The Female Explorer is the first outdoor magazine that is specifically designed to the needs of outdoor women. “Be your wildself” is the motto under which we cover travel stories, issues and topics by women for women.
The Female Explorer: How it all began
On Father’s Day we wrote a piece of history at our co-working studio in Leipzig. At least that’s how it feels to us. That Father’s Day we all met for a relaxing crafternoon. Twelve hours and some gin and tonic’s later, we sat in front of a finished magazine concept, a logo and a cover, for the female explorer – an outdoor print magazine for women.
We didn’t force it, it all came to us so naturally. What we created that day was simply the combination of our personalities, our passions, and the topics that really move us. If I think back to the 21.05.2020, there is a feeling of so much inspiration and a little bit fate. It was a crazy day where things just started to flow and we cannot wait for the adventure that awaits us.
Last year with the opening of our co-working space and photo studio, we had that strong feeling of: “When things go easy, they must be right.” And that feeling stayed with us for the whole of Fathers day. We were overflowing with ideas and inspiration, and one thing led to another. Of course we know this must feel dreamy and naive to a lot of people. And even though this crazy adventure started on an amazing note, no doubt, it will bring a lot of headache and the occasional nervous breakdown. But, our mission weighs heavier, we all want to make this work!
The Female Explorer: The idea
We have them all: Wanderlust, Walden, Wilderness – these are outdoor magazines we love. We adore their design, their photos, their stories. However, do we really find ourselves represented in those magazines as traveling women? We miss authentic travel stories by women and women related issues like monthly hygiene on the road.
The outdoor world in general still seems very male dominated. We look at beautifully designed magazines, we see men in checkered flannels chopping wood and lighting camp fires. It’s not that it bothers us, the opposite is true – we love lumberjacks in checkered shirts. But that is not the point. We are much more concerned with a lack of women related issues and stories. We would also love to address misconceptions around outdoorsy women. We ask ourselves, are wilderness and femininity still seen as opposites that cannot be combined? We know that it is not true for us because we are explorers that live our naturalness and outwardness.
The Female Explorer: The Founders
Sarah
“I wish that even more women would reconnect with their own wild side and let out their inner, independent explorer without the fear of being less of a woman because of it. Our magazine wants to celebrate natural and self-determined women and I can’t wait for the journey to start!”
Leo
I would like to inspire the moms out there to go on more adventures with their family. We often assume that traveling and especially camping with children is too hard and exhausting. I want to show that it is possible to form little wild hearts by exploring and experiencing nature while getting in touch with the #wildself”.
Nic
“With the Female Explorer I want to empower more women to travel solo and without their partners. I believe there is a lot of strength, self-healing and beauty in traveling alone – true to the motto #iamafemaleexplorer
And of course, as a foodie, I am thrilled to share many healthy vanlife and camping recipes with the community.
Jess
“As the least outdoorsy in the team, I am looking forward to many wild experiences with the community. You can expect firsthand authentic stories from an outdoor newbie. As an Organic Beauty Geek, my passion for natural cosmetics and aromatherapy will be reflected in my work here. Natural body care on the go, which is great for your skin and doesn’t harm nature.
The Female Explorer: The Launch
We have set ourselves a pretty optimistic and tight deadline for the launch of the first issue. We are aiming to publish the first edition this autumn, probably at the beginning of September. In terms oaf costs, publishing and production of a magazine, we are all real newbies. Therefore, we are always grateful for tips and suggestions that will help us along the way. In exchange, we will give you a flood of inspiring stories and practical hacks in a beautiful, timeless outdoor magazine.
The Female Explorer: The Community
The most important thing to us is the community that we strive to build around The Female Explorer. We are here for all outdoor women and want to inspire women to stand up for their #wildself and exchange ideas and stories among our community. No matter if you are that makeup-free camper or the hiker that wears fake lashes, our hearts all burn for the same thing! If you want to follow our story around the Print Magazine right from the start or even want to be a part of it, now is the time. Follow us on Instagram at @thefemaleexplorer! Under the hashtag #femaleexplorercommunity we will feature your contributions. Connect and exchange ideas with us! We can’t wait to hear from you.
But let’s get real for a second – what do you think about The Female Explorer print magazine? Where do you see strengths or weaknesses? Would you buy the magazine? We cannot wait for your feedback!
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