
Natural Selection on the Trail, Camino Boot Failures & Should You Crash a Trade Show?
From Gear Abby: An Outdoor Advice Column For Your Ears by Rock Fight, LLC
February 19, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
Shawnté discusses safety in national parks, boot fitting for hiking, and the value of attending trade shows in the outdoor industry.
Should we rip down the railings in national parks and let natural selection take over? This week on Gear Abby , Shawnté tackles a heated question about safety features on public lands and debates where personal responsibility ends and park management begins. Then, a Camino hopeful writes in with a blister crisis after breaking in new boots. Shawnté dives deep into fit, heel locks, insoles, trail runners vs. boots, and yes… a little strategic lubrication. Finally, a retail worker wonders if attending the outdoor industry trade show, Switchback, on their own dime is worth it. Is it career growth, industry networking magic or just crashing the party? Risk management, foot management, and trade show strategy... only on Gear Abby! Send your questions to deargearabby@gmail.com... because there are no dumb questions, just smart advice. Thanks for listening! Gear Abby is a production of Rock Fight , LLC.
People in this episode
Host: Shawnté
Topics covered
- safety features
- personal responsibility
- foot management
- trade show strategy
- outdoor industry
Keywords
- natural selection
- national parks
- blister crisis
- boot fit
- trade show
- outdoor industry
- networking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Switchback
Products: Camino
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