The Reset
For busy or overwhelmed people who need to slow down, reflect, and spend intentional time outdoors — away from the noise. Step away from daily distractions, phones away, quiet trails, no agenda beyond being out there.
$175 per session
Rochester, New York • Adirondacks • Catskills • Finger Lakes
Making the outdoors accessible to all.
By Your Side Outfitters started with outdoor education online — geology, trails, skills, and stories from New York's wild places. Now it is growing into personalized, one-on-one outdoor experiences built around your goals.
Photos on this site are Nick's own — taken on the trails, lakes, and summits where these experiences happen.
The idea
More than a guided hike. Time outside, with a purpose.
Nature can be more than recreation. It can be a place to learn, challenge yourself, slow down, build confidence, and grow. Every experience here is designed around the person in front of me — their experience, comfort level, and what they actually want out of the day.
I teach regional geology and physical geography, hiking, and bushcraft to a community of about 40,000 people across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. The one-on-one work is the next step: taking what works on screen and doing it in person, by your side.
Build confidenceLearn practical skillsSlow down & reflectConnect with nature
About me
Hi, I'm Nick Griffin.
I'm the founder of By Your Side Outfitters, and the person you'll be out on the trail with. I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, and I'm now based in Rochester, New York — with a piece of rural land in the northern Adirondacks that I manage for habitat, including a beaver wetland corridor and young birch and aspen growth.
Online, I teach regional geology and physical geography — the Adirondacks, Catskills, Taconic range, Berkshires, Finger Lakes, and Tug Hill Plateau — along with hiking and bushcraft, to a community of about 40,000 people. Winter camping, canoeing, and land navigation are where I spend my own time outside.
By Your Side Outfitters exists for one reason: making the outdoors accessible to all. Whether it's a one-on-one experience, a family hike, or a free backpack through Backpacks Without Barriers, the goal is the same — nobody gets left inside.
Rochester, NYOutdoor educatorGeology & geographyWinter camping
Flagship — one-on-one
The By Your Side Experience
A personalized outdoor experience designed around you — not a set route, not a group tour. We start with a real conversation about your goals, then build four in-person outings around them.
1
Discovery conversation
A 30–45 minute conversation about your goals, experience, needs, and comfort level — so the day is planned honestly, from the start.
2
Your four outings
Four personalized in-person outings — half-day or full-day — with relevant skills, the right amount of challenge, and unhurried time in nature.
3
Practical support
Coaching-style conversation on the trail, plus outdoor gear recommendations and guidance connected directly to your goals.
4
Follow-up that sticks
A follow-up conversation after your final outing, plus weekly check-ins for a full month — so what started outdoors carries into everyday life.
The comprehensive package
Everything above, as one complete experience — planned, guided, and followed up personally.
- Discovery & planning conversation
- Four personalized in-person outings (half-day or full-day)
- Skills coaching matched to your goals
- Gear guidance & recommendations
- Follow-up conversation
- Weekly check-ins for one month
$500 comprehensive package
That's four outings at $125 each — a single themed session runs $175, so the package is the better deal. And a conversation about your goals is always free — reach out first, decide after we talk.
This is outdoor coaching and guided experience — not clinical therapy or medical treatment. If you're unsure whether it's the right fit, ask. That's exactly what the first conversation is for.
Not sure yet? Email me
No commitment — the first conversation is free.
More ways outside
Themed experiences
Three focused formats, each built on the same one-on-one approach — $175 per session. Want more than one outing? The flagship package above bundles four outings for $500.
The Challenge
Build confidence and skills through a goal-oriented outdoor challenge — hard enough to matter, planned so you can do it.
$175 per session
The Adventure
Explore somewhere new, learn hands-on skills, and develop confidence through a genuine first-time experience.
$175 per session
Interested in one of these? Email me
Tell me which one fits — we'll talk it through.
For employers & teams
Corporate wellness, outdoors
An outdoor experience for busy professionals and teams — reflection, communication, confidence, and real time away from work pressure. The Team Reset is developed with the employer around its goals and group size.
The Team Reset
An outdoor break from work pressure, with intentional time in nature and space to reflect.
$100 per person
Community access
Nobody gets left inside.
Accessibility and inclusion are central to this work — not an add-on. Community programs are built with local partners and shaped around participants' abilities, support needs, and funding.
Youth Group Outing
A single guided outdoor outing for a youth group — skills, confidence, teamwork, mentorship, and safe outdoor learning, built around the group's goals, experience level, and comfort.
$250 per group
Inclusive experiences
Adapted activities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, based on each participant's abilities and support needs.
Nonprofit partnerships
Outdoor experiences for people facing financial, social, or accessibility barriers — gentle hikes, birdwatching, campfire cooking, sensory exploration, and more.
Monthly family hike — all are welcome.
First hike: Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Lucien Morin Park, 1135 Empire Blvd, Rochester, NY 14609. Easy trail, kids of all ages welcome — wear sturdy shoes or boots.
First hike: Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Lucien Morin Park, 1135 Empire Blvd, Rochester, NY 14609. Easy trail, kids of all ages welcome — wear sturdy shoes or boots.
Give the gear, open the trail
Backpacks Without Barriers
A mission-aligned fundraiser that puts essential outdoor gear in the hands of people who might not otherwise be able to afford it — whether they're just starting out or already hike but lack the equipment they need. $100 fills one backpack with supplies for someone facing financial barriers to the outdoors. Donated gear so far includes water filters from Sawyer, plus support from local partners — and Rush Public Library has voted yes to a trial distribution point.
$50Entry-level contribution toward a filled backpack
$100Fills one complete backpack
$250Larger contribution — fills two backpacks and then some
Donate on GoFundMe Donate gear as a brand →
Brands and companies that donate get a genuine shout-out across By Your Side Outfitters' platforms — of course we'll shout you out for doing a good thing.
From the trail
Places these experiences come from
Every photo below is mine — no stock, no AI. Adirondack lakes, Catskill creeks, High Peaks weather, and one very frozen fire tower.
Ready to get outside? Email me
Tap to open your email app — I'll reply personally.
Work with me
Start with a conversation.
Tell me what you're hoping to get out of time outdoors — a goal, a reset, a first hike, a program for your team, or gear for someone who needs it. I'll reply personally.
byyoursideoutfitters@gmail.com
Based in Rochester, New York. Experiences across the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Catskills, and western New York.
Follow the education side
Daily outdoor education — geology, geography, trail skills, and stories — is still the heartbeat of By Your Side Outfitters.
- The By Your Side Experience: $500 comprehensive package — four outings included
- Themed experiences: $175 per session (The Reset, The Challenge, The Adventure)
- For teams: The Team Reset $100 per person
- Youth Group Outing: $250 per group
- Backpacks Without Barriers: $100 fills a backpack