Unplugged #5: Why I'm optimistic about 2025

It's not all doom and gloom! In fact, the vibe I've been getting in January is one of hope and renewal... at least in my little corner of the world.

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First of all, it's been a minute since my last email, hasn't it? I spent the Christmas and New Year period largely offline. Since getting back to my desk, January has been a busy month. I've been working on Sidetracked Volume 32 and Like the Wind #44 simultaneously, collaborating with a fabulous range of fellow writers and photographers.

When not at work, I've been scanning and filing a large batch of analogue photographs: 19 rolls of film in total stretching back to October, but mostly from the December period when I was shooting a lot of film. Creatively it's felt like a really fulfilling month.

I've had some hill time, too! I was up in the northern Cairngorms in the first weekend of January, and a couple of weekends later Hannah and I joined the Forfar & District Hill Walking Club in Glen Prosen (yes, we have now joined the club).

Wild camp on Sgor Gaoith, out testing the Páramo Aspira 360 Smock and several other items currently on test

So, why on earth am I feeling optimistic for 2025, despite the global situation?

I don't want to minimise or dismiss the challenges being faced by our society and individuals. Least of all people I know, people in the industry I work in, who might have cause to feel less optimistic than me. Plenty of things are broken out there! A recent email from a colleague began with this line: 'It's 2025 and the world is on fire.' This is true, both literally (Los Angeles) and less so (to cite but one example, the fully ascended tech oligarchy now in charge of the USA). There's a lot of stuff to get angry about and to campaign both for and against.

But one thing I've learnt in the last 12 months is that we can only focus on so much – and sometimes focusing on less is the answer.

I'm learning how to let go of some things I can't change. In other words, there's wisdom here: 'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'

Last year, a key part of this for me was to switch off to the modern machine of 24-hour news... and, late in the year, to switch off from most social media as well (I'm still using LinkedIn in a limited way, as well as Substack). Most of the news I read now comes to me through print media, RSS, Substack, and email newsletters. I'm still informed, I'm just not marinating my brain in information of questionable relevance every waking moment. Turns out that the world feels a lot calmer when you aren't reflexively clicking on every piece of bad news that scrolls on by!

The creative sector of the outdoor industry, which is where I earn a living, has been through some challenging times over the last few years. Sluggish investment from brands leads to knock-on effects all the way down the food chain, highlighting the fact that this entire industry feeds on consumerism – a fact I continue to struggle with on a personal level.

However, I've started to see signs of hope. At least anecdotally. I've heard from multiple sources that brands and agencies are being freer with their budgets than they were a year ago, and this can only lead to more work for those of us at the creative end. I'm sure you can appreciate that I can't discuss ongoing commercial discussions I'm privy to – sadly this is a case of 'Trust me, I've been told stuff!' – but I've heard enough to be convinced. It's a trend!

Additionally, analogue counterculture is starting to go a lot more mainstream. If you're struggling to see how people taking pictures with film cameras and listening to music on vinyl connects to the above, stick with me. Print media feeds into it. As Simon Freeman (Like the Wind co-founder) posted on LinkedIn the other day, 'The brands have understood that there is a great opportunity to reach a portion of their customer base with slower, more meaningful journalism delivered in an analogue package.'

Put another way, as I wrote in my year in review for 2024: 'If you're reading a magazine, you're taking time away from screens – and you're choosing to engage with depth and quality rather than skimming over the infinite shallow surface of the internet.' It's getting a teeny bit political.

An image from my latest batch of film scanning. You don't have to go this analogue if you don't want to, trust me

There was a time, not so long ago, when it felt that only me and a few other oddballs thought this way. But times are changing. Other people are starting to catch onto this – and brands (which, whether we like it or not, are still where most of the money comes from in this industry) are starting to figure it out as well.

That's the pull factor. What about the push factor? Put simply, the internet is getting worse. And AI-generated slop is accelerating its decline. In 2024, people – normal people, not just nerds like me – started to notice, so they're looking for something better.

This is why I'm hopeful. First of all, I've planted my stake in the sand as a creative professional who specialises in quality storytelling, the human touch over automation, steering clear of short-term fads and trends, and empowering other creatives to embrace these values. Second, I champion analogue media and counterculture in the great outdoors. I have a theory that storytellers who stand for something and help others do the same, plus the media outlets who champion these values, are about to have their day in the sun. And I'm not just talking about analogue counterculture here – I'm talking about all forms of quality adventure media that put human values, stories crafted with care, above machine values. Doing the work rather than taking shortcuts, basically.

I'm looking at all the writers, photographers and filmmakers out there who have stayed true to their principles despite the challenges of the last few years. I'm looking at the magazines who have made the right choices even when they weren't easy. Being human, and creating work of quality and enduring value, is only going to get more important – not less.

Recently published

The February 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors is no longer the current issue, but it's still available to order. In it you'll find a comparative review of hiking trousers I completed with Kirsty Pallas, as well as two Wild Walks: Ben Vrackie and the Tarmachan Ridge (both accompanied exclusively by 35mm film images).

Lonnie Dupre’s Adventures: How Childhood Curiosity Led to -50°C Expeditions – my video review with Lonnie Dupre, live from Kendal Mountain Festival 2024, is now up on YouTube. I probably look a bit self-conscious because I was suffering from a cold sore at the time (I tend to get these rather than getting ill) and didn't know I'd be on camera before the interview!

What I've been reading

Books

I'm currently reading The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth – a remarkable apocalyptic novel telling the story of the 1066 Norman invasion from the perspective of the invaded. The quirk here is that the writing is in a 'shadow language' that evokes the feel of Old English texts such as the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, complete with plenty of genuine Old English words. The main character is not the most likeable, at least so far, but the experience of reading this book is like nothing else; it pulls you in with your total attention.

so it is when a world ends
who is thu i can not cnaw but i will tell thu this thing
be waery of the storm
be most waery when there is no storm in sight

Online stuff

First of all, this is (unusually for me) a podcast recommendation. Matt Barr, an outdoor industry stalwart whom I greatly admire for asking the right questions and trying to work towards a better industry, is publishing a new podcast series called 'The Announcement' (episode 1 here, and you can click through to the rest from there). It's about the big Patagonia business pivot to make Earth their only shareholder, 'going purpose, not going public'. I've only listened to the first two episodes so far, but this is really solid stuff and by no means just a puff piece for Patagonia (for example, episode 2 steps away from the Patagonia perspective and brings in voices challenging the narrative). It goes far beyond Patagonia, too! This is about looking at systems change for the future of humanity, and the relationship between philanthropy and democracy. Without introducing any spoilers, here are a couple of quotes that stood out to me:

Should wealthy individuals be able to wield such power and influence? And does this undermine trust in our democratic institutions? [...] This situation reflects the plutocratic nature of our world, where a concentration of wealth can lead to significant influence and decision-making power.

Whatever our political views, we have to be aware of how much power is involved when billionaires are engaged in philanthropy. It's not a democratic accountable system.

The Best of 2024 – Alex Burke shares some absolutely spectacular landscape images from last year. All large-format colour film. This kind of mastery is a long way beyond my skill level.

Revelry Collection: Submissions – This is not the first time I've shared Revelry Collection on Unplugged, but I thought I'd share it again, as I've recently noticed their submissions section. It’s so refreshing to see this in the photography guidelines for an up-and-coming print adventure magazine: ‘We only accept original FILM photos taken by humans and original artwork/illustrations created by humans. AI-generated submissions are not permitted. Images must be shot on FILM. Whether it is 35mm, 120mm, etc, does not matter what kind of film. No digital photography whatsoever.’

Vibe Shiftlessness – Talking about vibe above made me think about this thoughtful essay from Nicholas Carr. 'When everything, including ourselves, exists as media content, as electromagnetic vibrations in an all-encompassing system of communication, then reality itself becomes the pattern formed by those vibrations — a vibe, in our favored shorthand. And history becomes a record of the shifting of those patterns.'

The TikTok Ban Is About More Than TikTok – No matter your views on the TikTok ban, Cal Newport points out a reason for hope in this short piece. 'What interests me more about these events is the cultural rubicon that we just crossed. To date, we’ve largely convinced ourselves that once a new technology is introduced and spread, we cannot go backward. [...] The TikTok ban, even if only temporary, demonstrates we can do things. These services are not sacrosanct. Laws can be passed and our lives will still go on.'

Reflections on 2024: A year of adventure and being brave – Ross Brannigan on his big move to the Alps.

That's all, folks

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