In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Derick Lugo known on trail as Mr. Fabulous. Although it's not all that unheard of for someone to attempt the Appalachian Trail with minimal backpacking experience, Brooklyn-born Derick Lugo had never even been on a day hike before arriving to Springer Mountain for his NOBO AT thru-hike attempt. Not only did he complete the trail, but Derick has gone on to write a book, start a podcast, and has done many public speakin...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 53 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, we are joined by Jack Jones better known on trail as Quadzilla. Quadzilla has packed a lot of life into his time on this earth- he is a bonafide renaissance man with a great outlook on life. We chat about his time in the army, running a CrossFit gym in his late 20s, serving as a wildland firefighter, participating in several multi-day meditation retreats, backpacking thousands of miles including the triple crown, we touch on his bikepacking, and Chaunce an...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 52 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are once again joined by Trek Writer, author, journalist, thru-hiker, and fan favorite, Clay Bonnyman Evans aka "Pony". Pony gives us a play-by-play of his recent PCT thru-hike, we talk an uncomfortable amount about semen, the challenges of maintaining a marriage during a four-month backpacking trip, why this bout of post-trail depression was especially intense, and more. We wrap the show with a triple crown of soups done during an...
Dec 23, 2021•3 hr 9 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, the nepotism continues as I'm joined by my 2011 AT pal (drink), Melissa "Click" Goodwin. In addition to an extensive backpacking resume, Melissa is a professional photographer and the founder at Girl Gotta Hike, a guiding company for women based out of New York. We of course take a trip down memory lane- trading some of our favorite moments from the AT in 2011 (drink), we also talk about what it's like to thru-hike with a parent, how ...
Dec 16, 2021•2 hr 2 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by CDT thru-hikers and TikTok celebrities, Renee and Tim. The duo gives us a rundown on their recent CDT trek, the trail and backpacking scene around Germany, where they currently reside, and we go in-depth about their rise to fame on TikTok, including how the platform's culture differs from Instagram, their methodology in posting catchy content, and how their fame impacted their CDT thru-hike. We wrap the show with a tr...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 39 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek we are joined by backpacking legend Nimble Nomad. The name is likely familiar as Nimblewill Nomad recently made news for setting the record as the oldest person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail at 83 years old. We learn all about this odyssey- and he does not sugarcoat how challenging it was. He also shares some of the wisdom he's accrued over his many tens of thousands of miles on trail, which can be applied to both your on and off-...
Nov 29, 2021•2 hr 2 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Minus33, we are joined by Badger’s pal, Billy Widmer. In addition to being The Trek's go-to tech guru, Billy has an accomplished backpacking resume that includes an AT thru-hike, a lot of trekking through his native lands of New York, and a recent and very unorthodox thru-hike of the Arizona Trail. The conversation spins off in a predictably tangential fashion, where we talk about web 3.0, the blockchain, and the men...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 56 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Andrew Hughes. Andrew is quite possibly the most accomplished mountaineer that you have never heard of. Some of his feats include climbing the highest summit in all seven continents and six of the seven highest volcanic summits, he's the third person ever to complete the Antarctica Trifecta, and he's very close to completing the Explorers' Grand Slam. If you're not familiar with what these last two feats are, you're ...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 38 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we bring you our first ever LIVE podcast. And by that, we mean it was live to the fine folks who joined us at the Hop Haus in Fitchburg, Wisconsin on October 15th. There's no way to describe this episode other than...rowdy. If you want to feel like you were in the room with us, we recommend grabbing a blue ribbon or two and maybe an old-fashioned to boot. Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code “gingersaregood” for 15% off at Gossamerge...
Nov 08, 2021•2 hr 1 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, Badger, Chaunce, and Sauce give you the full recap of our recent Wisconsin Ice Age Trail Road Trip Extravaganza. We give you a play-by-play of the highlights from the trail, town, the live events, and all the TMI inside stories and embarrassing moments in between. Casual warning to listeners- you will walk away from this one wanting to hike the Ice Age Trail and/or gorge yourself on fried fish. We wrap with a very brief segment discus...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr 33 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by world-renowned photographer and director, Pete McBride. We learn about Pete's entry into photography, including what advice he'd offer to aspiring adventure journalists, what it's like to work for NationalGeographic, the ongoing conservationist threats to the Grand Canyon and the Navajo Nation, and we learn all about his new book "Seeing Silence: The Beauty of the World’s Most Quiet Places". We wrap the show with a tr...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 35 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we open the show with a Hiker Trash edition of "Hot Ones", where Chaunce and Badger are grilled by Elise while eating incredibly hot wings. Tears, fear, and slamming beers ensues. We also feature our most impromptu interview to date with our new pal, Fancy Feast. Fancy Feast just wrapped a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, after having her SOBO PCT plans thwarted by California's fires. In addition to giving us the unenviable story of f...
Oct 14, 2021•2 hr 19 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are rejoined by Nicole Antoinette. We get an update on how her Colorado Trail hike went, including some very unexpected turns, we learn more about her entry into van life, and what advice she'd give to others looking to do the same, and chat about her new book which she is reluctant to call a book, How to Be Alone, an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail. Perhaps it goes without saying, but for those who were fans of Nicole's first a...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 56 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are talking all things social media and how it relates to the world of backpacking. This is a long and lively conversation and we dive into some highly charged subjects including gatekeeping, is Instagram influencing a good or bad for the thru-hiking culture, the addictive nature of social media, and much much more. Backcountry.com discount code: Use code “backpackerradio” at backcountry.com/backpackerradio to get 15% off your firs...
Sep 29, 2021•2 hr 25 min
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Lauren and Henri de la Vega — a husband and wife southbounding the Continental Divide Trail to complete their triple crown. We take a journey down memory lane in both romance and trails and get an in-depth play-by-play on their CDT hike thus far. This chat paints an awesome picture of some of the alternates that are available, how to spot geothermal activity under the ground when in the backcountry of Yellowstone, and...
Sep 22, 2021•2 hr 15 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are bringing you another edition of the wildly popular Girl's Stuff episode. Chaunce, Sauce, and guest panelist Lavendar share their experiences on a wide array of topics related to being a female backpacker, including safety tips when in the backcountry solo, hygiene regimens (or lack thereof), dealing with intense levels of horniness on trail, and much more. We wrap the show with a pair of new segments- "things guys want to know ...
Sep 14, 2021•2 hr 27 min
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek we are joined yet again by our old pal, Reptar. Since we last chatted way back in 2018 (when we still had Kobe and Anthony Bourdain), Reptar has kept very busy- most notably being the co-star in a recent episode of Naked and Afraid. We ask all the sophomoric questions you'd want to ask someone who earns fame through grit and genitalia, including how often his unmentionables rubbed against spiky things, what it's like to meet your survi...
Sep 06, 2021•2 hr 13 min
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 ...
Aug 23, 2021•2 hr 14 min
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 t...
Aug 12, 2021•2 hr 13 min
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 c...
Jul 30, 2021•2 hr
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 th...
Jul 22, 2021•2 hr 58 min
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 ...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 13 min
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...
Jul 06, 2021•2 hr 37 min
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, esp...
Jun 23, 2021•2 hr
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 ...
Jun 15, 2021•2 hr 28 min
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 s...
Jun 09, 2021•2 hr 41 min
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 ...
Jun 01, 2021•2 hr 16 min
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 ...
May 24, 2021•2 hr 39 min
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 wha...
May 12, 2021•3 hr 6 min
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 hiki...
May 04, 2021•2 hr 22 min
