Podcast Appearances
2024: Outdoor Biz Podcast
In Episode 431, Rick Saez talks with Dr. Rachel Gross, an environmental and cultural historian of the modern U. S. about the evolution of outdoor gear and the American outdoor identity.
2024: New Books in Environmental Studies
Rachel S. Gross’s Shopping All the Ways to the Woods (Yale University Press, 2024) tells the fascinating history of the profitable paradox of the American outdoor experience: visiting nature first requires shopping
2024: Friction Shift Podcast
In our first episode, the industry standards for recreating: where did they come from, who are they meant to serve, why we trust them (or don’t trust them), when they rose to prominence, and what promises they make to the recreational community. Who’s really in charge here, and why?
2020-2023: Highlander Podcast, Utah State University
The Highlander Podcast is a collaboration between Outdoor Product Design and Development and USU Student Media (Aggie Radio) to share conversations with industry partners from the OPDD program including designers, developers, founders, product line managers, as well as local people involved in promoting local outdoor recreation opportunities in Cache Valley, Utah.
2023: Layers, a Polartec Podcast
It’s been over 40 years since the Rise of Dressing Down began to change what we wear in the Outdoors. And like life, the only constant over this time has been change. Episode 3 of LAYERS examines how safety and technical fabrics turned comfort into a performance feature, encouraged new groups of people to enjoy nature, and redefined the Outdoors as anything that takes place outside.
Interviews
2024
Tiney Ricciardi, “Why Trekking Poles are the Most Underrated Piece of Outdoor Gear,” The Denver Post.
2023
Avery Trufelman, “A 163-Year Illustrated History of America’s Gorpcore Obsession,” Bloomberg
2022
Eve Andrews, “How Abercrombie & Fitch Used the Outdoors to Sell Clothes,” Grist.
2021
Amelia Arvesen, “Archiving the History of the Outdoor Industry,” Outside Business Journal.
2019
Charles McFarlane, “How ‘70s Rock Climbing is Defining Style Today,” Gear Patrol.
Noelle Lashley, “Outdoor gear history exhibit opens at Fort Missoula,” Montana Right Now.
Dennis Bragg, “Fort Missoula exhibit ‘packs’ on memories, amazement about outdoor gear,” 8KPAX.
2017
Rob Chaney, “Pop-up museum seeks outdoor stuff and stories,” Missoulian.
Rachel S. Gross 