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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Tampa chapter.

Growing up an only girl with brothers who were active participants in Boy Scouts, I practically lived outdoors as a kid. On special weekends, my dad would pitch a tent outside in our backyard where my brothers and I would have “sleepovers,” all snuggled up in our sleeping bags with headlamps on our foreheads. As we got older, our family vacations consisted of traveling to National Parks to go hiking in the backcountry of Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Washington State, you name it. 

I used to say I wouldn’t change a thing about the way I learned to love nature. Tagging along on cub scout camping trips and hiking with my fast-paced brothers gave me a thrill. Yet, I can’t help but think about all the gendered stereotypes about being outdoors that I noticed when I was a kid and still notice now. 

I remember that my town had a Girl Scout troop I considered joining when I was still in elementary school. I was excited that there was an opportunity to camp outside of the “boys” world I felt like I resided in. Yet, this troop rarely went on outdoor excursions; instead, they did arts and crafts and learned about manners. While there is nothing wrong with either of those things, I quickly came to realize that the expectations for boys and girls in the outdoors were very different. I wanted to get muddy and learn how to start a fire, but there weren’t very many opportunities for me to learn that in a girls-only environment. 

Now, I feel as though we are beginning to break barriers by exposing young girls to the same opportunities. For example, the organization Scouts BSA, formerly Boy Scouts of America, has become much more inclusive and allowed girls to join. However, I still feel like this is not yet enough. It’s been ridiculous the number of people who have expected me not to be able to put up my own tent or lack outdoor skills just because of my gender. These stereotypes and expectations about being a girl in the outdoors are something I desperately want to challenge.

If you are a girl in her own outdoor world, the best advice I can give you is to believe in yourself and know your worth. You are meant to be at the top of that mountain, and it isn’t luck that got you there. It was your skills, hard work, and determination. Don’t let anyone try to take that away from you. Challenge anyone who questions your skillset and ask questions like why was I expected to like arts and crafts more than camping as a little girl? 

Jacqueline Sibila, a native of Maryland (and consequently a crab enthusiast), writes articles for the Her Campus at Tampa chapter. She has a wide variety of topics she likes to cover in her articles including but not limited to traveling and wellness. Beyond Her Campus, Jacqueline is a sophomore at the University of Tampa where she is a member of the honors college and majors in environmental science. Jacqueline previously has worked as an editor-in-chief for the Dulaney Griffin Newspaper at Dulaney High School where, while not editing articles, she focused on writing opinions columns. Jacqueline is an avid hiker, camper and traveler in her free time. Her favorite places she's traveled to have been Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State and Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica. When she isn't enjoying the outdoors, Jacqueline also loves watching National Geographic documentaries and reading novels.