In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Austen McDaniel, known on trail as PI. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been reading it off at the end of every episode for years, as Austen is one of our Chuck Norris Award-winning Patreon supporters. 

But in addition to being a longtime patron, Austen is also one hell of a backpacker, having completed the Triple Crown in three consecutive years. He approached his first thru-hike as prepared as anyone we’ve ever talked to, hitting the Appalachian Trail with a six-pound base weight after years of fine-tuning his setup on various shakedown hikes. He walks us through how he’s managed to shave additional ounces and grams off his pack, shares some fun ultralight hacks, and offers tips for making cold soaking suck less. Of course, we also dive deep into his three thru-hikes. 

Beyond hiking, Austen gives us a glimpse into his life as a professional tennis instructor, if he's seducing moms at the country club, and how he managed to squeeze in some disc golf in various trail towns during his CDT trek. 

We wrap the show with news of an massive new FKT on New Zealand’s Te Araroa, a breakdown of just how much Irish heritage runs through our DNA, including some truly deranged family tree math from Chaunce, the triple crown of food combinations, and possibly the greatest limerick in the history of the written language.

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Interview with Austen McDaniel

• Austen's Instagram
• Austen's Youtube

Time stamps & Questions

00:06:27 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!

00:11:32 - Introducing Austen

00:13:40 - At what age could you serve over 100 miles per hour?

00:17:43 - Who’s the GOAT in tennis?

00:18:20 - Tell us about disc golf

00:20:20 - What were the best courses you played on the CDT?

00:21:54 - How much is aiming versus distance?

00:23:01 - What is the distance like on a par 5 course?

00:26:01 - How did you get into hiking?

00:27:40 - Did you see any wild hogs while waterfall hunting?

00:33:30 - Discussion about preparing for thru-hiking

00:35:00 - What were your Big 3 for the AT in 2022?

00:37:05 - Did you test any items that you didn’t end up liking?

00:39:17 - Why do you prefer sleeping bags over quilts?

00:41:25 - Did you find any interesting ways to combine functionality of items?

00:45:55 - Do you have any other gear hacks?

00:49:00 - What are your go-to cold soaking meals?

00:50:10 - Spinning the Wheel

00:52:33 - What’s your trail name?

00:54:50 - What about ultralight makes it worth it to you?

00:56:30 - Discussion about AT pace and budget

01:00:30 - Tell us about your goal of hiking three trails in three years

01:02:10 - What does your tennis instructing work look like?

01:03:20 - Did you coach interesting people at country clubs?

01:05:30 - How did you decide to hike southbound on the CDT?

01:10:00 - Discussion about fires on the PCT in 2024

01:14:18 - Tell us about the loneliness on the CDT

01:20:20 - Would you change anything if you hiked the CDT again?

01:21:30 - Anything else to share about the CDT?

01:25:25 - What was your budget for the 3 hikes?

01:27:40 - How did the PCT hike compare to the CDT?

01:30:00 - Do you have tips for dealing with loneliness on trail?

01:31:05 - How was the air quality on the PCT?

01:34:37 - Discussion about ultralight versus mileage

01:37:45 - What were your other takeaways from the PCT?

01:42:08 - What advice do you have for someone who wants to Triple Crown in three years?

01:43:47 - Fuck Marry Kill: AT, PCT, CDT

01:46:18 - What’s next for you?

01:48:28 - Stay Salty Question: What’s your hottest take in the world of backpacking?

Segments

Trek Propaganda

• Karel Sabbe Destroys Te Araroa FKT, Averaging 60 Miles per Day To Set Jaw-Dropping New Record by Katie Jackson
• 2025 Badger Sponsorship Winners by Kendra Slagter

QOTD:  Does either of your ginger-ness come from Irish heritage? Do you celebrate St Patrick's Day?

Triple Crown of food combinations

Listener Voicemail

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.

A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Ben Love, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Brent Stenberg, Bryan Alsop, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Derek Koch, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Greg McDaniel, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Liz Seger, Mud Tom, Patrick Cianciolo, Rebecca Brave, Sawyer Products, SPAM, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger’ Fawns

A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Bonnie Ackerman, Chris Pyle, David, Dcnerdlet, Emily Galusha, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Katharine Rudzitis, Lauren Cain, Luke Netjes, Merle Watkins, Peter, Ruth S, and Spencer Hinson.