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 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 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 73, we discuss the most appropriate hiking & backpacking songs for the trail. The assignment was to come to the studio with 3 songs that relate to hiking/backpacking - in either the lyrics or song title. In the show, we listen and debate each song and give honorable mention to some others that didn't make our list. This is a very subjective topic with many options and opinions and it is likely to stir up some controversy. We rarely reach agreement since there … [Read more...]
In Episode 70, we talk about some great hiking and backpacking gift ideas for the Holidays. Cardiac and Drone Boy are back on the show to talk about outdoor gear for beginners, weekend warriors, long-distance hikers, and kids - and just in time for the Holiday shopping season. We also offer up some backpacking gifts for $50 or less, and review some not so wonderful gift ideas from Christmas past. You can see the live video recording of this podcast on Drone Boy's YouTube channel, … [Read more...]
In Episode 69, Cardiac and Drone Boy are back after a nearly two year hiatus to discuss a "Dozen Ways To Die In the Backcountry" - an article that first appeared in Backpacker Magazine in 2008 and was recently published online. The topic tonight is timely since we record Halloween eve and take a "stab" at the Top 12 reasons hikers and backpackers get killed in the wilderness. We also discuss what was left off the list (and merits inclusion) plus offer up some lessons to assure you are … [Read more...]
