Backpacker Radio #204 | Little Skittle, Travis Avery, and Trail Days 2023

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Sawyer Products, we are bringing you a certified smorgasbord of backpacking goodness. We kick off the show with a somewhat impromptu interview with Instagram and YouTube sensation, Little Skittle. We learn about the last leg of her triple crown, how she embraced the brutality of the CDT, and of course the requisite fuck, marry, kill of the triple crown trails. We then catch up with Travis Avery of Sawyer Products to geek out on all things related to insect repellants, water filter technology, and how a Chicago Bears running back played a crucial role in Sawyer’s early success.

We wrap the show with a series of AT Hiker submissions for “Stupid Thing of the Week”, with a very natural slant toward shit stories guaranteed to entertain. As if that weren’t enough, Chaunce and I give a rundown on our favorite moments from Trail Days, what adventure plans we have on the docket for this summer, and the typical chaos.

LISTEN

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Interview with Little Skittle

• Little Skittle’s Instagram
• Little Skittle’s Youtube

Interview with Travis Avery

• Sawyer Product’s Instagram
• Travis’s LinkedIn

Time stamps & Questions

00:05:02 – QOTD: What summer hiking/backpacking/adventuring plans do you have?

00:12:48 – Reminders: Listen to exclusive Q&A episodes on Patreon!

00:15:08 – Introducing Little Skittle

00:17:33 – How’s it feel to be in the middle of your Triple Crown?

00:17:55 – How is the AT after completing the PCT and CDT already?

00:19:34 – How have you enjoyed the AT culture?

00:22:00 – Have you gotten backlash for your pace?

00:23:15 – What sketchy moments stand out from the CDT?

00:25:37 – Do you have any standout scary animal stories?

00:30:00 – Fuck Marry Kill: AT, PCT, CDT

00:31:20 – Little Skittle’s Stupid Thing of the Week

00:35:45 – What’s luxurious about your quilt?

00:37:03 – What has been your favorite thing about your AT experience so far?

00:38:10 – What’s been the most epic trail magic you received?

00:39:20 – What do you hope for at trail magic and what don’t you want?

00:40:35 – What’s after the Triple Crown?

00:43:13 – Introducing Travis Avery

00:46:02 – Tell us about the company history of Sawyer Products

00:47:28 – What is an extractor?

00:49:58 – How exactly does permethrin work?

00:51:47 – Can dogs get Lyme?

00:54:11 – If you were hiking the AT, how often would you apply permethrin?

00:58:50 – Can you spray permethrin on your underwear?

01:00:10 – Does permethrin present any risk when directly touching human skin?

01:01:10 – Do you have any tips and tricks for applying permethrin?

01:02:32 – What else is effective against ticks?

01:04:41 – Does picaridin help protect against flies?

01:05:41 – Describe the difference between DEET and picaridin against mosquitoes

01:08:00 – Are you uneasy using DEET?

01:08:56 – Discussion about mosquitos preferring different blood types

01:10:15 – Discussion about using permethrin around cats

01:11:55 – What are some other non obvious suggestions for using permethrin?

01:13:17 – Can you lock in the treatment using a hotel hair dryer?

01:14:14 – How do you know if your Sawyer Squeeze is broken?

01:16:10 – When did the Sawyer Squeeze come out?

01:16:50 – Tell us about the decision to make the filter compatible with standard water bottles

01:20:27 – Give us the elevator pitch on what makes the Squeeze superior to the competition

01:23:14 – Fuck Marry Kill: Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Alpha-gal Syndrome

SEGMENTS

Stupid Thing of the Week: AT Thru-Hiker Edition

• Abby “Shitwater” Evans
• Major
• Fun Guy
• Hamilton
• Dead Dad

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Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years.

A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex & Misty with Navigators Crafting, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Austin Ford, Brad & Blair (Thirteen Adventures), Brent Stenberg, Christopher Marshburn, Dayne, DoGoodPantry, Greg McDaniel, Liz Seger, Matt Soukup, Mike Poisel, Morgan Luke, Patrick Cianciolo, Sawyer Products, Timothy Hahn, and Tracy “Trigger” Fawns.

A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Dcnerdlet, Emily Galusha, Jake Landgraf, Jeanne Latshaw, Jeff LaFranier, Joann Menzer, Keith Dobie Jr, Kelly Heikkila, and Peter.