Outdoor Gear Chat

Cathy Casey and Wayne Singleton have built something genuinely useful with Outdoor Gear Chat. The show is a series of interview-based conversations with experts who know the science behind outdoor equipment — the fabric engineers, the boot designers, the people who actually understand why one membrane breathes better than another. It's the kind of information that's surprisingly hard to find elsewhere, packaged in episodes short enough (10 to 25 minutes typically) that you can listen during a lunch break. The topics lean heavily into mountaineering and climbing gear: rock boots, ice axes, harnesses, helmets, ropes, and technical apparel. But they branch out into endurance sports gear, adaptive outdoor equipment, and expedition planning too. What makes the show stand out is how it connects the science to practical decisions. Instead of just telling you a jacket is waterproof, they'll explain the membrane technology, the DWR treatment, and how different construction methods affect breathability. It's educational without being dry. With 87 episodes and a perfect 5.0-star rating (admittedly from a single review), Outdoor Gear Chat occupies a specific niche: serious outdoor enthusiasts who want to understand their equipment at a material and engineering level. The hosts bring a lighthearted tone to what could easily become overly technical, and the interview guests — professional climbers, mountaineers, athletes — add credibility and real-world testing perspective. Episodes covering winter mountaineering gear and expedition kit lists are particularly strong. If you're the type who reads hang tags and care labels, this podcast was made for you.