Backpacker Radio

Topo Athletic: Use code "Trek15Hike" for 15% off at topoathletic.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BPR10" for 10% off shelters at gossamergear.com.  Darn Tough: Use code "BACKPACKER" for free shipping from darntough.com. Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% off at hyperlitemountaingear.com. Segments Trail Goss #5 Trek Propaganda Do You Actually Like Thru Hiking, or Do You Just Like the Party Scene? By Peg Leg A Typical PCT Thru-Hike Cost $10,000 in 2025. Here's How We Did It for Just $6,000 Each by Anna McKinney Smith QOTD: Do you know what a triple deucer is? Triple Crown of employees you are the most annoyed to interact with Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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, Badg

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Eliza "Swerve" Sweeney, a textile design graduate who's taking on the CDT with an almost entirely homemade kit, including her backpack, tent, quilt, and even her underwear. In this one, Eliza walks us through skipping her final physics exam to squeeze the PCT into her summer break, turning her senior design project into the gear she's now trusting to get her across the country, and learning to let herself take a damn zero after spending an entire thru-hike racing to get back to school. We also cover the joys of stuffing a puffy jacket inside a tent at four in the morning while down feathers get in your hair and mouth, her innovative hiking pants design meant to remove friction at the hips, and her hiker bro quiz, which reveals that Sauce is twice the bro I am. We wrap the show with Trek Propaganda on whether you actually like thru-hiking or just the party scene, how one couple hiked the PCT for roug

LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BPR10" for 10% off shelters at gossamergear.com. Darn Tough: Use code "BACKPACKER" for free shipping from darntough.com. Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% off at hyperlitemountaingear.com. Segments Trail Goss Episode 4: Influencer Fined for Petting Mount Rainier Marmot Trek Propaganda: Dale "Grey Beard" Sanders, 91, Becomes Oldest Person to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail by Katie Jackson QOTD: How long do you think you could evade the feds on trail after committing a white collar felony? Trail Work Thing of the Week: Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Triple Crown of minor discomforts that are actually major problems Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by our longtime pal Austin McDaniel, aka P.I., a Triple Crowner, Ultralight masochist, and full-time tennis instructor.  In this one, we dive into Austin hiking the Ouachita Trail in ten days while recovering from COVID, navigating the Ozark Highlands Trail through freezing January temps, and surviving record-breaking 18-degree winter freezes on the Florida Trail.  We also cover his pitch for the "Arkansas Triple Crown" consisting of the Eagle Rock Loop, Buffalo River Trail, and Sylamore Trail, his gear hack of wearing a heavy fleece sleeping bag liner as a mid-layer hiking dress, and why he carried a plastic toy golf set and a toilet plunger along the AT.  We wrap the show with 91-year-old "Gray Beard" Sanders reclaiming his record as the oldest person to thru-hike the AT, a Question of the Day on how long we could evade the FBI on trail after committing a white-collar felony, a Triple Crown of minor

Segments Trail News: Hiker Found Dead on Katahdin Was Reportedly an AT Thru-Hiker by Katie Jackson Trek Propaganda: Ultralight Is Taking Over Thru-Hiking … Or Is It? by Kelly QOTD:  What's one hobby you wish you were good at and have actively tried but you continue to be bad? Question Thing of the Week Triple Crown of 'Back in my day's' - things that existed in your youth that no longer do 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Livvy "Stumbles" Weld, a Triple Crown thru-hiker, Trek Writer, and budding ultrarunner.  In this one, Livvy breaks down how a tub of frosting earned her the trail name "Sugar Mitts," how her own thru-hikes accidentally talked her dad into becoming a thru-hiker himself, and how a kitten she found under a car turned into her cat back home. Livvy goes deep on how she was able to thru-hike the AT on less than $2,000 (nearly 75% less than the average AT thru-hike), her take as a former AMC hut crew member on the tension between thru-hikers and hut staff over limited work-for-stay spots, and the safety tricks she uses as a solo female hiker. We wrap the show with a comparison between the perception and reality of ultralight backpacking taking over thru-hiking, what hobbies we are bad at, despite our best efforts, and the triple crown of back in my days. LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/

OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com. Topo Athletic: Use code "Trek15Hike" for 15% off at topoathletic.com. Segments Trail Goss Episode 1 Trek Propaganda: From a Homemade Tent to Custom Shorts, She Made All Her Own Gear for the CDT QOTD: What gear maintenance task do you take the most seriously / do the most consistently? Triple Crown of people you absolutely do not want in the van for a road trip Listener Voicemail 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by onX Backcountry and Topo Athletic, myself along with, Katie, and Jabba break down our recent hike of the Loowit Trail, a 31-mile loop circumnavigating Washington's active Mount St. Helens volcano. In this one, we dive into the chaotic road-trip logistics that involved our rental van nearly melting down on on the way to the trailhead, navigating technical rope-assisted gullies and sharp lava boulder fields, trekking through the tree-barren northern blast zone, and a golden-hour summit at Windy Pass, and the nightmare of pitching our tents in 50-mph winds- some of us- without tent stakes. We wrap the a CDT thru-hiker who is making damn near all of her own gear, we detail our most consistent gear maintenance routines, a Triple Crown of the worst people to share a road-trip van with, and a listener calls me out for speaking poorly of cold soaking- much respect to all the slop munchers out there. OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for

OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Segments Trail Goss Episode 3 Trek Propaganda:  I Hiked 27.5 Miles Every Day for a Year: Here's Everything I Did To Thru-Hike Faster by Peg Leg Day 154 – This is Where I Leave You by Brock "Dubs" Miller Apply to be a Trek social media intern QOTD: What is the worst thing you've ever smelled? Triple Crown of the most annoyed professions Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by onX Backcountry and LMNT, we are joined by Michael "Broadway" Grant, a world traveler who has visited 56 countries, cycled across America, and is currently daily-vlogging his way through the PCT. In this one, Broadway dives into getting bitten in the face by a six-pound chihuahua while hitching a ride to PCT Trail Days, his terrifying pitch-black 11:00 PM alpine start up Mount Whitney's snow chutes, and his infamous "Day 50" meltdown in the Sierra, where he melted a carbon trekking pole, burned holes through his sleeping bag, found two more in his tent, and sobbed on camera. We also cover his epic Yosemite side quest featuring last-minute Half Dome permits and hot-tubbing with a park employee, how losing his mother to brain cancer shaped his reasons for being out here, and his hot takes on why catholes beat toilets and why ultralight gear isn't a requirement for thriving on trail. We wrap the show with Pegleg's tips for covering b

OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com Segments Trail Goss: Nick Fowler's PCT FKT Trek Propaganda: Fastest PCT Hike in History: Nick Fowler's 45-Day Thru-Hike Sets New Overall FKT by Katie Jackson QOTD: Predict one aspect of the Zeitgeist in 2040 Fantasy Football Thing of the Week Triple Crown of emojis 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patre

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by OnX Backcountry and Topo Athletic, we are joined yet again by our pal Whitney LaRuffa, known on trail as AllGood. AllGood has hiked thousands of miles with his K-9 companions over the years, including his first thru-hike of the AT way back in 1996. AllGood is one of the most entrenched figures in the world of hiker trash, with several thru-hikes under his belt, serving as former president of ALDHA-West, and having worked for several prominent brands in the industry, he eats, breathes, sleeps, and poos all things thru-hiking.  In this one, AllGood gives his take on Durston Gear's rapid rise, Big Agnes's early misstep pairing Dyneema tents with heavy buckles, and the challenge he foresees with Osprey's sewn in hip belt on their new UL pack, he breaks down the cost tradeoffs between Alula, DCF, and Robic pack fabrics, and he tells the story of how the Ultralight subreddit's roughly half million members helped sink a quilt brand's bus

Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com Segments OR Echo Hoodie Review Trek Propaganda 10 Women-Owned Ultralight Gear Brands We Love by Katie Jackson This Fitness App Lets You Bet Cash on Your Own Steps. Are We All About To Be Rich? by Kelly Floro Katie's Engagement Story QOTD: What's your go to wedding dance move? Dilemma Thing of the Week Triple Crown of conditions you'd opt out of backpacking due to Listener Voicemail (and leave us your own!) 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. F

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by onX Backcountry and LMNT, we are joined by Bee Corrado, a backpacker, public school Spanish teacher, and outdoor content creator currently pushing her way through the Pacific Crest Trail.  In this one, we dive into how Bee almost adopted the trail name "crack sniffer", a bloody Sierra water crossing that almost earned her another trail name "sporin", and her midnight hike over Forester Pass in total darkness and snow.  Bee also shares why every thru-hiker should ditch their tramily for a period of time, her definitive trail cinnamon roll rankings, and why she's embracing her feral side and embracing her body hair. We wrap the show with a rundown of the remainder of the PNW road trip, including an epic Seattle Hiker Meetup, Katie's breakdown of 10 women-owned ultralight gear brands, our go-to open bar wedding dance moves featuring Katie's on-camera worm, a Triple Crown of conditions that will force us to cancel a backpacking trip,

Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code BPRADIO15 for 15% off at hyperlitemountaingear.com. OnX Backcountry: Use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com. Get a free 3-month trial of Elite here (no credit card required). Segments 0:00 – Intro & Triple Crown survey discussion begins 26:02 – Tribute to Will Standish (CDT hiker who passed away) 36:08 – Bonus segment / gear talk begins 42:26 – Pacific Northwest trip best/worst stories 1:00:42 – Triple Crown of Foods You Can't Stop Eating 1:28:59 – Mailbag segment 1:31:29 – Five-star review shoutout Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Ou

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by onX Backcountry and Topo Athletic, we are joined by Miranda Webster, the creator behind Miranda Goes Outside- a former 12-year REI employee turned full-time outdoor content creator. In this one, Miranda breaks down her journey from an outdoorsy novice working as an REI cashier to amassing over 200,000 YouTube subscribers, the detailed process of designing her popular Migo water bottle to fix the smart water bottle's flaws, and why she firmly believes creators should never gatekeep public land locations. We also cover her tactics for managing POTS and chronic migraines in the backcountry, her go-to fueling strategy of packing tinned fish and liquid meal replacements, some of her standout current favorite backpacking gear, and her golden rules for creating YouTube content without selling out for cheap clicks. We wrap the show with covering our personal bests and worsts from our Pacific Northwest road trip, a breakdown of the gear Ka

Segments Fun Nutritional Facts Trek Propaganda:  Missing CDT Thru-Hiker Found Dead in Tetons by Kelly Floro Ch. 64 – Vermilion Valley & Vitamin I by Starlight QOTD:  If you could only eat one continent's cuisine for the rest of time, what would it be? Batty Thing of the Week Triple Crown of summer drinks  One-Minute Gear Review Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Aust

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by our longtime pal Elise Ott, aka Sauce, who recently completed the 94-mile Yosemite High Route. She breaks down the realities of off-trail High Sierra travel, from navigating 7,000-foot vertical climb days to the difficulty (or lack thereof) of route-finding without a GPX line.  In this one, Elise gives us a full breakdown on Skurka's new(ish) route through Yosemite- including everything you need to know regarding navigation, camping, water, difficulty, highlight views, and more. Elise also shares some fun anecdotes from her hike, including waking up with some mysterious edema that blew her face and feet up like balloons, her emotional breakdown on day four after a massive granite boulder crumbled under her weight, the nightmare of scrambling up the steep, loose gravel of "Lemonade Pass" after breaking both of her trekking poles, and the agony of cold-soaking a beef stroganoff Knorr Pasta side in the dark aft

Segments Minus33 Sun Hoodie Review Trek Propaganda: How To Deal With Wildfire Smoke on a Thru-Hike by Katie Jackson QOTD:  What one song would you play on repeat for your enemy as a form of psychological warfare? Lowdown Thing of the Week Triple Crown of cliche Instagram captions Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! 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 Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.  Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Als

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Taylor Santa, aka Hamilton, a thru-hiker who completed the Appalachian Trail in 2017 before returning to complete both the Florida Trail and Continental Divide Trail in 2024.  In this one, we dive into Hamilton taking shots of pop and energy drinks every two hours on the night shift before quitting her job to hike the AT, surviving 30 miles of chest-deep swamp walking on the Florida Trail, getting bitten in the face by a fake service dog at a Chama bar, her sudden, blister-inducing allergy to Leukotape, a near-miss lightning strike that instantly killed a cluster of cows right in front of her group in Idaho, a wild night in Dubois that involved $3 VFW craft beers and charm-talking a cowboy out of his hat, and the secret to reading over 100 books in a single year.  We wrap the show with a guide to dealing with wildfire smoke on trail, picking the ultimate torture song to play on repeat for your morta