"The mountains do not discriminate; they don't care who you are, where you came from, or what your skin color is. They demand your respect" – Agnes Vianzon

As essential as a map, She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild provides as the perfect companion for the outdoorsy woman on her travels. Going beyond coffee-table literature, Gale Straub invites us to take a step outdoors with her authorial debut. Since the success of her media platform and podcast she-explores.com, which sees to amplify women’s stories of their outdoor experiences, it was only fitting that Straub take to the tangible form with her perfect camp-fire read.

Straub anthologises first-person stories, artwork and photographs from 40 diverse women’s adventures in the outdoors, inviting us to traverse their personal narratives. These are women who can’t be reduced to a single facet – mother, nomad, advocate, creative, professional, all united in their wish to travel on their own terms.

Beckoned by mother-nature, these inspiring, resilient women tell their stories of living out of vans, hiking the wild and sleeping under the stars. Make sure to pack if for your next camping trip; not just for emotionally-stimulating literature but a practical guide, as Straub bestows onto us her tried-and-tested practical tips for any woman planning an adventure into the wild.

Get kitted out and get outside: