Welcome to episode 15 of the first 40 miles. If you're new to

backpacking or if you're hopelessly in love with someone who wants you to

love backpacking, then this podcast is for you. We'll talk about the essentials, how to lighten your load,

and how to make the most of your time on the trail. I'm your host Heather Legler.

And I'm Josh Legler. And this is the first 40 miles.

Today on the first 40 miles, you'll learn the top five reasons to listen to the advice of your younger brother.

Then we have a new feature that will get to listen to the advice of your younger brother.

Then we have a new feature that will get you ready for adventure.

On the backpack hack of the week, you'll learn how to have the nicest-looking waterproof matches on the trail. A fictitious listener sends in a question

to the first 40 miles and we'll wrap up the show with a little trail wisdom from an absolute

saint.

All this, and that's about it,

today on the first 40 miles.

Well, first, I just want to say a big thank you

to our listeners. We just have such big thank you to our listeners.

We just have such a fun time connecting with you guys on Twitter, on Facebook, and I have a feeling

if we all got together for a big backpacking trip that we would have a lot of fun sharing stories around the campfire.

There is a fiber out there to be reckoned with and that fiber is alpaca.

Alpaca are from the camel lid family, which I assume is the same family

that camels are in. They have absolutely beautiful eyes. I think they're just beautiful animals. They produce a soft durable luxurious

silky natural fiber. It's really similar to sheep's wool in that it's warm, really insulating even when wet,

and it actually has no llanoline in it, which makes it hypoallergenic.

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