A 3,600 Mile Triathlon, International Kidnapping, and A Truck-Pulling Marathon with Justin True (BPR #299)
Release Date: 03/30/2025
Jeff Oliver aka IBTAT on Sober Triple Crowning, The Scottish National Trail, and Kungsleden Trail (BPR #323)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, we’re joined by Jeff Oliver, better known on trail and online as IBTAT. In addition to building a large following on YouTube and Instagram, IBTAT will be a familiar voice to long-time Backpacker Radio listeners, as he was part of our first season of Trail Correspondents. We dive into IBTAT’s story, including his journey to 12 years of sobriety — going from drinking two fifths of liquor a day to cutting alcohol cold turkey overnight, and the dangerous side effects that followed. We also cover his more...
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Liz "Handstand" Kidder: Scary Moments in the Sierra, Skydiving Near Miss, and Donating a Kidney (BPR #322)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by social media and YouTube sensation, Liz “Handstand” Kidder. Liz is a thru-hiker, vlogger, dreadlock artist, former skydiving fanatic, and a handstand-expert. Liz gives us her full story, including the events that lead to her becoming sober in 2014, how she nearly died in a horrifying skydive gone wrong, how the internet got way too much into her biz almost immediately into her thru-hiking journey, the time she donated a kidney, and we make her choose which trail reigns supreme...
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Dan Durston 2.0: Durston Gear's Cult Following, Gear Innovations, and Design Philosophy (BPR #321)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined once again by Dan Durston. Dan is the man behind Durston Gear, a backpacking gear brand that has exploded in popularity amongst long-distance backpackers over the last handful of years. Dan gives us the rundown on how his business and life have changed since he was last on the show, when another company was exclusively selling his designs via a third-party manufacturer, including taking a second mortgage out on his house, quitting his job as a biologist, and going all in on slinging...
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The Wonderland Trail with Sassafras: Permits, Campsites, and Gear (BPR #320)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are chatting all things Wonderland Trail. The Trek’s very own Jess Stone is fresh off her thru-hike of this near-100 mile lap around Mt. Rainier in Washington, and gives us a detailed breakdown of her journey and the trail at large. We cover the ideal number of days to do this hike, the standout campsites, wildlife, the permitting process, and the best games to play on trail with your hiking buddies to pass the time such as eating rocks. We wrap the show with a couple of new opportunities to...
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Top National Park After Dark Stories: Night of the Grizzlies, Grandma Gatewood, and Cocaine Bear (BPR #319)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Danielle and Cassie, the hosts of the popular podcast, National Park After Dark. In this episode, Chaunce gets the lowdown on some of the most outrageous stories from the our beloved national parks, including the infamous cocaine bear, tuberculosis huts in Mammoth Cave National Park, the tragic tale of Ishi, the last Yahi, who emerged from Lassen Park in the early 19th century, and the night there were two separate fatal grizzly attacks in Glacier National Park. We wrap the show with an...
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Quitting a Thru-Hike, Living Nomadically, and Working as a Chef with Juliette "Scorpion Queen" Kerven (BPR #318)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Juliette Kerven, known on trail as Scorpion Queen. Juliette is a Michelin-trained chef, former yacht crew member, full-time nomad, and a thru-hiker of both the PCT and AT, and we caught her during her CDT thru-hike attempt for this conversation. This is a solo interview led by Chaunce, and it ventures into some uncharted emotional terrain for this podcast as Scorpion Queen openly wrestles with whether or not to continue her hike, and she ultimately comes to a decision...
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The Pinhoti Trail with Nathan "Switchback" Wright (BPR #317)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Nathan Wright, known on trail as Switchback. Nathan is an ambassador for the Pinhoti Trail and Alabama trails more broadly, wearing almost too many hats to count. He is the co-founder of the Pinhoti Outdoor Center - a hostel he runs with his wife, President of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society, Vice President of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail Association, Chairman of the Board of the Pinhoti Experience Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Alabama Trails Commission. In this...
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The Northern Colorado Trail with Kevin "Sunshine" Silvernale (BPR #316)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Kevin “Sunshine” Silvernale. Originally a commercial pilot from Seattle, Kevin thru-hiked the PCT in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the Hiker Trash lifestyle. That passion led him to put his flying career on hold to hike the AT, Colorado Trail, much of the CDT, and most recently, to begin creating a brand-new long trail route, the Northern Colorado Trail. We chat about his life as a pilot, including when Chaunce coaxed him into sharing a story about how he joined...
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Impacts of Climate Change on the Colorado Trail with Triple Crowner and Scientist Karl Ford (BPR #315)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Karl Ford. Karl is a retired environmental scientist, conservationist, and author of Triple Crown Hiking Adventures and The Colorado Trail in Crisis: A Naturalist's Field Report on Climate Change in Mountain Ecosystems. In this conversation, we dive into Karl’s experiences hiking the Triple Crown, his perspective on the current state of conservation and what the future may hold, and how climate change is already impacting our beloved long trails, with a special focus on the Colorado...
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Fascinating Colorado Outdoor Recreation Stories with OutThere Colorado's Spencer McKee (BPR #314)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Spencer McKee, the Director of Content and Operations for OutThere Colorado. If you’ve been to Colorado and have Instagram, you’ve likely already come across Spencer’s videos - he’s mastered the art of packaging interesting Colorado news stories, culture, and fun facts into short form video content through OutThere’s social media channels. Spencer shares some of his favorite standout outdoor rec stories from the great state of Colorado with us, including what's underneath...
info_outlineIn today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Justin True. Justin's story is truly remarkable. From growing up in a home with intense physical and emotional abuse, to becoming a professional MMA fighter, to pulling a 1.5 vehicle for a full-marathon, to completing a 24hr Hero Crossfit WODathon, to being kidnapped in Egypt and deported for being accused of spying for the government, getting attacked by a shark, and most recently completing the "True Triathlon" a country wide endurance feat, including a 50-mile swim, 3,000-mile bike ride, and a 600-mile run. Given that Justin does everything to the extreme, following suit, this interview is also a marathon, but we promise you the time will fly by.
Warning: This episode discusses suicide. If this topic is triggering, we encourage you to skip this interview. Help is available, call or text 988 for support.
We wrap the show with the reality TV shows we want to see come to fruition, the triple crown of things that give us unreasonable anxiety, and our brutally honest opinion about New York's Northville Placid Trail.
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Ombraz: Use code “BACKPACKER30” for $30 off at ombraz.com/discount/backpacker30.
[divider]
Interview with Justin True
Time stamps & Questions
00:04:52 - Reminders: Join us for our live show in Austin, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek! And sign up for the Trek’s newsletter!
00:09:30 - Introducing Justin
00:10:17 - Why are you flying out to Florida?
00:14:15 - How long did the marathon take you when you were pulling a truck?
00:18:10 - Where do you get these crazy ideas?
00:23:50 - Tell us about your challenging upbringing
00:28:00 - Where do you think their anger came from?
00:31:30 - Was your mom aware of what was happening?
00:32:30 - When did you pick up fighting?
00:35:00 - Discussion about Justin’s parents
00:42:20 - Did your brother’s behavior change towards you after that?
00:43:25 - Have you thought about choosing a different path than your family?
00:46:30 - Did you work as an engineer?
00:47:40 - Tell us about fighting full time
00:53:25 - Were you ever afraid while fighting?
00:54:37 - At what point did you shift into more endurance related sports?
00:57:13 - How much cardio did you do while fighting?
01:00:00 - Do you have Type 1 fun while you’re struggling?
01:02:20 - Do you ever miss adrenaline while on long runs?
01:05:30 - Tell us the background of Cycle4Gaza
01:08:00 - Tell us about getting kidnapped in Africa
01:27:30 - Were you afraid at any point during this ordeal?
01:29:25 - Did you see anything you shouldn’t have seen?
01:30:35 - Tell us about setting the single person record for the Three National Peaks
01:37:00 - How were you working all this financially?
01:39:40 - Tell us about doing the Olympic Triathlon with a 90 pound hammer
01:42:45 - When did the kilt come into play?
01:50:58 - Did you fight a shark?
01:58:20 - What’s the heaviest you’ve deadlifted?
02:02:05 - Tell us about your 500-mile walk across Madagascar
02:16:34 - What were the highlights of Madagascar?
02:21:50 - Tell us about the 24hr Hero Crossfit WODathon
02:28:04 - Where did the idea for the True Triathlon come from?
02:31:00 - Discussion about the swim portion
02:34:30 - How big was your team?
02:39:00 - How are you so hard on yourself but see other people differently?
02:43:10 - Where does the poop go?
02:44:30 - Where do you start biking?
02:50:20 - Why did the swim coach stay until Houston?
02:53:00 - What does your mom think about all your adventures?
02:53:40 - What standout stories do you have from the biking portion?
02:59:40 - Justin’s plans for next year
03:01:25 - Discussion about falling asleep while swimming
03:05:30 - Discussion about the triathlon
03:22:00 - What’s the takeaway of being inspired by other people?
03:23:30 - What’d you feel when you finally finished?
03:27:00 - Tell us about Naked & Afraid
03:30:30 - Were you shy about being naked on tv?
03:33:00 - What were your takeaways from the show?
03:36:25 - What was the duration and the prize?
03:41:00 - Have you considered any more traditional endurance events like FKTs or the Barkley?
03:42:35 - Tell us about the runs you do while drinking beer
03:45:15 - Do you have any plans on slowing down?
03:48:00 - Where should people go to keep up with you?
Segments
QOTD: What’s a reality TV show you want to see brought into existence?
Triple Crown of things that give you unreasonable anxiety
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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