again!
backpacking
This blog post will take each of my backpacking gear list items and will break it down into the gear that I personally recommend and love using myself. So basically, this post is a look at my backpacking gear closet… my backpacking must haves so-to-speak + a Free Downloadable Checklist to go with it of course!
Here’s a small sampling from the students enrolled in the Become an Outdoor Backpacking Badass® program.
— melani —
My number one goal was to be self-sufficient and to be fully reliant on myself...which was the main reason I jumped all in on this course. And I love the alumni piece of it where I can see all the women who are in there and maybe connect with them. To have a place to ask the questions you sometimes feel stupid to ask.
— laurie —
I decided to enroll in Allison’s course. That decision set me on the path to my first solo backpacking trip to Havasu Falls…it was a success! I am so, so glad that I stumbled upon Allison’s initial email. Otherwise I think I would have quickly given up or, worse, I might have become one of those people who put the first responders at risk while they rescue you.
— heather —
I decided I wanted to do more and I was tired of watching everyone else have the adventures and being too scared to do them myself… Everything that Allison taught was everything I needed to do to prepare myself, and my kids for this trip. We ended up doing a 4-day backpacking trip in West Virginia that was 23 miles, and it was amazing!
Read more student stories here.
30 of the Most Epic Mountain Gifts | Even if you don’t want to climb them, mountain ranges always inspire awe. This guide to the best mountain gifts will help you find the perfect present for someone who hears the mountains calling. Whether you’re looking for home decor to bring the mountains inside or a book about epic mountain adventures, you’ll find a ton of amazing gifts for mountain lovers here. | shedreamsofalpine.com