Open Container: Outdoor culture as a free flowing conversation

When British explorer George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Everest, he famously replied, “Because it’s there.” But what if the real answer is simpler and potentially more beautiful? Today on Open Container , Doug explores the deeper meaning behind Kilian Jornet’s “States of Elevation” project , a 3,200-mile, human-powered journey linking all 72 fourteeners in the lower 48 states . Jorne...

What happens when you build trails that everyone can ride? In this episode of Open Container , host Doug Schnitzspahn talks with Berne Broudy , writer, filmmaker, and director of Best Day Ever , and Greg Durso , adaptive athlete and Senior Program Director at the Kelly Brush Foundation . Together, they share the story behind Best Day Ever, a film and movement that began when a few friends realized...

Welcome to Open Container, where we unpack the most urgent issues facing the outdoor community - culture, conservation, and the power of nature to heal. Today, Doug Schnitzspahn sits down with director and photographer Ben Clark to explore a rare story of restoration and resilience on America’s wild lands. Drawing on his background as an adventurer and filmmaker, Ben shares behind-the-scenes insig...

Welcome to Open Container, where today we're discussing one of the defining features of the American experience: our public lands. Host Doug Schnitzspahn kicks things off with a personal reflection on how these wild places are woven into our national identity and the critical roles they play, not just as recreation spaces, but as battlegrounds for conservation, resource extraction, and cultural co...

In this episode of Open Container , host Doug Schnitzspahn is joined by Jordan Campbell who is a journalist, photographer, mountaineer, and award-winning documentary filmmaker, to discuss his latest project, Ukraine Under Fire . Campbell, known for his career in the outdoor industry and international expeditions, has turned his focus toward humanitarian storytelling in conflict zones. He shares hi...

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is once again under threat. Politicians and oil companies see short-term gain; conservationists, Indigenous peoples, and outdoor advocates see the loss of one of America’s last truly wild places. In this episode of Open Container , Doug speaks with Kristen Miller , Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League and co-chair of the Arctic Refuge Defens...

The American South is often overlooked in outdoor conversations but it holds some of the richest stories in climbing, culture, and community. Today Doug Schnitzspahn opens the container with photographer, filmmaker, and writer Andrew Kornylak , whose new book Spare These Stones: A Journey Through Southern Climbing Culture (Mountaineers Books) captures the hidden corners and unsung heroes of the So...

Today we open the container with Gear Abby herself, outdoor journalist and author, Shawnté Salabert. Doug begins the episode looking at the interconnectedness of humanity and nature noting that the outdoors is not a separate entity but an integral part of our existence. Doug is then joined by writer, podcaster, and educator Shawnté Salabert to talk about what it really means to “be outdoors”? From...

Today we open the container with Arkansas' first Director of Office of Outdoor Recreation, Katherine Andrews. Doug begins the show highlighting the transformative potential of outdoor recreation in revitalizing small-town economies. Because, as we learned from Ray Kinsella's voice "if you build it, they will come." Doug is then joined by Katherine Andrews. As Arkansas' Director of the Office of Ou...

Today we open the container with environmental journalist, Sophie Benson . Doug begins the show discussing the need for sustainability; both due to consumer behavior and in order to achieve environmental conservation. He explores the idea that individuals gravitate towards choices that are easy, obvious, and convenient, which directly impacts their decision making processes and spending habits. Do...

Today we open the container with Robert Hanna. Doug begins today's episode with an exploration of the profound cultural shift from outright denial to a pervasive apathy regarding environmental issues. But he also offers a more hopeful narrative, showcasing significant victories in conservation, such as the surge in dam removals across the United States. Doug is then joined by Robert Hanna, a desce...

Today Doug opens the container with Greg Williams. Doug begins the show by embracing dirtbag status. If you work in the outdoor industry, you are indeed a dirtbag. Because you have merged your passion for the outdoors with a career choice that should allow you more time outside. Doug is then joined by Greg Williams, president of Backbone Media, who shares his extensive background working at the in...

Today Doug opens the container with Ian Yolles. Doug begins the show by invoking the spirit of Henry David Thoreau whose philosophical tenets epitomized the need for individuals to reclaim their connection to nature. Doug also reflects on our experiences held in the wilderness and how they underscore the significant growth of resilience, and introspection. He is then joined by Ian Yolles who has w...

Today Doug opens the container with retailers Nick & Chikki Shajwani. Doug begins this episode by recounting the life of his family who immigrated to the United States from Germany and discovered the outdoors while building a remarkable life in their new home country. Doug is then joined by brothers Nick and Chikki Shajwani, immigrant entrepreneurs who have founded and developed Molly's Place,...

Today Doug opens the container with author and beaver enthusiast Ben Goldfarb. Doug begins the episode discussing our obsession with roads. While there is a lot to love about the highways that take us to amazing places, the world is undoubtedly suffering because we've paved in so much of them. The topic of roads is timely given the Trump administration's rescinding of the roadless rule threatens t...

Today Doug opens the container with Jessica Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. Doug begins the show by recounting the personal impact the recent legislative attempt to sell off portions of our public lands had on him and the relief he felt when that attempt failed. He also highlights how the collective response from the outdoor world—spanning hunters, hikers, and conservation...

Today Doug opens the container with Teresa Baker. Doug begins the show by weighing in on the timely and urgent need to protect our public lands, which are currently facing a historical and unprecedented threat. He talks about the implications of a legislative push that could result in the sale of millions of acres of these cherished spaces, highlighting a provision introduced by Senator Mike Lee t...

Today Doug opens the container with outdoor industry insider, Eoin Comerford. Doug begins the show by reflecting on the evolution of the outdoor recreation industry and humanity's changing relationship with nature. What began as mere survival has changed to become the pursuit of recreation, contemplation, and connection within the natural world. Doug is then joined by the former CEO of Moosejaw Mo...

Today Doug opens the container with outdoor industry media veteran, Drew Simmons. Doug opens the show lamenting the fact that despite the challenges our natural world faces, environmentalist has become a dirty word these days. He goes on to describe the 30 by 30 initiative, which seeks to conserve 30% of the Earth’s ecosystems by the year 2030, and implore Open Container listeners to help protect...

Today Doug opens the container with author and river guide Bridget Crocker. Doug opens the show describing the magic of river time. The feeling when one goes on a river trip and the confines of our modern lives go out the window. Where the simplicity and routine of the tasks required on the river take over and how this is especially true for those with ADHD. Doug is then joined by Bridget Crocker,...

Today Doug opens the container with author Betsy Gaines Quammen . Doug begins the episode reflecting on his first experience moving to the western US where the natural beauty of the outdoors was overwhelming and he encountered an overarching sentiment of distrust and anger towards himself as a newcomer as well as the government authority who was employing him. That same mentality has persisted and...

Today Doug opens the container with Greta Morgan. The open of today's episode focuses on the final days of Doug's father and how in his grief it was nature that spoke to and comforted him. Doug is then joined by musician Greta Morgan who's new book, The Lost Voice , details her journey of losing her singing voice due to a combination of spasmodic dysphonia and long Covid and the journey of discove...

Today Doug opens the container with David Mykel. In his open, Doug talks about fear. The way it arrives, has a tendency to stick around and how a clear head can go a long way in scary situations. Doug is then joined by performance psychologist David Mykel. Through their conversation, Doug and David discuss the intricate relationship between fear and the exhilaration that comes from the wild. They...

Today Doug opens the container with adventurer Eric Larsen. Doug begins the show by sharing how his life was shaped by his cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2024. A diagnosis that has not only reshaped his perspective on life but also deepened his appreciation for our beautiful planet. Doug is then joined by polar adventurer (not explorer) Eric Larson, who has also battled cancer. Eric's extensive t...

Today Doug opens the container with Mountain Gazette's Mike Rogge. Doug opens the show by talking about the historical role of storytelling. He points out that storytelling is not merely a form of communication but a fundamental aspect of human evolution and something that allows us to connect with one another and understand our place in the cosmos. Storytelling is also a cornerstone of our outdoo...