Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Taylor Santa, aka Hamilton, a thru-hiker who completed the Appalachian Trail in 2017 before returning to complete both the Florida Trail and Continental Divide Trail in 2024.  In this one, we dive into Hamilton taking shots of pop and energy drinks every two hours on the night shift before quitting her job to hike the AT, surviving 30 miles of chest-deep swamp walking on the Florida Trail, getting bitten in the face by a fake service dog at a Chama bar, her sudden, blister-inducing allergy to Leukotape, a near-miss lightning strike that instantly killed a cluster of cows right in front of her group in Idaho, a wild night in Dubois that involved $3 VFW craft beers and charm-talking a cowboy out of his hat, and the secret to reading over 100 books in a single year.  We wrap the show with a guide to dealing with wildfire smoke on trail, picking the ultimate torture song to play on repeat for your morta