If the first 50 years were an experiment, to prove that a business could be

responsible and successful, turns out it's not just possible. It's profitable. So

what's next? What's next is simple. It's human power and it's finding the joy

in doing difficult things. What's next is turning capitalism on its head and

putting all our money where our mouth is. What's next is unstoppable. For nearly

50 years, Patagonia has given a damn about people and the environment. Find

more at Patagonia.com slash stories.

You're listening to the Derpactories, a production of duct tape then beer, with

additional support from Kuwait because you love your bike. AG1, foundational

nutrition that supports whole body health. And Yeti, products built for the

wild.

In early 2021, my friend Kiersten asked if I wanted to bike from Vancouver

Canada to Mexico. My answer was an immediate and enthusiastic yes. I'd been

wanting to do a big trip for a while. After pouring over accounts of other

people's through hikes and cross continental cycle trips, I wanted to take a

stab at my own epic long distance slog. There was something inside me demanding

that I test myself in a way I never had before. And finally, an opportunity had

presented itself. The proposed date for the trip summer 2022 was over a year away

so there was lots of time to prepare, to train and to gather the necessary

gear. I was all in. Well, except for the training. I figured the first two

weeks of the trip could be the training, but I gathered gear, researched the

route and mentally committed July and August to the bike trip. We weren't sure

...