Your virtual outdoor guide
Craig and I were in the middle of a lockdown last week as were (and still are) many others around Australia and the world. We thought it was pretty important to send out some good vibes, share some hiking and outdoor news and put our listeners onto a tonne of good films, documentaries and other great hiking and outdoor related content.
So this is it, enjoy the podcast, enjoy the content and take care of yourselves out there.
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NEWS:
Wildlife Photographer - Jody Harrison
I gave Jodz a shoutout in the episode and really encourage you to check out his stunning wildlife photograhy at jodyharrison.com
hide_and_seeker
When I reached out to Geordie, one of our regular podcast listeners, for some leather work advice, he was unbelievably helpful and generous with his time.
Check out Geordie’s beautiful work on his website: hideandseeker.com.au
and as hide_and_seeker on Instagram
hiking the steamers
It was great to find time to put this edit together. This place is known as The Steamers and it’s located within the Main Range in Southeast QLD.
If you ever listened to Episode 15: In the bat cave, you’ll see the cave in this video where we recorded that episode.
Top 5 Hiking Podcast Episodes of April 2020
As far as timings go, I missed this tweet…by A LOT (over a year in fact) but I’m glad I eventually found it. We were listed in the Top 5 podcast episodes of April 2020. I guess it’s never too late to celebrate.
Read the full article on hikinginmaine.blog and check out the other hiking podcast recommendations too. The site also has a lot of other interesting articles that are well worth reading.
Check out the 5 Best Hiking and Outdoor Podcast Episodes of April 2020: https://t.co/ypbUkhRs2M
— Hiking In Maine Blog (@HikingMaineBlog) May 11, 2020
Heather Ellis - Overland Track
Heather was looking for some advice on hiking The Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia after a spot became available at the last minute within an existing group. We ended up connecting over a video call and I did my best to impart as much knowledge onto Heather as I could. She managed to complete the hike despite quite a few changes in the situation and documented her travels on her website.
I found Heather’s article really informative, particularly because it’s from the perspective of a novice hiker. You can read it in full at heather-ellis.com
Final hike for man and dog
This story most definitely tugs on the heart stings. Carlos’s hiking buddy was his dog Monty, a labradoodle that loved sharing the trail with him. They would frequently visit local hiking areas and summit mountains together, much to the joy of passing hikers.
When it became obvious to Carlos that his dog wasn’t going to make it through his battle with cancer, he decided to take Monty on one last hike to their favourite mountain. He pushed him along the trail in a wheelbarrow and captured the attention and hearts of other hikers. So much so that complete strangers offered to share the burden and help push the wheelbarrow.
Read the full article and see the touching photos on dailymail.co.uk
Aussie couple cleaning up the outback
It’s one thing to appreciate the land you travel across but it’s another to take significant, positive action and use your own personal time to pick up trash. Beo Langford and his partner Kimberly have dedicated time as they travel through remote areas and more frequented, tourist locations to stop and pick up rubbish. They then take that rubbish to the nearest town and dispose of it correctly.
Read the full article at: abc.net.au
Follow the guys on Instagram: @outbackcleanups
or learn more about their mission on their website: outbackcleanupsaustralia.com
Teen student completes 50 hikes
When Australian teen Alex was tasked with a school project, she mixed her love of business and hiking to create a website full of hiking trail reviews and information. What makes her commitment more incredible is that she personally completed 50 hikes in the local region to compile data for the website. I think that anyone completing 50 hikes is something pretty amazing, but to hear of someone that young with that kind of commitment or their work and the outdoors is fantastic.
TOM'S MAGICAL MYSTERY MEDIA MASH-UP:
Australia Day - Stan Grant
As mentioned in the podcast, I asked Dwayne Bannon-Harrison our guest on Episode 28, to give me a list of his top 5 “must-read” books. Australia Day by Stan Grant was one of those on his list and I found it a fantastic read.
See a sample of Stan Grant’s Australia Day here
The power of Now - Ekhart Tolle
Also in the above mentioned reading list from Dwayne Bannon-Harrison (our guest on Episode 28) was The Power of Now. I don’t think the title does this book too many favours as I find the topic to be something that more people should be embracing. The topics can get heavy in parts but in other sections things seem to make perfect sense. My advice is to the read the book at a pace that suits you and to move through sections as you require. Some days I could only read a page before requiring a day or two to process the information. Other times I could read a whole chapter.
If you’re looking to find some methodology around becoming more “present” in your hiking or life in general, then I can recommend this book to you.
Read a sample of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle on Google Books.
Fight for the wild - NZ
New Zealand is the land of the ground nesting birds due to being an island and until English settlement, having zero predators. That changed with the introduction of cats, dogs, stoats, rats and more. In the first epidose of the Fight for the WIld series, titled “Loss” it’s sad to see of the impact introduced species have brought to the country. There is hope however and the level of commitment the country’s government and people have to setting things right is admirable.
Learn more about the series and see all four episodes on rnz.co.nz
In a Highlander’s Shoes - Film by Tom Langhorn
No stranger to hiking around the Scottish Highlands in a kilt, podcast episode 19 guest, Tom Langhorne has released a short film of his recent adventures. Dressed from head to toe in traditional Scottish Highland clothing and carrying only historically accurate food and bedding, Tom heads out on a 4 day expedition imparting wisdom and many insights into life during the 17th and 18th Century along the way.
Fungi Photography - Stephen Axford
In the last podcast episode (34) I mentioned a short documentary about Stephen Axford and his love and obsession with fungi. At the time I provided the wrong video link but below is the original video I referenced.
Stephen’s photography is fascinating and his commitment is unwavering. It’s a truly unique art form and will change the way you see fungi the next time you’re in the outdoors.
Scotty's gone walkabout - Cave camping
Scotty takes us on a hike through a beautiful part of the world and spends a night camped in a cave. Beautiful scenery and well worth a watch.
Scotty's gone walkabout - 5 Unique Tarp Shelters for Camping & Bushcraft
Tarp hiking is becoming more and more popular, especially within the ultralight backpacking crowd. In this video, Scotty demonstrates 5 ways to string a tarp and set up a temporary shelter for yourself. You never know, it might just get you hooked on something beyond a tent.
Scotty's gone walkabout - Gear loadout (What's in the pack)
Scotty made a video some time ago showing all of his equipment and gear. In this video, he takes us back through his gear, including all of his adjustments and new acquisitions since the first video. I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of Scotty’s knowledge and experience.
Oddbjørn - Wild camp in the snow with my father
Last heard on podcast episode 33 – the 2020 year in review, and before that on episode 5, Oddbjørn takes us on yet another adventure, this time with his father in tow again, and as always, doesn’t disappoint.
They trek off into the mountains with a somewhat loose plan of their goals and where they want to end up. Ultimately Oddbjørn is focussed on getting “the shot” and his father is basically stirring him up the whole time. It is a landscape photography film, but it’s also a lot more than that.
Oddbjørn - Sunset and sunrise in the mountains
As mentioned above, Oddbjørn joined us on both podcast episode 33 – the 2020 year in review, and before that on episode 5 as our guest. This is part two of his hike in the mountains of Norway with his father, in search of some perfect landscape photography shots. I don’t think I should give too much more away so you’ll have to check it out for yourself.
Australian Story - David Rennie
In many ways, David’s bipolar condition has become what makes him an exceptional bird and wildlife photographer. It gives him pockets of intense focus, patience and commitment that he puts to good use crawling around in the swamps and waterways of Western Australia, capturing wild birds on film.
In a world where we don’t often hear of positive bipolar-related stories or stories about people who are living out their passion, David seems to have created both.
The Commute: A four day paddle to work
To any avid podcast listener of ours, you will probably recognise the name Beau Miles. He’s the guy who thinks up the craziest adventures and then documents them with a film crew.
In this short film he sets out to paddle to work on his kayak. What is normally a 75min drive, turns into a 4 day mission. What’s the point? Well you’ll just have to watch it and find out.
Pistol, Bear Spray or Both?
When a bear attacks, how long have you got? Should you be drawing your pistol or your bear spray? This is a very interesting and well explained video covering many facets of bear defence. Regardless of your preference, if you hike in areas that are frequented by bears, I think you’ll learn something here.
Dick Proenneke - One Man's Alaska
Living off-grid in the wilderness and building your own log cabin by hand is an unattainable dream for most of us, but not so for Dick Proenneke. After working for 20 years as a diesel mechanic, he’d had enough of work and civilisation altogether and headed into the Alaskan wilderness to see out the rest of his days.
There are several films featuring Dick Proenneke and I’ve watched them all. They are all fascinating and inspiring but this one will give you an insight into the kind of man it takes to live that kind of life.
