Community Partner Spotlight: Bearfoot Theory

In 2014, Kristen Bor quit her Washington DC job and started the outdoor blog Bearfoot Theory as a way to help more people get outside. She did not grow up camping and hiking and wanted to use her experience to show people that is never too late to start. Since then, Bearfoot Theory has evolved to reach millions of outdoor adventurers each year.

Bearfoot Theory’s mission is to inspire people to get outside and empower them with a strong outdoor skillset so they are prepared for wherever their adventures may take them. Bearfoot Theory believes that when all outdoor enthusiasts learn and practice Leave No Trace, that we can all play a key role in the protection of the outdoor spaces we love and it is their goal to make sure everyone is equipped with the skills to do so.

Check out the interview below to learn more about this Community Partner and what Leave No Trace means to their business. 

Who does Bearfoot Theory serve and where?

We serve outdoor enthusiasts and all who are looking to get outside more, build their outdoor skills, and live happier, healthier, more adventure-filled lives. We encourage responsible recreation and being better stewards of our planet, and incorporate Leave No Trace principles into much of our content and resources.

What has been the top accomplishment of your organization?

We hosted the largest van life festival of its kind in 2019 called Open Roads Fest – an event full of kind, compassionate, fun-loving people – and raised $3,000 for Leave No Trace.

Why did Bearfoot Theory join Leave No Trace as a Community Partner?

Leave No Trace principles are central to what we teach when we provide resources to those looking to spend more time outside and improve their outdoor skills. We share a variety of destinations, trail guides, and trip itineraries on the blog and want to make sure we are providing the information people need to recreate responsibly and Leave No Trace.

What are some of the ways Bearfoot Theory is incorporating Leave No Trace into your work?

We have published a few blog posts that cover Leave No Trace principles on the blog, and link to those posts in much of our content so we can continually drive people to learn the basic principles so they can lessen their impact outdoors. We remind our readers to Leave No Trace in nearly every blog post we write and also share Leave No Trace principles on our social media channels.

Last summer during our van life festival, Open Roads Fest, we were lucky enough to have a Leave No Trace Master Educator and Idaho State Advocate, Erik Lund, lead a workshop. The workshop was full of enthusiastic people that asked great questions and left more knowledgeable about Leave No Trace. Following the workshop, we held a raffle with all proceeds benefiting Leave No Trace – we ended up raising $3000!

Can you share an interesting moment from your work with Leave No Trace?

While all Leave No Trace skills and ethics are important, the one we see people not practicing the most relates to going to the bathroom outdoors. We’ve encountered used toilet paper on numerous hikes, camping trips, and backpacking trips and it can really ruin a nice outdoor experience. So, we wrote a blog post on “How to Poop Outdoors” sharing Leave No Trace principles and it’s been viewed 30,000 times – that’s a lot of people learning how to go the bathroom outdoors while leaving no trace which we consider a huge win. Also, we link to a wide variety of products on our site – anything from our favorite outdoor gear, clothing we like to wear hiking and backpacking, and more – and our most sold item is a trowel

You can learn more about Bearfoot Theory and their commitment to Leave No Trace here.