About this episode
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we are joined by Daniel White, known on trail as The Blackalachian. We learn all about The Blackalachian's life before he became a full-time adventurer, including his days as a rapper and his time in prison, how thru-hiking was put on his map, his experiences with racism on the AT, his thru-bike of the Underground Railroad Route, His hikes of The Great Outdoors Challenge in Scotland and Camino del Norte in Spain, and what the future has in store for him. This conversation is both heavy and hilarious, informative and fun; we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We wrap up the show with the Triple Crown of Summer Wins, we learn what a thunderbox is, a fan indulges my undying love for the 90s Bulls, and we have a Backcountry Matchmaking. This one has it all. [divider] Backcountry.com discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 to save 15% on your first purchase from Backcountry.com/backpackerradio Zpacks discount code:Use code: HEXAMIDBPR for $25 discount at Zpacks.com [divider] The Trek's Pledge to Do Better BACKPACKER RADIO MERCH Interview with Daniel White "The Blackalachian" YouTube Instagram QOTD: Is wearing a t-shirt with your podcast's name on it the same as being in a band and wearing your own band t-shirt? Hikerlink ! Intro Song: Walking Slow by Animal Years Intro beats: Pauly Boy Shallcross Check out Trail Correspondents Check out The Attempt! [divider] 00:03:23 – QOTD: Is wearing a t-shirt with your podcast's name on it the same as being in a band and wearing your own band t-shirt? 00:07:10 – What was life like for the Blackalachian before he was the Blackalachian? 00:08:33 – Can you tell us about your rapping career? Soundcloud: Logo704 00:09:54 – Can you tell us what prison was like? 00:11:00 – Any overlaps between prison and thru-hiking? 00:11:50 – Did prison push you toward backpacking? 00:13:40 – Thoughts on your boss that said not to follow your dreams? 00:14:50 – Since you made the decision to thru-hike so quickly, did you have the gear you needed to start the AT? 00:17:17 – How has your gear evolved since then? 00:17:58 – where was the Blackalachian inspired? 00:20:20 – Did you get shakedowns? 00:20:45 – Did you plan your resupplies around fishing? 00:21:30 – Can you give us fishing tips? 00:21:53 – Were you YouTubing your thru-hike from the get-go? 00:23:08 - Have you gotten feedback from other Black hikers who were inspired by you? 00:23:27 – What are the more common questions and feedback that you get? 00:24:00 – Were you nervous about smaller towns in the Appalachians? 00:24:40 – What is the reality of being on trail like vs. your expectations? 00:26:00 – What were your expectations of racism on trail? What was it like on trail? 00:28:09 – Were towns better or worse than thru-hikers? 00:29:00 – Have you ever encountered someone and changed their perception? 00:30:03 – Can you give us an example of microagressions? 00:33:07 – Can you tell us how you came to your motto of "love and light"? 00:37:05 - Do you have any specific highlights from your AT hike? 00:39:30 – Flipping on the AT? 00:40:13 – Did you get that "Rocky Mountain" feeling in the Presidentials? 00:40:48 – Have you considered the PCT? 00:42:50 – Tell us about the Underground Railroad Bike Route! 00:46:30 – Could you stay in the same places people did when they were on the Underground Railroad? 00:47:07 – Does the UGRR have anything like Guthook? 00:47:49 – Did you see any other thru-bikers? Did you YouTube this journey? 00:49:37 – Can you compare thru-hiking to thru-biking? 00:51:05 – How long did it take to thru-bike the UGRR? 00:51:25 – Did you take special precautions to protect your bike? 00:52:19 – Were you able to leverage your YouTube channel to get sponsorships? 00:53:21 – What was your "bike first aid kit"? 00:54:44 – How long does it take for your ass to adjust to biking for that long? 00:56:35 – Any advice for someone who has never bike packed before? 00:59:41 – Tell us about The Great Outdoors Challenge! 01:01:00 – How was your reception in Scotland vs. the Appalachians? 01:02:29 – Did you see a lot of gingers? 01:02:40 – Tell us about the pub scene! 01:03:09 – How long were you in Scotland? 01:04:49 – If you had to pick between adventurer and thru-hiker what would it be? 01:08:39 – Can you give us some Camino Norte highlights? 01:11:20 – Is it true that your admission to hostels covers wine as well? 01:11:46 – Did you do the Camino solo? 01:12:31 – Preference for hiking in the US vs. internationally? 01:13:40 – How does walking through places with a lot of history impact you or your hike? 01:15:00 – What hikes are next on your radar? 01:18:20 – Can you tell us about the Groundskeepers program? 01:20:15 – Pointers on getting sponsorships? 01:21:40 – Paying for fathers to get pedicures? 01:23:59 - Differentiating between content for YouTube and Instagram? 01:25:55 - Can you talk about how recent shifts have affected you? Any advice for thru-hikers? 01:28:37 - Your pants? 01:31:10 - When are you going to buy a bunch of land and start a commune? 01:33:33 - Best Poke Stop on the AT? 01:34:41 - Favorite food on trail? What will you never eat again? 01:35:43 - How often do people reach out from the internet to meet up? 01:37:33 - Parting words? Segments The Trek Propaganda "Senate Passes Great American Outdoors Act" by Maggie Slepian Triple Crown of Summer Wins Mail Bag 5 Star Reviews Backcountry Matchmaking Jessika "Taps" | @tapsandtrail Eric "Rocketman" | @rustyrushton @rocketman_pct_2019 Sierra "Sudsie" | @sudsie.p New Shirts? Here are the old ones. What segments do you like? [divider] Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Stitcher and Google Play . Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon : Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Christopher Marshburn, Janelle L, Paul Packman Sealy, S11N, Sawyer Products, and Thomas Fullner A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon : Dcnerdlet, Jacob Northrup, Jason Lawrence, Jeff LaFranier, Jeffrey Miller, Mark Snook, Mitchell, Peter, Peter Ellenberg, and Zoe Jenkins Follow The Trek , Chaunce , Badger , Elise and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow The Trek, Chaunce and Elise on YouTube.