Welcome to episode 157 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 I'm Josh Legler and this is the first 40 miles.

Today on the first 40 miles there's nothing wrong with taking the slow route or route. How do you say it? I say route. Okay.

Start preparing now and you'll be ready when everyone else is rushing and cramming last minute.

On today's top five list, a common kitchen ingredient that will change the way you

backpack.

Then a review of a backpacking pant that stretches, breathes, and moves, and will share a hack that will keep you balanced.

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

The busy summer season has ended.

Our backpacking trips or maybe settling down a little for the cold part of the year.

We're still going to get out a few times, but nothing like the summer.

And as we get back to spending more time in the house, it means we also get back into projects that we've

been working on. And we have some big projects that are coming up. Yeah, you've

been gathering some ideas for a book and now that fall is here and winter is coming we've put it into

high gear. We started up a Facebook group to help us finish up this book and we're

only about two weeks away from launching it right now, so coming up really fast.

One thing that's challenging to a lot of backpackers is that they bring some trail food,

the stuff that you snack on between breakfast and dinner and by the end of a multi-day

backpacking trip that stuff starts to get really boring there's a food fatigue that

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