54 Tech talks with Outside Intel

Outside Intel is an outdoor community run by Lewis through Instagram. The page showcases recent adventures, new gear and recent hike spots. The page community submits posts of their weekend through their hashtag: outside intel. 

Each post has its unique method to inspire people to get outdoors. A quick video edit or a collection of images shows the outdoor lifestyle. I wanted to develop an understanding of how the page looks beyond the content and captions. 

54 Tech: I’m excited to learn more about you. For those who are unfamiliar, could you introduce yourself and explain what it is you do with Outside Intel? 

Lewis: So my name is Lewis, my love for the outdoors started when I was about 14/15. I studied a subject called Outdoor Education at school which was basically like PE but more centred around outdoor activities like orienteering, mountain biking, climbing, kayaking and so on. I’m not sure that many schools offer this as an option but I was really lucky to have had it. I would get to go to a lot of national parks throughout the year and do a lot of camping trips too. I was really into it during this period of my life, taking climbing lessons and going on hikes at the weekend but then I discovered parties and drinking and kind of drifted away from it all. Fast forward to lockdown, me and my mates went on a trip to the lakes and I just caught the bug again! Since then I’ve been darting about the country and documenting my trips. I started the account just for my own satisfaction but once I discovered the community it kind of snowballed into being what it is now. I think initially I made it to motivate myself but now I want to use the account to motivate others!

54 Tech: For some who are interested in getting outdoors, what’s your best advice to approach the outdoor hobby? 

Lewis: I’d say look at some of the national parks, get on the apps All Trails or Komoot and look at some of the routes you can do. These apps are usually pretty good at telling you the difficulty of the route and you can prepare accordingly! Id say it’s worth investing in a half decent pair of shoes or walking boots, you don’t need to buy anything flash, just something that’s gonna support your feet in demanding terrain.

54 Tech: So with your early interest in outdoors did it precede your interest in functional clothing? Like Osprey, Arcteryx and other brands. What were your initial thoughts when the trends came about?

Lewis: I always appreciated outdoor brands, I used to rock craghoppers and berghaus quite a lot back in the day but there was no styling element there for me, it was all about function. I knew about the other brands but I simply couldn’t afford it at that age. As I got older I developed a bit of an interest in fashion, starting with the typical stuff like Palace, Stussy, Stone Island but again, I could never really afford this stuff, all my fits were done on a budget I just appreciated it from afar. When I saw the Arc trend come about it was a similar scenario, I rated the jackets massively but still too expensive for me really, I only recently made the investment in a jacket in the hope it will last me a good few years, it serves me a purpose in that it keeps me dry and it packs light. I know a lot of people have a lot to say about ‘trends’ and Arc’teryx but honestly I think for the most part its a good thing, I think its made people who wouldn’t have thought twice about getting outdoors, and going on hikes actually take a step back and look at how much more there is hidden behind these trends. Like yeah they might have bought the jacket because they like the look of it but that could have opened the door to them buying into the outdoors lifestyle, which in my mind can only be a good thing. Of course there is a fine line, I’m sure there are people spending a lot of money on these jackets, going up a mountain, hating every minute just to get a photo flexing their fit but at the end of the day its their money so they can do what they want! It doesn’t bother me. 

54 Tech: What would be your immediate essentials in preparation to get outdoors? 

Lewis: 

1. My tent – Cheap little 2 man tent from decathlon. Nothing flash but does what it says on the tin. I’ve been meaning to upgrade but cant fault this tbh, its survived 40mph winds, some bad rain and some proper cold conditions so until I can afford something better, its doing a great job.

2.  Water bottle – Can’t fault the nalgene, can store 1L water, never leaks and is properly robust!

3. Walking shoes – picked these up recently, La Sportiva Boulder X. Good for a mix of terrains when hiking, really comfy straight out of the box these too.

4. Stove – Been using a trangia recently with ethanol, so easy to use and cooks everything pretty quick.

5. Bag – Picked up this 66L bergen about 10 years ago for a DofE trip. Got it from a local army surplus store. Can’t fault it one bit, can fit so much in here and can clip plenty of bits on the outside too. 

54 Tech: What inspired you to create Outside Intel and what’s yet to come? 

Lewis: What inspired me to make outside intel was the bigger pages like 114index and l.holl, I followed those pages for ages, I remember seeing one of l.holls reels in the lakes and I was like shit, that is what I want to be doing. Most of my weekends looked the same, I’d work all week Monday to Friday, then spend my weekends in moody pubs getting smashed, then feeling rough as a dog for the following week. It just felt like a cycle and I got sick of it. Now I’m getting around the UK seeing new places every week, making memories and keeping fit and healthy at the same time! Honestly making the page has changed my life

Outside intel isn’t a big page yet but I’ve got big plans. I wanna see loads more of the UK but then eventually start venturing out to different countries! I’ve also got a few more ideas I’m toying with at the moment so there is plenty to come from the page!

Making the Tiktoks and reels are my favourite to make tbf!! Just wanna see more of the UK whilst I’m here then make the next step into some different countries and what they have to offer. I recently released some stickers which I sent out to a few people within the community. That kind of opened my mind to doing something else, i’ve got a few ideas but not 100% sure what that will be yet!

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I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to Lewis, his experience with the outdoors was very inspiring to learn about. Looking at Outside Intel it shows how large the audience is. The lifestyle is ever growing and lockdowns influence has definitely gotten more people outside! A hike is definitely needed between us both! We hope this interview provides you more information to explore!