The Art of Adventure with Beau Miles

Excerpts taken from Wild Chats Podcast with Ben Southall and Beau Miles.

In a recent conversation on Wild Chats with Ben Southall from Best Life Adventures and Aussie adventure-filmmaker Beau Miles unpacks what fuels his projects from human-powered missions (kayaks, runs, walks) to radical ideas like a mile an hour. It’s part adventure talk, part life philosophy, and a solid nudge to stop waiting and get out there.

Below are the big lessons (and the practical takeaways) for Wild Earth Australia readers who want more adventure in their everyday.

Who is Beau Miles (and why do his adventures resonate with so many of us)?

Beau Miles is an award winning Aussie filmmaker who makes offbeat documentaries about adventure, sustainability and the human condition. He’s also an author and speaker but first and foremost, he’s a storyteller. Yes, he’s done epic stuff (like a multi-month kayak expedition along the African coast) but what makes Beau so bingeable is that he doesn’t chase ‘hard’ for the sake of it. He finds meaningful adventures in the mundane.

“I’d say I’m to be a bit cliche, I’m probably just a storyteller these days, and I try and weave that into whatever the heck I’m doing, whether I’m writing something or making a film or giving a talk.” - Beau Miles

He describes his work as a messy hybrid between writer, filmmaker, YouTuber and ‘a poor man’s polymath.’
He finds adventure in the mundane.
He makes projects small enough to start, but interesting enough to finish.
He keeps it relatable.

That’s a blueprint anyone can use.

The best adventures aren’t always ‘out there’

Ben opens with the question most of us are thinking. “Do you really have to go far to find something that changes you?”, and Beau’s answer (over and over) is, “No”.

The travel industry loves the myth that adventure only happens on the other side of a flight. Beau flips that narrative and highlights that his stories often happen close to home…and that’s the point.

“I would say that most of my influences do not come from the adventure space or from the travel space. They come from humans or a bloody big tree when it's blowing a gale, you know? I can get a whole punch of stuff from weird angles… I think you have to embrace the unknown and that's where there's so much beauty in it. But you’ve got to trust yourself with it. So embrace the unknown, take no prisoners, do the weird stuff.” - Beau Miles

Try this today: pick a nearby place you’ve never explored (a river, a fire trail, a headland, a creek line), and give it a mission:

walk it end-to-end
paddle it for an hour
run it at sunrise
photograph five ‘tiny worlds’ (mushrooms, bark, insect trails, lichen)

Beau Miles’ Creative Process

One of the most relatable parts of the chat is where Beau talks about alone time, especially as a parent. He’s rarely truly alone, so running becomes a kind of moving meditation where he can be out the door in a minute with no complicated logistics required. It’s that carved out solo time is where ideas tend to show up.

“Running's very attractive to me at this stage because it's simpler than going for a paddle…I can be out the door in a minute. And so I get this instant hit of just my own head. And that's where the creativity comes from.” - Beau Miles

Takeaway: If you want better ideas (or just a calmer mind), protect a small pocket of solitude with no inputs and just move your body until creativity bubbles up.

Africa by Kayak

Beau talks about planning a major kayak expedition kayaking 2000km around the southern tip of Africa (originally around 4,000 km, later cut down to about 2,000 km). The key moment was when his mate, who had planned to join, pulled out close to departure.

The real lesson: Planning is useful, but you can’t plan your way out of reality. You need adaptable systems and enough humility to change the route.

Ditch the Perfect Setup for Functional and Repairable

Beau’s gear talk is a breath of fresh air because it’s not a shiny-shopping list. His kit focuses more on long lasting items that are multi-use and easily repaired. On the kayak trip he mentions:

a small solar panel and satellite phone as a lifeline
filming on tape stock (pre-YouTube era)
rudders, deck lines, cockpits breaking constantly
a cheap paddle, leaky gear, stuff failing early

But his kayak choice mattered, it needed to be tough, fixable, able to take a hammering.

What this means for your Wild Earth kit

When you’re choosing gear for remote or rough conditions, ask:

Can I fix it in the field?
Will it survive abuse?
Can I replace a single component (not the whole item)?

A practical ‘repair-first’ gear shortlist

Tenacious-style repair tape (jackets, tents, packs)
Seam sealer and patch kit (shelter insurance)
Spare buckles and cordage (pack + strap fixes)
A small multitool
A lightweight needle and strong thread (or gear repair kit)

Sustainability, the Beau Miles way

Beau’s sustainability stance isn’t a performance. He grew up in a zero-waste household where food was eaten or reused, materials got saved, and nothing was casually binned. That shows up in his projects now from scavenging timber, repurposing materials, repairing gear and refusing to waste. He also makes an important point that being hardcore 100% of the time is tough and you have to pick moments where you can genuinely do it well.

“There was just no waste in our household. I'm just not going to buy any new stuff. I'm going to repair it.…I really like that phase of life where I'm buying a lot less. I'm using a lot less, but I'm repairing more...And for Patagonia to have a slogan like, buy less, demand more, I really respect that…And look, Wild Earth has got that kind of kudos as well. You know, they're a B Corp…" - Beau Miles

Try the Beau approach:

repair one thing this month instead of replacing it
buy one ‘lasts a lifetime’ item instead of three cheap ones
re-home or resell gear you don’t use
choose multi-use gear over single-purpose gimmicks

Bad River and the uncomfortable truth that wild places aren’t always wild

One hard hitting piece is Beau paddling Sydney’s Cooks River and being shocked by how quickly it shifts from ‘not too bad’ to ‘thick with rubbish.’ The point of this wasn’t to shame cities but instead to remind us that we don’t just impact faraway places. Our waste shows up close to home too, often just downstream where we don’t have to look at it.

A simple weekend mission: do a local micro clean-up while you hike/paddle/walk and bring one rubbish bag (check out this KEA reusable rubbish bag). Set a timer for 20 minutes, and pick up whatever’s on your route. No pressure to save the planet in one go, it’s just an easy add-on to something you’re doing anyway, and it makes your favourite spot noticeably nicer.

A Mile an Hour: A different kind of marathon

If you only know Beau for the big missions, A Mile an Hour is one of the most powerful. On paper, it is simple enough, run one mile, every hour, for 24 hours. In real life, it becomes something else entirely and it’s the space in between where the story happens. Instead of smashing out a marathon in one go, Beau uses the gaps to share a story of a whole day. He tinkers in the shed, eats, potters around, thinks, resets. Each mile becomes a small start line and each hour we ask if it’s possible to begin again.

“I struggle to think that's an adventure sometimes. I think, ‘It's just some bloke that wants to get a bit of stuff done in his shed and then he goes for a run every hour.” - Beau Miles

But that is exactly why it works. It is accessible, weird, and oddly profound. It’s a reminder that you do not always need a dramatic start line or a faraway destination. You can build an experience that changes you inside your own everyday life, with your own routines still running in the background. This ties into one of Beau’s biggest creative rules, to keep it fun. If it feels playful, it becomes magnetic. If it feels genuine, people lean in. If you're looking to get into running, check out running essentials here.

“It was total fly by the seat of your pants… but it was totally genuine, too…it felt right. It felt like fun and I thought you know what, I'm just going to go…because if it's fun for me, it translates and that's I think gold dust.” - Beau Miles

YouTube, creativity, and the 21-day rule

Beau talks openly about the tension of YouTube in which consistency matters, but great creative work doesn’t always fit a schedule.

His current system is:

aim to release a film every 21 days
keep a backlog of 200 script ideas (from one paragraph to a page)
choose projects based on seasons, timing, available people, weather, and opportunity

When Ben asks what adventure people should do this weekend, Beau refuses to prescribe a one-size challenge. His answer is better:

Everyone is weird.
Everyone thinks weird stuff.
Do the weird thing you keep thinking about.

That could be:

drive the ‘left-right game’ (first left, first right, repeat and see where you end up)
build something from reclaimed materials
run at an intentionally slow pace and notice what you normally miss
sleep one night outside, close to home, with a simple setup

If you want adventure, stop outsourcing it to big plans and start with a small decision today.

Gear ideas (a buy less, use longer list)

If you’re building a kit that matches Beau’s philosophy, think long lasting, durable, simple, sustainable and repairable:

weatherproof shell you’ll actually wear often
warm mid-layer (down/synthetic) that packs small
daypack that fits properly
headlamp you trust
basic repair kit (tape, cord, multitool)
water bottle you’ll keep for years

Adventure is a decision, not a destination

Beau’s stories aren’t really about kayaks or mileage. They’re about choosing a different way to move through your week by noticing more, wasting less, and trusting that small weird ideas are worth following. So, if you do one thing after watching The Art of Adventure with Beau Miles, do the weird thing you keep thinking about and start your big adventurer closer to home.

Beau’s best reminder is that you do not have to wait for the big ‘someday trip’ to feel alive. You can build a more interesting life from smaller, weirder decisions like walking the long way home or fixing the thing instead of replacing it. Saying yes to the idea that keeps tapping you on the shoulder and following the fun because if it’s fun for you, it becomes magnetic for everyone else, and that is usually where the good stories begin.

If this conversation ignited a creative spark in you, keep going down the rabbit hole with Beau’s YouTube Channel and book The Backyard Adventurer.

FAQs related to Beau Miles

Q: Who is Beau Miles and why is he so popular?
A: Beau Miles is an Australian filmmaker, author and storyteller who makes adventure films that feel real and relatable. People love him because he finds meaning in ordinary places, keeps things practical, and tells a great story without needing big-budget gear or faraway trips.

Q: What is ‘A Mile an Hour’ and what are the rules?
A: A Mile an Hour is a 24-hour challenge where you run one mile every hour for 24 hours. It sounds simple, but the challenge is the rhythm of starting again each hour, managing fatigue, and using the in-between time well.

Q: Has anyone tried a mile-every-hour challenge, and what tips help?
A: Yes, plenty of runners try similar formats. The usual tips are to keep the pace easy, set alarms, plan simple food and hydration, keep your gear ready to go, and make the rest hour, genuinely restful (feet up, warm clothes, quick reset).

Q: Where should I start if I’m new to Beau Miles?
A: Start with one of his most popular films on YouTube (often A Mile an Hour or another short, story-driven project), then follow your curiosity. If you like the running ones, stay in that lane first, then branch into the build projects and paddling adventures.

Q: Do you really need to go far to have a proper adventure?
A: Not at all. A big Beau theme is that adventure is a decision, not a destination. A simple mission in a nearby place can be just as memorable as a big trip if you show up with intent and attention.

Q: What is Beau Miles’ gear philosophy?
A: Functional and repairable beats shiny and perfect. He tends to choose gear that can take a beating, be fixed in the field, and used for years, rather than fragile gear you have to replace when something small fails.

Q: Is ‘The Backyard Adventurer’ worth reading?
A: If you like Beau’s style, yes. It’s focused on finding adventure close to home and making life more interesting through small missions, not chasing epic travel for the sake of it. You can grab a copy here.