Live from Austin: Paul Magnanti, aka "PMags," on Hot Gear Takes, Public Lands, & Hiking the Southwest (BPR #305)
Release Date: 05/12/2025
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...
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20,000+ Miles in under 10 Years, a Desert Hike from Tucson to San Diego, and Life as a Mariner with Leah "Twig" Harman (BPR #313)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Leah Harman, known on trail as Twig. Although Twig is relatively new to the world of thru-hiking, with less than 10 years of experience, she’s hit the ground running, accruing well over 20,000 miles in the process. In addition to all the usual suspects, triple crown trails, Colorado Trail, TA, Arizona Trail…Twig has also completed a number of lesser known trails, including the Mogollon Rim Trail, Bigfoot Trail, and a Desert Winter Thru-Hike from Tucson to San Diego. We of course learn...
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Thru-Hiking for 30 Years, Working for ALDHA-West, Six Moon Designs, & FarOut, and Ridgerunning with a Dog with Whitney "Allgood" La Ruffa (BPR #312)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Whitney La Ruffa, better known in the world of backpacking as “Allgood.” Allgood is the former president of ALDHA-West, the current Chief Revenue Officer at FarOut, and a certified backpacking OG—his first thru-hike dates all the way back to the early ’90s (some of you weren’t even alive then… which is weird). Since that first trek, Allgood has racked up an impressive list of trails, including the JMT, Wonderland Trail, Chinook Trail, Sierra High Route, PCT, CDT, and others. In this episode, we...
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Julia "Rocket" Sheehan on Her Social Media Fall from Grace, Quitting on a Thru-Hike, and Her New Book (BPR #311)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Julia Sheehan, known on trail, as Rocket. Julia is a thru-hiker, former Trek Vlogger, social media sensation, nurse, and now a published author. Julia details how impulsive decision-making lead her to the wonderful world that is thru-hiking, inspired in part by everyone’s favorite Hiking Viking. Rocket also shares how health issues ultimately forced her off-trail, the unsavory response she’s gotten from some in the social media sphere in light of “quitting” and subsequently...
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A Lifetime of Trail Maintenance: the Blackburn Trail Center, Building the AT Rollercoaster, and the Potomac AT Club with Chris “Trailboss” Brunton (BPR #310)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Chris Brunton aka “Trailboss”. Trailboss is a legendary force in the construction and maintenance of the Appalachian Trail, most notably, the infamous Rollercoaster section of the trail through Virginia. Trailboss enlightens us with some history of the trail, the process for procuring the trail’s corridor through that section, how he met his wife (CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy) Sandi Marra, why he dedicates his life to the AT, and much more. We wrap the show with a...
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Thru-Hiking with Your Sister, Triple Crowning without a Trail Name, and Tour du Mont Blanc with Jamie Lambert (BPR #309)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Jamie Lambert. We learn why Jamie doesn’t have a trail name, and why it’s definitely not Strap On, what it’s like to thru-hike with your sister- which she did on the PCT in 2018, what it is about thru-hiking that makes it so addictive for her- having taken on long hikes every year over the last 8 seasons, what it’s like to become social media famous, and much more. We wrap the show with an overview from day one of Trail Days, some new legislation that could result in...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re coming to you live from Austin, Texas with our guest, Paul Magnanti, aka Mags, aka Pmags. A longtime co-host of The Trail Show and a triple crowner, Pmags has spent decades exploring trails across the country, with a special love for the Southwest. We dive into the future of public lands, hear some of his hot takes on gear, including his love for 100-weight fleece pullovers, his beef with sun hoodies, and where hikers tend to overspend, and get a look at his go-to "snivel gear." Pmags also shares stories from some of his lesser-known adventures, including the Ring the Peak Trail, A Walk Across Southern Utah, the Northern New Mexico Loop, the Grand Moab Route, and the Southeast Utah Group Circuit.
We wrap out the show with a rundown of the best sections of the Appalachian Trail (spoiler: #1 shocked our live audience), a "stupid thing of the week" (lost phone edition), a "gross or not gross" (chapstick edition), and the triple crown of trail towns.
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Purple Rain Skirts: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off at purplerainskirts.com.
[divider]
Interview with Paul Magnanti
Time stamps & Questions
00:07:05 - Reminders: Sign up for the Trek’s newsletter, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek! Trek booth location
00:10:00 - Introducing PMags
00:10:40 - What’s your backpacking origin story?
00:12:17 - Have you backpacked in Texas?
00:14:00 - How many people in Rhode Island backpack?
00:16:25 - Tell us about being a “structured rambler” and living in Moab
00:19:20 - What advice do you have for thru-hikers to incorporate more rambling into their hikes?
00:21:30 - What’s your backpacking resume?
00:24:15 - What’s your take on what’s happening with public lands?
00:28:47 - What do you look for in a headlamp?
00:35:00 - Tell us your opinion about sun hoodies
00:40:40 - Have you had a midlife crisis yet?
00:41:30 - Tell us about your wife!
00:43:22 - Are you worried about microplastics?
00:45:02 - What camera do you use?
00:50:00 - Discussion about The Trail Show
00:51:40 - Tell us about the 100-weight pullover fleece
00:56:38 - Tell us about snivel gear
00:57:40 - What’s your solo baseweight for a typical trip?
01:00:18 - What’s your take on trowels?
01:03:05 - What’s your take on campfires in the west?
01:09:55 - Tell us about the Ring the Peak Trail
01:13:50 - Tell us about A Walk Across Southern Utah
01:16:20 - Discussion about the beer in Utah
01:17:20 - Tell us about the cultures of Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico
01:20:35 - How much research do you do prior to your ramblings?
01:22:08 - What are some places that people should know about?
01:23:40 - Have you seen any megafauna in etchings?
01:27:13 - Tell us about the Northern New Mexico Loop
01:30:35 - Tell us about the South East Utah Group (SEUG) Circuit
01:34:15 - How do you prepare for paddling trips?
01:35:50 - What’s your most embarrassing moment while backpacking?
01:36:45 - What’s your scariest encounter with wildlife?
01:37:45 - What’s your most recent mistake?
01:39:50 - Fuck Marry Kill: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
01:41:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
01:42:40 - Where can people keep up with you?
Segments
Listener Q&A
Trek Propaganda:
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy Head Sandi Marra Announces Retirement by Katie Jackson
- Thru-Hikers Consistently Say These Are the 7 Best Sections of the Appalachian Trail by Katie Jackson
QOTD: What’s a hill you’re willing to die on that has nothing to do with hiking?
Stupid Thing of the Week
Gross or Not Gross
Triple Crown of trail towns
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
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