8 Diverse Backpackers You Need to Follow on Instagram

Published May 29, 2021 12:22AM

For too many years, backpacking has been associated with a specific type of person—I probably don’t need to describe him to you. But we all know that anyone, provided they have access, can fall for the joys of backpacking no matter their culture, ethnicity, race, abilities, size, country of origin, age, gender, or background. As a non-profit leader (and a hiker who doesn’t fit the “traditional” image), creating access to the outdoors is part of my life’s work.

In the spirit of diversifying our worldviews, I want to introduce you to some folks who have taken on the sport of backpacking while breaking down barriers of access and misconceptions about people who spend time outside. Peruse these folks’ instagram pages to get a new perspective.

@HikeAndLift

Heather keeps it real with a side of fun. You’ll probably see her wearing her staple red lipstick while living up that brown girl joy and spreading the word on Leave No Trace. Hiking and lifting are her passions and she does a genuinely good job at merging the two on her Instagram page. Do you know how lifting weights can help you while backpacking? Follow her to get the scoop.

@IllPushYou

While living life from a wheelchair with a progressive neuromuscular disease, Justin Skeesuck had the dream of undertaking the legendary Camino de Santiago. Where others might have tried to talk him out of it, his friend Patrick Gray responded “I’ll push you.” The documentary of the same name follows the two friends along the 500 miles of the Camino as they “push one another toward who they each long to be.”

@LatinxHikers, @Luz.Lituma, and @OutdoorHomie

Luz Lituma and Adriana Maria Garcia co-founded @LatinxHikers in 2017 with the goal of inspiring the Latinx community to get out and enjoy the outdoors. What once was just an Instagram page quickly became a community of engaged outdoor enthusiasts getting outside together in real life. Follow them to get your needed dose of outdoor joy.

@FlightLevelFoto

Corey is an adventurer with a dreamy eye, exploring through his travels and his lens. This page is the one you go to for a quick fix of wanderlust on the days where the next view is going to be yet again through a screen, so you might as well stop and have a look at the magnificence of the Yosemite Valley, or at the funkiness of a Joshua Tree.

@HikingWithThe3Ks

Mama and the 3ks, Big K, Middle K, Baby K, are currently attempting the AT together. Each member of this family has 600+ miles already in their shoes (and counting). Find the inspiration you’ve been needing to take your kids on the trail with you overnight, or just watch it happen in awe, because let’s be honest, that’s next level.

@OutsidewithV

V has that way of documenting her adventures which makes you wish you could pack a bag and hit the trail with her. Her pictures and videos are a good time, the kind you want to have on and off the trail. Give her a follow and watch her Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike unfold this season.

@jaylyn.gough

Jaylyn Gough is a Navajo photographer, adventurer, and the founder of Native Women’s Wilderness. Her platforms bring visibility to ancestral respect for the land, the persisting conflicts between America and its First Nations, and serve to empower Native women to enjoy the lands they rightfully own. Follow Jaylyn for many moving stories about land, heritage, and identity alongside stunning photographs.

@HikingProdigy

Tyler “the Prodigy” Lau has plenty of miles under his belt (Calendar Triple Crown anyone?), yet his use of social media makes it clear his priorities aren’t completely about that. Cut to the first line of his bio “Raising awareness to #diversifytheoutdoors.”. Give “The Prodigy” a follow for key equity and justice information and inspiration, #summitsinsolidarity photos, and memes that might make you pee (just a little).

8 Diverse Backpackers You Need to Follow on Instagram

Honorable Mentions