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)
Release Date: 06/22/2026
Gear Leaching PFAS, Silence Disappearing from Wilderness, and Building a Quinzhee with Steven from MyLifeOutdoors (#369)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Steven of My Life Outdoors, a gear-obsessed backpacker who grew his YouTube channel to over 1.2 million subscribers through high-production gear breakdowns and hands-on science experiments. In this one, we dive into Steven's emotional year supporting his wife through three separate cancer diagnoses, her rare complete response to immunotherapy, and the story of how Luke Nichols from Outdoor Boys randomly gifted him a fully-edited video to keep his channel afloat during the crisis. Steven...
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FarPointe Sun Cruiser Review, Favorite Thru-Hiking Memories, Losing Your Spoon vs. Your Shelter, and Movies Everyone Loves that You Hate
Backpacker Radio
Segments Sun Hoodie Review: FarPointe Sun Cruiser Trek Propaganda: by The Norris Trio by Kelly Floro QOTD: Would you rather, on day 1 of your thru-hike, lose your shelter and have to always cowboy camp on the AT, or lose your spoon and have to eat all meals with only your hands? Triple Crown of movies everyone loves but you hate 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 ...
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From Near-Death Sepsis to Triple Crowning while Carrying Larry the Log with Shawn Mahoney (BPR #368)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Shawn Mahoney, aka the guy who carries a 20+ pound log named Larry over his shoulders, and with Larry he’s hiked the Triple Crowner, Te Araroa, and just about all of the Northeast peaks. In this one, Shawn explains why the heck he carries a massive log everywhere he goes, describes losing Larry down a steep slope on the PCT and spending two hours bushwhacking to retrieve him, recounts nearly dying from a septic heart infection and medically induced coma- and the impact...
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Outdoor Research Sun Hoodie Review, the Triple Crown of Shitty Beers, and Pausing vs. Rewinding Your Life
Backpacker Radio
Segments Sun Hoodie Review: Outdoor Research AstroMan Trek Propaganda: by Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers by Livvy Weld by Katie Jackson QOTD: Would you rather have access to a life rewind button, or a life pause button? Triple Crown of shitty beers 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...
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Why the PCT is Boring, Hitting SOS on the CDT, and Summitting Denali with Tina "Cash Money" Currin (BPR #367)
Backpacker Radio
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Tina Currin, aka Cash Money, a Triple Crown thru-hiker, Andrew Skurka guide, park ranger, wilderness EMT, and Guinness World Record holder. In this one, Tina explains how she set the world record for most air horns blown simultaneously outside the North Carolina governor's mansion, details how she bought her Colorado house sight-unseen off Zillow during a zero day on the CDT while soaking her feet in a trash can, and she recounts getting separated from her husband in a snowstorm on the...
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Jolly Gear Sun Hoodie Review, Sounds that Trigger Happiness, and Water Filter Science
Backpacker Radio
Segments Sun Hoodie Review: Jolly Gear Trek Propaganda: by Katie Jackson QOTD: When was the last time you were in a tornado warning? Switchback Recap Triple Crown of sounds that trigger happiness 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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineIn 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 and norovirus back to back at 12,000 feet on the CDT, navigating stealth camping across rural America, terrifying encounters with dogs, and his favorite parts of the Eastern Continental Trail. Matthew also makes a strong case for why the Florida Trail and the Condor Trail are two of the most underrated long trails, and explains why he has no plans to stop adventuring anytime soon.
We wrap the show with the devastating news that Timberline Lodge has ended its breakfast buffet, debating whether poop pees count as full pees, a sun hoodie review on a product that’s maybe not a sun hoodie, the triple crown of words for penis (with Chaunce publicly soliciting micropenis photos), and the best way to move legos across the country.
Topo Athletic: Use code “TREK15TOPO” at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.
OnX Backcountry: Use code “TREK70” for 70% off at onxmaps.com
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Interview with Matthew “Masochist” Hengst
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:45 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, join us for Chaunce’s live podcast sendoff, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:11:15 - Introducing Masochist
00:13:10 - Tell us about your life prior to backpacking
00:19:00 - Tell us about your spreadsheets
00:23:14 - Did you grow up in the outdoors?
00:24:40 - Tell us about your relationship
00:30:00 - Tell us about your major injuries
00:36:32 - What’s the closest you’ve ever been to death?
00:38:45 - How do you describe yourself?
00:40:00 - What adventure have you done that gets people the most excited?
00:42:00 - Discussion about paddling the Mississippi River
00:48:20 - What’s the elevator pitch on floating the Mississippi River?
00:53:30 - How do you decide what your next trip should be?
00:55:30 - Tell us about the Theodore Solomons Trail
00:59:00 - What’s the Desert Trail Border?
01:00:50 - Tell us about the Condor Trail
01:03:00 - What are your tips for stealth camping?
01:06:40 - Did Florida put a bad taste in your mouth when starting the ECT?
01:11:20 - Discussion about bad water in eastern Colorado
01:15:20 - Is there more to why you liked the Florida Trail?
01:18:55 - Tell us about the ECT after Katahdin
01:26:00 - Discussion about dog attacks while thru-hiking
01:30:30 - Why’d you hike the Lone Star Trail?
01:34:25 - Are there any underrated trails you’re excited about?
01:37:30 - What are some singletrack loops in California?
01:42:20 - What’s your elevator pitch on the San Diego Trans County Trail?
01:44:20 - Did the CDT feel easy?
01:48:00 - What are your go to animal encounter stories?
01:55:20 - Tell us about hiking through extreme weather
01:56:30 - How do you maintain the fun element through all of your hikes?
02:02:40 - Give us your highlights and lowlights from the American Discovery Trail
02:10:50 - Tell us about your health issues in 2025
02:15:55 - Do you ever take time off trail to recover and rest?
02:20:30 - How did you pick the Australian trails you’ve done this year?
02:28:00 - Have you ever considered bikepacking?
02:29:30 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda: Timberline Lodge Ends Breakfast Buffet Popular With Generations of PCT Hikers 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
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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 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
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