Reading during a road trip can be one of the best ways to pass the time. Except, of course, if you’re the one driving. That’s where audiobooks can come in handy (but not actually in your hand). This makes it possible to listen to books while driving or doing anything else. That means you can listen to audiobooks about the outdoors while you’re cruising down highways passing all kinds of nature as you go.
Although COVID-19 has caused many people to cancel their holiday plans, some are still making the commute to family’s houses. If you’ve decided to brave the safe trip to a family members’ house we have some thoughts on how to keep you entertained.
Here are the best audiobooks about the outdoors to keep you mindfully entertained, and awake, during your travel.
The Adventurer Audiobooks
1. “Beyond the Mountain”
This audiobook is about Steve House. House has climbed mountains all through the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram and the Himalaya. He addresses his experiences mountaineering but also discusses things like trust and failure.
2. “Journal of a Trapper: Nine Years in the Rocky Mountains, 1834-1843”
This story focuses on Osborne Russell’s expedition from Boston to the Rocky Mountains where he profited on the salmon and fur trade. He details his experiences as a trapper in his journal. It’s an interesting listen about living off the land and exploring for 9 years.
3. “Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail”
This audiobook focuses on former PCTA board member Barney Scout Mann as he tells a story about six hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007. It delves into their relationships, secretes and aspirations as they go up against one of the most difficult trails to complete.
4. “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk”
This story is about a 67-year-old grandma who tells her family she’s going for a walk and proceeds to to walk to the top of Maine’s Mount Katahdin.
5. “Meat Eater: Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter”
This audiobook follows Steven Rinella who grew up as the son of a hunter. It takes you on his journey through 10 different hunts throughout his life. It goes from an aspiring mountain man when he was 10 to a Brooklyn father hunting in remote corners of North America. Rinella also talks about ethics and the importance of hunting in this book.
6. “Above the Clouds: How I Carved My Own Path to the Top of the World”
Killian Jornet, the most accomplished mountain runner, discusses his record-breaking climb of Mount Everest. He has broken countless mountaineering records and has spent his life exploring the world’s greatest peaks.
The Survivalist
1. “My Side of the Mountain”
In this story, Sam Gribley leaves his life to try to survive in the woods of Catskill Mountains all alone. He learns about courage and self-sufficiency along the way.
2. “Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of The Dyatlov Pass Incident”
This true story is about nine men in a hiker’s group in the Ural Mountains of Russia and their mysterious deaths.
3. “Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why: True Stories of Miraculous Endurance and Sudden Death”
This book explores the different miraculous stories of people who got into some trouble in nature and either made it out or didn’t. Through these case studies you learn the essence of a survivor.
4. The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra
In a 600-mile canoeing trip in the Canadian wilderness, a 17-year-old is mauled by a grizzly bear while out hiking. This true story tells how he goes from left-for-dead to the struggle to survive.
The Skill Builder Audiobook
1. “Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival”
This book will help you learn how to survive in the backcountry with little or no equipment. New York Times bestselling author Dave Canterbury teaches readers advanced bushcraft and woodcraft techniques. This is anything from crafting medicine from plants to navigating a map.
2. “101 Skills You Need to Survive in the Woods: The Most Effective Wilderness Know-How on Fire-Making, Knife Work, Navigation, Shelter, Food and More”
In this audiobook, you will learn that any situation is a learning experience. This is the guide for any outdoor enthusiast to learn skills like making a fire, building a shelter, gathering food, finding water, or using a knife properly.
3. “The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for Any Disaster”
This medical audiobook is meant to assist people in handling injury and illness in environments where medical help and facilities aren’t available. It is written by top medical experts.