Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS)

In this episode, Cal Olmer shares the story of his ill-fated attempt to walk for 24 hours straight without stopping to rest. What began as a personal challenge turned into a hard lesson in endurance when fatigue set in, painful blisters developed, and then rain moved into the area. Cal and his companion eventually made it back to the car—but barely. The story is both encouraging and cautionary, offering practical advice about pacing, rest, footwear, hydration, weather, and knowing when a chal...

What happens to the human body when you spend thousands of miles walking through mountains, deserts, and remote wilderness? In this podcast, Titus Humphreys shares what he has learned from his remarkable long-distance hiking experiences. We explore the physical and medical challenges of extreme endurance hiking—including fatigue, dehydration, injuries, nutrition, sleep, altitude, and the remarkable ability of the human body to adapt and keep going.

What happens when you spend days, weeks, or even months walking through some of the most demanding landscapes on earth? In this first conversation with Titus Humphreys, we explore the remarkable treks that have taken him far beyond the ordinary trail experience. Titus shares what draws him to long-distance journeys, what he has learned about endurance and the human body, and what it is really like to spend extended periods of time far from the comforts—and medical resources—of civilization. W...

Why does your heart rate keep climbing during a long hike even though you’re walking at the same pace—or even slowing down? This phenomenon is called cardiovascular drift, and it is an important physiologic response to prolonged exercise. In this podcast, we explore what happens to the heart during a long hike as dehydration, heat, altitude, and fatigue begin to affect the cardiovascular system. The heart is a pump—but the pump has to fill before it can pump. Understanding venous return will ...

Most of us think of tick bites as a risk for Lyme disease. But ticks can transmit a surprising number of other infections—including a rare and potentially deadly virus known as Bourbon virus. First identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, in the United States in 2014, Bourbon virus is believed to be transmitted by ticks, particularly the lone star tick. It can cause fever, severe fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, and abnormalities in the blood—including low white blood cells and lo...