Welcome to episode 31 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, the top five non-essential but totally fun summertime backpacking gear.

Then on the summit gear review,

we'll show you the simplest way

to drink 500 liters of fresh water.

On the backpack hack of the week, we'll explain a cool trick that dads can do to impress their

kids while on their next backpacking adventure.

And we'll wrap up this show with a little trail wisdom from a quoteologist.

All this and that's about it today on the first 40 miles.

Father's Day is just around the corner. first 40 miles.

Father's Day is just around the corner, and summer is coming at the same time,

same day, right?

Summer, the start of summer and Father's Day.

And so it has us thinking about our dads, especially because both of our

dads are outdoor dads. What comes to mind when you think about your dad and the outdoors?

Well I think my dad is the quintessential adventurer.

He's a traveler, he's a mountaineer, he's an explorer,

and I think the fascinating thing about that kind of that mix that he has is that I had an incredibly

stable childhood so for the daughter of an adventurer it was a really a really nice childhood and not the kind that you might expect.

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