The Fastpacker

We've got Chris Paquette, aka "Christopher Walkin" on the pod this week fresh off his win at the 50 mile Kilkenny Ridge Race. From backpacking the Appalachian Trail in 90 days to setting multiple FKTs across New England to climbing high peaks in Mexico and Ecuador, this man who exudes positivity and joy, continues to add to an impressive resume of outdoor adventure.

Enjoy this fun conversation and follow him on Instragram @christopher_walkin.

The Fastpacker Podcast is hosted by me, Eli Burakian. You can find me @thefastpacker as well as @eliburakian on Instagram and be sure to check out northeasttrailadventures.com as and @northeasttrailadventures to learn more about our races and running retreats. 

Well, it's been a while. Feel free to skip to around minute 10 for just the interview. I spend the first little bit explaining my absence on the pod and a little update on life and the Ascutney Vertical Backyard Race.

The majority of the podcast is an interview with Cody Taylor, who set the Long Trail Unsupported Yo-Yo FKT. That's 550 miles with 135,000 feet of vertical gain all while carrying his food for the entire journey, which lasted just over 17 days and 8 hours.

He was blast to interview and someone who is pushing the boundaries of unsupported efforts. Hope you enjoy! You can connect with Cody at:

https://findyournewnormal.ca/

and on IG at:

https://www.instagram.com/codytaylorperformance/

This episode is a wide-ranging conversation with Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, who is an accomplished runner and backpacker as well as a coach and a guide. He has held the Fastest Known Times for the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Long Trail, and the Arizona Trail and he was the winner of the Cocodona 250 in 2022. He’s also a friend and currently working on a book about fastpacking. We did have some technical difficulties, and there’s a solid delay, but hopefully the conversation is engaging enough to overcome the slight awkwardness. You can find all the info about Joe at his website, thestringbean.co 

On the first episode of The Fastpacker, I interview Will Peterson. Will is well-known in the FKT world and New England hiking and running community.  Among other things, we discuss his absolutely mind-blowing Unsupported Fastest Known Time on Vermont's Long Trail this past summer, where he averaged over 60 miles per day on one of the most iconic hiking trail, and FKT challenges out there. The dude is a beast. We go on for a long time, and we get in the weeds a bit, but if you're into this stuff as much as I am, the weeds are good. 

Will has an incredible podcast himself called From the Backcountry, so be sure to check it out. You can find Will on IG at @_will.peterson.

Enjoy, and I'd love your feedback on this and future episodes.