Wander Women Kristy and Annette on Retiring to Thru-Hike, RV, and Adventure Full-time (BPR #333)
Release Date: 11/24/2025
Spirituality and Backpacking with Vicar Lyndsay “Wreckage” Monsen (BPR #349)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, Jess and Chaunce are joined by Lyndsay “Wreckage” Monsen. Wreckage is a pastor in training and civil rights advocate and she reflects on what it means to bring spirituality into the backcountry in a way that resonates even with those wary of organized religion. We also touch on formative spiritual moments in Colorado, why the Superior Hiking Trail earned a spot on her hate list, and how her foot got fudged up real good on the Long Trail, complete with photographic evidence. We wrap the show with news of...
info_outline
9 Tips for Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2026 (BPR #348)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, we are breaking things down for the class of 2026 PCT thru-hikers with another edition of our top tips for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Chaunce and I are joined by everyone’s favorite sauce/SOS, Elise Ott to share some brand new tips for trekking between Mexico and Canada, including advice about managing the sun, thoughts for approaching the trail during a high snow year, tips for dealing with wildfire, the beauty of cowboy camping, the importance of rolling with the punches, and much more. We wrap the...
info_outline
The San Diego Trans County Trail with Jabba, Jolly, Zach, and Jess (BPR #347)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, myself, along with Jabba, Jolly, and Jess are giving you a rundown of our recent hike of the San Diego Trans County Trail. And this one is about as long as the trail itself, as we give a detailed daily overview of our hike, including the standout LOL stories, the biggest challenges associated with this trail - namely the amount of private land the route takes you though, the highlights- including some gorgeous desert terrain, an epic western terminus, and how our torrid hiking pace and some...
info_outline
9 Tips for Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2026 (BPR #346)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are once again firing off our best advice for the upcoming class of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. Chaunce and I are joined by Trek Community Ringleader, Jess Stone, to bring you 9 tips for thru-hiking the AT in 2026. Because this is not the first time we’ve done this subject, Chaunce and I are unveiling brand new advice for this one (with an asterisks)- and today’s tips cover advice to ensure you don’t lose your precious media (which is more common than you might think), trail name advice,...
info_outline
Valentine's Day 2026: Pistol and Lobo's Appalachian Trail Love Story, McAfee Knob Engagement, and Advice for Courting on Trail (BPR #345)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we are once again putting love front and center-stage. We’re joined by Annie and Jake, known on trail as Pistol and Lobo, who met at mile 166 of the Appalachian Trail in 2021 and are about to come full circle, getting married at Fontana Dam, the exact spot where they first met. We get the low down on how this romance was absolutely love at first sight, how and where things evolved from flirtation to romance to a full-blown committed relationship on trail, moving...
info_outline
The Santa Fe to Taos Trail, Backpacking with Your Dad + Brother, and the Transcaucasian Trail with Lauren Roerick 2.0 (BPR #244)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined once again by outdoor filmmaker and long-distance backpacker, Lauren "Longway" Roerick. Lauren shares the highs and lows of a massive year of international backpacking and adventure, including dragging her "indoor cat" brother along on the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan and her not in such great shape dad on the Camino del Norte in Spain, her less than stellar experience on the Via Dinarica and how one especially unfortunate stretch in Montenegro ultimately forced her off trail, quickly...
info_outline
Hookups, Trail Grooming, and Chafing: Guy Stuff with The Real Hiking Viking and Lt Cookoo Bird (BPR #343)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic…today’s episode is pure chaos. If you’ve listened to any of our Hiking Viking episodes, you already know what I’m talking about. After four “Girl Stuff” episodes, Chaunce figured it was only fair to balance the scales with what we’re officially calling the Guy Stuff episode, a panel-style conversation that goes off the rails almost immediately, featuring Jabba and Lt Cookoo Bird. We cover everything from trail grooming strategy (aka pube management), to whether you’d rather...
info_outline
Fancy Feast 2.0: Drinking “Pig Water”, Hiking Through Poodle-Dog Bush, and Trail Work with the PNTA (BPR #342)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined yet again by our pal and Hall of Fame trail name holder Marla Davidson, better known as “Fancy Feast”. Fancy Feast is a wealth of knowledge and unfortunate and embarrassing stories. She shares a nasty medical mishap involving poodle dog bush on the PCT, we look back at her time with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, where she and other "malnourished minors" subsisted on moldy bread and Sriracha, which was presented as a vegetable. Fancy Feast gives us an overview of her...
info_outline
Andrew Skurka & Katie Gerber: Vapor Barrier Layers, Beginner Backpacking Mistakes, and Off-Trail Route Ethics (BPR #341)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined yet again by our pal Andrew Skurka and wayyyyy back former guest and now co-director of Skurka Adventures, Katie Gerber aka “Salty”. Today's episode covers a lot of ground. Today’s conversation is part backpacking advice, part gear nerd chat, part a glimpse inside the operation at Skurka Adventures. We first dive into Katie’s list of the five biggest mistakes she made as a beginner backpacker and her take on why she loves her alcohol stove- after a decade of use....
info_outline
How to Start Off-Trail Hiking and Routes with Eric Volk (BPR #340)
Backpacker Radio
In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Eric Volk, who we attempt to trail name “5-16.” In just six years, Eric went from novice hiker to expert off-trail adventurer, completing his own custom routes across the Sierra, Grand Canyon, North Cascades, and Alaska, including his Brooks Range Traverse and Arctic thru-hike. He is believed to be the first or second person to hike from the Canadian border to the Arctic Ocean entirely on foot. Today, we’re getting an in-depth tutorial on all things off-trail and route-based...
info_outlineIn today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Kristy and Annette Burns—better known as the Wander Women.
About seven years ago, Kristy and Annette ditched the home with the white picket fence, retired, moved into an RV, and shifted their focus to a life centered on freedom and adventure. Since then, they’ve taken on the AT, PCT, CDT, Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, the O Circuit, plus a slew of cycling and packrafting trips. We get into what it takes to keep your body ready for thru-hikes at retirement age, why downsizing has made them so much happier, the community they’ve found on trail, and a whole lot more.
We wrap the show with what to wear when hiking in the desert, how to dry the inside of your water bladder, and the triple crown of chairs.
Gossamer Gear: Check out the Type II collection at gossamergear.com.
[divider]
Interview with Kristy and Annette Burns
Time stamps & Questions
00:02:45 - Reminders: Take the Triple Crowner Survey, apply to blog for the Trek, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:05:06 - Introducing the Wander Women
00:07:00 - How did each of you get into the outdoors?
00:09:44 - How did you two meet?
00:12:20 - How did you go from the sweat lodge to thru-hiking?
00:16:50 - Did you have physical fitness top of mind before getting into thru-hiking?
00:19:05 - How far prior to retirement did you plan to hike?
00:22:55 - What specifically would you do differently, financially?
00:26:25 - What was it like downsizing?
00:31:30 - What physical activity do you do in the RV?
00:36:04 - Do you ever get sick of each other?
00:38:55 - How do you handle difficulties in your relationship?
00:41:00 - Did you know there’d be other retired folks on the AT?
00:45:17 - How have you expanded your social networks in retirement?
00:48:35 - What are some of the common questions you get?
00:50:03 - How do you slowly ramp up your mileage when hiking?
00:51:52 - Describe your gear to us
00:57:40 - Was it easy to transition between RVing and thru-hiking?
01:01:15 - Do you feel like time has slowed down since you retired?
01:10:45 - At what point did you reach this mindset?
01:12:40 - Are you particular with your nutrition?
01:16:20 - Standout stories from the AT?
01:19:35 - At what point did you know you were going to Triple Crown?
01:23:35 - Did you know what you were getting into with the CDT?
01:30:11 - How many other CDT hikers did you encounter?
01:34:50 - Tell us about flip flopping the PCT
01:38:46 - What were your spookiest or scariest moments on trail?
01:49:23 - When did you start getting the Youtube fanfare?
01:50:30 - What’s the best trail magic you’ve gotten?
01:53:10 - Tell us about the adventures outside of thru-hiking
01:57:14 - Tell us about your rafting trip in Alaska
02:02:50 - Tell us about your encounter with a grizzly bear
02:10:30 - How did you decide where to camp?
02:13:00 - What were the biggest gear differences for this trip?
02:16:15 - What adventures does the future hold?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: Desert Hiking Clothing: The Backpacker’s Guide by Katie Jackson
QOTD: How does one dry out the inside of their water bladder when you're done using it?
Triple Crown of chairs
Mail Bag
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek’s newsletter
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Support us on Patreon to get bonus content.
Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram.
Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube.
Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok.
Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.
A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bryan Alsop, Carl Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jason Kiser, Krystyn Bell, Matt from Gilbert, AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, SPAM, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy ‘Trigger’ Fawns
A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Luke Netjes, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, and Spencer Hinson.