Today on the First 40 Miles, we’re wrapping up production of The First 40 Miles with today’s final episode. We’ll share some of our ideas for podcasts we’d love to see started, talk a little about what it’s been like to share our backpacking a

213: Health Benefits of Backpacking

Dec 11th, 2018 25m 26s

Today on the First 40 Miles, if you haven’t figured it out by experience, then we’ll give you one more huge reason to begin backpacking…the health benefits! The list of health benefits ishuge! Then our SUMMIT Gear Review today is a 22 pound p

212: PLAY: Games on the Trail

Dec 4th, 2018 24m 35s

Today on the First 40 Miles, who says you can’t have type one fun and type two fun on a backpacking trip? Today’s episode explores games on the trail and how to make memories without bringing Monopoly. You’ll learn 5 super fast, super fun ga

211: Gear That Lasts the Miles

Nov 27th, 2018 22m 26s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we love our listeners! And we love hearing their stories! Then, even if you never plan to do a thru hike, you can still scam some of their best gear hacks and incorporate them into your next overnighter. Next, a

210: Battle of the Utensil

Nov 20th, 2018 21m 57s

Today on the First 40 Miles, maybe you want to eat like royalty on the trail—but you don’t need a 15 piece place setting to make that happen. What does it take to shovel food from your cook pot to your mouth? Then we’ll talk about our top 5 f

209: Hidden Messages in Your Gear

Nov 13th, 2018 27m 59s

Today on the First 40 Miles, have you ever given much thought to the names that companies give gear? The name of your pack or your tent isn’t just some random name they pulled out of a hat. Next, today’s top 5 list is a whole pile of hacks I

208: HEAVY: When You Can’t Carry the Load

Nov 6th, 2018 32m 58s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we've heard people say “I’d love to go backpacking like I did when I was younger, but I just can’t carry the load.” Are their backpacking days truly over? Then, what do you do when a trail mate is injured, sick or

207: Scary Stuff

Oct 30th, 2018 29m 28s

Today on The First 40 Miles, we’ve dredged up as many scary things as we can for this Halloween episode. Cougar attacks, mysterious items in hiker boxes, dead cats and the scariest thing of all—hiker stink. Then we’ll wrap up today’s episode

206: Backpacking Dinner Challenge

Oct 23rd, 2018 15m 46s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we’ve dumped out our box of random backpacking food, affectionately labeled, our “Bucket o’ Calories”, and will go head to head today as Josh and I battle it out, civilly, for the Backpacking Dinner Challenge. Can

205: Steve’s Trip Report

Oct 16th, 2018 21m 43s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we’re checking in with our friend Steve, who completed a thru hike of the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail this summer. And we’ll throw in a backpack hack and some trail wisdom, just for funsies.

204: So, How Was Your Hike?

Oct 9th, 2018 22m 38s

Today on the First 40 Miles, maybe you’ve posted a few pics of your backpacking trip on social media, and now everyone is asking you “So…How was your trip?” What’s the best way to respond? Then we have a listener story from Mason who let his

203: Pardon Our Dust

Oct 2nd, 2018 16m 16s

Today on the First 40 Miles, all of our backpacking gear is in moving boxes, sitting in the barn, waiting for us to unpack them! We’re keeping the podcast going through our move, and we couldn’t have done it without a few of our fabulous liste

202: The Slow, Methodical Accumulation of Gear

Sep 25th, 2018 24m 16s

Today on the First 40 Miles, so you’re convinced! Backpacking is your new thing and you’re headed out to buy the latest and best of everything from the packing list. Wait! We’ll share a few reasons to slow down before you buy. Then we’ve got

201: Cowboy Camping

Sep 18th, 2018 27m 56s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we’ll talk about cowboy camping and why we tried it. Then a story from a listener about how she transitioned from car camping to backpacking. Today’s hack is a great way to repurpose an old towel, and we’ll wrap u

200: A Week on the Pacific Crest Trail

Sep 11th, 2018 15m 55s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we’re live on the Pacific Crest Trail!

199: REFLECTIONS: The Four Year Anniversary of Our First Backpacking Trip Together

Sep 4th, 2018 31m 57s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we get a little nostalgic whenever September rolls around. This week marks the 4 year anniversary of our first 40 miles—the trip Josh and I took together with friends around Mt. Hood. And even though we’ve been ba

198: Rewired Backpacking Brain

Aug 28th, 2018 27m 28s

Today on the First 40 Miles, wilderness backpacking has the power to rewire your brain—and we’ll share the top 5 ways it’s changed us. Then, an epic way to stay clean while backpacking. Next a listener shares her one pound solution for oil pa

197: Anxiety on the Trail

Aug 21st, 2018 25m 12s

Today on the First 40 Miles, when hiking or backpacking, our whole goal is to move forward, otherwise we’d just set up our tent in the parking lot. But what do you do when anxiety stops your progress? We have some tools that will help. Then

196: Lightning Safety

Aug 14th, 2018 28m 41s

Today on the First 40 Miles, I was wondering what today’s episode should be about… and then it struck me. Today we’ll chat about lightning safety. Nothing shocking. We promise to conduct ourselves appropriately. Then ya’ll get to hear a li

195: A LONG HIKE: Prepping for a Weeklong Trip

Aug 7th, 2018 31m 25s

Today on the First 40 Miles, this week we’ll talk about an upcoming weeklong trip and what we’re doing to prepare. Then, if you’ve got an itch to hit the trail, but you have no gear, we’ll hook you up with a company who can supply the gear for

194: The Womens’ Advantage

Jul 31st, 2018 29m 43s

Today on the First 40 Miles, if you think that men have the natural advantage on the trail, think again. Then for the Summit Gear Review, an STP device that levels the playing field when it comes to using the bathroom. Next, our kids’ favorit

193: The First Step

Jul 24th, 2018 27m 15s

Today on the First 40 Miles, we love getting audio recordings from our listeners—and today we have one from a new backpacker who figured out his own way of doing things. Then, on the SUMMIT Gear Review, a titanium tool inspired by a Japanese g

192: Getting Back to Basics

Jul 17th, 2018 29m

Today on the First 40 Miles, sometimes life gets out of control—and when that happens, it’s time to get back to basics. We’ll talk a little about how to simplify your trip. Then, the Top 5 ways that backpacking can make you more effective, mo

191: Micro Improvements

Jul 10th, 2018 26m 33s

Today on the First 40 Miles, how would you do things differently next time? Today we’re talking micro improvements. Then on our Top 5 List, we’ll share why we prioritize backpacking. If you’re looking for a way to bring a game and lighten yo

190: COLD + HUNGRY: The Stoveless Cooking Episode

Jul 3rd, 2018 20m 18s

Today on the First 40 Miles, what you may have thought of as an essential piece of backpacking gear isn't as indispensable as you think. Today, we’re going stoveless, and we’ll share some delicious ways to ditch the stove for your next trip.