Fighting a Grizzly Bear and Leaving the Mormon Church with Wesley "Megaman" Tils (BPR #324)
Release Date: 09/22/2025
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 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 exactly conventional.
Since hitting the trails, Megaman hasn’t stopped hiking, accumulating more than 15,000 miles across 18 long trails in 9 years. We learn about all his adventures, including hikes of the Maah Daah Hey Trail, River to River Trail, his self-made Mexico to Canada Trail called “the fourth crown route, and a goosebump inducing story about an aggressive encounter with a grizzly bear on the CDT.
We wrap up the show with our one-minute elevator pitch to convince aliens that humanity deserves to survive, the triple crown of cable channels, share the news of Tara Dower’s latest FKT, and deliver a five-minute one-minute gear review of a new free-standing tent from Hyperlite Mountain Gear.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKFALL15” at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "LT520" for 20% off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.
Ka’Chava: Get 10% off at kachava.com/backpacker.
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Interview with Wesley “Megaman” Tils
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:35 - Reminders: Apply to blog for the Trek, take the 2025 AT Thru-Hiker survey, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:07:30 - Introducing Megaman
00:08:20 - Tell us about your religious upbringing
00:11:30 - Do you ever experience anger while boxing?
00:12:40 - Why did you decide to leave the church?
00:15:25 - How did people react when you left the church?
00:18:02 - What was your mission like?
00:26:00 - How did your family feel about your decision?
00:27:30 - What did your kit look like for your first 200 miles on the PCT?
00:28:29 - How did you go from the PCT to the AT?
00:32:40 - What’s your relationship with spirituality and religion now?
00:35:25 - What’s your trail name origin story?
00:36:45 - Discussion about Megaman’s time on the trail
00:38:30 - When did you know you’d keep thru-hiking?
00:40:20 - How was hiking through the Sierra in a high snow year?
00:45:00 - How was the CDT in 2018?
00:52:20 - Do you remember feeling an adrenaline rush?
00:54:35 - Tell us about the Black Hills/Great Plains Route
00:56:25 - You did the Triple O?
00:57:50 - Tell us about the Maah Daah Hey Trail
01:00:30 - Tell us about the evolution of your gear
01:02:45 - Tell us about your Fourth Crown Route
01:06:00 - What was the most difficult part of the route for you?
01:10:50 - What is the whole route like?
01:17:20 - Is it jarring to come back to society after the Fourth Crown Route?
01:18:10 - What’s the coolest thing you’ve found as an archeologist?
01:20:21 - How do you make your hikes work financially?
01:23:00 - What is the River to River Trail like?
01:24:15 - Tell us about the Ruby Crest Trail
01:25:15 - Tell us about the Mojave-Sonoran Trail
01:26:00 - How was the Hayduke?
01:27:35 - How do you recommend thru-hiking cheaply?
01:29:28 - Trail Superlatives
01:32:20 - What’s your hiking plan for 2026?
01:35:05 - What’s your plan to document your hike?
01:37:30 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: Tara Dower Smashes Overall Fastest Known Time on the Long Trail by Katie Jackson
QOTD: Aliens give you 60 seconds to convince them humanity deserves to be saved and you can only show them two items - what would they be?
Triple Crown of cable channels
One-Minute Gear Reviews
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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