Backpacker Radio

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Heidi Nisbett aka Sketch. Heidi is a thru-hiker, hiking guide, and an exceptionally talented artist, having recently been commissioned to paint a giant mural at the Trail Center in Damascus. Heidi gives us the lowdown on why she loved the Foothills Trail, the Superior Hiking Trail, Pinhoti Trail, and more. We also go in-depth on Heidi's journey as an artist, how she fell in love with it as a kid, fell out of love with it post-college, and rekindled the flame during her time hiking the AT. She shares her top advice to aspiring trail-focused artists, we learn about a CDT thru-hike that went wildly awry, and we chat the best and worst beer styles. This is another fun chat guaranteed to bring a smile to your head.

We wrap the show with reasons why the Florida Trail is actually awesome, I'm shamed for liking things I'm good at, we do a triple crown of hiking things we just don't get, a Florida Man segment, and much more.

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Interview with Heidi Nisbett

• Heidi Nisbett Instagram
• Sketching Summits website
• Sketching Summits TikTok

Time stamps & Questions

00:03:05 - Reminders: Chaunce is unwell & we’re still collecting poop stories for our book. Send your story here!

00:08:54 - Introducing Heidi Nisbett

00:09:42 - Is it safe to say you’re a beer connoisseur?

00:09:55 - What’s the style of beer you’re into now?

00:10:07 - Do you have a favorite wheat beer?

00:10:24 - What is your trail name and the origin?

00:11:10 - Why didn’t you like the name Picasso?

00:11:56 - What did Picasso do for art history?

00:12:45 - Were you sketching at all shelter logs?

00:13:58 - How long do the paintings take you?

00:14:58 - Was it hard to maintain a social group if you stop to paint?

00:15:40 - Do most people break up with art after their degree?

00:20:07 - When did art stand out as something you were talented in?

00:20:50 - Do you come from artsy people?

00:22:58 - At what point were you getting positive feedback on your art?

00:23:40 - What role did social media play as you re-entered the art world?

00:26:13 - What happens between your art career and hiking the AT?

00:29:11 - How does a paint and sip class work?

00:30:44 - What tips do you have for amateur artists?

00:34:00 - Tell us about your style of art now

00:35:08 - How would you describe the style of art?

00:37:36 - How did you transition from art girl to hiking girl?

00:40:28 - What was your hiking experience prior to the AT?

00:42:06 - Tell us about the evolution of your art as you hiked along the AT?

00:44:46 - How did you decide to make your art your full-time business after hiking?

00:47:20 - What draws people in the most?

00:48:40 - How do you overcome imposter syndrome?

00:49:50 - Tell us about your work with the ATC

00:52:52 - Was that your first mural?

00:54:40 - How does it work when painting around features in the room?

00:55:44 - Is this the piece of art that has consumed the most amount of your time?

00:55:52 - What is the second longest?

00:56:51 - What’s the most popular piece of art?

00:57:22 - What do you mail most often?

00:59:07 - How do you determine what to turn into a sticker?

01:00:23 - Have you asked if the Pinhoti has any mural needs?

01:02:10 - How was the Pinhoti?

01:04:30 - Why pick the Pinhoti over other trails?

01:05:48 - How does the difficulty compare to the AT?

01:06:54 - Is there a bad time of year to hike the Pinhoti?

01:08:01 - Would you pick Pinhoti or Superior Hiking Trail?

01:09:42 - How was the Foothills Trail?

01:11:57 - What’s the hiking culture in North Carolina?

01:12:56 - Are you familiar with the Overmountain ...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by Dr. Nick Brandehoff and Dr. Bryan Wilson of The Asclepius Snakebite Foundation to of course talk all things snakes. We cover everything you could want to know about dealing with snakes and snake bites including what to do if bitten by a snake in the backcountry in a variety of circumstances, what to do if your kid or dog is bitten by a snake, common myths about snakes and snake bites, a fornicate marry kill of snake species, what resources people ought to be aware of in dealing with snake safety, and much more.

We wrap the show with the best excuses to get out of work, a triple crown of items over $1,000 that aren't living, and are small enough to be manually lifted, a new segment, trigger warning, a horseback DUI, and more!

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Interview with Dr. Nick Brandehoff and Dr. Bryan Wilson

• Snakebite Foundation Website
• ASF Instagram

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:30 - Reminders: Check out our new merch, submit your poop story for a chance to win a BPR RTIC mug, and apply to be a blogger!

00:08:40 - Introducing Dr. Brandehoff and Dr. Wilson

00:10:00 - Tell us about your backgrounds and how you came to your current roles

00:13:27 - Why does Denver have a high concentration of toxicologists?

00:15:10 - How many snakes do each of you own?

00:15:55 - When you think of snake people, what is the stereotypical snake person?

00:17:15 - Have either of you been bitten by venomous snakes?

00:18:07 - What makes a snake venomous but not dangerous?

00:27:35 - If you get bit by a snake while out hiking, how do you get it to let go of you?

00:29:15 - How far do snakes lunge?

00:31:50 - Have snakes evolved not to rattle?

00:32:12 - If you get bit while hiking, what should you do?

00:35:00 - Discussion about the myth of using electricity to denature venom

00:36:55 - First aid tips

00:38:43 - Is it okay to move to get to medical care?

00:40:20 - Does it make more sense to hike or run?

00:41:48 - Is it a bad idea to try to slow the circulation or elevate the area?

00:42:54 - How does your knowledge impact your outdoor experience?

00:47:11 - Myth busting: are baby rattlesnakes more venomous than adults?

00:50:27 - What kind of venomous snakes are most prevalent in the United States?

00:52:00 - Can you rank the 4 snakes according to how bad it is to get bitten by them?

00:54:05 - Which of the 4 snakes would you most want to get bitten by?

00:57:05 - After you’re bit, how long do you have before a snakebite becomes lethal?

00:59:40 - Tell us about the Appalachian snake people

01:02:00 - Discussion about the long term impacts of snake bites

01:04:40 - Is antivenom the same for all snakes?

01:07:02 - How is antivenom made?

01:09:07 - Why do the antibodies have to be taken from other animals?

01:11:45 - Are you optimistic about the technology of antivenom evolving?

01:12:08 - Is it true that not all hospitals have antivenom?

01:13:50 - Discussion about poison centers (800-222-1222)

01:16:20 - What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen with the poison center?

01:20:57 - What should you do if a child or dog gets bit by a snake?

01:24:56 - Do you have any snake jokes?

01:25:30 - Fuck Marry Kill: water moccasins, rattlesnakes, copperheads

01:26:45 - If you could see any snake in the wild, what would you pick?

01:28:25 - What snake would come out the victor in a bracket?

01:29:55 - What are some rapid fire snake facts?

01:32:30 - Have you ever done any snake pranks?

01:33:35 - Why are people so afraid of snakes?

01:35:00 - Where can people learn more about you and your organization?

Segments

Trek...

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, we are joined by someone you are likely already following on Instagram, Matt Lyons known on trail as "Schmutz". Schmutz is a thru-hiker, social media comedian and celebrity. He gives us an overview on his process for making short comedic skits, how life has changed during his rise to fame, and all that's gone into growing his Instagram and TikTok to nearly a half million followers. We also learn about Matt's backpacking journey, including the time he had to tearfully chase a fellow thru-hiker who was carrying his tent in the wrong direction. Schmutz also gives us a preview of his forthcoming documentary about southbound thru-hiking the PCT.

We wrap the show opining on why there aren't wild chickens, the triple crown of things that have made us question our own IQs, and some details about how you can get your hands on Backpacker Radio's infamous hair wall.

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Interview with Matt “Schmutz” Lyons

• Matt's Instagram
• Matt's Merch

Time stamps & Questions

00:03:48 - Reminders: Support us on Patreon for bonus content, subscribe to the Trek’s newsletter to hear when the Tyvek wall is available, and apply to be a 2024 blogger!

00:06:45 - Introducing Matt

00:07:35 - How long do you spend planning out the names in your videos?

00:09:20 - Do you have a background in comedy?

00:11:33 - Have you been told your voice is good for audio?

00:12:38 - Does your girlfriend think you’re funny?

00:14:32 - What’s your background in the outdoors?

00:16:30 - How many of your videos involve making fun of yourself?

00:19:26 - Have you ever made too much fun of a group or activity?

00:23:48 - How would you describe your skits?

00:25:55 - Was there a turning point when your comedy became more professional?

00:27:20 - What’s it like to make social content while teaching middle schoolers?

00:32:54 - Tell us the story of you forgetting your tent in Stehekin

00:37:30 - Tell us about getting a boat hitch

00:39:30 - Tell us about starting the AT in 2019

00:42:36 - Would you describe yourself as an extrovert?

00:44:00 - What were your biggest fuckups and standout stories on the AT?

00:47:17 - How did you get your trail name?

00:50:08 - What’s your most embarrassing moment from trail?

00:51:01 - What years did you hike the PCT?

00:53:25 - What was your social experience like on the PCT?

00:57:30 - What was your motivation for thru-hiking?

00:58:20 - Have you ever shit your pants?

01:00:40 - Discussion about Schmutz’s diet off and on trail

01:02:40 - What are some other firm beliefs you have?

01:03:35 - Have you built up your dream gear?

01:07:18 - Do you have a next trail on the bucket list?

01:08:20 - Tell us about the documentary

01:13:20 - Will the documentary be comedic?

01:15:14 - Is it hard to pass off footage to other people?

01:17:20 - How did you manage your knee?

01:19:10 - Tell us about Frontcountry Apparel

01:21:00 - Which videos did better than you expected?

01:23:05 - Are thru-hiking videos too niche for your audience now?

01:25:00 - Discussion about Matt’s video making process

01:29:01 - How often do people recognize you?

01:30:27 - How do you handle working with brands?

Segments

Trek Propaganda: How Fast is too Fast? 6 Lessons from a Sub-80 Day Thru-Hike by Isabel Koran

QOTD: Why aren’t there wild chickens?

Triple Crown of things that have made you question your own IQ

Mail Bag

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