Backpacker Radio Podcast By The Trek cover art

Backpacker Radio

Backpacker Radio

By: The Trek
Listen for free

From the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest and everything in between. Backpacker Radio is a show all about the wonderful world that is thru-hiking and long distance backpacking. Co-hosts, Zach "Badger" Davis and Juliana "Chaunce" Chauncey muse on the backpacking life and the latest from the trail every other week. Topics include but are not limited to news, trail culture, interviews, gear, advice, and all you can eat buffets.The Trek
Episodes
  • Spirituality and Backpacking with Vicar Lyndsay "Wreckage" Monsen (BPR #349)

    Spirituality and Backpacking with Vicar Lyndsay "Wreckage" Monsen (BPR #349)
    Mar 23 2026
    In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, Jess and Chaunce are joined by Lyndsay "Wreckage" Monsen. Wreckage is a pastor in training and civil rights advocate and she reflects on what it means to bring spirituality into the backcountry in a way that resonates even with those wary of organized religion. We also touch on formative spiritual moments in Colorado, why the Superior Hiking Trail earned a spot on her hate list, and how her foot got fudged up real good on the Long Trail, complete with photographic evidence. We wrap the show with news of a climber who's accused of manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend near a mountain summit, we discuss whether my getting a carwash is diva behavior, the triple crown of pies, and an unhinged tangent into the subject of AI. LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Mountainsmith: Use code "TAKEAHIKE" for 20% off at mountainsmith.com. [divider] Interview with Lyndsay "Wreckage" Monsen Lyndsay's Instagram Lyndsay's Sermons Lyndsay's sermon referencing her CT hike Lyndsay's sermon about getting arrested Time stamps & Questions 00:08:25 - Reminders: Sign up for the Trek's newsletter, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:13:39 - Introducing Lyndsay 0:17:10 - Do your hikes help you in any way in your seminary work? 0:18:25 - Have any of your religious beliefs changed based on your hiking? 0:19:25 - Tell us about who you were when starting the AT 0:24:45 - What are your thoughts on body image as it relates to thru-hiking? 0:28:37 - What other standout moments did you have on the AT? 0:32:05 - What is seminary school? 0:39:55 - Tell us about doing the Long Trail 0:43:57 - Did you find that you were more spiritually challenged on the Long Trail? 0:45:35 - Tell us about the connection between the outdoors and spirituality 0:51:10 - What are your dates more shocked by? 0:52:25 - Discussion about the Lake City Hiker Center 1:00:31 - Did you find that your discussions on trail naturally veer towards spirituality? 1:05:09 - What was your confession at the Priest Shelter? 1:11:55 - What did you think about the Superior Hiking Trail? 1:22:05 - Tell us about the Colorado Trail 1:30:25 - Tell us your pee story 1:37:37 - Any standout stories from the Colorado Trail? 1:40:45 - Lyndsay's raccoon story 1:43:55 - Tell us about the relationship between nature access and church attendance 1:55:40 - What are your thoughts about the concept of sex? 1:58:00 - What are your future hiking plans? 2:00:25 - Tell us about getting arrested 2:11:55 - Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the world of backpacking or the outdoors at large? Segments Trek Propaganda Climber Accused of Manslaughter After Leaving Girlfriend Near Summit of Austria's Highest Peak by Kelly Floro Hiker Rescued From Appalachian Trail in the Smokies After Emergency SOS by Katie Jackson QOTD: Is getting a car wash diva behavior? Triple Crown of pies Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, Jason Kiser, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.
    Show more Show less
    3 hrs and 3 mins
  • 9 Tips for Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2026 (BPR #348)

    9 Tips for Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2026 (BPR #348)
    Mar 9 2026
    In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, we are breaking things down for the class of 2026 PCT thru-hikers with another edition of our top tips for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Chaunce and I are joined by everyone's favorite sauce/SOS, Elise Ott to share some brand new tips for trekking between Mexico and Canada, including advice about managing the sun, thoughts for approaching the trail during a high snow year, tips for dealing with wildfire, the beauty of cowboy camping, the importance of rolling with the punches, and much more. We wrap the show with some important news from the PCT southern terminus, the most overrated month for backpacking, the bucket list of animal sightings, and I give my one minute gear reviews on a slew of new items I tested on the SDTCT, including the a new pack, shelter, and trekking poles. LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Mountainsmith: Use code "TAKEAHIKE" for 20% off at mountainsmith.com. [divider] Panel with Elise "SOS" Ott Elise's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:25 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, sign up for the Trek's newsletter, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:08:17 - Introducing Elise 00:13:53 - Tell us about your upcoming running goals 00:22:30 - Introducing today's panel 00:24:01 - Elise's Tip #1: Roll with the punches 00:27:06 - Chaunce's Tip #1: Look up side quests in advance 00:30:41 - Zach's Tip #1: Have a plan for the sun 00:34:44 - Elise's Tip #2: Save more money than you think you need 00:36:45 - Chaunce's Tip #2: Prepare for encountering wildfires 00:48:40 - Zach's Tip #2: Consider going southbound in high snow years 00:56:05 - Elise's Tip #3: See it for yourself before making decisions 01:03:15 - Chaunce's Tip #3: Cowboy camp if you haven't yet 01:05:40 - Zach's Tip #3: Break it down into small sections 01:08:00 - Honorable mentions 01:13:52 - Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the world of backpacking? Segments Trek Propaganda: Barrier Construction Set To Begin at CDT Southern Terminus by Kelly Floro QOTD: What's the most overrated month for backpacking? Triple Crown of bucket list animal sightings One-Minute Gear Reviews Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, Jason Kiser, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.
    Show more Show less
    2 hrs and 16 mins
  • The San Diego Trans County Trail with Jabba, Jolly, Zach, and Jess (BPR #347)

    The San Diego Trans County Trail with Jabba, Jolly, Zach, and Jess (BPR #347)
    Mar 2 2026
    In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, myself, along with Jabba, Jolly, and Jess are giving you a rundown of our recent hike of the San Diego Trans County Trail. And this one is about as long as the trail itself, as we give a detailed daily overview of our hike, including the standout LOL stories, the biggest challenges associated with this trail - namely the amount of private land the route takes you though, the highlights- including some gorgeous desert terrain, an epic western terminus, and how our torrid hiking pace and some mismanaged fueling lead to the on-trail demise of our beloved Sassafras. Buckle in. We wrap the show with the triple crown of jobs if money weren't an issue and whether a 30-second random drop in the ocean every day for 5 years is worth a $100 million. Topo Athletic: Use code "TREKWINTER15" at topoathletic.com. Mountainsmith: Use code "TAKEAHIKE" for 20% off at mountainsmith.com. [divider] Interview with Jabba, Jolly, and Jess Jabba's InstagramJolly's InstagramJess's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:35 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:12:42 - Introducing the SDTCT hikers 00:13:40 - Why wasn't Chaunce invited? 00:16:14 - How did you choose to hike this trail? 00:19:00 - What are the fast stats of the SDTCT? 00:30:00 - Discussion about the water cache situation 00:36:05 - How do you get to and from the trail? 00:40:40 - What's the ideal season to hike this trail? 00:42:30 - SDTCT Day 1 00:54:14 - How do you handle navigation on this trail? 01:00:20 - What were the vibes at the end of day 1? 01:03:26 - How did Jess get so many blisters? 01:10:00 - Guess the Day 1 elevation 01:14:30 - SDTCT Day 2 01:44:30 - SDTCT Day 3 01:52:40 - Jolly's rash 01:56:10 - Zach's most difficult stretch of the trail 02:05:00 - Second half of day 3 02:09:00 - The end of day 3 02:17:00 - SDTCT Day 4 02:20:00 - Discussion about the cold and hand warmers 02:25:40 - Day 4 elevation guesses 02:26:30 - Jess's demise 02:39:40 - Zach's perspective of Jess's demise 02:45:25 - Night 4 02:55:00 - Chaunce's patent pending 02:56:16 - The end of day 4 03:03:52 - SDTCT Day 5 03:11:00 - Discussion about ticks 03:12:45 - Ramona Creek Trailhead 03:19:00 - SDTCT Day 6 03:36:50 - Discussion about the private land portions of the trail 03:50:40 - SDTCT Day 7 03:54:45 - Debate about publicizing the SDTCT 04:01:25 - Discussion about the final 40 miles of the trail Segments QOTD: $100 million but you have to survive 30 seconds in the ocean every day Triple Crown of jobs if money wasn't an issue Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jason Kiser, Krystyn Bell, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.
    Show more Show less
    4 hrs and 42 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Zach is chauvinistic and rude, Chaunce is smarter but she has to submit. The guests (mostly) are the best. Five stars because they asked nicely. is it April 1st yet?

this podcast stinks

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
They do a great job of having valuable guests and presenting relevant questions for entertainment and education. Love it!

Amazingly Professional

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wow what an honor to be the 1st five star review on Audible. I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for making me into the person I am today, but most of all I want to thank the astonishing Zach "Badger" Davis and the dazzling Juliana "Chaunce" Chauncey for hosting such an inspiring podcast. The duo have palpable charisma and carry on witty banter on everything backpacking related. From stories from the trail, gear reviews, and eclectic humor Backpacker Radio has it all. The guests are top notch with names like Jabba, Legend, Ballflap, Twerk in the dirt, and Pretzel to name a few. If you are a fan of anything hiking, backpacking, or thru hiking related this is the podcast for you. If you are interested in getting started in any of these hobbies this is the podcast for you. If you just want to listen to and mock people that like walking really far and sleeping outside for fun this is the podcast for you. Bottom line give this podcast a shot Badger and Chaunce will not disappoint.

The Honorable 1st 5 ⭐ Audible Review

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.