What to Carry, What to Burn

About What to Carry, What to Burn

Edge-of-your-seat survival stories, as told by adventurer and dogsledder Blair Braverman. How did Ada Blackjack endure a brutal Arctic winter alone? Why did one shipwreck crew work together to survive, while another crew–on the same island–hunted each other for food? What can we learn from survivors about getting through the impossible–in the wilderness, and in our own lives? New stories every other week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Blair Braverman

Category

history · society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

4 May 2026

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

11 of 15 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 14: Redemption in the Yukon

   Host [Host Name] interviews Helen Klaben about her incredible survival story after a plane crash in the Yukon wilderness.

2. 

   13 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 13: The Lost Boy

   Host [Host Name] recounts the harrowing survival story of twelve-year-old Donn Fendler, who navigated the Maine wilderness alone for eight days.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 12: The Raft

   Holly Fitzgerald recounts her harrowing experience of being stranded in Peru and the unexpected journey that followed.

4. 

   15 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 11: The Second Shipwreck

   Host [Host Name] interviews Violet Jessup about her harrowing experiences surviving two major maritime disasters at just 21 years old.

5. 

   1 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 10: Jan Baalsrud

   Host [Host Name] interviews Jan Baalsrud about his harrowing 1943 escape across Arctic Norway after a failed mission against a Nazi air base.

6. 

   18 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 9: Juliane Koepcke

   Juliane Koepcke shares her incredible survival story after falling from a plane, detailing how her Amazonian upbringing prepared her for the jungle.

7. 

   4 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 8: Valerian Albanov

   Host [Host Name] interviews historian [Guest Name] about Navigator Valerian Albanov's harrowing escape and desperate trek across the frozen sea.

8. 

   21 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 7: The Painted Ocean

   Host [Host Name] interviews shark fisherman José Salvador Alvarenga about his harrowing 13-month Pacific Ocean survival journey.

9. 

   7 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ep 6: Adam and Eve Crusoe

   Host Lucy Irvine shares her transformative island survival experience with writer Lucy Irvine, revealing unexpected challenges and personal growth.

10. 

    23 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Ep 5: Lauren Elder

    Host explores Lauren Elder's harrowing 1976 plane crash and her fight for survival in the Sierra Mountains.

11. 

    9 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

    Ep 4: Bob and the Invercauld

    Host [Host Name] interviews Bob Holding about his harrowing survival story after a shipwreck with treacherous companions on a remote island.

12. 

    26 May 2026

    Ep 3: The Wreck of the Grafton

    Francois Raynal and Captain Musgrave recount their harrowing survival story after being stranded, detailing their ingenious plan to escape the Southern Ocean.

13. 

    12 May 2026

    Ep 1: The Friendly Arctic

    Host Sarah Marshall explores Ada Blackjack's harrowing survival story on a perilous Arctic expedition, revealing the resilience of the human spirit.

14. 

    12 May 2026

    Ep 2: Ada Alone

    Host Sarah Marshall explores Ada Blackjack's solitary survival on a frozen island after being abandoned by explorers, revealing her incredible resilience.

15. 

    4 May 2026

    Trailer

    Blair Braverman introduces her new podcast "What to Carry, What to Burn" with a preview of upcoming episodes.

Inside a recent episode

Ep 14: Redemption in the Yukon

Published 27 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] They're camping along the way. And everything they see to Helen is so exciting. There's Wisconsin. There's Yellowstone. They go to the World's Fair in Seattle. Even gas stations and motels meeting people. It's just all so new to her. It's so different from the life she knows. And the trip is easy. […]

Who has been a guest on What to Carry, What to Burn

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Juliane Koepcke
• Lauren Elder
• Francois Raynal
• Captain Musgrave
• Sarah Marshall

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2,274 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2,191 ratings

Contact What to Carry, What to Burn

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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