Kristin Hostetter

Jan 22, 2025 | outsideonline.com | Kristin Hostetter

Chick fil-A used to be my guilty pleasure, especially when traveling. When I’m rushing through airports that seductive red and white sign always calls for a detour and a Chicken Deluxe. Now, thanks to a new study about the plastic chemicals found in food packaging, that sandwich is dead to me. A team of scientists and concerned citizens recently tested more than 300 unique foods for harmful plastic chemicals. My beloved treat sat near the top of the inauspicious leaderboard.

Nov 13, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Kristin Hostetter

Fair warning: if you invite me to dinner at your house and I spy a black plastic spatula in the utensil canister on your counter, I’m confiscating it. Not because I’m a thief, but because I care about you. I don’t want black plastic anywhere near your scrambled eggs or anything else that goes into your mouth.

Oct 14, 2024 | backpacker.com | Kristin Hostetter

My first sleeping bag was a rectangular, slumber-party special with horses and flowers adorning the yellow flannel lining. After my first backpacking trip, I retired it (too cold, too heavy, too bulky) and bought a down mummy, which I proceeded to store in its stuff sack for an entire winter. When I pulled it out the following spring, my cozy cocoon was flatter than a day-old pancake and offered less warmth than my old flannel job.

Oct 9, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Kristin Hostetter

The leaves are starting to fall here in New England and that perennial urge to bust out the rake and leaf blower is nagging at me. But for the first time in, well, forever, I will resist that urge. Because it turns out, raking up and bagging or burning those leaves is not only bad for soil health. It also takes away habitat for important wildlife like bugs and birds, who are critical pollinators. I know what you’re thinking. What will my neighbors think if I ignore my yard work?

Sep 11, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Kristin Hostetter

For about a year now, I’ve been a devoted thrifter. I estimate that about 75 percent of the clothing and household items I’ve purchased have been second-hand finds. My main motivation, of course, has been the environment. But I’ve also saved a ton of money along the way. And maybe the biggest boon of this lifestyle shift is my new mindset. Before, if I wanted something and could afford it, I’d just buy it. I’d scoop things up because they were a good deal, even if I didn’t need them.