Backpacker Magazine – End Of An Era

I’ve been reading Backpacker Magazine since 1992. Just heard this week that they will discontinue the print version. What a bummer. … [Read more...]

Episode 97: Above The Ashes (P2)

In Episode 97, we continue our conversation with Kevin Conley about his book "Above The Ashes" which is a powerful memoir of his cross-country bike journey with dog Rocky. In part two of this podcast, Kevin talks about his trip, writing his book, fundraising for the Wildland Firefighters Foundation- and the incredible support that he received from family, friends, fellow firefighters, and many, many strangers on his ride. This journey helped Kevin overcome one of the darkest moments of his … [Read more...]

Episode 96: Above The Ashes (P1)

In Episode 96, Kevin Conley is back on the show after a six year hiatus to tells us about his last few years as a wildland firefighter, his subsequent battle with mental illness, and his 3500 mile ride across the country to beat it. This journey helped Kevin overcome one of the darkest moments of his life which he details in his recently published book “Above The Ashes” - a powerful memoir of his journey with dog Rocky. We last spoke with Kevin in 2016 after his thru-hikes on the … [Read more...]

The Jolly Roger

Birdshooter-Country Club-The Camel

Two of my backpacking friends had milestone birthdays in 2021, and we had grand plans to celebrate on distant mountains in the western U.S.  But after numerous attempts to synchronize schedules, we settled on a road trip to The Camel's mountain house near Hays, N.C. to celebrate his 60th.  Here we are pulling into his driveway after a long drive from Atlanta. The Camel had neighbors over when we arrived.  So we had a few beverages with them and enjoyed the sunset from the back … [Read more...]

Episode 84: The Shikoku Pilgrimage

In Episode 84, Paul Barach tells us about his 750 mile and 42 day backpacking trip on the Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan.  In the show, Paul shares the history of this religious Buddhist route, talks about hiking in traditional pilgrim clothing, and shares some of the challenges that he faced - including heat, hunger, injuries, and infections. You can check out Paul's book "Fighting Monks & Burning Mountains" for all the details, or listen to this interesting discussion about a little … [Read more...]

Episode 72: Right On Trek

In Episode 72, Victoria Livschitz tells us about "Right On Trek", a website to help hikers and backpackers plan their multi-day backpacking trips.  Victoria did her first thru-hike on the John Muir Trail only a few years ago but has since embraced the sport and logged recent ventures into Patagonia and the Grand Canyon. She joins the show this evening to tell us about her introduction to backpacking, how it changed her life, and why the serial entrepreneur was motivated to create other tools … [Read more...]

Episode 65: Dream Job

In Episode 65, Johnny Malloy tells us about his passion for hiking and backpacking and how it led to a 30+ year career as a guidebook author. Johnny graduated from the University of Tennessee in the 80's with an economics degree but decided to never work a 9-5 job. He is now an accomplished outdoor writer and columnist with over 70 camping, fishing, hiking, and padding guidebooks to his credit - covering 26 States in the U.S. with many in the heart of Dixie. We recently met at Trail Days … [Read more...]

Episode 46: Renegade Camping

In Episode 46, we continue the conversation with author Bryan Snyder who talks about Renegade Car Camping in North America.  In the podcast, we discuss how to find free campsites while you are on the road.  Bryan also tells us how to leverage some public and Internet resources to maximize the experience and save some money in the process. Bryan is an educator, hiker, backpacker, climber, car camper and all-around adventurer, and he has logged over 350K miles in his Jeep Cherokee, … [Read more...]

Episode 33: Backpacking Everest

In Episode 33, Alex Staniforth talks about his recently published book Icefall which details how he survived two of the deadliest seasons of record on Mt. Everest during the 2014 and 2015 climbing seasons.  Alex was picked on in his youth, but talks openly about how he channeled his energy in to outdoor activities - which eventually led him to raise funds and climb the tallest mountain in the world. In my first international interview, we discuss backpacking in Nepal, hiking to base … [Read more...]