Outdoor Minimalist Podcast

Jun 14

Ep. 122

In episode 122 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we’re going ultralight. We haven’t explored ultralight backpacking on this show for several reasons before, and one of those reasons is that I don’t know much about it! It is a topic that many listeners are interested in learning more about, so I was excited to invite an experienced ultralight hiker and entrepreneur onto the show to share about her journey to becoming an ultralight, long-distance hiker. Sarah Berkeley started Symbiosis Gear in 2022 to meet the gear needs of women backpackers, especially in the ultralight space. While hiking the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, she bought and used three different backpacks while on the PCT, and none fit well. She doesn’t want other women backpackers to experience the discomfort, extra expense, and discrimination that she did, so she started Symbiosis Gear to cater to the needs of women backpackers. She knows that providing high-quality gear that fits well makes backpacking more accessible and enjoyable for women, thus building more diversity in the backpacking world.

https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/podcast

Sarah Berkeley

I am a front-end web designer, photographer, and conceptual artist. I hold an MFA in Art & Design from the University of Michigan and a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I started my career as a UI/UX designer in New York City. Later, I moved to Berlin, Germany to pursue my art career and live a more bohemian lifestyle. After three years in Berlin, I returned to the United States for graduate school. Following my MFA, I began teaching web and graphic design, photography, and video the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nebraska Wesleyan University and Metro Community College.

In 2018 I left my tenure track position at Nebraska Wesleyan University, to pursue The Unknown! That year I did my first triathlon, founded an artist residency program at a state park in Iowa, performed in Seattle and hiked the 273 mile Vermont Long Trail. In the subsequent years I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail and half of the Continental Divide Trail. Following clues that appeared during the downtime led me to founding Expansive Media. I am super excited to be able to combine my tech and art skills through Expansive Media. I am also able to incorporate my passion for well-being and community by working with clients who make the world a better place.

https://www.expansivemedia.co