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Backpacker Radio: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Trek
From the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail and everything in between, Backpacker Radio explores the wonderful, weird world of thru-hiking and long-distance backpacking. Join Zach "Badger" Davis and rotating co-hosts Double Dip, Sassafras, SOS, and Jabba for stories from the trail, interviews with unforgettable hikers, gear talk, backpacking advice, and spirited discussions about all-you-can-eat buffets. Equal parts practical advice and deeply questionable tangents.
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- 1 weeks ago2h 28m
Cottage and Ultralight Gear with Garage Grown Gear Founder & CEO Lloyd Vogel (BPR #380)
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Lloyd Vogel, CEO and co-founder of Garage Grown Gear, the online retailer feeding your obsessions with ultralight and cottage gear. In this one, Lloyd walks us through building the business from his basement when his mom was helping keep sales alive, he opens up about the values misalignment that led Garage Grown Gear to stop carrying Enlightened Equipment, and Lloyd makes the case for assless rain chaps as a piece of gear that deserves more love. We also cover how he's made himself nearly unreachable while remaining very much available on LinkedIn- and why he ditched his smartphone for a dumb phone, the surprising little gadget that outsells every individual product on the site by revenue, and he unveils his prediction for the next big innovation in UL gear. We wrap the show with Trek Propaganda on what 800 miles of fart-flavored CDT cow troughs taught Katie about water filtration, a Question of the Day on whether pumpkin spice deserves the hype, a sun hoodie review of the Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake, and a Triple Crown of the weirdest wedding traditions. 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. [divider] Interview with Lloyd Vogel Garage Grown Gear Lloyd's Instagram Lloyd's LinkedIn Time stamps & Questions 00:05:55 - Reminders: Join us LIVE in Denver with Andrew Skurka, apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:09:00 - Introducing Lloyd 00:11:00 - What isn't appealing about a thru-hike? 00:13:35 - Why have you sworn off technology aside from LinkedIn? 00:20:00 - Discussion about connecting with thru-hikers without having thru-hiked 00:22:30 - Have there been negative consequences from your technology system? 00:25:00 - How does a product make it onto GGG? 00:29:25 - What is Garage Grown Gear and how did it get started? 00:33:20 - Did you merge with or acquire GGG?</s
- 1 weeks ago42 min
Crying Baby Campground Drama, A Triple Deucer, and the Employees You Are Annoyed to Interact With
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, 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 Go Bills, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka TakeOff, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "I Miss Chaunce" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Nathan, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, Brad & Blair from Thirteen Adventures, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ack, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jacob Cheely, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lucas Hamilton, Merle Watkins, Peter, Ruth S, Salt Stain, and Tyler Powers.
- 2 weeks ago2h 13m
Designing and Sewing All of Her CDT Gear with Eliza "Swerve" Sweeney (BPR #379)
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 roughly $12k (which is shocking- a budget thru-hike), a Question of the Day touching on the elusive triple deucer, and a Triple Crown of employees you're most annoyed to interact with. 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. [divider] Interview with Eliza "Swerve" Sweeney Eliza's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:30 - Reminders: Take the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey, apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:08:55 - Introducing Eliza 00:13:20 - What's your trail name origin story? 00:14:20 - Did hiking the AT inspire your degree? 00:19:20 - Discussion about hiking the PCT in 100 days 00:23:00 - How has your CDT daily mileage compared to your earlier thru-hikes? 00:25:20 - Are you working in college to fund your thru-hikes? 00:28:00 - Discussion about fabrics 00:33:30 - What machinery did you use to create your pieces? 00:37:45 - What does the design process look like? 00:39:25 - Tell us about how you made your hiking underwear 00:42:00 - Were you nervous to start the trail with untested gear? 00:43:12 - How long did it take to make everything? 00:47:40 - Which gear item was the most time consuming and why? 00:51:00 - Discussion about quilt design and creation 0
- 2 weeks ago48 min
Influencer Fined for Petting a Marmot, Grey Bear's AT Success, Evading the Feds on Trail, and Minor Discomforts that are Major Problems
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 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 Go Bills, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka TakeOff, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "I Miss Chaunce" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Nathan, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, Brad & Blair from Thirteen Adventures, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ack, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jacob Cheely, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lucas Hamilton, Merle Watkins, Peter, Ruth S, Salt Stain, and Tyler Powers.
- 3 weeks ago2h 46m
Sleeping in an Outhouse on Christmas, 5.5-Pound AT Baseweight, and the Arkansas Triple Crown with Austen McDaniel (BPR #378)
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 discomforts that are actually major problems, and an all-time mailbag recounting what its author calls "Neptune's wrath" inside a Food Lion restroom. 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. [divider] Interview with Austen McDaniel aka P.I. Austen's Instagram Austen's Youtube Triple Crowning in Three Years, Ultralight Tips, and Cold Soaking with Austen McDaniel (BPR #297) Time stamps & Questions 00:05:20 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, sign up for the Trek's newsletter, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:09:35 - Introducing Austen 00:11:05 - Remind us of your trail name origin story 00:13:30 - How has your gear changed between trails? 00:15:00 - How much of your baseweight is from ultralight gear versus just not bringing things? 00:20:00 - What has been your coolest ultralight gear find? 00:22:54 - What's your midlayer? 00:26:20 - What's the coldest you've been on trail? 00:34:00 - How did the Christmas Eve hike alter your gear? 00:35:06 - How did you manage heat starting the trail later than usual? 00:36:50 - Tell us about the Arkansas Triple Crown <
- 3 weeks ago40 min
Thru-Hiker Death at Katahdin, Hobbies You Continue to be Bad At, Trail Magic Cravings, and the Triple Crown of "Back In My Day's"
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 with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Go Bills, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka TakeOff, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "I Miss Chaunce" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Nathan, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, Brad & Blair from Thirteen Adventures, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ack, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jacob Cheely, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lucas Hamilton, Merle Watkins, Peter, Ruth S, Salt Stain, and Tyler Powers.
- Oct 5, 20262h 47m
Thru-Hiking the AT on a $2,000 Budget with Livvy "Stumbles" Weld (BPR #377)
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/trek. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BPR10" for 10% off shelters at gossamergear.com. Darn Tough: Use code "BACKPACKER" for free shipping from darntough.com. 57 Hours: Use code "TREK100" for $100 off your booking at 57hours.com. [divider] Interview with Livvy "Stumbles" Weld Livvy's Instagram Livvy's Trek Author page Time stamps & Questions 00:06:04 - Reminders: Submit your hike finish photos, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, and listen to our bonus content and episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:08:30 - Introducing Stumbles 00:14:12 - Tell us your trail name saga 00:22:30 - Did using your regular name change how you felt about trail names in general? 00:25:00 - Discussion about the tension between AMC hut crew and thru-hikers 00:28:20 - What's the solution for thru-hikers in the Whites? 00:32:36 - Can people bribe their way into the huts? 00:35:28 - Discussion about getting into thru-hiking 00:37:38 - Did you do a gear shakedown at Mountain Crossings? 00:41:00 - Do you carry any luxury items? 00:43:00 - Walk us through your current big five gear list 00:45:40 - Discussion about sleeping pads 00:48:10 - Discussion about not using a pillow 00:49:46 - Discussion about shelter choice 00:51:31 - What's your response to ultralight skeptics? 00:52:40 - What quilt do you carry? 00:53:40 - Discussion about trail running shoes <span s
- Oct 1, 20261h 8m
Fake Hiker News AI Slop, The Most Important Gear Maintenance Tasks, and The Worst People on a Road Trip
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 Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Go Bills, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Bret Mullins aka TakeOff, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "I Miss Chaunce" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Nathan, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, Thirteen Adventures, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ack, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jacob Cheely, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lucas Hamilton, Merle Watkins, Peter, Ruth S, Salt Stain, and Tyler Powers.
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About Backpacker Radio
From the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail and everything in between, Backpacker Radio explores the wonderful, weird world of thru-hiking and long-distance backpacking. Join Zach "Badger" Davis and rotating co-hosts Double Dip, Sassafras, SOS, and Jabba for stories from the trail, interviews with unforgettable hikers, gear talk, backpacking advice, and spirited discussions about all-you-can-eat buffets. Equal parts practical advice and deeply questionable tangents.
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