I just finished reading Outdoor Minimalist and it was perfect timing with Earth Day coming up. This book resonated with me on many levels, I requested it at my library and now my town has it on the shelf!
Those of us who spend many hours of our lives outdoors should be examples of good stewardship. Meg covers the most important topics such as gear, pets and food as well as Leave No Trace and the Seven R’s of Outdoor Minimalism.
The chapter on Rethinking Trail Food had great tips and information as this is one of the areas that I noticed could cause a lot of impact on our trails. During one of our Food Prep meet ups for the APT, I looked at the plastic food bags we were using and thought there must be a more ecological way to do this, so we switched to compostable bags for Rue’s re-supply. Toiletries come in as another area that could have a lot of impact on the environment, and Meg gives pages of tips to help reduce waste without sacrificing comfort.
Meg also includes packing lists and many useful resources for those who strive for zero impact hiking or backpacking trips. Head over to her website, theoutdoorminimalist.com to learn more about environmental awareness, order a copy of the book or listen to the OM podcast.
Rue had the pleasure of speaking with Meg on Episode 20: Creating a Thru Hike and Conserving our Trails. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hj0njh1YKNKL9SwTCKEP8?si=e1c1a0cbec9549a2
~Suzanne
