Live from Austin: Paul Magnanti, aka "PMags," on Hot Gear Takes, Public Lands, & Hiking the Southwest (BPR #305)
Release Date: 05/12/2025
Casey "Vegas" Huffman on His WILD Trail Name Origin Story, Reinventing Himself through Hiking, and an Expedition in Alaska (BPR #332)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Casey Huffman, known on trail as Vegas. Vegas has been mentioned a couple of times on this podcast in the past, as “the guy whose chest we signed” in 2023, and more recently, “the guy whose ass we signed”. As we learn in today’s episode, “signed ass guy” is also a real good hang. We chat about how Vegas’ mental health struggles ultimately lead him to the trail, how the hiking community and culture gave him the space to reinvent himself, and he shares quite possibly the...
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Triple Crowning with a Trombone, Working as a Hiking Guide, and the South Dakota Centennial Trail with Amy "Slider" Hunsucker
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Amy Hunsucker. On trail, Amy is known as “Slider” because she hikes with a trombone- something she’s done for the entire triple crown. We of course learn all about this fun quirk, including which animals were most appreciative of her on-trail concerts, which parts of trail provided the best acoustics, the reactions she’d get from other hikers and the broader trail community, and her go-to on-trail trombone jams. Slider also gives us the low down on getting her sawyer...
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Triple Crowning with Stage 4 Cancer with Jeff "Long Strides" Vonvai (BPR #330)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we’re joined by Jeff Vonvai, known on trail as Long Strides. This conversation will put life’s problems into perspective—because for the past seven years, Long Strides has been thru-hiking with stage 4 colon cancer, despite being given just a 3–6 month prognosis. Jeff shares what it’s like to balance intense rounds of chemo and surgery between hikes, the challenges of rebuilding his trail legs each time he returns to the trail, and how cancer has transformed his outlook on life—saying he’s...
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Musings on AI, Bikepacking, Past Girlfriends, Horse Facts, and Living Forever with Kenneth "Moron" Pararo (BPR #329)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Kenneth Pararo, known on trail as Moron. This is a podcast we’ve been wanting to make happen for several years now, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint. Moron is a thru-hiker, long-distance cyclist, philosopher, hopeless romantic, futurist, and most importantly, just a real solid hang. We learn about why he’s all in on AI- as evidenced by him riding cross country rocking his Meta AI glasses, why he quit is corporate tech job to more permanently pursue adventure and experience, how he completed...
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The First Female Hotshot Firefighters, Culture in the 1980s, and the Bigfoot Trail with Mary "Fireweed" Kwart (BPR #328)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we’re joined by Mary “Fireweed” Kwart. Fireweed is a thru-hiker, a Deadhead, and a pioneering figure in wildland firefighting with a career spanning more than 30 years. We dive into the challenges of being one of the first women to join the elite Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, the culture shock of entering a male-dominated field, and some of the most memorable stories from her decades on the fire line. Fireweed also reflects on how long-distance hiking has evolved since the 1970s,...
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Zach Hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc and Chaunce Got Married! (BPR #327)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by me. Because I hiked Tour du Mont Blanc. We go through all the nitty gritty details of my trip, including how I decided on going with a self-guided tour (aka staying in hotels instead of camping), the differences across the French, Italian, and Swiss portions of the trail, the best towns, the landscape highlights, the crowds, the food, how my knees asked for a divorce from my body, and everything else. But wait, there’s more. Chaunce is fresh off her wedding and honeymoon, she gives us the...
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Thru-Hiking 11,000+ Miles Together with Chris and Sara, aka Endless and QB (BPR #326)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by thru-hiking power couple who’ve hiked more than 11,000 miles together Chris and Sara, known on trail as Endless and QB. “What haven’t they hiked?” is a fair question, because it’s been a lot, including the AT, the PCT (twice), CDT, CT (twice), Arizona Trail, Manaslu Circuit, Hayduke, Long Trail, Cohos Trail, Loowit Trail, Wonderland Trail, Ruby Crest Trail, Why-wash, (ahl-pah-MY-oh) / Santa Cruz Trek, the GR20, and more, believe it or not. They share the story of how they met,...
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Vancouver Island Trails, PCT Pie Record, and Canadian Culture with Spencer "Boiler" Dunn (BPR #325)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Spencer “Boiler” Dunn. Boiler, is a self-described “pro-yapper”, improv leader, former employee of Parks Canada, pie enthusiast, and of course, a backpacker. Spencer takes us through his long trail adventures across Canada, including the Bruce Trail, West Coast Trail, North Coast Trail, and Nootka Island Trail—journeys that brought him face-to-face with some incredible wildlife, from bears to whales to the elusive sea wolf. We also dive into his recent hike on the PCT—how he broke the...
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Fighting a Grizzly Bear and Leaving the Mormon Church with Wesley "Megaman" Tils (BPR #324)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Wesley Tils, known on trail as Megaman. Buckle in because oh boy does Megaman have an origin story. After growing up in the Mormon church, leaving the church to become a pro boxer, quitting boxing to give the church another shot and going on a missionary trip as his trial of faith, and ultimately leaving the church for good during this missionary trip, escaping onto the PCT with several church members essentially chasing him in pursuit, Megaman’s path to thru-hiking was not...
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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...
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.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKWINTER15” at topoathletic.com.
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Purple Rain Skirts: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off at purplerainskirts.com.
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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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