For over three years, the Outdoor Minimalist platform has been a big part of my existence and growth as a creative and journalist.

I've put a lot into the show, especially this year when we added a Friday episode about public lands.

But I need a break.

With the recent passing of my dog, Ash, I need time to process and grieve the loss of my best friend and biggest inspiration. Ash is the reason I was able to write my book, create two podcasts, and chase my dreams. He walked beside me, quite literally, every single day for the last eight years.

That said, we aren't ending the show, but for now, we're on pause.

Ash's strength and propensity for motion until the very end will continue to inspire me. He loved our public lands and wild spaces more than anyone else I know.

So, in the meantime, I'm going outside to grieve and recharge so I can live to fight another day to protect the spaces we so cherished in our life together.

If you've enjoyed the show up until this point and want to show us some love, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Stay tuned for more to come. 🌈

The Outdoor Media Summit is an annual conference for media, marketers, PR, and brands to come together to collaborate and network.

Although I've only attended the last two years, it has quickly become among my favorite industry events because of the intimate settings and ever evolving format.

In this episode, Tarin O'Donnell, from the Tarin it Up Podcast, and I recap our experience at the 2025 Outdoor Media Summit. It is raw. It is real. And it is out of my usual format.

So, if you've ever considered going to OMS or just want to learn more about the behind the scenes of outdoor media, this is a fun conversation to tune into.

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Outdoor Media Summit: https://outdoormediasummit.com/

Tarin It Up: https://www.tarinitup.com/

In the Outdoor Minimalist public lands news briefing for the week of November 3 - 7, we cover:

- Public Lands Rule comment period ending on November 10th

Comment Here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BLM-2025-0001-0001

- The Fight for the Roadless Rule Continues with Josh Hicks from the Wilderness Society

- Chaco Canyon in New Mexico is facing rollbacks to protections around the park with Sally Paez from the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

- Steve Pearce nominated to be the new director of the Bureau of Land Management

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

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For decades, the outdoor industry has celebrated innovation through synthetics—lighter, stronger, and more technical fabrics made from petroleum-based materials. 

But as we grapple with the environmental costs of producing many synthetic products, is a shift underway? 

Wool, waxed cotton, hemp, and other natural materials might be making a comeback —not as a nostalgic throwback, but as brands and individuals innovate with them, proving they can be high-performing, sustainable alternatives to synthetic fibers. 

One of the people leading that charge is Patrick Clark, founder of Lucky Sheep and author of the book A Rewilder’s Guide to Outdoor Adventure. 

Patrick has developed a full backpacking kit made almost entirely from natural fibers—with a base weight of just 20 pounds. From lightweight wool sleeping bags to waxed canvas backpacks, his designs challenge the idea that performance has to come at the cost of sustainability.

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Lucky Sheep

Website: https://www.woolsleepingbag.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luckysheepgear/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LuckySheepOutdoorGear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuckySheepSleepingBags

Here's what happened during the week of October 27 - 31 with our Public Lands:

- Mike Lee's three new proposals that threaten public lands with Neal Clark from the Southwest Utah Wilderness Alliance

- National Parks remain understaffed, but open during the ongoing shutdown

- Over 500 new oil and gas permits were approved during the shutdown period

- Trump administration will open the entire 1.56 million acres of the Coastal Plain within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing

The Center for Western Priorities Oil & Gas Tracker: ⁠https://westernpriorities.org/2025/10/oil-gas-government-shutdown-tracker/⁠

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Support Our Work at Buy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠

Depending on where you live, if you’ve ever driven a snowy mountain road or parked your car after a winter storm, you’ve probably seen that familiar crust of salt left behind. It’s easy to think of road salt as just another part of winter, and a simple fix for icy conditions. 

But that same salt, once it washes off our roads, has a far-reaching impact on the water we drink and the lakes or streams that we love.

Across the Northeast and beyond, road salt has become a threat to freshwater ecosystems. It seeps into wells and disrupts aquatic life. In New York State, scientists are warning that the overuse of salt could be creating “thousands of mini-Flints,” a public health crisis unfolding one winter at a time.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Brendan Wiltse, Executive Director of the Lake George Association, the nation’s first lake conservation organization, founded in 1885. The LGA has been leading efforts to protect Lake George, known as the “Queen of American Lakes,” through science and community collaboration. 

Dr. Wiltse’s decades of research in aquatic ecology and his leadership at the LGA shed light on how salt pollution, climate change, and infrastructure are interconnected, and what we can all do to protect our clean water.

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Lake George Association

Website: https://lakegeorgeassociation.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakegeorgeassociation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakeGeorgeAssociation

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakeGeorgeAssoc

After a week off from our public lands news round-up, we are back with more updates as attacks on public lands continue despite the government shutdown. 

The government shutdown has many impacts on our public lands, ranging from our National Parks and Forest Service to the Bureau of Land Management. While we spend a lot of time talking about our parks, BLM lands don’t often get as much attention. 

In this episode, we focus on how BLM lands are changing in the short- and long-term amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Featured Guests:

- Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer, Conservation Lands Foundation

- Melanie Stansbury,  U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district
- Todd Tucci, Senior Attorney, Advocates For The West
- David Feinman, VP of Government Affairs, Conservation Lands Foundation
- Tim Davis, Executive Director, Friends of the Owyhee

The Center for Western Priorities Oil & Gas Tracker: https://westernpriorities.org/2025/10/oil-gas-government-shutdown-tracker/

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Support Our Work at Buy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we visit Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Sequoia–Kings Canyon to understand how the 2025 government shutdown is affecting park staff, local economies, and conservation efforts across the National Park System.

While some parks, like Joshua Tree, appear to be operating almost normally, others are showing the strain. Visitor centers are shuttered, maintenance is delayed, and some rangers are working without pay or support.

Behind the scenes, nearly two-thirds of National Park Service employees — around 9,300 people — are furloughed or working without pay, and local communities are losing millions in visitor spending each day.

We talked with local business owners and visitors about how the shutdown is shaping their experiences — including Seth Zaharias, co-owner of Cliffhanger Guides in Joshua Tree, and Juan, a visitor from Ecuador whose U.S. park tour now looks very different under these conditions.

Featured Guests:

This week on our public lands news round up for October 6 - 10, we cover:

- Government shutdown enters it's 10th day with no end in sight

- Mission Ridge ski expansion outside of Wenatchee, WA faces local oppostion ft. Steven Gnam from Friends of Mission Ridge (https://www.friendsofmissionridge.org/⁠ )

- Land management plan repeals in Montana and North Dakota pass in the Senate using the Congressional Review Act ft. John Ruple, Law Professor at the University of Utah

- Trump approves 211-mile Ambler Mining Road in Alaska ft. Aaron Weiss from the Center of Western Priorities

- Good New: Kentucky wildlife management area expands to protect more habitat

Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage and extra stories we don’t have time for on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theoutdoorminimalist.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

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Sources

https://protectnps.org/2025/09/25/former-nps-superintendents-urge-secretary-burgum-to-close-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down/ 

https://www.keepparkspublic.org/

​​https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/10/unions-sue-block-threatened-shutdown-rifs/408578/ 

https://www.afge.org/globalassets/documents/generalreports/2025/shutdown-complaint-093025.pdf

https://www.friendsofmissionridge.org/

https://westernpriorities.org/2025/10/congress-uses-cra-to-repeal-blm-resource-management-plans-inviting-chaos-on-public-lands/

https://www.npca.org/articles/11004-trump-administration-announces-atrocious-plan-to-destroy-america-s-largest 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/10/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-approves-ambler-road-project-to-unlock-alaskas-mineral-potential/ 

https://trilogymetals.com/news-and-media/news/trilogy-metals-applauds-president-trumps-decision-to-grant-permits-for-the-ambler-access-project-to-enable-the-development-of/

https://fw.ky.gov/News/Pages/Veterans-Memorial-Wildlife-Management-Area-expands-by-500-acres.aspx

What if the same determination it takes to climb some of the world’s highest peaks was also the key to tackling some of the world’s biggest chemical threats?

That’s the story of today’s guest, Arlene Blum. A pioneering mountaineer who co-led the first women’s ascent of Denali and led the first American ascent of Annapurna I, Arlene later turned her focus toward another steep climb: protecting public health from harmful chemicals. 

As the founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, she has helped phase out toxic flame retardants and raised global awareness of PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals.” You may remember her from our Forever Chemicals podcast series last year.

Now, Arlene is sounding the alarm on what could be the next PFAS: antimicrobials. 

As we celebrate 200 episodes of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we explore the parallels between adventure and advocacy and how we can carry the lessons learned from the wilderness to creating change in our own communities.

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More Resources

Green Science Policy Institute: ⁠https://greensciencepolicy.org/⁠

Arlene Blum: https://www.arleneblum.com/

Six Classes: https://www.sixclasses.org/

Breaking Trail Book: https://www.arleneblum.com/product/breaking-trail-a-climbing-life/

Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/