My Worst Backpacking Experiences

Seasonal depression usually kicks in around February for me and it always leaves me feeling lazy, unmotivated and mentally exhausted. I try to combat those feelings by getting outside or doing stuff I love. Walking around the neighborhood, going to a coffee shop or watching old backpacking videos seems to help me. Hopefully what I discuss in this podcast can help you if you struggle with seasonal depression. 

I don't know about you guys but I love coffee on the trail! But really there's no bad time for coffee. Making coffee on the trail is definitely more work but I feel like nothing beats waking up to a sunrise with a delicious cup of coffee. There are so many different ways to brew coffee, from pour overs and french presses to the aeropress and instant coffee, pick your poison.  In this podcast we will talk about my favorite way to brew coffee on and off the trail, what brewing systems I use,  brew ratios and general coffee talk.  Email- [email protected] Instagram- @subaru_josh Thanks for tuning in!

Have you ever had a bad backpacking experience? I’ve definitely had my fair share of them. That doesn’t mean the entire trip was ruined though! In this podcast I’ll talk about a few bad experiences I had on the trail that didn’t completely ruin the trip but were annoying nonetheless. If you’ve had any bad experiences, feel free to share by sending me a message and maybe I’ll share it on a future podcast.

The Wind River Range in Wyoming is one of the most beautiful places in the U.S with it's crystal clear mountain lakes, towering peaks and stunning meadows. It hosts 19 of Wyoming's highest peaks, 3 Wilderness Areas and 2 National Forests. There is no shortage of amazing and epic views in the Winds and I was fortunate enough to go there on my very first backpacking trip.  I had no idea what to expect on this 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip. I had been to the mountains of Colorado and Montana before but had never actually spent the night in the backcountry. I had some preconceived notions about backpacking and I had an almost unrealistic idea of what it would be like. I definitely thought it would be easier but the elevation and a combination of pack weight and mileage proved that this trip would be no walk in the park.  We started at the Big Sandy Lake Trailhead, hiked roughly 6-7 miles to camp at Big Sandy Lake and set up our base camp. Big Sandy Lake is one of the more popular places to camp but fortunately for us we hiked in on a Thursday so we had almost the entire lake to ourselves.  I won't go into much more detail about the trip itself so you'll have to stick around to hear about it! This trip is what got me hooked on backpacking and I'm so thankful my friends Ben and Robin invited me to Wyoming to experience the awe-inspiring beauty first hand. 

Welcome to The Caffeinated Backpacker! My name is Josh, I'm an avid hiker and backpacker who enjoys coffee and friendly conversations. I've always felt connected to nature from a young age but it wasn't until 2015 that I started backpacking. I've been all over the country on backpacking trips and have explored all over Ohio hiking on new trails and discovering new coffee shops to try. My hope is that you find this podcast entertaining as well as educational. All are welcome here for friendly conversations about backpacking, nature and coffee. Thanks for taking the time to listen and don't forget to subscribe for more in-depth podcasts.