In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, the Cinnamon Connection catches up with Bill Manning, the Executive Director at the Colorado Trail foundation. We do a deep dive on all things Colorado Trail related, including the best time to hike the trail, the biggest mistakes aspiring thru-hikers make, and the inner workings for keeping such a beautiful trail afloat. Chaunce lets us in on a mega surprise, and we cover the most popular sleeping bags used on the AT last year.

Subjects discussed in today's show include:

• Gossamer Gear Anniversary Video
• Sawyer Permethrin
• Sawer Micro vs. Sawyer Squeeze
• Chaunce's big reveal
• How to Get to Springer Mountain
• Barefoot Hills Hostel (formerly Hiker Hostel)
• NikWax Down Wash
• DownTek Products
• Ursack
• Loksak Opsak
• Bill Manning interview
• Bill's backpacking experience - has done full length of the CT split between horse, bike, and hike
• Difference between cycling and hiking route
• Do you notice tension between the bikers and hikers
• How he got involved with Colorado Trail Foundation
• Responsibilities as executive director
• Difference between Trail Crews and Adopt-a-Trail
• Why do Trail Crews cost money?
• What kind of skills does someone need to work on a trail crew?
• The biggest challenges the CT currently faces?
• Biggest mistakes Bill sees people make who want to thru-hike the CT
• Recommendations for dealing with altitude
• NOBO / SOBO/ SWOBO / NEBO?
• How has the trail changed since Bill's involvement with the CTF
• How have hikers changed
• Story of Gudy Gaskill
• Collegiate East vs Collegiate West
• Bill's favorite section of trail
• What does the future of the Colorado Trail look like?
• What to do if you see a moose.
• What's the most bizarre story Bill's heard on trail?
• Ideal time to start the trail
• [email protected]
• Colorado Trail Photos
• Trek propaganda
• The Top Sleeping Bags, Quilts and Pads on the Appalachian Trail
• TOP BRANDS
  • 1. Enlightened Equipment
  • 2. Rei
  • 3. Kelty and Big Agnes
• TOP SLEEPING BAG MODELS
  • 1. Kelty Cosmic
  • 2. Zpacks Classic (hybrid quilt and sleeping bag)
  • 3. REI Joule and REI Magma
• TOP QUILTS
  • 1. EE Revelation
• TOP SLEEPING PADS
  • Therm-a-Rest NeoAire Xlite, followed by the Z-lite
• Fan mail ([email protected])
• 5-Star Reviews

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A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Sawyer Products, Travis Smith, and S11N.

A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Gregory Gardner, Andre Oosthuizen, Randy Harter, and Peter Leven

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