Outdoor Minimalist

Dr. Bronner's has long been considered the gold standard of sustainable soap. It's a staple in outdoor kits, zero-waste homes, and camping gear lists thanks to its versatility, plant-based ingredients, and reputation for environmental responsibility. But how much of that reputation actually holds up under closer scrutiny? In this collaborative episode with the hosts of Greening Up My Act ,...

In this solo episode, I reflect on my experience attending the Switchback Event and unpack a question I can't seem to shake: Can an industry built on perpetual growth truly call itself a climate leader? I explore why climate communication often falls short—even within companies that publicly champion environmental values. And this episode also takes a more nuanced look at the historical values...

This episode was originally posted on November 13, 2023. In episode 112 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we will be talking a whole lot of shit. Our focus today is on a topic that I care deeply about, and I spend a lot of time thinking about it because I have three large dogs: dog poop. More specifically, we discuss why we should all pick up our dog’s poop and the best ways to dispose of it once...

In this week's public lands news briefing, we covered four stories: - Mike Lee pushes the latest effort to repeal the Roadless Rule, a landmark conservation policy protecting 58 million acres of national forest land. - Department of Homeland Security waived dozens of environmental laws to accelerate construction through the Big Bend Region for an updated border wall. - Ed Stierli from the Nati...

It can feel impossible to find joy when the headlines never seem to let up. From attacks on public lands and environmental protections to growing uncertainty for the people who steward these places, many of us are carrying a constant sense of urgency, grief, and overwhelm. But what if joy isn't a distraction from the work? What if joy is what sustains us through it? In episode 224 of Outdoor M...

In this week's public lands news briefing, we cover three stories: 1. Republican-controlled Congress includes mining leases for Twin Metals in Northern MN in the Fiscal Year 2027 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill 2. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of Agriculture signed a new agreement that could allow the use of M-44 devices on BLM-managed lands once again ft. Broo...

In episode 223 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we explore the connection between outdoor literacy, geography education, and environmental stewardship with educator and creator Natalie Teboul, also known as Traveling Miss T. Natalie shares how her Math Maps curriculum helps students engage with public lands through hands-on mapping activities, making outdoor education and spatial literacy more a...

Episode 140 featuring Sydney Stephens was originally posted on July 1, 2024. This episode is a repost. Now, two years later, hearing how to safely interact with bears feels more relevant than ever. We're seeing the vilification of predators under the Trump administration in Alaska, Minnesota, and beyond. These animals are just trying to survive, and perhaps it is time that we humans learn how...

This week’s public lands news briefing covers: 1. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum returns to Congress to defend the Trump administration’s FY27 Interior budget proposal 2. The Department of the Interior transfers 1.4 million acres in Alaska’s Dalton Utility Corridor to the State of Alaska with John Gaedeke 3. Alaska’s controversial Mulchatna bear control program continues amid ongoing legal challen...

At the beginning of April, I published an article for SFGATE asking a simple but complicated question: Do clothing take-back programs actually reduce clothing production and fashion’s environmental impact? After speaking with brands like Levi Strauss & Co., Patagonia, and The North Face, the answer wasn’t exactly clear. Every brand approached take-back and resale differently, with different go...

The clothing brand TEREN was built on a simple idea: pack less, adventure more. Now, their first hire, Casey Hyde, has stepped in as CEO to lead the brand’s next chapter. In episode 221 of the Outdoor Minimalist Podcast , Casey shares how he wore the brand’s Traveler Tee for 60 days and its Traveler Pants for 45 days before washing—an experiment designed to challenge how often we wash, pack, and r...

This Friday, we're covering: 1. Doug Burgum defends the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget for the Department of the Interior before Congress 2. Senator Martin Heinrich questions Brooke Rollins on the Forest Service Reorganization 3. Republicans package Steve Pearce, nominated to be the next director of the Bureau of Land Management, in an en bloc vote with 49 other nominations ft. Michael Carroll, Direc...

In 2023, we released an episode about eco-anxiety that quickly became one of the most listened-to conversations on this show, and landed us our first award.  But honestly, that didn’t surprise me. More and more people are feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world—whether it’s the climate crisis, the 24-hour news cycle, political instability, or just the constant sense that everything is happen...

This week’s public lands news briefing covers: 1. Recent Big Bend border wall lawsuits with Laiken Jordahl (Center for Biological Diversity) 2. The proposed FY2027 Department of the Interior budget and its impacts on BLM lands with Chris Hill (Conservation Lands Foundation) 3. The Senate’s passage of H.J. Res. 140, overturning Boundary Waters mining protections Resources & Links: Senate roll c...

What if the most sustainable outdoor product… is one that you never buy in the first place? The outdoor industry has spent years talking about circularity—repair programs, resale platforms, and recycling initiatives designed to keep gear out of landfills. But there’s one idea that rarely makes it into the conversation: renting. In episode 219 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I’m joined by return...

Plastic has infiltrated every facet of our lives. It is essentially inescapable. And while plastic is now a normalized material that we interact with every day, the health impacts are becoming harder and harder to ignore.  The Plastic Detox, a new documentary now available on Netflix, examines how much plastic is impacting our health and whether it is possible to detox our bodies from continued ex...

In this week's public lands news briefing, we cover three main stories: 1. The Trump administration has begun the process of potentially reversing federal protections for the lands surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico 2. Senator Mike Lee and Rep. Celeste Maloy introduced a joint resolution to undo the Grand Staircase-Escalante management plan using the...

In recent years, more people than ever have been heading outdoors—discovering new trails, exploring public lands, and connecting with nature in ways that are shaping the future of outdoor recreation.  But with that surge in participation comes an important question: how do we make sure the places we love are protected? In episode 217 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re talking about AllTrails...

What do you think of when you think of meditation?  Many people think of meditation as only sitting still and clearing your mind, but in reality, mindfulness can happen through movement, sound, and attention. And for a lot of people, the outdoors might be the most natural place to experience it. In episode 216 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re exploring the idea that hiking, walking, and sp...

During this week’s public lands news briefing on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have two feature stories for you.  What we cover this week: 1. Oak Flat, a sacred indigenous site and popular rock climbing destination in central Arizona, was transferred to a multinational mining company featuring Jason Keith from the Access Fund. 2. Southern Texas is battling to protect Big Bend National Park an...

What happens when one of the world’s largest industrial fishing fleets operates alongside small coastal communities that depend on the same fish to survive? In Alaska, trawl fisheries—especially those targeting pollock—play a major role in the global seafood supply.  But they also raise major questions about their impact, including bycatch, ecosystem impacts, and who really benefits from the fish...

Climate change is one of the biggest stories of our time—but the way we tell that story hasn’t always kept up with how people actually consume media today.  As younger audiences spend more time on social platforms and less time watching traditional news or documentaries, climate communicators are being forced to rethink not just what stories they tell, but how they tell them. That’s why in episode...

Holy war? Resource war? Either way, it's illegal. In this special bonus episode on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I am joined by Leigh Larson, who breaks down how and why Christian nationalism and religious extremism might be the true motivator behind the US/Israel war with Iran. Leigh studied International Relations, African Studies, and Environmental Science at The University of Texas at Au...

AI has seemingly taken over our lives in so many ways. Personally, I’ve seen a huge shift in the writing and journalism field for both staff and freelance writers.  But one thing we often don’t see is the energy being funnelled to AI data centers from our already stressed electrical grid. And it’s not just a little bit of energy either–  The 2024 US Data Center Energy Usage Report found that after...

During this week’s public lands news briefing on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have three feature stories for you. And no, this is not all that’s happened with public lands this week. So, as always, make sure you’re subscribed to our weekly newsletter at theoutdoorminimalist.com for more in-depth public lands and outdoor industry sustainability news. What We Cover: 1. Plans for a border wall...