By Land Podcast

Text the show! Andrew Skurka is known throughout the backpacking industry as someone who knows what they’re talking about when it comes to spending time in the backcountry.  He was thru-hiking before it became popular and has hiked well over 20,000 miles across both long and short expeditions.  Andrew now operates a backpacking guide service.  Andrew is a wealth of knowledge for all things backpac...

Text the show! Katie O’mara is the driving force behind Trail Magik, an outdoor brand whose mission is to make hiking and backpacking with toddlers efficient and more enjoyable.  Once kids grow out of their backpack-style carriers, parents are forced into deciding how far their little ones can hike before needing to be picked up, but oftentimes riding in a backpack is too much trouble because all...

Text the show! Tommy Corey’s eye for outdoor portrait photography landed him front and center in the hiking community during his 2018 PCT thru-hike when he began posting fashion-esque portraits of fellow thru-hikers under the project name “Hiker Trash Vogue.”  The photo project captured the attention of major outdoor brands and was even featured in Outside Online .  Tommy received high accolades f...

Text the show! This is the second part of a two-part mini-series with Marketa and David Daley who in 2022 hiked 1300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail with their 3 young kids.  David and I dive into the more holistic side of hiking the trail and explore the meaning behind the struggle and process of a thru-hike.  For anyone who enjoys the non-technical side of a thru-hiking discussion, you’ll enjoy...

Text the show! Marketa and David Daley backpacked 1300 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022 with their 3 kids and proved to themselves that yes, it was possible to hike the PCT as a family.  At times they moved at a snail's pace, questioned their own sanity, and were forced to find creative ways to motivate their kids to continue moving down the trail.  Together as a family, they experien...

Text the show! Evan Guzik is a Public Affairs Officer for the US Forest Service out of the Bridger Teton Forest and joins the podcast to walk me through the basics of wildfires.  Not only am I honored to have the US Forest Service represented on my show, but it’s made even more special because Evan and I served together in the Marine Corps nearly 20 years ago.   We cover what prescribed burns are...

Text the show! Alex Harz is a man of many talents.  He’s a filmmaker, mountaineer, and even a radio host, but for the purpose of this episode we’re diving into his Mount Everest Expedition and the film he’s produced about it called “The Quest: Nepal.” Alex might be the physical vehicle for the telling of a story or the driving force behind it, but when you watch this film, you’ll learn quickly tha...

Text the show! You might be wondering what canoe camping and backpacking have in common and why I’d be covering this on a “backpacking” podcast so to answer that question outright - they have ALOT in common.  You’re required to plan, pack, stabilize a load, and bring what you need to get the job done safely and efficiently.  Some canoe trips might be a day or two while others could last months on...

Text the show! Paul McTaggart is a family man and backpacker out of New Zealand who in recent years reignited his passion for the outdoors.  He and I have been exchanging emails back and forth for some time now and I thought it was time we sit down for a real and open-ended conversation about backpacking.   This is the very first episode of the By Land Podcast where I bring you the audience member...

Text the show! Melodie Edwards is the host and senior producer of the Modern West Podcast which dives into the history of the west, and how it’s shaped our landscapes and modern culture while digging up little-known facts about the past.  The show is produced for Wyoming Public Media  (aka the state’s NPR station) which is now going into its 5th season so for me, it was great to connect with someo...

Text the show! Hammock Gear is one of the original cottage companies in the ultralight backpacking space.  When I was just getting into backpacking, it was Hammock Gear that was prolific in the search engines and forums when it came to ultralight quilts.  Having such a prolific and respectable brand represented on the podcast is both honoring and humbling to me. Adam and Sally from Hammock Gear jo...

Text the show! The REAL Hiking Viking, aka Jabba, joins the podcast to talk about his upcoming hike up the Continental Divide Trail, life before backpacking, and the importance of doing what makes you happy in life.  I’ve known Jabba for a while now and bumped into him a few places, but this is the first time we’ve had a chance to sit down to have a conversation.  The last time we spoke, he introd...

Text the show! Backpacking with dogs is something I think most of us dream of doing, but for Bailey Bremner, it’s a reality.  Bailey is not only an accomplished backpacker and thru-hiker in her own right, but her dogs are too.  Prima and Skittles have likely hiked more miles than most, and between the 3 of them, they’ve hiked thousands of miles along some of the most beautiful trails in the United...

Text the show! Dylan Tonkin had the crazy idea to take the fun design of a lightweight Hawaiian shirt and marry it with a design that would remind thru-hikers of their favorite long-distance trail.  The result was “ TownShirt ” and it’s awesome .   This is Dylan’s second time on the podcast and in the two-plus years that have passed since our last chat, a lot has changed.  Dylan is now married, ha...

Text the show! Bruce McGlenn is the founder and lead instructor for Human Nature Hunting , a hunting school designed to teach newcomers, instill a connection to our past heritage, and create stewardship in the community by being an active participant in our ecosystem.   For those who never grew up in a hunting family, getting into hunting can be a massive hurdle to overcome.  Between navigating re...

Text the show! Moose Mutlow is a member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue, the Senior Projects Director for planning, design, and construction of the National Environmental Science Center at Naturebridge in Yosemite National Park, and has spent a lifetime learning and teaching outdoor skills.   As a member of SAR, Moose has seen a bad turn to worse and he believes there are things we can learn fro...

Text the show! Adam Foss grew up hunting sheep in the mountains with his father and brother.  He learned at a young age what it looked like to work hard for something, admire the beauty of accomplishment, and fully appreciate where sheep call home.  If you want to hunt sheep, you’re going to experience some pretty incredible yet rugged country.  Sheep hunting doesn’t come easy, which is probably w...

Text the show! Joey Bennett headed west this past September to meet a personal goal of hunting elk in Colorado.  It would be the first time he’d hunt elk, the first time he’d hunt Colorado, the first time he’d ever go backpack hunting,  and he did it alone. When I saw Joey’s big smile on an Instagram post after his hunt, I knew we needed to talk.  He spent a solid 5 days backpack hunting in Colora...

Text the show! JR Harris has been backpacking for 60 years.  It all started when his parents decided to send him to Boy Scout camp to avoid summers in NYC and though he may have gone against his own will that first time, it soon became something he missed when the summer came to a close. JR is now in his mid 70’s and has seen adventures all around the world.  He’s been to incredible places, divers...

Text the show! Justin Helmkamp completed his Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking in 2021.  He’s now hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail in full.  How’s that for an accomplishment?!   Justin is an outstanding human being.  Between his PCT and CDT hikes, he worked as a Wilderness Therapy Guide helping troubled teens.  As you’ll hear in this episode, it was duri...

Text the show! Rue McKenrick is no doubt one of the most prolific long-distance hikers today, but he doesn’t know how many miles he’s hiked because he doesn’t care about that.  It’s not what defines him, but if you need to know then let’s just start with his Triple Crown over a decade ago, the many long trails all over the US and abroad, and most recently a 12,000-mile route spanning the perimeter...

Text the show! Kyle Kamp is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian who specializes in backcountry nutrition and performance.  He recently became a full-time operator of his own business, Valley to Peak Nutrition, and is now 100% dedicated to helping people reach their personal goals with nutrition and performance.   Kyle is a return guest on the podcast so we spend some time catching up on what’s new...

Text the show! Chase Tucker is a long-distance backpacker from Tasmania who specializes in training backpackers in the field of overall body mobility and fitness for their outdoor adventures.   Chase is also an accomplished backpacker and traveler having hiked through both the Annapurna and Everest regions of Nepal as well as some of Spain’s long trails through the Pyrenees mountain range.    I  f...

Text the show! What if I told you “weak ankles” aren’t really a thing ?  What if I then told you that, like a muscle, you can strengthen them?  Does that sound nice?  Me too! Cory Ford joins me on this episode to discuss the realities of “weak ankles,” what that actually means, and what you can do to battle back against previous ankle injuries.  By the time this episode is over, you’ll have learne...

Text the show! Renee “Shera” Patrick is the Program Coordinator of the Oregon Desert Trail and has been hiking long distance trails for 20 years!  Her work at the ODT has brought led her to be involved in the creation and launch of the new Blue Mountains Trail in NE Oregon which launches May 8, 2021.   Renee re-joins the show to catch up on recent happenings on the ODT, the launch of the Blue Moun...