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The Slow Erosion Of Enthusiasm: Mental Health & The Outdoors

On this episode of The Rock Fight Justin Housman opens up about his own mental health struggles and how that has impacted his relationship with outdoor activities.


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A few weeks back in Rock Fight's weekly newsletter, News From The Front, Justin wrote about how he mistook the slow erosion of his participation in his favorite outdoor sports as part of getting older when in actuality there were some bigger issues that he needed to address. If you missed it you can read that column by clicking here.


Colin & Justin talk about the impact of the outdoors on one's mental health as well as what Justin has learned along the way.


Then they hit Q&A corner and discuss the overwhelming response we received from our listeners about your favorite outdoor socks.


They of course wrap up with The Parting Shot. Justin is looking for a shorter hockey season and Colin has a TV recommendation.


Check out hundreds of wildly cool products by visiting and shopping at Garage Grown Gear!


Thanks for listening! The Rock Fight is a production of Rock Fight, LLC.


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Episode Transcript:

Colin True

00:00:00.400 - 00:01:27.900

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Chris DeMakes

00:01:32.960 - 00:01:40.500

Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight.


Colin True

00:01:41.440 - 00:01:55.660

Welcome to the rock flight where we speak our truth, slay sacred cows and sometimes agree to disagree. This is an outdoor podcast that aims for the head. I'm Colin Tru and joining me today, he has a new job and a new lease on life. It's Justin Houseman.


Justin Housman

00:01:56.960 - 00:01:58.888

I don't know if I want to talk about my new job.


Colin True

00:01:58.944 - 00:02:00.232

Oh, you want me to re record that?


Justin Housman

00:02:00.256 - 00:02:04.220

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This can stay hinted. I just felt like generally speaking, like.


Colin True

00:02:04.400 - 00:02:08.932

You just got a new lace on life. We're gonna talk about mental health today. So it's kind of like right, you know that's true.


Justin Housman

00:02:08.996 - 00:02:29.172

Yeah, but deal it is. I agree. I just don't for some, I don't know, like, it's kind of like I've been so. It's funny to say this while talking about why like being very.


I'm like super open about my mental health and like things I've gone through and dealt with. But I just kind of like the idea of keeping something to my. I mean, Google it. You find out what my job is.


Colin True

00:02:29.196 - 00:02:31.476

But is that why you posted it on LinkedIn? For all the accolades?


Justin Housman

00:02:31.508 - 00:02:36.028

That's what I mean. I don't know. I just don't feel like talking about it for some reason. I don't know why.


Colin True

00:02:36.084 - 00:02:37.596

But you wanted to talk about on LinkedIn.


Justin Housman

00:02:37.628 - 00:02:38.508

I don't understand. I did.


Colin True

00:02:38.564 - 00:02:39.292

Can't make. Can't make.


Justin Housman

00:02:39.316 - 00:02:39.920

Can't.


Colin True

00:02:40.340 - 00:02:40.732

You know.


Justin Housman

00:02:40.756 - 00:02:49.852

Okay, fine, fine, fine. All right. I'm. I'm working with CEO of. CEO of Apple, of Fitz Socks.


Colin True

00:02:49.916 - 00:02:53.756

And he commissions all the songs and the ads.


Justin Housman

00:02:53.788 - 00:03:00.138

That's right. That's right, that's right. No, I don't. I also. It feels weird because it's like I'm not really, like, working the outdoor space anymore.


Colin True

00:03:00.324 - 00:03:01.502

Well, you kind are.


Justin Housman

00:03:01.606 - 00:03:05.582

I mean. Well, actually very much so. But not like the outdoor industry really as a whole.


Colin True

00:03:05.646 - 00:03:08.510

Right. You're not covering, like, you're not gonna be writing gear bits anymore.


Justin Housman

00:03:08.590 - 00:03:09.950

Yeah, yeah. At least I don't think so.


Colin True

00:03:09.990 - 00:03:14.558

But this is actually why we shut down Gear and Beer, because we knew you were gonna get this job. We're like, what's the point?


Justin Housman

00:03:14.614 - 00:03:15.534

Hey, speaking of which.


Colin True

00:03:15.622 - 00:03:21.454

Yeah. Are you having a beverage? We are recording this late at night. I should. Did it pop?


Justin Housman

00:03:21.622 - 00:03:21.966

Yeah.


Colin True

00:03:21.998 - 00:03:24.014

Gosh. Should I go get a beer? I don't even have a beer in the fridge right now.


Justin Housman

00:03:24.022 - 00:03:26.110

That's up to you. I don't know. But, like, the weather's insane.


Colin True

00:03:26.270 - 00:03:28.238

It's so nice out my backyard office.


Justin Housman

00:03:28.294 - 00:03:31.024

With the door wide open. I got no shoes on. I'm having a beer.


Colin True

00:03:31.142 - 00:04:01.468

Well, Justin is back today. We're going to be responding to listener emails that have come in recently.


We've heard from you on Justin's most recent piece and news from the front Rock Fights newsletter.


We've heard from you on Socks, but before we talk about those things, if you missed Monday's episode of the Rock Fight, you missed Producer Dave and Owen Comerford and I talk about how we want to kickstart innovation in the outdoor industry. So go back and check out that episode. Be sure to come back this Friday, where producer Dave's going to be a lot of producer Dave this week.


Shantae Salibair is also going to be joining us. We're going to be breaking down and rating the latest brand videos from your favorite outdoor brands.


Justin Housman

00:04:01.564 - 00:04:03.032

That sounds like fun. I.


Colin True

00:04:03.056 - 00:04:19.752

It's like. It's like outdoor brand video season. I noticed the other day Is like I saw on hardware, a coat, epoxy, a Patagonia. I'm like, we gotta. We gotta.


We gotta do a little review of these. So we're doing that on Friday. And Justin, I know you were off last week. Are you out of. You want me to take your bit here?


You want me to kind of just read that? You're out. You gotta practice. You know what?


Justin Housman

00:04:19.776 - 00:04:21.688

Go ahead. No, you go ahead. You do it.


Colin True

00:04:21.824 - 00:04:25.304

I don't. Well, I don't know you. I don't know how to read these words. These are your words.


Justin Housman

00:04:25.432 - 00:04:31.998

All right, fine. I have a very important question for. Not you, Colin. You can sit this one out if you want.


Colin True

00:04:32.054 - 00:04:32.718

Okay, cool.


Justin Housman

00:04:32.814 - 00:04:37.102

Have you subscribed to the. To our Rock Fight Weekly newsletter?


Colin True

00:04:37.246 - 00:04:38.894

Yes. Oh, wait, you're not talking to me. Sorry.


Justin Housman

00:04:38.942 - 00:05:33.862

Well, I'm just. Yeah, I'm waiting for the listeners to respond. I don't know how I would find that. I guess. All right. I guess I have to email.


Well, if not, what the hell, man. Lady, man, whoever, whatever. You know, we put a lot of work into this. I put a lot of work into this when I'm writing for it.


Anybody else who's writing for us put a lot of work into it. We're talking about exclusive content here. It's not just a link aggregator. Although, you know, there's nothing wrong with that necessarily.


But that's not what we're doing. We're giving you exclusive content you can only find on the newsletter if you're going to love it.


We're going to talk about a piece of today that, like, really apparently, you know, touched a lot of people's lives. That's the kind of stuff you're going to get in our newsletter. So head right over to RockFi Co, click Join the mailing list and it will sign you up.


And of course, if you're listening to podcasts, you know that we need you to subscribe. We need you to give us a five star rating. We need you to follow us on whatever podcast app you're listening to us on.


And my God, I'm struggling over reading this, but yeah, that's what I was worried about.


Colin True

00:05:33.966 - 00:05:35.782

You took a week off. You know, now you're right.


Justin Housman

00:05:35.806 - 00:05:42.966

I haven't been reading out loud, but yeah, you know the drill. Follow, like, subscribe. Boom. Five star rating. Give it.


Colin True

00:05:43.038 - 00:05:45.622

Give it up. Yeah, you're up. You got there at the end. Nice work, buddy.


Justin Housman

00:05:45.686 - 00:05:46.650

Yeah, thanks.


Colin True

00:05:46.990 - 00:05:59.382

Well, our top story today is presented by your hub for Ultralight gear, Garage Grown gear, head to garagegrowngear.com and check them out. And like Justin just alluded to a couple of weeks ago, Justin, you wrote a piece, pretty personal piece for Rock Fights newsletter.


Justin Housman

00:05:59.446 - 00:05:59.914

Yeah.


Colin True

00:06:00.022 - 00:06:26.210

If you missed it, we're going to actually do something a little different right now, and I think Justin's going to read it. We're going to actually just read. It's not that long, and I think it's really important. We're doing this is the listener response. Excuse me.


The reader response was kind of overwhelming. We get actually a fair amount of emails based off of our newsletters, but this one we got a lot of.


Hey, this was a really important thing that I got to read today. Thank you for it.


So we figured, let's spend a minute, talk about mental health in the outdoors, and let's start it off by Justin, why don't you read your piece for everybody?


Justin Housman

00:06:26.290 - 00:06:33.166

Well, just a caveat for. Well, not really a caveat, but question. None of those have come from women, though, right? Right. None of those emails.


Colin True

00:06:33.278 - 00:06:34.510

No, you're right. It's a good point.


Justin Housman

00:06:34.550 - 00:06:43.490

I swear. I swear.


We could talk about it more later, but I do kind of wonder how much of this, as I'm about to get into it is just like a kind of a classic men's sort of middle midlife crisis kind of vibe.


Colin True

00:06:44.870 - 00:06:49.758

We got. Actually, we have, we have listener emails about socks later that are from women. So it's not just like.


Justin Housman

00:06:49.894 - 00:06:50.238

Right.


Colin True

00:06:50.294 - 00:06:52.590

It's not only men that are listening or reading us.


Justin Housman

00:06:52.710 - 00:07:02.142

Yeah. So I don't know. Anyway, all right, here goes. I'm gonna cut the first.


I'm gonna, I'm gonna cut the intro out and just kind of start with where it gets.


Colin True

00:07:02.286 - 00:07:06.298

We just set the. What's going on here? Or do you think just. It'll. It'll explain itself?


Justin Housman

00:07:06.394 - 00:07:15.034

No, I think it'll. I, I, I think it'll. I think, I think if I start right here at the third paragraph, it'll. I. We kind of just gave the intro a little bit, so.


Okay, I think it'll. I think it'll be fine.


Colin True

00:07:15.082 - 00:07:15.594

Perfect.


Justin Housman

00:07:15.722 - 00:10:00.096

All right, here it goes. I was wrong. I've been wrong for at least 10 years now.


I've written about the slow erosion of enthusiasm for once favorite activities as being not only normal, which it surely is, but healthy as well. And it's that second part that I'm apologizing for today. I started off with a little apology.


Turns out I think I'm mistaken depression for disinterest. I've mistaken a deep well of sadness and anxiety for a general aging out of doing things that I once loved.


I've written thousands of words about how it's fine to let go of something like surfing or skiing or backpacking, whatever, when it starts to lose its luster, its draw, its gravitational pull on your worldview.


I thought that was due to becoming a parent and having shifting priorities and just physically getting older and being less capable of everyday athletic pursuits. But no, it wasn't that at all. It was my personal. It was my own personal demons, my own sadness.


It's not worth really getting into here, but over the past couple of months I realized that I've been depressed for a really long time situation. Situationally. So thank goodness not, it seems, a gen, a genetic or a chemical disposition.


So my, my depression can and largely has been addressed with life changes. Good ones too. And this is not about drinking, as you could tell, because I'm having a beer right now. Hold on though.


I realized that's probably how it sounds. What I realized is the sadness feeds into itself. Surfing was the first victim. I'd be bored, a little depressed.


I'd go for a surf and it wouldn't help. Or if I put off something important, it would actually make things worse. So little by little, I began surfing less. And then I got worse at surfing.


I got less fit, less practiced. So when I would go surf it was harder. And that in itself was depressing.


Little by little I start to make allowances for that and made my surfing life much small, much smaller, much poorer and far less exciting. And well, you can see the self fulfilling prophecy. And something similar has happened with mountain bikes in the past couple of years too.


Same pattern, same results.


And I want to apologize here if I fed into your own willingness to take the easy way out when it comes to pursuit pursuits you love or that you once loved, there's nothing wrong with reevaluating what matters to you and what you want to spend your time on. But there is something wrong with lying to yourself about not enjoying things and then basically cementing that lack of enjoyment by not doing them.


And for that, I'm sorry. Thankfully, I've had an awakening recently and I've realized how far up my own ass my head has been for quite some time.


And thankfully I'm young enough to reverse a trajectory. No permanent damage has been done. It feels like I have a new beginning here and I'm determined to embrace it. I'm back on the surf wagon.


I'm running every day, I'm making plans for backpacking. I'm getting out from under the cloud. And it's joyous. If any of this resonates with you, feel free to reach out. And people certainly have.


And I'll share the details. I'll share the joy the best I can. It's not a religious thing either, thank God.


Life really is too short to be mired in a funk that robs you of the very things that have made life so glorious in the past. So get the funk out. That's it, basically. What I. What I. I don't know, Colin, what do you want me. You want me to kind of get into?


Colin True

00:10:00.168 - 00:10:04.288

I think you need to be accountable. The fact that you wrote that, then sold all your surfboards and bikes, and I, you know, that's true.


Justin Housman

00:10:04.304 - 00:10:08.432

Yeah. Well, now, no, I need fancy clothes. I need gadgets, Colin. Gadgets, Right.


Colin True

00:10:08.456 - 00:10:09.500

You need more technology.


Justin Housman

00:10:09.960 - 00:10:31.322

So, no, what I was really getting at there is that, you know, I. If you've listened to the show, if you've read anything I've. I've written elsewhere, you know, you.


You know that I've kind of backed away from a lot of things I really cared about doing, and it really did feel logical. It felt. It felt. No, it felt, I don't know, almost like inevitable, if that makes any sense.


Colin True

00:10:31.386 - 00:10:31.914

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:10:32.042 - 00:10:50.666

And, you know, I've struggled with anxiety my entire life, but what I didn't realize is that a lot of depression had been folded into that. And it's just like, for me, a lot of it had to do with work stuff. You know, like, what am I doing? Where's this going? Like, what have I been doing?


Have I wasted time? Like, do I need to do more? All this sort of stuff? And I've had a shift, a shift in my work life.


Colin True

00:10:50.738 - 00:10:51.220

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:10:51.330 - 00:11:53.762

And it just. It just kind of cleaved everything. It's like a. There's a before and an after.


And it's not like all of a sudden my life is perfect by any stretch of the imagination. It's more just that. That it took something waking me up from sort of the nui that I'd been kind of mired in. And so. Yeah.


And so what I realized, though, is that I don't. I miss surfing. I really miss it a lot. Like, I miss these things that gave me purpose, that gave me.


Defined my worldview, that defined who I was as a person in a lot of ways. And I put them aside because it just. It felt too hard to do. And I guess that's probably very classic when it comes to depression.


And I've written A ton about mental health and the outdoors and how these things are supposed to bring you out of depression. But what's. Or anxiety and what's. But what's interesting is that, you know, I think that's certainly true. Can certainly be true.


But what you don't hear about a lot is that once you suffer from these sorts of things, just. Just getting on a bike can be impossible. Just getting on a surfboard can be impossible.


And you can tell yourself all kinds of reasons why you don't need to do it that day.


Colin True

00:11:53.866 - 00:11:54.146

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:11:54.178 - 00:12:43.810

Which is what I've been doing. And again, it kind of puts you behind the eight ball. You get less fit, you get less.


All the things that you need, all those skills that you build up that make those things fun, you kind of lose them. And I, you know, I, I honestly, I fooled myself. I really did. And so that doesn't mean I'm.


I'm out like, surfing every day or like, you know, doing like, CrossFit and like, carrying logs around my backyard. Nothing like that. It's more just an aware, like, Like a. Just a. Just an awareness that I didn't really want to give those things up.


I kind of did out of inertia. A bad inertia, like a downward pulling inertia.


And, you know, again, the impetus behind writing that was really just because I've talked so much about it. And I, I just hope that. No.


That other people haven't listened to me and gone and had been maybe in the same place and thought, yeah, okay, it's okay to give up this thing that I love doing or whatever, because that wasn't my intention.


Colin True

00:12:44.130 - 00:13:14.250

And that all makes sense. I think the, It's. It's probably easy to confuse those things too. Right. Because I think at some point, some of this is a middle age problem.


To, to your point, you got kids, you're older and. Right. And so you do sort of compromise. Compromise on the things that you love to do just by the nature of the, of this, your station in life.


But then.


So it's really easy maybe then if there's other things at play, kind of like what you're describing, what you've been going through, then to just sort of pin it on that, right? And be like, well, you know, I'm 46 now, like, it's all right.


Justin Housman

00:13:14.290 - 00:13:28.646

Exactly Right. But like, going to Depot should never replace going on an excellent bike ride or paddling out, even when the waves are shitty. Right?


Like, those things that we tell ourselves are, like, worth doing or whatever. You don't do them when you have to.


Colin True

00:13:28.718 - 00:13:29.014

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:13:29.062 - 00:13:34.806

But that's kind of the trap that I got caught in. And I will say I'm not alone, obviously, because we got a ton of emails about this.


Colin True

00:13:34.878 - 00:13:35.222

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:13:35.286 - 00:15:25.848

Really heartfelt emails, which I'm. I'm. I'm glad to see, but also bummed to see, because obviously other people are feeling the same thing. But, I mean, so many.


So many of my guy friends in their 40s that I. That I've served with for decades, kind of in the same boat. A lot of us don't really surf that much anymore for all. For our own reasons.


But I think a lot of it comes. You know, I'm not saying they're all depressed, but I do think that there is some kind of. It kind of just depends on how you. How you process that.


And, you know, for me, I have the time. Like, I do have the time. I've had, like, a very flexible schedule, so it's not like things. I didn't have a 9 to 5 where I, like, physically couldn't.


It was more something. Something imposed itself on me where I wasn't doing the things I love to do. And so that's what I'm kind of working out from underneath.


But it seems to be fairly common. It seems to be fairly common from a lot of people my age, which is a huge bummer. But, you know, that's. You know, I don't know.


But again, I've turned to Paige. I'm happy to help anybody out there with, you know, more details about it if they're. If they're sort of struggling with this sort of thing, too.


But, you know, it's like. It is truly amazing what going for a bike ride will do for you. Right.


I mean, it really is, you know, where you're just like, all right, this is this, like, whatever.


You know, when you remove that kind of thing from your life, especially if it's something that you're really good at, you've done for a really long time, it makes it so much harder to face other obstacles in your life because, like, these are the things that give you courage and strength, you know, Like, I'm a good surfer, right? So, like, who. How hard could it be to do my taxes or whatever? Right. For real? Yeah, sure. You know, like, these things should matter to you.


You know, you built up a. A skill set, right. And, like, they might not translate into adulthood, but still, it gives you tools to make everything else in your life work.


And so when you put those tools away, they get a lot Heavier. And so that's kind of the lesson you mentioned.


Colin True

00:15:25.864 - 00:15:58.260

You've talked a lot about or written a lot about mental health.


And I kind of had this feeling getting these responses and the responses to your column and kind of like, ah, man, is there enough coverage in outdoor media about mental health? And if you go digging, there's actually quite a bit. I mean, I know, like, Brendan Leonard's written about it, Patty's written about it.


Patty just did an event, I think, somewhere in Colorado with, I forget his name, another athlete who also had, you know, struggle with mental health issues. And so, you know, do you think it's covered enough?


Is this just one of those topics where, like, it's so individual that, like, you know, you can really not. Not talk about this enough?


Justin Housman

00:15:58.380 - 00:16:16.566

I think it feels that way, but I don't think it is that way at all. Yeah.


And I do think that that one of the tricky things about it is that the outdoors is supposed to be a place that frees you from all those sorts of things, right? Yeah, but it isn't always. And, you know, we see this a lot with.


With mountain towns and beach towns where, like, it'll attract people who feel like, this is gonna.


Colin True

00:16:16.598 - 00:16:17.490

This is the thing.


Justin Housman

00:16:17.950 - 00:16:55.106

This is gonna fix me. You know, I've got all these things I'm running from, but if I just move to Carbondale and ski every day, yeah, they'll be fine.


And you realize, no, you know, and, like, I've lived my entire life within 12 miles of the ocean, you know, so that I can surf every day. And at a certain point, you're like, oh, this isn't filling the hole. That doesn't mean you throw it out. Right.


But, like, you start to kind of, you know. And I think. I think that a lot of the confusion can come from when you expect it to, you know.


And, like, I written before I wrote a piece I don't think we shared on Rock Fight. We might have, actually. I can't remember, but about, you know, one of the.


One of the best surfers of all time, probably, like, top 20 surfers, probably in history, this guy, Sonny Garcia.


Colin True

00:16:55.138 - 00:16:56.594

Oh, yeah, we shared this in a newsletter.


Justin Housman

00:16:56.642 - 00:17:33.102

Yeah. And it's like, you know, the dude, like, tried to kill himself in the surfer world.


Try to keep it under wraps for a long time, but he would write a lot about being depressed in his social media. And then one day was, like, hospitalized, was, like, in a coma. And, like, his family would never really talk about it.


It kind of word trickled out like, oh, you know, this is what. And you're like, Christ, like, here's a guy who like this guy's royalty. And like, you know, like it wasn't enough.


And so again, there's no answer here. It's like, the point is that like having outdoor pursuits can really help, but it's not the cure all. But also giving them up is not going to help.


Colin True

00:17:33.206 - 00:17:33.662

Right.


Justin Housman

00:17:33.766 - 00:17:37.690

Is probably going to make things worse. And so, you know, that's where we are.


Colin True

00:17:37.990 - 00:17:43.740

So of all the emails we received, was there one that you wanted to share or at least a comment from one of the readers that you'd like to share?


Justin Housman

00:17:43.870 - 00:18:44.942

Well, I think, I mean I've gotten, I don't know, 5 to 10 responses personally to this.


And so I think that this particular paragraph is really well written and I think it kind of boils it down and like everybody kind of had the same thing to, you know, this kept coming up. You know, this is from obviously I'll keep it anonymous.


But they wrote, I realized that I'd slipped into a horrible self fulfilling pattern of being focused on the wrong stuff, like my age and being depressed by the bad stuff, like the daily news. Dwelling on this bad stuff distracted me from the good stuff, which left me marinating the bad stuff and so on.


I'd forgotten that I simply have to go outside, away from cyberspace and be open to what the real world is offering me. For me, hiking, running and skiing are just different ways to do that.


And so like he, you know, this person also talks about how they'd like gain weight and like just stop being fit and all these sorts of things. And you know, I don't have an issue necessarily with like cyberspace or like the news or anything like that.


Just cybertrucks, just cyber fucking hell. They got recalled, did they?


Colin True

00:18:45.046 - 00:18:47.726

Like almost all of them. Yeah, there's a recall out for almost all of them.


Justin Housman

00:18:47.798 - 00:18:52.654

That means I should be able to just go and like just, just do whatever I want to them. As far as I'm, you know, you're not getting it back.


Colin True

00:18:52.742 - 00:18:59.742

Sorry, I didn't mean to derail you. You wrote a good role there. It was very serious. I just disrespected the reader who wrote it. Make a cybertruck.


Justin Housman

00:18:59.806 - 00:19:01.006

This person drives a cyber truck.


Colin True

00:19:01.038 - 00:19:03.454

Oh my God. Well, there's your problem, sir.


Justin Housman

00:19:03.582 - 00:19:24.646

No, but, but like that, that kind of thing where we just kind of lose.


I guess what I'm trying to get at is like there's nothing wrong with moving on from things and, and adjusting your life to new sort of Parameters and all that sort of stuff. But when. But when we give it up, like, when we give these things up kind of without really thinking about it, and.


And by fooling ourselves for why we're doing it, that's when it's a problem.


Colin True

00:19:24.718 - 00:19:25.286

Right.


Justin Housman

00:19:25.438 - 00:20:29.906

The nice thing, though, is, unlike addiction, well, I guess you can come back from addiction, too, but, like, you just pick it back up again. You know what I mean? Like, it's. It's.


In some ways, like, I've had this experience with surfing where it's like, okay, I'm never gonna surf like, I did when I was 25, but the ways that I can surf now at 46 are way different. And they're on boards I wouldn't have thought about otherwise. And, like, I've lost a lot of the, like, baggage about who.


Someone sees me, the knee board, they're gonna, like, make fun of me. I don't give a. You know, like, so let's try new experiences on the. On waves. You know, let's try new ways to be outside and these kinds of things.


And so a lot. You know, some of this, there's, like, a shedding of your old skin that, like, is really important.


But anyway, that email, I thought, really captured what I keep hearing from people, which is like, I'm in a similar space. I've gotten kind of bogged down in this. Like, I'm glad to hear that. That, like, there's a way out and that this isn't just what life is like now.


Right. Like, right. Like, I. I never was like, oh, I'm just not gonna be a surfer anymore. Like, at no point that I think that, you know, I think a lot of.


I remember I said something on the.


I may have written about this, but I said something in the podcast, too, where, like, if I was all proud of myself because, like, a couple months ago, my barber was like, you still surfing? And I was like, no.


Colin True

00:20:30.058 - 00:20:31.190

Yeah, yeah.


Justin Housman

00:20:32.970 - 00:20:50.982

At the time, I was like, like, yeah, right. Because it's like, I'm being honest, but it's like, that sucks. Right? Like. Like, there's nothing good, nothing to celebrate there. Yeah.


Like, this is a very special part of my life. Like, it's a thing that very few people get ever to do ever. Historically, very few people have ever done. Right. And it's like, it's also okay.


Colin True

00:20:51.046 - 00:20:56.742

That's part of your journey, though, right? I mean, I took 14 years off from playing hockey. I never thought I'd play hockey again. And then I started playing again. You know what I mean?


Justin Housman

00:20:56.766 - 00:20:57.878

But I mean, how much fun are you having?


Colin True

00:20:57.934 - 00:20:59.574

Oh, no, it's great. I love, I love that I'm back.


Justin Housman

00:20:59.582 - 00:21:05.860

Playing clips of you all the time with your like, like it's pretty geriatric skating and your 12 mile an hour slap shots.


Colin True

00:21:05.940 - 00:21:06.180

Right.


Justin Housman

00:21:06.220 - 00:21:07.700

I love getting it. I love seeing it.


Colin True

00:21:07.740 - 00:21:08.468

That's right.


Justin Housman

00:21:08.604 - 00:21:09.060

Yeah.


Colin True

00:21:09.140 - 00:21:15.412

Nah, nah, I know what you mean though, but it's just. But no, but I. So, I mean, I wouldn't feel bad that you said that though. I mean, I guess is my point. Right.


Justin Housman

00:21:15.436 - 00:21:22.452

It's like, no, I don't, I don't feel bad. It's more just that. God, was that me? Was that somebody else entirely? You know?


Colin True

00:21:22.476 - 00:21:23.380

Yeah, yeah.


Justin Housman

00:21:23.460 - 00:21:27.284

So. But like, let us, you know, feel free to reach out.


Colin True

00:21:27.372 - 00:21:28.784

No, I want to hear from people on this.


Justin Housman

00:21:28.892 - 00:21:37.448

Yeah. If this is touching you, like, let's talk about it. I mean, the world's a fucked up place right now.


Like, if you're not having mental health issues right now, like, something's probably wrong with you, but, like, that's kind of how it is.


Colin True

00:21:37.504 - 00:22:25.122

And how are you coping? How are you coping? How are you using the outdoors to cope? What topics?


Like I said, it's a pretty covered topic, generally speaking by outdoor media, but maybe not. What specific avenues have you not seen coverage on? Where do you not feel represented in outdoor media when it comes to mental health?


We'd love to hear about that. Myrockfightmail.com is the email address. Send your emails in. I guess this is sort of becoming Q and A corner before we get to Q and A Corner.


So it's like, yeah, this is. I, I'm really curious the listener response. It's funny because it was such. I loved your piece when you wrote it.


I loved putting in the newsletter, especially as sort of, you know, compared to then only a few weeks earlier, kind of the, the one you, the, the story you mentioned with your barber and I, I thought, you know, we got a lot of emails, but I also, I was just, I guess I was surprised. It's the only way to describe it. Like, whoa, we got a lot of emails on this one.


Justin Housman

00:22:25.226 - 00:22:36.910

And so it's like, I'm not that shocked. Like, generally speaking, health is a. Not something that even though it's.


We're giving it so much Runway now, like culturally, it's still really, especially amongst men, it's still very, very, very rarely talked about.


Colin True

00:22:36.950 - 00:22:37.246

Right.


Justin Housman

00:22:37.318 - 00:22:41.246

And so I think opening that door at all is people really want that.


Colin True

00:22:41.318 - 00:22:42.766

Let's hear it. Send your email.


Justin Housman

00:22:42.838 - 00:22:57.948

Not alone, right? Anybody out there listening you are 100. Not alone, like at all, even a little bit. I miss backpacking. Like I miss the out of it, right.


And like I could have been backpacking this whole time. But no, like I just kind of talked myself out of it like to, to this, to that.


Colin True

00:22:58.004 - 00:23:10.796

That's probably the activity that suffered the most with you. Because it's since I've known you, you've, you've told me how much you love backpacking. I don't think you've gone backpacking once.


No since I've known you. But I know you surf and you mountain bike and all that. But some of that is still, that is the.


Justin Housman

00:23:10.868 - 00:23:15.212

Well sharing I can do every day. Backpacking is a much more big, is a much more of a production.


Colin True

00:23:15.276 - 00:23:15.500

Right.


Justin Housman

00:23:15.540 - 00:23:18.892

But no, I mean it's my kid's fault but still I'm not doing it.


Colin True

00:23:19.076 - 00:23:22.936

Also your mental health, probably your kids fault. Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:23:22.968 - 00:23:24.152

You little bastards.


Colin True

00:23:24.296 - 00:23:25.272

Now it's on the record.


Justin Housman

00:23:25.376 - 00:23:27.272

I can see the back of one of them's head right now in my.


Colin True

00:23:27.296 - 00:23:29.480

Kitchen from just giving you the finger probably right now.


Justin Housman

00:23:29.520 - 00:23:37.032

You know, flipping you off, just being so cute. Just basically like a siren. Like you don't need to go do the things you love to do. Just come sit with me on the couch.


Colin True

00:23:37.176 - 00:23:39.112

Yeah, sitting on the couch is pretty good time.


Justin Housman

00:23:39.216 - 00:23:40.328

Yeah, it's nice.


Colin True

00:23:40.504 - 00:23:44.216

But hey Justin, if you are looking to go backpacking the season, now's a great time.


Justin Housman

00:23:44.288 - 00:23:45.720

I mean I just said I was. Well, if.


Colin True

00:23:45.760 - 00:24:08.874

Okay, well now is a great time to lighten your load with ultra light gear. And garage grown gear is the spot to find all the ultralight gear you need from small and independent brands all in one place.


If you're already a fan of ggg, which I know you are, Justin, check out all the new gear they've got like Gossamer gear's new Type 2 pack collection and super durable ultralight running shoes. Trail running shoes by Norda. They have carry Norda now. Did you know that?


Justin Housman

00:24:08.962 - 00:24:11.950

I did know that. I'd like to check out the gossamer gear pack.


Colin True

00:24:12.690 - 00:24:22.242

Check them out via the link in the show notes or just head to garagegrowingear.com see what they have going on over there. If you're looking to go backpacking the season like Mr. Justin Helsman is, Garage.


Justin Housman

00:24:22.306 - 00:24:25.250

Gear is such a good name. I'm sure I've mentioned that before but it's a real, it's a real solid name.


Colin True

00:24:25.290 - 00:24:45.842

It really just. It's a lot of syllables yet still rolls off the tongue, you know. Good Job, Lloyd Vogel.


All right, well, like I mentioned, we're back on Q and A Corner, presented by Oboes Qua Corner. And Oboes is happy to talk about the activity that everyone loves but no one talks about, which is hiking.


We're going to talk about that in a second, but two weeks ago we asked for your opinions on socks, and.


Justin Housman

00:24:45.866 - 00:24:47.282

All of your opinions were wrong to.


Colin True

00:24:47.306 - 00:25:11.790

Help Justin realize he's all alone on sock Island. On unbranded sock island. But holy did you guys deliver. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.


Even if we don't read your email today on the show, we genuinely appreciate it. It's been a lot of. A lot of listener feedback over the last couple weeks between these topics. Before we get into the.


The listener responses here, Justin, can you restate your. Your sock position? You don't care about brands.


Justin Housman

00:25:11.870 - 00:25:29.846

I don't care about them at all. I mean, just, just. I don't want to. I don't ever want to think about a pair of socks ever. If I'm thinking about socks, something has gone wrong.


I want a pair of socks that is made out of wool, that doesn't have labeling on my feet.


Colin True

00:25:30.038 - 00:25:33.638

It's no right or left, which I agree with you on that one. No right or left, please.


Justin Housman

00:25:33.694 - 00:25:35.078

No multiple toes.


Colin True

00:25:35.174 - 00:25:40.210

But he's sort of in this condition that it's overrated that people don't think I will never really care about.


Justin Housman

00:25:42.090 - 00:26:01.970

I mean, I guess I can't speak for other people. You'll develop brand loyalty for literally no reason, I think a lot of times. But like, I have worn every brand of outdoor socks ever made.


At no point, if you stop me on a hike could I, could I have told you what brand I was wearing at that moment? Like, they just don't trust me for a year.


Colin True

00:26:02.010 - 00:26:03.458

Guys, it's so interesting.


Justin Housman

00:26:03.634 - 00:26:27.460

It's true. I mean, you, like, I am not shy about, you know, gushing about brands I love. Right? Like I just don't give a.


And the one hours of podcast you already made fun of me for this wigwam is the only one I've remotely cared about sock wise. Because their sock liners last apparent as far as I can tell, forever. Yeah, but like, I just don't. Jesus Christ, Fitz. Smart wool.


Colin True

00:26:27.620 - 00:26:29.236

Now you're insulting sponsors.


Justin Housman

00:26:29.428 - 00:26:38.030

I'm not insulting them. They're great. They're fine. They're great. They're great. They're fine. They're great. Whatever. They're all. They're like, find a difference.


Colin True

00:26:38.690 - 00:26:57.210

Well, let's get into it here because we had some Listeners who write it. Like I wrote in, like I said. And first is. And I've. I've engaged with this. This gentleman on social media. Mating, I believe, is his name.


If I'm mispronouncing your name, buddy, I'm sorry, but mating rates, gents. I have to vehemently disagree with the idea that all socks are created equal. So right there he talks about.


Justin Housman

00:26:57.250 - 00:26:59.578

I swear to God, if he talks about. Fucking cotton.


Colin True

00:26:59.754 - 00:27:44.082

No, no, no. Darn Tough. I have three characteristics that make them stand out among the rest.


I think we're going to find that Darn Tough is the big winner here in the roc. Number one, head to head, they last longer.


Number two, their wearability on Adventures on day two, let alone crusty Day seven, is way better than their counterparts. And number three, if you were in disagreement with the first two, then I always come back to lifetime guarantee.


No other sock company that I know of will let you wear holes into your socks for one, let alone seven years, and then return them for a new pair, free. I've had socks last so long that I would feel I'm betraying them as a customer if I returned them.


And he only runs it in Gingi, though, he says because it prevents blisters. But I mean, lifetime guarantee is pretty. It's hard to argue with that.


Justin Housman

00:27:44.186 - 00:27:48.962

I thought they just re. Darned them or whatever. Isn't darning Is when you. No, I'm serious.


Colin True

00:27:49.026 - 00:27:50.210

Is darning tough?


Justin Housman

00:27:50.370 - 00:27:51.954

No, but did you not know? What? You don't know?


Colin True

00:27:52.042 - 00:27:52.658

I know.


Justin Housman

00:27:52.794 - 00:27:58.674

Yeah, but isn't that what it is? Like, it's when you fix a hole in a sock. Like, darn it. Right? So, like, I thought that's what they. Did they actually send you new socks?


Colin True

00:27:58.802 - 00:28:00.274

Yeah, I think so. They'll send you a new pen.


Justin Housman

00:28:00.322 - 00:28:01.166

All right, that's cool. Cool.


Colin True

00:28:01.198 - 00:28:05.310

That's cool. You may have a new sock. Favorite, favorite sock brand at the end of this.


Justin Housman

00:28:05.350 - 00:28:10.910

Yeah, but you know what? That doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that, like, they feel better. It just means you get free ones at the end of the day, I guess.


Colin True

00:28:10.990 - 00:28:11.294

Wow.


Justin Housman

00:28:11.342 - 00:28:11.582

All right.


Colin True

00:28:11.606 - 00:28:19.390

You're gonna find a way to bring the. Bring everybody down here. I can see it. All right, well, hey. All right, next email is from Deborah Deborah Raids. Hey, friends. We're her friends.


Look at that.


Justin Housman

00:28:19.430 - 00:28:20.078

We just.


Colin True

00:28:20.214 - 00:28:22.542

You have to be nice to Deborah. She called you her friend.


Justin Housman

00:28:22.726 - 00:28:30.674

First of all, I've always been nice to anyone named Deborah because Beck's album Midnight Vultures, the song Deborah is absolutely goddamn perfect.


Colin True

00:28:30.802 - 00:28:33.026

All right, well, Deborah if you know that song. I don't.


Justin Housman

00:28:33.058 - 00:28:33.826

Colin, do you know that song?


Colin True

00:28:33.858 - 00:28:34.210

I do not.


Justin Housman

00:28:34.250 - 00:28:35.122

Oh my God. It's good.


Colin True

00:28:35.146 - 00:28:36.290

It's a perfect song.


Justin Housman

00:28:36.450 - 00:28:37.154

Perfect song.


Colin True

00:28:37.202 - 00:28:47.858

Okay. Deborah says, hey, friends, love listening to you. Favorite socks are features. I hike 4ish miles daily.


And yes, the left and right sock is the only way to go.


Justin Housman

00:28:47.994 - 00:28:48.578

Jesus.


Colin True

00:28:48.674 - 00:29:00.830

Fun. Sad fact. As a kid I used to write R and L with a Sharpie on my socks. Wow. In right and left socks now.


And she writes that she's a 25 year outdoor industry vet. That still in action.


Justin Housman

00:29:00.950 - 00:29:05.770

Does she? Please, Deborah, I need more information. Why? Like what, what, what?


Colin True

00:29:06.790 - 00:29:07.550

It's the only way.


Justin Housman

00:29:07.590 - 00:29:09.342

I need to know. I have to know.


Colin True

00:29:09.526 - 00:29:11.054

Don't argue with your friend, Deborah.


Justin Housman

00:29:11.102 - 00:29:18.590

I'm not arguing with her. I need to know. Like, like, like I wish you would have provided some context. Like why does it like why is a kid. Were you like doing that?


That's fascinating to me.


Colin True

00:29:18.710 - 00:29:24.206

It's a good question. Right now we have a. We have a vote for. That's the first vote we've had for right and left socks.


Justin Housman

00:29:24.318 - 00:29:28.986

I just cannot. I mean I don't even wear matching socks half the time. Do you? Every time.


Colin True

00:29:29.158 - 00:29:33.218

Not every time. I don't require. It's almost like the same model. I don't care what the color.


Justin Housman

00:29:33.314 - 00:29:42.030

To be honest. Almost never. Like if I was going to like a funeral, I guess I would. Or like if I'm wearing shorts, I'm wearing matching socks.


But like with pants, I don't care.


Colin True

00:29:42.730 - 00:29:57.750

So Bryn, as our next email and Bryn writes in, he wrote a couple things actually about branded athletes. We already covered that. But now about socks. Justin calls you out specifically, you should check out Swiftwick.


I've got a pair of Marino running socks that have lasted 10 plus years.


Justin Housman

00:29:57.930 - 00:29:58.510

Okay.


Colin True

00:29:58.590 - 00:30:05.790

Plus they have a line of products for amputees to wear under prosthetics. And who wouldn't, who wouldn't support that? Swiftwick, maybe that's your new brand. You don't know.


Justin Housman

00:30:05.830 - 00:30:08.366

I've got, I've had some. I've had Swiftwick.


Colin True

00:30:08.398 - 00:30:12.798

I think I've had Swift. I didn't know they made merino. I thought they were like, like synthetic only, but I guess not.


Justin Housman

00:30:12.854 - 00:30:17.410

I have, I've had some Swiftwick wool socks. I don't remember what happened to them. I don't have them anymore.


Colin True

00:30:17.910 - 00:30:42.990

Okay, so when we did our accessories, top five accessories. Right. We just sort of like, like smart. Will just sort of cruise right into the finals. Well, listener Alan will disagree with maybe our assessment.


There okay. And Alan writes, I have tried a large, large variety of wool socks, hands down. Number one is darn tough. Number two is Fitz. Thank you, sponsor.


Fitz is gonna be happy with that. Doesn't even number them. He just writes, smart wool is garbage.


Justin Housman

00:30:43.730 - 00:30:47.066

I mean, I've had. I've had plenty of smartwolves where there was, like, a hole in, like, a week.


Colin True

00:30:47.138 - 00:31:00.318

This comes from years of testing. My wife is incredibly, incredibly hard on socks, and she has a hard time wearing out a pair of darn toughs.


She will blow through smart wool in a heartbeat. I am curious how, like, what your wife is doing to her socks.


Justin Housman

00:31:00.494 - 00:31:04.110

Some people are just like, he. Like. Like heel strikers or whatever. Might be different.


Colin True

00:31:04.150 - 00:31:04.542

I don't know.


Justin Housman

00:31:04.566 - 00:31:27.950

I. Dude, I get holes in my socks fast. I'm like, I. I will. I want to defend myself by saying that, like, I don't buy these, so just. I just get them.


I've had all of them. Like, I think it's like, I don't. Like. I don't know. That's true. Swiftwick guy. I forget his name. Have you had every other pair? Like, do you, like.


Are you just, like, these worked? Like, I mean, I guess they work for you for 10 years.


Colin True

00:31:27.990 - 00:31:32.478

That's great. 10 years, though. That's pretty impressive. I definitely would not expect any socks the last 10 years.


Justin Housman

00:31:32.534 - 00:31:37.070

Really hard to believe, right? I'm not gonna. You know, I mean. Okay. All right.


Colin True

00:31:37.110 - 00:31:47.870

Last one we're gonna read is from Dylan. And Dylan writes, first of all, couldn't agree more with the debate about left and right socks. Sorry, Deborah.


Socks shouldn't be complicated, and I should need to think about putting socks on. I know you can get behind that. Right.


Justin Housman

00:31:47.910 - 00:31:48.446

Thank you, Dylan.


Colin True

00:31:48.478 - 00:31:58.702

One a second. My primary activity of hiking, specifically longer distance through hiking, has led me to have strong opinions on socks. See, which you don't have.


You don't have strong opinion, even though you're. You're a backpacker.


Justin Housman

00:31:58.766 - 00:32:02.878

You know, I feel like my strong opinion is that it don't matter. Fair.


Colin True

00:32:02.934 - 00:32:09.518

That's fair. Point. Overall, they have to be comfortable, durable, and do a damn good job of preventing blisters. I don't think anyone would argue with that.


Justin Housman

00:32:09.574 - 00:32:10.254

Yes, correct.


Colin True

00:32:10.302 - 00:32:18.890

To make a long story short, darn tough socks are my socks of choice. I subject my socks to washing in a creek and scrubbing them together or on a rock day after day. Right.


Justin Housman

00:32:18.930 - 00:32:19.338

Yeah.


Colin True

00:32:19.434 - 00:32:28.154

Darn, darn tough socks have held up to this unreasonable abuse pretty dang well. And if they develop a whole mid hike, I've sent them back and gotten a new pair mail.


Justin Housman

00:32:28.202 - 00:32:33.050

Dude, I would never do that. Like, look, I'm not trying through hiking, actually.


Colin True

00:32:33.090 - 00:32:34.938

That's a pretty sweet. Sure.


Justin Housman

00:32:34.994 - 00:32:47.022

But I don't mean to. I'm not like, great. Do it. Take advantage. I got that mean. Like, that's not their. Like, are they giving away free. They're just giving away free socks.


If you wore a hole in your socks, you hike all the time. Like, dude, dude, just buy some new ones.


Colin True

00:32:47.086 - 00:32:57.278

Levi's used to have, like, a lifetime policy, and you could literally take just, like a shredded pair of jeans, like, to one of their stores, and they would have to give you another pair. And eventually they're like, yeah, this is dumb. We're like, we're losing a lot of money on this.


Justin Housman

00:32:57.334 - 00:33:04.558

Well, yeah, I mean, if it, like, happened in a day, sure. But I mean, like, if you're, like, hiking the AT and like, halfway through, you get a hole in your sock, like, dude, dude, they did pretty good.


Colin True

00:33:04.614 - 00:33:06.910

I think our listeners out there are like, shut up.


Justin Housman

00:33:07.030 - 00:33:22.192

Oh, yeah, they probably don't tell them. I think it's great that people have such opinions, you know, strong opinions about socks. I know, right? I mean, I. I get. Look, like, I.


I don't wear bad socks. I don't wear shitty socks. My point is they all kind of work. Like, they all are kind of the same.


Colin True

00:33:22.296 - 00:33:27.184

Well, I mean that now we're getting into the. The sameness. You could make that case about a lot of stuff and outdoor gear and.


Justin Housman

00:33:27.192 - 00:33:38.064

Apparel, but I can't fathom, like, I really. I bet you anything, honestly, if you boiled it down. Write us back if you want to. These people just found colorways. They, like, in these socks.


Colin True

00:33:38.192 - 00:34:02.116

There might be some of that. I think when it comes to socks, the longevity will matter.


I tend to think that the out of the package experience matters most, and I think that's one reason why smartwool continues to persist. Because you put them on out, they feel great. I will give our sponsor fully acknowledging that they sponsored the podcast. Fits out of the package.


Probably number one, honestly.


Justin Housman

00:34:02.228 - 00:34:08.004

And Fitz has. Fitz has some pretty epic, like, colorways too. This is a good. Like, I'd buy fits. I have no issues with fits.


Colin True

00:34:08.132 - 00:34:30.436

Right. I have darn toughs that I absolutely love, though, too. So, I mean, I'm kind of with you. Like, if I. If it's wool, I'm gonna be fine.


I will not wear anything other than wool on my feet. But I, you know, if it comes to, like, what I want to spend my money on, yeah, I'll probably have an opinion. I think that's it. Hold on. Wait.


Oh, I didn't want to say. And by the way, Dylan closes email saying as an aside, recently started listening and much appreciate the show. Thanks. Well, we appreciate you, Dylan.


Thanks, buddy.


Justin Housman

00:34:30.468 - 00:34:31.108

Thanks, Dylan.


Colin True

00:34:31.204 - 00:34:46.464

Yeah. Thanks for writing in. Thanks for everybody for writing in. Yeah, I guess while we said our Q and A corner is gonna be another mental health question.


But listen, you know, socks are interesting. I do think you are. You know, you're a little bit in the minority. I would say people tend to have opinion on socks.


Justin Housman

00:34:46.512 - 00:34:53.120

That's fantastic. That's great. You know what, though? I do have a favorite and I've said it three times now, so I don't know what that.


Colin True

00:34:53.160 - 00:34:54.048

I mean, that is true.


Justin Housman

00:34:54.144 - 00:34:55.200

I just don't. Nothing.


Colin True

00:34:55.280 - 00:34:58.592

I just don't want that to be your favorite. Clearly, is what this comes down to. I'm trying.


Justin Housman

00:34:58.696 - 00:35:01.984

I'm trying to break. Still exists, frankly.


Colin True

00:35:02.032 - 00:35:04.768

Like, they used to be like. Like the sock for a while there.


Justin Housman

00:35:04.824 - 00:35:10.684

I don't love that name. Maybe it's rebranded, but like, oh my God, the logo.


Colin True

00:35:10.732 - 00:35:11.612

Logo is like a wig.


Justin Housman

00:35:11.676 - 00:35:12.892

Not great, not wonderful.


Colin True

00:35:12.956 - 00:35:20.476

Maybe that's why we don't know if they exist anymore. Thorlow were like the socks for the longest time for low. I remember those guys, I guess.


Justin Housman

00:35:20.508 - 00:35:34.284

Like, my wigwam socks are like the Swiftwick guy socks. Like, I think I've had these sock liners for 10, only more racist. And I honestly can't tell that they're not brand new. Like, they're. They're just.


What? I don't know what they did. Maybe it's just a one off, but they're just. These work great. And I get bummed, like, if I'm.


When I'm going through all my socks.


Colin True

00:35:34.332 - 00:35:34.700

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:35:34.780 - 00:35:41.084

Because I love black socks. And I'm just like, oh, they don't match. They don't match, they don't match. And like, when I get my Wigwell ones, I get so bummed if I.


Colin True

00:35:41.092 - 00:35:46.500

Can'T find the other one based on that opinion. How you want to talk about your feelings in the 1918 Chicago White Sox?


Justin Housman

00:35:47.320 - 00:35:51.136

I do think it's really fun to talk about the history of, like, stirrups and baseball.


Colin True

00:35:51.328 - 00:35:52.736

Well, you said the Black Sox.


Justin Housman

00:35:52.848 - 00:35:56.384

Do you know why. Do you know why baseball players ever wore stirrups? Do you know why?


Colin True

00:35:56.472 - 00:36:01.872

You've told me this before, actually, and I can't remember, but I know we've had this conversation because somebody told me. Go ahead.


Justin Housman

00:36:01.896 - 00:36:03.136

Would you like me to talk about it now?


Colin True

00:36:03.208 - 00:36:06.288

Sure. This might not make it, but let's see.


Justin Housman

00:36:06.424 - 00:36:23.444

So you used to sl.


Like when you'd slide into base, sometimes you would like your cleats would like tag the, the, the second basement or shortstop's ankles and they would bleed. And so the red socks or whatever I think were the first ones to do it.


They would wear these like stripes of red down so you couldn't like see the blood, I guess. And so like they just started wearing stirrups.


Colin True

00:36:23.492 - 00:36:26.068

Oh, it was just a cosmetic thing. Maybe you haven't told me this.


Justin Housman

00:36:26.204 - 00:36:27.380

Yeah, yeah.


Colin True

00:36:27.460 - 00:36:28.340

How about that?


Justin Housman

00:36:28.460 - 00:36:28.996

Yeah.


Colin True

00:36:29.108 - 00:36:35.802

Well, you know, if you're putting on some good old wool socks, no matter what the brand, whether it's smart wool, darn tough fits or racist with this.


Justin Housman

00:36:35.826 - 00:36:37.002

Feels like a sponsor read you like.


Colin True

00:36:37.026 - 00:36:39.630

Where this is going? You know what you want to put over those socks?


Justin Housman

00:36:40.450 - 00:36:41.594

Pair of oboes.


Colin True

00:36:41.642 - 00:36:48.874

Yes. Because this episode of the Rock Fight is presented by Oboz, who is helping us ask the question, how much do I love hiking? Let me count the ways.


Justin Housman

00:36:49.002 - 00:36:50.858

Yeah, all of them. All the ways.


Colin True

00:36:50.954 - 00:36:59.310

Well, number one this week is legitimately excusable. Laziness later like, you know, I hiked 10 miles today. I deserve this entire pizza.


Justin Housman

00:37:00.050 - 00:37:02.466

Yeah, dude. Nothing better. Nothing better.


Colin True

00:37:02.538 - 00:37:25.906

Nothing. Number two, trail friendships, bonds over blisters and shared granola bars or forever.


But in this case you wouldn't be wearing have any blisters because you're wearing and you have oboes on this list. I'm blaming producer Dave number number three. Rocks are underrated. Now I know you're going to get on board with this one.


Big ones, small ones, ones to sit on, ones to climb. Respect the rocks, dude.


Justin Housman

00:37:25.938 - 00:37:27.014

Rocks are badass.


Colin True

00:37:27.122 - 00:37:30.850

Yeah, what about if you pile them and up in a small little pile?


Justin Housman

00:37:32.950 - 00:37:36.430

Like is it like in terms of art or directional or both?


Colin True

00:37:36.550 - 00:37:37.374

How do you tell?


Justin Housman

00:37:37.462 - 00:37:38.270

Kick them.


Colin True

00:37:38.390 - 00:38:05.356

Also, hiking means the Obo's Catabatic collection, which has added The AllNew Catabatic LT, which takes the whole collection to a new level with a lighter package, improved performance and additional environmentally friendly materials. Fast packing day hiking, whatever your fancy. The Catabatic LT is your hiking shoe of choice.


And also lastly, for every hike completed over a mile long during the month of April, Oboz will plant a tree as part of its Trails for Trees challenge. Justin, pay attention. This year a redwoods guy.


Justin Housman

00:38:05.468 - 00:38:07.500

Do we get to pick what kind of tree? That's what I was going to ask.


Colin True

00:38:07.540 - 00:38:45.378

Well, I don't know. Maybe you should reach out to oboe. Maybe there's a partnership in the works here.


For each hike completed, participants will also receive chances to win weekly prizes from Oboz and challenge partners. Registration is free and open now@ TrailsForTrees.com the Trails for Trees challenge runs from April 1 through April 30, so it starts next week.


You got to get ahead. Get ahead of this, folks. It's free to register at any time.


Participants can complete as many hikes as they wish on any given day, as long as it exceeds one mile.


And you'll also receive a virtual badge in the Trails for Trees Challenge trophy case for each trail they complete, signifying how many trees they helped plant. Oboz. Love hiking.


Justin Housman

00:38:45.474 - 00:38:46.370

That's awesome. That's. Actually.


Colin True

00:38:46.410 - 00:38:51.630

I'm gonna do that. I might do that. Yeah, Sign up for that. That's pretty sweet. Sweet. All right, man. Time for the parting shot.


Justin Housman

00:38:55.890 - 00:38:56.874

Who's up first?


Colin True

00:38:56.962 - 00:38:59.354

I. I don't have much of one. So do you have a parting shot?


Justin Housman

00:38:59.402 - 00:39:01.738

I do, and I don't know if I've already said it before or not.


Colin True

00:39:01.794 - 00:39:04.790

So you missed last week. So what's. What's your parting shot this week?


Justin Housman

00:39:05.330 - 00:39:09.482

What? What? Okay. I realize that we live in California, so we're extremely fortunate.


Colin True

00:39:09.546 - 00:39:10.746

People are gonna be mad at us.


Justin Housman

00:39:10.898 - 00:39:13.738

What was the temperature, do you think, down your. Down your pad today?


Colin True

00:39:13.794 - 00:39:15.930

Oh, like, 74.


Justin Housman

00:39:16.050 - 00:39:21.054

Yeah, same here. I think, like, I think it was 78 today. I think tomorrow's supposed to be, like, a little bit war.


Colin True

00:39:21.202 - 00:39:22.694

So nice outside today.


Justin Housman

00:39:22.862 - 00:39:31.798

Yeah. And you know what? It's only really going to get nicer. Like, we're going to have.


It's supposed to rain next week, and it'll probably snow in the mountains and blah, blah, blah. But, like, generally speaking, the curve was obviously going up.


Colin True

00:39:31.854 - 00:39:32.934

We're headed in the right direction.


Justin Housman

00:39:32.982 - 00:39:37.494

Hey, you know what I don't want to think about anymore? The second that it's hot, I take my shoes off.


Colin True

00:39:37.662 - 00:39:39.530

Shoes. Hockey.


Justin Housman

00:39:39.950 - 00:39:43.846

Oh, I don't want to think about hockey anymore because it's not winter anymore.


Colin True

00:39:43.878 - 00:39:45.414

But the Stanley cup playoffs are coming.


Justin Housman

00:39:45.502 - 00:39:56.082

That's what I'm talking about. I was just thinking. I was telling a story yesterday. Or no, earlier today to a friend of mine about something that happened to me in June once.


And I was like, oh, yeah, the Kings from the playoffs that year. June?


Colin True

00:39:56.266 - 00:39:57.010

Yeah.


Justin Housman

00:39:57.170 - 00:39:57.586

No.


Colin True

00:39:57.658 - 00:39:59.506

You think it should be Buzz, but no.


Justin Housman

00:39:59.658 - 00:40:34.258

Do we have. Is the super bowl in August? Never. Like.


Like, it's insane to me that hockey starts in the, like, fall and still occurring in the freaking spring, which in a lot of June fucking summertime. Like, what are we doing hockey that's true.


The last thing I want to say is, if baseball is on, hockey should not be on ever unless it's in another hemisphere. This is insane to me. Hockey should be ending now. Now do what it takes. Figure it out. NHL. This should be the Stanley cup playoffs right now.


It should be cold when the sand. The cup playoffs are happening. You should not be able to go run outside with no shirt on to celebrate that your team won to stay on the Cup.


It's absurd.


Colin True

00:40:34.354 - 00:41:01.120

I don't mind that so much.


I would say where I, where I think you may have a point though is I heard an argument recently that, you know, the NBA should actually start their season later, so that way they don't have to compete with football as much, you know? Right. And I think if the, if the, if the NHL could figure out a way to. Even if the puck.


If you gave out the cup in May, your ratings would automatically go up because right now you, The NBA Finals and the NHA Finals typically go against each other in June.


Justin Housman

00:41:01.160 - 00:41:01.680

Exactly.


Colin True

00:41:01.760 - 00:41:18.164

And it would be really good for your sport to not compete against the NBA, which is like, you know, it's not the NFL, but it's not that far off. It's definitely the second most popular sport going in North America anyway. Right now. I would assume. I know.


Well, the NHL is kind of having a moment with the four nation challenge, though. I got to give them credit for that. So.


Justin Housman

00:41:18.252 - 00:41:23.204

I mean, I feel this way about baseball too. Like your sport should not get touched three different seasons.


Colin True

00:41:23.332 - 00:41:26.052

No, I think the, the World Series used to be like the first week.


Justin Housman

00:41:26.076 - 00:41:27.620

Of October and that's how it should be.


Colin True

00:41:27.660 - 00:41:30.292

Right. It would now it's sometimes bleeding into November.


Justin Housman

00:41:30.356 - 00:41:37.252

It's crazy to me that, like sports that are so closely identified with a particular season have the most important parts of that season not in the season.


Colin True

00:41:37.356 - 00:41:39.108

Football's the only one that's not messed up.


Justin Housman

00:41:39.244 - 00:41:43.316

Exactly. Like, like, like it should be summertime when the, when the, during the World Series.


Colin True

00:41:43.388 - 00:41:43.716

Yep.


Justin Housman

00:41:43.748 - 00:41:45.682

You know, like September even. Really?


Colin True

00:41:45.796 - 00:41:55.078

Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah. Baseball for as much as I. They just seem like they're doing it the worst though, compared to the other three.


Justin Housman

00:41:55.134 - 00:41:56.758

I mean, I love baseball more than anything.


Colin True

00:41:56.854 - 00:41:57.542

I love baseball.


Justin Housman

00:41:57.606 - 00:42:04.470

Like, why am I, I don't want to watch like, Dodgers won the World Series. You're fantastic. I don't want to be watching that in November. I don't want to be. Put my Halloween costume on, going, there's a baseball game on.


Colin True

00:42:04.510 - 00:42:10.598

But it's also, you have a six month regular season that is has no bearing on what's going to happen in the playoffs.


Justin Housman

00:42:10.614 - 00:42:15.510

I mean, there's also. Yeah, I mean, I would also, I, I would. I'm actually a big supporter of shortening the season by like 20 games.


Colin True

00:42:15.630 - 00:42:16.508

Minimum. Minimum.


Justin Housman

00:42:16.604 - 00:42:16.972

Yeah.


Colin True

00:42:17.036 - 00:42:34.252

So. All right, I appreciate that. I think, I think I'm okay with it. But I get what you're saying. Yeah. Mine, I don't really have an outdoorsy one either.


Mine is everyone. It's not an unpopular thing to say. Everyone should be watching adolescence on Netflix. It's an incredible show.


My parting shot is to the audience, go watch adolescence.


Justin Housman

00:42:34.316 - 00:42:35.948

And it's adolescence with a ce.


Colin True

00:42:36.084 - 00:42:36.800

Yes.


Justin Housman

00:42:37.540 - 00:42:39.308

The condition of being an adolescent.


Colin True

00:42:39.404 - 00:42:40.044

Correct.


Justin Housman

00:42:40.172 - 00:42:42.026

Adolescence as a plural. As a group.


Colin True

00:42:42.108 - 00:42:47.838

Yep. It's a story of a family, some part of the uk. I'm not sure where it takes place.


Justin Housman

00:42:47.894 - 00:42:48.974

It's all the same UK is the.


Colin True

00:42:48.982 - 00:43:31.750

Size of this specific accent. It could be Wales. It could be, I don't know. But it's Manchester. Maybe it's not London, I can tell you that.


And it's you know, a tragedy befalls a member of this family and it's kind of then just an hour, four hours of four individual episodes, an hour each, that are dealing with the fallout of that tragedy. And it's shot in a way that it looks like each episode is shot in one take.


So it's almost like watching four one hour plays in a lot of ways because of the way the story is told. Incredibly impactful. If you have kids, be prepared. But it's still worth your time if you have teenagers.


Definitely gonna make you think about a few things that maybe you're not currently thinking of. And I highly recommend adolescence. Check it out.


Justin Housman

00:43:32.130 - 00:43:36.430

I am definitely gonna do a parting shot about going to the theater.


Colin True

00:43:36.850 - 00:43:38.650

Oh, did you go to the theater recently?


Justin Housman

00:43:38.770 - 00:43:43.458

No, but fucking love plays. Do you ever go to plays?


Colin True

00:43:43.634 - 00:43:48.962

Yeah, I mean, I haven't, I haven't for years. We mostly like Broadway musical type things. But.


Justin Housman

00:43:48.986 - 00:43:54.750

Yeah, but even just like a low, like for the. Unless it's shitty. Like even just like a local place. So interesting. So good.


Colin True

00:43:55.690 - 00:44:19.064

All right, man. That's the show for today. Like I said, we want your emails. Write to us about your mental health. That's the question we're looking to answer.


Send it to myrockfightmail.com TheRockfight's a production of Rock Fight LLC 4. Oh, I, I, I left Shantae's name in there. I hope that doesn't offend you. For Justin Ousman, I'm Colin Drew. Thanks for listening.


And here to take us out, it's Chris debates with the Rock Fight Fight song. We'll see you next time, Rock fighters.


Chris DeMakes

00:44:19.112 - 00:45:18.930

Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight. Rock fight, Rock fight. Welcome to the rock fight?


Where we speak our truth, slay sacred, cannot and sometimes agree to disagree.


We talk about human powered outdoor activities and pick bites about topics that we find interesting like pop culture, music, the latest movie reviews, ideas that aim for the head. This is where we speak our truth. This is where we speak our truth. Rock five, Rock five, Rock five? Welcome to the rock flight?


Rock flight, Rock flight? Welcome to the Rock flight? Rock flight? Rock fight, Rock flight, Rock fight, Rock fight? Welcome to the rock fight? Rock fight, Rock fight, Rock flight.

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