Hiker Jam talks to founders of outdoor businesses, noteworthy hikers, shares lightweight tips and tricks from the trail, new gear and more. Hosted by Chris Cage of Greenbelly Meals.
#5: Triple Crowner Compares the AT vs PCT vs CDT
Triple Crowner, "Rusty", talks about the three iconic long distance trails in the United States - the Appalachian Trail or AT, the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT and the Continental Divide Trail or CDT. These trails are collectively known as the Triple Crown of Hiking. Eric hiked the AT in 2015, the PCT in 2016, and the CDT in 2017. Combined this is just shy of 8,000 miles.
We are going to hear a little bit about Rusty’s experience as well as nerd out on comparing the three trails in several categories: scenery, wildlife, trail conditions, weather, gear differences, hiking culture, resupplying and more. If you’re considering a thru-hike, but not quite sure which trail to hike, hopefully this episode will help you decide.
Hosted by Chris Cage with Greenbelly Meals.
2/26/2021 • 1 hour, 6 minutes, 48 seconds
#4: Karl Meltzer on Ultrarunning and Breaking the Appalachian Trail Record
I talk with Karl Meltzer about how he got started with ultrarunning as well as define what constitues and 'ultra' run versus a normal run.
We dive deep into his crazy Appalachian Trail fastest known time record. How he planned the 45 day record breaking run, his other failed attempts, injuries, diet, pace, van logistics, crew setup, and more.
Karl talks about how he started to make a living running all while bartending at night. Some of his brand partnerships evolved into one of the most popular Red Bull documentaries of all time as well as designing one of the most popular trail running shoes on the market, the Speedgoat by Hoka One One.
Hosted by Chris Cage with Greenbelly Meals.
1/19/2021 • 1 hour, 9 minutes, 1 second
#3: Sawyer Products on Revolutionizing Water Filtration and Insect Repellents
I talk with Travis Avery of Sawyer Products. Sawyer makes a line of extremely popular items ranging from insect repellents to water filters.
We dive deep into how their product, the Sawyer Squeeze, revolutionized the way we consume water in the backcountry. We also talk about how the company started in 1984 with a surprisingly uique product, insect repellents, walter filtration, and more.
Hosted by Chris Cage with Greenbelly Meals.
12/3/2020 • 55 minutes, 55 seconds
#2: Elina Osborne on New Zealand, Hiking the PCT, Filmmaking
I am talking with Elina Osborne, also known as "Tip Tap." Elina thru-hiked the PCT from Mexico to Canada in 2019... and is a filmmaker. You might have seen some of her beautifully shot and edited videos on Youtube. If you haven't already, you should check out her short film - It Is the People on Youtube.
We discuss New Zealand (which is where Elina is from), thruhiking the Pacific Crest Trail, her filming experience, the Te Araroa Trail, and a lot more fun stuff.
Hosted by Chris Cage with Greenbelly Meals.
11/9/2020 • 55 minutes, 17 seconds
#1: Building Osprey Packs with Mike Pfotenhauer
Today I sit down with Mike Pfotenhauer, founder of the iconic pack company company, Osprey Packs.
Osprey Packs has been and continues to be responsible for making some of the best packs on the market. From handmaking packs out of a small retail shop in Santa Cruz in 1974 to operating one of the largest pack manufacturers in the world, Mike has a lot of backpacking insight to share.
Mike talks about how the company grew, how they test and optimize their gear, his thoughts on ultralight backpacking, observations on the growth of the backpacking space in general, and struggles the company has had to overcome.
Hosted by Chris Cage with Greenbelly Meals.