Swipe Right: The Top Dating Apps for the Outdoor Enthusiast
As our fun, young generation explores this crazy world today, we all share that one desire—meeting our outdoor partner in crime. You know that guy or girl who will rip down Sidewinder at Kingdom Trails and join you for that dawn patrol at your favorite ski hill on the next pow day. But we all come to the same crossroad: how do you meet these awesome people?
That brings me to dating apps. As a newly single person in this busy fast-paced world, I recently decided to give them a shot. And after a couple months of trial, error, and lots of messaging, here’s my take on what’s working best for me.
Tinder. What says love like choosing your partner by swiping left or right? In my experience, there have been some positives (hint, hint). And you will definitely see some awesome profiles. But it’s hard to weed out the outdoor active people; the separation or filters are simply not really there. It’s more the luck of the swipe for that matter. For these reasons, I give Tinder a 5 out of 10.
Plenty of Fish. Let’s just make this a short one. Saying it’s a waste of time is an understatement. It’s not a serious app to find your v5 bouldering wife or husband. It’s more a “look how fast I can shotgun a beer” or “are you free at 2.” That may be ok for some (and, who are we kidding, sometimes even for me). But it’s not the place to meet your next long-term belay partner. I give this one a 2 out of 10.
Bumble. All those busy bees trying to find their mate. The positive thing with Bumble is that it will set you up with people with like preferences. So, if you’re Mr. or Ms. Outdoor, then this app will filter that type of person right to you. I’ve had some success. But a word of caution: we all have very different ideas about how outdoorsy we all are. I mean you could be the next Conrad Anker and the lucky mate you may stumble upon may look like they are too. But don’t forget the power of awesome photo taking. What looks like a killer slab climb very well could be a rock they walk up in their backyard. In sum, the results from this app are kind of like shopping for clothing online. Yeah, that Khul jacket may look awesome on that model, but when you head to the store you and see it in person, sometimes it’s awesome and others turn out to be nothing like what you thought. Survey says 7 out of 10.
Hinge. Ladies and gentlemen, that brings me to my favorite dating app. Hinge comes off as the most serious app for finding your outdoor partner in crime. The preference settings are the best I’ve seen yet and really narrow down your specific choices as to what you like in your adventure buddy. It will even suggest people that you may like, and I really enjoy that part of the app. I have found that meeting like-minded people is a lot simpler on this app. But like Bumble, things are sometimes very different in person. Still, I give this app a 9 out of 10 just because of the preference settings.
Well, there you have it, my recommendations for the best online dating apps for the outdoor enthusiast. But before the messaging gets too hot and heavy, I have another recommendation for my young millennial friends: for the love of God go outside! Let’s meet one another doing the outdoor activities we have all come to love. Going out there and meeting someone on your local trail or at the crag on a beautiful summer day might actually be how “it” happens. I agree with you all that in today’s busy fast-paced world it’s hard to find the time. But if you share the same passion as someone else, doing the thing you love will most likely put them in the same place as you. So put the fear of breaking the ice aside and be friendly. Say hello to your fellow riders, climbers, or hikers. Be excited to possibly meet someone hiking up South Twin in the Whites, dying, out of breath. That is the true, fun way it should be done. Or better yet, join one of the many outdoor groups in your area, like the AMC, a rock gym, or the local Sunday morning coffee ride at your local bike shop.
Yes, this process may take longer than talking to 30 different people on an app, but I can assure you that this will be much more rewarding. So get out there and spread the word! Enjoy your passion because someone also is out there doing the same thing. You just never what you will find around the next corner of your favorite trail.
Words and photos by Mickey Spades
