Graduating Army Ranger School and Thru-Hiking After 30+ Years in the Military with Jay "Meat Grinder" France (BPR #303)
Release Date: 04/28/2025
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, brought to you by Topo Atheltic, we are joined by Jay “Meat Grinder” France. Meat Grinder is a thru-hiker, author, and 31-year veteran of the Air Force, having completed 10 deployments and graduated from Army Ranger School in the process. Jay details his military background, including some key similarities and differences relative to thru-hiking, how he used vlogging as a way to stay in touch with his sons on trail, and the hilarious blood nipple origin story of his trail name. Meat Grinder also recently served as a volunteer advocate for Hike The Hill, an annual event where trail advocates meet with U.S. Congress to promote policies and funding that support trails, public lands, and outdoor recreation. Jay offers some important advice for those who want to advocate for public lands, especially relevant in today’s climate.
We wrap the show with the top AT hostels, our triple crown of airplane snacks, and two completely unnecessary improvements to the Appalachian Trail.
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Interview with Jay “Meat Grinder” France
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:42 - Reminders: Take our survey! Say hi to us at Trail Days, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!
00:09:33 - Introducing Jay
00:10:14 - When did you almost ambush AT hikers?
00:15:25 - Tell us about Army Ranger School
00:20:07 - Did you see alligators in Florida?
00:22:13 - How did you decide to join the military?
00:24:07 - Fuck Marry Kill: Jay’s US assignment locations
00:25:50 - Tell us about being a canine officer
00:29:44 - Tell us about your deployments after 911
00:32:25 - When did you have kids amidst your deployments?
00:33:10 - What were some of the terrifying experiences?
00:35:50 - What do they teach you in Army Ranger School?
00:41:20 - Do you think you could have passed early on in your military years?
00:45:25 - Tell us about hiking the Wonderland Trail in 2003
00:48:25 - Do you have tips for people from the military getting started hiking?
00:49:40 - How did you decide to go on that hike?
00:51:10 - Did you still enjoy the hike?
00:52:30 - What led to your retirement from the military?
00:55:25 - How did you get your trail name?
01:03:00 - How did your family react to your decision to hike the PCT?
01:06:15 - How were the snow and fires on the PCT?
01:15:30 - How did you handle skipping miles due to the fires?
01:20:18 - What was your social environment like on the trail?
01:24:27 - Do you think unplugging was good for you?
01:26:55 - Did you know right away you’d do another thru-hike?
01:29:15 - Did the ranger school prepare you for the CT?
01:34:25 - Are your sons interested in hiking with you?
01:37:25 - Tell us about the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2023
01:40:12 - Tell us about your book
01:43:40 - What aspect of the book have you gotten the most positive feedback on?
01:47:00 - What were some of the mental health challenges you dealt with?
01:54:27 - Tell us about being a Hike the Hill advocate for the PCTA
01:59:38 - Do you have advice for people who want to get involved?
02:05:52 - Where can people go to keep up with you?
02:06:50 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: The Best Hostels to Visit on the Appalachian Trail in 2025 by Katie Jackson
QOTD: If you could make one completely unnecessary improvement to the Appalachian Trail, what would it be?
Triple Crown of airplane snacks
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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