When I talk to people about through hiking who aren't through hikers, usually they either say,

wow that must be such an incredible experience or wow that must be so hard.

And the truth about through hiking is that it's both of those things at the same time. Welcome to Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek.

I am your host, Zach Badger Davis.

This is episode number 12.

In last week's episode, we went into depth about the highs associated with long-distance

backpacking. Today's show, conversely, will detail the lows. Many people's perception of the through hiking lifestyle comes from social media,

where people are more likely to portray the cheery positive aspects of this undertaking.

You see the breathtaking views, the smiling faces,

the slender bodies, and the camaraderie.

What you often don't see is the chafing, the injuries,

dehydration, the never-ending rain, the heat, the cold,

what it's like to get sick on trail,

the attrition, the loneliness, sleep deprivation, homesickness, a lack of motivation, and the bugs.

Oh God, the dense clouds of mother-fucking mosquitoes.

Well, that's the point of today's show.

Thru hiking is always rewarding,

but it may not always be pretty.

So here's some of its darker underbelly. Hi again it's a floss here still just short of Parisburg recording the

exact same place but so it's hei Zeus classy and Gido has joined us as well and now

we're going over some of the lows I think I've already mentioned on the

podcast I had a tough week coming out of hot springs.

...