One of the odd realities of hiking is that you often spend a lot of time in the car. Most of my weekends begin with a drive to the start of a hike or to a new area to explore. The positive part of all this travelling is the time to catch-up on podcasts. These are my go-to favourites.
The podcast interviews women who love the outdoors. Episodes include awe-inspiring guests who run ultra-marathons, tackle long distance thru-hikes and manage successful outdoor companies. There are also plenty of episodes which cover more day-to-day outdoor experiences; guests talk about getting lost, what they learnt from their first camping trip and how they became weekend adventure warriors.
Three former Obama staffers discuss the current political shitshow in America. They talk Trump, Mueller, the 2020 race and everything in-between.
It’s funny, thought-provoking and I’ve gone from having a broad understanding of American politics to confidently being able to debate the policies of most members of Congress.
As someone who is completely fascinated with the ‘van life’ movement, this podcast is very additive. Each episode interviews women about their experiences of life on the road. There are tales of travelling solo, raising young kids while living in a camper, dealing with chronic illnesses and grief, summer adventures and managing businesses from the back of a van; it’s inspiring, candid and often makes me daydream about throwing the dog and a backpack in the car and just driving off.
This one is a little niche but it’s saving my ass at the moment. Host Cariad talks to comedians about someone who they have lost. The podcast explores the weird world of grief and, as someone who has recently joined the grief club, it’s incredibly helpful to hear how others are processing the enormous range of emotions that come with losing someone. It’s funny (really!), honest and incredibly raw.
I’m half hoping that there isn’t anyone left who hasn’t listened to S-Town! If you’re one of the few who hasn’t, stop read, download it and listen now. It’s essentially one of the best pieces of journalism I’ve ever come across.
