PODCAST · news
Outdoor Minimalist
by Black-Footed Ferret Productions, LLC
A podcast raising awareness through conversation, information, and mindfulness regarding some of the most important environmental issues of our time. The goal of Outdoor Minimalist is to give outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor companies tools they can use to change their behavior when engaging in outdoor recreation to lower their overall environmental impact. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
Episodes
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233. How Freeze-Dried Food Became a Backpacking Staple with Mountain House
Freeze-dried meals are a backpacking staple, but their story began long before they landed in outdoor gear stores. In this episode, we explore how freeze-dried food evolved from an innovative preservation technology into one of the most recognizable categories of backpacking food. We trace the...
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What is Missing from Outdoor Media Today?
Last week, I attended the annual Outdoor Media Summit in Asheville, NC. It is the largest gathering of outdoor media professionals in the country, and during the show, I asked media, brands, PR, and others in the industry a range of questions. One of the main questions I asked journalists and…
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232. Tick Season Is Changing. How to Stay Safe Outdoors with Dr. Richard Horowitz
Tick-borne illnesses are, unfortunately, something many of us who love spending time outdoors have a personal relationship with. If you haven’t had one yourself, you likely can think of someone you know who has had one. And I questioned putting out an episode on tick-borne illnesses in late…
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Mining Lease Cancelled for the Boundary Waters and Public Lands Advocates Meet with Lawmakers in DC - Public Lands News (September 13 - 20)
In this week's public lands news briefing, we only had time for two stories: 1. Minnesota DNR cancels one of Twin Metals' mining leases in the Rainy River watershed just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ft. Pete Marshall, communications director at Friends of the Boundary Waters...
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231. The Future of Outdoor Gear Starts with Old Ropes with Tobias Steinegger from Mammut
When you hear the brand name Mammut, what product do you think of? I wouldn’t be surprised if most of you said: Ropes. Founded in 1862 in Switzerland, the company initially produced ropes primarily for agriculture. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the company shifted focus to mountaineering ropes…
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Data Center Construction Halted and What's in Store for Our National Forests - Public Lands News (August 31 - Sept 7)
In this week's public lands news briefing, we are covering three main stories: 1. The first data center approved on public lands near Boulder City, Nevada, was halted by a federal judge for not following proper environmental review. 2. The Travel Management Rule enters a scoping period for…
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230. What 3500 Miles on a Bike Teaches You About Owning Less with Taylor Nichols
Something I’ve always loved about human-powered adventures is that they can teach you a lot about what you really need to live a happy, fulfilled life. Access to safe and easy biking routes and walking paths is also an avenue to building community. But integrating human modes of transit isn't...
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Big Bend Bulldozers Paused, Mining Claims in Grand Staircaise and Bears Ears, and a Win for the Boundary Waters - Public Lands News (August 17 - 24)
In this week's public lands news briefing, we are covering three main stories: 1. Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order using the power he has to help protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but the fight is not over yet. This action is somewhat complicated and has...
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229. The History and Future of America's Public Lands with Will De Man
When the political moment feels overwhelming, what role do public lands actually play? Are they a luxury issue or something more fundamental to democracy itself? These are some of the core questions at the root of our conversation today, but much of what we need to know to protect our public…
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How You Can Fight Back Against Data Centers Where You Live with the Food and Water Watch
The Bureau of Land Management recently approved the Townsite Data Center, a project that would construct a data center on 88.5 acres of public land near Lake Mead in southern Nevada, marking this as the first approved data center on federal public lands. After skipping the environmental review...
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228. Why Wolf Recovery Is So Controversial with Tommy Serafinski
Last week on the show, we covered major changes to the Endangered Species Act here in the United States, including the rescission of the definition of "harm." Simply put, this means that habitat destruction would no longer be classified as harm to an endangered species, opening the door to...
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Chaco Canyon Protections Waiver, ESA Definition of "Harm" Rescinded, and What the BWCA Fires Tell Us About Fire Management - Public Lands News (July 18 - 27)
In this week's public lands news briefing, we cover three stories: 1. Fires in Northern Minnesota continue to burn, including in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ft. Aaron Kania, retired Forest Service Ranger in the Kiwishiwi District 2. The 10-mile buffer zone around the Chaco Canyon...
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227. What Waste Free Product Design Actually Looks Like with Ruffwear
In 2024, the world generated an estimated 120 million metric tons of textile waste. That's the equivalent of every person on Earth throwing away about 33 pounds of clothing and other textiles in a single year. If it’s easier to picture, 33 pounds- that's equivalent to roughly 30 to 50 pieces of...
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Forest Service Proposal Reduces Public Input, Mining in the Porkies, and Threats to Utah Monuments - Public Lands News (June 22 - July 13)
This week in the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news briefing, we're unpacking three stories: 1. At the end of June, the Forest Service proposed a rule that could limit when the public has a say in Forest Service decisions. Article that inspired the first segment:...
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226. Is Dr. Bronner's Really Sustainable? with Greening Up My Act
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...
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225. Can the Outdoor Industry Really Call Itself a Climate Leader?
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...
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Does It Matter If I Pick Up My Dog’s Poop or Not? with Rose Seemann [REPOST]
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...
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Mike Lee's Roadless Rule Amendment, NPS Funding Diverted, and ORV Access Expands - Public Lands News (June 8 - 15)
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...
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224. Finding Joy in a World of Bad News with Liz Crandall
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...
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Cyanide Bombs Return, MN Mining Push Continues, and Bill to Stop Firings Introduced (Public Lands News - June 1)
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…
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223. The Outdoor Literacy Gap No One Talks About with Natalie Teboul
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...
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Hiking in Bear Country? Bear Biologist, Sydney Stephens, Wants You To Learn to Coexist [REPOST]
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...
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Burgum Struggles to Defend Budget, DOI Transfers 1.4M Acres to State, and Controversial Predator Control Program Resumes - Public Lands News (May 4-15)
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…
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222. Circular Economy or Greenwashing? How Gear Trade-In Programs Really Work with Pancho Gomez
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…
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221. This CEO Wore One Shirt for 60 Days to Prove Its Performance with Casey Hyde
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…
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Old Growth Logging in the Tongass, Steve Pearce En Bloc Vote, and FY27 Budget Hearings - Public Lands News (April 20 - May 1)
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...
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220. Eco Anxiety, Burnout, and the Path to Sustainable Activism with Laura Hartley
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…
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Big Bend Border Wall Lawsuits, FY27 Budget Cuts for BLM, and Boundary Waters Mining Protections Revoked - Public Lands News (April 6-17)
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…
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219. Is Renting the Missing Link in an Outdoor Industry Circular Economy? with Reet Singh
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...
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218. Telling Stories of Crisis Without Despair: Making The Plastic Detox Documentary (Now on Netflix) with Josh "Bones" Murphy
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...
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Potential Drilling Near Chaco Canyon, Joint Resolution Threatens Grand Staircase-Escalante, and the USDA Forest Service Reorganization Moves Forward - Public Lands News (April 3)
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...
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217. How AllTrails Is Using Trail Data to Protect Public Lands with Pitt Grewe
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…
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216. How to Use a Walk in Nature as a Meditation Practice with Brian Berneman
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.…
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Oak Flat Transferred to Multinational Mining Company and Big Bend Border Wall Pushes Ahead - Public Lands News (March 9-20)
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…
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215. What You Didn't Know About Trawling in Alaska with David Bayes
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...
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214. We Are Losing the Climate Crisis Narrative Fight with Maya Lilly
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...
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US/Israel's Holy War with Iran Explained with Leigh Larson
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...
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213. Are We Ready for the AI Energy Surge? What Communities Need to Know About Data Centers and the Grid with Dr. Naeem Turner
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...
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Building the Border Wall in Big Bend, Steve Pearce Stumbles During Hearing, and 2.1M Acres Open in Dalton Corridor - Public Land News (Feb 23-27)
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...
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212. Is Zero-Waste Backpacking Possible? with Alisha McDarris
Is zero-waste backpacking possible? Well, in a lot of ways, yes, and in some ways, not really. We saw this play out when a previous guest of ours, one of our earliest guests, actually in episode 37. In that episode, Ana Lucía (aka Eco) explains how in 2021 she set out to complete a zero-waste...
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Steve Pearce to Lead BLM and the Senate Awaits CRA Vote - Public Lands News (Feb 16-20)
I know I said that we would only be releasing Friday public lands news episodes every other week, but we have a special episode for you today covering two of the most pressing issues regarding public lands policy: the nomination of Steve Pearce to lead the BLM and the use of the CRA to roll back…
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211. We Can Solve the Plastic Pollution Crisis with Judith Enck
By now, we know that our society has a problem with plastics. They seem to have made their way into every aspect of our lives. They’re inescapable, but this is a problem that doesn’t need to last forever. It is a problem we can solve, or at least, that’s what the new book The Problem with Plastic...
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Progress on the Ambler Road, Threats to the Tongass National Forest, and a Delayed CRA Vote in the Senate - Public Lands News
We expected the Senate vote on H.J. Res. 140, which would overturn the 20-year mining ban protecting the BWCA, to occur this week, but it was postponed until after their upcoming recess. The vote could be as early as February 23rd. This gives us more time to contact Senators and ask them to vote…
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210. The Pet Industry Has An Overconsumption Problem with Spencer Williams
You know full well that I am a dog lover, and I know that many of you are dog lovers, or just pet lovers in general. They are our family, and much like humans, our domesticated pets have a pretty big impact on our planet and the environment around us. Think about walking into a store like…
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209. We All Play a Role in the Resistance
Where do we go from here? Where are the leaders? Why does it feel like no one is doing anything? In this solo episode of The Outdoor Minimalist Podcast, we work to dismantle one of the most persistent myths about resistance: that it only looks one way — loud, visible, risky, and centered on a...
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Congress is After Resource Management Plans in Minnesota and Utah, Sage Grouse Protections Changing - Public Lands News (January 2026)
A lot has been happening this year already, and while many Americans are focused on ICE terrorizing US citizens in places like Minneapolis, attacks on public lands have not slowed down, they’re just getting less attention. With the limited time we have on the show, we have three interviews for…
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208. Your Trail Running Shoes Are Shedding Microplastics with Dr. Tim Keyes
When we think about environmental impacts in the outdoors, we often focus on things we can see: litter left behind, eroded trails, overcrowded trailheads. But some of the most significant impacts are invisible, and they’re showing up in places many of us consider pristine. In episode 208 of the...
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207. How and Why to Get Involved with Local Trail Work with Chris Rizzo
Trail work is one of those things most of us benefit from, whether we realize it or not. The smooth singletrack we ride, the well-marked hiking routes we follow, the trails that stay open season after season despite heavier use and harsher conditions. But behind every trail is a group of people...
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What to Expect with Public Lands Policy in 2026 with Rebecca Gillis
To kick off our public lands policy conversation this year, we wanted to take a look back at the year we had in 2025 and what we should expect moving into 2026. Joining me to lead this conversation is Rebecca Gillis. Rebecca is Vice President of Government Affairs & Advocacy at The Conservation...
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206. The Most Widely Used Pesticide You’ve Likely Never Heard Of with Dan Raichel
What if one of the most widely used pesticides in the world is something most people have never even heard of, despite likely encountering it daily? In episode 206 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast we are discussing neonicotinoids, often called “neonics.” They’re the most commonly used…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast raising awareness through conversation, information, and mindfulness regarding some of the most important environmental issues of our time. The goal of Outdoor Minimalist is to give outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor companies tools they can use to change their behavior when engaging in outdoor recreation to lower their overall environmental impact. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist
HOSTED BY
Black-Footed Ferret Productions, LLC
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Outdoor Minimalist have?
Outdoor Minimalist currently has 296 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Outdoor Minimalist about?
A podcast raising awareness through conversation, information, and mindfulness regarding some of the most important environmental issues of our time. The goal of Outdoor Minimalist is to give outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor companies tools they can use to change their behavior when engaging in...
How often does Outdoor Minimalist release new episodes?
Outdoor Minimalist publishes regularly with 296 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Outdoor Minimalist?
You can listen to Outdoor Minimalist on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Outdoor Minimalist?
Outdoor Minimalist is created and hosted by Black-Footed Ferret Productions, LLC.
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