Water is something that intersects with every aspect of our lives, both at home and in the backcountry.

Whether you're filtering water from a stream, swimming in a local lake, or filling up a glass of water at home, the quality of that water matters.

But knowing if your home water quality is up to important health standards can be confusing to understand, which is why we wanted to tackle the question of how exactly we can know if our water is safe to drink and what to do about if it isn’t.

Joining me is Cydian Kauffman, the founder of Pure Water Northwest. He helps homeowners, families, and communities take control of their water quality using science-backed, practical solutions.

With years of hands-on experience in water treatment and a passion for public education, Cydian has guided clients across the Pacific Northwest through challenges like industrial runoff, high iron levels, bacterial contamination, arsenic, iron bacteria, and even mysterious health issues tied to hidden toxins in household water.

INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Pure Water Northwest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cydian-kauffman/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pure-water-northwest/

https://www.facebook.com/PureWaterNorthWest

https://www.instagram.com/purewaternorthwest1/

https://www.tiktok.com/@purewaternorthwest

https://twitter.com/AquaMasters12

https://www.youtube.com/@purewaternorthwest

https://nextdoor.com/pages/pure-water-northwest-bainbridge-island-wa/

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Episode Resources

EWG Tap Water Database: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/

Tapscore Home Water Testing Kits: https://mytapscore.com/

Water Quality Association of America: https://wqa.org/

In this episode, we're doing something a little different: a group breakdown of the new Netflix documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy.

This unsettling (and sometimes oddly playful) film looks into the hidden forces behind our consumer culture and how companies manipulate us to buy more, waste more, and stay distracted.

We discuss our key takeaways, critiques of the documentary's production choices, and how it ties into themes of sustainability, minimalism, and conscious consumption. From dystopian AI narrators to clickbait capitalism, we’re unpacking it all.

INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In episode 182 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have a conversation about something that every outdoor lover eventually has to reckon with: how do we keep doing the activities we love for as long as possible?

To do that, I’m joined by Linden Loren.

Linden is a conservation advocate, co-founder of Camo & Wind, and author of Your Hunting Healthspan: 73 Ways Hunters Can Age Better & Prevent Disease. He is the Marketing Director for Kudupoint Broadheads, a board member of the American Bear Foundation, and a member of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association. Linden enjoys hunting in the Pacific Northwest, where he can spend time outdoors and provide his family with food.

We talk about the fear of aging out of your favorite activities, why simple, consistent habits matter more than extreme trends, and how reshaping your mental framework can open the door to years of adventure ahead.

INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Linden Loren

Your Hunting Healthspan: https://camoandwind.com/your-hunting-healthspan/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linden_loren/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linden-loren-b694b2196/

Camo & Wild: https://camoandwind.com/about/

This week, we break down the whirlwind of public lands policy battles happening in Congress and at the Department of the Interior.

But it’s not all grim. We also share a couple glimmers of good news, including a federal court decision slowing mass staff layoffs in national parks and a creative billboard campaign calling out those responsible for the growing park service crisis.

What's covered:

• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and what it means for public lands, clean energy, and climate policy

• Their plan to sell 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada

• Fast-tracking oil, gas, and uranium projects under the guise of a “national energy emergency”

• Rollbacks on solar and wind development rules on BLM-managed lands

• • A federal court’s pause on agency staff layoffs
  • States sue Trump administration for "illegal" energy emergency
• • A billboard campaign exposing the consequences of public lands funding cuts

  
  

  Have tips, testimonials, or insights on public land changes? Submit them through our Google Form (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/JwC73G8wLvU6kedc9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

  
  

  Episode sources:

• Full One Big Beautiful Bill Act Text (https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/doc/one_big_beautiful_bill_act_-_full_bill_text.pdf)

  Outdoor Alliance: Midnight Land Sales in Reconciliation Megabill (https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2025/5/12/midnight-land-sales-in-reconciliation-megabill)

• BLM New Mexico Oil & Gas Lease Sale Public Comment - comments open through June 11, 2025 (https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-seeks-initial-input-january-2026-sale-oil-and-gas-lease-new-mexico-and-oklahoma)

  More Perfect Union Billboard Campaign Locations (https://www.instagram.com/p/DJmjI1dRniQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

• NY Times Coverage of Federal Layoffs Court Ruling (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/us/politics/federal-layoffs-trump-ruling.html)

What does it really mean to restore the land, and where do you even begin when faced with the complexity of ecological repair?

In episode 181 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, I’m joined by Paula Whyman, author of Bad Naturalist, to explore what happens when one person takes on the challenge of rewilding a landscape and the lessons learned along the way.

She is also the author of the award-winning short story collection You May See a Stranger. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The American Scholar, and more.

In her new book and this conversation, Paula shares the real-world realities of restoring damaged ecosystems — complete with unexpected surprises, setbacks, and personal growth.

But this isn’t just a story about managing hundreds of acres. It’s about recognizing that anyone can reconnect with nature and make a difference, no matter where they live. Whether it’s a backyard garden, a city balcony, or a patch of lawn, restoration and rewilding can begin wherever you are.

And I think this conversation lands at just the right time.

In a world where we’re constantly bombarded by bad news, it’s easy to feel powerless, when my anxiety spikes, my therapist likes to remind me to focus on what I can control.

Paula’s story is a reminder of that, too — of the simple, tangible things we can tend to our own lives and communities. It’s a hopeful, inspiring conversation to carry with you into spring and summer as we all look for ways to reconnect with the natural world and spark a little joy close to home.

INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Paula Whyman

Bad Naturalist: https://paulawhyman.com/bad-naturalist/

Website: https://paulawhyman.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulawhymanauthor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-whyman-62a9956/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/paulawhyman.bsky.social