Dan and Guthook open up the mailbag and tackle a list of questions about hiking the AT by a listener from Down Under. Also, an important announcement about the show... Links: Appalachian Trail Safety Tips Atlas Guides

Episode 37: Hiking with Small Children

Aug 31st, 2018 20m 45s

Hiking with a toddler or preschooler can be a really fun experience and can foster a positive attitude...if done right! In this week's show, Dan reveals five tips for helping your next hiking trip with the youngster be an enjoyable experience f

Episode 36: Matt and Julie Urbanski

Aug 8th, 2018 43m 18s

Matt and Julie Urbanski join the show his week to talk about completing the triple crown, founding a successful running coaching business, and parenting a toddler in a travel lifestyle. Links from the show: Team RunRun The Barkley 100 Julie's

Episode 35 Leave No Trace (we really mean it!)

Aug 3rd, 2018 47m 38s

Dan and Guthook explore the wide world of Leave No Trace wilderness ethics and talk about some of the LNT challenges hikers often face: unattended trail magic, water caches, camp chores, and cat holes. Warning: Provocative content! Download Epi

Episode 34: Carey Kish

Jul 18th, 2018 40m 5s

Carey Kish, a Maine-based outdoor writer, joins Dan this week and talks about what it takes to put together a solid guidebook and compile the impressive, newly-released 11th edition of the Maine Mountain Guide, available now at the AMC Store.

Episode 33: Hot Weather Hiking, Skyline Lodge, Ultralighting

Jul 13th, 2018 39m 58s

The hot weather is back and so is Weekly Hiking Tip! Dan and Guthook talk about staving off heat exhaustion during the height of summer, the Skyline Lodge controversy on Mt. Washington, and tips for ultralighting. Check out Atlas Guide's newly

Episode 32: Thru Hike Budgeting Redux

Apr 23rd, 2018 21m 53s

Dan takes another look at what it costs to hike a long distance trail. This time around, both explicit and implicit (opportunity) costs are considered and used to answer the question: Should I do this hike? Is it worth it?

Episode 31: Camping on AT in NY, PCT Section Hike Start Points

Apr 16th, 2018 26m 5s

In this week's episode, Dan pulls a few backpacking questions from the AT and PCT Facebook pages. He talks about where to camp and how to plan a thru-hike of the NY AT and where a good starting point might be for a summer PCT section hike.

Episode 30: Stoves

Mar 19th, 2018 49m 30s

Smell something burning? That's because Dan and Guthook are all about camp stoves in Episode 30! The guys discuss all major backpacking stove technologies, reviewing the pros and cons of canister, alcohol, ESBIT/solid fuel, bottle-liquid, and w

Episode 29: Budgeting for Time

Mar 13th, 2018 20m 34s

How much time should you budget for a long distance hike? In this week's show, using data from 2013-14 AT and PCT thru hikers, Dan talks about all the factors that influence how much time you might want to set aside for your next long distance

Episode 28: Hiking with a Partner

Feb 17th, 2018 26m 39s

A long distance hike with a dedicated partner can put a strain on any relationship. This week on the show, Dan and guest April Robinson discuss tips for keeping partnerships fulfilling, drawing from their experience as partners on the CDT. Down

Episode 27: Is Water Treatment (really) Necessary?

Feb 7th, 2018 35m 59s

Treating water obtained in the backcountry has long been considered a common sense, level-headed thing to do. Biology Ph.D. candidate Ethan Linck joins Dan to talk about a February 2018 Slate article he wrote that questions this doctrine. Read

Episode 26: Vermont, the Solo Shelter Experience, Mailbag

Jan 29th, 2018 27m 18s

Guthook talks about his winter hike in southern Vermont and we break open the mailbag!

Episode 25: Your Knee

Jan 20th, 2018 22m 57s

In this week's show, Dan dusts off his physical therapy degree and dives into knee injuries! If you're wondering why knee injuries happen to hikers and what can be done about knee injuries on the trail, then listen in!

Episode 24: Choosing a Shelter

Jan 1st, 2018 36m 26s

If you're gearing up for a long distance hike this year, you may be in the market for a shelter. In this episode, Dan breaks downs the pros and cons of four different popular shelter types: tents, hammocks, tarps, and tarp tents. Like the show

Episode 23: Yankee Swap, 2018 Thru-Hike Prep

Dec 23rd, 2017 24m 52s

If you're long distance hiking in 2018, you're getting really excited as 2017 draws to a close! Dan and Guthook talk about pitfalls of over-preparation and big picture things to think about 3 months out. Dan's holiday office party Yankee Swap

Episode 22: Guthook, Coast to Coast Walk, Holiday Gifts

Dec 1st, 2017 36m 37s

Weekly Hiking Tip is back with return guest, Guthook! Guthook shares stories from his recent hike across Northern England via the Coast to Coast Walk. Buckle in for surprise quail hunts and thru-hiking British style. Dan and Guthook share hol

Episode 21: SteriPEN

Jul 3rd, 2017 24m 25s

Since 1999, SteriPEN has helped travelers and backpackers worldwide make wilderness water safe for drinking. Dan talks to Miles Maiden, the inventor of SteriPEN, about SteriPEN's past, present, and future. Download Episode

Episode 20: New Hampshire

Jun 26th, 2017 18m 37s

If you're thinking about heading to the Granite State to hike, but you wanna get off the beaten path, the Cohos Trail might be just the ticket! In this week's episode, Dan talks to Kim Nilsen, founder and board chairman of the Cohos Trail Assoc

Episode 19: Blister Treatment

Jun 13th, 2017 15m 6s

Woe is thee who suffers the blister! Listen to Dan this week and learn what you can do to take care of your next blister problem on the trail. Download Episode Music by Kyle Gervais and Dominic Lavoie

Episode 18: The PCTA

Jun 5th, 2017 12m 50s

This week, Dan talks to Mark Larabee of the Pacific Crest Trail Association about raising funds through the PCTA's annual appropriations request to Congress. Dan and Mark discuss the PCTA's fundraising efforts and all the work done to protect

Episode 17: Blister Prevention

May 30th, 2017 16m 15s

Blisters are unavoidable on a long hike....or are they?? This week, Dan talks about how frequently hikers get blisters, what causes them, and shares 10 time-tested tips for prevention.

Episode 16: Cravings

May 22nd, 2017 8m 24s

On this week's show, Dan talks about at the top three foods long distance hikers crave the most, and the differences in cravings between men and women.

Episode 15: Missouri

May 15th, 2017 12m 40s

Dan is back to kick off a series of episodes featuring short interviews with a trail agency or clubs in all 50 states. Missouri is the inaugural state in the series, so this week Dan sits down with Abi Jackson from the Ozark Trail Association.

Episode 14: Stuff You Can Do Without

May 1st, 2017 12m 17s

This week, Dan reviews the top 5 things that thru-hikers said they carried in their packs most of the way, but in looking back on their hikes, thought they could have done without. What's necessary and what's not?