The Backpacking Light Podcast
The Backpacking Light Podcast explores the technology, gear, skills, and philosophy of backcountry wilderness travel through stories, interviews, and investigative reports.
Latest Podcast Episodes
Podcast 020 | Backpacking with Children
In this SKILLS SHORT Ryan and Andrew talk about best practices for backpacking with kids: route planning, trip types, gear, safety, and more.
Episode 19 | Jeff Garmire on the Long Trail FKT
In the summer of 2019, Jeff Garmire achieved the fastest known time on Vermont’s iconic Long Trail, clocking all 272 miles in five days, twenty- three hours, and forty-eight minutes. Here’s the interview.
Episode 18 | Clothing Systems for Inclement Weather
In this podcast, we discuss this: how does clothing system for 3/4 season, inclement conditions, differ from my summer backpacking clothing?
Episode 17 | Journalist Adam Federman on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Part I
Jimmy Carter created the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in 1980, and it’s been a contentious subject ever since. A bonanza of biodiversity, the ANWR also potentially sits atop one of America’s last untapped oil reserves. In this episode, Andrew talks to Adam Federman, a journalist covering the recent push by the Trump administration to lease oil and gas rights in the refuge. Adam is a reporting fellow with Type Investigations, where he’s spent the last few years covering energy, public land, and the Trump administration’s environmental policies.
Episode 16 | Maceration and Immersion Foot Diseases
In this SKILLS SHORT, Ryan and Andrew break down the causes, symptoms, and results of immersion foot diseases.
Episode 15 | Andrew Marshall on the Tahoe Rim Trail
Ryan interviews Andrew Marshall about his recent thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail. They talk about snow, gear, training, and more.
Episode 14 | Training for Backpacking
It’s no secret: the more physically prepared you are for a backpacking trip, the more you are going to enjoy yourself. But what are the most effective ways to reach optimal backpacking condition? That’s the topic of today’s BPL SKILLS SHORT: training.
Episode 13 | Tent-bound in a Storm
In this episode, Ryan offers some practical guidelines for managing wet gear, condensation, and camp chores if you have to be holed up in a tent during a prolonged period of inclement weather.
Episode 12 | Lightweight Chairs & Seats for Backpacking
In this episode longtime BPL author Doug Johnson gives us a run-down of his favorite ultralight backcountry seating options reviewed in our new gear guide.
Episode 11 | Upright Canister Stove Reviews
This episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast features highlights from our recent round of canister stove reviews.
