I've listened to shows like This American Life forever and I usually have NPR playing in the background when I'm driving, but it's only been in the last five years or so that I've become a total podcast addict. Now, I listen when I'm running, when I'm cooking, when I'm hanging out with own children, when there's a lull in activity for 20 minutes and I can quickly catch up on the latest episodes of Reply All or Strangers or Invisibilia or Revisionist History. As a new mom home with an infant daughter, the parenting podcast the Longest Shortest Time became literally my closest and most loyal companion—I still listen to that show religiously and my daughter will be four this summer.

So suffice it to say, I love podcasts. One day, I'd like to create one of my own (but apparently, nowadays, who doesn't?). Anyway, the point is it was a fun and easy assignment to pull together excellent adventure-oriented podcasts for Outside. Here's the list I came up with. Now get listening!