Backpacker Radio

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Tate Dobson, known on trail as Pyro. Tate is a certified wildcard. It’s not just that he’s hiked the PCT, AT, Long Trail, and Te Araroa, but how he’s done it, including hiking the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail spending $1,000 (alongside Quadzilla), hiking long stretches with carrying a Jansport p...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Maytal Agasi, known on trail as Carrot Top. In this episode, we learn how a road trip in a mid-size SUV with her two brothers sparked Carrot Top’s entry into the world of thru-hiking. She shares how she benefitted massively from both solo and group thru-hikes.  We chat about her time on the...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by author, backpacker, and our resident alien expert, Mike Clelland. We made an honest attempt to discuss ultralight backpacking during this one, and although we do touch on the subject some, the bulk of this conversation is dedicated to owls, aliens, and all things paranormal activity. Mike has become...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Justin True. Justin's story is truly remarkable. From growing up in a home with intense physical and emotional abuse, to becoming a professional MMA fighter, to pulling a 1.5 vehicle for a full-marathon, to completing a 24hr Hero Crossfit WODathon, to being kidnapped in Egypt and deported for being accused of spying for th...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by former guest, Trek writer, and certified gear nerd Alex “GPS” Brown. The focus of this one is how to save money on your backpacking kit. We break this one down category by category, sharing the best ways to cut costs, pinpointing which items aren’t worth pinching pennies on, offering specif...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Austen McDaniel, known on trail as PI. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been reading it off at the end of every episode for years, as Austen is one of our Chuck Norris Award-winning Patreon supporters. 

But in addition to being a longtime patro...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Curtis Himstedt, known on trail as Easily Forgotten. Easily Forgotten’s backpacking resume is bananas. A partial list of his adventures includes the Annapurna Circuit, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in Wales, the GR10, Tour du Mont Blanc, Yorkshire Dales High Way, South Downs Way, and Cotswold...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by LMNT, Chaunce and Badger are serving up tips for this year’s class of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. We’re covering everything from social dynamics and budgeting to mental prep, diet, why you should document your hike, some listener submission tips, and much more. We also give a rundown of advice from previous episode...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Ben Vaugh, known on trail as Ginger Ballz. Ben is a Navy veteran, accomplished thru-hiker, and currently works as a dog musher, a topic Chaunce and Badger had way too much fun diving into.

Ginger Ballz takes us through his transition from the milita...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by acclaimed author, marriage therapist, and speaker, Michele Weiner-Davis, known in my household simply as "mom". 

Being our Valentine's Day episode, this one is meant to equip you with the knowledge necessary to make your relationship flourish. We cover a range ...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are A’in your Q’s, with our pal and yours, the lightly bearded Jabba aka The Real Hiking Viking.

In today’s question and answer we dive into a host of nitty gritty backpacking details, including what exactly is in our first aid kit, electronics bag (down to the cord...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Demetri Coupounas, aka Coup, the founder of GoLite and MyTrail Company. Coup might just be the most interesting man in the world. This conversation takes us through his incredible journey, from his work balancing the federal budget in the '80s and '90s to becoming the first person to complete unsupp...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Sarah “Mellow” Berkeley, founder of Symbiosis Gear, a pack-making company designed specifically for people with boobs. Sarah shares insights into her unique upbringing in a small log cabin in rural Colorado, her adventures on the Long Trail, PCT, Colorado Trail, and half of the CDT, and...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Jared “Snackbox” Champion. Snackbox is s a hiker, father, and Youtuber who, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Colorado Trail, hiked it almost exclusively with 50 year old gear. 

We talk about the process of sourcing this gear, the hardest items to a...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Vince and Georgie Strawbridge, one-third of the six-person thru-hiking family. We last caught up with the Strawbridges in early 2020, when they were freshly off their hike of the PCT. Since, they’ve conquered both the CDT and the AT, completing the Triple Crown as a full family. 

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined yet again by Kyle O’Grady of Kyle Hates Hiking for our 2nd live podcast, recorded at the Skylark Lounge in Denver. This episode is action-packed. We kick off the episode by shaving Viking’s beard. The beard shaving is the ultimate entertainment,  we encourage you to check this one out on YouTube. 

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Patrice and Justin La Vigne. Over the past decade-plus, Patrice and Justin have traded their corporate grind for, in their words, “a life less ordinary.” From their first thru-hike of the AT in 2011 (drink), to managing a hostel, embarking on multiple van tours to spread the thru-hiking gospel, thru-hiking the TA in New Ze...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Carson Oliver, known on trail as Anita. Carson is an accomplished thru-hiker, cyclist, and adventurer. Following up his 2019 PCT thru-hike, Carson completed the Calendar Year Triple Crown in 2023. We of course learn all about this remarkable trek, his circuitous route to make it happen, highlights and lowlights from each ...

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Alison Kondler, an Audubon Master Birder—or as we like to call it, a certified bird guru. Alison wows us with her eerily accurate bird calls and shares her immense birding knowledge. We chat about the rarest birds you can spot in Colorado, the best apps for bird identification, why the American Ornithological Society (AOS)...