BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
In Episode 77, Philip Werner shares his experiences with the TGO Challenge which is a ~200 mile sea to sea crossing of the Scottish Highlands in the United Kingdom. The event draws close to 400 people each year and requires a pre-approved route across the mountain ranges and bogs of Scotland. Philip has completed two TGO backpacking trips and tells us the basics about the 15 day event. In the show, we also discuss his his popular website SectionHiker.com, Phillip's guidebook on … [Read more...]
In Episode 56, 3 Dub (aka the World Wide Wanderer) returns to the show to tell us about his spring hike on the 477 mile Camino de Santiago through the countries of France and Spain. You might recall that Phillip spent 7 months hiking northbound or "NOBO" on the Appalachian Trail last summer and that we spoke in Episode #51 only a few days before his departure to Europe to hike the Camino. In the podcast, 3 Dub updates us on his travels and shares some tips and tricks for thru-hiking the … [Read more...]
In Episode 55, Kaylee (aka "Smiles") tells us about her recent thru-hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc which is one of the most popular long-distance walks in Europe. It circles the Mont Blanc massif, covering a distance of roughly 170 kilometres (110 mi) and passes through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France. In the show, Kaylee tells us about the TMB hut system, "wild" camping, the critters, the ladder climbs, and the Sound Of Music scenery that awaits you on this trail. There's … [Read more...]
In Episode 51, I speak with 3 Dub (aka the World Wide Wanderer) who spent 7 months hiking northbound or NOBO on the Appalachian Trail last summer. On March 26th I had the opportunity to see him off at Springer Mountain, and in the podcast we speak about his preparations for the hike, experiences on the Trail, and what the vibe is like as a 50+ year old thru-hiker. With the long distance hiking season ramping up ... 3Dub and I talk right before he departed for Europe and his spring hike … [Read more...]
In Episode 38, Theo and Bee give us all a New Years gift and tell us about their adventures on the 273 mile (440 km) Kungsleden Trail in northern Sweden. The couple has lived out of their VW van for the last three years, but took time off from their travels to hike the Kungsleden in the fall of 2015 and release the film Distant North a year later. Back home in the UK (and from a recently purchased boat), Theo and Bee speak to the logistics of a Kungsleden thru-hike, the arctic weather … [Read more...]
In Episode 30, Scott "Squatch" Herriott is back on the show to discuss his film Wayfaring and his jaunt along the Camino de Santiago (or Way of St. James). The trail starts in France and ends near the coast of Spain and was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages. Starting in 1985, modern day hikers have increasingly followed the path - with over 200,000 "pilgrims" hiking the route each of the last few years. In the podcast, … [Read more...]
In Episode 25, Scott "Squatch" Herriott talks about his three part series Flip Flop Flippin'. The films were shot on the Appalachian Trail during the summers of 2011, 2012, and 2014 and they follow the thru-hiker community as they make their way along the nearly 2200 mile trail. In the show, "Squatch" talks about his first ventures in to the wilderness, some of the thru-hikers and trail angels that he met on the A.T., and his experience as a filmmaker in the backcountry. His … [Read more...]
From the Daily Echo in the UK....A HAMPSHIRE man dubbed the Naked Rambler has failed in a bid to challenge his latest jail sentence.Stephen Gough gained notoriety after walking naked from Land’s End to John o’Groats ten years ago – and has since been handed prison sentences totalling more than six years.The 54-year-old was jailed for 11 months in June after being found guilty of breaching an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) which bans him from appearing in public with his … [Read more...]
