Negotiating with Al-Qaeda, Drill Sergeant Secrets, and Healing from War on the AT with Stephen "Near Miss" Palazzo (BPR #357)
Release Date: 05/18/2026
Losing 150 Lbs, An All-Time Poop Story, and Theater Hacks for Content Creators with Andrew Livingston aka Coach from Marion Outdoors (BPR #366)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Andrew Livingston, aka Coach from Marion Outdoors and host of the Chafed Outdoors podcast. In this one, Coach tells the story of losing 150 pounds his sophomore year of college largely thanks to hiking, details his background in theater, ballet, and tap dancing- and how that's helped him grow a massive following on Instagram and TikTok, the biggest challenges of running an outfitter, he gives us an all-timer poop story that ended with him naked in the woods covered in shit and...
info_outline
Chaunce's Live Podcast Sendoff in Denver (BPR #365)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we're live at the Skylark Lounge in Denver- and we are giving Chaunce a proper send off. For this one, we’re joined by Fireball, Elise, Sassafras, Jolly, and of course Jabba. This one is a grab bag of odd games, including the Newlywed Game, a Triple Crown of behind the scenes crisis-management stories, we play Two Lies and a Truth, and Jolly hosts a highly contentious "Judge Jolly" debate between Chaunce and Jabba. This one features some surprise cameos, tequila shots, and signature Chaunce...
info_outline
Epic Dreams, Chaunce's Last In-Studio Segments, Ways You'd Behave Differently without Ramifications, and Lots of Processing
Backpacker Radio
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code “BPRADIO15” for 15% of Segments Epic Dreams Processing Trek Propaganda by Katie Jackson by Izzy Wagner QOTD: Would you rather A) every time you eat a particular meal, the rest of the world loses access to this meal for 24 hours, People know about this (may receive threats, but you are protected or B) anytime you use an air fryer or microwave, all others on earth become unusable until you finish using it (may receive threats, but you are protected)? Triple Crown of ways you’d behave differently if there were no ramifications Sun Hoodie...
info_outline
Getting Charged by a Moose, a Month of CDT Solitude, and Going Pro as a Hiking Photographer with Caleb "Meatball" Adcock (BPR #364)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Caleb "Meatball" Adcock, a professional photographer and thru-hiker who completed the AT last year and is currently midway through the CDT, doing it almost entirely alone. Caleb walks us through how he built a career shooting for brands like Hyperlite and Jetboil while thru-hiking, why authentic trail photography looks so different from what brands used to put out, getting Lyme disease on the AT and spending four days at the Yellow Deli, sleeping on a pool floaty for four days,...
info_outline
Nasty Celebrity Encounters, Triple Crown of Things You Can Live Without But Should Be Free, and Do You Face the Showerhead?
Backpacker Radio
Segments Nasty Celebrity Encounters Trek Propaganda: by Peg Leg QOTD: Do people face the shower head when they shower? Triple Crown of things you can easily live without, but nonetheless should be free for everyone Smitty’s Experience Being Navajo in the US Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy and . (and please leave us a review)! Find us on , , and . to get bonus content. Follow , , , and on Instagram. Follow , and on YouTube. Follow on Tik Tok. Our theme song is by . A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and...
info_outline
Falling 35 Feet Free Soloing, Hiking the CT in 15 Days, and What It Means to Be Navajo in America with Jeremy "Smitty" Phoenix (BPR #363)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Jeremy Phoenix aka Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen, aka Javos, a Navajo-born, Amish-country-raised, REI-employed, grave-digging, Princeton-attending thru-hiker who completed the Colorado Trail in 15 days on his first ever backpacking trip and has been making up for lost time ever since. In this one, Smitty walks us through completing the 24-hour challenge three separate times on the PCT, a free solo fall from 35 feet- that he just kind of walked off, getting stalked by a mountain lion,...
info_outline
Tiger Facts, End of the Timberline Lodge Breakfast Buffet, and Poop, Pees, and Peen Talk
Backpacker Radio
Segments Tiger Facts Trek Propaganda: by James Townsend QOTD: Do poop pees count as full pees? Sun Hoodie Review: Fjällräven Abisko Wool Hoodie Triple Crown of words for penis Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy and . (and please leave us a review)! Find us on , , and . to get bonus content. Follow , , , and on Instagram. Follow , and on YouTube. Follow on Tik Tok. Our theme song is by . A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill...
info_outline
Stalked by a Mountain Lion, a 25-Foot Fall in the Sierra, and Canoeing 2,400 Miles Down the Mississippi with Matthew "Masochist" Hengst (BPR #362)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Matthew Hengst, aka Masochist, an IT-professional-turned-full-time-adventurer who over the past eight-plus years has racked up 20,000 miles hiked, nearly 3,000 miles paddled, 2.5 million feet of elevation climbed, and somewhere north of 300 diving sessions across multiple continents. Masochist walks us through canoeing 2,400 miles down the Mississippi, the time he fell 25 feet in a remote part of the Sierra and laid there for 15 hours waiting for a helicopter, catching COVID...
info_outline
Lyme Disease Research Update, Raccoon vs. Goose, the Triple Crown of Girly Gear, and 2026 Hiking Gear Trends
Backpacker Radio
Segments Lyme Disease Update Trek Propaganda: by Livvy Weld QOTD: Would you rather have one raccoon know all your secrets and occasionally hint at them or one goose publicly overreact to everything you do? Stupid Thing of the Week Triple Crown of gear you can find that’s girly Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy and . (and please leave us a review)! Find us on , , and . to get bonus content. Follow , , , and on Instagram. Follow , and on YouTube. Follow on Tik Tok. Our theme song is by . A super big thank you to our Bob Peoples Award winner(s)...
info_outline
Walking the Portuguese Camino with Her Parents to Honor Her Late Brother with Elise "Sauce" Ott (BPR #361)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by our pal Elise Ott, aka Sauce, who gives us a play by play of her recent hike on Portuguese Camino coastal route along with her parents. SOS walks us through doing the Camino as a tribute to her late brother Curtis, who passed away in February of 2025 after years of living with schizoaffective disorder. She shares his story with honesty and humor, including the time he stole a county parks truck in a three-piece suit, drove it across state lines, and complimented the cop who tackled him, and...
info_outlineIn today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Stephen Palazzo, aka Near Miss, an Army veteran, thru-hiker, and peak bagger who has completed the AT, CDT, AZT, and Colorado Trail, summited all 58 of Colorado's 14ers, and knocked out three of the seven summits.
This one runs the gambit. Stephen walks us through 24 years of military service, from crossing into Iraq on the first wave of the ground war in 2003 to negotiating with the number two guy in Al-Qaeda over a solitary confinement dispute, to a very geopolitically tangled deployment in Syria. He also shares how thru-hiking became the thing that finally got him to put down the bottle, why post-trail depression hit harder than anything he experienced in war, and a magical moment in the Wind River Range where he locked eyes with a bull moose. And- as Chaunce comes to grips with her impending move, she has made it her mission to make each podcast an ultra-marathon. This one is sure to give you enough content to get through the week (or year). Also, warning: this episode contains discussions of war, combat, death, PTSD, and alcohol abuse.
We wrap the show with an article about thru-hiker entitlement, discussing why a Sawyer filter lasts a lifetime but you're supposed to swap a Brita every few months, the triple crown of mountain peaks, a new sun hoody review series, a detailed mailbag about a listener’s experience on the San Diego Trans County Trail, and Chaunce schedules an impromptu summit of Mount Rainier.
NEW Backpacker Radio Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/can-you-dig-it-15/
Apply to Guest Co-Host Backpacker Radio.
LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.
OnX Backcountry: Through Memorial Day, use code “TREK70” for 70% off at onxmaps.com
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code “BPRADIO15” for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com
Shady Rays: Use code “TREK” for 40% off two or more pairs of sunglasses at shadyrays.com.
[divider]
Interview with Stephen “Near Miss” Palazzo
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:25 - Reminders: Check out our new merch, get tickets for our LIVE Chaunce send-off podcast, apply to be a guest co-host, listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon
00:13:40 - Introducing Near Miss
00:15:50 - What got you started in the military?
00:22:00 - Were you still on your five year plan when 9/11 happened?
00:26:45 - Talk to us in your drill sergeant voice
00:28:30 - Discussion about Stephen’s time in the military after 9/11
00:40:50 - Did you prefer your more managerial or front-line roles?
00:45:40 - What are your go-to stories that you tell about your deployments?
00:49:18 - What was one of your near-death experiences?
00:53:00 - Discussion about post-trail depression
00:55:30 - Discussion about PTSD
00:56:00 - How did you deal with your drinking problems?
01:01:15 - Do you have any advice for hikers that want to process something on trail?
01:06:17 - Chaunce’s voice memo story
01:09:50 - As a drill sergeant, what ticks you off the most?
01:14:00 - How many people left in the first few weeks?
01:21:00 - Tell us about your Ursack freezing to a tree
01:26:50 - Have you talked any of your veteran friends into hiking?
01:28:30 - Was there a moment you realized that hiking was healing you?
01:35:00 - Tell us about your trip to Ecuador
01;37:30 - Discussion about rhabdomyolysis
01:40:45 - How did you get interested in mountaineering?
01:44:16 - Do you have advice for someone who wants to save money for an adventure?
01:51:45 - How did you decide to hike the CDT next?
01:56:10 - Is there a difference between the fear you experienced while deployed versus hiking?
01:58:50 - What are your favorite stories from the CDT?
02:02:10 - What’s the most real between ghosts, aliens, and mountain lions in New England?
02:14:35 - What time span did you complete all the Colorado 14ers in?
02:18:30 - Discussion about paratroopers
02:25:15 - Which was your first of the 7 summits?
02:31:17 - Discussion about summiting Denali
02:38:15 - Fuck Marry Kill: Denali, Kiliminjaro, Aconcagua
02:39:50 - If you had to cut a summit from the list, which would you cut?
02:43:00 - Discussion about deciding to quit a thru-hike and town food
02:49:50 - Tell us about the 13ers you’ve done recently
02:52:00 - Are you afraid of dying?
02:53:55 - What do you wear in extremely cold conditions?
02:55:45 - What advice would you give to someone interested in getting into mountaineering?
03:03:30 - Do you feel like a different person now?
03:06:00 - Zach and Chaunce have a fight
03:12:50 - What’s next on the docket for you?
03:13:45 - In what way did you burnout on thru-hiking?
03:16:40 - Tell us about your Buffalo Wild Wings points
03:23:00 - Stay Salty Question: What’s your hottest take in the world of backpacking?
03:25:50 - If you were 18 again, would you join the Army again?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: 7 All-Too Common Signs of Entitlement I’ve Noticed in the Thru-Hiking Community by Peg Leg
QOTD: Why does a sawyer filter last a lifetime but you’re supposed to swap a brita every few months?
Triple Crown of mountain peaks
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[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, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah 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, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason “The Snail” Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, 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, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.