The Thru-Hiking Podcast

How should thru-hikers eat to ensure success? You're about to find out from an endurance athlete perspective! Thru-hiking fits perfectly into the "endurance athlete" group - we just might be a little dirtier than most... If you're looking to up your hiking and backpacking game, listen in to this episode with sports nutrition dietitian and endurance athlete Alex Larson ! In this e...

What happens when you're on a thru-hike and need to press the SOS button to be rescued? Casual backpackers and long-distance hikers alike can learn from Kristine or "GG's" experience on the Continental Divide Trail. In this episode, you'll learn about: What exactly happens once you press the SOS button and important details to keep in mind How to be found and how to have a successful rescue Tips f...

In this episode we welcome back Chloe "Chickpea" Jacobs! She's a Pacific Crest Trail and Colorado Trail thru-hiker (among other trails world-wide) and is also the founder of "Bold By Nature." In part 2 of her interview - she describes what it's like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in a record snow year (2023). In this episode, you'll hear about: Scaling Forester Pass and braving seemingly impossib...

Today we welcome Chloe "Chickpea" Jacobs to the podcast! She's a Pacific Crest Trail and Colorado Trail thru-hiker (among other trails world-wide) and she's also founder of "Bold By Nature." In part 1 of her interview - she describes how she left her dream job to pursue the Pacific Crest Trail and how she fell in love in the mountains during a record high snow year! In...

Get to know our 2025 Trail Team of thru-hiking trail correspondents in this episode - with stories of their favorite trail magic & trail angels ! Stay tuned for more episodes featuring them in the coming months. Our hikers are backpacking on the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Camino de Santiago , Eastern Continental Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Hexatrek, Fisherman...

Are you backpacking, section hiking, or thru hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) ? Triple Crowner and host, Carol "Cheer" Coyne has some tips for you in this episode! Here, she discusses timing & strategy to finish the trail before the first snow hits. She also talks about ideal times to be in each section, mileage and terrain by state, & more. In this episode, you'll l...

Learn about creek crossings and how to stay safe while doing it with the founder of Mountain Education, Ned Tibbits ! In this episode, Ned goes into his tried and true techniques to safely cross bodies of water while hiking and backpacking. He also gives tips for hikers preparing for Sierra travel along the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail , and for general backpacker travel where creek or riv...

In this episode we welcome Tyler "Mac" Fox: Thru-hiker and creator of the very-popular thru-hiking resource Halfway Anywhere ! This online resource includes hiker surveys for the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, & John Muir Trail as well as a ton of information for backpackers. In this episode, Mac goes into: His experiences on thru-hikes around the world Pro tips on gear and tra...

Learn about backpacking the Trans Adirondack Route with creator Eric Schlimmer ! This rugged 240 mile trail goes through the state of New York and let's just say - some Triple Crowners and Pacific Crest Trail hikers couldn't finish it. Here, Eric gives insight on the trail creation and tips on how to take it on successfully. He'll also talk about some of the lesser known (and less crowded) trails...

Get to know our 2025 Trail Team of thru-hiking trail correspondents in this episode - with stories of type II fun ! Stay tuned for more episodes featuring them in the coming months. Our hikers are backpacking on the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Camino de Santiago , Eastern Continental Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Hexatrek, Fisherman's Trail , and more. You can f...

Backpack the Pinhoti Trail and get into the history! Appalachian Trail & Pinhoti Trail thru-hiker Katie "Oats" Houston tells about her experiences while hiking this amazing trail (part solo, and part with her dog "Thru"!). Here, we go into her many tips and tricks for trekking along the Pinhoti, history of the trail, hiking with a dog, and we also touch on the benefits of hiking for mental hea...

Backpack the John Muir Trail successfully! Sierra thru-hiker and author Ethan "Po" Gallogly gives great insight and a ton of information about hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT). Here, he gives the top 14 reasons why over 50% of thru-hikers have to leave trail early. He also gives his best advice on how to avoid these things so you can have your best hike yet! This recording is part of a larger JMT...

Sierra thru-hiker and author Ethan "Po" Gallogly gives great insight and a ton of information about hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT). This recording is part of a larger JMT clinic we hosted over at THRU-r . - and for visuals, you can watch on YouTube . Here, Ethan goes into detail about the trail itself, what to keep in mind as you're preparing, tips, tricks, and more. If you're...

Get to know our 2025 Trail Team of thru-hiking trail correspondents in this episode - with stories of how they got their trail names ! Stay tuned for more episodes featuring them in the coming months. Our hikers are backpacking on the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Camino de Santiago , Eastern Continental Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Hexatrek, Fisherman's Trail ,...

Learn about adventure trekking with "Walks of the World" author and adventurer, Gail Perry ! In this episode, Gail gives us insight on why these shorter treks are great - especially for those hikers who don't have 4-6 months for a full thru-hike. This is especially helpful for experienced hikers who can't get back on trail in their current phase of life (hello kids, mortgages, an...

Learn about creek crossings and how to stay safe while doing it with the founder of Mountain Education, Ned Tibbits ! In this episode, Ned goes into his tried and true techniques to safely cross bodies of water while hiking and backpacking. He also gives tips for hikers preparing for Sierra travel along the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail , and for general backpacker travel where creek or riv...

Backpacking & thru-hiking legend Chris Townsend joins us on the podcast to talk about his best tips for trail photography and for writing in the outdoor space. He's hiked 30,000+ miles around the world on the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Arizona Trail, and more. You can learn more about Chris in ⁠ Episode #180⁠ and Episode #195 of this podcast. Ch...

Get to know our 2025 Trail Team of thru-hiking trail correspondents in this episode, and stay tuned for more episodes featuring them in the coming months! Our hikers are trekking on the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Camino de Santiago , and more. In this episode, you'll get insight on: 1. The hikers' backgrounds and trails they've hiked 2. What trail...

Get to know our 2025 Trail Team of thru-hiking trail correspondents in this episode, and stay tuned for more next week! Our hikers are trekking on the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Eastern Continental Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, Hexatrek, Fisherman's Trail , and more. In this episode, you'll get insight on: 1. The hikers' backgrounds and trails they'...

Backpacking & thru-hiking legend Chris Townsend joins us on the podcast to talk about his best tips for long-distance hikers, trail food, and what to know about gear and shakedown hikes. Some trails he's tackled include the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Arizona Trail, and so much more. You can learn more about Chris in Episode #180 of this podcast....

Learn about creek crossings and how to stay safe while doing it with the founder of Mountain Education, Ned Tibbits ! Here, Ned goes into his tried and true techniques to safely deal with the hazards of crossing bodies of water while hiking and backpacking. He also gives tips for hikers preparing for the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail , and for general backpacker travel where creek or river...

If you're a thru-hiker , don't miss this episode featuring Morgan Brosnihan - the founder and physical therapist behind Blaze Physio! Here, Morgan tells us how she got into the physical therapy space & how her Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike inspired her to serve long-distance hikers. Injury is the top reason why hikers have to exit trail early, and she's here to help. In this episod...

Learn about backpacker snow safety with the founder of Mountain Education, Ned Tibbits ! Here, Ned describes how to safely travel through snow using tried and true techniques. He also gives tips for hikers preparing for the Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail , or for general backpacking travel in snow. ⁠ If you'd like to watch this video, you can ⁠apply for our Trail Family membership⁠ , and can...

Continental Divide Trail & Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker Mike "Just Mike" McClure dives into technology for long-distance backpackers in this jam-packed episode! He goes into detail on the best tips and tools to help you have a successful and safe hike. In this episode, you'll learn about: 1. The best planners to use including packing planners, trip planners, food planners, and...

Triple Crowner and Coast-To-Coast Trail hiker Michael "Maxheap" Goshey talks all things backpacking and thru-hiking with Cheer in part 2 of his jam-packed interview. Here, he goes over the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, & Continental Divide Trail - & gives us an idea of the differences in pursuit of the coveted Triple Crown of hiking. In this episode, you'll learn ab...