Welcome to the very first episode of Gear Abby! Host Shawnté Salabert and producer/partner-in-gear Colin “P.I.G.” True dive straight into the big outdoor questions you didn’t even know you needed answered.

This week’s burning topics include:

• Best & Worst Places to Poop Outdoors – from Leave No Trace rules to Shawnté’s personal tales of unfortunate slopes, bracing trees, and run-ins with bears.
• Running Vests vs. Handhelds – Jason R. from Tahoe wants to know: does wearing a running vest for shorter trail runs make you “look stupid”? Spoiler: no, but Shawnté’s love affair with sweet potato tots might make you rethink your fueling strategy.
• Favorite Outdoor Books – Shawnté and Colin trade picks that go way beyond Wild, from Steinbeck to Blair Braverman to The Last Season.
• Biodegradable Soap & Leave No Trace – Is soap in the backcountry really “LNT-approved”? Shawnté breaks down myths, greenwashing, and why she only uses soap for one thing (hint: it’s butt-related).

Click here for Gear Abby's footnotes and even more from this episode!

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