Trail Tales - Thru-Hiking & Backpacking

James Appleton of the 46 of 46 podcast AND Seek to do More joins me! James is an avid hiker and guide in the Adirondacks, and has a coaching program designed to help hikers "break free from MEDIOCRITY" and perform their best on and off the trail. In this episode James goes through 5 reasons why you may be falling short of reaching your hiking goals. Seek To Do More: https://seektodomore.com/ James...

ISuckAtHiking is BACK on the show, and this time he offically carries the title of Appalachian Trail thru hiker. In our previous episode, I expressed concern about whether Michael would be able to thru hike the Appalachian Trail with his dog, but he proved me wrong! We talk all about that and more in this fantastic episode. Congrats Michael! Michael's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ISuckatHikin...

Okay, maybe a decent amount of people talk about it but hey... we're gonna talk about it too! Baker is back on the show and we talk all about how him and his wife recently moved into a van full time. They will be spending the forseeable future traveling around hiking, camping, and living it up in the great outdoors. BUT, is vanlife really as glamorus as it sounds?! How easy will it be for them to...

This is what I've been up to, why the show has been paused, AND the story of how I failed the Pacfic Crest Trail for third year in a row. Video of us running Chase Rapids: https://youtu.be/bEQmHQPATNI/ Watch Trail Tales on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@trailtalespod/ For guest/episode ideas, listener feedback, sponsorships, or business inquiries reach out to: trailtalespod@gmail.com My Gear sp...

Go check out our sponsor Garage Grown Gear and get yourself some awesome UL gear! https://www.garagegrowngear.com/collections/ultralight-backpacking-gear-accessories Taylor the Nahamsha Hiker joins the show for our very first in person interview! Coming to you from Appalachian Trail Days, we talk CONTROVERSIAL Appalachian Trail opinions, and much much more! Taylor the Nahamsha Hiker on YouTube:  @...

Go check out our sponsor Garage Grown Gear and get yourself some awesome UL gear! https://www.garagegrowngear.com/collections/ultralight-backpacking-gear-accessories/ MyLifeOutdoors joins the show for a HUGE episode! We talk about overrated backpacking gear, Steven shows how much smarter than me he is, and of course... we talk about backpacking YouTube. Fantastic guest, fantastic episode, you're g...

Go check out our sponsor Garage Grown Gear and get yourself some awesome UL gear! https://www.garagegrowngear.com/collections/ultralight-backpacking-gear-accessories Maddie from Beer in Beautiful Places joins the show at Trail Days to talk about all things Appalachian Trail! We talk about her Appalachian Trail regrets, how she met and started dating her boyfriend on the AT, and SO MUCH more! Beer...

GO check out all the new gear Garage Grown Gear just added to their collection! https://www.garagegrowngear.com/collections/new-to-garage-grown-gear In this episode I'm joined by Levi Spangler, who is a YouTuber and editor for the Kyle Hates Hiking channel. We talk about his experiences hiking in North Carolina, and get into some 'spicy' topics concerning the work we are doing on the Kyle Hates Hi...

Justin Outdoors joins the show to shed some light on his recent "scandal" after taking a sponsorship for the controversial brand Temu. We talk about why he took the sponsorship, his audience's pushback, and what he's learned. We also dive into some backpacking gear talk, and Justin shares an INSANE story about being charged by a grizzly bear, and discharging his bear spray. Justin Outdoors on YouT...

Editor and producer for my channel Luke McKay joins me for a candid conversation about the backpacking niche. We answer the follow questions; What is the current state of backpacking YouTube? What can be done to take this niche to the next level? And, who are some of the creators we feel are currently pushing boundaries and making truly unique content? Luke's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@luke...

Baker is back, and this time we are going over our favorite ultralight backpacking gear hacks, plus other interesting backpacking discussions! This one went off the rails a little bit, I'm not going to lie, but hopefully you're here for the goofs and the gags! Enjoy! For guest/episode ideas, listener feedback, sponsorships, or business inquiries reach out to: trailtalespod@gmail.com My Gear spread...

Sintax77 is BACK on the show, and in this episode we're going over common beginner backpacking mistakes! The reason I'm calling these 'stupid' mistakes is because, well, I'm an idiot and I've made pretty much all of these mistakes at one point or another. Sintax77 is the man, I'm so grateful he came back on the show, and I hope you enjoy! Sintax77 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sintax77 For...

On March 3rd, 2024, my girlfriend experienced a freak accident as we started what was supposed to be an easy hike. Here's the story and what we can learn from it. For guest/episode ideas, listener feedback, sponsorships, or business inquiries reach out to: trailtalespod@gmail.com My Gear spreadsheet: https://lighterpack.com/r/9qjh18 BIG FOUR 🤘 Backpack: https://ula-equipment.9xrw.net/x9oX1x My FA...

Here are 20 things I wish I'd known before I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail. From gear choices, to social choices, to personal choices, there's always room for improvement on the Appalachian Trail, and hopefully this will be able to help YOU if you're planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail in the future. Appalachian Trail. For sponsorships, business inquiries, or guest/episode ideas reach out...

Frozen from Outdoor Adventures joins the show to talk about his upcoming thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT 2024). He previously hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019, and is now taking his talents to the Pacific Crest Trail. We talk about what he is nervous about, what gear changes he's made, and how he is planning on dealing with the depressing reality that the Pacific Crest Trail will prob...

Baker is back and in this episode we talk (and disagree) about some of the most OVERRATED types of backpacking gear on the market. At the end of the day everyone is going to have different opinions on what backpacking gear is worth taking, but hopefully this discussion between two thru hikers can help guide your own opinion. What do you think is 'cooler', hammocks or fanny packs?! For sponsorships...

Audrey "Glowstick" Payne joins the show to discuss the controversial Twelve Tribes hostel on the Appalachian Trail, also known as the Yellow Deli. Is this group a cult? Are they targeting Appalachian Trail hikers for recruitment? Or is it all being blown out of proportion? We also talk about Audrey's experience thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, John Muir Trail, and much more! Audrey's NEW book: h...

Elina Osborne joins the show to discuss her Pacific Crest Trail thru hike, film-making, the Hayduke in Utah, and much more. A HIGHLY requested guest, it was fantastic to finally catch up with her. Elina on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElinaOsborne Elina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elinasborne/ For sponsorships, business inquiries, or guest/episode ideas reach out to: trailtalespod...

In this solo episode I do an in depth comparison between the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail in the following categories; Weather/climate, Views and scenery, Gear differences, Difficulty (Mentally & Physically), Permits, Water, Resupply, Towns, and People. Then, at the end of the episode I tell you which trail I think is better (Appalachian Trail vs Pacific Crest Trail). Subscribe to...

The Appalachian Adventurista joins the show to talk all about her thru hiking of the Appalachian Trail. We talk about post trail depression, what it takes to vlog a thru hike, and at the end she shares a hilarious story about... smut?! You don't want to miss it. Appalachian Adventurista on YouTube:  @appalachianadventurista  Appalachian Adventurista on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/appalach...

Thru hiker Hunter Musgrove joins the show, and we go back and forth on our top thru hiking tips for first timers. From very specific hitch hiking tips, to general attitude/vibe tips, we cover it all, and sneak in plenty of stories along the way. Hunter's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterstrip/ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KyleHatesHiking Follow me on Instagra...

Fresh off the Appalachian Trail, Maddie from Beer in Beautiful Places joins the show to talk about her hike on the AT, and some of the highs and lows she experienced along the way. One of the highs was floating the Shenandoah River, and one of the lows was a near death experience she had while crossing a dangerous river on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. I highly recommend you check out her channe...

Appalachian Trail thru hiker Jessika Poppe is on the show to talk all about the AT, vlogging, being an "influencer" (cringe), meeting/hiking with her boyfriend on trail, and much much more. Jessika quit vlogging in the middle of her thru hike; we talk about why she did that, and we dive deep into how her and her boyfriend met at Appalachian Trail Days 2021. Jessika's Instagram: https://www.instagr...

Let's break down some of the biggest controversies in the hiking community right now. Should SOS button's REALLY be available for everyone to use? Is thru hiking with kids really a good thing? And should we be allowed to access the mountains at all? These are some of the things Baker and I wrestle with in this episode. I want to hear your thoughts on ALL of this stuff, so please leave a comment wi...

Kristian Morgan has gone for the Appalachian Trail Fastest Known Time/Speed Record FOUR times now. In 2022 he got the second fastest time in the world, and in 2023 he set the FASTEST time for the Appalachian Trail Southbound. We talk about how he achieved this, and we also stray into the more controversial topic of hikers vs ultrarunners. Kristian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristianult...