Backpacking & Blisters: A Hiking, Backpacking, and Adventure Show

Who is the man with the trail name "Plug It In"? This episode is devoted to a powerful story from Benny Braden. He holds trail speed records. He has been featured on television. He is a major part of Chris Smead's upcoming documentary Highline. And he has overcome quite a bit to become the man, husband, and father he is today. He also might value his gear more than his life as he shares...

Why don't more people venture out in the winter? Derek and Carl try to come up with solutions to get you out there in cold season. Carl even tries to convince Derek to get out there more often with solutions to common concerns about going when it's below freezing. Derek, on the other hand, considers the R value of grocery bags and pocketed cell phones. If you'd like to submit an audio file for us...

Is it possible to make an episode about sleep...interesting? Derek and Carl take a crack at it. Why is it so hard for campers to get good sleep in the backcountry? While some legitimate suggestions are thrown out such as sleep patterns and environmental factors, somehow Derek manages to work in ideas involving styrofoam and wrapping one's head in cellophane. Also, a new Backpacking and Blisters co...

Is the establishment of a sort of 'user agreement' for a group backpacking trip really necessary? Are we establishing ground rules or simply trying to micromanage our friends and family? Derek and Carl each suggest 3 agreements you should consider when planning a group trip in order to make it the best possible experience. Have they gone too far? You be the judge. GET MORE CONTENT! Please support...

With all of the required skills to head out into the backcountry, how do you measure up? Carl and Derek have developed a fool-proof system (that might be completely subjective) to measure one's skill levels. Some essential (and non-essential) wilderness competencies are discussed with this strict evaluation system that enables one to earn the grownup merit badge. Also, Todd's challenge for Carl is...

Derek and Carl are definitely not gear reviewers. However, there have been multiple requests to discuss the gear they use. Favorites, least favorites, and the most unreliable piece(s) of gear are intertwined into this conversation. Also, there are a lot of gear myths out there. Which are real and which are just a bunch of hogwash? Can you really trust the temperature rating on a sleeping bag? If y...

Are the freeze dried food companies price gouging backpackers? Or is it simply okay to call it a splurge if you pay $8 for mac and cheese? Derek and Carl address these questions along with providing food-related tips (not recipes) that just might be helpful. Carl also references a phone call he made to Mountain House Foods where he brings up a few issues with a customer service representative.  GE...

 Some companies spend thousands of dollars to learn about their employees' personalities. Derek and Carl have an easier, cheaper way to determine what kind of person you are (specifically, your trail character). Narrowing it to just 8 questions, Carl designed a test that highlights the best and worst of our trail personalities. And...it's probably just as accurate as the rest of the personality te...

Most of us go out into the wild to get away from it all, reset, gain perspective, etc. However, when we bring or encounter other people, inevitably there is going to be some drama. Derek and Carl have had fun creating scenarios in various episodes, but this one explores legitmate situations that either Derek or Carl (or both) have actually experienced over the years -- sometimes more than once. Wh...

You can spend hundreds of dollars to shave a weigh pounds from your pack OR you can listen to this episode and shave weight for free! Who carries the trash, how to reduce your food load, how to avoid bringing redundant items, and more are discussed in this weight saving episode. Also, we include our first audio file listener question...and it's a good one! GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Pa...

If you've been listening to the podcast long enough then you know that Derek brings up 'going to the bathroom in the woods' all too frequently. In this episode we embrace the topic. While Carl tries to make it relevant to trail life with tips and tricks, Derek is more interested in one's general digestive health. Derek also brings up some of his other favorite topics like backcountry games and off...

Do you know your trail lingo? There is a lot of verbage out there that is unique to the hiking community. Some are more common thru-hiker conversations, some if you're simply an experienced backpacker, and some...frankly, Derek and Carl had never heard of. Who comes up with these terms? Derek and Carl try to create a couple of their own. In this episode you can score yourself at the "Trail Li...

Welcome to Season 2!!! In the season opener, Derek and Carl recap some things learned and relearned from their July trip. How important are group dynamics to backpacking? Is it ever too early to pack? Why is there always somebody who tries to compromise the plan? Does Derek know how to dry out his shoes and socks with a campfire? How many blisters did Carl get from wearing cotton socks through mul...

In the final "between-the-seasons" episode Derek and Carl are joined by Tayson Whittaker from Outdoor Vitals. The main topics on the table include ultralight vs. comfort, ultralight vs. cost, down vs. synthetic, and...Luke Skywalker's real ability to survive a night with dead Tauntaun insulation. GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority i...

In the second of three "between seasons" episodes, Derek and Carl are in the midst of their annual trip. From inside their 4 man tent, they give a brief rundown of a variety of trail topics. Can one be too ultralight? Is it okay for the fittest member of a group to have the lightest pack? Is carrying a sword in a lightning storm wise? These are just some of the questions addressed by the...

In this "between seasons" episode, Derek and Carl address taking kids, teenagers and pretty much anybody who would be considered high maintenance. If you are a kid, have kids, are going to have kids, or plan to take your grandkids, there should be quite a bit of helpful information provided. Carl also has interesting (and questionable) backpacking rite of passage and Derek dives in to hi...

This is the Season Finale!!! Derek and Carl do a play on the literary conflicts by applying them to backpacking. Strangely, they all fit in one way or another. Carl interviews a special guest for one of the conflict topics. Also, what's in store for this podcast in the months to come? That is discussed.  GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority inv...

Youtuber Spiguyver co-hosts with Derek and Carl this week. They compare canister and alcohol stoves as well as how to make hammocks part of a backpacking trip. Spiguyver offers other tips and tricks as an experienced backpacker along with a compelling story behind his trail name. GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority invites to B&B "eve...

In this Derek-driven episode, the relevance of the 10 essentials are explored. And what if you could only bring 4 of them? Does this relate to "Essentialitis"? You be the judge. By listener demand, Derek and Carl scratch the surface of some gear chat with their favorite piece/brand. And, gauntlets are thrown as they pose backpacking challenges to each other. GET MORE CONTENT! Please supp...

Even the most prolific hikers have ailments from time to time. While simply managing it or toughing it out is an option, there are some "solutions" out there. This week Derek and Carl discuss some obvious and not-so-obvious methods to make the journey more comfortable. Also, do zipped up sleeping bags keep gas from escaping into the tent atmosphere? GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at...

What do you do (or depending on who's talking...what do you avoid) when you're on an island and a smoke monster is chasing you? Or really, when you're simply lost in the backcountry. With speical guest Knowlton (coming to us from Nepal), three scenarios are explored.  GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority invites to B&B "events!" I...

This episdoe features an interview with Jason Fitzpatrick from Mile Mile & a Half as well as Chris Smead (Chris is Awesome Productions). Both of them (along with Derek and Carl) give their 3 tips for tackling the long trail. Also, who is the ideal trail partner for such an endeavor?  GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority invites to B&B &...

One of the best parts about hiking is encountering wildlife. So how about a trip that enables you to find one of the most elusive creatures...the Sasquatch? Carl provides 3 tips and a specific trip plan for potentially finding a Bigfoot. Derek, on the other hand, uses his own research to debunk them entirely. Also, are Wookies just Bigfoot from a galaxy far far away and is Chewbacca actual video e...

Strange, weird and sometimes unfrotunate things happen out in the wild (or even just off the road). Derek and Carl share a few of the most unexpected and interesting stories they have come across.  One involves a dangerous shoe while another is entitled "When Fur isn't Enough". GET MORE CONTENT! Please support us at Patreon to get bonus episodes, videos, and priority invites to B&B &...

While many of today's survival shows feature scenarios that most are unlikely to encounter (e.g. stumbling upon a drug cartel in Peru that was addressed in Dual Survival), there are some suvival-type circumstances that one could experience while hiking. Pulling from his vast survival knowledge (i.e. watching some different surival TV shows), Derek attempts to solve a couple of scenarios that Carl...