Catch Me Outside

Catch Me Outside turned one year old on January 14, 2022! One of my favourite things about producing this show is getting to live vicariously through all the brave, curious and adventurous people I interview. In the past year, guests have taken us to the tundra of the Northwest Territories, the peaks of some of the tallest mountains in Canada and the U.S., up and down the Hudson River, across the Great Lakes and along hiking trails that trace Canada's coasts and cover the span of the United States.  For Catch Me Outside's anniversary, I wanted to focus on the people who've shared their adventures on the show, so I reached out to every guest I've interviewed and asked them to record an update on their life since we last heard from them, or what they've got planned for 2023. Planning adventures and building communities is hard, time-consuming work, so not everyone was able to send an update, but a handful of past guests were.  In today's episode, you'll hear adventure updates from Nicole Dubeta, Canice Leung, Pascale Marceau, Maddi LeBlanc, Laura Johnson, Chev Dixon, Kyla Fuller, Greg Zolob, Ana McBride, Alex Tran, Jessica Raechelle and Zwena Gray. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patreon patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

You probably know by now that Catch Me Outside is hitting the Pacific Crest Trail this spring. What you might not know is what went into getting my long-distance permit for the hike. You may or may not also know about another Canadian outdoor podcast called A Long Walk North. It's a podcast about PCT hikers hosted by fellow Ontarian Dan Deveau. Dan and his daugher Chantal are preparing to hike the PCT in 2024, and as part of that journey, Dan interviews all kinds of folks with PCT stories to tell. On today's A Long Walk North crossover episode, you'll get to hear me go through the agonizing (and very melodramatic) process of trying to apply for a PCT long-distance permit, plus a follow-up nterview with Dan about the aftermath of that process, the miracle that resulted in my eventually snagging a permit and some details of my trip planning. You can listen to A Long Walk North wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow them on Instagram @alongwalknorthpodcast. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patreon patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Food is the fuel that allows adventurers to hike, climb, paddle, swim, cycle and, well, adventure. It’s more than just calories. It contains the vitamins and minerals that help our muscles repair themselves, our bones stay strong and our eyes stay sharp. It helps keep us warm during chilly nights in the backcountry. A delicious meal at the end of a long day can be a huge source of comfort.  Nutrition can make or break a thru-hike. So for today’s episode, I interview Aaron Owens Mayhew, founder of Backcountry Foodie. Backcountry Foodie is a leading source for ultralight backpacking recipes and meal planning resources, and Aaron is a registered dietician and ultralight long-distance backpacker.  Aaron founded Backcountry Foodie in 2017 while preparing homemade, lightweight meals for her thru-hike attempt of the PCT, and has since section and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Oregon Coast Trail, the Colorado Trail and the Condor trail. In this episode, she shares advice for beginner and casual backpackers, as well as her best meal planning and nutritional advice for before and during a long-distance hike. You can follow Aaron on Instagram at @backcountry_foodie Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

What would it look like if mermaids took up backcountry camping? It would probably look kind of like swimpacking. Swimpacking is an adventure sport that involves swimming in open water with a drybag that contains everything a backpacker would normally keep in their pack, like food, clothes, shelter and other gear. Swimpacking trips are usually combined with hiking or biking, and allow participants to travel by land and water to places they couldn’t otherwise access, like old growth forests and other remote wilderness gems.  Ilya Kapralov has been swimpacking in British Columbia since 2018. He’s even helped start a small but growing community of new swim packers, mostly in Vancouver. Ilya’s trips in 2018, 2019 and 2020 with his friend Martin Cermac were all documented by Cermac in a two-part Youtube series called The Swimpacking Diaries. Ilya has swimpacked in lakes, rivers and even coastal waters throughout Vancouver Island and B.C.’s lower mainland. He’s kept company with seals and glided over many blooms of jellyfish. On episode 26 of Catch Me Outside, Ilya talks about his adventures and the ins and outs of this growing sport.  Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs   

Everyone who spends time in the outdoors will lose their way at some point. According to the Government of Canada, search and rescue personnel provide assistance to more than 20,000 people in Canada each year.  In this episode of Catch Me Outside, a listener tells his story of getting lost in Killarney Provincial Park after dark, and then Tom Girrior of Yellowknife Search and Rescue shares some insights into lost person behaviour as well as some advice that should help outdoor adventurers avoid getting lost, or at least improve their odds of being found. Tom has worked in the industry for 15 years and, as training director for Yellowknife SAR, has trained countless SAR volunteers.  Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Today, not only are we talking about Canada’s longest and oldest continuous hiking trail, which stretches for 900 km from Niagara Falls north to Georgian Bay, but I’m also joined by Zwena Gray, the first modern Black woman to thru-hike the trail. I say modern, because the trail has extensive Black history, and at least partially follows the route Black abolitionists and freedom seekers took north through Ontario after they entered Canada from the U.S. via the Underground Railroad.  One border crossing that was often used as part of the Underground Railroad is close to home for Zwena: Detroit. Zwena studies environmental sciences in Ontario now, but she grew up in Detroit, Michigan.  The more she learned about the legacy of Black history in southwestern Ontario, the more she wanted to learn and share with others. She came up with a plan for achieving this goal and called it the Black on the Bruce. In the name of Black on the Bruce, she hiked the entire trail over May and June this year with her friend Sima. On episode 24, Zwena talks about the technical aspects of her hike, what she learned about Black history and Black joy on the trail, her favourite sections, favourite meals and so much more. To learn even more about Zwena and Black on the Bruce, follow her instagram @just.zee 📍I’d leaving out an important piece of trail history if I didn’t mention some of the people with the longest-standing relationships to the land the Bruce Trail runs along. Those are the Anishinaabek, Huron-Wendat, Tionontati, Neutral Nation, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and all the other Indigenous Peoples who provided stewardship of these lands for thousands of years. Sources: Detroiter aims to be the first modern-day Black woman to hike a Canadian Underground Railroad trail, Black Like Us The Underground Railroad and Black history on the Bruce Trail, Toronto Bruce Trail Club The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Centre website  Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

This is one for the weekend warriors who want to try long-distance hiking.  There are lots of people each year who complete long-distance hikes with zero prior backpacking experience. They start with little to no practical backpacking knowledge, but with a clean slate, so to speak. Then there are people who hone their backpacking skills and test their gear on shorter trips in the backcountry first, and then take on a long-distance trail. That's what this episode's guest, Jessica Raechelle, did in 2020. Before she hiked more than half of the Pacific Crest Trail that year, Jessica (AKA Frosty) gained years of backpacking experience on shorter trails in Canada. She had ingrained habits and favourite pieces of gear. On the PCT, she quickly learned about the differences between, backpacking and long-distance hiking: physical, mental and in terms of gear needs. Some old habits and cherished pieces of gear gave way to new ways of doing things and lighter gear. Some things stayed the same. Since 2020, Jessica has applied many of the lessons she learned on the PCT during subsequent hikes in Canada. On today’s episode, Jessica will talk about the expectations she had going into the PCT, the new skills she developed on the trail and the habits she picked up from other long-distance hikers.  📍The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the traditional territories of dozens of Indigenous Peoples, including the Western Shoshone, the Kumeyaay, the Serrano, Washoe and others. To study an interactive map of the territories along the PCT, visit native-land.ca. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. You can also support the show and gain access to exclusive bonus content by becoming a Patron, at patreon.com/catchmeoutsidepodcast. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs   

What do you know about the potentially endocrine-disrupting “forever chemicals” in your favourite waterproof gear and garments? Or about your favourite outdoor gear manufacturers’ side gigs selling bullets and combat uniforms? We’re joined on this episode by friend of the pod Alex Tran to unpack a couple not-so-rosy aspects of the outdoor industry. Alex is a backpacker, bike packer and gear head who’s been going on outdoor adventures for almost 20 years. We’ve had lots of conversations about the ethics of the outdoor gear industry in the months since I started the podcast, and I consider Alex to be a pretty conscientious person.    For this research-heavy episode, Alex and I chat about plastic waste, PFAS and the military-industrial complex. We both acknowledged before recording that some of the core problems at the base of all these issues are white supremacy, capitalism, imperialism and patriarchy, and while we touch on some of these a bit during the episode, we ultimately decided to keep the scope of the conversation pretty narrowly focused on the three topics I mentioned above.    Don’t worry though, there are plenty of hot takes.    Notes: At one point, we say that DWR means “durable water resistant” coating, but it’s actually "durable water repellent." Also, I refer several times to Clarus Company, but it’s actually Clarus Corporation.    Sources: By the Numbers: The Outdoor Industry’s Plastic Problem Your laundry and plastic pollution — which fabrics shed the most microplastics The lawyer who became DuPont's worst nightmare The Madrid Statement Gore-Tex, PCFS and pollution: Harmful chemicals in outdoor gear Gore-Tex manufacturer announces availability of new PFAS-free membrane, but still uses “forever chemicals” to make its outdoor apparel and gear The Lost Arrow Project by Patagonia – Military Alpine Recce System: Program History #BoycottBlackDiamond: Everything You Need to Know and How You Can Help Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Also, keep an eye out for the Catch Me Outside Patreon, launching in September. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Located on the West Coast of Nootka Island in British Columbia, is a remote backpacking trail called, fittingly enough, the Nootka Trail.  It’s 37 kilometres long, but before you sniff at the length, know this: it’s an intense slog through obstacle-filled forests and over many, many stretches of pea-gravel covered beaches. What it lacks in distance it more than makes up for in difficulty.  It’s a linear trail, and getting to and from its trailheads requires hikers to charter a float plane and a water taxi.  If you see it through, though, you're rewarded with unobstructed ocean views, magnificent sunsets, cool wildlife sightings, old shipwrecks and an opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the Mowachaht/Muchalat First Nation, whose lands the trail passes through. Friend of the pod Greg “Three Hills” Zolob recently hiked the trail with his hiking buddy Candice,  A.K.A. Sweet Tooth.  For today’s episode, they give a rundown of their hike, including the highlights, the lowlights, getting caught unawares by the tide, forgetting trail runners at home, unforgettable views and wildlife encounters. PS. I make a minor announcement at the end of the intro that states "September 1" when I really mean "October 1."  Links and shoutouts https://www.yuquot.ca/  https://www.yuquot.ca/nootka-crisis/ https://www.yuquot.ca/product-category/hiking/ Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Also, keep an eye out for the Catch Me Outside Patreon, launching in September. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

It's been a goal to record an episode around listener submissions for awhile, and a bunch of you were so gracious as to send in your favourite camping recipes and funny food stories last month. So for this episode, my ride-or-die and occasional co-host Ian is back to help read everything you sent.  Buckle up for stories of spite beans, fly bannock, incinerated potatoes, exploding ravioli, sponge poisoning, charred weiners, and a whole lotta poop. Plus recipes!  Thank you to everyone who sent in a story or recipe!

Last week, you heard Crystal Gravelle tell her story of surviving a lightning strike in Killarney Provincial Park in 2005. While episode 19 only included the story itself, Crystal and I actually spoke about her experience for a little while afterward. Today, we're releasing the rest of that conversation. If you haven’t heard Crystal’s lightning survival story, you should go listen to episode 19 first.  This bonus mini episode also features a special Catch Me Outside announcement!  📍Killarney Provincial Park borders the lands of Point Grondine, Wikwemikong, Whitefish River and Whitefish Lake First Nations. It is because of the Indigenous Odawa, Ojibway and Potowatomi peoples and their relationship with the land that backpackers like me are able to experience it in such a beautiful, intimate way today.   Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Crystal Gravelle was on the second last day of her first backpacking trip in August 2005 when three storms converged over Ontario’s Killarney Provincial Park, peppering the park with lightning. She and a friend were part-way down an especially technical descent near the end of La Cloche Silhouette Trail in the pouring rain, trying to get to lower ground, when she felt what she thought was her foot exploding. She’d been struck by lightning. She survived, but it wasn’t until the next day she learned someone else struck by lighting in the park that day hadn’t.  On today’s episode of Catch Me Outside, Crystal will tell her survival story. Then, Steve Jones, an instructor with iRescue training who teaches courses in emergency wilderness survival and first aid. Steve has taught countless backcountry explorers how to mitigate risks in the wilderness, and today, he’ll share some lightning safety tips anyone who spends time in the backcountry should hear.  📍Killarney Provincial Park borders the lands of Point Grondine, Wikwemikong, Whitefish River and Whitefish Lake First Nations. It is because of the Indigenous Odawa, Ojibway and Potowatomi peoples and their relationship with the land that backpackers like me are able to experience it in such a beautiful, intimate way today.   Episode shoutout iRescue Training - https://irescuetraining.com   Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page.   Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Friend of the pod and episode 2 guest Canice Leung is back from her long-ass section hike (LASH) on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Canice covered the first 1,090 miles of the PCT this spring and summer, hiking from the southern terminus in Campo to Lake Tahoe. She saw gopher snakes, rattlers and fruit platters arranged to look like Donald and Melania Trump riding dolphins. She filtered water from questionable sources. She caught the last season of Scout and Frodo’s hiker hosting. She toughed out the desert and walked through the Sierra. For this episode, she shares the long and gory run down, offers some thoughts on the culture of thru-hiking and gives advice to Canadians hoping to hike the trail.  📍The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the traditional territories of dozens of Indigenous Peoples, including the Western Shoshone, the Kumeyaay, the Serrano, Washoe and others. To study an interactive map of the territories along the PCT, visit native-land.ca.   Episode shoutouts Montezuma Valley Market Instagram: @montezumamarket Facebook: facebook.com/montezumavalleymarket Indigenous Women Hike Instagram: @indigenouswomenhike Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Centre Facebook: facebook.com/Owens-Valley-Paiute-Shoshone-Cultural-Center-448489985316272/ Website: bishoppaiutetribe.com/owens-valley-paiute-shoshone-cultural-center/   Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page.   Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

The East Coast Trail is a 332 km end-to-end trail located on the east coast of *Newfoundland. It’s made up of a chain of shorter trails, and can be section or thru-hiked.  Despite not passing over any mountains, the trail has a total elevation gain of almost 15,000 metres, owing in part to the fact that it passes through many towns, and many of those towns are at sea level. It’s like a seaside rollercoaster. I’ll be honest. This trail wasn’t on my radar until a few listeners reached out to mention it, and the more I learn about it, the closer it moves to the top of my bucket list. Camping along the trail is free, and hikers do not need to buy any permits. Because it passes near many towns and villages, there are ample opportunities to resupply, take a rest day or bail, if things get too rough. Hikers are treated to dramatic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the rocky Newfoundland Coast, sea arches and sea stacks and picturesque villages.  Ana McBride hiked the full trail this summer with her dog Winnie and a friend. On today’s episode of Catch Me Outside, she shares the highs and lows of her hike (spoiler alert, there weren’t many lows). She also shares some valuable information for anyone planning to check out the east coast trail.  *The East Coast Trail is situated on the traditional lands of the Algonquian speaking Beothuk peoples.  Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Outdoor adventure gear can be prohibitively expensive if you don’t have access to a resource like a gear lending library.  But with some luck, patience and advice from other outdoor enthusiasts, it’s possible to find the gear you need affordably, and make it last a long time.  Dionne, Lauren and Caroline from our last episode about the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library put their combined experience together for this episode on buying and borrowing outdoor gear on a budget. They’re three outdoor enthusiasts who probably have experience in about a dozen outdoor adventure sports between them, including hiking, camping, paddling, skiing and cycling. Together, they run the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library in *Guelph, Ontario. In this episode, they offer advice on how to affordably and sustainably stock your gear closet, how to get the most out of your gear and extend its longevity, and tips and tricks for maintaining and repairing gear on the go.  Note: This is the second half of the interview our last episode was based on. If you want to learn more about Dionne, Lauren, Caroline and the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library, listen to E15: Anatomy of an Outdoor Gear Library. If you want to help support the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library, check out their website bipocoutdoorgearlibrary.com to make a donation or learn about volunteer opportunities. *So-called Guelph, which was given its current name by white colonizers, is situated on the occupied territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation of the Anishinaabek Peoples. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

** HEADS UP: The podcast audio for this episode has been reuploaded to correctly refer to Dee, Caroline and Lauren as racialized women, since not everyone identifies as Black. The error in the show notes has also been corrected. Catch Me Outside Podcast (a.k.a. Megan) apologizes for the mistake. This is why it's important not to make assumptions! ** Gear libraries have been popping up in communities across North America for a few years now, creating opportunities for people to get outside and go on potentially life-changing adventures. At the same time, a growing number of organizations is working to make the outdoor community safer, more welcoming and more representative of Black, Indigenous, POC, queer, disabled and otherwise underrepresented folks.  In Guelph,* Ontario, the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library is doing both, by making gear available for free to people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour.  For this episode, I’m joined by Dionne “Dee” Daley, Lauren Burrows and Caroline Rodgers, the three avid outdoor adventurers who launched the gear library. They share their perspectives as racialized women in a white, male dominated industry. They talk about what inspires them, what it takes to get a gear library off the ground, how the library works, who can use it and what they hope the library will achieve.  If you want to help support the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library, check out their website bipocoutdoorgearlibrary.com to make a donation or learn about volunteer opportunities. *So-called Guelph, which was given its current name by white colonizers, is situated on the occupied territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation of the Anishinaabek Peoples. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

I decided to do something different for this week’s episode profiling the 41-km Saguenay Fjord Trail and Jacques-Cartier National Park, which are both in Quebec.  Earlier this month, I took a field recorder with me on a 2,200-km road trip to the fjord and back and recorded some dispatches from the trail as I hiked it. I even managed to interview some fellow hikers one rainy evening as we huddled together in a three-walled shelter. I’ll start this episode with some background about the parks and the trip, and then roll the dispatches. If you listen to this episode and have any feedback, I’d love to hear it. If people like this format, I can already think of some long trails I’d like to cover the same way in the not to distant future. Next time, I'll put a foam windscreen on my field recorder.... As promised, here are the recipes I mentioned in the episode: Meg’s vegetarian trail burrito: Ingredients:  Whole wheat tortillas Textured vegetable protein Taco seasoning packet (To taste. You can always add more if you decide there’s not enough) Dehydrated tomato, red pepper, black beans, salsa, cilantro and green onion (the last two you can find at most bulk food stores) and/or whatever other veggies you want Cheddar cheese (I use individual single serving packets but choose your own adventure) BONUS: If you can get your hands on some crunchy fried onion salad toppers like the ones French’s makes, it’s a real clutch move to sprinkle those on top at the end) Method: I just combine everything but the tortillas, cheese and fried onions in my pot or freezer bag and add boiling water to it. Usually just enough water to cover all the ingredients. Let it sit for a few minutes to rehydrate, cheese up into little pieces and throw that in. Stir, scoop out onto tortillas, sprinkle friend onions on top and wrap that baby up. Trail tuna salad wraps: Ingredients:  Tuna packet or can 2 mayo and 1-2 mustard packets (fast food restaurant-style) Cheese Flower tortilla Method:  Mix everything together and slap it onto tortilla Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

Ahh, the Sunshine Coast Trail. At 180 kilometres, and with at least 14 huts, it’s Canada’s longest hut-to-hut hiking trail. The trail stretches along the coast of British Columbia, from Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay, through a region separated from the rest of B.C. by several fjords, and only accessible by boat or plane. It traverses a wide range of landscapes, passing along coastal shorelines, creeks and lakes, through old growth forests and logging clear cuts and up over mountains. Its total elevation gain is 6,000 metres, which is more than the height of Mount Kilimanjaro.  It’s situated on the traditional territory of Tla’amin Nation, which is also the namesake of some of its features, like the anglicized Sliammon Lakes.  This episode’s guest is Greg Zolob, who hiked the full trail last summer just before I hiked it. Greg offered a lot of very helpful advice as I was planning my hike, so it seemed fitting for us to sit down, share stories from our hikes and profile the trail for other prospective hikers.  Today’s episode covers: Megan and Greg's 2021 hikes What to expect on the trail Resources for planning a hike How to get to Powell River and to the trailhead Megan and Greg’s favourite huts Water availability Resupply strategies A rousing game of "Would you rather...?" Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

If someone invited you to leave everything behind and go on the adventure of a lifetime — one that might never end — would you accept the invitation? During a vacation in Panama in 2013 that was supposed to last a few weeks, Kyla Fuller met someone who was preparing to sail across the Pacific Ocean to Australia and needed a crew member. He invited her to join. Without ever returning to her apartment in Ottawa and carrying little more than her passport, wallet and two weeks worth of possessions, she accepted. Kyla had no sailing experience then and had never even considered that life on the sea could be an option for her. Since then, the ocean has become the foundation for her life and career. She’s worked on boats in Japan and Australia, circumnavigated the planet in a sailboat, almost died several times and discovered the things that are most important to her.  On this episode of Catch Me Outside, Kyla and I talk about how she got here, the sacrifices she’s made to live this life, and why it’s all worthwhile.  Other highlights of this extra long, special episode include:  Encounters with pirates  Accidentally being towed by a shark  Almost being crushed by her own mast  Being stranded at the Panama Canal during the early days of the pandemic Falling in love Managing Crohn’s disease on the ocean How to afford living on a boat How living in a boat can teach a person how much they really need Kyla’s tips for preserving fruits, veggies, eggs and cheese  Just a note: We recorded this interview in two sessions over different days, so don’t be confused if references to recording dates or locations are a little off.  Contest Congratulations to Colton J., who won last episode's contest and will soon be the proud new owner of a CuloClean portable bidet!  Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs 

On today’s episode of Catch Me Outside, another winner for crassness and potty humour, I sit down with my backpacking friends Nicole Dubeta - who has thru-hiked the PCT and the GDT — and Erica Stern, who practically lives in the Ontario backcountry.  Together, we get to the bottom of bodily functions in the backcountry.  Specifically, we cover: What goes in a hygiene kit  Poop and pee best practices, especially for those of us with internal plumbing  Our favourite tricks for a comfortable backcountry toilet experience Managing periods, period cramps and hormones on trail Keeping your bits clean Bras, underwear and chafing  And we finish strong with a passionate Lincoln-Douglas-style debate about backcountry bidets: keep em or flush em? Contest Throughout this episode, you’ll hear at least 10 different poop puns. The first person to list five of them for me will receive a free (brand new, never opened) CuloClean Portable Bidet. Just list them in a direct message to the Catch Me Outside Podcast Instagram account or email catchmeoutsidepod@gmail.com. Like, rate, review and follow If you're enjoying the show, please rate, review and follow @catchmeoutsidepodcast on Instagram and TikTok and like the Catch Me Outside Podcast Facebook page. Music Yaki Tori and Mango by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/-yaki-tori Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/oZ0U4Q5epUs