Triple Crowning as a Family of 6, Parenting Teenagers on Trail, and Life Lessons with Vince & Georgie Strawbridge
Release Date: 01/13/2025
10+ International Hikes and a Continuous Yo-Yo of the AT and Long Trail with Curtis Himstedt (BPR #296)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Curtis Himstedt, known on trail as Easily Forgotten. Easily Forgotten’s backpacking resume is bananas. A partial list of his adventures includes the Annapurna Circuit, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in Wales, the GR10, Tour du Mont Blanc, Yorkshire Dales High Way, South Downs Way, and Cotswold Way in England, the Triple Crown in the U.S., the Tahoe Rim Trail, and a continuous yo-yo of the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail between 2023-2024. Curtis takes us through these treks,...
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8 Tips for 2025 Appalachian Trail Hikers (BPR #295)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by LMNT, Chaunce and Badger are serving up tips for this year’s class of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. We’re covering everything from social dynamics and budgeting to mental prep, diet, why you should document your hike, some listener submission tips, and much more. We also give a rundown of advice from previous episodes in case you want to dig even deeper into getting ready for the Appalachian Trail. Whether you’re hitting the AT this year, planning for a future trek, or know someone who is, this episode...
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Dog Mushing, 20+ Years in the Navy, and the Triple Crown with Ben "Ginger Ballz" Vaughan (BPR #294)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Ben Vaugh, known on trail as Ginger Ballz. Ben is a Navy veteran, accomplished thru-hiker, and currently works as a dog musher, a topic Chaunce and Badger had way too much fun diving into. Ginger Ballz takes us through his transition from the military to thru-hiking, why he recommends it to fellow service members, and the parallels between the two. He shares stories from his hikes of the Triple Crown trails, the Hayduke, Superior Hiking Trail, and Long Trail. We also get a...
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Managing Relationships while Thru-Hiking with Michele Weiner-Davis, aka Zach's Mom
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by acclaimed author, marriage therapist, and speaker, Michele Weiner-Davis, known in my household simply as "mom". Being our Valentine's Day episode, this one is meant to equip you with the knowledge necessary to make your relationship flourish. We cover a range of questions, both general tips on how to improve your relationships, but also thru-hiking specific scenarios, including how to navigate when one partner is on the trail and the other is back home, encountering challenges when...
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Viking Q&A: First Aid Kits, Electronics, Socks, and a Beard Update
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are A’in your Q’s, with our pal and yours, the lightly bearded Jabba aka The Real Hiking Viking. In today’s question and answer we dive into a host of nitty gritty backpacking details, including what exactly is in our first aid kit, electronics bag (down to the cords), and our stuff sac systems, including some specific product recommendations. We also chat about our least favorite backpacking trips, our thought process in choosing socks for a backpacking trip, and what we deem as the...
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The Rise and Fall of GoLite and Balancing Federal Budgets with Demetri "Coup" Coupounas
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Demetri Coupounas, aka Coup, the founder of GoLite and MyTrail Company. Coup might just be the most interesting man in the world. This conversation takes us through his incredible journey, from his work balancing the federal budget in the '80s and '90s to becoming the first person to complete unsupported hikes of the Colorado Trail and the Long Trail, and how he stumbled upon the once underground world of ultralight backpacking. We also dive into the history of GoLite, from its role...
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Making Gear for People with Boobs with Symbiosis Gear Founder Sarah Berkeley
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Sarah “Mellow” Berkeley, founder of Symbiosis Gear, a pack-making company designed specifically for people with boobs. Sarah shares insights into her unique upbringing in a small log cabin in rural Colorado, her adventures on the Long Trail, PCT, Colorado Trail, and half of the CDT, and her journey to creating a backpack tailored for primarily women. We dive into the inspiration behind her patented S-shaped shoulder strap, the challenges of starting a business with no prior...
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Thru-Hiking with 50-Year-Old Gear with Jared "Snackbox" Champion
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Jared “Snackbox” Champion. Snackbox is s a hiker, father, and Youtuber who, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Colorado Trail, hiked it almost exclusively with 50 year old gear. We talk about the process of sourcing this gear, the hardest items to acquire, the least backpacker-friendly items of the bunch, which gear hasn’t advanced as much, and how his appreciation for gear has changed in light of this experience. Jared also shares the story of bonding with his...
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Triple Crowning as a Family of 6, Parenting Teenagers on Trail, and Life Lessons with Vince & Georgie Strawbridge
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Vince and Georgie Strawbridge, one-third of the six-person thru-hiking family. We last caught up with the Strawbridges in early 2020, when they were freshly off their hike of the PCT. Since, they’ve conquered both the CDT and the AT, completing the Triple Crown as a full family. We dive into the high and lowlights of these treks from the perspectives of Vince (dad) and Georgie (the youngest in the family). They share insights on navigating the CDT during COVID,...
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Backpacker Radio LIVE with Kyle Hates Hiking: A New Trail Mystery, Shaving Jabba's Beard, and Kyle's Reddit Haters
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined yet again by Kyle O’Grady of Kyle Hates Hiking for our 2nd live podcast, recorded at the Skylark Lounge in Denver. This episode is action-packed. We kick off the episode by shaving Viking’s beard. The beard shaving is the ultimate entertainment, we encourage you to check this one out on YouTube. Kyle then shares an exclusive trail mystery about a local Colorado man who disappeared while pursuing another man who also vanished under mysterious circumstances. We also talk shop about...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Vince and Georgie Strawbridge, one-third of the six-person thru-hiking family. We last caught up with the Strawbridges in early 2020, when they were freshly off their hike of the PCT. Since, they’ve conquered both the CDT and the AT, completing the Triple Crown as a full family.
We dive into the high and lowlights of these treks from the perspectives of Vince (dad) and Georgie (the youngest in the family). They share insights on navigating the CDT during COVID, overcoming multiple bouts of hypothermia, how one Strawbridge daughter managed to hike the CDT despite being severely anemic, why the AT ranked as their least favorite of the Triple Crown trails, hiking the AT as a group of seven (adding another kiddo for this one), some especially serendipitous instances of trail magic, and Vince’s unconventional—and hilarious—efforts to convince his wife, Monica, to take on another thru-hike, including a group therapy session with their friends.
We wrap the show with new of a job opening at Backpacker Radio, we ponder how far from a star you should be before it’s safe to stare, a FMK of places to get wet, a breakdown of how much more expensive it is to hike the AT these days, and the Triple Crown of human names that sound like they could double as state names.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKWINTER15” at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off packs at gossamergear.com.
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Interview with Vince & Georgie Strawbridge
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:34 - Reminders: Apply to join the BPR team or vlog for the Trek, get tickets to our live show in Austin on April 17, and support us on Patreon!
00:11:20 - Introducing Vince & Georgie Strawbridge
00:12:12 - How did Georgie break her leg?
00:13:18 - How old are all the kids now?
00:15:00 - How has your interest in hiking changed since you were last on the podcast?
00:16:06 - How do you feel about hiking as a kid?
00:18:49 - How did you find time to write the book?
00:25:25 - What did you learn through writing the book?
00:28:20 - Did Zach & Chaunce find parallels between hiking and writing?
00:32:20 - Now that you’re older, have you noticed hiking feeling different?
00:33:50 - How did you decide on the CDT next?
00:39:27 - How should Zach get his kids to like hiking?
00:43:40 - What was the result of the group referee sessions?
00:45:45 - What are some highlights of the first part of the trail?
00:48:35 - How did you manage the logistics after the first 400 miles?
00:51:00 - What was your dog encounter?
00:52:50 - How did you manage schooling on trail?
00:54:53 - What were some cool stories that overlapped with the trail?
00:59:40 - How does your homeschooling curriculum interact with applying to college?
01:03:10 - What do you want to do when you grow up?
01:04:10 - Tell us about the time you took too much Benadryl
01:07:35 - What was the tent breakup on the CDT?
01:09:22 - What was your level of enjoyment on the CDT?
01:10:30 - Did you notice your own growth between the trails?
01:11:27 - What’s the dynamic between you and your siblings?
01:14:20 - Tell us about the September storm
01:20:20 - Do you ever have meetings without Vince?
01:24:00 - Discussion about finding out June was anemic
01:26:50 - Were you hesitant to have June join you on the AT?
01:27:52 - How did you decide to go northbound on the AT?
01:29:17 - What was it like going from the CDT during covid to the AT northbound?
01:34:00 - How did you weigh the pros and cons of hiking as a large group?
01:38:20 - Did you get any negative comments online?
01:43:26 - Did it feel like you were in easy mode on the AT?
01:47:30 - Story about running out of food
01:49:50 - What was it like getting your first real trail magic experience?
01:54:40 - Did someone get trench foot on this hike?
01:55:30 - What was it like to reach the sign on Katahdin?
01:57:45 - How has the Triple Crown experience changed your kids?
02:01:30 - Would you want to be homeschooled again?
02:04:45 - Give us the highlights of the Great Divide Trail
02:08:15 - Who handles cold water better?
02:09:13 - What was it like navigating the fire season?
02:13:18 - Is the hitching culture different in Canada?
02:14:10 - Tell us about your plans for 2025?
02:16:39 - Peak Performance Question: What’s your top performance enhancing hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda
- Is It Getting More Expensive To Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail? by Kelly Floro
- Thru-Hiking With Eczema (and How My Body Surprised Me Along the Way) by Amanda Campbell
QOTD: How far from a star must you be to be safe to stare?
Triple Crown of (human) names that sound like they could be names of states
Fuck Marry Kill: Places to get wet
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Brent Stenberg, Bryan Alsop, Christopher Marshburn, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Derek Koch, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Greg McDaniel, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Liz Seger, Mud Tom, Patrick Cianciolo, Rebecca Brave, Sawyer Products, SPAM, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger’ Fawns
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