Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we have a lively conversation with the crew at Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E., a diverse coalition working to ensure that nature's transformational powers are accessible to all of our nation's youth. We chat about the organization's goal of a federal equity fund, why you can't plug your ears and demand that politics stay out of the outdoors, how inequality affects outdoor access, and much more. We wrap the show with a bizarre story of a former professor being suspected of starting several fires in California, a gross or not gross about dogs eating human body fluids, and a very important correction to the record of my shoeless etiquette on airplanes. This episode was recorded on Arapahoe, Ute, Cheyenne and Shoshone land. [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] CONFIRM CURRENT: Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "gingersaregood" for 15% off at Gossamergear.com. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. [divider] Interview with Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. Team Gabaccia Moreno Jaylyn Gough Teresa Martinez Gabe Vasquez Jessica Loya Ángel Peña Carissa 00:02:30 - QOTD: How have your backpacking plans gone to shit as of late? 00:11:02 - Reminder! Backpacker Radio Wisconsin Meetups — Wednesday, October 13 at Delafield Brewhaus and Friday, October 15 at Hop Haus in Fitchburg 00:12:04 - Welcome Gabaccia Moreno, Jalen Goff, Gabe Vasquez and Teresa Martinez of Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. 00:13:00 - Introduction to Gabe Vasquez 00:13:56 - Everyone, when you introduce yourselves, can you tell us how you initially got into the outdoors? 00:17:32 - Introduction to Gabaccia Morreno 00:19:43 - Do you have a favorite form of outdoor recreation? Is that hunting? 00:20:45 - Are you a Bills fan? 00:21:21 - Introduction to Jalen Goff 00:28:29 - Introduction to Teresa Martinez 00:35:06 - Can you talk a little bit about the specifics of Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. and how you'll achieve your goals? 00:35:20 - Introduction to Jessica Loya 00:40:44 - Do you know how far away we are from an outdoor equity fund? Is there a timeline? 00:48:29 - Go to outdoorfuture.org to offer your support for the Outdoor Future Act 00:49:43 - Where does the money come from for the initiative? 00:51:08 - If someone wants to give what's the process? Go to Outdoorfuture.org. 00:51:41 - Introduction to Ángel Peña 00:53:33 - How are we gonna pay for it? 00:57:43 - Is it a bad strategic move to start with private funding? 01:00:26 - What does it look like in a dream world where Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. is successful in everything they do? 01:08:03 - What do you say to people who say "the outdoors are free" and "the outdoors are for everyone"? What are the fundamental inequities that underserved communities face in accessing the outdoors? 01:19:26 - What does it look like if Outdoor F.U.T.U.R.E. fails? 01:26:00 - Why do you think that is (that POC are polling to call for more protection of the outdoors)? 01:30:34 - What do you say to people who don't want to "bring politics" into the outdoors? 01:37:54 - What is the takeaway message that you'd like to leave for our listeners? 01:41:10 - F.U.T.U.R.E. stands for Fund for Underrepresented and Tribal, Urban, and Rural Equity 01:48:00 - Rapid fire for Zach and Chaunce Mezcal or Patron Soft or Crunchy Corn or Flour Green chili or Jalapenos Red or Green (chili) Rolled or Flat Taco or Burrito Smothered or on the side Selena or Shakira Do you know whose land you are on? What does allyship and equity look like to you? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Former University Professor Held on Suspicion of Arson Near PCT Did Zach actually say he goes barefoot in the airplane bathroom? Give us a timestamp Listener Gross or Not Gross Would you rather eat boogers or goose poop? Mail Bag [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Ausen McDaniel, Jason Lawrence, Christopher Marshburn, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), Brent Stenberg, Patrick Cianciolo, Brandon Spilker and Matt Soukup. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth,, Emily Brown, Mitchell, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT, Lindsay Sparks, Liz Seger and Lisa Douglas.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Scott Carney. Scott's early career as an investigative journalist had him debunking fake gurus and charlatans. When he was put on assignment by Playboy Magazine more than a decade ago to do the same with a Dutch daredevil- named Wim Hof- Scott assumed this would be more of the same. What ensued was Scott being enthralled by Wim, his famous breathing and cold exposure techniques, as well as the circus that surrounded the Wim Hof experience. We talk all about Scott's time with Wim, what it was like to summit Kilimanjaro with him in just 28 hours (when it typically takes closer to 5 days), how Wim is potentially becoming more of a charlatan today, and much more. I found this conversation to be fascinating, I hope you do too. We wrap the show with Chaunce having an undesirable virus, a debate on the proper number of times to knot your shoelaces, a triple crown of toys from when we were young, and much more. Organifi: Use code "backpacker" for 20% off at organifi.com/backpacker. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. Goodr discount code: Use code "backpacker15" to save 15% on your first order at goodr.com/backpacker15. Path Projects: Go to pathprojects.com and let them know BPR sent you. [divider] Reminders: BPR is looking for an intern. Interview with Scott Carney: Instagram Facebook Twitter Book Trailer Buy The Wedge 00:07:05 - QOTD: What's the coldest you've ever been? 00:16:00 - How did you get into investigative journalism? 00:20:33 - You mentioned trekking around Nepal — what kind of trekking were you doing? Content warning: Discussion of suicide. 00:21:13 - So can you talk about how you specifically became involved with debunking fake gurus and charlatains? 00:24:09 - Is it mostly westerners that the effects you were studying impacted? End content warning. 00:25:08 - Were people literally watching a corpse rot? 00:28:42 - Is Tantra tied to psychotropic breathing at all? 00:29:27 - Is there anything else you want to add about your career of debunking gurus? Would you say it's more so tied to philosophy or the people? 00:32:22 - Why is there a theme of gurus having sex with people? Drukpa Kunley 00:35:48 - How did you get set up on the assignment to debunk Wim Hof? 00:37:13 - Have people ever died of hypothermia trying to do this? 00:38:31 - Did you keep an open mind at all? Or were you sure Wim Hof was a fake? 00:39:00 - Is drinking part of the retreats? 00:40:52 - Can you pinpoint what opened your mind to him when you were learning about Wim's methods? 00:45:00 - Read Scott's book — "What Doesn't Kill You" 00:48:50 - What about Wim Hof is so compelling? 00:51:50 - Did the results of the study on Wim Hof's techniques surprise you or catch you off guard? 00:53:44 - Can you explain the physiological response that happens when you do the breathing? 00:57:55 - How important would you say the meditation process is after doing a few rounds of the Wim Hof method? 01:00:00 - Do you still practice daily? 01:02:20 - Do you do the breathing and cold in conjuncture? 01:02:50 - What's the name of your fancy ice bath? 01:05:20 - Are you supposed to try to visualize something warm? Or do you just take the cold head on? 01:05:50 - Do you think it's a physical adaptation or a mental adaptation? 01:09:14 - What is that line in terms of finding your limits?01:10:33 - Is brown fat more activated by bare skin exposure? Rather than when clothed? 01:11:05 - Can you accumulate more brown fat via cold exposure? And how does that relate to the wedge? 01:13:00 - Wim Hof has a twin brother — do they have similar amounts of brown fat? 01:16:07 - Is there a performance benefit to these methods? 01:19:31 - What is the application of the breathing technique and cold exposure for people doing long distance hikes? 01:23:51 - Take us through the story of how you eventually went back to Europe and then Africa to hike Kilimanjaro with Wim Hof? 01:25:27 - And you guys were going for a record? 01:26:39 - What is the average time for a summit of Mt.Kilimanjaro? 01:26:51 - Were you doing the breathing technique the whole time you were hiking or during breaks? 01:27:04 - When you do the practice at home do you do it the same way each time? Do you ever use nostril breathing? 01:28:00 - Wim likes your book even though there's a chapter that doesn't look at him in the most favorable way? 01:34:16 - Have you ever thought about approaching Wim about how people are taking his methods out of context? 01:36:24 - Is there a book in the intertwined nature of social media and putting people on pedestals? 01:36:58 - Can you talk about your books? 01:38:53 - So you do a macro dose of MDMA with psychiatrists? 01:39:45 - Is your book an audio book? 01:40:00 - If you had to pick one element from The Wedge as very beneficial, what would it be? 01:41:01 - You also posted recently about The Vor

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are bringing you another advice based show. Today's episode is all about how to afford a thru-hike, which includes overall tips for how to budget, how much to budget, what items you can skimp on, what items you should splurge on, tools for automating the process, and much more. We wrap the show with a triple crown of items that we love for less than $25, a wild story about a multi-day grizzly bear attack, and we discuss whether a calendar year triple crown is anti-thetical to the thru-hiking ethos. QOTD: How long is the lifespan of a fly/mosquito? And why aren't dead ones all over the ground? BPR is doing a live podcast at Hop Haus in Fitchburg, Wisconsin from 6:00pm - 8:00pm on Friday, October 15. How to Afford a Thru-Hike ebook by Kelly Floro Tip #1 (Chaunce): Use apps that set aside money for you. Apps mentioned (not sponsored): Qapital Betterment Acorns Wealthfront Tip #2 (Zach): Know what gear to splurge on. Specifically: Footwear Shelter Sleeping bag/quilt Tip #3 (Elise): Leverage the Financial Independence community (and finding your Coast FI number for peace of mind). Some FI resources: The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins Quit Like A Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung The Choose FI podcast MoneywithKatie on Instagram Coast FI caclulator Tip #4 (Chaunce): Budget smart while you're actually on trail. Tip #5 (Zach): Know where to skimp on gear. Specifically: Headlamp Base layer Rain gear Water filter Sunglasses And more Tip #6 (Elise): Figure out how much your life actually costs, then figure out how to cut further or earn more. Tip #7 (Chaunce): Take on a side job where all earnings are specifically for thru-hiking. Some ideas: Uber/Lyft Instacart Rover Tip #8 (Zach): Decide how much you think your thru-hike will cost, then add 20%. Tipe #9 (Elise): Surround yourself with people who either support your goals or have similar ones. SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Colleen Goldhorn's Posts Triple Crown of things to spend $25 on Gross or Not Gross Zach being barefoot on an airplane Mail Bag Cinnamon Court [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Jason Lawrence, Christopher Marshburn, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), Brent Stenberg, and Patrick Cianciolo. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Mitchell, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT, Lindsay Sparks, Liz Seger and Lisa Douglas.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Rachael "Rabbit" Delano. Rabbit is a triple crowner, yogi, trail junkie, and currently in an ongoing battle with the Colorado Trail. We learn about how the discovery of thru-hiking was a true fork in the road for Rachael, as the other path was leading toward a very dark place (much like our episode with Second Chance, for those who are triggered by talks of suicide, we encourage you to skip to about 15 minutes into the interview). We talk about the highs and lows of each of Rabbit's triple crown hikes. We learn which yoga poses she most recommends for hikers and backpackers. And why the Colorado Trail keeps kicking her ass! We wrap the show with a discussion on why backcountry campfires might need to become a thing of the past, at least in the West, we do a triple crown of things that ruin a day hike, and introduce a new segment- Hiker Trash Board Confessionals. But first. Organifi: Use code "backpacker" for 20% off at organifi.com/backpacker. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. Path Projects: Go to pathprojects.com and let the know BPR sent you. [divider] Interview with Rachael "Rabbit" Delano Instagram Website Youtube CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of suicide 00:05:08 - QOTD: What are your upcoming backpacking plans? 00:08:23 - Wisconsin Hiker Meetup on Wednesday, October 13th @ Delafield BrewHaus 00:09:30 - What is your thru-hiking resume? 00:14:36 - Can you put a finger on what about your life was not satisfactory? 00:16:40 - did you go straight from New York to the AT? 00:16:50 - What was the timeline from being at your lowest to starting the AT? 00:17:13 - And all you had seen at that point was a Katahdin photo? 00:17:32 - Did you have a feeling hiking would be your salvation? Or were you just willing to try anything? 00:18:12 - Do you experience being just done with hiking? Or are you just ready to go again? 00:19:42 - What was the experience like going back home after the AT? END CONTENT WARNING 00:21:30 - How fat is Zach's baby's cheeks? 00:22:39 - Do you do morning yoga on the trail? 00:23:31 - What does the process of becoming a yoga instructor look like? 00:24:49 - How much of yoga teacher training is the movement and how much is the origin of yoga? 00:26:43 - Is it hard to memorize the names of all the different yoga positions? 00:28:10 - What are the core tenets of being a good yoga teacher? 00:29:07 - Have you ever laughed at someone farting in your class? 00:31:40 - Are there good poses for helping with digestion? 00:32:53 - Do you have a series of go to moves for hiking? 00:35:34 - Are there good movements that can help you sleep? 00:37:50 - Can you tell us about breath work? 00:42:40 - Any more moves for backpackers? 00:46:58 - Do you have a go to yoga sign off? 00:48:35 - Does it matter what color you imagine (based on color psychology)? 00:54:31 - Can you talk about the intersection of breathing techniques and managing anxiety? 00:56:48 - Is there a resource or tool you've found for different techniques for managing anxiety? 00:58:28 - Were there any major themes you took away from your three big hikes? 01:00:37 - What happened with your near death experience on the PCT? 01:10:02 - Did you sleep through the night? 01:10:41 - Did the snow melt the next day? What was the trail like? 01:13:15 - Can you tell us the story of you getting swept away during a creek crossing in the Sierra in 2017? 01:19:00 - What were you thinking when this was happening? 01:19:21 - What did you do after you got back to the bank you came from? 01:22:19 - PCTA has a good resource for water crossings and formations for different group sizes Stream Crossing Safety 01:23:28 - Was it hard for you to put ego aside? 01:25:26 - If someone is planning to do their first thru-hike on the PCT in an average to above average snow year, what advice would you have for them? 01:30:23 - What were your takeaways from the CDT? 01:33:54 - Why would you stay on the CDT if you could? 01:34:36 - Where were the mosquitoes the worst? 01:34:55 - What percent of the CDT do you think you did by yourself? 01:37:11 - Was it challenging to not see many other people? 01:40:05 - Do you think more people stick together because the CDT has much fewer hikers? 01:41:29 - What is Hadrian's Wall like? Is it social? 01:42:28 - Did you want to do something longer since you were going so far? 01:43:26 - Did you still do big days or did you go slower since it was shorter? 01:46:36 - How tall is the wall? 01:47:44 - Anything else about Hadrian's Wall? 01:56:14 - What is the goal of redoing the Copper - Breckenridge section over and over? 01:58:00 - What is the significance of your trail name? SEGMENTSTrek Propaganda Backcountry Campfires: A Relic of the Past by Paul Magnanti Triple Crown of Things That Will Ruin Your Day Hike Chaunce: forgetting sunscreen, not leaving early enough, lac

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are trying new things! In lieu of an interview, myself alongside Chaunce and Sauce (Elise), cover some of the most common beginner backpacking mistakes. Because we here at Backpacker Radio can occasionally steer off-topic, we wanted to experiment with an episode dedicated to what the show's title implies. Backpacking stuff. These pointers run the full spectrum, from massive mistakes, to minor gaffes. Regardless of where you are in your backpacking evolution, we think you'll walk away from this one with some very useful insight. But first. Organifi: Use code "backpacker" for 20% off at organifi.com/backpacker. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "gingersaregood" for 15% off at Gossamergear.com. [divider] Panel with Elise (Sauce), Chaunce, and Zach 00:06:39 - QOTD: Is the left ball lower and your main child bearing ball? 00:10:08 - We are going to Wisconsin! 00:13:11 - Mistake #1 from Zach: Not doing shakedown hikes 00:17:41 - A shakedown hike is more than just narrowing down your gear! 00:18:52 - Mistake #2 from Chaunce: Put your phone on airplane mode when you do practice hikes. 00:23:25 - Mistake #3 from Elise: Not knowing how to properly filter your water. 00:30:33 - Mistake #4 from Zach: Buying gear beyond your skill set/experience. 00:40:52 - Mistake #5 from Chaunce: Being too firm on your hike and not allowing flexibility based on the elements. 00:50:00 - Mistake #6 from Elise: Research the gear that is right for YOU. 00:54:47 - Mistake #7 from Zach: Mental prep might be more important than any other kind of prep. 00:59:49 - Mistake #8 from Chaunce: Not practicing communicating with your sattelite device in multiple types of coverage. 01:06:27 - Mistake #9 from Elise: Trying to keep up with people above your fitness level. No Segments! [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Jason Lawrence, Christopher Marshburn, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), Brent Stenberg, and Patrick Cianciolo. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Mitchell, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT, Lindsay Sparks, Liz Seger and Lisa Douglas.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Second Chance Hiker. In 2018, Cory McDonald, aka Second Chance, was bored, depressed, and north of 400 pounds. After his doctor told him that he was headed for a heart attack if he didn't make some serious changes, Second Chance uprooted his life, and committed to hiking the PCT with the goal of losing 200 lb in the process. We learn all about the highs and lows Cory confronted during his trek, including how he got a girlfriend, and why he ultimately got off trail in very dramatic fashion. Second Chance shares what he's been up to since the PCT, including treks in Croatia and through the crocodile filled swamps of Florida. A very important warning to listeners, this episode does touch on some sensitive subject matter, especially conversations of panic attacks and suicide. If this may be triggering for you, we encourage you to skip to the end of the interview after Cory talks about his Florida Trail hike. We wrap the show with a triple crown of things we're terrible at, some history of why the Appalachian Trail doesn't have switchbacks, and a follow up on James Jordan's trial verdict.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Alison Young. Alison has a world-class radio voice, is a super accomplished backpacker, with a long list of thru-hikes, a former professional flutist and classic music aficionado, and the host and producer of The Trek's newest podcast, Walking Distance. We get a crash course in all things classical music, including how Lizzo ranks alongside some of the historical greats, we talk in depth about Alison's many treks, especially her international hikes (prepare to expand your bucket list), we talk about what it's like to do long distance backpacking trips into your 50s and how she manages with two fake hips, and much more. This is a fun conversation that hits on some really unique subject matter, we think you'll really enjoy it. We wrap the show with the most bizarre triple crown we've ever done- I'll leave it at that, we have another gross / not gross, and we learn why redheads experience less pain, spoiler alert, it's not due to their lacking a soul. Good To-Go: Use code "TREK25" to save 25% off your order here. OnX deal: This month, get a 1 year membership for $10 with all proceeds going to Leave No Trace. Learn more at onxmaps.com/greatoutdors. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "poopstory" for 15% off at Gossamergear.com. [divider] Interview with Alison Young Blissful Hiker Walking Distance Podcast Alison's Instagram QUESTIONS 00:04:30 - QOTD: which is easier, eating a little or eating nothing? 00:05:37 - We are coming to Wisconsin! 00:06:29 - Welcome Alison Young! 00:07:52 - How did you get into backpacking? 00:11:48 - Can we talk about your career as a flutist? 00:14:00 - What is the life of a professional flute player? 00:15:56 - Can you tell us more about your career at American Public Media? 00:18:30 - Was it difficult to go from being the star of the show to being the cheerleader? 00:20:30 - What is Dystonia? 00:22:10 - Does your Dystonia affect backpacking at all? 00:22:53 - Is trying to play with Dystonia a mind fuck? 00:25:24 - Did your surgeon think your backpacking contributed to your hip replacement? 00:27:31 - What is the next step people should take to go deeper into the classical music world? 00:31:30 - How many times have you watched the movie Fantasia? 00:33:30 - If you could only listen to one classical song for an entire thru-hike, what would it be? Gustav Mahler from Songs of a Wayfarer 00:38:49 - Will you tell us about the Drakensberg Traverse? 00:40:59 - Was there any standout wildlife on that trek? 00:42:08 - Did the baboons ever get aggressive? 00:43:35 - How long is that hike? 00:43:40 - Were you carrying all your food? 00:45:33 - Were people confused about what you were doing? 00:47:08 - Are you being conscious about your food around the baboons? 00:48:45 - Go on about Isle Royale? 00:51:04 - How are you sleeping knowing there's wolves around you? 00:52:32 - What are you supposed to do if you see a wolf? 00:54:53 - How long was your Isle Royale hike? 00:55:38 - What time of year were you there? 00:55:58 - How were the mosquitoes? 00:57:48 - Can you pronounce that region again? "Kekekabic" 00:59:03 - Do people thru-hike the Border Route Trail? 01:03:20 - If you could redo one international hike, which would it be? The Karakoram in Pakistan 01:06:33 - What's going through your mind when doing a water crossing like that? 01:10:05 - How does your spouse handle you being away for months at a time? 01:13:46 - Can you talk about your decision to not have kids, etc.? 01:15:52 - Can we talk about the GR5? 01:19:46 - Do you have advice for someone who is not the typical 20-something that wants to start backpacking? 01:22:34 - Do you do anything besides walking to get in shape for backpacking? Yoga, etc.? 01:25:36 - Will you give us the overview for Walking Distance? 01:34:28 - What inspired the CDT? Can you talk about your upcoming adventure? 01:37:10 SEGMENTS Lizzo Playing the Flute The Longest Trail by Jonathan Horwitz Triple crown of Desserts Gross or Not Gross Zach picked a booger and felt it in his throat 1-Minute Gear Review: Premature Evaluation — Platypus Quickdraw Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey M

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by the show's third co-host at this point, the real hiking viking. We do a deep dive on every inch of Jabba's recent hike of the Hayduke, including the challenges of long water carries, regular exposure to 100-plus degree days, navigating the route, and some truly epic stories, including a trail magic rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Whether you want to learn about the Hayduke or are simply craving some more Jabba time, this one will not disappoint. We wrap the show with a triple crown of things that ruin your day, Chaunce explains why you can't get a vaccine until after you've done your taxes, and we get some more horse facts, chicken edition. Good To-Go: Use code "TREK25" to save 25% off your order here. OnX deal: This month, get a 1 year membership for $10 with all proceeds going to Leave No Trace. Learn more at onxmaps.com/greatoutdors. Enlightened Equipment: Save 10% off off Enlightened Equipment's Stock Revelation Quilt or Stock Torrid Jacket with code "trek10" here. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "poopstory" for 15% off at Gossamergear.com. [divider] Interview with Jabba aka The Real Hiking Viking QOTD: Aliens and ghosts. SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda 100-Mile Wilderness Designated International Dark Sky Park by Tina Mullen Man and 2-Year-Old Son Found Dead on Maryland AT in Apparent Murder-Suicide by Kelly Floro Triple Crown of Mundane Things that Ruin Your Day Gross or Not Gross Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT and Lindsay Sparks.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by recurring guest, Steph Lotus aka Weezer, and her good pal, Dirty Avocado, as the duo recently wrapped a thru-hike of the Arizona Trail. This one is the mid-point between a trail overview and first person narrative of their journey, including some mild tragedy, comedy, and romance. We wrap the show with a triple crown of desert things, we tease the new Trail Correspondents season, and we are blessed with a bison poop story. Advertise on Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Gossamer Gear founder Glen Van Peski. We learn all about the origins of Gossamer Gear, including how the company would not be in existence today without the founder of Whole Foods. We learn about some of Glen's proudest gear innovations, including the crotch pot. We walk about how he's able to manage a three pound base weight, future gear innovations in the world of backpacking, and much more. We wrap the show with a triple crown of Leonardo DiCaprio movies, Jabba gives us an impromptu lesson on scrotums from the Hayduke, and we bring back one-minute gear reviews. Check out Walking Distance wherever you listen to podcasts. OnX discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Picky Bars discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" for 20% off $25 Picky Bars. Goodr discount code: Use code "backpacker15" to save 15% on your first order at goodr.com/backpacker15. Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com [divider] Interview with Glen Van Peski Gossamer Gear Blog [divider] QOTD: What's the strangest thing you've done in the last week? 00:11:09 - Backpacker Radio is going to Wisconsin in October! 00:12:40 - Listeners, are you close to Wisconsin? Do you want to come see us? Let us know where? 00:14:30 -Welcome Glen Van Peski! 00:14:52 - How did you originally get into backpacking? 00:15:58 - Are you still in Massachusetts? 00:16:47 - Can you give us a run through of your notable backpacking trips? 00:17:57 - What is the typical length of your backpacking trips? 00"18:21 - What began the foray into making your own gear? 00:20:07 - At this point did the lightbulb go off that there was a market opportunity? Or were you just sewing for yourself? 00:23:07 - How quickly did you sell through your first 50 packs? 00:23:57 - What was your full time job at that point? 00:24:40 - Do you remember what the run of 50 packs cost you? 00:25:40 - Can you walk me through the initial scaling of the business? What happened after the first 50 packs? 00:28:03 - What is your day-to-day involvement at this point? And was it called Gossamer Gear? 00:29:15 - What year was it at this point? 00:29:59 - It sounds like you were hitting you stride right when credit card processing became a thing? 00:31:22 - Is the G420 the same as the original G4? 00:32:26 - How collaborative are cottage gear companies with each other? 00:34:30 - Can you talk more about the evolution from GVP Gear to Gossamer Gear? 00:40:20 - What is your involvement today? 00:41:21 - Is the cooking system you're working on the Crotch Pot? 00:43:11 - Can you share the story of your gear choice during your hike in the High Sierra? 00:46:27 - Did the weight sitting lower on your body change the way your muscles reacted? Were you sore in different places? 00:46:57 - Was there anything you left out to make that volume work? 00:48:50 - How do you get under 3 pounds for your base weight? 00:51:22 - How would you describe your interest in UL backpacking? 00:53:25 - How much Gossamer Gear stuff are you using on your hikes? 00:54:09 - Can you walk us through the inception of The One? 00:55:11 - What challenges did you run into with the DCF version of The One? 00:57:33 - Can you explain what DCF is and outline some of the feature benefits of the fabric over all? 00:59:28 - What is Oxford? 00:59:33 - Do you think DCF is worth the rage? Is it overhyped or properly hyped? 01:00:55 - Do you see any fabrics in the pipeline that could be as disruptive as DCF? 01:03:14 - What is in your go-to first aid backpacking kit? 01:04:50 - Why do you think you are interested in being of service to others? 01:06:00 - Is this something that translates to your life over all? Outside of backpacking? 01:09:54 - What are some of your favorite non-Gossamer Gear gear choices? Zpacks BluffWorks YAthletics Ministry of Supply 01:11:40 - Can you speak truth to the fact that there are people who buy The One as a two-person tent? 01:15:28 - What is the oldest piece of gear that you backpack with today? 01:16:26 - Your sleep socks haven't gotten holes? 01:16:48 - Are we going to see the 6 oz tent in the Gossamer Gear store soon? 01:17:58 - Do you see any gear that will be mainstream in thru-hiking in the near future? 01:18:51- Do you use your tent stakes as chopsticks? 01:20:50 - Do you have any other gear redundancies? Checkout Mayfly Ultralight 01:22:44 - Any parting words to the backpackers of the world? 01:23:33 - Is there any part of you that craves luxuries while backpacking? 01:25:05 - Where should people go find you? Gossamer Gear Blog SEGMENTS The Best Time of Year to Hike These 23 Popular Long Trails by Eloise Robbins Triple Crown of Leonardo DiCaprio Movies Call with Jabba! What are questions women have about men but are too afraid to ask? 1-Minute Gear Review Chaunce - Book Stand Zach - Hoka Challenger ATR 6 Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulyb

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by my good bud, Nicole Antoinette. Nicole is a thru-hiker, entrepreneur, podcast host, and all around magnetic personality. We talk about overcoming imposture syndrome in the world of backpacking, why the stereotypical thru-hiking style of big miles, ramen, and cramped motel rooms isn't a one-size-fits-all approach, accepting failure, sobriety, and much more. This is a lively conversation; you will enjoy it. We wrap the show a triple crown of kitchen gadgets, we officially unveil the destination for our 2021 Backpacker Radio Road Trip, and someone gets poop in their hair. OnX discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Picky Bars discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" for 20% off $25 Picky Bars. Goodr discount code: Use code "backpacker15" to save 15% on your first order at goodr.com/backpacker15. Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com Interview with Nicole Antoinette Instagram QOTD: You have one hour to spend $10,000 in one store, what store are you choosing? 00:07:58 - Nicole, if we meet you on a hike, what is your clif notes introduction to somebody? 00:10:10 - What is it that pays the bills these days? 00:12:36 - Will you please plug your podcast? 00:13:10 - Why did you archive all your instagram posts? 00:15:44 - What influenced your decision to scrap things (off instagram)? 00:19:21 - How do you pursue what the next thing is without using a passion as the igniter for that? 00:21:21 - Can you talk about your questioning monogamy phase? 00:23:49 - Have you always been so self-aware? 00:25:45 - Do you meditate at all? 00:26:30 - How did you transition from running to backpacking? 00:30:14 - How did you end up thru-hiking the PCT after being hurt after the Oregon section? 00:33:35 - How long before you are planning your next backpacking trip? 00:37:55 - What made you start to enjoy backpacking? 00:40:11 - Where are you from? 00:40:23 - Were there any concrete things you changed that helped you enjoy the experience? 00:46:14 - How did you find the balance between not being afraid and being comfortable on your own? 00:47:29 - How did you cope with loneliness? 00:49:28 - Is Chaunce an introvert or extrovert? 00:51:49 - Did you get more music? 00:55:29 - Between Ice Ice Baby and the Safety Dance which song would you put on your phone if you could only choose one? 00:56:00 - If an extrovert is considering going on a hike solo, do you have any advice for them? 01:00:16 - Can we talk about your SOBO PCT hike next? 01:02:20 - What does a social life look like on a southbound thru-hike? 01:03:26 - When was your start date? 01:04:56 - How did the SOBO PCT hike live up to expectations? 01:08:47 - Can you talk about the perception of not completing your thru-hike? 01:12:35 - What value do you get out of saying your PCT hike was a failure? 01:22:27 - Did you feel that having your own community established before you started backpacking helped? 01:24:10 - Do you think you could quit more gracefully because you've established your confidence in other areas of your life? 01:28:21 - How much did you encounter party culture on the PCT and how was it as a sober hiker? 01:30:35 - Do you have any advice for sober people hoping to hike? 01:36:31 - Do you mind talking about the evolution of your relationships? 01:37:23 - What role did the thru-hike play in the end of your marriage? 01:42:20 - How did you transition into your current relationship? 01:47:25 - When are you doing the Colorado Trail? 01:48:00 - Where can people find you? Instagram SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Desk-Bound Engineer to Professional Backpacking Guide in 1 Year by Dan Purdy Apply to be a writer for The Trek Backpacker Radio Road Trip Announcement! Triple Crown of Kitchen Tools Gross or Not Gross Leo's Blowouts Chaunce Picking People's Scabs Reddit Brain Buster You're a burglar…but you can only steal things that mildly inconvenience your victims. What are you taking? ex: the plate that goes in the microwave Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT and Lindsay Sparks.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by legendary Appalachian Trail trail angel, Miss Janet. We learn about how cute boys was her gateway back to the trail in the 70s, the history of how people learned about and communicated around the trail, and why she's dedicated so much of her life to helping AT hikers. We also touch on some hot button issues surrounding the trail, including when trail magic crosses the line, the impact of partying on the trail, and what she sees as a solution to the abundance of trash in some of the more popular areas. We wrap the show with a triple crown of bad farts, Chaunce and I answer some listener questions, and who do you think you are? I am! OnX discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com Picky Bars discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" for 20% off $25 Picky Bars. [divider] Interview with Miss Janet Instagram [email protected] QOTD: What has been your best trail magic experience? Are fish worth it? 00:16:21 - Pop Quiz - what year did Miss Janet and Badger meet? 00:17:05 - Can you tell me about your upbringing and the confluence of getting involved with the AT? 00:18:22 - Why were you afraid of the first hiker you saw on the AT? 00:19:55 - Do you remember what year it was the first time you met an AT hiker? 00:22:50 - What interesting things happened on the AT in 1985? 00:26:38 - Is your mom still in Erwin today? Is she still part of the AT experience? 00:29:36 - What happens in between you being introduced to the AT and you opening your own hostel? 00:32:30 - So you were surprised by the sheer amount of hikers when you moved back to Erwin? 00:36:14 - When you started your hostel were there enough hikers to support two hostels? 00:40:35 - What year did you start your hostel? 00:41:08 - How did people know which hostel to go to in the late 90's? 00:42:48 - Why were you banned from the email list? 00:47:56 - How many people drop out by the time they hit Mountain Crossing? 00:50:58 - What are people's reasoning for not registering with the ATC? 00:54:55 - How do you calculate how many people are vlogging their AT hike? 00:55:41 - Have you noticed that people are starting early and earlier every year? 00:57:27 - Would you advocate for a daily cap on the AT like the PCT? 01:01:03 - Can you talk about that photograph that came out last year with all the trash on Max Patch? 01:02:02 - Are there efforts made by trail angels to relay the importance of LNT? 01:04:58 - Don't leave out styrofoam coolers if you aren't coming back for them. 01:07:14 - What are your thoughts on the difference between trail magic and hiker feeds? 01:14:06 - Have you noticed that at every major road crossing there's so much trail magic that hikers have come to just expect it? 01:17:37 - Have you noticed thru-hiker entitlement as time has gone on? 01:23:43 - How would you define the AT experience? 01:26:30 - How would you define what an AT thru-hike looks like? 01:35:31 - is there any consistent theme to the gap between what people are expecting and what they end up actually experiencing? 01:40:42 - How often do you end up being the AT therapist? 01:43:40 -How often do you think hikers get off because they are bored? 01:47:10 - Can you bridge the gap between Miss Janet's hostel and the Miss Janet that trail angels up and down the AT? 01:49:30 - How much of the trail had you hiked prior to that? 01:54:15 - Would you trade your hiking style for making it all the way to Katadhin? 01:55:58 - How did you go from hostels to doing traveling trail angeling? 01:58:00 - What is it about the trail that keeps you coming back? What is it that you love about the people and culture? 02:09:17 - Where can people find Miss Janet? Instagram [email protected] SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda AT Killer James Jordan Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity Trail Profile: How to Hike the 96-Mile Lone Star Hiking Trail by Katie Houston Triple Crown of Bad Farts Listener Q&A Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @Paulybooyshallcross. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter L

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Ben Crawford of the Crawford Family. In 2018, Ben Crawford, along with his wife Kami, and their six kids, ages between two and sixteen years old, thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. We learn all about the unique challenges of this undertaking, including how to keep kids spirits high when hiking in snow for over a month, what their gear system looked like, and how they handled a very mixed reception from the online hiking community. This conversation also takes some wlid turns including how Ben and Kami were excommunicated from their Christian Missionary group, how he hit the jackpot as a blackjack card counter, and why he doesn't school his kids (either in the traditional sense or with homeschooling). We wrap the show by announcing the winners of our big episode 100 giveaway, we have a triple crown of villains, and we get some horse facts, llama edition. OnX discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Goodr discount code: Use code "backpacker15" to save 15% on your first order at goodr.com/backpacker15 Check out Hikerlink.co to connect with hiker trash past, present and future. Interview with Ben Crawford Instagram Youtube 2,000 Miles Together (Book) Their AT documentary Holy Rollers: The True Story of Cound Carting Christians 00:04:41: QOTD: What is your favorite crossfit lift? 00:10:00 - Welcome Ben Crawford of the Crawford Family 00:10:14 - Give us the full breakdown of how you got started on the AT 00:12:04 - Does the government have it's own branded peanut butter? 00:14:00 - Did you have a family to look up to before starting the trail? 00:16:10 - Can you do a run through of the kids and their ages? 00:17:56 - Are you and your wife still religious? 00:18:46 - Why were you excommunicated? 00:20:15 - When you were excommunicated did you lose all of your friends? Or did you have friends outside the church? 00:21:25 - What led you to start questioning what was happening around you? 00:24:50 - When did you make the leap from realizing your kids were physically capable to deciding to hike the AT? 00:28:31 - When did you start the trail and when did you plan to finish? 00:29:20 - Can you tell us how cold it was in March when you started? 00:30:41 - What were the hikers around you saying seeing a family that big with temperatures that low? 00:32:14 - Were the kids carrying their own gear? What was your overall gear system and setup? 00:33:20 - What tent did you have for the kids? 00:37:30 - What is your strategy for keeping morale up for the whole family? 00:40:28 - What was your parenting style that created adventurous, outdoorsy kids? 00:44:20 - Is there any science to show that it's bad for kids to over exert themselves at such a young age? 00:47:07 - Can you talk about CPS getting involved while you were out on trail? 00:49:51 - How did you deal with people talking about you online? 00:51:07 - What happened when the government was called? 00:55:00 - You think the person who called on you did so from youtube? 00:56:29 - What is unschooling? 00:58:21 - Do you think your rejection of institutions and institutionalization comes from your upbringing in the church? 00:59:32 - Can you talk about your career and entrepreneurial pursuits? What was your business life like prior to the trail? 01:04:14 - How do you get people to start black jack? 01:04:26 - Holy Rollers: The True Story of Cound Carting Christians 01:05:18 - Do people need a certain background to be good at black jack? 01:06:46 - So is it against house rules? 01:09:28 - Have you always been good at math? And what skills are required to execute this? And What is it? 01:11:07 - So you need learning money? 01:12:04 - What's the advantage without counting cards? 01:14:25 - How do kids learn math when they are doing unschooling? Or other things that are essential to doing "life" things? 01:16:45 - What about reading? 01:17:28 - Do you have any sort of confines for the kids? Are there things kids have to do during the day? 01:20:58 - Is it easier for you to give 45k for your kids to build a house after doing black jack? 01:22:15 - What happened with the kids and the house? 01:22:36 - Are you teaching them the carpentry skills, etc.? 01:24:40 - Do you have any framework for how you go about something like giving the kids a house? 01:28:22 - Can you tell us the Katahdin story and the conclusion to your hike? 01:33:40 - How can people budget for a thru-hike? Or go outside the confines of a 9-5 to fund a hike? SEGMENTS Episode 100 Winner: Package 1 Winner: Justin Cornell Package 2 Winner: Meredith Snyder Package 3 Winner: Henk Humes Honorable Mention for Chuck Lopez for putting all the show intros together Trek Propaganda Backcountry Guide Killed in Grizzly Bear Attack Near Yellowstone by Tina Mullen The Top Down Jackets for Backpacking The Top Synthetic Jackets for Backpac

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Dr. Freeborn Mondello. Freeborn, who is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, explodes our brains with some non-conventional advice for hikers, backpackers, and really any endurance athlete. This includes why stretching might be a waste of time, the importance of heavy weight resistance training, and why the traditional 3 sets of 10 reps is going to be counterproductive to your goals- and yes those last two points are not contradictory. Whether you're training for a hike or simply want to maintain good health, you'll find this conversation fascinating- we sure did. We wrap the show with a triple crown of days of the week, a new gross or not gross, and some good innovating pee pants for people with vaginas. OnX Backcountry discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Check out Hikerlink.co to connect with hiker trash past, present and future. Interview with Dr.Freeborn Mondello RunfreePT.com Instagram - @runfreept Youtube - RunfreePT Free consults over video or in person — [email protected] 00:04:30 - QOTD: What's an injury you have that always comes back? 00:06:47 - Welcome Dr.Freeborn Mondello! 00:07:43 - You've done multiple iron man races? What does that entail? 00:10:09 - What is the chafe situation like after a 2.4 mile swim and immediately hopping onto a bike? 00:11:12 - Where have you done your iron man races? 00:12:48 - Did you consider throwing in the towel on the 106 degree day? 00:15:02 - You're a champion mountain biker? 00:16:10 - How do you go from excelling at a sport where you use high twitch muscles to a sport that uses slow twitch muscles? 00:17:46 - Have you had your muscle twitch fibers measured? 00:18:49 - Is there any science to support being able to switch your muscle fiber types? 00:19:57 - So you grew up in Silver City near Gila National Forest? 00:20:30 - So you've been familiar with the CDT for a long time? 00:22:01 - How did you get into physical therapy? 00:25:19 - Is there anything cool you learned why getting your doctorate that most people wouldn't know or expect? 00:27:00 - How much of a role does neurology play in PT? 00:30:26 - Can you explain dry needling? 00:34:10 - So it's really your nervous system sometimes telling you that you can't do something rather than your muscular system? 00:36:30 - Would an orthopedic surgeon have a different take? 00:37:14 - How do the mechanics of dry needling work? How far in does the needle go? 00:40:12 - Can you tell us about the performance enhancing aspect of dry needling? 00:42:41 - Is there something about dry needling that would make it against the rules? 00:44:06 - Does dry needling have a place in the context of a thru-hike? If this is their first time, are those dice worth rolling? 00:46:51 - Is dry needling more effective for acute injuries or chronic ones? 00:48:27 - How long does dry needling last? How often do people have to come back? 00:52:20 - How does the central nervous system play a role in weight training overall? 00:55:49 - Pavel's kettlebell training video and Rogan interview 00:56:26 - Can you define hypertrophy vs. strength training? 00:59:27 - Do the nutritional requirements differ in hypertrophy vs. strength training? 01:03:08 - What would your protocol be for someone getting ready to hike in a couple months? 01:09:40 - Can strength training work with things you have at home? 01:14:20 - Are kettlebells that different from dumbells? 01:15:44 - If you're on an island and you can only bring one kettle bell with you, what weight is it? 01:17:06 - How long are you supposed to swing kettlebells for? 01:18:57 - Don't just buy a kettle bell and start swinging! 01:20:20 - Why is 80% the ideal number for optimal strength training? 01:23:40 - Why is strength training important for endurance sports? Why is doing deadlifts helpful for someone going on a thru-hike? 01:26:17 - Is stretching helpful? What role does it play in endurance sports? 01:30:12 - Is foam rolling helpful? Balls that roll out your muscles? 01:32:08 - Is it possible that foam rollers or lacrosse balls do help people or is it a placebo effect? 01:34:37 - So stretching can help flexibility, but that doesn't necessarily help injury prevention? 01:36:04 - Can you talk about the difference between mobility and flexibility? 01:37:33 - So tension can just be solved with various workouts? 01:38:48 - What should someone look for to find a good physical therapist or a good personal trainer? 01:42:54 - Is being stretched to your full capacity after ACL surgery advisable? 01:43:53 - How can you tell the difference between an injury you need to rest and a sore muscle you can just push through? 01:46:34 - How do you open hip flexors to reduce lower back pain? 01:48:32 - What is your youtube cha

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by OnX Backcountry, we are joined by Clara "Redfeather" Hughes. Clara, in no uncertain terms, is a bonafide superstar. In addition to a multitude of thru-hikes under her belt, Clara is a world-class speed skater and cyclist, being the only athlete in history to win multiple medals at both the summer and winter Olympic Games. Let that sink in for a second. We go deep on all the things you'd want to ask an Olympic superstar, including what her training regimen looks like, what it feels like to win a gold medal, and how much of a drunken orgy the Olympic village really is. We also learn how her backpacking endeavors played a role in her Olympic career and why she attributes a portion of her success to her trekking. We do a triple crown of Olympic sports (fittingly enough), how a professional tennis player stole our idea to sell our body parts in a non-prostitution sorta way (not that there's anything wrong with that), and a contentious patent pending. OnX discount code: Use code: "Backpackerradio20" for 20% off at onxmaps.com. Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Goodr discount code: Use code "backpacker15" to save 15% on your first order at goodr.com/backpacker15 [divider] Interview with Clara Hughes Clara's Instagram Clara's Website Clara's Book [divider] 00:04:55 - QOTD: What is your favorite pizza? 00:08:36 - Welcome Clara Hughes! 00:14:51 - What is this Baja hike? 00:17:44 - How did you get into your Olympic career? 00:25:22 - So you first got into sport when you were 16 or 17, how old were you for your first Olympic games? 00:25:44 - When you were younger did you know you were gifted as an athlete? 00:25:55 - How did you go from not really doing sport to being an olympic athlete? What happened in the middle? 00:29:03 - So the Olympic medals came after the JMT revelation? 00:31:10 - What is the community of the Olympics in Canada? How does it even work getting into the Olympics? What does the system look like in the months outside of the Olympic games? 00:33:18 - How did the structure of the Olympic community help with your mental health struggles? 00:40:40 - Is there a part of you that does want to turn hiking into sport and try an FKT? 00:44:28 - Do you relay your story about mental health on trail? 00:48:55 - When are they going to make a movie about your life? Has anyone approached you about one? If not, why are they f*cking up? 00:52:41 - Why do you think thru-hiking is a bigger deal in the U.S.? 00:55:31 - Can you give a little background on the Great Divide Trail? 00:57:48 - How much crossover is there between speed skating and cycling? 01:00:18 - When did you realize you wanted to do Olympic cycling? 01:02:18 - Can you put in headphones in the Olympics? If not, what's in your head? 01:05:03 - Has anyone tried to rig the spring part of the skate to make it super powerful? 01:06:28 - Where are the wipeouts more intense? Cycling or speedskating? 01:08:57 - Would you rather have a slicey bloody injury or an internal bone breaking injury? 01:10:47 - Are there photos of your sunglasses injury? 01:12:41 - What does it feel like to win a gold medal? 01:16:19 - Can you speak to the states of flow you get into competitively vs. training? 01:20:23 - Is Olympic Village as crazy as all the stories? 01:23:13 - Do you have any wild Olympic Village stories? 01:25:18 - Is the last day of the Olympics the biggest party day? 01:26:50 - Do you wear your medals all the time? 01:29:31 - Where should people go to keep up with you? SEGMENTS Interview debrief Trek Propaganda Six Triple Crown Spots to Visit If You Can't Thru-hike This Year by Eloise Robbins Triple Crown of Olympic Sports News from Off the Trail Patent Pending (Hangry App) Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT and Lindsay Sparks.

In today's episode of backpacker radio presented by the trek, we are joined by Emily Ford. Perhaps you've heard that name in the backpacking sphere of late, because Emily recently wrapped a thru-hike of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail- in the dead of winter- becoming just the second person ever to do so, and the first woman. We do a deep dive on Emily's journey, including what gear she used, the weather conditions (spoiler alert- it was cold as hell), how she had to knock on strangers' doors to ask if she could sleep in their yard, and how she managed this trek alongside a husky that did not belong to her. This is a fun conversation. We wrap the show with a preview of The Trek's brand new podcast- Walking Distance, a Triple Crown of odd firsts, another edition of backpacking advice of the day, and some history of how North Carolina's tallest mountain played a role in the death of the person its named after. But first. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com Check out Hikerlink.co to connect with hiker trash past, present and future. Interview with Emily Ford Emily's Instagram 00:04:42 - QOTD: Do you like backpacking in the winter? Or what's the worst part of hiking in freezing temperatures? 00:08:00 - Welcome Emily Ford 00:08:20 - Where are you from originally and how and when did you get into backpacking? 00:09:54 - Did you hear what happened on Lake Superior? 00:10:23 - What kind of stuff did the people who were fishing lose? 00:10:57 - Why don't we hear your Minnesotan accent? 00:11:07 - What's the best accent you've got? 00:12:13 - When did your intro into hiking and backpacking begin? 00:14:02 - How much do you think rugby helped you train you for backpacking? 00:15:37 - Did your rugby coach's mantra play in your mind as you hiked? 00:16:18 - What made you want to do a winter thru-hike? 00:17:25 - Did you feel like it was a hard adjustment to backpacking after being used to quicker movements with rugby? 00:19:34 - How do you get into powerlifting? 00:22:03 - Did powerlifting help with carrying such a heavy pack for winter backpacking? 00:23:17 - Can you give us the full spiel about the Ice Age Trail and what you just accomplished? 00:24:37 - You're the first woman and second person ever to winter thru-hike the Ice Age Trail, correct? Does that speak to the difficulty of the feat or the difficulty of being out in that cold of weather? 00:25:39 - What's the terrain like on the Ice Age Trail? Also you finished in 69 days?! Nice. 00:27:04 - Was it difficult technically or more like rolling hills? 00:28:09 - Had you hiked much of the trail in summer? 00:28:48 - When did you have snow shoes on the trail? 00:29:42 - What was this Wisconsin winter like? How cold was it? 00:31:17 - Did your dog sleep with you in your sleeping bag? 00:32:14 - What's a musher? 00:33:30 - So the kennel just let you borrow a dog for the winter? 00:34:59 - How did Diggins respond to thru-hiking in winter? 00:36:36 - So Diggins was melting the snow underneath her as she slept? 00:36:59 - Was Diggins pulling her gear or your gear? 00:37:59 - Diggins was on leash in all your photos, can you talk about that? 00:39:39 - Do you think Diggins stayed near you because she began to trust you? 00:40:00 - What was it like giving Diggins back to her family? 00:41:00 - Does Diggins live close enough to visit? 00:41:38 - What kind of challenges were there with bringing a dog? 00:43:19 - Did Diggins get town food too? 00:43:33 - Did you get to go to any fish fries? 00:44:07 - What was your lodging situation while on trail? 00:45:16 - So you have friends all throughout Wisconsin? 00:46:24 - What is it like when you get to town? How do you pick which door you are going to knock on? 00:47:53 - How many times did you cold knock on people's doors? 00:48:31 - Were people familiar with the Ice Age Trail? 00:49:05 - Are these people who let you sleep in their yard interacting with you at all? 00:49:22 - At what point did you start to get fan fare? 00:51:29 - Do you have any dream sponsors? 00:52:30 - Can you talk about your gear? 00:55:00 - How did your sleeping bag pack? 00:58:14 - What were you wearing while you were hiking? 00:59:46 - Did you have down or synthetic gear? 01:01:18 - Do you have leftover issues from frostbite on your butt? 01:02:08 - Would snow pants have been too hot? 01:04:19 - Were your shoes waterproof? 01:04:54 - Did you have gaiters? 01:06:04 - Did you keep hand warmers in bags to keep them working? 01:06:32 - What kind of eyewear did you have? 01:06:55 - Did you use trekking poles? 01:11:25 - Can you speak to being a black, LGBTQIA+ hiker? 01:13:42 - Have people messaged you that they are inspired by your journey? 01:14:44 - What's next for you? 01:15:25 - Have you been in touch with Renee Patrick at all? 01:17:06 -

Today is our centennial show, and oh boy, is it a beast. For starters, as a thank you to you, our beautiful listeners- we are giving away some awesome prizes, including a Gossamer Gear tent, pack, and trekking poles- but really that just scratches the surface. We're chatting with Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis about their current COVID Recovery Tour- a family road trip touring the national parks, and a concerted effort to both prioritize their mental health and inspire others to do the same. In hilarious Hiker Trash fashion, the Davis fam conducts this interview from their hotel room's bathroom floor, because, kids. We wrap the show with a wild and somewhat inebriated series of segments- including some newbies such as Never Have I Ever backpacking edition, Gross or Not Gross, and Random Backpacking Advice of the Day. And to really crank this one to 11, the segment portion of the show features our bud and resident yeti, Jabba aka The Real Hiking Viking aka Tom. Strap in. [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com. My Medic visit discount code: Use code: "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% at mymedic.com [divider] Interview with Jennifer Pharr Davis & Brew Davis Jennifer Pharr Davis's instagram Brew Davis's instagram Jennifer Pharr Davis's Facebook Brew Davis's Facebook Jennifer Pharr Davis's Website Blue Ridge Hiking Company Brew Davis on Spotify 00:05:04 - QOTD: If your belly button was a real button, what would you want it to do? 00:08:00 - Explanation for winning prizes! 00:14:05 - Interview with Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis 00:15:00 - What is your most recent book? 00:16:53 - Where are you right now? What are you drinking? And what are you drinking it out of? 00:18:00 - You're drinking what out of a what? 00:19:15 - Give us a brief intro on Blue Ridge Hiking Co. and how things have gone with COVID? 00:23:18 - The outfitter is new then? 00:24:10 - Can you talk about the President's Council? 00:26:45 - Is there a certain time they add or remove people from the President's Council? 00:28:00 - You serve (or served) on the board for the ATC? What is that like? 00:33:48 - What has it been like being a parent to two kids during the heart of COVID? 00:40:13 - Can you talk about what the National Parks tour is? 00:47:47 - What part of the tour is for work? 00:53:23 - How are your kids doing? Who is this trip for? 00:57:25 - How has COVID impacted your screen policy? 01:04:40 - How did you do the schedule for the National Parks tour? 01:06:00 - How do you stay on top of the changes with the pandemic and everything? 01:08:35 - Where in the tour are you now? Where have you visited? 01:12:17 - Can you tell a story about Al Capone and Hot Springs? 01:13:47 - Do you set goals based on your kids hiking desires? How do you choose which treks you take on? 01:23:53 - Do you have any parting words of wisdom for us? 01:26:53 - Where should people go if they want to keep up with the National Parks Tour? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda The Best Backpacking Meals of 2021 by Katie Kommer New Writer Applications on The Trek Zach's Assistant Internship Random Piece of Backpacking Advice of The Day Gross or Not Gross TRIPLE CROWN of band names Never Have I Ever 5 Star Reviews Prize package 1: Gossamer Gear The One Shelter, $100 gift card at Backcountry.com, 2 pairs of Goodr shades (upcoming advertiser), a 5-meal sampler from Greenbelly, a signed copy of Appalachian Trials or Pacific Crest Trials and Hiking from Home, a Trek Hat, AND A BPR STICKER Prize package 2: Gossamer Gear Gorilla Pack, $100 gift card at Backcountry.com, 2 pairs of Goodr shades (upcoming advertiser), and a 5-meal sampler from Greenbelly, a signed copy of Appalachian Trials or Pacific Crest Trials and Hiking from Home, a Trek Hat, AND A BPR STICKER Prize package 3: Gossamer Gear LT5 Poles, $100 gift card at Backcountry.com, 2 pairs of Goodr shades (upcoming advertiser), a signed copy of Appalachian Trials or Pacific Crest Trials and Hiking from Home, a Trek Hat, AND A BPR STICKER A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Patricia Cameron. Patricia is a journalist, thru-hiker, and the Founder and Executive Director at Blackpackers, a non-profit whose mission is to eliminate economic disparities of people of color in outdoor recreation. We chat in-depth about Patricia's Colorado Trail thru-hike last year, including what it was like to hike during a pandemic, how much she enjoyed the hiker trash camaraderie, some of her favorite stops along the trail, and more. We also learn about the origin of Blackpackers, some of the challenges and successes she's had in building it, and the impact she's with the Colorado POC community so far. We wrap the convo with some very important Breaking Bad chat and what it's like to pee yourself. The show closes with a triple crown of animals you don't want to see on trail, we ponder how badly we want to explore the universe, Badger opines about why Altra is losing ground with the thru-hiking community, and we get a taste for a new podcast project courtesy of our very own, Ms. Juliana Chauncey. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Greenbelly discount code: Use code: "TREK2021" to save 10% sitewide at greenbelly.co Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com. My Medic visit discount code: Use code: "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% at mymedic.com [divider] Interview with Patricia Cameron COBlackpackers.com Patricia's Twitter Patricia's Instagram Blackpackers Instagram Blackpackers Facebook Patricia's blogs on Backpacker.com about her CT hike 00:05:00 - QOTD: What are your spring hiking plans? 00:07:58 - Welcome Patricia Cameron of CO Blackpackers! 00:08:27 - How did you get into the outdoors/backpacking? 00:09:48 - Did the green vested guru have any hesitancy for showing you how to set up the tent? 00:10:46 - Are you originally from Colorado Springs? 00:11:05 - When did writing about backpacking become part of the equation? 00:12:58 - Were you at Outdoor Retailer on behalf of CO Blackpackers? 00:14:22 - Can you talk about your journalism background? 00:15:27 - Are you a football fan? 00:17:11- How did Blackpackers correlate with the CT (timing wise)? 00:17:46 - Can you explain Blackpackers for people who don't know? 00:20:19 - What regions of Colorado does Blackpackers work with? 00:21:04 - Can you talk about the evolution/growth of Colorado Blacpackers over the last year? 00:24:55 - Can you talk through where your head was at with starting the trail? 00:26:19 - Did you choose to hike the Colorado Trail based on the pandemic? 00:27:00 - How did your son feel about you hiking the trail? 00:29:24 - How much lightning did you have to deal with on your hike? 00:30:34 - What did you do when you were stuck in the storm? 00:34:22 - Can you talk about the hiker camaraderie and what your expectations were going into the hike? 00:36:08 - How many people were you seeing on the Colorado Trail? 00:37:14 - Can you speak to the night when someone said "whiskey" and you decided to camp with them? 00:39:30 - Did you enjoy the towns on the CT?00:40:24 - You had some great town stays besides Breckenridge — can you talk about Salida? 00:42:47 - What's your go-to when you go into town? 00:43:45 - Was there a standout meal on the trail? 00:44:56 - Were you taking notes every night? 00:45:45 - Did you ever bring drinks with you on the trail? 00:51:00 - Can you talk about your gear? 00:54:10 - Did you accept yourself during the hike or before? 01:00:30 - Can you talk about your pacing? You are a self-described slower hiker? Can you speak to the pace you did it in? 01:02:33 - Did you do any of the side trails or 14ers on the trail? 01:03:10 - Do you have a favorite location from the Colorado Trail? 01:06:11 - How many people do you think Blackpackers has brought outside so far? 01:07:40 - Did you feel like you were successful in reaching people outside of the hiking world through other venues (like skiing)? 01:09:18 - Are you a big Breaking Bad fan? 01:10:00 - Who from Breaking Bad would be best at thru-hiking? 01:10:17 - Who would you like to thru-hike with? 01:11:40 - Can you speak to the mentality some people have that there isn't a race boundary in the outdoors? 01:15:25 - What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing with running and starting Blackpackers? 01:16:20 - If people want to help but aren't local where can they go and what can they do? Donate at COBlackpackers.com Volunteer 01:17:33 - Can you speak a little more about the specific NOLS course you went on? 01:18:41 - Does that inform the kind of courses you'll be leading? Does NOLS help with certifications? 01:27:40 - Lots of potty talk 01:30:14 - Upcoming trips you are excited about personal or with Blackpackers? 01:31:57 - What's harder — hiking the Colorado Trail or raising a teenager? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda 5 Reasons Why I Chose to Flip-Flop the Appalachian Trail by Austin Hays

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Eric Giuliani. Eric, more or less on a whim, decided to trade his unfulfilling corporate job to circumnavigate the globe without taking a single flight. Yes, 70,000 miles by boat, train, and automobile, and- to make the story even more ridiculous- he relies largely on his very nascent photography skills to barter his way around the world. We learn all about this massive adventure, including an in-depth accounting for how he pitched hotels to lodge in exchange for his services, how difficult it can be to lay low during high terror alerts as a 6'10" former collegiate basketball player, what it's like to spend several days on cargo ships without any form of entertainment, and more. We wrap the show with a quick chat about Trail Days 2021, a triple crown of things we'd do with a million bucks, and an absurd story about a bear biting a woman's ass in an outhouse. Reel toilet paper discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to save 25% at reelpaper.com. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Good To-Go discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% on your order and get free shipping on orders over $100 at Goodto-go.com. [divider] Interview with Eric Giuliani Eric's Book - Sky's the Limit: One Man's 70,000 Mile Journey Around the World Sky's The Limit trailer for Eric's book Eric's Instagram Eric's Twitter Eric's Youtube 00:05:07 - QOTD: What is a movie that inspires you or has inspired you to get outside? 00:11:02 - Where does your travel story start? 00:13:18 - Can you elaborate on why it's better to hate your job than like your job? 00:15:31 - How did your finances and the philosophy of the travel itself interface with one another? 00:19:42 - So before you left you didn't actually have the skills you were bartering? 00:23:59 - How far in advance were you booking places out (through bartering)? 00:26:15 - What was your success rate on reaching out to people? What goes into a good pitch for what you were trying to do? 00:28:21 - Did you ever feel any sort of imposter syndrome while doing this? 00:30:15 - Did your pitch start to work better once your portfolio got more built out? 00:32:30 - Did your pitch start to involve more video as you got better? 00:38:19 - Drones are the move. 00:39:28 - Can you share how you chose what destinations you chose? How you formatted the trip? 00:45:24 - Is it even more difficult to lay low as a westerner being 6'10"? 00:47:04 - You've mentioned that the bus rides are dangerous, can you explain some of the dangers they pose? 00:49:09 - Were there ever instances during these risky trips that put you on edge? 00:50:40 - Were you doing anything recreationally during the African leg of your journey? 00:52:39 - What happened after Egypt? 00:54:55 - How did you keep yourself entertained on a cargo ship? 00:56:00 - Were there any huge storms on cargo ships? 00:58:44 - Can you talk more about your Europe adventures? 01:04:13 - What were you traveling with? 01:05:35 - Did you buy new stuff as you went along? 01:07:12 - Who did you give the bartered jacket to? 01:08:06 - Were you good at pitching yourself in person before you left or did you hone the craft over the course of your journey? 01:09:11 - When you did pay for things did you ever negotiate? Did you ever haggle? 01:11:00 - What was the primary thread that you enjoyed about this trip? 01:13:33 - Where did you go after Beijing? 01:17:08 - Did you ever have a moment on the ships where you felt like it might sink? 01:19:15 - What does someone do in Antarctica? 01:23:00 - What is the place you are actually staying like? Can you describe the town or whatever it is? 01:24:20 - Do you have any general pieces of advice for anyone who's interested in doing something similar? SEGMENTS As Trail Days Moves Forward, Hikers Wonder About Safety by Tina Mullen The Trek Editorial Internship Gear Wars: Merino Wool vs. Synthetic Base Layers Katie Kommer Reddit Brain Buster: What's a fact that makes you uncomfortable? We'll start — bones are wet. The strongest species on earth is the dung beetle. Triple Crown of things you would do with a million dollars* *must be selfish, not altruistic 5 Star Reviews Mail Bag Alaskan Woman Attacked By Bear From Below A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven, TraskVT.

In today's episode of backpacker radio presented by The Trek we are joined by Ben Lawhon the Director of Education and Research at Leave No Trace. Not that Leave No Trace needs any introduction, as this is a framework we've spoken about countless times on the show and I'm guessing you were familiar with it before Backpacker Radio entered your lives, but this interview is incredibly important and we think you'll find surprisingly entertaining. Not only do we go very deep on the proper way to shit in the backcountry including why poop soup is king, but we cover a range of topics including why something as seemingly small as tossing an apple core off the trail can have profound impacts, how social media interplays with Leave No Trace, and the best way to educate others who are in violation of LNT, including why saying nothing can sometimes be the best policy. We're very sincere in saying that we think you'll find a lot of very interesting tidbits in our conversation with Ben. We wrap the show with a triple crown of 90s sitcoms, how we would handle a docile zombie apocalypse of stinky people, and a mailbag featuring the cinnamon connection invading people's dreams. Backcountry discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER15" to save 15% on your "first" purchase at Backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Good To-Go discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% on your order and get free shipping on orders over $100 at Goodto-go.com. [divider] Interview with Ben Lawhon LeaveNoTrace.org 00:05:00 - QOTD: What is your biggest LNT non-compliant pet peeve? 00:07:30 - Introduction to Ben Lawhon 00:07:58 - How did you get into conservation? 00:11:07 - What were some of the things you learned in your LNT master course that sparked your interest? 00:13:04 - Is there a trick to instilling LNT ethics in people? Does you notice a correlation with thru-hiking? 00:17:30 - Can you speak to the difference on the AT between the 90's and now from an LNT standpoint? 00:20:34 - How does a Leave No Trace principle come to be? What is the process for developing them? 00:25:06 - What was the Leave No Trace principle that got cut? 00:26:32 - Are there any instances of principles or techniques being removed? 00:29:28 - Do you ever get people who are frustrated when principles change? 00:31:26 - Does anyone have any failed shitput footage? 00:31:47 - Can you elaborate on plan ahead and prepare? 00:35:14 - What would you recommend to someone who is preparing for a short backpacking trip? 00:37:51 - Can you elaborate on the principle: Travel and camp on durable surfaces? 00:41:06 - When the trail is muddy, should you walk through the mud or go around it? 00:43:41 - Are you seeing increasing issues with people stepping off trail to take the perfect Instagram photo? 00:46:35 - Can you elaborate on the principle: Dispose of waste properly? 00:53:21 - Has the guidance on packing out your toilet paper changed? And does it vary by environment? 00:56:37 - So if your hole is the depth it should be it won't get dug up? 00:57:24 - Should people cover up the toilet paper with their poop? 00:59:25 - Fact or myth: do menstrual fluids attract bears? 01:00:45 - When should people not bury their poop? 01:03:55 - When people are hiking with their dogs should they bury their dogs poop too? 01:04:10 - Do you know of any compostable diaper liners that you could bury? 01:06:56 - Can you chuck apple cores off into the woods? What is the leave no trace policy on it? What are the biggest problems? 01:10:00 - Can you talk about the leave what you find principle? 01:16:19 - Is there anything about carving into trees you want to talk about? 01:19:18 - What is the leave no trace stance on cairns? 01:21:32 - Can you elaborate on the principle of minimizing fire impacts? 01:25:02 - You said no fires on the AT in Georgia? Follow up from Ben on the subject: See: https://www.georgia-atclub.org/hike-the-a-t/hike-the-georgia-appalachian-trail/frequently-asked-questions Camping on the trail in Georgia Refer to the guide books for locations. There is camping at all of the shelters or you may camp at one of the many established campsites along the trail or stay in one of the shelters. Learn about and follow Leave No Trace principles and use areas already hardened by use. If you have a fire, please use existing fire rings and be sure your fire is dead out before leaving the area. Be acquainted with no-fire zones such as on Blood Mountain. Refer to the Chattahoochee National Forest website for news and information about fire restrictions that may be in effect. 01:29:31 - Do you think LNT will ever change it's stance on campfire guidance? 01:32:10 - What about explosive gender reveal parties? 01:33:20 - Can you elaborate on the principle: respect wildife? 01:39:20 - What's the proper way to approach someone who is violating Leave No Trace? 01:45:14 - How does that apply to online behavior? 01:48:39

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by THE Survivorman, Les Stroud. This interview does not disappoint. We talk about Les' entry into the world of reality tv- and why he hates the genre overall, he talks a little bit of shit on Bear Grylls, we chat about some of his most precarious moments in the bush, and Les gives us a very compelling pitch on why Sasquatch is probably real. We wrap up the show wondering how we'd run amok if the world was frozen for 24 hours, we learn what Vinegrower's Day is, and I hate on lemon juice. Photo credit: Laura Bombier Backcountry discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER15" to save 15% on your "first" purchase at Backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Good To-Go discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% on your order and get free shipping on orders over $100 at Goodto-go.com. Feals.com discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" for members to get 50% automatically taken off their first order with free shipping at feals.com. Interview with Les Stroud: Survivorman - Les's Youtube - Les's Podcast - Les's Book — Wild Outside - Les's New Special — Surviving Disasters 00:05:19 - QOTD: What is the closest you've come to using (or have you used) extreme survival skills while backpacking? 00:12:45 - Intro to Les Stroud, how did you get started in the outdoors? 00:14:59 - Was TV inspiring you to get outdoors why you created Survivorman? 00:17:21 - How do you feel about reliance on cell phones for navigation? 00:19:20 - How did you background in music transition into your work in the outdoors? 00:24:38 - Do you know how much all your camera equipment weighs? 00:27:23 - Does it bother you to be mentioned in the same breath as Bear Grylls? 00:30:33 - Did you get to talk to Mike Judge about King of the Hill? 00:31:54 - What is the place you'll never go? 00:32:12 - Can you talk about reality TV in general? Do you feel like you are being dragged down by the category? 00:36:20 - Can you tell us about the year long honeymoon project? 00:39:33 - Where can someone find Snow Shoes & Solitude? Or any of your stuff? Les's Youtube 00:39:48 - So you own all the rights to your content? 00:42:20 - Can you give an introduction to the show and your vision of Survivorman? 00:44:25 - How far out there are you when you are filming shows? 00:52:04 - How do you decide where you're going and how much prep goes into it? 00:56:20 - Les has a podcast: Survivorman with Les Stroud 00:57:23 - What was your favorite food you ever caught? 00:58:21 - Do you bring sleeping bags? Not even in the Arctic? 00:59:02 - How does turtle taste? 00:59:56 - Do you think you would have kicked ass on Fear Factor? 01:00:09 - Did you ever schedule your survivor experiences to avoid exposure/cliffs? 01:00:50 - What's the biggest mistake you've ever made? 01:02:46 - Can we talk about bigfoot? 01:03:11 - Is there an environment that is particularly hard? 01:05:55 - How did you know that beef fat was safe to eat even though it was old? 01:08:30 - Does fire get rid of most diseases and harmful things? 01:09:25 - Did it get more tempting to avoid failures as the show went on? 01:13:41 - What is bigfoot? 01:19:42 - So it's not one bigfoot? It could be a species? 01:20:40 - Why are there so many people who have seen bigfoot but no game camera has picked it up? 01:24:11 - Do you think aliens is a likely theory for what bigfoot is? 01:25:16 - Could bigfoot be an alien? 01:25:31 - Would you describe yourself as a skeptic or believer? 01:27:22 - Thoughts on the lochness monster? Ghosts? 01:30:06 - You've experienced bigfoot? What did you experience? 01:30:38 - Can you tell us about your Surviving Disasters special? 01:31:27 - Les's book Wild Outside is coming out March 1 01:32:00 - Surviving Life with Les Stroud podcast 01:32:44 - Everything is on Youtube SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda The Best Tents for Thru-Hiking by The Editors Walking Distance Podcast by Alison Young Reddit Brain Buster: Time freezes for 24 hours and you are not affected, what do you do? Chaunce's Diet Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are once again joined by Andy Downs of the ATC. For those who might be unfamiliar, the ATC has been under a bit of heat of late for the news of their accepting a very large gift from the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project they once opposed. Andy gives us a thorough breakdown on the history of the project, why the ATC is no longer actively opposing it, and answers some of the common critical questions being lobbed in the ATC's direction. We also dive into the subject of the ATC making the request for people to yet again postpone their thru-hikes on the AT in 2021, how the decision was arrived to, and some key considerations to make for those who are still dead set on hiking the Trail. Zach also outline why The Trek will not be closing the platform to thru-hikers this year, the duo talk about their ideal marriage partner and/or shapeshifter victims, and listeners are blessed with a trio of poop stories to close out the show. Backcountry discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER15" to save 15% on your "first" purchase at Backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Good To-Go discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER25" to save 25% on your order and get free shipping on orders over $100 at Goodto-go.com. [divider] Interview with Andy Downs of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy 00:05:30 - QOTD: Why did Chaunce have to reschedule the show? 00:06:39 - Welcome back to Andy Downs 00:08:00 - You mentioned not being the best thru-hiker can you explain? 00:09:52 - How many times have you been to prison? 00:10:05 - What is your title at the ATC? 00:11:00 - What power line issues were you dealing with yesterday? 00:12:04 - What was 2020 like for you and the ATC? 00:14:18 - What was trail maintenance like on the AT in 2020? 00:16:25 - What is the chain of command with trail maintenance clubs? What exactly does the ATC do? 00:19:20 - Does the ATC provide any funding? 00:20:42 - Does the ATC run the ridge runner program? 00:22:25 - Can you talk about how the Mountain Valley Pipeline history intertwines with the AT? 00:34:16 - Why is this big news all of a sudden? 00:35:36 - What is not being disclosed about the deal and why is that the case? 00:37:54 - Can you speak to the million-dollar bonus you got (joking)? 00:39:47 - Is the money going to go to rerouting in Virginia? 00:44:43 - As someone who fought the pipeline for a while can you understand why people are upset? 00:48:21 - Do you have to advocate for the deal now? 00:49:45 - What is your obligation to the advancement of the pipeline? 00:53:36 - Some people say you are incentivized to help finish the pipeline? 00:55:34 - What are the potential impacts of the pipeline? 01:03:05 - So what are the big downsides? 01:09:35 - Are there large environmental concerns? 01:11:14 - Are the ecosystems around the AT not also considered the ATC's responsibility? 01:18:00 - Can you talk about the ATC's stance on Covid-19? 01:27:24 - Does the ATC have any say in trail days? 01:30:18 - Have you had any feedback from trail towns asking you not to discourage hikers? 01:33:10 - What should people know? Where should they stay up to date? Project Planning Reference Materials SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Thru-Hiking in 2021, COVID-19, and The Trek's Platform by Zach Davis 2021 Badger Sponsorship: A $20,000+ Gear Giveaway to Benefit the National Scenic Trails Reddit Brain Buster You get to pick one person with a 50/50 chance that in the morning you'll either wake up as them or married to them — who do you choose? Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Philip Carcia. Have you heard of New Hampshire? Because Philip has hiked it. All of it. Many times, in all different directions. In addition to a handful of thru-hikes, Philip has completed the New Hampshire 48 Single Year Grid, the White Mountain Direttisima (twice), and White Mountain Redline FKT. If you don't know what any of that means, good! We will learn this together during our conversation. We wrap up the show with some news from the ATC, a new snail themed Reddit Brain Buster, we get some intel on the hot spots along the Ice Age Trail, and it's cicada season! Backcountry discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER15" to save 15% on your "first" purchase at Backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Feals.com discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. [divider] Help us raise $100,000 for the trails and we'll get butt tattoos. Check out Hikerlink. [divider] Interview with Philip Carcia Instagram Facebook 00:04:36 - QOTD: A burglar breaks into your home, but he only wants the stuff on the top of your fridge. What is he going to steal? 00:07:45 - Intro to Philip Carcia 00:10:16 - How did you get into hiking? 00:14:20 - What was your upbringing like until 16 when you went on your first hike? 00:16:22 - Did things snowball immediately after your first hike? 00:24:12 - Tell us what the Single Year Grid is: Hiking all 48 4,000' mountains every month for a year 00:34:30 - What are the logistics like getting in between each mountain? Is there a lot of driving in between, etc.? 00:38:52 - What makes it appealing to do the same hikes over and over again? 00:43:51 - Fuck, Marry, Kill — the months of hiking in New England 00:47:46 - What's the difference between the double single winter and a calendar grid? 00:50:58 - Has anyone done the calendar or single year grid since? 00:54:42 - Tell us about the Direttissima and how to pronounce it. 01:00:28 - Is this route all on trail? Off-trail? Roads? 01:03:32 - How steep are the trails that connect the 48? 01:09:58 - You hold a White Mountain Redline FKT — can you tell us what a White Mountain Redline is and about your experience? 01:19:55 - This sounds like one of your most extensive White Mountain feats? 01:20:15 - How intense is it to plan for a White Mountain Redline FKT? 01:30:44 - What are the best of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:31:16 - What is the hardest of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:32:13 - What is the easiest of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:32:37 - If you could only do one of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire for the rest of your life, which would it be? 01:33:11 - What is the worst marked of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:33:49 - What is the most underrated of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:35:15 - What is the most overrated of the 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:38:33 - What is the best named 48 4,000' mountains in New Hampshire? 01:39:50 - What is a 48 4,000' mountain in New Hampshire that you'd skip? 01:41:39 - Can you talk about the initiative you founded? 01:47:00 - Where can people keep up with Summits in Solidarity? Instagram Facebook 01:48:30 - Where do we find Philip? Instagram Facebook SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Black Forest Trail Profile by Troy Zohner The ATC Will Not Recognize Thru-Hikers During Pandemic by Kelly Floro Minor Inconveniences Reddit Brain Buster After lightning strikes your garden, you gain the ability to communicate with snails and they follow your commands. What will you ask them to do? Cicada Season Horse Fact from Erin Potter Unlike humans who produce stomach acid when they ingest food, horses always produce stomach acid which makes it essential that they have something to eat so that they don't develop ulcers. Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products, Brad and Blair (Thirteen Adventures), and Cameron Brown. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Bekah and Derrick Quirin. In 2017, the Quirins thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail with their adorable baby, Ellie, alongside. We learn how in the hell this is possible, including their diaper logistics, gear setup, nap schedule, and much more. The very next year the Quirins cycled the 2,700 mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, again, with Ellie in tow. We learn the of the unique challenges between thru-hiking and thru-biking, the differences between hiking with a baby and a toddler, and much more. We close out the show with some Badger Baby Q&A, a round of toddler or drunk person trivia, Chaunce gives us her best patent pending invention yet, and Zach does his best to string coherent sentences together despite some punishing sleep deprivation. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com [divider] Help us raise $100,000 for the trails and we'll get butt tattoos. Check out Hikerlink. [divider] Interview with The Quirins The Dirtbag Baby on Instagram Valleyforestschool.com for Forest School in Roanoke, VA or Greenville, SC 00:04:20 - QOTD: At what age does a baby become a true thru-hiker? 00:05:46 - Donate to the Butt tattoo campaign 00:06:51 - Introduction to the Quirins who Thru-Hiked the AT in 2017 with their baby, Ellie. 00:08:02 - What was the inspiration to thru-hike with a baby? And how old was Ellie when you took on the thru-hike? 00:09:27 - How old was Ellie when you decided to hike? 00:09:37 - Is it scary to have a 6-month-old and be selling everything? 00:10:50 - Is Ellie just starting to walk when you started the trail? 00:11:26 - Did Ellie walk at all on the trail? 00:12:10 - Where on the trail did Ellie take her first steps? 00:12:45 - Did you hike northbound? 00:13:34 - What are the carrying logistics with gear and the baby? 00:14:37 - How heavy was the whole family's gear? 00:15:46 - Can you tell us more about your sleep system? 00:16:51 - Was the quilt also made by thermarest? Yes, the Vela HD down quilt. 00:17:16 - What kind of diaper system were you using? 00:18:09 - They make compostable diaper liners? Yes, G-Diapers. 00:18:24 - What was the weight of diaper liners by the time you got to town? 00:20:07 - What was Ellie eating on the trail? 00:20:18 - What age do babies switch from canned mushy stuff to normal stuff? 00:20:51 - Did Ellie have a favorite trail meal? 00:21:47 - Did Ellie's temperament change on the trail vs. in town? 00:23:17 - How did you guys deal with rain on the AT? 00:24:38 - What pack did you use for Ellie's carrying case? And how did you decide on that? 00:26:28 - Did you know how steep the northern part of the trail would be? 00:28:21 - What did other hikers think about you hiking with the baby? 00:29:36 - Is Ellie the youngest to do the AT? 00:30:42 - How did Ellie sleep through the night on the AT? 00:32:49 - Does Ellie remember the trail? 00:33:47 - Can you tell us about a high and low point on the AT? 00:38:16 - Can you elaborate on forest school? 00:38:55 - What's a standard day at forest school like? 00:39:38 - Have you noticed Ellie now has a natural affinity for being outdoors? 00:40:50 - Does Ellie consider being outside normal or being home more normal? 00:42:17 - Do you think having hiked the AT but not having a memory of it will be weird for Ellie? 00:43:38 - Can you tell us about your family bike-packing? 00:44:44 - How does bike-packing compare to hiking with a baby? 00:45:51 - Did you guys have to deal with terrible twos? 00:48:32 - Why did you prefer to ride at night on the Great Divide trip? 00:49:00 - Did you ever see grizzly bears? 00:49:19 - How long did the 2,800 miles take and how long was your average day? 00:49:35 - What kind of mileage were you doing on the AT? 00:50:01 - What's your approach for the mileage you do on your trips? 00:50:26 - How much did you sleep if you were trying to hike or ride while she sleeps? 00:51:03 - What's a normal night of sleep for you guys? 00:51:59 - How much does Ellie sleep on trips? 00:53:08 - Was it easier to carry Ellie when she was asleep? 00:54:12 - Tell us about the ambitions of your family moving forward with a second baby on the way! 00:55:11 - Do you think your kids will grow up differently because of their young experiences on trail? 00:58:11 - Was it always a goal of yours with raising a kid to not be stuck to a rigid schedule? 00:59:24 - Does Ellie take it harder when you guys are away since she spent so much time with you at a young age? 01:01:45 - What was Ellie's first word? 01:03:00 - Any advice for other parents? 01:04:51 - Any staples to carry for the baby? 01:06:50 - How much is a down jacket for a 1-year-old? 01:07:07 - Do you have any brands in mind for babies? 01:09:00 - Any parting words? The Dirtbag Baby on Instagram Valleyforestschool.com for Forest School in Roanoke, VA or Greenville, SC SEGMENTS The 2020 AT Section Hiker Survey: Motives and Logistics by Mar

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are once again joined by Andrew Skurka- and as you might've already guessed, it does not disappoint. We touch on a range of different subjects in today's show ranging from how COVID effected his guiding business, to why wildfires have been so bad in the west over the past couple of decades (and the reason might surprise you), to Andrew's favorite trail meals, to the intricacies of the backcountry bidet, to picking the perfect campsite, to layering in the winter, and much more. Put simply, you will enjoy this chat. We round out the show with a reminder of our impending butt tattoos, a triple crown of the worst chores, an explosive butthole patent-pending, picking death by shark or mountain lion, and some horse facts, crab edition. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Feals.com discount code: Use code "BACKPACKER" to get 50% automatically taken off your first order with free shipping. [divider] Help us raise $100,000 for the trails and we'll get butt tattoos. Apply to be a Trail Correspondent. Check out Hikerlink. How to Get a Job In the Outdoor Industry by Kelly Floro New Podcast Seeking Research Intern (A Juliana Chauncey Project) Backpacker Radio Book Bundle [divider] Interview with Andre Skurka Andrew's Previous Backpacker Radio Epsidoe (33) Andrewskurka.com 00:04:49 - Intro to Andrew Skurka 00:06:38 - What has Andrew done since 2019? 00:07:53 - Is it usually bigger nes in the FKT world when someone breaks a record rather than setting one? 00:09:28 - Was 2019 mostly dedicated to the guiding business? 00:10:20 - How did guiding go in 2020? 00:12:15 - What was your thought process on when to pull a plug on a trip for 2020? 00:14:48 - You also dealt with a lot of fires this year correct? 00:15:14 - How many clients are usually on each trip? 00:15:40 - Did you run into any problems with the number of people? 00:17:04 - How are you feeling about trips in 2021? 00:24:41 - Are people going to have to submit whether or not they've been vaccinated before going on a trip? 00:25:56 - Did the 2020 fire season impact how you are scheduling trips in 2021? 00:28:09 - What is your personal threshold for hiking in smoke? 00:34:19 - Do you want to speak to what is causing wildfires? 00:37:50 - What is the solution for wildfires? 00:40:20 - Is climate change part of the causes of wildfires? 00:41:00 - The Ted Talk Andrew shared on wildfires. 00:41:19 - Do you have tips for hiking in smoke/near wildfires? 00:43:09 - Would you ever consider making plan B's for your trips? 00:45:00 - Can you touch on some of the trips you are looking forward to in 2021? 00:49:42 - How active are you with new gear testing? 00:51:10 - Skurka uses a pillow. 00:57:10 - Is there anything else you've used this year that you like? 01:01:10 - You're a hunter right? 01:02:25 - What are some of your favorite backcountry recipes? 01:04:42 - Do you put anything with the protein powder? 01:05:27 - What does Skrurka eat in normal life? 01:06:10 - So you run fasted? 01:10:19 - People want to know about the backcountry bidet? 01:12:22 - Do you bury the things you use to wipe? 01:14:00 - Do you use an accessory? Do you poke a hole in the lid? 01:14:28 - Have you ever thought of making a video that demonstrates? 01:15:48 - How do you know you're clean at the end? 01:16:39 - Wait, so you don't just splash the water? 01:18:00 - Do you use soap on your hands after? 01:18:33 - Out of your high route guides, what is your top recommendation for beginners? 01:19:47 - What do you look for in picking the perfect campsite? 01:22:30 - Do you have any advice for beginner winter hiking/snowshoeing/backpacking? 01:28:03 - What do you want to plug? Andrewskurka.com Segments How to Get a Job In the Outdoor Industry by Kelly Floro New Podcast Seeking Research Intern (A Juliana Chauncey Project) How much money would you have to be paid to be someone's personal bidet assistant? Triple Crown of Chores You Hate Patent Pending: A Washer and Dryer in One Machine Horse Hermit Crab Facts QOTD: Would you rather be trapped in a cage with a mountain lion or a pool with a bull shark? Mail Bag [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

Today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, is 2020 personified. And by that, I mean it's a genuine shit show. Today's show runs the gamut, we drunk dial some fans, introduce a slew of new segments, play some trivia (grab a drink if you'd like to play along), and are given a play-by-play of some soiled denim courtesy of The Real Hiking Viking. As if that weren't enough the trio consumes enough adult beverages to commit to getting quasi-matching butt tattoos if you, our Backpacker Radio listeners, deem it worthwhile. This is our longest episode yet, by a lot, and exceptionally weird. Strap in. Zpacks discount code: Use code: BPRPLEX for $25 off any plex tent at zpacks.com. [divider] Help us raise $100,000 for the trails and we'll get butt tattoos. Backpacker Radio Book Bundle Thru-Hiking Coaching with Zach and Chaunce How to Save Money for a Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro discount code: Use code: IPOOPED for 15% off. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] 00:03:50 - QOTD: What would you put in a 2020 time capsule? 00:08:09 - 2021 Predictions 00:59:00 - Drunk Dialing The Real Hiking Viking 01:08:24 - Drunk Dialing with Smelly Melly / Frontline 01:15:00 - Drunk Dialing with John 01:19:00 - BPR stats 01:25:41 - Drunk Dialing with Julian 01:28:30 - Drunk Dialing with Katie 01:32:55 - Top 10 Countries that listen to Backpacker Radio 01:35:38 - Pits and Peaks of 2020 01:40:00 - Drunk Dialing with Chirstopher Marshburn 01:48:21 - Drunk Dialing with Crystal 01:58:10 - Drunk Dialing with Katie Again 01:59:30 - Drunk Dialing with Kate aka Stickerz 02:09:18 - Drunk Dialing with Rob 02:18:00 - Drunk Dialing with Logan and Kevin 02:26:21 - Trivia with Zach 02:47:27 - Drunk Dialing with Nicholas 02:52:50 - Surprise appearance from Ballflap 02:57:40 - Drunk Dialing with Dot 03:10:00 - More Pits and Peaks 03:19:27 - Drunk Dialing with Zane and Anton 03:35:00 - (ISH?) The beginning of the butt tattoo discussion 03:51:00 - Mail Bag Comment _____ to win a sticker [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Cindy Ross. Cindy is a bonafide renaissance woman. She's published nine books, with two more on the way, she's a triple crowner, illustrator, and avid traveler. But, the bulk of our conversation today centers around Cindy's novel approach to raising children. In a nutshell, Cindy and her husband believe that kids should fold into your lifestyle, and not the other way around, as evidenced by their family of four taking on the CDT in section hikes beginning when their kids were just toddlers. Cindy schools us on experiential education, the trick to successful homeschooling, and why you shouldn't let kids get in the way of your adventurous pursuits. Whether you have kids, are planning on it in the future, or not, I am confident you will enjoy our conversation. We also do the triple crown of sauces, unveil 2020's naughty and nice lists, and hop in our time machines and prevent the development of two movies. Zpacks discount code: Use code: BPRPLEX for $25 off any plex tent at zpacks.com. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code "POOPSTORY" to save 15% off your cart at GossamerGear.com Backpacker Radio Book Bundle Thru-Hiking Coaching with Zach and Chaunce How to Save Money for a Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro discount code: Use code: IPOOPED for 15% off. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] Interview with Cindy Ross Cindy's website [divider] 00:03:36 - QOTD: What is the best book you've read in 2020? 00:09:52 - Cindy Ross, will you tell us about your background? 00:13:58 - So you were a trail angel to your husband? 00:14:21 - How did you keep in touch with your husband? Did you have an initial romantic interest? 00:16:43 - Do you think getting the same injury is a symbol of romance? 00:17:13 - What years did you hike the AT? 00:17:25 - What did the AT look like in the '70s compared to now? 00:17:54 - How many people were you seeing on the AT? 00:18:06 - Was the trail as maintained as it is now? 00:18:33 - You did the AT in two halves? Where did you start each time? 00:18:56 - What was the typical demographic on the AT at the time? 00:19:16 - What was the hostel culture like? 00:19:43 - What were resupplies like? 00:20:23 - So you hiked the AT with a friend? 00:21:03 - Were there trail logs when you hiked the AT? 00:21:14 - Do you still have your gear? 00:22:05 - Your book is also a sketchbook right? 00:22:17 - What does your process look like? 00:22:37 - Did you make your own shelter? 00:22:44 - How did you know what to make? 00:23:44 - Did anyone want to buy the gear you made? 00:24:17 - What inspired you to continue the AT in '89? 00:24:44 - Did you end up liking the second leg more? 00:25:42 - Is there anything else you want to say about the AT? What differences do you notice between the AT in the late '70s and today? 00:27:10 - Do you think the ATC should institute a permit system? 00:28:34 - When was your PCT hike? 00:28:38 - What was the PCT like in '82 and '84? 00:28:58 - Who was "we" on the PCT? 00:29:50 - Did you find people in the desert section of the PCT? 00:30:15 - Was the trail well marked at the time? Did you get lost? 00:30:58 - Through the desert, what were your longest water carries? 00:31:34 - Did you know what you were signing up for when you started the PCT? 00:31:54 - Did you dislike snow travel before the PCT? 00:33:29 - Were you carrying any devices to help you? 00:33:43 - Did you have anything like an InReach? 00:34:00 - What was it like to hitch in the '80s? Did people know what you were talking about when you said you were hiking the PCT? 00:34:54 - What did you tell people when you are hitching? 00:36:37 - How much do llamas cost? 00:37:41 - What are the advantages of llamas over horses? 00:38:21 - What's the maximum weight you can put on a llama? Specifically in terms of a kid? 00:39:14 - Did you know anything about llamas previously? 00:40:12 - Did you just borrow the llamas for the duration of the trail? 00:40:50 - How do you maintain a llama? 00:41:38 - How long do llamas usually live? 00:41:49 - Do you have any llama facts? 00:42:43 - Do you grow attached to llamas like you would a dog? 00:44:20 - When the llamas are walking do they have reins? How does that work? 00:45:40 - Do you just tie the llamas to a tree when they get to camp? 00:45:53 - Were there any first aid considerations for llamas? 00:46:43 - Did you ever have to worry about mountain lions? 00:48:37 - Do you still have llamas today? 00:48:52 - Are llamas lonely if they only have one? 00:49:12 - Can your goats carry gear? 00:49:30 - So the goats are just for companionship? 00:49:42 - How far can goats go? 00:50:10 - Can you tell us about the logistics of hiking with kids? How old were your kids on the CDT? 00:50:56 - Are there kid seats for the llamas? 00:51:29 - Did you have any hesitations about bringing your kids? 00:52:00 - Was sleeping with young kids an issue on the trail? 00:55:00 - How would the kids describe their experience? 00:55:37 -

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek we are joined by Dr. Kristina Kiefer (that's back to back doctor episodes for those keeping score at home). Dr. Kiefer is a veterinarian with a PhD in Veterinary Regenerative Medicine from the University of Minnesota. But, of greater interest to you, not only does Dr. Kiefer have the medical expertise to advise about hiking with your dog, but she also walks the walk, having done significant miles on trail with her own pup. Although we've broached the hiking with your dog subject on previous podcasts, Dr. Kiefer offers us concrete advice rooted in science. And seeing as both of your Backpacker Radio co-hosts are dog obsessed, we cover A LOT of ground in this interview ranging from how much weight a dog should carry, to what ages are appropriate for dogs to go on long distance hikes, to which breeds are best for backpacking, and more. If you hike with your dog, are planning to one day hike with a dog, or just want some juicy #dogfacts, you will enjoy this conversation. We introduce a new segment, Dad Stuff, answer some burning listener questions, and chat about winter thru-hiking the AT. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: POOPSTORY for 15% off your purchase at gossamergear.com. Zpacks discount code: Use code: BPRPLEX for $25 off any plex tent at zpacks.com. [divider] Backpacker Radio Book Bundle Thru-Hiking Coaching with Zach and Chaunce How to Save Money for a Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro discount code: Use code: IPOOPED for 15% off. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] Interview with Dr.Kristina Kiefer @kristinakiefer @barefootprofessordvm www.vetssmart.com [divider] QOTD: What is something in your car's center console that you derive too much joy from? 00:07:00 - How did you get into veterinary school and when did you know that animals, specifically dogs, were a passion of yours? 00:08:06 - How competitive is vet school? 00:08:48 - Is vet school cutthroat like law school? 00:11:03 - What is the most common procedure that you do? 00:11:38 - Are there dogs that are more likely to tear their ACL's? 00:11:55 - Which breed is at the vet most often? 00:12:30 - What goes wrong with the dogs with smushed faces? 00:13:18 - Is it true that mutts are generally the healthiest? 00:14:47 - Where do Australian shepherds fall on the scale of health? 00:15:47 - Is there an inbreeding component to overbreeding? 00:16:52 - If you had to design the perfect trail dog, what would you pick? 00:17:49 - How do you feel about those dog genetic test kits? 00:19:04 - What are some of the key considerations people should take before bringing their dog on a thru-hike? 00:21:03 - What signs would you look for in a dog that isn't having a good time? What cues can you look for that your dog isn't doing well on a hike? 00:23:21 - Is it true that you shouldn't put more than 10% of a dog's weight in their pack? 00:24:44 - Do you have a recommendation for adjusting how much you are feeding your dog? 00:25:50 - What supplements were you giving your dog? 00:27:04 - Do you use the same food on the trail as you do at home? 00:27:47 - How big is your dog? 00:29:54 - Is there one ideal brand you would recommend? 00:30:54 - What do you feed your dog? 00:31:40 - Are there any specific ingredients you should look out for that will help or hurt? 00:34:19 - Is CBD good for dogs? 00:36:09 - Is CBD something you would consider giving your dog? 00:36:32 - Would you use CBD for anxiety for dogs? 00:37:44 - Does Harper's nose turn pink because of allergies? 00:38:37 - Do you put sunscreen on dogs? 00:39:15 - If someone was walking with a light-skinned dog is that sunscreen something they should consider? 00:41:21 - What should someone consider before taking their dog on the PCT? 00:43:59 - Would you get your dog rattlesnake trained? 00:48:08 - Do you get special booties for your dog? 00:50:41 - How do you know when to put booties on your dog? 00:53:05 - What is Musher's Secret? 00:53:24 - Would you put it on without the booties? 00:54:00 - Did you put anything on your dog's paws overnight? 00:54:30 - How did you keep your dog from licking off the salve? 00:55:07 - Would you recommend someone go to the groomer throughout a thru-hike? 00:57:31 - Do all dogs need booties? And in what conditions do dogs need them? 00:58:45 - Can you do the run-through of the backpacking you've done with your dog? 00:59:47 - What age should dogs start backpacking? 01:02:44 - What signs should people look for that their dog might be too old for hiking or backpacking? 01:04:38 - Are there clear cut signs that a dog is having a terrible time on a hike? 01:08:07 - Would you recommend certain commands for people to learn before taking their dog on trail? 01:11:44 - Do you have tips for someone trying to train their dog for trail commands? And how do you feel with positive reinforcement being the only thing you use to train your dog? 01:13:09 - How do you train a dog (Harper) to go to your side or behind? 01:16:39 - Is there

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we chat with Dr. Alan Carpenter. Dr. Carpenter is the ultimate testament that age is just a number, as his entry into the long distance backpacking world didn't begin until the ripe age of 65. Since then, he's accumulated somewhere in the vicinity of 20,000 miles on foot and another 10,000 miles on his bike. His stories are gold, he's an injection of inspiration extract, and is as nice as could be. We also share how we would end relationships with our culinary skills, get some horse facts on octopuses, do a triple crown of white elephant gifts, and answer some burning listener questions.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Paul Barach. Paul is an avid adventurer, but today, we focus in on his trek along Japan's Shikoku Pilgrimage, a 750-mile route that visits nearly 90 temples. This was Paul's first backpacking trip, as evidenced by everything that went wrong, including suffering from heat exhaustion, dehydration, being charged by a wild boar, breaking a piece of an ancient temple, getting a leg infection, and more. Not only do we get a good taste for the history of this island and pilgrimage, but Paul's stories are some truly hall of fame material. We do the triple crown of states, learn about the crap strap, and are blessed with a fan poop story. Minus33 discount code (listen to episode to get the code): 15% off your first purchase at minus33.com. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: POOPSTORY for 15% off your purchase at gossamergear.com. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug Interview with Paul Barach Author of Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains: Misadventures on a Buddhist Pilgrimage Instagram: @barachoutdoors 00:04:28 - QOTD: How are you prepping for winter? 00:07:15 - If you're hiking next year, apply to vlog, blog, or be an ambassador! 00:07:41 - Paul Barach intro 00:09:30 - How did you get into backpacking originally? 00:09:55 - What kind of ninjas were you obsessed with, specifically? 00:12:36 - After realizing your job sucked, how long did it take to get on trail? 00:13:47 - How did not prepping affect your pilgrimage? 00:15:04 - Can you tell us what the Shikoku pilgrimage entails? 00:16:49 - Can you tell us more about the history of the trail? 00:18:42 - Is there a guidebook for the trail (including the spiritual side)? 00:20:28 - How much traffic is there on this pilgrimage? 00:21:21 - Were you drawn by the religious aspect of the pilgrimage? 00:23:10 - Do you not need a backpack? 00:23:45 - Did you feel more spiritually enlightened from the experience? 00:24:40 - When did you start? 00:24:45 - What is the hiking season in Japan? 00:25:18 - What kind of temperatures were you dealing with? 00:26:00 - Did you have any issues with your sodium balance? 00:26:51 - What is the camping situation like? 00:28:21 - Are people in towns excited to see pilgrims? 00:29:38 - Did you learn Japanese while on the hike? 00:31:05 - How did you handle the logistics? 00:34:06 - Were you doing something wrong? Why couldn't you find food? 00:34:52 - Do you hitch to town or walk through them? 00:35:21 - How is dried squid? 00:36:06 - How did you get charged by a boar? 00:38:00 - Were you second-guessing what you were doing? 00:43:20 - What is the story of you falling at an ancient temple and breaking a piece of it? 00:46:47 - What was wrong with your leg? How did you know it was infected? 00:49:16 - Can you tell us about the karate fight with a priest? 00:52:34 - What does kumite mean? 00:56:00 - How do you know what martial arts you'll want to do? 00:57:30 - What's the worst injury you've sustained from martial arts? 00:58:22 - Is kyokushin represented in the UFC at all? 01:00:15 - Do you break boards? 01:04:10 - Is there anything else about the pilgrimage you want to talk about? 01:09:38 - Can you make an adaptation of the oaths for U.S. thru-hiking? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda The Uncomfortable Truth about Thru-Hiking and Weight Loss by Katie Kommer Five Things I Learned Thru-Hiking as a Solo Female by Kaylin Mountain Lions and Thru-Hiking: Your Questions Answered by Kelly Floro Triple Crown of States Point / Counterpoint: Beer vs. Liquor Patent Pending: Strap & Crap Mail Bag 5 Star Review Comment ______ to win a sticker (there are bonus points)! [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Cynthia Voth, Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, Dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Thomas Fullmer, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Nathan Hankes. Nathan is an army veteran, having served a tour in Iraq as a drone operator for the United States Army in the aftermath of 9/11. Upon returning from his tour, Nathan turned to the Appalachian Trail to sort out the residual anger and anxiety he was dealing with as a result of his time serving overseas. We go deep on Nathan's experience in Iraq, how that affected his political outlook, how the Appalachian Trail helped him heal after his tour, and learn more about the process of his writing, "Waking Up On the Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood, and the Pursuit of Truth", a memoir about his hike. We have a triple crown of tips to lighten your pack, a one minute gear review (including some gear for the pups), and tackle some hard hitting listener questions. [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Minus33 discount code (listen to episode to get the code): 15% off your first purchase at minus33.com. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] Interview with Nathan Hankes Get a signed copy of Nathan book: Waking Up on the Appalachian Trail: A Story of War, Brotherhood and the Pursuit of Truth on his website. Use code: BPR for free shipping (so he can compete with Jeff Bezos). Half of the proceeds from the book go to helping four combat veterans write a book. Find him on social media @nbhankes 00:04:30 - QOTD: How has the trail healed you? 00:08:00 - Trail Correspondents will happen again next year! 00:08:40 - Intro to Nathan Hankes 00:08:56 - Can you give us a quick bio of yourself? 00:09:55 - Where in the midwest are you from? 00:10:32 - What was your interest in the military? 00:11:44 - What do you attribute the naivety you had (re: joining the military) to? 00:12:39 - How old were you when you joined the military? 00:13:47 - What is the ASVAB? 00:14:49 - How big are military drones? 00:15:47 - Which branch of the military did you serve in? 00:15:59 - What were you expecting when you were deployed and what was the reality of the situation? 00:18:12 - What happens if you change your mind while you are in the army? 00:19:53 - Was the sense of dissent among your peers the overarching feeling or was it just a few people? And was that natural skepticism or reality? 00:21:50 - Did any of it feel like the movie Jarhead? 00:23:50 - Did you ever think about leaving? 00:24:37 - Did you think you would thru-hike before you were in Iraq? 00:26:04 - Did you have any near-death experiences? 00:27:56 - How are you supposed to respond when you hear a mortar attack? 00:28:49 - Did that experience alter how you felt the rest of the time you were in Iraq? 00:30:19 - What are the mortars hitting? 00:32:11 - Knowing that you were defending Iraqi civilians you still felt the U.S. presence was wrong? 00:32:55 - Can you ask about the real reason you are there or do you have to keep it to yourself? 00:34:10 - How do you feel about the military now? 00:35:20 - Has your service altered your politics? 00:36:17 - What did the person you hiked with bring up (as far as politics)? 00:37:17 - Which book on the top 100 adventure stories did you like the most? 00:41:41 - What kind of things did you have to get permission from the pentagon for? 00:44:03 - Did you self-publish? 00:44:15 - How did you get endorsements (from people like Christopher Ryan)? 00:45:37 - Would you describe what you experienced as PTSD? 00:46:50 - Were you having trouble sleeping? 00:47:22 - Were there any downsides to going from the military to the trail? Was it weird going from one extreme to the other? 00:49:53 - What is the specific healing you were looking for in your AT experience? 00:52:35 - Did your anger ever manifest in unhealthy ways? 00:53:34 - Did the fear you came back with filter over to the trail at all? 00:55:09 - Did you keep in close contact with your platoon mates? Do you still? 00:57:09 - Were you hoping to maintain that sense of community on trail? 00:58:51 - When you are deployed are people around your same age? Or is it people in all different age groups like the trail? 01:00:16 - Can you compare your platoon mates and your tramily? 01:02:35 - Can you talk about why you liked hiking with Dylan? 01:04:14 - Are you playing with fire if you ask about the merits of war with someone who has served? 01:06:07 - How did your brother interact with Dylan (knowing you came from a conservative family)? 01:07:29 - What do you think helped your enlightenment on your AT journey? 01:09:50 - Can you talk more about your spiritual awakening? 01:13:40 - Is thru-hiking a good tool for veterans? Do you have any general advice for veterans listening? 01:16:27 - How would someone describe the differences in your personality post-Iraq vs. post-trail? 01:20:29 - Can you tell us about the dog sled training in Alaska? 01:23:00 - Do you stand on the back

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Backcountry.com, we are joined by Neville Harris. Neville is the owner and head honcho at Woods Hole Hostel, regarded as one of the top hostels (if not the top hostel) along the entire Appalachian Trail. Neville shares a bit about her meditation practice and the impact it's had on her life, she walks us through a typical day at Woods Hole Hostel, how COVID has impacted her business, how running the hostel played a role in her recent divorce, and much more. Whether you've stayed at Woods Hole or not, we think you're really going to enjoy this chat. We also debate where to teleport 10 tons of jello to maximize destruction, do a triple crown of appetizers, and have a one minute gear review. Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Minus33 discount code (listen to episode to get the code): 15% off your first purchase at minus33.com. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] Interview with Neville Harris of Woods Hole Hostel on the Appalachian Trail. Website Instagram 00:06:18: QOTD: if you could pick a day to be your birthday besides your actual birthday, what day would you pick? 00:10:12 - What is Woods Hole Hostel? How did you get into the hiking culture? 00:11:40 - Where is Woods Hole Hostel? 00:11:54 - Where is the closest town? 00:12:59 - Tell us about the intricacies of Woods Hole Hostel? 00:17:30 - Are you religious? 00:18:20 - How long are you meditating? 00:18:38 - Do you have a particular practice you follow? 00:19:45 - Can you give us an overview of your meditation approach? 00:21:20 - What are the benefits you see from meditation? 00:23:39 - Are you in communication with other trail angels in the area? 00:24:50 - Is meditation offered through Woods Hole? 00:25:30 - Do you lead a yoga class? 00:26:30 - Will you walk us through a day at Woods Hole Hostel? 00:28:11 - What's on the Woods Hole menu usually? 00:33:00 - How do you can food? 00:34:47 - How did you feel taking in hikers during coronavirus? 00:41:53- How many people stay with you in a year? 00:44:40 - Can you talk about the animals at Woods Hole Hostel? 00:49:33 - How do you balance helping hikers and running a business? 00:51:43 - How was running the hostel with a partner vs. alone? 00:52:44 - What led you to choose between the hiking community and your husband? 00:55:16 - Can you talk about hikers leaving critiques about your husband? 00:57:09 - What about the hiker community do you love so much? 01:00:56 - How do you prevent burnout? 01:02:58 - How have you seen the hiking community change over the years? 01:05:16 - Do you think technology has had any effect? 01:07:17 - Do you take outside donations? Woods Hole Website — Donation SEGMENTSTrek Propaganda The Beer Drinker's Guide: Best Breweries on the Colorado Trail by Kelly Floro A Mountain Lion Follows Utah Trail Runner for Six Terrifying Minutes by Kelly Floro Triple Crown of Appetizers Is buffalo chicken a common meat topping for nachos? Discuss. Point / Counterpoint: Stovetop vs. Oven Dad Wisdom from Zach: Cleaning a Cast Iron Skillet Reddit Brain Buster One-Minute Gear Review Chaunce: Weighted Vest Zach: Solar Charged Lantern/Charger Mail Bag (Brought to you by Backcountry.com) 5-Star Review Pupdate! Comment _____ for a free sticker! [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, DcNerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Backcountry.com, we are joined by Neville Harris. Neville is the owner and head honcho at Woods Hole Hostel, regarded as one of the top hostels (if not the top hostel) along the entire Appalachian Trail. Neville shares a bit about her meditation practice and the impact it's had on her life, she walks us through a typical day at Woods Hole Hostel, how COVID has impacted her business, how running the hostel played a role in her recent divorce, and much more. Whether you've stayed at Woods Hole or not, we think you're really going to enjoy this chat. We also debate where to teleport 10 tons of jello to maximize destruction, do a triple crown of appetizers, and have a one minute gear review. Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Minus33 discount code (listen to episode to get the code): 15% off your first purchase at minus33.com. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] Interview with Neville Harris of Woods Hole Hostel on the Appalachian Trail. Website Instagram 00:06:18: QOTD: if you could pick a day to be your birthday besides your actual birthday, what day would you pick? 00:10:12 - What is Woods Hole Hostel? How did you get into the hiking culture? 00:11:40 - Where is Woods Hole Hostel? 00:11:54 - Where is the closest town? 00:12:59 - Tell us about the intricacies of Woods Hole Hostel? 00:17:30 - Are you religious? 00:18:20 - How long are you meditating? 00:18:38 - Do you have a particular practice you follow? 00:19:45 - Can you give us an overview of your meditation approach? 00:21:20 - What are the benefits you see from meditation? 00:23:39 - Are you in communication with other trail angels in the area? 00:24:50 - Is meditation offered through Woods Hole? 00:25:30 - Do you lead a yoga class? 00:26:30 - Will you walk us through a day at Woods Hole Hostel? 00:28:11 - What's on the Woods Hole menu usually? 00:33:00 - How do you can food? 00:34:47 - How did you feel taking in hikers during coronavirus? 00:41:53- How many people stay with you in a year? 00:44:40 - Can you talk about the animals at Woods Hole Hostel? 00:49:33 - How do you balance helping hikers and running a business? 00:51:43 - How was running the hostel with a partner vs. alone? 00:52:44 - What led you to choose between the hiking community and your husband? 00:55:16 - Can you talk about hikers leaving critiques about your husband? 00:57:09 - What about the hiker community do you love so much? 01:00:56 - How do you prevent burnout? 01:02:58 - How have you seen the hiking community change over the years? 01:05:16 - Do you think technology has had any effect? 01:07:17 - Do you take outside donations? Woods Hole Website — Donation SEGMENTSTrek Propaganda The Beer Drinker's Guide: Best Breweries on the Colorado Trail by Kelly Floro A Mountain Lion Follows Utah Trail Runner for Six Terrifying Minutes by Kelly Floro Triple Crown of Appetizers Is buffalo chicken a common meat topping for nachos? Discuss. Point / Counterpoint: Stovetop vs. Oven Dad Wisdom from Zach: Cleaning a Cast Iron Skillet Reddit Brain Buster One-Minute Gear Review Chaunce: Weighted Vest Zach: Solar Charged Lantern/Charger Mail Bag (Brought to you by Backcountry.com) 5-Star Review Pupdate! Comment _____ for a free sticker! [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, DcNerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by India Wood. India, despite having no backpacking experience, decided to hike diagonally across the state of Colorado, from the southeast to the northwest corner of the state. Along the way she had an encounter with a bear, had soft threats of being shot by rangers, and learned the importance of digging a cat hole the night before. We learn how India went about planning her route, the challenges associated with doing such a hike during COVID, and what advice she has for others who want to create their own unique hiking routes. We have a triple crown of halloween candy, dive into our favorite youtube videos, get into an impromptu debate about wearing leggings in ranch country, and get a horse fact about moose. [divider] Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com (does not apply to sale items). Zpacks discount code: Use code: BPRPLEX for $25 off any plex tent at zpacks.com. True Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] 00:06:17 - Why did you decide to hike across Colorado? 00:07:27 - Can you talk about drawing up your route? 00:08:11 - Take us deep into the specifics of the route? 00:11:09 - When you were talking to the person that helped you with maps, did he think you were crazy? Did he pry about your hiking experience? 00:16:05 - How many road crossings did you cache water at? Did you have it buried? Tell us about water logistics! 00:20:04 - Are you staging your car and then doing an out and back? 00:20:58 - What was it like getting hitches? Did you get hitches? 00:22:54 - Tell us about your time in the prairie section of Colorado? 00:25:20 - Did you know all the types of grasses in the prairie? 00:26:23 - What's the most interesting turd you saw? 00:27:27 - Do you have any grass or prairie facts? 00:28:27 - Can you talk about your family? 00:29:44 - What's the name of your daughter's documentary? 00:30:24 - What did your family think of you taking on the hike? 00:33:09 - What happened with your bear encounter? 00:43:30 - Can you talk about the transition of hiking through the prairie and then through the mountains? 00:45:00 - Was Bear Peak in your training regimen? 00:46:44 - Where did you go from Minturn? 00:48:04 - What went wrong with your maps? 00:52:47 - Were you ever tempted to turn down a private road? 00:54:59 - Where did you run into the man who was wanted? 00:56:14 - Do you have a detailed outline of your route anywhere? 00:57:47 - Why did you choose southeast to northwest? 00:58:36 - What kind of dinosaur did you find? 00:59:25 - Do you think the southeast corner is more beautiful than where you come into CO on 70? 01:01:17 - What's a good town to go to in the southeast corner? 01:05:02 - Did this hike give you the adventure itch? 01:06:05 - Would you stay in a hotel if you did a transect of metro Denver? 01:06:28 - Did you carry anything to protect yourself on your hike? Was your safety something you were highly concerned about? 01:08:23 - Were there ever political debates that ensued when you said you were from Boulder? 01:10:09 - What do you think would happen to Chaunce if she was hiking through ranch country in leggings? 01:11:40 - Is the area you primarily saw other people through the Breckenridge area? 01:11:56 - Do you have any general pieces of advice for people wanting to develop their own hike? 01:12:55 - Will India's talk be on Youtube? Yes, the link is here. 01:13:00 - Any last pieces of advice? 01:14:10 - Where should people go to learn more about you and your hike? Your books? Facebook Website Segments Debate: Is it safe for women to wear leggings in ranch country? Triple Crown of the Best Halloween Candy Triple Crown of the Worst Halloween Candy Ask ??? > Send us your favorite videos! Zach: Bloopers from Anchor Man Chaunce: Shia Labeouf Live - Rob Cantor 1 Minute Gear Reviews Zach: Native Sunglasses Chaunce: Lulu Lemon Leggings Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews Comment _____ to win a sticker! Message Backcountry, send us screenshots! Hiking from Home by Chaunce and How to Afford a Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Brandon Spilker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, DcNerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Chaunce and Fireball (who you likely remember for the Girls Stuff episode), to walk us through their hike of the John Muir Trail. In addition to learning about all of the particulars of the trail, Chaunce and Fireball regale us with tales from their trek that include nude modeling for tourists, their favorite swimming holes, and the time Chaunce pooped alongside a stranger. We have a one minute gear review, bring back patent pending, get a pupdate, and discuss why crossfit is great training for backcountry dumps. [divider] Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com (does not apply to sale items). Zpacks discount code: Use code: BPRPLEX for $25 off any plex tent at zpacks.com. Ture Thru-Hiker Shirt & Mug [divider] 00:04:20 - QOTD: What is the dumbest thing you've done this month? 00:12:45 - Trek Ambassador Program 00:14:27 - What are the standard JMT facts? 00:15:13 - Why did you do the extra miles? 00:15:36 - How did you get from where you left your car to the trailhead? 00:16:33 - Did this fill in your PCT gaps? 00:17:29 - Anything else you want to add from a basic JMT standpoint? 00:18:27 - Fireball, have you done any hiking in the Sierra before? 00:19:10 - What were the days you did the JMT? 00:19:24 - Pros and cons of hiking the Sierra in mid-August? 00:20:03 - Would you go at the same time again? 00:20:55 - How were the crowds? 00:22:00 - Did you meet PCT hikers? 00:22:41 - Did anyone reference mile, mile and a half? 00:23:41 - So Fireball wakes up earlier than Chaunce? 00:25:18 - Why did you choose southbound? 00:28:00 - How did you train for the PCT? 00:34:18 - Did Chaunce get heat exhaustion? 00:39:19 - Favorite parts of the trail? Aesthetic highlights? 00:42:00 - Chaunce and Fireball got caught skinny dipping? 00:45:20 - Were you prepared for how cold the lakes were? 00:46:39 - Do you remember Garnett Lake? 00:47:47 - Chaunce ran into a previous guest? Crazy Jack Northam 00:50:20 - Did Chaunce and Fireball hike together at all? 00:56:49 - Any other highlights? 00:59:59 - Did you miss Harper? Follower Questions: 01:01:09 - How gorgeous was it in real life? 01:04:31 - You guys only resupplied once on the entire hike? 01:08:01 - What are the details on VVR? We don't know, reach out to Weezer! 01:08:28 - Still no chafe Chaunce? 01:10:08 - Is the JMT a good starter for those looking to get into thru-hiking? 01:13:11 - What do you think the JMT numbers are like this year? 01:14:22 - What is Fireball's instagram handle? @Mimmmsy 01:15:37 - Chaunce will you tell us your poop story? 01:25:49 - A man asked, what is one thing you think I should know? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda Sign up for the Newsletter Patent Pending: Cat Claws / Balloon Floaties 1 Minute Gear Review Gossamer Gear Mariposa / Athleta Shirt Pupdates Baby Updates Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews Become a Patron for Bonus Episodes (specifically, The Dumpster Fire episode). [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Jason Lawrence, Austen McDaniel, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Brandon Spiker, Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, DcNerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Dan Durston. Dan is the gear nerd's gear nerd. In addition to hiking the PCT and being one of only two people to yo-yo the Great Divide Trail (the other being his wife as they did it together), Dan is visionary behind the new gear company, Durston Gear. We go way deep down the rabbit hole on why polyester tents are making a comeback and are possibly the ultimate fabric for shelters, how he's able to execute on his philosophy of creating lightweight gear that's super easy to setup, how his being a loudmouth on the Backpackinglight forums made his gear company possible, and much more. If you're into gear technology, even if you're not, we bet you're really going to enjoy this conversation. Also, our buddy Legend breaks another FKT, we have another Reddit Brain Buster, and we have a point counter point on the virtues of summer vs. fall backpacking. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com. "How to Afford a Thru-Hike" discount code: "ipooped" [divider] Interview with Dan Durston: Durstongear.com @Durstongear on Instagram Dan Durston Youtube Motorscooterguide.net 00:03:16 - QOTD: What's an "oh shit" moment where you've realized you've been doing something the wrong way for years? 00:07:18 - Intro to Dan Durston 00:07:26 - What is your backpacking resume? 00:09:54 - Do you have to push gear by setting FKTs? 00:10:32 - Do you own the gear company? Are you not the sole proprietor of Dan Durston Gear? 00:12:09 - Do you get a royalty of every product sold? 00:12:59 - Did you also hike the PCT with your wife? 00:13:24 - How did you get into backpacking? 00:14:40 - You were determined to get your pack weight down before your first trip? 00:14:56 - How light was your pack when you first started? 00:16:38 - Did seeing someone do a whole 50-mile trail in a day create the origin for you going ultralight? 00:17:47 - When did the shift to ultralight happen? Was Backpacking Light involved in that? 00:18:40 - What were your big 3 when you were at 5 pounds? 00:20:00 - Were you giving gear companies feedback when you were testing products? 00:21:25 - To become a gear tester do you just go on backpacking forums and be loud? 00:21:44 - What did you bring on the PCT? 00:22:24 - Had you started making your own gear already on the PCT? 00:23:33 - How did you get into making your own gear? 00:24:23 - What is the hardest thing to make yourself? Packs? 00:26:26 - Advice to someone who wants to get a cottage industry pack but is worried about fit? 00:27:42 - Is there any benefit to going to REI and measuring packs there? 00:28:22 - What is the process with your designs going to manufacturing? 00:30:40 - Are you the only one doing product testing on Dan Durston Gear? 00:32:15 - Who is Dan Durston Gear for? Who is the target market? 00:36:49 - What makes setting up your tents so simple? 00:37:39 - Do you have any photos of your disaster feet? 00:39:01 - How tall are you? 00:49:36 - How did drop.com find you? 00:50:29 - What do you mean by 'being a loudmouth on backpacking light'? 00:51:24 - Have you solved the condensation issue that most ultralight tents have? 00:52:43 - So should you not ventilate your tent when sleeping in humid areas? 00:55:14 - What are your recommendations for campsite selection to avoid condensation? 00:57:03 - Talk about polyester tents! 00:58:00 - What's the weight difference between polyester and nylon? 00:59:48 - So what is the strongest fabric? 01:02:30 - Does the fabric make the tent more prone to smell or mildew? 01:03:35 - How long should you leave your tent out to dry? 01:04:31 - Is there a proper way to clean and store a tent? 01:05:30 - How often should you replace tents? 01:07:00 - How do you store your tent? Stuff or fold and roll? 01:10:51 - Who is the X-mid made for? 01:13:18 - If Dan Duston Gear didn't exist and you had one tent you had to use for all purposes, what would you pick? 01:14:13 - Will there ever be a DCF X-Mid? 01:16:58 - Would you consider Dan Durston Gear to be ultralight? 01:17:27 - Do you think there is a lot of room for improvement in the cottage industry UL gear space? 01:19:15 - If you could name the Dan Durston backpack what would you name it? 01:19:43 - Will you talk us through the pack? 01:21:43 - Can you get a 40 oz beer in the pocket? 01:22:28 - What is the mesh material on the shoulder strap? 01:24:19 - What is the advantage of X-Pac? 01:29:09 - What are some other pack companies that use X-Pac? 01:31:25 - What is the weight on the Dan Durston pack and what does it go for? 01:33:31 - What was it that took your company to the next level? 01:35:30 - What would Dan Durston's gear slogan be? 01:36:44 - Can you talk about the Great Divide Trail? 01:39:33 - Where does the GDT start and end and where does it go through? 01:42:06 - What is the seasonality for the GDT? 01:42:51 - What kind of miles can you do on snowshoes? 01:43:28 - Can you tell us

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Tommy Corey, aka Twerk, sometimes known as Twerkinthedirt, sometimes known as the guy behind Hiker Trash Vogue. Twerk gives us a runthrough on his experiences backpacking the PCT, how the Hiker Trash Vogue project came to be, what doors this wildly popular photo project has opened for him. We also talk about his experiences of what it's like to be a gay man in the thru-hiking community. We close out the show with a Triple Crown of Autumn Ahhhhs, talk about how much it costs to pee on Chaunce's face every morning for the rest of her life, a one minute gear review, and we try to determine how much money Chaunce can make by selling foot photos. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com. Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Greenbelly discount code: Use code: Trek2020 for 10% off your first purchase at greenbelly.co How To Afford A Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro (use code "ipooped" to save $2!) [divider] 00:04:43 - Chaunce is back! 00:06:19 - QOTD: Non-traditional ways to track your mileage? 00:10:49 - Intro to Twerk! 00:11:01 - How did you get the trail name Twerk? 00:12:32 - How did you first get into backpacking? 00:14:19 - Did Chaunce and Twerk cross paths? 00:15:30 - Twerk's first backpacking trip through the Three Sisters Loop 00:16:05 - Did that trip build excitement or anxiety for your attempted thru? 00:17:39 - Do you think the fact that being close to where you grew up made it easier to get off trail the first time? 00:20:10 - Did you want to rejoin your friends on trail? 00:21:04 - Did you experience the same level of hardship in 2018 as 2017? 00:26:10 - Would you do the PCT again? 00:30:00 - Zach shares a poop story! 00:31:34 - Twerk's poop story! 00:34:30 - Can you tell us about your photography background? 00:36:24 - How did photography play into your 2017 hike? 00:37:28 - Do you think learning how to long-distance hike in 2017 helped you be able to work on Hiker Trash Vogue in 2018? 00:40:30 - How did you edit your photos on trail? 00:41:03 - What is Hiker Trash Vogue? 00:41:50 - Will you walk us through some of your favorite photos? 00:43:06 - Can you tell us some stories behind your photos? 00:45:47 - Do you have experience shooting high fashion/editorial photography? 00:47:01 - Was it difficult to get people to model? 00:49:04 - What is your pitch to get people to pose for Hiker Trash Vogue? 00:52"02 - Did you do any landscape photography along the way? 00:54:20 - How did you decide to evolve Hiker Trash Vogue? Can you talk about the books? 00:56:18 - Did you make your layouts in InDesign? 00:57:22 - How much does it cost to make a Hiker Trash Vogue book? 00:59:23 - Did the quality of the second book suffer because it was less of a passion project? 01:01:14 - Do you have limited runs of your books? 01:01:39 - Would you ever put your book on Amazon? 01:02:47 - What is your day-to-day like now? 01:03:45 - Have you gotten freelance work from your Hiker Trash Vogue series? 01:04:42 - Do people hit you up to do weddings? 01:05:39 - Is being a wedding photographer a coveted job or highly stressful? 01:07:17 - Where should people go if they want Twerk to shoot their wedding? 01:08:34 - Can you speak to what it's like being a gay hiker? 01:10:23 - Was there anything in the Gummy Bear episode that you could elaborate on? Or things you want to expand on? 01:11:37 - Were you at all concerned about it leading up to your hike? 01:12:51 - What were relationships like on trail? 01:15:42 - Did you see many other LGBTQ hikers? 01:18:10 - Why Representation Matters 01:19:03 - Were there resources you used as a gay man before hiking that you think would help others? 01:26:12 - Any recommendations for diversifying your feed? @switchbackshawty @lassosafroworld @rongriswell 01:27:44 - What is your Instagram? @twerkinthedirt 01:27:56 - What's coming up? What are you looking forward to? 01:31:16 - Anything you wanna plug? Tommycorey.com @twerkinthedirt How To Afford A Thru-Hike by Kelly Floro (use code "ipooped" to save $2!) The Triple Crown of Autumn Ahhhs Zach is having a baby (and rapid-fire questions from Chaunce)! Reddit Brain Busters 1 minute gear review: Chaunce: $5 Walmart Floaty Zach: Yeti Tundra Haul Mail Bag Five-Star Reviews Comment ______ to win a Backpacker Radio sticker! [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Paul Packman Sealy, Jason Lawrence, Janelle L., Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, Badger is joined by Anne Baker. In addition to being an experienced long distance backpacker and gear nerd, Anne has a PhD, is a licensed therapist, scientist, and someone who has done a good deal of research on post trail depression. Anne breaks down precisely what is happening when someone experiences post trail depression and offers some tips for how to avoid it or at least lessen its impact. Anne also details what 2020 NOGO thru-hikers went through this year and how their grief was tied to a loss of identity. I found the subject matter of today's show super interesting, and I think you will too. We close out the show with a triple crown of trails we have not yet hiked, highlight some standout day hikes in the Salt Lake City area, and give Martin his much deserved 15 seconds of fame. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com. Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Dr.Anne Baker Instagram: ennakrek Anne's articles for The Trek QOTD: What small thing is irrationally annoying to you? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:04:49 - QOTD: What small thing is irrationally annoying to you? 00:06:45 - Pitch a Podcast! 00:07:00 - Intro to Anne Baker 00:07:40 - Why are you here? 00:08:15 - Can you tell us about your educational and professional background? 00:10:19 - Can you talk about the intersection of pain and emotion? 00:11:30 - Can you alter your perception of pain by changing your vocabulary around it? 00:13:52 - Advice for someone with chronic lyme disease dealing with pain? 00:16:29 - Will you walk us through the process of getting a PhD.? 00:20:10 - Will you walk us through your backpacking resume? 00:24:54 - Thoughts on section hiking? 00:29:15 - Do you struggle to make a trail family when section hiking? 00:30:49 - What is your go-to big 5 (for gear)? 00:34:24 - Anything in the gear pipeline we should be excited about? 00:36:19 - Can you tell us about Post-Trail Depression and walk us through your approach to the project you did on it? 00:38:15 - Can you talk about the identity aspect of post-trail depression? 00:39:40 - Did you ask how people felt about their lives before the trail? 00:40:00 - What kind of habits can you maintain to keep your trail self alive? 00:44:43 - Will you walk us through your coined acronym "SPACE"? 00:46:00 - How would someone experience these on trail? 01:00:08 - So a history of mental health issues didn't translate to being more likely to suffer from post-trail depression? 01:01:58 - How does a person's job play into their post-trail depression? 01:05:26 - Do you have any tips to mitigate post-trail depression? 01:08:51 - How did the pandemic influence your second article about post-trail depression (specifically how deciding whether or not to hike during the pandemic affected people)? 01:10:57 - Why don't you like labels of mental illness? 01:14:19 - What aspects of grief show up a lot for people who did not get to thru-hike? 01:14:48 - What common bargaining tactics showed up? 01:15:51 - Do you have any other major takeaways from your interviews with thru-hikers? 01:17:43 - Can you talk a little bit about what was happening on social media in regards to whether or not people should thru-hike this year? 01:20:04 - Have you noticed any difference in the hiking community now vs. when you were interviewing people in March and April? 01:22:02 - Do you have any advice for someone who is experiencing grief due to not being able to thru-hike? 01:25:16 - Do you have advice for people who are struggling specifically during COVID, when typical resources are not available to us? 01:27:20 - Do you meditate? 01:28:17 - Anything else you want to touch on? 01:29:02 - Any backpacking or outdoor adventures coming up? 01:30:08 - Where should people go to see your stuff? Anne's articles for the trek can be found here. SEGMENTS Best Day, Weekend, and Long-Distance Hikes in Wyoming and Utah Triple Crown of Trails We Haven't Hiked Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Paul Packman Sealy, Jason Lawrence, Janelle L., Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Backcountry.com, we are joined by Mac of Halfwayanywhere.com. Mac gives us the full tour through his short, but very dense adventuring career, including his 1 and a half PCT thru-hikes, his time in Japan, his multiple trips through the Himalayas, bikepacking across Australia, and the list goes on and on. We touch on why the Arizona Trail is game off for the remainder of 2020, a one minute gear review, a point counter point on quilts vs. sleeping bags, and our last Backcountry Matchmaking for a hot minute. \ Greenbelly discount code: Use code: Trek2020 for 10% off sitewide at greenbelly.co. Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. [divider] Please fill out this survey if you'd like to help BPR! The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Mac from Halfway Anywhere HalfwayAnywhere.com @HalfwayAnywhere on Instagram QOTD: What was your favorite (or weirdest) celebrity encounter? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:07:49 - Take our survey, please! 00:09:25 - Applications for Vlogging and Blogging for The Trek in 2021 are open! 00:09:56 - Intro to Mac from HalfwayAnywhere.com 00:11:00 - Do you hate the word moist? 00:11:55 - What is your backpacking/adventuring background? 00:12:55 - Do you remember where you discovered the PCT? 00:13:25 - Did you know you might be in over your head starting the PCT? 00:14:00 - When did the website (Halfway Anywhere) start? 00:17:16 - What kind of content were you putting out on your blog? 00:18:30 - Do you think it was an advantage going into your hike without prior research (when it came to writing)? 00:20:02 - Stand out moments from your PCT hike? 00:22:26 - What were the biggest differences you noticed between the PCT your first time and when you did it recently? 00:26:09 - Were you using paper maps or Half Mile? 00:27:18 - How did your most recent PCT hike go? 00:28:00 - Which version of the Sierra do you like better (snow or no snow)? 00:28:41 - Are the views better with or without the snow? 00:29:24 - What came after your 2013 PCT hike? 00:32:52- How did you find your job in Japan? 00:33:21 - What do you do for fun in Japan? 00:34:31 - How did you find hikes in Japan? 00:37:44 - How long were you in Japan? What came next? 00:40:00 - You hiked to Everest Base Camp? 00:40:34 - What did you learn about the altitude on the first trip? 00:42:16 - Did you do Whitney on the PCT '13? 00:43:55 - What's the difference in the attire for different elevations? 00:45:06 - Do you have Sherpas/a guide in the Himalaya? 00:46:00 - Is there a language barrier in Nepal? 00:47:10 - Are there ethical reasons for sourcing Sherpas? 00:50:00 - Should you hire a guide for EBC? 00:51:00 - Can you tell us about the Three Passes Trek? 00:54:24 - What is the distance of the Three Passes Trek and how long did it take you? 00:58:00 - How often were you sleeping inside? 01:00:00 - What do you pay per night/day on an Everest Base Camp or Three Pass Trek loop? 01:01:00 - How is it navigating transportation? 01:02:45 - Do you have a standout Nepalese meal? 01:04:32 - Tell us about your Australia bikepacking trip! 01:05:30 - Where did you get water? 01:08:22 - Did you arrive with your bikepacking setup or did you buy it there? 01:09:25 - How long did the whole bike trip take you? 01:10:21 - Do you have any words of wisdom when it comes to fiscal responsibility? 01:11:44 - What was it like working in a bar in Australia? 01:14:30 - What did you do in 2017? 01:15:30 - What kind of hiking is in Tasmania? 01:17:00 - How did you choose Tasmania? 01:18:00 - How long are the hikes you are doing in Tasmania? 01:18:57 - What were the Rio Olympics like? 01:19:22 - How many languages do you speak? 01:20:05 - Were you doing this with friends? 01:20:36 - Are you doing most of your adventures solo? 01:21:09 - Has it been an adjustment to be in a relationship? 01:21:55 - How old are you? 01:21:14 - Is your fire for adventure still as strong as ever? 01:22:41 - How does your relationship work with adventures? 01:24:32 - Starting the CDT 01:25:55 - How would you compare the San Juans in 2017 to the Sierra in 2013? 01:30:42 - Comparison of the PCT to the CDT? 01:32:36 - Fuck, Marry, Kill: Sierra, Winds, Himalayas? 01:36:45 - Should you hike the PCT or the CDT? 01:38:48 - Do you ever get burnt out from traveling? 01:39:42 - What did you do next? 01:40:44 - How much time do you dedicate to the website amidst traveling? 01:43:10 - So you went back to Nepal? 01:43:38 - Why was the Annapurna Circuit your least favorite trek in Nepal? 01:46:14 - What was after the Annapurna Circuit? 01:47:54 - How long did Island Peak take? 01:49:10 - Do you feel safe in Nepal? 01:50:36 - Do you have more Nepal treks on your list? 01:52:05 - Tell us abo

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Backcountry.com, we are joined by Delia D'ambra. Delia is a full-time investigative journalist and the host of Park Predators, a podcast that details some of the most horrific murders that have taken place in national parks. Needless to say, maybe don't let your kids listen to this one. We cover the triple crown of Adam Sandler movies, do another round of one minute gear reviews, a point / counterpoint on inflatable vs closed cell foam sleeping pads, and learn about diarrhea inducing gummy bears. Greenbelly discount code: Use code: Trek2020 for 10% off sitewide at greenbelly.co. Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio. Please fill out this survey if you'd like to help BPR! The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Delia D'Ambra Find Park Predators wherever you listen to podcasts @DeliaDambraTV on Twitter @deliamdambraw on Instagram @audiochuck on instagram and twitter QOTD: What is your least popular or most controversial opinion? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:04:50 - QOTD: What is your least popular or most controversial opinion? 00:08:46 - Please fill out this 45 second survey! 00:09:17 - New BPR shirts! 00:11:00 - Intro to Delia D'Ambra! 00:11:24 - How did you get involved with investigative journalism? 00:12:26 - How do you decide what stories to tackle? 00:13:45 - When you do episodes for podcasts like Park Predators, how do you go about doing the research for it? 00:15:50 - Have any of your episodes led to new clues? 00:17:40 - Is Adnan Syed guilty? 00:18:50 - Can you talk about the differences between mediums (news vs. podcast vs. broadcast)?00:20:40 - How did you decide to focus your research on National Parks? 00:23:01 - Did you find there was a disproportionate amount of murders in National Parks? 00:24:50 - Does doing this murder research freak you out? 00:26:57 - How do you keep an eye out for murderers in the backcountry? 00:29:50 - Do you hear stories from people who heed your advice? 00:31:00 - Can you give us a summary of the first episode of Park Predators? 00:33:50 - What was Gary Michale Hilton's victimology? 00:35:30 - Are there things that make you feel empathy for the killers? Is there a theme/commonality to the way they operate? 00:37:29 - Can you give us a taste of episode 3? 00:40:48 - Chaunce's brush with death 00:41:25 - What do you do if you see someone who looks very suspicious? 00:43:12 - Can you talk about episode 4? 00:48:53 - Do you think going through childhood trauma may have affected him becoming a killer? 00:49:20 - What kind of detail do you go into about the specific murders on Park Predators? 00:50:50 - Can you give us an example of how the women in Yosemite were murdered? 00:53:17 - Did any of these victims have or use mace? 00:53:53 - Can you tell us another story? 00:55:38 - Do these stories ever impact your personal life? Do you ever lose sleep? 00:57:10 - Do you ever worry about the killers reaching out? 00:58:25 - Did Epstein kill himself? 00:58:50 - Is there a season two? 00:59:50 - Find Park Predators wherever you get your podcasts! Segments Trek Propaganda Our Favorite Three-Ingredient Backpacking Meals by Maggie Slepian Triple Crown of Adam Sandler Movies Movie Club: Don't Mess with the Zohan 1-Minute Gear Reviews Chaunce: Cotopaxi Windbreaker—POCKETS! Zach: Anker Powercore with dual-input port (charges the battery twice as fast) Point - Counterpoint: Inflatable sleeping pad vs. closed-cell foam pads Pupdate! Mail Bag 5-Star Review Comment ________ to win a sticker! Amazon Reviews for Sugar-Free Haribo Gummy Bears (Poop Stuff) [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Paul Packman Sealy, Jason Lawrence, Janelle L., Austen McDaniel, Andrew, Thomas Fullner, Christopher Marshburn, S11N, and Sawyer Products A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Emily Brown, Jeffrey Miller, Mitchell, Zoe Jenkins, dcnerdlet, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter Ellenberg, Jacob Northrup, Peter Leven Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek we are joined yet again by famed Trail Angel, triple crowner, and author, Barney Scout Mann. This convo focuses largely on Scout's new book, "Journeys North", Scout's beautiful account of his and Frodo's 2007 PCT thru-hike. We learn what went into this immense research project, how he and Frodo fended off a bear with a two-part harmony, and we're blessed with a short reading from the book. We have another one-minute gear review, introduce a new segment- point / counter point, a triple crown of summer foods, and once again start to lose our minds at the show's close. This one is a full boat. \ [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com Greenbelly discount code: Use code: Trek2020 for 10% off sitewide at greenbelly.co. [divider] Apply to be The Trek's Full-Time Content + Marketing Specialist The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Scout (Barney Mann) Listen to Scout's previous episode here. Order his book here! QOTD: You get one wish but 70% of the population also gets what you wish for—what is your wish? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:04:30 - QOTD: You get one wish but 70% of the population also gets what you wish for—what is your wish? 00:08:33 - Can you give us an intro into how you got started with backpacking? 00:10:19 - Can you tell us the story of doing the PCT? 00:12:19 - Do you regret going SOBO on the AT? 00:14:30 - Scout's involvement in the GAOA (Great American Outdoors Act) 00:15:30 - What do your neighbors think about the hikers you host? 00:16:30 - Scout and Frodo's nightly after-dinner talk and stream crossing safety. 00:18:30 - Can you tell us about your career (after your Boy Scout days)? 00:19:30 - Are you a lawyer because you're a good writer or are you a good writer because you're a lawyer? 00:20:05 - What kind of lawyer were you? 00:21:54 - What was Scout thinking when he was retiring? 00:22:20 - Listen to Episode 26! (Scout's previous episode) 00:22:45 - Where did the inspiration for "Journeys North" come from? 00:27:57 - What was the research process for gathering intel on your trail family? 00:30:10 - What does it really mean when Scout asks to write about you? 00:32:15 - Scout saved a man's life. 00:34:09 - Scout reads an excerpt from the book. 00:36:28 - Is Scout reading his audiobook? 00:39:36 - Were you anticipating a trail family being such a huge part of your hike? 00:41:48 - What is the secret to a long and happy marriage? 00:42:48 - Can you give an example of a tough time you talked about in the book? 00:47:55 - Were you shocked by what you gathered in your research and interviews of your hiking family vs. what you saw on trail? 00:54:25 - Can you share other stories that had to be cut from the book? 00:58:58 - Can we get a two-part harmony? 01:02:20 - Can you talk about Rainy Pass? 01:09:44 - Where should people go to purchase your book? Amazon helps Scout the most. 01:10:22 - Are Scout and Frodo going to host hikers in 2021? Segments Trek Propaganda Biggest Similarities (and Differences) Between Backpacking and Bikepacking by Maggie Slepian Applications for Bloggers and Vloggers for 2021 Hot Takes for 2020 (and beyond?) 1-Minute Gear Reviews SAXX Men's Boxer Briefs Montbell Rain Pants Send us Cinnamon Court Debates Point - Counterpoint: How you store water on the trail. Triple Crown of Summer Foods What season do deviled eggs belong to? Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews Pupdates Comment ______ to win a sticker! Backcountry Matchmaking Hayden (LLC) - @[email protected], @haydenstuartcox Legs - @kbrookshire Tree - @jefftreezus The Gossamer Gear Crotch Pot & it's review on The Trek [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, Janelle L, Paul Packman Sealy, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdlet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, and Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

Today we are joined by Luke Kloberdanz, the director of philanthropy at the Ice Age Trail Alliance. As you may have guessed, we geek out very much about all things Wisconsin, so much so, that Chaunce is convinced to make this the destination of Backpacker Radio's next road trip. We talk about Luke's own thru-hike, the wonderful tradition that is the Wisconsin Fish Fry, the history of this trail, and why it might be the ideal trek during a pandemic. We address why Chaunce's face matches her hair, get sucked down a Taco Bell Vortex, announce a new full-time opening at The Trek, and just generally lose our minds toward the end of this episode. I highly recommend having a PBR handy for this one. [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 to save 15% on your first purchase from Backcountry.com/backpackerradio Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com Greenbelly discount code: Use code: Trek2020 for 10% off sitewide at greenbelly.co. [divider] Apply to be The Trek's Full-Time Content + Marketing Specialist The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Luke Kloberdanz from the Ice Age Trail Alliance Ice Age Trail Alliance Contact Luke: [email protected] QOTD: What color is Chaunce's face? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:04:38 - QOTD: What color is Chaunce's face? 00:07:38 - Can Zach say Luke's name? 00:08:13 - How did Luke get involved with the Ice Age Trail? 00:10:06 - How long is the Ice Age Trail? Can you tell us more about it? 00:10:53 - Where does the money to purchase land for the trail come from? 00:11:41 - Why does the IAT go where it goes? 00:12:54 - Is the IAT constructed that way because of aesthetics or historical reasons? 00:16:52 - How was your thru-hike? 00:19:16 - You were the 11th person to thru-hike the IAT? 00:20:44 - What was the trail like when you hiked (single track vs. road walking)? 00:20:54 - Is there an official road walk for the portions that aren't single track? 00:21:58 - What percentage of days could someone eat a fish fry while thru-hiking the IAT? 00:22:47 - Do you go through a lot of towns on the IAT? 00:23:33- Is there a traditional route on the IAT (west to east vs. east to west)? 00:24:25 - Was Spotted Cow a thing during your thru-hike? 00:25:10 - Can you explain the fish fry? 00:28:14 - Do you emphasize the cultural aspect of the IAT? 00:30:30 - Has Chaunce had a fried cheese curd before? 00:30:54 - Can you explain the importance of the squeakiness of a cheese curd? 00:32:45 - Backpacker Radio Merch 00:33:25 - Does the trail go through Madison? 00:34:30 - What are the campsites like on the IAT? 00:36:34 - What are the water sources like on the IAT? 00:37:56 - What is the recommended season to hike the IAT? And what is the typical pace? 00:41:08 - What's the elevation change like on the IAT? 00:42:24 - What's the practicality of hiking the IAT during coronavirus? 00:45:22 - How does someone get involved with the IAT? 00:46:40 - What kind of wildlife will people see on the IAT? 00:47:54 - What does someone do if they encounter a wolf? 00:49:32 - What is the traditional garnish for a Wisconsin Bloody Mary? 00:52:10 - Are there specific highlights of the IAT? Section hikes you'd recommend? 00:56:37 - The IAT is for_______? 00:59:14 - [email protected] call the IATA office, etc. SEGMENTS The Trek Propaganda : The Trek is Hiring A Full-Time Content + Marketing Specialist Mail Bag / Backcountry Matchmaking combo Tess Bjorgen - [email protected] Linda - instagram: @lindasince1987 James "Medicine Man" Marsh - @venture_into_adventure Yiran "Clax" - @yiranhikes 5 Star Reviews Doug Laher's Episode How to Eat Vegetarian at Taco Bell and How to Eat Vegan at Taco Bell Pupdate 1 Minute Gear Reviews Chaunce: Her buff / Thermarest Mondo Zach: Big Agnes Tiger Wall 3 Comment _______ to win a sticker! [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, Janelle L, Paul Packman Sealy, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdlet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, and Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Daniel White, known on trail as The Blackalachian. We learn all about The Blackalachian's life before he became a full-time adventurer, including his days as a rapper and his time in prison, how thru-hiking was put on his map, his experiences with racism on the AT, his thru-bike of the Underground Railroad Route, His hikes of The Great Outdoors Challenge in Scotland and Camino del Norte in Spain, and what the future has in store for him. This conversation is both heavy and hilarious, informative and fun; we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We wrap up the show with the Triple Crown of Summer Wins, we learn what a thunderbox is, a fan indulges my undying love for the 90s Bulls, and we have a Backcountry Matchmaking. This one has it all. [divider] Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 to save 15% on your first purchase from Backcountry.com/backpackerradio Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Daniel White "The Blackalachian" YouTube Instagram QOTD: Is wearing a t-shirt with your podcast's name on it the same as being in a band and wearing your own band t-shirt? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:03:23 – QOTD: Is wearing a t-shirt with your podcast's name on it the same as being in a band and wearing your own band t-shirt? 00:07:10 – What was life like for the Blackalachian before he was the Blackalachian? 00:08:33 – Can you tell us about your rapping career? Soundcloud: Logo704 00:09:54 – Can you tell us what prison was like? 00:11:00 – Any overlaps between prison and thru-hiking? 00:11:50 – Did prison push you toward backpacking? 00:13:40 – Thoughts on your boss that said not to follow your dreams? 00:14:50 – Since you made the decision to thru-hike so quickly, did you have the gear you needed to start the AT? 00:17:17 – How has your gear evolved since then? 00:17:58 – where was the Blackalachian inspired? 00:20:20 – Did you get shakedowns? 00:20:45 – Did you plan your resupplies around fishing? 00:21:30 – Can you give us fishing tips? 00:21:53 – Were you YouTubing your thru-hike from the get-go? 00:23:08 - Have you gotten feedback from other Black hikers who were inspired by you? 00:23:27 – What are the more common questions and feedback that you get? 00:24:00 – Were you nervous about smaller towns in the Appalachians? 00:24:40 – What is the reality of being on trail like vs. your expectations? 00:26:00 – What were your expectations of racism on trail? What was it like on trail? 00:28:09 – Were towns better or worse than thru-hikers? 00:29:00 – Have you ever encountered someone and changed their perception? 00:30:03 – Can you give us an example of microagressions? 00:33:07 – Can you tell us how you came to your motto of "love and light"? 00:37:05 - Do you have any specific highlights from your AT hike? 00:39:30 – Flipping on the AT? 00:40:13 – Did you get that "Rocky Mountain" feeling in the Presidentials? 00:40:48 – Have you considered the PCT? 00:42:50 – Tell us about the Underground Railroad Bike Route! 00:46:30 – Could you stay in the same places people did when they were on the Underground Railroad? 00:47:07 – Does the UGRR have anything like Guthook? 00:47:49 – Did you see any other thru-bikers? Did you YouTube this journey? 00:49:37 – Can you compare thru-hiking to thru-biking? 00:51:05 – How long did it take to thru-bike the UGRR? 00:51:25 – Did you take special precautions to protect your bike? 00:52:19 – Were you able to leverage your YouTube channel to get sponsorships? 00:53:21 – What was your "bike first aid kit"? 00:54:44 – How long does it take for your ass to adjust to biking for that long? 00:56:35 – Any advice for someone who has never bike packed before? 00:59:41 – Tell us about The Great Outdoors Challenge! 01:01:00 – How was your reception in Scotland vs. the Appalachians? 01:02:29 – Did you see a lot of gingers? 01:02:40 – Tell us about the pub scene! 01:03:09 – How long were you in Scotland? 01:04:49 – If you had to pick between adventurer and thru-hiker what would it be? 01:08:39 – Can you give us some Camino Norte highlights? 01:11:20 – Is it true that your admission to hostels covers wine as well? 01:11:46 – Did you do the Camino solo? 01:12:31 – Preference for hiking in the US vs. internationally? 01:13:40 – How does walking through places with a lot of history impact you or your hike? 01:15:00 – What hikes are next on your radar? 01:18:20 – Can you tell us about the Groundskeepers program? 01:20:15 – Pointers on getting sponsorships? 01:21:40 – Paying for fathers to get pedicures? 01:23:59 - Differentiating between content for YouTube and Instagram? 01:25:55 - Can you talk about how recent shifts have affected you? Any advice for thru-hikers? 01:28:37 - Y

In today's episode -we are back to recording in person(!)- and joined by Jamey Mossengren, also known as The Unicycling Unicorn. Jamey traded in his cushy 9-5 job to pursue the glamorous lifestyle of a street performer, and hasn't looked back since. Not only does Jamey make a living by putting on unicycle shows, he's also unicycled both the Colorado Trail and Arizona Trail! We talk about these very unique trips, his thru-hikes of the AT and Camino del Norte, and what goes into being a successful street performer- for which, we got a personal show after the interview. We also talk about the return of AT thru-hikes in 2020 (maybe), we introduce a new segment- Hiker's Horoscopes, and close out the show with another edition of Backcountry Matchmaking. [divider] Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 to save 15% on your first purchase from Backcountry.com/backpackerradio Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Jamey Mossengren "The Unicycling Unicorn Website Instagram Twitter Youtube QOTD: How are your summer backpacking plans shaping up? Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! The Trek's store [divider] 00:00:00 – Intro to Jamey Mossengren – The Unicycling Unicorn 00:04:00 – Backpacker Radio is back in person and it is _________ 00:06:00 – QOTD: How are your summer backpacking plans shaping up? 00:10:00 – Jamey, the Unicycling Unicorn 00:10:31 – Do you know how many people make a living on a unicycle? 00:12:20 – Did competing with your brother motivate you to be better at unicycling? 00:12:40 – How did you make unicycling a career? 00:15:00 – What goes into the performing side of a street performance? 00:15:45 – Examples of what does and doesn't work in street performing? 00:16:20 – Do you do a lot of crowd work? 00:16:48 – Have you thought about doing a show at protests? 00:17:40 – Did you pick other performer's brains to see what they were doing? 00:18:17 – Do you write out sets? 00:18:38 – What encompasses/started the Unicorn? 00:19:45 – What are the costume pieces of the Unicycling Unicorn? 00:20:44 – What was your first long outdoors feat? 00:21:35 – How do you mountain unicycle the Colorado Trail?? 00:22:21 – Do you ride or walk up big climbs? 00:23:26 – Backpacker Radio crossed paths with Jamey Mossengren? 00:24:51 – How long did it take to mountain unicycle the Colorado Trail? 00:25:00 – How much did your gear weigh? 00:25:40 – Did you get a lot of media attention for the hike? 00:26:00 – Did the backcountry give you good ideas for your act? 00:26:28 – What was your next trail? 00:28:18 – Did you have any nasty falls? 00:29:40 – How does the comfort of a unicycle compare to a bike? 00:30:25 – Are there any standard unicycle issues? 00:30:50 – How did you like hiking (on the SHT) compared to unicycling? 00:31:34 – How long is the Superior Hiking Trail? 00:32:00 – how did you pick the Superior Hiking Trail? 00:33:41 – What's next? Arizona Trial on a unicycle? 00:34:04 – Where do you meet other unicyclists to thru-unicycle the Arizona Trail? 00:35:00 – What is it like unicycling in a group? 00:35:30 – Differences between unicycling the Colorado and Arizona Trail? 00:36:00 – How much does your unicycle weigh? 00:40:00 – Does your performance experience help when trespassing? 00:41:00 – What is the argument for a unicycle being considered a pedestrian? 00:42:05 – What's next? Appalachian Trail? 00:42:45 – Why another hiking trail and not a unicycling trail? 00:44:30 – Any AT highlights? 00:48:15 – What about lowlights? 00:51:23 – Shitting? 00:53:25 – Burned down bar? 00:56:23 – Hiker meet up at a Cracker Barrel? 00:58:30 – Sex on the Camino del Norte? 00:59:20 – Any good trail sex stories? 01:01:00 – Untapped 5,000 beers? 01:03:01 – Your next muni-pack? 01:04:05 – Preparation for the Oregon Timber Trail? 01:05:30 – In which direction of the PCT is the OTT? 01:08:40 – Are you less afraid of rattlesnakes on a unicycle? 01:09:45 – How long have you been doing van life? 01:10:14 – Tell us about doing your performances in different continents? 01:11:11 – You perform in Australia as well? 01:11:44 – Do you build the vans out yourself? 01:12:25 – Have you thought about doing stuff on Tik Tok? 01:16:30 – Do you think you could chug a beer while riding your unicycle and juggling two other beers? 01:17:08- Do you ever aspire to snag unicycling records? 01:18:25 – Have you ever unicycled on a tight rope? 01:19:14 – What are the fan favorite tricks? 01:21:11 – Unicycling Unicorn – he's single, find him on the socials Segments The Trek Propaganda! ATC is likely to recommend AT thru-hikes soon, by Hugh Owen CDTC article Virtually Hiking the AT: Hitting Some Snafus Pupdate! Episode Horoscopes: Know Your Stars Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews Backcountry Matchmaking Paige Pasquini | Instagram: @paigepasquini C

Today, we are joined by Doug Laher, the father of Trevor Laher, the hiker who tragically passed near Apache Peak on the Pacific Crest Trail earlier this year. Doug reads his beautiful tribute to Trevor, we talk about what lessons are to be learned from Trevors passing, and what can be done to prevent further tragedy on this dangerous stretch of the PCT. We also chat with Kaitlyn Purington, a volunteer and the PR rep at the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, a rescue non-profit based in Riverside County. She walks us through what the organization does exactly, requirements for getting involved, and some examples of standout rescue missions from the last couple of years. We close out the show with some Trek Propaganda, how to check your bung for deer ticks, and our favorite creature comforts. Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 to save 15% on your first purchase from Backcountry.com/backpackerradio Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Doug Laher, Trevor Laher's Father and Kaitlyn Purington from Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit Trevor's Eternal Trail Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] Doug Laher, father of late Trevor Laher 00:03:55 – Doug reads his article about Trevor 00:26:40 – The Article was written six weeks ago, what has happened since then? 00:28:00 – The intentions behind telling Trevor's story 00:29:20 – How are you doing now? 00:31:34 – What do you want people to take away from Trevor's story? How do we carry on his legacy? 00:35:25 – Any advice or words of wisdom for parents of aspiring thru-hikers? 00:38:30 – Possibility of reworking the trail at Apache Peak? 00:39:30 – Guthook put a warning in Trevor's honor 00:46:10 – Can you tell us about the fundraiser you did with RMRU? 00:49:00 – The Trek readers donated roughly $5,000 to RMRU 00:50:30 – You can donate to RMRU here 00:55:20 – Circus and Snapshot made a memorial to Trevor 01:00:26 – Two rescuers retrieved all of Trevor's belongings 01:07:40 – "You've got one fucking life, you better live that shit." - IBTAT Kaitlyn Perington of RMRU 01:11:00 – Can you tell us about RMRU? 01:12:20 – Is there an area that requires the majority of RMRU's rescue missions? 01:12:55 – Is there a busier season? 01:13:26 – How many calls do you usually get from PCT hikers? 01:13:44 – How did you specifically get involved with RMRU? 01:14:35 – What was the process like for becoming a volunteer? 01:16:30 - Are there specific requirements for joining the unit? 01:18:00 – What skills/training/certifications are people required to have? 01:19:30 – How does a shift work? 01:20:30 – Is there a certain number of people you need for a mission? 01:21:50 – How has coronavirus impacted SAR? 01:23:49 – Would you still do mouth-to-mouth during COVID? 01:24:34 – How many missions do you do per year? 01:24:56 – Is there one mission you were involved with that stands out to you? 01:29:17 – Does it frustrate you when people are unprepared? 01:13:51 – Do you ever get frequent callers? 01:33:30 – If you keep getting repeat places you're called back to, can you put a sign in a specific spot? 01:34:30 – What kind of funds are required to keep RMRU going? 01:37:10 – Aside from monetary donations are there things RMRU could use gear wise? 01:38:20 – donate at RMRU.org SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda – Effie Drew's "Changing the Narrative and Amplifying Voices: Resources for Education and Inclusivity in the Outdoor Industry" Mail Bag Favorite lightweight entertainment / creature comforts on trail [divider] Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, Janelle L, Paul Packman Sealy, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdlet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, and Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio, and Chaunce on Facebook. Follow The Trek on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter. Buy Chaunce's Book on Amazon. Get a free account at Hikerlink.

Today we are joined by Luke "Strider" Jordan. Strider has a couple of very impressive treks on his resume including the North Country Trail (NCT), which is more than twice the length of the Appalachian Trail, as well as the 3,100 mile Great Plains Trail (GPT), which runs from Texas to North Dakota. We also discover the wild world of naked pooping, a fan-submitted poop paradise on the John Muir Trail, and another edition of Backcountry Matchmaking. [divider] Listen Download this episode. [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Luke Jordan "Strider" Facebook North Country Trail Great Plains Trail QOTD: "What is the proper poop dress code?" Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:02:00 – Gardening Updates! 00:04:18 – QOTD: What is the proper poop dress code? 00:10:00 – BPR Merch! 00:12:11 – Intro to Strider (Has hiked the North Country Trail and the Great Plains Trail) 00:12:47 – Where does your interest in backpacking come from? 00:17:30 – Did you have any mentors that told you how crazy it was to start with the NCT? 00:19:24 – How road walks affect the NCT. 00:20:40 – Where the NCT goes! 00:21:30 – Mosquitoes in the upper peninsula 00:27:09 – Support for the North Dakota section 00:30:15 – Inspiration from Andrew Skurka and Nimblewill Nomad 00:31:15 – "We Build Trail in Low Places" – NCT music video on vimeo 00:32:59 – Did Strider meet all 8 people who live in North Dakota? 00:34:40 – Is Strider affiliated with the NCT? 00:36:15 – How big is the non-profit team at the NCT? 00:38:08 – Plans to move the road walks to trail? 00:41:40 – Snow in Minnesota 00:49:39 – Patent Pending: A Dinner Knife that Attaches to Your Shoe to Make Ice Skates 00:58:18 – Any issues with deer ticks/ticks in general? 01:02:45 – What's it like having celebrity status as a thru-hiker on a less travelled trail? 01:07:30 – Ohio and the Buckeye Trail 01:15:00 – Blazes in the NCT Backcountry 01:17:13 – Hiking with maps instead of a smart phone 01:17:40 – How many people have thru-hiked the NCT? 01:19:00 – Stopping his trans-Ozark trail 01:22:00 – Hundreds of tiny ticks in Strider's ankles 01:28:11 – How is New York? 01:31:30 – Could you do the Finger Lakes section as a wine hike? 01:40:08 – Strider met Ron Strickland 01:44:00 – James Lunning did 5 scenic trails back to back 01:46:10 – Is Strider the only person to have thru-hiked the Great Plains Trail? 01:54:00 – Starting in the desert was a new experience 01:57:30 – You need a support crew to get through New Mexico 01:59:00 – What is there to look forward to walking through Kansas? 02:00:00 – What is the wind like? 02:06:00 – Have you done the cave tours in Wind Cave National Park? 02:23:30 – If you want ______ you should hike the Great Plains Trail 02:25:00 – Where should people go to help out with the NCT or GPT? SEGMENTS Trek Propaganda: The Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Sleeping Bags and Quilts by Kelly Floro A Complete Guide to Resupply on the John Muir Trail by Inga Aksamit Pupdate: Harper is Huge and Misbehaving Triple Crown of Things That Make You Uneasy (?) Mail Bag! 5 Star Review Backcountry Matchmaking: Jeff aka "Chef Boy R.D.": @Pieceof_jake Kate "Stickerz": @katieb3th11 Buckeye: @therealjyoungs Buy Chaunce's book! Find Strider on Facebook: @StriderNCT [divider] Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, Janelle L, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdwallet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio, and Chaunce on Facebook. Follow The Trek on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Sarah Jones Decker, author of the new gorgeous photobook "The Appalachian Trail: Backcountry Shelters, Lean-tos, and Huts". We learn what goes into a project as massive as doing a photo essay of all of the AT's shelters, Sarah's personal favorites, the history of these structures, which have the best privies, and much more. Sarah is also the co-owner of Root Bottom Farms, an organic farm based in North Carolina, and we selfishly pick her brain on how to suck less as plants. We close out the show with a triple crown of things that start with "W", a pupdate, some suggestions for using trail runners on rocky terrain, and another edition of Backcountry Matchmaking. BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Sarah Jones Decker "Harvest" Website Rottbottom Farm Website AT Shelter Book Instagram QOTD: "Why is it so hard to keep houseplants alive?" Save 15% at GossamerGear.com by using code "ATDRINK15" at checkout. Save 5% at Zpacks.com by using code "THANKSZACH" at checkout. Hikerlink! Backpacker Radio Merch! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:03:00 - Sarah's Backpacking Resume 00:04:00 - Sarah has hiked the AT twice! 00:05:15 - Differences on the AT in 2008 vs. 2018-2019? 00:07:37 - What was your inspiration to thru-hike the AT? 00:08:25 - Are thru-hikers now the same as when you were 16? 00:08:50 - What is your educational background? 00:10:37 - Give us the intro to your AT Shelters book! 00:13:00 - Have you always been into history? 00:14:00 - How did you document while hiking? 00:14:38 - What are the most inconvenient shelters to get to? 00:18:40 - Is breastfeeding ever an issue on trail? 00:19:30 - When did the initial shelter book idea come to you? 00:20:00 - Did you fall into any type of routine? 00:21:00 - Additional contributors 00:23:00 - Elevator Pitch of AT shelters 00:26:34 - How many shelters can you get pizza delivered to? 00:31:00 - Camera Gear Setup 00:32:55 - What's your favorite shelter? 00:37:47 - What's the most underrated shelter? 00:40:00 - Double Shelters 00:45:00 - What shelter has the most history? 00:47:00 - What is it like to release a book during a pandemic? 00:48:00 - How many events did you have to cancel? 00:49:15 - What is the oldest shelter? 00:54:09 - What's the biggest shelter? 00:54:54 - Which shelter has the best view? 00:57:00 - Conflicting Information 00:58:50 - Best Privy on the AT? 01:07:20 - One shelter you wouldn't sleep in?01:11:57 - What shelter has the best water source? 01:14:33 - What is the Priest shelter? 01:15:03 - Top tips for trail shelter etiquette 01:17:27 - The Shelter Graveyard 01:18:20 - The Only Shelter That Was Ever Stolen 01:19:20 - Tips for people who want to pitch a book to the ATC? 01:30:12 - Someone had a baby in her house and lied about it 01:33:18 - What tips do you have for starting photographers? 01:36:30 - You are a mom? 01:37:50 - Carrying a baby 01:39:54 - How does hiking change with a child? 01:41:38 - What about Falling with a baby? 01:43:17 - Advice for hiking with a baby? 01:45:17 - How do you manage diapers while hiking? 01:46:29 - Tell us about your poster of 444 different AT signs? 01:47:35 - The AT poster 01:50:25 - Can we talk about gardening? Introduction to Rootbottom Farm. 01:54:20 - What's killing our plants?? 01:56:30 - Tricks for a Fiddle Leaf Fig? 02:01:03 - Which plants are friends? 02:02:30 - 101 for starting a raised bed garden? 02:07:33 - Can you tell us about microgreens? 02:16:00 - Where to find Sarah? SEGMENTS 02:17:00 - Triple Crown of things that start with W. 02:23:42 - Pupdates 02:31:20 - Did Chaunce watch the Last Dance? 02:32:50 - Mail Bag 02:37:28 - 5 Star Review 02:39:29 - Stickers? 02:40:26 - Backcountry Matchmaking Katie, @katiecoryell Ross, @Ross_Berry Debi, Email: [email protected] Instagram: @Bluemoonrising2021, or Facebook: Debi Rodriguez (BlueMoon). Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, ineedcoffee 17, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner. A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdwallet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio, and Chaunce on Facebook. Follow The Trek on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Today we are joined by Shug Emery. In addition to being a hammock enthusiast, with almost 100,000 YouTube subscribers, Shug's previous profession was as a circus clown for Barnum and Bailey. We obviously go way down the traveling circus rabbit hole, and we promise you his stories do not disappoint. Shug also shares his top tips for beginning hammockers, what his setup looks like, and what goes into making a successful YouTube channel. We close out the show with some Trek propaganda, a triple crown of things we will no longer take for granted, and, another edition of backcountry matchmaking. Interview with Sean "Shug" Emery YouTube: ShugEmery QOTD: "What's the one thing you've learned about yourself during this pandemic?" Save 15% at GossamerGear.com by using code "ATDRINK15" at checkout. Save 5% at Zpacks.com by using code "THANKSZACH" at checkout. Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:03:00 - Chaunce is BORED 00:08:45 - Zach doesn't like pandemics. 00:09:06 - Interview with (and intro of) Shug (Sean Emery)! 00:10:42 - How Shug got started as a clown 00:12:20 - Clown College is competitive! 00:18:08 - Clown College Know-It-Alls 00:20:10 - Stories from the Circus 00:25:40 - How many days a week is the circus? Do you get time off? 00:28:06 - Spotlight guys always know where the good weed and food is! 00:28:48 - Is there a hierarchy in the circus? 00:33:20 - Why do people get into clowning? It's not for the pay, so what's the draw? 00:41:30 - What was your clown name? 00:43:20 - Where did the name Shug come from? 00:48:55 - What are the top skills for becoming a great clown? 00:53:08 - You went on to do a solo clown show? 00:59:00 - At the end of Clown College you get selected for contracts, and not everyone goes! 01:07:20 - Any circus secrets you can reveal? 01:14:10 - Why do you hammock? 01:16:07 - What is your backpacking background? 01:23:11 - If someone had a free week, what would you recommend for the Boundary Waters? 01:26:22 - Why hammock over tenting? 01:29:51 - What should someone look for in a good hammock? 01:35:16 - What is a good hammock hang vs. a bad hammock hang? 01:45:26 - Is Minnesota a wet state? 1:46:30 - What's your setup on a -40 night? 01:48:28 - Advice from someone in your age range (early 60's) who wants to start backpacking? 01:52:30 - Shug does art, too! 01:59:08 - Putting out content is hard! 2:00:20 - Any parting advice? 02:15:00 - Find Shug on YouTube SEGMENTS 02:18:30 - Trek Propaganda 02:19:30 - Triple Crown of Things We Took For Granted! 02:30:22 - Did Chaunce watch the last dance? 02:31:57 - Things that aren't Coronavirus 02:33:15 - Zach has never heard of cookie cake?? 02:37:00 - Pupdates (also a poop story) 02:44:50 - Mail Bag 02:48:08 - Backcountry Matchmaking! Contestants: Kyle "Birdman"'s Instagram: @kylecwicks Lauren's Instagram: @xlaurenx04 Joe's Email: [email protected] 02:57:11 - 5 Star Reviews! [divider] Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn (who got us that awesome Katahdin sign from TrailSigns), ineedcoffee 17, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: dcnerdlet, Jacob Norhtrup, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, Zoe Jenkins. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio, and Chaunce on Facebook. Follow The Trek on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

In episode 69, we are joined by Will Robinson, AKA Akuna. Akuna is an army veteran, the first known African-American male to complete the triple crown, and an all around awesome guy. We talk about his experiences in managing chronic pain, how hiking interfaced with his PTSD, what it's like hiking through rural America as a black man with dreadlocks, and some of the highlights and lowlights of each of his thru-hikes. We also have some listener emails, we learn how people are keeping busy during the apocalypse, and introduce a new segment, Backcountry Matchmaking- our new on-air dating service. Giggity. Interview with Will "Akuna" Robinson Instagram: @AkunaHikes QOTD: "Do dogs know what other dogs are saying when they bark or because they don't "learn" a language does it all just sound like babbling? Save 15% at GossamerGear.com by using code "ATDRINK15" at checkout. Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:04:30 - Meet Will "Akuna" Robinson and learn how he got started in hiking 00:05:44 - How he ended up on the PCT 00:06:30 - The closest long trail to Akuna in Louisiana 00:07:11 - How did growing up in New Orleans make you resilient? 00:08:42 - How did you end up in the military? 00:11:18 - Did your academic achievements have any bearing on your military experience? 00:12:40 - His Job in the Military (and how that became an electrical engineering degree) 00:14:00 - What was it like coming home from the military? 00:15:30 - Was PTSD treatment helpful? 00:16:20 - What are your injuries from the military? And how does that affect your backpacking? 00:19:00 - Healing through thru-hiking 00:24:50 - Why doesn't the military talk more about mental health? 00:26:40 - Barriers to unorthodox treatments 00:27:37 - People thinking of long-distance backpacking with chronic pain 00:32:45 - Did you have to deal with withdrawals? 00:33:57 - Does backpacking alleviate pain? Or distract from it? 00:34:51 - Having flashbacks on trail 00:38:16 - Does your hiking family know about your flashbacks? Can they help in any way? What is the right way to help? 00:41:45 - How the thru-hiking community deals with mental health issues 00:45:00 - How Akuna Ended up on the PCT 00:49:00 - Tell us about your first PCT hike 00:51:00 - Akuna dislocates his knee on Mt.Whitney 00:54:00 - What was 2017 like on the PCT? 00:56:35 - Triple digit temperatures are no problem for Akuna 00:57:50 - How did you get your trail name on the PCT? 00:59:30 - Tell us about your 2017 Sierra experience 01:06:01 - Do you crave life-fearing moments? 01:10:00 - Akuna Hated the AT (at first) 01:15:19 - What is it like hiking the AT as an African American? 01:22:23 - Did you notice a difference in the way you were treated between the AT, PCT, and CDT? 01:26:00 - How does your trail family react when people are racist? 01:30:30 - Do you have any advice for Afircan Americans thinking about thru-hiking? 01:31:15 - Any advice for how the hiking community can help make thru-hiking more welcoming and inclusive? 01:32:00 - Notable AT moments 01:37:40 - Akuna's AT Merrel Film & Akuna's CDT Merrel Film 01:41:30 - Akuna's CDT Hike 01:46:40 - The brutality of the CDT 01:48:15 - Gnarly weather on the CDT, PCT, and AT 01:50:25 - Falling in the Gila River on the CDT 01:55:05 - Akuna and Undecided almost get arrested 02:00:00 - How does it feel to be the first African American man known to finish the triple crown? 02:04:00 - Akuna's postponed North Country Trail thru-hike 02:11:30 - Any plans for later this year if things clear up? 02:15:30 - Where to find Akuna: @AkunaHikes 02:17:11 - NZ borders closed for an entire year. SEGMENTS 02:18:10 - The Trek Propaganda: Clay Bonnyman Evans reviews Chaunce's Book 02:19:00 - Mail Bag! 02:20:00 - Things people are doing to stay sane during quarantine 02:26:30 - Akuna weighs in on if Carol Baskin killed her husband 02:28:07 - Pupdates from Chuance: Harper is Getting Crate Trained 02:36:38 - Five Star Reviews: Poop Stories and Horse Facts (& Impromptu Gear Reviews) 02:45:00 - Backcountry Matchmaking: Zach "Beta" Terpstra, Emily Mydlowski, Erica "Spitfire" [divider] Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn (who got us that awesome Katahdin sign from TrailSigns), ineedcoffee 17, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: dcnerdlet, Jacob Norhtrup, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, Zoe Jenkins. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Back

Today we are joined by Jean Muenchrath, mountaineer, escaper of death, author, and spiritual being. Simply put, Jean's story is remarkable. Jean gives us a play by play of the time she nearly died after catastrophic fall near Mt Whitney in winter conditions. She walks us through not only this harrowing tale, but the long process to physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery, the subject of her book If I Live Until Morning: A True Story of Adventure, Tragedy and Transformation. Chaunce and Badger wrap up the show with some listener emails, Poop Stories, and a new segment One Line Movie Reviews. This is our last in-person podcast until the apocalypse blows over, so please do savor the flavor of this one. Interview with Jean Muenchrath Her book: If I Live Until Morning: A True Story of Adventure, Tragedy and Transformation QOTD: What is your least favorite animal? Save 10% at AppalachianGearCompany.com by using code "BACKPACKERRADIO" at checkout. Save 5% at Zpacks.com by using code "THANKSZACH" at checkout. Hikerlink! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] Interview with Jean Muenchrath 00:03:14 - QOTD: What is your least favorite animal? 00:05:18 - Intro to Jean (backpacking, mountaineering, and skiing background) 00:08:50 - The Cross Country John Muir Trail Ski Expedition 00:10:16 - Muenchrath's Backpacking Experience 00:11:12 - How did Ken and Jean meet? 00:14:14 - How many miles were you doing per day (during the XC JMT Ski Expedition)? 00:15:10 - Going up Mt.Whitney 00:18:22 - Ken goes sledding down the mountain all of a sudden 00:24:00 - The Fall on Mt.Whitney 00:30:00 - Jean's Extensive Injuries 00:32:40 - After the Fall (Jean Woke Up The Next Morning) 00:34:25 - A Detailed List of Jean's Injuries 00:36:40 - Getting Out 00:39:40 - Getting a Ride to the Hospital 00:42:00 Jean Had a Bad Feeling Before Leaving 00:43:40 - If you could do it again, would you? 00:49:00 - Jean's Journal 00:51:25 - How did Jean and Paul meet? 00:53:00 - The Second Half of Jean's Book 00:54:00 - The Himalayas 00:58:20 - Returning to Asia 00:59:30 - Have you always been a spiritual person? 01:02:40 - Jean's Spiritual Transition 01:05:00 - Opioid Withdrawals 01:12:45 - Getting Started with Meditation 01:14:10 - Final Thoughts? SEGMENTS: 01:17:00 - Sign up for Hikerlink! 01:17:40 - Trek propaganda - Kelly Floro - How to Choose the Proper Rain Gear For Your Hike 01:18:20 - One sentence movie plots 01:26:00 - Mail Bag 01:29:37 - Buy Chaunce's book (on her website or from Amazon)!! [divider] Have any praise, questions, praise, comments, praise or praise for Backpacker Radio? Reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Cristopher Marshburn, ineedcoffee17, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: dcnerdlet, Jacob Norhtrup, Jeff LaFranier, Mark Snook, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, Zoe Jenkins. Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio, and Chaunce on Facebook. Follow The Trek on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.