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Jillian Brown and her adventure partner Martin Trahan are currently (as of July 2018) canoeing their way from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic via riverways across the United States.  She joins me to talk about the expedition, her experiences, and the spiritual side of such an effort.

Show Notes and Links

• What Jillian and her paddling partner are in the middle of doing right now!
• How does someone paddle from the Pacific to Miami via waterway?
• Background on the expedition.
• Jillian’s background and how she ended up on this expedition.
• A note on partnerships in an expedition like this.
• Where did Jillian's willingness to try things for the first time come from?
• How has the river helped focus thoughts while on such a long journey
• The Squirrel Story
• How to process the low moments of a journey and learning to push through
• Long-distance paddling - what’s the game plan?
• What it’s like paddling upriver
• Paddling a big river
• A day in the life of a long Long-distance Paddle
• Why choose a canoe over a kayak?
• Why is Jillian and her partner paddling this expedition
• Experiencing the kindness of strangers
• How to find and follow the journey
• www.coursingthroughamerica.com
• https://www.instagram.com/jillianabrownphotography/
• https://www.instagram.com/martin_trahan_canoeist/

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Shane Vander Giessen is someone who exemplifies having a passion for wild places and joins the podcast for a deep dive into that passion.  If you enjoy hearing people talk about their journey into the outdoors, their love of the backcountry, and some great hunting stories, you'll want to give this episode a listen.

Show Notes and Links

• Shane’s background in hunting and backpacking
• What hunting means to Shane, why he does it, and why he shares his adventures
• Where did Shane’s passion for hunting and the outdoors stem from?
• Early childhood memories
• Shane’s passion for bear hunting explained
• Why Shane now hunts Blacktail in the high alpine environments
• How Shane learned to hunt Blacktailed Deer
• Shane's love for Mountain Goats explained
• Shane’s thoughts on hunting and how he can hunt an animal he cares about
• How Shane approaches backpacking
• Capturing stories with video and stills while hunting/backpacking
• What keeps Shane going back for more in the mountains?
• Shanes's advice to newcomers to hunting
• www.lonegoatmedia.com
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lonegoatmedia/
• Shane's Blacktail hunt he referenced and his YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o9bpSxS4N4

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Josh Kirchner joins the show to talk about what it was like learning to backpack hunt.  We share our individual stories of where we came from and how it's going.

Show Notes and Links

• How and why Josh decided to get into backpack hunting
• Josh’s first backpacking experiences and how he got started
• Starting small and working up to bigger trips
• Common hurdles to backpack hunting and how to overcome them
• Sorting through all the possible gear solutions and how to uncomplicate them
• Josh brings a friend backpack hunting for the first time…
• Misconceptions of what backpack hunting is and isn’t
• Emory’s first backpack hunting experience
• Learning to backpack hunt and build up to longer trips
• Understanding why you are out there in the first place
• How to successfully combine backpacking and hunting
• Planning out your backpack hunt and what to take into account (ie game evacuation)
• Benefits of backpack hunting - a tactical advantage
• Considerations for backpack hunting - things to keep in mind
• Choosing the right shelter for your style of backpack hunting
• A recap of the episode highlights
• Josh’s closing thoughts and final bits of advice on being alone in the wilderness
• How to reach Josh
• www.dialedinhunter.com
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dialedinhunter/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/DialedInHunter
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dialedinhunter
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ItIjVnltPYvPWohOPk0dQ

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In this episode, long-distance hiker "Dirty Avacado" joins me to talk about how she got into long-distance backpacking, the feeling of freely hiking a trail, the importance of listening to your body, and what happens after the trail.

Show Notes and Links

• How DA got into long-distance backpacking
• How DA decided to hiking the PCT in 2017
• DA’s background in backpacking and where she came from
• Why hike thousands of miles?
• Long trail mindsets
• The ups and downs of the trail and how DA dealt with these worked through them.
• Learning to reduce pack weight and what the impact is both physically and mentally
• Repercussions of not listening to your body
• Seeing the monument and what happens after mentally
• Life after the trail what comes next
• Rationalizing the damage a long trail does to the body
• Reaching people through social media and YouTube
• Benefits of long-distance backpacking
• Advice to aspiring Thru-Hikers
• How to find Dirty Avacado online
• Bonus Round
• What’s with the name Dirty Avacado?
• How to eat Vegan on the trail
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cotezi/
• YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/c/CoteziHikes

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In this episode, George Bryant, VP and GM of Sierra Designs, joins me for a discussion about his journey into the outdoors, moving from Wisconsin to Colorado, and cultivating a culture of progressive designs at Sierra Designs.

Show Notes and Links

• The background on George Bryant and how he came to work with SD
• Where did the passion for the outdoors come from?
• How living in Colorado compares to how it was growing up in Wisconsin
• The draw of Colorado
• Putting the passion of the outdoors into the work at Sierra Designs
• Genesis story of Sierra Designs
• Curation of  progressive designs at SD and where it begins
• How does SD reach experienced hikers and the weekend warrior in one single line?
• Sierra Designs and hunting?!
• Setting the bar and forecasting needs
• Evolution of design
• Shelter designs for 2018
• What the future holds for SD
• What it’s like seeing the lifecycle of a successful design
• The team behind Sierra Designs
• What George would want people to know and understand about SD
• Advice to new backpackers
• www.sierradesigns.com
• https://www.youtube.com/user/SierraDesignsGear
• https://www.instagram.com/sierradesigns/
• https://www.facebook.com/SierraDesignsGear

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• www.byland.co
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Clay Jacobson is a thru-hiker who works with the Idaho Trails Association and helps manage the coordination of the Idaho Centennial Trail (which he hiked not too long ago).  In this episode, you'll hear about Clay's personal story of how he got into long-distance backpacking and why he's now focused on saving as many miles of trail as possible.   We cover the current state of trails in the US, how they're funded and maintained, and why there are sometimes thousands of miles of trails disappearing each year.

Show Notes and Links

• Who is Clay Jacobson?
• How Clay got into Thru Hiking and his background with backpacking (this is a good one)
• Training for a Thru-Hike
• How Clay’s education in literature impacted his desire to adventure 
• How each trail Clay has done has prepared him for the next one
• Clay’s experience on the Idaho Centennial Trail
• The state of trails in the US: how they’re maintained, funded, and cared for.
• What happened between the time trails were established and where we are today?
• Trail organization
• How are other outdoor organizations communicating their “value” to receive funding for trail maintenance
• What it means when trails disappear; is it always a bad thing?
• National Trails Day - how to get involved in keeping trails open and clear
• How a trail crew works!
• How to reach the Idaho Trails Association or other trail organizations
•   (bonus info on the Idaho Centennial Trail)  
• Idaho Trails Association - http://www.idahotrailsassociation.org/
• Washington Trails Association - https://www.wta.org/
• National Trails Day - https://americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

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Adam Janke is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Mountain Hunting and hosts The Beyond the Kill Podcast.  Adam joins the show to talk about why he feels such a passion for hunting, what he feels is needed in the hunting community, and to discuss his soon-to-be-release film about a late-season Mountain Goat Hunt on the winter slopes of B.C..

Show Notes and Links

• The Journal of Mountain Hunting and Beyond the Kill Podcast
• How Adam made the jump to a full-time hunting editorial  
• The building blocks of Adam’s passion for mountain hunting
• How to explain the passion and pull of hunting
• Adam’s upcoming hunting film and the purpose of telling the story
• What Adam hopes to achieve with his film
• Lessons learned from mountain hunting (gear, food, mindset)
• How to find Adam and his content
• https://journalofmountainhunting.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/journal_mtn_hunting/
• https://journalofmountainhunting.com/podcast/

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Hill People Gear founder Evan Hill joins the show to talk about the origin of the company, design principles, and his background in backcountry travel.  He also gives a number of solid bits of advice to backpackers.

Show Notes and Links

• Origin of HPG
• First product of HPG - the Kit Bag
• How Evan came up with his unique harness system and how it works
• The evolution of the HPG suspension system
• Evan’s thoughts on overall pack weight and backpacking efficiency
• Efficiency in design
• Who HPG is for
• Evan’s favorite HPG pieces
• Backpack structure (stays)
• Backpack fitting
• Common errors made my new backpackers
• Spending time doing, learning, and observing
• What's next for HPG
• Evan's final thoughts on “gear”
• How to find HPG
• www.hillpeoplegear.com
• https://www.facebook.com/HillPeopleGear/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/HillPeopleGear
• https://www.instagram.com/hillpeoplegear/

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Thor and Sarah Tingey of Alpacka Raft join the podcast to dive into what pack rafting is, the history of the sport, and how the brand supports ongoing conservation efforts.

Show Notes and Links

• Thor’s background with the founding of Alpacka Rafts
• Thors intro into what pack rafting is
• Sarah’s background
• Thor’s eye-opening realization about what is possible in the backcountry
• Thoughts on and benefits of long-duration backcountry trips
• What keeps Thor and Sarah returning to wild places
• How Thor and Sarah make each of their trips unique
• How comparing your trip to the trips of others can sour the experience
• How to make your trip your own
• Using topographical maps to build basic skills and to understand your area of interest
• How to learn and build on basic skills
• The history of pack rafting as told by Thor - also lots of great stories!
• How Alpacka Rafts was created
• How pack rafting can open up opportunities in the backcountry
• How to choose an Alpacka Packraft
• Packrafts compared to regular kayaks
• Things to know before you get into packrafting
• The growing popularity of pack rafting
• The growth and maturity of Alpacka Rafts
• How to buy an Alpacka Raft
• What it’s like to see the growth and use of Alpacka products around the world from the perspective of the founders
• Thor’s favorite inspirational story from a customer
• Sarah’s reason behind why she loves what Alpacka Rafts offers customers and her love for customer service
• Where Thor and Sarah get their most satisfaction and inspiration
• Trends and the future of Alpacka Rafts - What’s next?
• How Alpacka Rafts supports the conservation effort - access to public water
• https://www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alpacka_raft/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alpackaraftllc/

Alpacka Raft
Alpacka Raft allows backcountry adventures, bridging the trail to the water.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Oregon Desert Trail Coordinator, Renee Patrick, joins the show to talk about what this 700-mile route through the Oregon desert offers, how it began, and what adventurers can expect to see in this incredible high desert landscape.  Renee is a highly accomplished long-distance hiker whose resume includes the Triple Crown and many others.  You'll learn how she approaches backpacking and what it means to her.  

This episode really embodies what this podcast is about.  We cover so many great topics that I think there's something in this one for everyone out there.

Show Notes and Links

• Introduction to Renee and the Oregon Desert Trail
• Renee’s background before being the Trail Coordinator for the ODT
• What the Oregon Desert Trail offers and its history
• How the ODT compares to other trails in the US
• How Renee began backpacking and what made her start long-distance backpacking
• How Thru Hiking has impacted Renee’s backcountry trips
• What Long Distance backpacking means to Renee
• How the ODT manages relationships with landowners to retain access to the trail
• Where and how to begin planning a hike of the ODT
• Renee’s thoughts on the future of hiking
• What Renee has learned about backpacking after all these years
• How Renee has changed since her first long-distance trail
• The future of the Oregon Desert Trail
• How to find and support the ODT
• www.ONDA.org
• https://onda.org/regions/oregon-desert-trail/
• https://www.instagram.com/theoregondesert/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/OregonDeserts

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• www.byland.co
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• [email protected]