Here, we give you just some ideas for naturist activities, providing our favorite examples from open sources online (you can see our personal accounts in the blog), which we think shall bring you closer to nature. While ‘liberating’ may be your first idea when you think of getting naked outdoors, many people also enjoy the feeling of being a part of nature, which they get at full without clothes. The word ‘naturism’ implies feeling comfortable – natural – in your own skin, as well as experiencing that connection with nature.
Beach is probably the most common place for naturist recreation, and that’s where most people are likely to ditch their clothes and experience social nudity for the first time. Hence, the most common naturist activity is swimming (have a look at Wikipedia article on skinny dipping with some historical references).
While swimsuits are obviously useless during water activities (unless we are talking about wetsuits in cold water), goggles or masks and fins are the only things that you need to wear if you want to see some aquatic life… but even that isn’t necessary apparently!
Well, we don’t necessarily encourage free-diving naked in the Arctic with beluga whales, like the researcher Natalia Avseenko on the photo above, but snorkeling naked in warm waters is very pleasant, and having no swimsuit brings you a tad closer to feeling like a fish in water 😉
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2n3ikk_man-and-elephant-playing_lifestyle
And even if you’re not as lucky as the guy from the video above to have an elephant as his beach buddy, you may find it very rewarding to observe natural inhabitants of the underwater world (see our blog for numerous examples).
It is even speculated that humans are naturally naked – furless, unlike other apes and most mammals, because our ancestors spent significant amounts of time swimming, and natural selection favored smoother, furless bodies to reduce the drag…
A lot more plausible hypothesis though is that our ancestors without fur were at advantage during long-distance running in savanna, as it allowed better thermoregulation by sweating with the whole surface of the body. Humans are actually the best long distance runners among all animals, so we can outrun the fastest sprinter – cheetah – in the long run!
And even animals that are more used to prolonged running such as zebras and other ungulates would get exhausted sooner than human runners, apparently from overheating.
Either way, all this suggests that it is very much appropriate to use the phrase ‘as nature intended‘, when naturists refer to their pastime in the nude 😉 Well, but you don’t have to sweat much if you just want to connect with nature: try to walk through a forest without clothes,
and maybe you will feel it better, you will see more…
Especially if you don’t only walk through the forest, but also climb up the trees – it’s a truly wild experience!
Hiking nude is often dubbed as ‘free-hiking’ for a reason! Read this article about special state of mind of comfort with wild nature that you can get hiking nude. And if you have practical questions about how to behave during free hiking, check 12 tips for naked hikers. Our blog has a vast collection of stories about hiking, but here is a video from an organized tour in Austrian Alps.
And while the practice of freerunning, the art of expressing oneself in his environment without limitation of movement, has recently been developed in urban setting, it would probably feel only freer in nature and in the buff!
Obviously, you’ll have to switch to rock-climbing (or bouldering, when no gear is used either),
if the slope gets steeper or indeed vertical,
or even parallel to the ground!
It doesn’t hurt, if you have a mat or a body of water under you in case of a fall! (Well, I’m sure it would still hurt, but less.)
Nothing wrong with using/wearing some equipment though.
Here are two videos of very brave (crazy?) rock climbers, Li Tongxing
and Michael Reardon, who wear only functional necessities for their climbs, apparently.
But even on the flat surface, you could use some assistance to move around while remaining active (and naked!) – and it’s hard to think of a more natural example than bare and bareback horse riding!
Be it on a beach or a grassy plane, it seems to be an amazing way to explore outdoors and feel one with nature.
Surely, one has to wonder about comfort of such rides, and opposing views have been expressed. What says in favor of a bare bareback ride is that human and horse anatomy match pretty well, and horses presumably had been domesticated and ridden for a few thousands of years before saddles were introduced (and more as a status symbol than anything else).
Perhaps we should ask Russell Crowe how he felt after this film scene? not a hint of discomfort in sight, unless he’s a truly good actor 😀
Oh well, we can always switch to something that was actually designed for us – bicycle. It’s more affordable too 😉
While the World Naked Bike Ride attracts thousands of naked cyclists in the cities around the world, biking naked sounds great in some more natural environment too (but not necessarily mountain biking).
In cold winter weather, it is much harder to convince yourself to shed of layers, but in case you do get naked, it is certainly helpful to stay active to keep yourself warm. You would need some gear to be able to move around, however, such as ski. Skiing naked on a sunny day sounds nice actually, and there is something energizing in feeling the crisp winter cold all over your body – as long as you move (and know that you can rest in a warm place afterwards). Skiing is very energy consuming, so it will keep you warm,
whether cross-country or downhill! (And snowboarding too!)
Ice-skating is probably among the least appealing things to do in the buff,
and yet this photo looks very inspiring!
Oh well, water in its liquid form sounds a lot more inviting for naked activities! While we all agree here that swimsuits are useless, there’s no reason to refuse gear that would allow you to explore water element in full. Especially when it is so simple as a surfboard!
Wave surfing is an amazing way to experience and learn to appreciate the power of the ocean. This feeling will only enhance without swimsuit.
As surfing is hugely popular, good spot tend to be crowded, but perhaps you’ll be lucky to find a secluded surfable beach, like this couple did. Beautiful!
And this guy discovered a beach with waves providing an amazingly long ride all to himself, and he surely wanted to experience it naked!
If there’s no swell but it is windy enough, you could ride the waves with a little more complex piece of equipment.
To explore the sea on longer distances, sailing would be a better choice though, and using wind power is a very natural and nature-friendly choice too.
Depending on the size of your vessel and the wind, you may be at very different levels of involvement, but it all sounds like fun!
But if you prefer to be closer to water and rely more on your body (besides the current), kayaking or canoeing is a great way to explore outdoors too!
Naturists even coined a term ‘canuding’ – canoeing nude – and when the weather is nice, it’s strange to see why all canoeists are not ‘canudists’.
Where there is deep water and some sort of elevation, there is diving too.
Which brings us to the next point:
Yes, naturists have conquered the air too 🙂 While for cliff-diving you need ‘only’ your courage and experience,
you certainly need some equipment involved for skydiving. By the way, it is a tradition for sky-divers to do their hundredth jump naked. Naked sky dive also sounds like a great way to celebrate your birthday, I bet you’ll feel reborn!
What can we say? Get naked and feel free like a bird!
Active Naturists 