BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 95B, we are deep in the backcountry at a campsite on the Benton MacKaye Trail where we sit around the campfire and discuss some"first time" experiences in the wilderness. Therm Rider, Beer Run, & Sons all share the first time they found themselves offensive, took a crap in the woods, got a car vandalized, and were scared shitless on the Trail - among other things. This episode gets a bit rowdy at times, and has been made a bonus show as a result. But if you have a … [Read more...]
In Episode 94, Brian Anderson (aka "The Tick Terminator") joins the show to educate us on your biggest danger in the backcountry - TICKS!!! In the podcast, we discuss the tick lifecycle, when and where they are most likely to find you, how to prevent ticks, and what to do if one embeds in your skin. This discussion hit home for me personally since I was infected by and recovered from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. After two days in the hospital, a home healthcare nurse came to my … [Read more...]
In Episode 93, John Phillips joins the show to talk about the Ocean To Lake Trail in Central Florida. This 61.4 mile spur of the Florida Trail starts at Lake Okeechobee and heads due east to Hobe Sound Beach where it ends at the Atlantic Ocean. In the show, John tells us what it’s like hiking all day in ankle deep water, about finding rest areas and campsites in the swamp, and how he frequently encountered wildlife on his hike – including poisonous snakes, stealthy alligators, and over 50 … [Read more...]
In Episode 90, we are in the mountains near Hays, North Carolina to discuss "party fouls" or bad hiker etiquette on the trail. In the show, we discuss some of the bad behavior that was frequently mentioned in online articles, posts, and videos. We comment if we've been guilty of it, witnessed it, or agree that it IS indeed bad hiking etiquette. We also suggest what you SHOULD do on the trail and close the podcast with some gear fails that can ruin your day. This is a special interview, … [Read more...]
In Episode 88, we break from the typical format to take a look back at 10 years of podcasting. The N2Backpacking podcast launched a decade ago this Spring, so Therm Rider joins me in the studio to talk about some of the original podcasters, the evolution of backpacking shows these last ten years, and the origins of the N2Backpacking podcast. We also discuss our favorite episodes and play a few clips from them. A decade goes by pretty fast, so Therm Rider and I close the podcast … [Read more...]
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...]
In Episode 83, Samantha Bode joins the show to talk about her 338 mile and 65 day hike along the Los Angeles aqueduct in California. In the show, we talk about this unique and rarely attempted route, some of the challenges that Samantha faced, and how the ranchers, native Americans, and Los Angeles water personnel viewed her hike. Since the 1950's, Southern California has been growing at an explosive rate and this podcast is about L.A.'s ever expanding need for water as much as it … [Read more...]
In Episode 82, we offer up a "Backcountry Thanksgiving" - just in time for the Holidays, and cooked fresh and right outside our studio this evening. In the show, we deliver not 1 but 2 four course Thanksgiving meals that are lightweight, inexpensive, and ready for you to take into the wilderness. And we pack the studio with a record six people to taste each of them - sampling hot drinks, appetizers, a main course, and desserts. This is a family feast tonight - with two members of … [Read more...]
In Episode 79, Phillip (aka 3 Dub) joins us again to talk about his summer backpacking ~2400 miles in Spain and Portugal via multiple routes on the Camino de Santiago in 2019. We last spoke with Phillip two years ago in Episode 56 when he talked in detail about his first hike on the Camino. There's great information on how to hike the trail in that podcast, but he returns to the show tonight to talk again about the historic routes and why he did multiple thru-hikes of the trail … [Read more...]
In Episode 76, Aaron Owens Mayhew joins the podcast. She is a registered dietary nutritionist, long distance hiker, and entrepreneur that offers some tips on eating healthy and feasting like a King or Queen as you explore the backcountry. In the show, Aaron provides some tips on meal planning and offers some suggestions for inexpensive, tasty, and lightweight meals. She also tells us some common misconceptions and mistakes that backpackers make on the Trail. Aaron has spent the last two … [Read more...]
