Dog Mushing, 20+ Years in the Navy, and the Triple Crown with Ben "Ginger Ballz" Vaughan (BPR #294)
Release Date: 02/24/2025
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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’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 deep dive into his current gig managing a dog mushing and guiding company in Colorado, working with Iditarod-winning pups. He breaks down the process of training huskies for guiding, the biggest challenges of mushing, and the unique bond he shares with his dogs.
We close out the show with a feature on a man who thru-hiked the AT while legally blind, a debate on whether airplanes have keys, why Zach is no longer allowed to enjoy pho, Chaunce’s honey grease, the Triple Crown of abbreviated insults, and more.
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 Ben “Ginger Ballz” Vaughan
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:12 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!
00:08:05 - Introducing Ben
00:10:00 - Tell us about your Navy experience
00:12:10 - What’s it like chasing down pirates?
00:16:06 - Tell us about transitioning between the Navy and thru-hiking
00:19:00 - How did the AT get on your radar?
00:20:38 - Did your military background help you go into the AT with confidence?
00:22:30 - Did you do thru-hiking specific research?
00:24:02 - Did you feel your purpose restored when you started the AT?
00:24:30 - Do you think thru-hikers could succeed in the military?
00:26:20 - Tell us about the Kona Ironman?
00:28:20 - Tell us about the Navy culture in Coronado
00:31:15 - Did you know right away that thru-hiking was for you?
00:34:10 - How did you feel upon finishing the AT?
00:36:00 - What other traits did you get from the Navy that aided you in thru-hiking?
00:39:44 - Tell us about going from the AT to the PCT
00:42:50 - What was it like adjusting to the high snow year on the PCT?
00:48:00 - Can you completely recover from frostbite?
00:50:00 - Did you freak out when you were stuck in a blizzard?
00:51:55 - Was it fun seeing the Sierra in a different season?
00:53:55 - When did you decide to complete the Triple Crown?
00:57:10 - What was the difference in reactions you got on the CDT versus the AT?
00:58:14 - What did your Big 3 look like on the CDT?
01:00:45 - How does a snowy Smokies compare to the snowy Sierras?
01:05:00 - Tell us about hiking the Hayduke
01:09:45 - Tell us about dropping your pack down a canyon
01:12:20 - Tell us about hiking the Superior Hiking Trail
01:15:12 - Tell us about hiking the Long Trail
01:17:00 - How did you end up in Alaska dog mushing?
01:19:30 - What are the dogs like in their off time?
01:22:00 - What does it take to win the Iditarod?
01:23:10 - How do you train the dog to do what it needs to do?
01:24:50 - How can you tell if one of the dogs is getting tired?
01:26:10 - What do the dogs eat?
01:29:15 - Story from the Iditarod
01:31:40 - How does the tour operation work in CO?
01:33:00 - What types of commands do the dogs know?
01:35:10 - Who are your dogs?
01:39:45 - What do you pack for a backcountry dog mushing trip?
01:40:50 - What is your bond like with the dogs?
01:42:00 - How long can the dogs run for?
01:43:40 - Are Huskies all not great off leash?
01:47:05 - Ben is hiring!
01:49:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda
- Thru-Hiking While Blind: Completing the Appalachian Trail With A Visual Disability by Andrew Neylon
- The Best Trail Runners for Thru-Hiking in 2025 by the Editors
QOTD: Do airplanes have keys?
Thing of the Week
Triple Crown of short insults
Gross or Not Gross
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
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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, Ben Love, 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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