Our favorite outdoor + wellness-focused Substacks
Substack is a rapidly growing media platform that primarily functions through subscription-based email newsletters. Used by writers, journalists and content creators, Substack content spans a wide range of topics, such as politics, culture, science, and technology. The platform offers four types of posts to work from: text-based posts, discussion threads, podcasts, and video.
“The value of Substack is that the audience there is really invested, passionate, and curious,” said Hayley Helms, Associate Editor at GearPatrol and author of the HEY, HAY Substack. “Because it's still a growing platform, the people that have gravitated toward it early are genuinely excited about sharing their own work and reading the work of others, without an algorithm to be beholden to.”
According to the Substack team’s recent post, in the previous three months, the Substack app has driven nearly half a million paid subscriptions and more than 32 million free subscriptions to writers and creators.
Even major brands are taking note. In 2025, Nike quietly launched a new shoe exclusively through a Substack newsletter. It was a subtle drop to a curated list of core fans that resulted in organic buzz and a feeling of exclusivity that resonated with their most engaged audience.
This kind of shift has big implications for outdoor, wellness, and active lifestyle brands, which often rely on community-driven messaging.
Our favorite outdoor & wellness-focused Substacks to subscribe to
Looking to stay ahead of trends, stories, and voices shaping the outdoor and wellness space? Here are a few Substacks we’re loving right now—ranging from personal narratives and gear reviews to the realities of freelancing in today’s ever changing media landscape. Additionally, we chatted with a few of these writers —Hayley Helms, Amelia Arvesen and Becca Downs — to hear their thoughts on Substack firsthand.
HEY, HAY by Hayley Helms
HEY, HAY, written by journalist and Associate Editor at GearPatrol, Hayley Helms, offers reflections on life, gear reviews and links to her recent articles, among other content. Her week in review posts tend to include sections focused on: What I Wore, What I Saw, What I Ordered, What I Wrote, and What I’m Testing.
"There aren't a lot of places on the internet that speak to the cross-section of topics that I'm personally curious about: the outdoors, fashion, books, philosophical musings, trends, and product reviews, to name a few,” said Helms. “ Essentially, I wanted HEY, HAY to feel like the kind of conversation I would have with friends of mine IRL; what we're reading, wearing, trying out, etc.”
Honing Her Craft by Amelia Arvesen
Written by independent journalist and seamstress Amelia Arvesen, the Honing Her Craft Substack is a mix of personal reflections, sewing projects, gear reviews, and an inside look into freelancing. Regular columns she writes include: Monthly updates, Things I like, Studio Visits, and Behind the story.
"Honing Her Craft, my Substack newsletter, is where so many of my creative ideas are born. I get to play and experiment in a space that I own entirely, which inevitably stimulates pitches to publications and collaborations with other creative people,” says Arvesen.
Humble Running
This Substack primarily consists of trail running shoe and gear reviews, supplemented with linked YouTube reviews.
Invoice Day by Becca Downs
Becca Downs, a poet and the Managing Editor of Treeline Review, uses her Substack, Invoice Day, to offer a behind-the-scenes look at her outdoor gear testing, updates on her travels and outdoor excursions, as well as poetry / poetry-related news.
“As a writer, poet, and runner, I noticed a lot of my friends were on Substack. Initially, I thought it would be a great place for me to share materials from poetry workshops I've already led, but I also found joy in sharing my travels, gear testing, life as a freelancer, and whatever is on my mind there too,” said Downs. “For me, it's been a great place to connect with other writers, freelancers, creatives, and athletes, and it doesn't feel as overwhelming as other platforms that reward you for near-constant use. I can share twice a month, read other people's posts at my convenience, and commit as much or as little time as I'd like.”
Wes Siler
Former Outside Magazine columnist and current candidate for Montana State Senate, Wes Siler, writes in-depth Substack posts on politics and policies that shape the outdoor industry and the lands we recreate in, such as mass cuts to the National Parks Service and the sale of public lands.
Spin Cycle by Hannah Singleton
Spin Cycle by health, wellness and fitness freelance writer Hannah Singleton provides recaps of health and fitness news, product recommendations, and insights into the media / freelance industry.
Unpublishable and Unedited by Maggie Slepian
Freelance writer Maggie Slepian describes her Substack, Unpublishable, as “the essays I want to write that no one will hire me for.” Her newsletter varies from candid, long-form essays on personal life experiences to stuff she likes, including gear she has or is currently testing for editorial consideration to reflections on the media landscape.
Off the Record by Hannah Singleton and Maggie Slepian
The aforementioned writers Singleton and Slepian have come together for Off the Record, a Substack on PR/writer relationships and the state of journalism, including occasional video chat-style podcasts. For outdoor industry-specific public relations teams, this Substack is a helpful look for public relations agencies to see what works and what doesn’t when pitching and working with journalists.
Leg Day by Daniel Varghese
Written by Brooklyn-based freelance writer Daniel Varghese, Leg Day is a Substack about the “pursuit of joy as a city cyclist.” On this Substack, Varghese shares weekly roundups of upcoming group rides, events, classes and gear sales, as well as profile pieces, reported essays about trends and issues affecting city cyclists, and gear reviews and roundups.
Best Case Scenario by Liz Plosser
Former Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Health Magazine, Liz Plosser, draws on her two decades of experience in the fitness and wellness space to provide her subscribers with news and advice regarding fitness, sleep, mental and emotional health, nutrition, supplements and more.
As the media landscape continues to evolve, it’s critical for PR agencies to meet journalists and creators where they are — which now includes Substack.
