Samantha Wilson’s outdoor kitchen started with a shed and no sink
The Deaf creator behind @samalouisaa turned rough Montana living into a food-and-nature content business with a big following.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Samantha Wilson’s outdoor cooking era began the hard way: after selling her house, the 35-year-old creator moved into a tiny shed in the Montana woods with no kitchen, bathroom or running water.
That setup pushed her meals outside. In an email interview with Mashable, Wilson said the practical fix grew into a genuine love for cooking in the open air, where food, nature, calm and adventure all meet.
Wilson now works as a full-time content creator under the handle @samalouisaa, posting from what has become her outdoor kitchen. Her audience includes 330,000 followers on Instagram, 104,800 followers on TikTok and 27,800 subscribers on YouTube, according to Mashable.
Wilson is Deaf, and accessibility is built into her videos. Mashable reported that she signs throughout her clips and adds on-screen captions.
Food, forest and a very big grin
Wilson’s feeds mix rustic cooking, nature and a streak of silliness. Recent posts have featured her versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, strawberry juice and homemade vanilla coffee creamer, Mashable reported.
Her biggest breakout moment mentioned by Mashable was not a recipe. In 2025, a video showing Wilson’s mother running from a grizzly bear drew 8 million views on Instagram.
Wilson told Mashable her videos are meant to spotlight pleasure in ordinary things. She said she wants the work to feel casual and friendly, with humor folded into the cooking instead of a glossy social-media finish.
That goofy side, Wilson said, is part of who she is. She told Mashable she also speaks plainly about food ingredients, marketing she views as misleading and products she does not support, using humor to make those points easier to remember.
Her advice for cooking outside
For anyone tempted to move dinner outdoors, Wilson’s guidance to Mashable was to keep it easy at first. She recommended beginning with simple recipes and familiar camping-style meals, then trying more ambitious dishes as confidence builds.
Wilson said a full outdoor kitchen is not required. In her view, a dependable cooking setup and a willingness to experiment matter more than fancy gear. The more time someone spends cooking outside, she said, the better they learn to adapt.
The gear she relies on
Wilson’s creator setup is built around tools that help her film, upload and run the business from a rural area, according to the products she highlighted to Mashable.
Starlink Standard 4: Wilson said Starlink lets her create, upload and share without interruption despite very limited internet access where she lives. Mashable listed it at $350.47 at Best Buy.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Wilson said she shoots nearly all of her content on her iPhone because it is usually with her and ready when an idea hits. She also cited its 4K video quality and the freedom from carrying heavier camera equipment. Mashable listed it at $649 at Amazon.
Apple MacBook Air: Wilson said her laptop handles the behind-the-scenes side of the operation, including planning, automations, partnerships, email and daily business tasks. Mashable listed it at $1,243 at Amazon.
The whole thing started with a shed that could not support a normal kitchen. Wilson has turned that constraint into a recognizable style: outdoor food, Montana scenery, captions, signs and enough humor to keep the campfire crackling.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.