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Brian Moran | Adventure & Travel

@brians.outside

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Outdoors • recovery • $20k for conservation
From recovery to living fully🌿
Everywhere📍

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Location📍 by @brians.outside

My Jenna and my favorite place, there aren’t enough words in the english language to describe the beauty of either by @brians.outside

I’m 28 and l regret how long I cared about:

- Comfort is a Trap: I used to think once i felt healthy again I’d go explore and live my life. Being paralyzed and being in a constant state of recovery made me feel i was never truly ready for anything. But I learned the hard way that comfort often becomes your ceiling. If you’re always waiting to feel ready, you’ll stay in the same place. The true adventures started when i was putting myself in uncomfortable situations, not when I felt prepared for it.

- I spent way too much time thinking I needed to feel confident before committing publicly. It was soon clear to me that drive doesnt get you places, commitment does. I was putting off things that i always wanted to pursue. I was intimidated. The confidence grew because I jumped in with both feet, not because I simply wanted it.

- I once thought life achievements was the goal. Being in a constant pursuit of greatness, pushing through hardship. But it’s actually about who you become while doing those things. The real return is who you see in the mirror after it all. Its the people you connect with along the way. Its how you learn yourself. Realizing that changed everything for me

- I thought I needed everything mapped out before I could act. What I’ve learned is that clarity doesn’t arrive beforehand. It shows up after you start. You don’t need the master plan, just the first move. The rest becomes clear once you’re in motion.

- Creating your own luck🍀 It’s easy to assume major breakthroughs come down to perfect timing or random chance. But in reality, what looks like luck is usually volume. More attempts = More chances for success

Years of being outside my comfort zone has taught me more than i could have ever learned elsewhere. The hard things thrown in my life have brought me endless abundance. Growth happens in the places you never expect.

Save and share with someone who needs this🤍⤵️

#GrowthMindset #ChooseDiscomfort #livewithoutregrets #earnedfreedom #livefully by @brians.outside

This is your sign. Send it to em👉🏕️

You know, after years of camping, hiking, backpacking, bikpacking, solo traveling, section hiking, and exploring- i can really say that the best times often boil down to two things:

Being outside and being with the people you love the most

Nothing else matters quite as much as those things. No matter where you are, your company is the most important thing.

Send to someone you wanna hobomax with🤍⬇️

#campingvibes #outdoorvibes #campingbuddies #campingfriends #campfirevibes by @brians.outside

If I had to restart backpacking from zero:

After a lot of trips (and a lot of gear I wish I didn’t buy) Here’s what I’d do differently ⤵️

Lightweight tent: Your shelter is one of the heaviest things you carry, so it matters a lot. I’d spend the extra money here and get something truly lightweight. When you’re hiking miles in, every pound makes a difference 🏕️

A good inflatable sleeping pad
(ideally with an easy inflate system) This is one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades in backpacking. Blowing up the one I have is the worst thing on earth before going to bed. Save yourself the dizziness 😵‍💫

A solid 0° sleeping bag: If I could only own one bag, it would still be a 0°. You can always vent it or unzip it when it’s warmer, but when it’s cold you’ll be glad you have it. The one thing I’d change: I’d spend the extra money on a lighter one. My bag feels like carrying around a brick 🧱

Second hand titanium cookware: Titanium pots, cups, and utensils are ridiculously light and basically indestructible. I’d look for them used before buying new again. Outdoor gear holds up forever and people are always selling it. Steel and aluminum work, but the weight adds up fast. Plus you’re saving the planet 🌿🌲

A water filtration system you trust: Underestimated until you’re deep in the backcountry. A reliable filter means you don’t have to carry nearly as much water weight.
❗️Pro tip: a used Smartwater bottle threads onto many water filters and works way better than the bag provided IMO.

Headlamp that takes batteries: You’ll use it constantly: cooking, setting up camp, late hikes, early mornings. Having one you don’t need to charge is way more convenient. Just don’t forget spares.

Dry bags and compression sacks: Nothing ruins a trip faster than soaked gear (or not being able to fit everything back in your bag)

A sit pad (so underrated): A tiny foam sit pad is one of the best comfort items you can bring. Dry place to sit, kneel while cooking, clean pants, can’t beat it.

Save this for when you’re building your backpacking setup 🤍⤵️

#earnedfreedom #backpackingtips #granolalife #campinggear #naturetherapy by @brians.outside

DO NOT sleep on these:

After countless trips (and plenty of mistakes) here’s what I wouldn’t go into the backcountry without ⤵️

A cheap sleeping bag liner. Winter camping? This is a $12 buy that adds warmth and makes your bag 50x comfier without adding noticeable weight. A tiny investment for huge comfort❄️

Firestarter
You aren’t on an episode of “alone” smacking together flint and steel. This is not minecraft. Save yourself the headache and just bring fire starter

A hammock or tent with a fine bug net. if its biting gnat season you could be IN FOR IT if you have the wrong size netting. I learned this the hard way. A hammock or tent with a mesh fine enough to keep out the smallest bugs changes the game.

A BATTERY powered headlamp. This does the job of a lamp or flashlight while saving space and weight. Cooking, setting up camp, late-night hikes, early mornings, you’ll use it constantly. Id take bringing spare batteries over needing to charge any day.

A lightweight hammock or ultralight tent. Every pound adds up. Your shelter makes up a large part of that. Going lightweight doesn’t just save your shoulders, it gives you more energy for miles on the trail 🏕️

All spice. take some garlic power, onion powder, salt, pepper, and whatever else you could want into a container & mix it up. One premade mix is so much more convenient than packing in 15 different spices

Packable sit pad. Tiny foam pad, massive comfort. Kneeling while cooking, sitting on damp logs, or protecting your pants from dirt. it’s the small things that make life feel like luxury while camping

Save this for your next trip & share with your camping buddy 🤍⤵️

#earnedfreedom #backpackingtips #granolalife #campinggear #naturetherapy by @brians.outside

What 5 years in and out of hospitals taught me about life:
�While i was wondering if I’d ever walk again, I learned that time isn’t just about healing. it’s about living. This is what stuck with me the most🤍⤵️

constantly recovering made me feel like I was never truly ready for anything. But I learned the hard way that comfort can become your ceiling. If you keep waiting until you feel ready, you’ll probably stay exactly where you are. My life started when I began putting myself in uncomfortable situations, not when I finally felt prepared for them.

Progress isn’t always obvious. Some days you wont even be able to tell. Some days it will look like a step backwards. But consistency is key. And one day, youll look back and wonder how you came so far

Something that took me by surprise was just how many people cared about me. It was more than I ever imagined. And that reminded me that we’re never truly alone. Even if it seems that way

Kindness matters. Even when life knocks you down, how you treat the people around you echoes far beyond what you can see

Positivity literally shapes the life you attract. Choosing to be positive will attract good into your life. Negativity repels and isolates you from the good things that are meant for you

Sometimes, bad things open doors to life you never thought possible. Today I’m living a life I love. Im doing van life with a girl im in love with. I live a life of celebration, of freedom. all because a crash forced me to pause, reflect, and choose whats really important to me. When something bad happens, know there is usually a silver lining

Focusing my life on things that bring me joy has been life changing. Hiking in remote areas of foreign countries. Wild camping on lakes. Hitch hiking tractor trailers. Backpacking for 9 months straight. Living in Portugal. Living in Amsterdam. It all stemmed from one thought:

I have one life. I am going to live it.

Whats something youre putting off for “someday”?

Save for later and send to someone who needs to hear this🤍⤵️

#NatureHeals #earnedfreedom #vanlife #adventurelifestyle #mountwhitney � by @brians.outside

Most people dont think about this :

If you constantly feel rushed, distracted, or like the day just “happens” to you, it’s often because there isn’t a moment that really anchors you to the present.

One small grounding ritual can change that. For me, it’s making coffee in the van.

Doing this before checking my phone, planning the next drive, or thinking about anything I “need” to do has improved my quality of life more than I expected. Turning this into a habit has added so much to my experience.

It’s simple, but moments like this force you to slow down for a few minutes and actually arrive in the day. And this isn’t only a van life thing

The biggest difference between people who feel calm and those who constantly feel overwhelmed is that the calm ones usually have small rituals that anchor them. That could be coffee, a walk, journaling, stretching, anything that brings you back into the present.

You don’t need the perfect setting to feel grounded. You just need a few intentional habits you bring with you wherever you go

What’s one small ritual that you never skip?

Save this and send it to someone who might need a little grounding 🧘‍♂️🤍⤵️

#vanlife #mindfulmoments #vanlifediaries #earnedfreedom #IntentionalLiving by @brians.outside

Escaping doesn’t always look the same⤵️

For some, it’s changing careers. For others, it’s facing the fears that have been holding them back.

For me, it meant learning how to walk again after being paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.

There’s something different about freedom when you’ve fought for it. When it isn’t handed to you. When it comes with setbacks, scars, and stories. Walking away from what wasn’t meant for you and stepping into something you had to earn.

Five years in and out of hospitals, Rehab, Three hip surgeries, A life-threatening infection, every step I take now carries the weight of all of that. and that’s what makes it so meaningful

Not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful for the ability to move, to explore, to stand here in places like📍Zion National Park

Of course there are hard days. But choosing to focus on what’s good- on what’s possible- is the only way forward 🤍

share with someone you’d want beside you on your journey ➡️
�Follow along if you’re walking your own path to freedom 🙏

#EarnedFreedom #Resilience #zionnationalpark #getoutside #OutdoorLiving by @brians.outside

Van life will teach you :

Every rattle, leak, wiring issue, or broken hinge is either a problem… or a skill waiting to be learned.

Doing our own DIY van fixes has saved us thousands. Labor is expensive. Shop markups are insane. And when you live in a vehicle, small issues turn into urgent ones quickly.

Learning to handle them yourself isn’t just about pride, it’s about sustainability

But the real value isn’t just financial. Doing things yourself forces adaptability. i was always impressed when i first met jenna and saw she was learning endless DIYs for her van.

Being able to learn from each other and adapt has been SO important for our journey through van life.
�You don’t always have the perfect tools or the service to look it up. You dont always get it right the first time. You learn to figure it out on the fly.

When something goes wrong, we try to frame it in a positive way-
�We get to learn how the systems actually work

We get to learn electrical, plumbing, insulation, ventilation- the list goes on.
�You learn patience.
And the next time something breaks?�maybe we can apply something we’ve already dealt with🤷‍♂️

There’s something really rewarding about knowing you can take apart the place you live in… and put it back together better.
�And every fix makes you more capable than you were before

Save this for the next time something breaks, and remind yourself you’re more resourceful than you think🕺🚐💨

#vanlife #DIYVanBuild #VanLifeDiaries #LearnByDoing #BuildYourOwnFreedom by @brians.outside

How do we find free places to sleep while exploring the country?

Not campgrounds. Not parking lots.

free public land

One of our favorite ways to stay overnight is on BLM land- short for the Bureau of Land Management. It’s federally managed public land, and most of it allows you to camp for free for up to 14 days.

No reservations. No fees. Just open space.

That’s how we end up in places like this.

If this is your first time hearing about this, here’s what we use⤵️
• Apps like iOverlander�• The official Bureau of Land Management website (blm.gov)�• Satellite view + a little exploring

But here’s the part that matters more than free camping:

If we want to keep places like this accessible, we have to treat them like they’re ours.
�Pack it in, pack it out.�Leave it better than you found it.�camp responsibly⛰️🌿🤍

protect the things that bring you joy

If anyone was curious, heres the coordinates(:

📍 (36.7453007, -112.0511209)

Save this for your next road trip🙏🤍
�Feel free to drop your favorite spots in the comments🌎

#freecamping #roadtrip #wildcamping #campinghacks #outdoorhacks by @brians.outside

Some nights, i couldnt sleep because of pain- id stay up all night and drink tea with stevia. I remember one night distinctly, i was burning up with a fever.

No natter how many ice packs i had it was never enough. I was drenched head to toe in sweat. My body was fighting for its life. A nurse walked in, looked at me with my ice packs, and said with pure disgust- “what a waste”

Her tone had more venom than ive ever heard someone address me. I could not believe someone whose job it was to make me better would kick me while i was down.

But she did not define my experience. And she did not define me.

Most of my nurses were sweet. Id tell them i was scared of needles and to please do their best. Id tell them i was proud of them when they were done.

Most were kind and caring- most treated me like i was someone’s son.

For that one bad nurse, there were countless ones who had my back

Save and share with someone who needs this⤵️🤍

Who has tried to shrink you?

#storytime #Resilience #HealingJourney #SurvivorStory #gratitude by @brians.outside