Lightning Safety and Myth Busting with NOAA Meteorologist Charlie Woodrum (BPR #308)
Release Date: 06/02/2025
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
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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 LMNT, we are giving you the lowdown on everything to do with lightning safety. We are joined by Charlie Woodrum who is the Preparedness and Resilience Lead with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service. We learn all about the biggest myths regarding lightning safety (including how metal trekking poles aren’t an added risk while backpacking), clear guidance on minimizing risk when caught in a thunderstorm, telltale signs of when the weather is going to turn, at what distance from a lightning strike are you considered safe, and much more.
We wrap the show with some new YouTube videos from The Trek, the scariest weather Zach and Chaunce have ever encountered, Zach's new stupidest thing of the week: fork edition, and the triple crown of juices.
LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek.
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Shady Rays: Use code “TREK” for 35% off at shadyrays.com.
Betterment: Learn more at betterment.com/trek.
[divider]
Interview with Charlie Woodrum
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:20 - Reminders: listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, and apply to blog for the Trek!
00:11:15 - Introducing Charlie
00:12:20 - Tell us about NOAA
00:14:02 - How did you initially get into weather?
00:16:56 - Do meteorologists have certain traits?
00:19:03 - What is the perfect date for weather?
00:22:50 - Are you ever bored when the weather is calm?
00:23:35 - Are there hot topics in the meteorology community?
00:25:57 - Do you have any crazy storm chasing stories?
00:34:11 - What are the biggest misconceptions about lightning?
00:36:28 - What should you do when hiking above treeline?
00:38:00 - Is the timing between thunder and lightning real?
00:39:24 - What are your recommended weather apps?
00:40:40 - How far away should you be from lightning strikes to be considered safe?
00:41:35 - Do you find that free weather apps are sufficient?
00:42:50 - What are some of the early signs of a thunderstorm forming?
00:44:11 - What are the cues for specific locations?
00:46:45 - Do you not have to worry about lightning before you hear thunder?
00:47:56 - Where should you be when in a forest?
00:50:00 - Is the lightning crouch still recommended?
00:51:30 - What if there’s no treeline around?
00:53:30 - Where should you put your tent?
00:57:00 - What percentage of lightning strikes are fatal?
00:59:40 - What do you do if someone gets struck by lightning?
01:02:05 - Should hikers be concerned about metal objects they’re carrying?
01:03:30 - What about bodies of water?
01:04:40 - What are some obvious questions that we haven’t asked?
01:06:35 - What should you do if you feel tingly or there’s static in the air?
01:08:27 - At what percentage of forecasted storms would you feel comfortable going outside?
01:11:00 - When is it safe to go back up to the treeline?
01:12:00 - Are there places where weather is harder to predict?
01:14:05 - What impact do you think AI will have on the future of forecasting?
01:16:16 - Are there any tech innovations that you’re excited about?
01:17:30 - Where can people keep up with you?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: Is Hiking the Appalachian Trail Solo a Terrible Idea? By Katie Jackson
QOTD: What’s the scariest weather you’ve ever encountered?
Triple Crown of juices
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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