Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we sit down with Becca Beckham, trail name Little Bag, a Peace Corps veteran, thru-hiker and all around world traveler.
Becca has hiked the Long Trail and PCT, and last year tackled the Colorado Trail, the Tour du Mont Blanc, and the GR20 in Corsica. In this one, Becca shares what it's like growing up in a military family bouncing across the country, to two years in Cameroon with the Peace Corps, to teaching English in France, to landing in the wonderful world of thru-hiking. She shares stories about floating a hippo-filled river in Central Africa, accidentally eating monkey, attending a rat festival, and what it's like to build community from scratch in a new place, over and over again. If you've ever wondered what it looks like to just keep saying yes, this is your episode.
We wrap the show with some very big and ungood news for the future of this podcast- hint it involves Chaunce- hint it's probably what you think it is, hint we are all processing it together- hint it's not related to health or anything serious on that level- but yes it's sad and bad. We also share the tragic news about Ian MacLurg, a thru-hiker, Trek Blogger, and Trail Correspondent who recently passed away while hiking the PCT. 
On a lighter note- we reveal details of a live podcast happening in Denver in late June, the triple crown of team sports, the funniest terms for boobs, and why Chaunce is looking at her phone all the time during the podcast.
Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com.
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
[divider]
Interview with Becca "Little Bag" Beckham
Becca's Instagram
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:40 - Reminders: Live podcast in Denver on June 26! Listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon and subscribe to The Trek's Youtube!
00:08:17 - Chaunce's Big News
00:23:11 - Introducing Becca "Little Bag" Beckham
00:24:41 - How did you get into backpacking?
00:25:59 - What was it like growing up in a military family?
00:29:57 - What was it like making friends when moving to a new school every few years?
00:32:35 - Alabama snakes tangent
00:35:16 - How did you get from Peace Corps to the Long Trail?
00:39:08 - What brought you to the Peace Corps?
00:44:15 - What was your day-to-day life like integrating into the community in Cameroon?
00:51:30 - What kind of work were you doing in Cameroon?
00:53:27 - What is bush meat, and what was the wildlife like in Cameroon?
00:57:49 - Did you float a hippo-filled river in Cameroon?
01:03:30 - Do you feel like the Peace Corps prepared you for thru-hiking?
01:06:48 - Have you always been this adventurous?
01:08:23 - Has living a non-traditional lifestyle made it harder to find love?
01:17:15 - How did you come to the decision not to have kids?
01:20:14 - What were your biggest gear fails on the Long Trail?
01:21:25 - What did you learn from the PCT shakedown?
01:28:28 - What was the mud situation like on the Long Trail in a wet year?
01:33:02 - What happened in the gap between the Long Trail and the PCT?
01:39:54 - Did you get norovirus at Crater Lake on the PCT?
01:42:47 - What happened when you discovered you were allergic to Leukotape on the PCT?
01:51:41 - What was your best campsite on the PCT?
01:52:55 - How did you transition back to AmeriCorps after the PCT?
01:54:31 - What is the difference between AmeriCorps and Peace Corps?
02:00:56 - What was it like living in a 15-passenger van with your AmeriCorps team?
02:05:14 - What was it like doing a site visit inside an Idaho prison?
02:13:17 - What was it like installing wildlife-friendly fencing on a Montana ranch?
02:14:58 - How did the government cuts to AmeriCorps affect you personally?
02:20:27 - How did losing your job lead to an epic year of hiking?
02:21:54 - What was it like hiking the Colorado Trail?
02:27:43 - What was hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc like?
02:37:15 - Is the GR20 the hardest hike in Europe?
02:44:25 - Tell us about the pigs tearing a hole in your tent
02:51:18 - Peak Performance Question: What's your top performance enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda:
Thru-Hiker Who Died on PCT Was Trek Blogger by Kelly Floro
The Dark Side of Trail Magic: The Negative Experiences Hikers Rarely Talk About by Peg Leg
QOTD:  What's the best/funniest word for boobs?
Triple Crown of (team) sports
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
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.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
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.

Segments
Lyme Disease Update
Trek Propaganda
The First Week of Your Thru-Hike Will Probably Be the Hardest — Here's How To Prepare by Kelly Floro

QOTD:  Does pizza lose its luster as you get older?
Triple Crown of Star Wars characters
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
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.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
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.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by LMNT, we are joined by Katie "Sunrise" Lance, a civil engineer turned professional triathlete turned thru-hiker who completed the AT last year before quitting her job to pursue triathlon coaching full-time.
In this one, Katie walks us through what it's like to qualify for Kona on your very first Ironman, how she was training 20 hours a week on top of 12-hour night shifts at the Tennessee Valley Authority, and what finally pushed her to leave it all behind and hike from Georgia to Maine. She also shares the full arc of a pink-blazing situation that somehow ends with a guy hiking 74 miles in 24 hours to process his feelings, how she nearly got bit by a rattlesnake while finally rinsing out her pee rag for the first time, and why she thinks anyone can finish an Ironman if they actually train for it.
We wrap the show with a piece on why week one of a thru-hike is the hardest, a profile on a 70-year-old who set out to hike all three Triple Crown trails in a single calendar year, debating whether pizza loses its luster as you get older, the triple crown of Star Wars characters, and the weird places toddlers pee.
LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off UL Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com. 
Shady Rays: Use code "TREK" for 40% off two or more pairs of sunglasses at shadyrays.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
[divider]
Interview with Katie "Sunrise" Lance
Katie's Instagram
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:15 - Reminders: Subscribe to Trail Correspondents, sign up for the Trek's newsletter, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:09:00 - Introducing Katie
00:11:59 - Was there a moment in your childhood where you knew you were an exceptional athlete?
00:20:57 - How did you go from swimming, rowing, and engineering to considering a thru-hike?
00:22:07 - How does someone become a professional triathlete, and how did your journey start with a Boston-qualifying first marathon?
00:27:49 - What were your splits at Chattanooga Ironman, and what was it like qualifying for Kona on your very first Ironman?
00:38:07 - Were there clear breaking points or signs of burnout, like panic attacks or health scares?
00:42:46 - What finally pushed you to quit your job and hike the AT?
00:44:46 - What were the early days on trail like, starting with a 42-pound pack?
00:47:18 - What things caught you off guard on trail given your athletic background?
00:52:31 - Did you struggle with the lack of female community and "girl talk" on the AT?
00:54:20 - Tell us about the pink blazing situation that ended with a guy hiking 74 miles in 24 hours
01:15:30 - Tell us about your biggest mental breakdown on trail
01:19:23 - How does through-hike fatigue compare to Ironman training fatigue?
01:23:43 - Do you see thru-hiking as an ongoing lifestyle or a one-time chapter?
01:29:09 - What are some other standout stories from the AT?
01:36:05 - Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the backpacking or triathlon world?
Segments
Trek Propaganda
The First Week of Your Thru-Hike Will Probably Be the Hardest — Here's How To Prepare by Kelly Floro
QOTD:  Does pizza lose its luster as you get older?
Triple Crown of Star Wars characters
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
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.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
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.

Segments
Weird Space Facts
Trek Propaganda
121 Years of Forest Service Doctrine, Undone. What Comes Next? By Katie Jackson

A Billionaire Game Developer Has Been Buying Up Thousands of Acres in North Carolina. Why? By Katie Jackson

QOTD:  Would you rather have every September off — fully paid, no PTO touched, or be able to thrive off 4 hours of sleep?
Triple Crown of BBQ foods
One-Minute Gear Reviews
Listener Voicemail
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
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.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
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 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, 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, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jak Hoquat, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Claire "Marmot" Dumont, a mapmaker, writer at The Trek, and thru-hiker who has completed the AT, Mountains to Sea Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, JMT, and more.
In this one, Marmot walks us through what it's like to spend three months on trail with your dad, how a Fulbright fellowship brought her to Jordan to research land ethics and outdoor recreation, and what happened when COVID shut down the borders and kicked her off the Jordan Trail mid-hike. She also shares the story of assisting a rescue on Mount Washington and hitching out to town in the ambulance, what it meant to find a queer trail family on the AT and how she thinks about femininity and queer identity in spaces that have traditionally skewed pretty dude-bro, and why she will never apologize for hiking in a dress with an AeroPress in her pack.
We wrap the show with a new YouTube channel from The Trek, some kick ass trail days we'll be hosting, how a billionaire game developer has been buying up thousands of acres of wilderness in North Carolina, asking whether we'd rather be able to thrive off of 4 hours of sleep, or have the full month of September off each year, the triple crown of BBQ foods, why Chaunce now likes inflatable sleeping pads, we reignite the gas station bathroom debate, and we opine on whether a listener should hike the AT as a flip flop or NOBO.
[divider]

LISTEN

Download this episode.
[divider]
Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com.
Gossamer Gear: Use code "backpackerradio" for 20% off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com. 
Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com
[divider]
Interview with Claire "Marmot" Dumont
Claire's Instagram
Claire's Trek Author Page
Time stamps & Questions
00:05:35 - Reminders: Subscribe to The Trek's Youtube and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon!
00:11:45 - Introducing Marmot
00:14:04 - How did you get into backpacking?
00:18:15 - What is the Manaslu Circuit?
00:20:30 - How did you find the gap year program?
00:22:40 - What did you do after the gap year?
00:24:30 - Were you the youngest person you knew on the JMT?
00:29:45 - Do you have any advice for a younger person who wants to get into thru-hiking?
00:33:45 - How did you decide to do the Tahoe Rim Trail next?
00:36:00 - How did the Tahoe Rim Trail compare to JMT in terms of people?
00:38:30 - What is your career?
00:41:15 - What makes a good map?
00:44:15 - Tell us about the Oregon Coast Trail and Bigfoot Trail attempts
00:59:22 - Did you like the parts of the trail that you did see?
01:02:15 - Tell us about hiking the Long Trail
01:04:35 - Tell us about your Fulbright and the Jordan Trail
01:10:45 - Discussion about being abroad when Covid started
01:15:30 - Tell us about getting on the Long Trail
01:17:55 - Give us the elevator pitch on the Jordan Trail
01:23:45 - Tell us about the Mountains to Sea Trail
01:30:13 - Are they aiming to get the trail all on single track?
01:35:20 - How did you decide to hike the MST?
01:36:50 - What was it like to start the AT?
01:39:10 - Tell us about your tramily experience on the AT
01:42:45 - Did being queer impact you on your hikes before the AT?
01:45:25 - What were your takeaways about intentional community building?
01:48:24 - What are the biggest differences between hiking with men versus women?
01:49:44 - Tell us about hiking in a dress and practicing femininity on trail
01:52:53 - Tell us about your article, Four Things I Will Never Hike Without Again
01:56:30 - Any other standout stories from the AT?
02:05:25 - Tell us about the Teton Crest Trail
02:09:35 - Tell us about your article, Actually No, the Trail Won't Always Be There: Why You Should Thru-Hike Now
02:12:15 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack?
Segments
Trek Propaganda
121 Years of Forest Service Doctrine, Undone. What Comes Next? By Katie Jackson
A Billionaire Game Developer Has Been Buying Up Thousands of Acres in North Carolina. Why? By Katie Jackson
QOTD:  Would you rather have every September off — fully paid, no PTO touched, or be able to thrive off 4 hours of sleep?
Triple Crown of BBQ foods
One-Minute Gear Reviews
Listener Voicemail
Mail Bag
5 Star Review
[divider]
Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee.
Sign up for the Trek's newsletter
Leave us a voicemail!
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.
Advertise on Backpacker Radio
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 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, 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, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jak Hoquat, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.