Off Trail

About Off Trail

On Trail, Off Trail, They are all one thing. We focus on the who and the how, not necessarily the what. To live a life on trail, you must first manage your life off trail. Whether that is backpacking, climbing, ultra-running, if you are a part of the outdoors community, you have to make your "off trail" time work, to be able to spend time "on trail." We take a look inside the lives of those that continue to pursue their dreams on trail by first taking the time to manage their "off-trail." Email us at: offtrailpodcast@gmail.com

Publisher

Ryan Bunting

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Dec 2021

Latest episode

27 Jun 2023

Latest episodes

71 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Jun 2023

   What is Life in Pursuit: Hiking the 11 National Scenic Trails?

   A single footstep becomes two. A single mile becomes thousands. A single trail becomes many. A single goal becomes a life. A life becomes a home. Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast after our hiatus, here is the reason why! Well... that and also we neglected our duties off being a podcast host, but let us focus on the positives and not the negatives here. Strap in for a wild episode, the first of its kind. A pure hour of Constantine rambles, blessed be the souls willing to undertake this journey. We chat trails being a life changing experience but the true power on taking the lessons off the trails. We talk from the heart and let the brain catch up to the words. We chat everything about the book Life in Pursuit. A project 2 years in the making, and one could even say 7 years from that very first step on the Appalachian Trail. We chat finding time in life to pursue your passions, the constant year of travel in 2022, and when the brain gets involved things becoming lost. We discuss the difficulties of compressing life into 288 pages and how we tend to speak "well" with a heavy emphasis on the quotations. We chat the desire to share this story and the reasons behind writing a book and get lost in tangents. We then go into what we call "the in-between" the very foundation of our book. Each trail has its own chapter but does not jump directly into the next one, instead showing the building blocks of life and choice to continue pursuing adventure along the trails. We chat failure daily, prevalence of popularity of the trail systems in the recent years, and the immense circles of life both physically on trail and metaphorically along the way. We then begin the reading of the book. Starting with the dedication, the preface, and then a few snippets of chapters. Stories told in a scraggily voice (completely on par with our announcements being at the worst timing) and stories that give a glimpse into a life in pursuit. We chat "I Am A Barbie Girl", old timer gospel, and the endless definition of the word nothingness. We ramble, get lost, and one could hope remain found. The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail, the Ice Age Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Florida Trail, the Natchez Trace Trail, the Potomac Heritage Trail, the New England Trail, and the behemoth of them all the North Country Trail make up the National Scenic Trails. Life in Pursuit becomes less about the physical activity of hiking and becomes a look into a life of obsession. The trials and obstacles of a life lived for the pursuit of the next trail. Stories, moments, and challenges of each hike are told through the lens of a perception that changes into a reality. The trail has an end point, the mind does not. When the trail ends the person continues to change. A trail is the physical manifestation of a journey. This book is the emotional manifestation of the endless journey of life, the endless journey of a life in pursuit. To everyone that continues to make this life special, thank you! Pre-Order the Book Today: https://www.elevenskys.com/product-page/life-in-pursuit-hiking-the-11-national-scenic-trails (https://www.elevenskys.com/product-page/life-in-pursuit-hiking-the-11-national-scenic-trails)

2. 

   23 May 2023

   Who is Alpine Fit?

   Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast! Today we sit down with the one and only Jen, the owner of Alpine Fit. We begin the show with a little backstory of how Jen found herself to be in Alaska, and how she came about to start a gear company. We chat loving time outdoors, self propelled travel, and priorities of family and business. We discuss the easy access of wilderness being right outside her doorstep and evolving to combine her passions. We then go deep into the company itself and learn everything we can about Alpine Fit. We take a walk through Jen's experience in chemistry, textiles, and retail and her pursuit of bringing them all together underneath one proverbial umbrella. We chat merino wool and silver fiber technology. We then learn about their flagship product, their long sleeve shirt, that was built to be the one piece of versatile gear for most needs. We discuss bushwhacking leggings, research and product development, and dive down the rabbit hole of body shapes and sizes. We learn Jen went deep into research even pulling old U.S. military data to find averages of body styles. Then she took all her combined data to offer two body styles for each product, instead of scaling sizes with the same proportions. A scientist and a gear creator combined! We chat her chase of perfection in sizing, officially opening the store in 2019, and a planned trip to PCT Trail Days! We talk lightweight gear and then take a hard right turn into the philosophy behind marketing in the outdoors, and we love it! Jen starts the conversation with stating she does not like marketing and we begin unpacking a feeling that many gear creators struggle with in the outdoors, when you combine a passion with your work. We chat marketing being contrived and even sometimes dipping into the realm of dishonesty. There is no right or wrong, instead only feelings shared. We fantasize about the creation of an Alaskan long trail and discuss its current conditions. We chat about Denali, coastal views, and get lost once more in the dense foliage of a bushwhack literally and figuratively. We then discuss how a legging can withstand the elements and Alpine Fit's creation of the perfect one. We discuss being an entrepreneur and the list of tasks that only ever grows. We chat mental health, doing more, and spending time in the outdoors. Jen wakes up at a 6am on a Sunday with the idea for a new product and spends her morning designing. We then chat time management and the difficulties that arise when the to-do-list is never ending. We chat setting alarms, looking at a clock and making yourself go to lunch, and finding balance before all our eyes become glazed over. We talk about finding balance, learning how to manage time over time, and health being a critical factor in being the best business owner you can be. We then drink some proverbial coffee, coin a term of working 25/7 somehow breaking the laws of physics and finding an extra hour each day, and the love of problem solving. We discuss creating your own routes in Alaska, spoon feeding a bear peanut butter, and bears crossing the street. We wonder about moose and ask two parted questions that Jen absolutely "loves." We learn about the trail in her eyes being a starting place for adventure and setting an example as a company to live in a place that is desirable and give access to jobs that people are passionate about. We wrap the show with a simple but elegant answer that says it all...No To learn more about Alpine Fit click below: Website: https://alpinefit.com/ (https://alpinefit.com/) Social Media: @alpinefitco (https://www.instagram.com/alpinefitco/?hl=en) To learn more about who we are: Website: https://www.elevenskys.com/ (https://www.elevenskys.com/)

3. 

   16 May 2023

   Who is Chuckles?

   Welcome back to the Off Trail Podcast! Today we sit down and chat, as well as chuckle, with the one and only Chuckles! We begin the show by learning more about Chuckles evolution into the outdoors. Graduating college in 2016, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, hiking the Continental Divide Trail in 2022, and we touch on the recurring name you will here the entire episode, the Appalachian Trail. A trail that was the inspiration of them all, and that has been a driving force for hiking, and will one day soon be the cumulation of years of adventure. We chat living in Leadville, being a "ski-bum" in the winter time, and a background in the pharmaceutical industry. We dive deep into the feeling of being "suckered" back into normal life, and the feelings of wanting to hike, but not feeling ready to hike in the heart. We chat about the feeling many people who pursue hiking for long enough feel, of "having to do a hike" and Chuckles healthy outlook on realizing this and not doing a hike until she fully wants to, such as the Appalachian Trail. We chat the 48/48 peaks of New Hampshire, the terrifying 25, and the Huntington Range. We chat the puzzle of math that most outdoor enthusiasts call life and Chuckles equation to find balance and happiness. We chat the hardest part of any hike, the portion after hiking. We chat about two desires being split and the two sides of seeking two vastly different things, a life in the outdoors, and a "regular" life. We dive deep into this topic and learn about the constant learning curve and listening to the heart as you always have to make the choice, and listen to the moment of what gives you the most joy. We chat sitting at a computer and escapism. We discuss feeling content in regular life, having easier access to the mountains, and feeling at peace in the immediate. We learn about AT & T and Verizon map overlay systems on Gaia, and chat about Chuckles finding trails while she worked remotely "on call" to make sure she always had cell phone coverage. We chat bridging two gaps of life, the weirdness in knowing there is a tangible end without it actually being "the end", and previously wanting time off trail to go faster and now wanting it to slow down. We all get thrown under a very large proverbial bus and brace for the bumpy ride as we discuss goal mentality. We go into purism, connected footsteps, and chasing goals. We then take a step back from trail and talk relationships on the trail and off. We discuss the preconceived notion that relationships on trail are far harder than regular life, when in fact it is the complete opposite, for some. We chat shared goals, time apart, trail goals that divide, but pursuit of a shared life that brings togetherness. We go into Chuckles origin story, and are very glad we did. It involves a trail angel's house, a privy, many bowls of beans, a masculine name, and a picture that still hangs on her wall to this day. One of the better origin stories we have heard in a long time! We chat chuckling duals at dawn, the gift and privilege of getting to spend time outside, and wrap it all up with another shout out to the Appalachain Trail! Thank you Chuckles, it was a joy to chat! Learn more about Chuckles by clicking below: Instagram: @adventuresofdotdot (https://www.instagram.com/adventuresofdotdot/) To learn more about who we are click below: ⁠Website: www.ElevenSkys.com (https://www.elevenskys.com/)

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Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

24 ratings

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