The Dirtbag Diaries

When Somira Sao and James Burwick were expecting their first child, they made a vow not to stop traveling-- and they took that promise to the extreme. In 2009, after two years of living in a van traveling around South America, they took their growing family and moved onto a 40' monohull sailboat. Four years later, they had navigated a de-masting off the coast of Chile,  sailed around the glob...

We never know where our life’s important lessons will come from. After years of chasing first ascents in the PNW Cascade mountain, Cam Fenton stumbles upon a new focus for his mountain exploits: grizzly bears. For Emma Brophy, collecting red rubber bands while on a 600 mile river trip down the Thelon River in Canada becomes a reminder of how far she’s traveled.  Support comes from The Wildern...

 Drew Smith is one of the most highly respected outdoor adventure photographers in the game. His work has brought him to more than two dozen countries, and his skills in the mountains make him a top choice for professional athletes looking for a photographer who can keep up. In this episode, he takes us through four projects that have shaped his career as a creator, and we talk about the important...

Mark Kenyon and Fitz Cahall may not appear to have much in common. Mark got his start in the outdoors at a family hunting cabin in the forest lands of Northern Michigan, and Fitz dirtbagged around the American West in the back of his Tacoma. Their passions in the outdoors might be different, but their resolve to protect public lands is just the same.    Join us and sign the petition...

The Forest Service has proposed to rescind the Roadless Rule, which protects nearly 45 million acres of National Forest. These forests play a role in maintaining clean water and air, wildlife habitat and provide lots of recreational access for climbing, hiking, biking and paddling.     Today, Tracy Stone-Manning, executive director of the Wilderness Society and former director of th...

“When we were living in a house, we were always compromising because we had the weight of a mortgage, of doing what we thought we should be doing,” remembers Kathy Holcombe. Until the day, she, her husband, Peter, and their daughter Abby moved into a Winnebago to travel and work from the road. “I want her to see that she can do that too: whatever her wildest dreams are, to chase them and not stop...

Trails are hewn from granite, carved into sandstone cliffs and engineered into our most iconic landscapes. Other times, they offer just the faintest hint of the passing of those before us. Either way, we often take their existence for granted. Today with the help of author Dillon Osleger we ask the seemingly simple question “Why do trails exist?” Read Dillon’s book: Trail Work Support comes from ⁠...

How do we love those we have lost? In two essays, Mike Foote and Natasha Buffo explore how the memory of their parents guide them through life’s biggest moments—from a grueling hundred-mile run to the choice to become a mother. Support comes from⁠⁠ Oboz⁠⁠ : ⁠Comment on the Roadless Rule⁠ by Sept 21⁠ Darn Tough Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Kodiak Find Kodiak at kodiakcakes.com or yo...

Libby Costello and Sophia Walters met as teammates on the UCLA rowing team, but after graduation, they each struggled to reimagine what the sport would mean to them without the structure of Division 1 athletics. Years later, the two friends came back together with an audacious goal: to row self-supported across the Pacific Ocean. With the freedom of a month in the open ocean, the two friends recla...

Born and raised in Hawaii, World Champion spear fisher and renowned chef Kimi Werner has travelled around the world to catch and cook fish big and small, educating others how to lead a life of sustainable consumption. Those are just a few reasons producer Marco Siler-Gonzales spent three years running down an interview with her. In her new book, Kimi’s Kitchen, Kimi connects the many lessons learn...

 In late summer of 2025, Kurt Refsnider straddled the Canadian border in Washington, pointing his bike south towards the border of Mexico. He was about to bring concept to reality: the first rider to attempt the Orogenesis trail, a decades long pursuit to bring a mammoth single track through-ride across the entire pacific crest of the United States and Mexico. This is a story of how a trail is mad...

Tyler and Paul, two fathers at different ends of the parenting spectrum, contend with what it means to live an adventurous life as a parent. As they embark on challenges of their own, they both come away with new perspectives on how to define success in the outdoors.  Support comes from Kuat Racks  Oboz  Darn Tough () Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Ka’Chava Go to https://kachava.com...

When local river guide-turned small-town investigative reporter Sam Karas discovers that the Trump administration has been quietly waiving environmental regulations to expedite the building of a new border wall, she knows that they'll be coming for the Big Bend soon. This remote corner of West Texas is widely beloved for its rugged beauty, dark skies, and unique wildlife, and now, locals are comin...

Derick Lugo’s first hike was the Appalachian Trail. By the time he finished six months later, he was transformed. As Mr. Fabulous, Derick has inspired audiences all over the country to get outdoors and put one foot in front of the other.  Get a signed copy of A Fabulous Thru-Hike or The Unlikely Thru-Hiker at Derick’s shop. Support comes from Kuat Racks  Oboz  Darn Tough  Free shipping on any orde...

In this live recording from STRIB Unbound, host Fitz Cahall sits down with Josh Klauck and Jarrod Alder of Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop and Nasrieen Habib of Hiking Hijabie to talk about building community and getting outside in the great city of Minneapolis.  Thanks to Unbound for inviting us. Support comes from Darn Tough  Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Kuat Racks  Oboz  Ka’Chava Go...

Ultra runner Sara Aranda inherited a genetic mutation that took her mother away at a young age. In the years following, Sara has woven together storytelling and adventurism to pay tribute to her mother's memory and empower herself to keep fighting. In 2024, Sara made an audacious FKT attempt on a route that travels 130 miles from the lowest point in the continental United States to the highest.  O...

In the outdoors, things don’t always go as planned. Seth Cohen and Skye Hart each set out to test themselves, one in the hills of Wyoming and one in the skies above Colombia, and both end up stuck, relying on the goodwill of strangers. Support comes from Kuat Racks  Oboz Darn Tough  Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- thank you! Yo...

It wasn't just any piece of rock. Portable may be the world's most famous boulder. Parlor trick, mascot, right of passage -- call it what you want, but this toaster-size piece of granite nestled in the lush forest of Squamish is a beloved fixture of the Canadian climbing scene. Then it went missing. When Portable turned up in the California desert, professional climber Ethan Salvo knew he had to g...

Years of dedication to conservation biology and an enduring love for animals led SJ Joslin to their dream job running the Big Wall Bats program in Yosemite National Park. But after hanging a flag on the side of El Capitan, they were fired, upending their life and sending them on a journey to better understand their rights and their duty to their community. And SJ must decide how far they would go...

When immigration enforcement raids came to Los Angeles, Vanessa Herrera was packing her two kids into the car to head out on a rafting trip on the Klamath River. On their trip, Vanessa ponders the duality of being a Latina river rat and wonders how she can ensure her boys feel at home in their country’s wild places.  Support comes from Kuat Racks  Oboz  Darn Tough Free shipping on any order with c...

From a very young age, Nate George learned that if he wanted anything in this world, it was easier to just build it from scratch. In 2016, Nate opened a climbing gym in an old potato shed, financing it with revenue from his computer export business. Nate's return on investment was fostering a stoked climbing community in the flattest area of the United Kingdom.  Support comes from Darn Tough Free...

On a flyfishing adventure to explore the High Sierra’s most remote valley, Rebecca Ramirez is the first to admit that, fifteen years ago, she’d have easily been voted “least likely to be here.” When she decides to cut the hooks off her flies and explore a new way to connect with trout, her dedication to conservation and commitment to mastery come full circle. Much of the music in today’s episode i...

What does it take to create something that lasts? Kathy Karlo is the executive director of No Man’s Land Film Festival, the first film festival by and for women and genderqueer adventurers. Kathy talks to Diaries producer Lauren DeLaunay Miller about staying scrappy, finding hope through community, and securing a vibrator sponsorship.  No Man’s Land Film Festival is in Denver Saturday, March 7th....

Biting cold, freshly fallen snow, frozen lakes– what could be better? Brooke Maushund and Carrick Gambell take us through the joys of winter from the mountains of Patagonia to the forests of New England.  Support comes from ⁠Darn Tough⁠ Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Kuat Racks  Oboz  Ka’Chava Go to https://kachava.com and use code DIARIES for 15% off your next order. Diaries+ Member...

Saying yes to out of the box ideas can lead to incredible places. Alex Honnold’s live solo of the Taipei 101 tower seemed to spring out of nowhere, but it was the culmination of more than a decade of effort to make the moment happen. Today, we sit down for a debrief. Support comes from Oboz  Darn Tough (through early July) Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Ka’Chava Go to https://kachava...