The Best and Worst Outdoor Advice Our Fathers Have Ever Given Us

When I was a little kid, I worshipped my dad. He was bigger and stronger than I was, and much better at catching tiny lizards. So, naturally, I took everything he said as absolute gospel, and happily followed him wherever he went—whether that was under tangles of rhododendron, through knee-deep mud, or a little too far out into the lake. Much of the time, I had no choice; I was sitting on his shoulders or holding his hand. Where he went, I went. And as long as he was there, I knew nothing could go wrong.

It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what many of us do: Our parents aren’t infallible beings. And their guidance certainly isn’t always right.

Dads seem to be particularly good at cultivating early hero worship. They pontificate and share even dubious advice with such utter confidence that their children go on to parrot the same facts for years after.

For example: It wasn’t until my teens that I learned that earthworms do not, in fact, survive if you split them with a garden shovel by accident. Or that egg-crate foam isn’t peak sleeping pad technology. Or that you probably shouldn’t try to nurse a baby squirrel back to health in a shoebox if you find it under a tree outside. (The squirrel’s name was Orville. For a second there, he was my dad’s best friend.)

Many of us at Outside got started in the outdoors with guidance from our parents. We owe to them our mountain sense, our survival skills—and many an early misadventure. All of it has turned us into the explorers we are today.

In honors of Father’s Day, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable advice our dads have ever given us—both good and bad.

Our Dads’ Best Advice

“Wear a helmet when you go rock climbing. Your mother and I have invested a lot of money in the contents of your brain, and we’d hate to see it smeared on the side of a rock.”
– Bob, father of Corey Buhay, interim managing editor

“Don’t walk straight uphill—zigzag your way to the top. And don’t eat yellow snow.”
– John, father of Frederick Dreier, articles editor

“Never get between a mom and a baby anything when hiking/camping, unless you want to die. Nothing can be cute in the wilderness.”
– Calvin, father of Emilee Coblentz, packages editor

“Follow me!” This advice landed me in more tree wells, sketchy climbs, and over-my-head mountain bike trails than I could count, but ultimately turned me into the outdoorswoman I am today.
– Vince, father of Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips editor-in-chief

“Always look at where you’re headed. You should always know what’s going on at least 50 to 100 feet in front of you so that you can anticipate what might be coming your way.”
– James, father of Ayana Underwood, senior health editor

“Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” This advice led to some overpacking—like carrying a down jacket in the desert in July—but growing up in the Colorado Rockies, where the weather can flip fast, it was the right call. And not just for the outdoors. That mindset applies to all aspects of my life: being overprepared gives you the freedom to stay loose, be flexible, and go where the wind blows you.
– father of Sierra Shafer, editorial director, lifestyle

And Their Worst Advice

“You don’t need to wear a head net around the beehive—they’ll stop stinging as soon as they get to know you.”
– Bob, father of Corey Buhay, interim managing editor

“Rain fly? We don’t need the rain fly.”
– John, father of Frederick Dreier, articles editor

“Pack light. Eat bugs for protein.”
– Calvin, father of Emilee Coblentz, packages editor

“If you don’t have lighter fluid, you can just put some gasoline in your fire pit.”
– James, father of Ayana Underwood, senior health editor

Has your father bestowed upon you some particularly sage (or terrible) outdoor advice? Share it with us on Facebook or X.