Erica Zazo (she/they) is a Chicago-based freelance outdoor writer covering adventure travel, urban nature, and the best hiking, biking, camping, and paddling gear. They've been writing in the outdoor industry for over a decade, testing products, sharing stories about lesser-traveled trails and towns, and sharing intel on adventures big and small. Her favorite way to spend time outside is with her wife and with a beer in hand–snowboarding, hiking, and camping are fun too.
Beyond words in Field Mag, Erica writes for industry publications including Trails Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, Outside Magazine, Mountain Gazette, and CNN Underscored, among others. She also writes for brand blogs like REI Co-op, Eddie Bauer, and Oboz about the outdoors. LGBTQ+ narratives, gender-neutral gear, and urban nature are other topics she loves to cover.
An advocate for city-based outdoor adventure, she leads local camping, kayaking, biking, and hiking trips with the Chicago chapter of Mappy Hour, a group for people who live in the city and loves the outdoors. Erica has been also been included in the 2024 Outdoor Media Summit 40 Under 40.
Prior to her career as an outdoors and travel writer, Erica earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism at Michigan State University.
