In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek and brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Vince and Georgie Strawbridge, one-third of the six-person thru-hiking family. We last caught up with the Strawbridges in early 2020, when they were freshly off their hike of the PCT. Since, they’ve conquered both the CDT and the AT, completing the Triple Crown as a full family. 

We dive into the high and lowlights of these treks from the perspectives of Vince (dad) and Georgie (the youngest in the family). They share insights on navigating the CDT during COVID, overcoming multiple bouts of hypothermia, how one Strawbridge daughter managed to hike the CDT despite being severely anemic, why the AT ranked as their least favorite of the Triple Crown trails, hiking the AT as a group of seven (adding another kiddo for this one), some especially serendipitous instances of trail magic, and Vince’s unconventional—and hilarious—efforts to convince his wife, Monica, to take on another thru-hike, including a group therapy session with their friends. 

We wrap the show with new of a job opening at Backpacker Radio, we ponder how far from a star you should be before it’s safe to stare, a FMK of places to get wet, a breakdown of how much more expensive it is to hike the AT these days, and the Triple Crown of human names that sound like they could double as state names.

Topo Athletic: Use code “TREKWINTER15” at topoathletic.com.

Gossamer Gear: Use code “BACKPACKER20” for 20% off packs at gossamergear.com. 

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Interview with Vince & Georgie Strawbridge

• Strawbridge Instagram
• Strawbridge Youtube
• Pretty Good at Walking by Vince Strawbridge

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:34 - Reminders: Apply to join the BPR team or vlog for the Trek, get tickets to our live show in Austin on April 17, and support us on Patreon!

00:11:20 - Introducing Vince & Georgie Strawbridge

00:12:12 - How did Georgie break her leg?

00:13:18 - How old are all the kids now?

00:15:00 - How has your interest in hiking changed since you were last on the podcast?

00:16:06 - How do you feel about hiking as a kid?

00:18:49 - How did you find time to write the book?

00:25:25 - What did you learn through writing the book?

00:28:20 - Did Zach & Chaunce find parallels between hiking and writing?

00:32:20 - Now that you’re older, have you noticed hiking feeling different?

00:33:50 - How did you decide on the CDT next?

00:39:27 - How should Zach get his kids to like hiking?

00:43:40 - What was the result of the group referee sessions?

00:45:45 - What are some highlights of the first part of the trail?

00:48:35 - How did you manage the logistics after the first 400 miles?

00:51:00 - What was your dog encounter?

00:52:50 - How did you manage schooling on trail?

00:54:53 - What were some cool stories that overlapped with the trail?

00:59:40 - How does your homeschooling curriculum interact with applying to college?

01:03:10 - What do you want to do when you grow up?

01:04:10 - Tell us about the time you took too much Benadryl

01:07:35 - What was the tent breakup on the CDT?

01:09:22 - What was your level of enjoyment on the CDT?

01:10:30 - Did you notice your own growth between the trails?

01:11:27 - What’s the dynamic between you and your siblings?

01:14:20 - Tell us about the September storm

01:20:20 - Do you ever have meetings without Vince?

01:24:00 - Discussion about finding out June was anemic

01:26:50 - Were you hesitant to have June join you on the AT?

01:27:52 - How did you decide to go northbound on the AT?

01:29:17 - What was it like going from the CDT during covid to the AT northbound?

01:34:00 - How did you weigh the pros and cons of hiking as a large group?

01:38:20 - Did you get any negative comments online?

01:43:26 - Did it feel like you were in easy mode on the AT?

01:47:30 - Story about running out of food

01:49:50 - What was it like getting your first real trail magic experience?

01:54:40 - Did someone get trench foot on this hike?

01:55:30 - What was it like to reach the sign on Katahdin?

01:57:45 - How has the Triple Crown experience changed your kids?

02:01:30 - Would you want to be homeschooled again?

02:04:45 - Give us the highlights of the Great Divide Trail

02:08:15 - Who handles cold water better?

02:09:13 - What was it like navigating the fire season?

02:13:18 - Is the hitching culture different in Canada?

02:14:10 - Tell us about your plans for 2025?

02:16:39 - Peak Performance Question: What’s your top performance enhancing hack?

Segments

Trek Propaganda

• Is It Getting More Expensive To Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail? by Kelly Floro
• Thru-Hiking With Eczema (and How My Body Surprised Me Along the Way) by Amanda Campbell

QOTD: How far from a star must you be to be safe to stare?

Triple Crown of (human) names that sound like they could be names of states

Fuck Marry Kill: Places to get wet

Mail Bag

5 Star Review

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Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee<span style