{"id":71,"date":"2023-02-07T11:50:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T11:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/?p=71"},"modified":"2023-03-27T10:41:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T09:41:58","slug":"spending-time-outdoors-is-crucial-to-me-its-important-just-to-be-able-to-switch-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/spending-time-outdoors-is-crucial-to-me-its-important-just-to-be-able-to-switch-off\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s important just to be able to switch off\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In conversation with Chris Knight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop.jpg 1038w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"http:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2023\/02\/interview-guy-crop.jpg 1038w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up in the Gower Peninsula, Chris Knight has always had an appreciation for Wales\u2019 natural beauty. After retiring his professional rugby career in 2016, Chris used his photography skills to transition into full-time travel and adventuring. His goal is to motivate his impressive Instagram audience of over 11K to get outdoors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ohwhataknight_\/\">@OHWHATAKNIGHT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-vivid-red-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-vivid-red-background-color has-background is-style-dots\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>What inspired you to become an outdoors influencer?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. I played rugby for a number of years but unfortunately had to retire due to a slipped disc in my back. So walking was one of the ways that I got over that to improve my physical health and also my mental health. I picked up a camera because I was going to all these beautiful landscapes and I wanted to show my friends and family. It just snowballed from there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>Do you think getting out and about is important for mental health?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. Spending time outdoors is crucial to me. It\u2019s important just to be able to switch off and not have to think about the stresses and strains of life. Put your phone away if you can, don\u2019t be transfixed by social media.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>What hikes would you recommend to a beginner?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. There\u2019s so many beautiful coastal walks where I am in the Gower. One of my favourites is Rhossily. There\u2019s about four or five beautiful low level walks. If you\u2019re talking about mountains, Pen y Fan. It\u2019s got a track that even children can walk up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>What clothing do you wear on a hike?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. I tend to go for the tried and tested three layering system on top. You have a base layer, which can either be synthetic or a merino wool blend. Then in winter I\u2019ll wear a lightweight mid-layer. I always take a waterproof jacket, even when it\u2019s not raining, as it provides protection against the wind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>What footwear do you recommend?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. I recommend wearing proper hiking boots. Ideally the boots should be comfortable, durable and offer protection. I prefer waterproof ones so if you step into a bit of a puddle or a bog, you\u2019re not going to have damp feet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>What essential equipment do you bring with you?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. A good quality backpack. It\u2019s good to have chest and shoulder straps to disperse weight. I always take extra layers. I also pack a power bank and charging cable because I use my phone for navigation. I bring a head torch in case I stay after dark. I also bring more food and water than I need.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>Do you have any advice for beginner hikers who are insecure about their lack of experience?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. To start off with, explore somewhere familiar. For people who live in big urban landscapes, I would say try to make use of local spaces, whether that\u2019s parks or forests. Make time for it. If you\u2019re worried about going alone, there\u2019s tons of walking groups.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. <strong>Do you have any safety tips?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>A. Make sure you have the proper equipment. Monitor the weather conditions. Having a good hiking app is crucial. Google Maps won\u2019t cut it because you don\u2019t always get a signal. I use Ordinance Survey and I download the maps for offline use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-vivid-red-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-vivid-red-background-color has-background is-style-dots\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>N.B: Wick away: this refers to a material that takes small drops of liquid from an area and moves them away, i.e. sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ohwhataknight_\/\">Instagram<\/a> and track his activities, we hope he can inspire you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ex-rugby player discusses swapping scrummaging for adventuring captured through a lens, while giving advice to beginners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":923,"featured_media":83,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[55,53,38,54],"class_list":["post-71","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","tag-beginner","tag-essentials","tag-hike","tag-mental-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/923"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":461,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71\/revisions\/461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/gorp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}