The Santa Fe to Taos Trail, Backpacking with Your Dad + Brother, and the Transcaucasian Trail with Lauren Roerick 2.0 (BPR #244)
Release Date: 02/09/2026
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...
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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, 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 rinsing the palette with some gorgeous hiking on the Transcaucasian Trail in Georgia, and her experience hiking the Santa Fe to Taos Trail as part of our “get paid to thru-hike” sponsorship. We also learn more about Lauren’s background, including a chaotic international divorce, learning calculus in Chinese, and how she once sang opera although refuses to do so for you- we forgive her and this is a fun, inspirational chat regardless.
We wrap the show with a hidden gem thru-hike in New York, a Triple Crown of Pop (not SODA!), and what trail traditions should be celebrated on spring equinox.
LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek.
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Interview with Lauren Roerick
Time stamps & Questions
00:04:57 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek and apply for the Badger Sponsorship!
00:09:10 - Introducing Lauren Roerick.
00:10:10 - Discussion about Te Araroa
00:13:30 - Discussion about a near hypothermia experience in the Tararua Mountains
00:19:10 - Give us an overview of the Santa Fe to Taos Trail
00:26:45 - Any standout stories from the Tahoe Rim Trail?
00:27:55 - Tell us about the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan
00:35:00 - Discussion about Lauren’s tea ceremony experience
00:37:20 - What did you do during your three years living in Taiwan?
00:39:20 - Did you really move to California to study and sing opera?
00:43:30 - Discussion about Lauren moving frequently
00:47:35 - Tell us about your hometown
00:49:50 - Tell us about starting a sales agency
00:55:20 - Who is the 88 Temple Pilgrimage for?
00:58:20 - Tell us about bikepacking around Taiwan
01:05:50 - What’s the least safe you felt during your international travels?
01:21:15 - Tell us the good parts of the Via Dinarica
01:28:35 - Tell us about hiking in Georgia
01:35:35 - How often do you get recognized?
01:37:00 - Was the Santa Fe to Taos Trail boring in comparison?
01:39:08 - Tell us about the trail you hiked with your dad
01:43:40 - How did the Camino rank against other trails you hiked last year?
01:46:24 - Discussion about
01:51:45 - Do you have general tips for international travel and hiking?
01:58:35 - What is next on your hiking schedule for 2026?
02:03:15 - Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the world of backpacking?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: The Epic 358-Mile Thru-Hike in New York You’ve Never Heard Of by Alex McClain
QOTD: Summer solstice is hike naked day. What should spring equinox be?
Fear of the Week
Triple Crown of pop/soda
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
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Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
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