My name is Tolin Hessell and I’m in love with the outdoors. I’ve been travelling across the country in my van to explore beautiful areas and to meet interesting, like-minded people. I started asking these individuals what inspires them to get outside and what they love about the outdoors. I created People of the American Outdoors to showcase these adventurers, nomads, and travelers, and to share their passion of an outdoor lifestyle.

If you enjoy reading my interviews and would like to see more content, check out my Patreon page. If you’re also interested in living on the road, check out my Van Life Resources pages where I laid out everything I learned from converting a cargo van into a tiny home on wheels. I also have a shop page with printed goods that I screenprint in my van.

Very special thanks to Nina Hessell and Gary Tietjen for developing this website and to Zeke Pobanz for editing some of the writing.