In 2016, my job required me to travel around 40 weeks a year. Since I was rarely driving my own car anymore, I decided to cancel my satellite radio subscription. It just made more sense to start listening to whatever I had on my phone instead, because that device would always be with me no matter where I traveled.
After a while though, you start to know all you own music playlists by heart. I was bored with my music and too lazy to add some new songs. So, I started searching for something more interesting to keep me entertained on the road.
I was already downloading two audiobooks a month from Audible. That alternative was tapped. I needed something else.
So, I searched for the next logical thing to fill the void…
Podcasts! They’re free, so why not give them a shot?
I love Podcasts!
Once I started listening to podcasts, I was hooked almost immediately. There are many great ones out there (This American Life, Serial, S*Town, Freakonomics Radio, etc). Still, I found many of my favorite podcasts had travel and outdoor themes.
This podcast passion of mine followed me into our RV life. Now I listen to them as we are traveling between campgrounds, when I’m out for a walk, and anytime I need a little entertainment.
This particular genre of podcast never fails to keeps me motivated to see new places, try new things, or just get out there and hike. So, without further ado, here’s my top 5 picks.
(NOTE: Two of these podcasts are no longer recording new shows. But, since there are dozens of episodes available for each of them, they’re worth introducing to other listeners).
My top 5 podcast picks
#1 – THE TRAIL SHOW
Show Description: The Trail Show bills itself as “a mash-up of all things trail.” Four veteran long-distance hikers sit around the microphone discussing trail-related items. They sample some beer. And they get into plenty of nonsense.
Duration & Frequency: New episodes of The Trail Show come out monthly. At the time of this writing, they’ve released 74 episodes, most of which are between 2-3 hours long apiece. The original hosts are four Triple Crowners: Disco, POD, PMAGS, and D-Low. Speshul41 and Out of Order have since replaced PMAGS, but the magic is still there.
Why I like it: Listening to this podcast is like sitting out in the woods with friends and listening to them banter. I like hiking. I like beer. I love learning about new trails and hearing them interview hikers who’ve thru-hiked them. And while they sometimes go off the rails, where else are you going to get such a long podcast? Plus, each month they feature a different trail, which is always great.
Why is may not be your cup of tea: These folks have known each other for years. And if you haven’t listened to all their shows, some of their jokes may not make sense (yet!). But they will definitely inspire you to “get on the trail.”
#2 THE RV ENTREPRENEUR
Show Description: Heath Padgett interviews nomadic entrepreneurs who have made the leap into the RV lifestyle and built their businesses on the road. This podcast is for people who are interested in downsizing their life, creating remote income, and working from anywhere.
Duration & Frequency: New episodes come out weekly. Heath is currently up to 148 episodes. The bulk of his episodes run around 50 minutes long. However, he also has some shorter “test drive” podcasts that are only 20 minutes or less.
Why I like it: As a full-time RVer, Heath & his wife Alyssa have been living the nomadic lifestyle for a few years. He focuses on the 20-50 age demographic who aren’t independently wealthy or retired, and discusses how they fund their RV travels. He’s a natural interviewer who talks with fellow travelers about living life on their own terms — whether it’s writing a book, running their own business, or just having the financial freedom to live on the road.
Why is may not be your cup of tea: It’s hard to come up for a reason you might not like this podcast. It really has really wide appeal. Even if you aren’t thinking about living in a RV (or boat, or nomadically), it’s still interesting to hear how and why others chose to do so.
# 3 – KEEP YOUR DAYDREAM
Show Description: Tricia Leach chats with people who have left “normal” to live their travel dreams. In each episode she interviews people who have inspiring stories about living their daydreams and how they sustain their unique lifestyles.
Duration & Frequency: KYD is no longer recording episodes of the podcast. Tricia and her family were so inspired by her interviews, that they bought an RV and started traveling full-time. So now they focus their efforts on their YouTube channel (which has the same name). Nonetheless, she did release 107 episodes over about a 18-month year period, and most of them are 30-45 minutes long.
Why I like it: This was my “go to” podcast to get inspired and motivated as we were planning to set off on our own full-time adventure. Tricia really knows how to keeps the conversation moving and she’s always enthusiastic about her guests’ journey. She interviews adventurers of all types – whether it’s sailing, RVing, motorcycling, backpacking, or just traveling the world.
Why is may not be your cup of tea: Tricia is a naturally upbeat and cheery person. Not everyone can embrace that level of enthusiasm for every facet of an interview. Overall, I found it motivating, but a few times I wanted to tell her to “chill.”
#4 – STORIES FROM THE ROAD
Show Description: Sam Neurminger chats with RVers from all backgrounds, from weekend warriors to full-timers. Focusing about their experiences on the road, he discusses what drew them to the RVing, the challenges they face, and what keeps them going year after year.
Duration & Frequency: This relatively new podcast is pushing episodes out on a weekly basis. Sam is currently up to episode 29, and most of the episodes last about about 40-50 minutes.
Why I like it: Sam did a great job nabbing interviews with RVers who are out there contributing content to the community, which is what turned me on to it. I originally worried that it would just be a Camping World ad, but it’s definitely not. He interviews most of the major RV bloggers and YouTubers who you’d like to meet and strike up a conversation with. He picks their brains on why they got on the road initially, how their journey has progressed, and tries to even pry a few stories from the road out of them.
Why is may not be your cup of tea: The first few episodes were a little rough. The guests were great, but Sam didn’t quite have his podcasting and interviewing legs underneath him yet. The episodes get better over time as he finds his groove. So stick with it.
#5 – SOUNDS OF THE TRAIL
Show Description: This is a podcast about the ups, downs, and switchbacks of trail life brought to you by Gizmo, a veteran PCT and Arizona thru-hiker. She follows hiking “correspondents” as they hike the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and send back their thoughts and interviews with other hikers.
Duration & Frequency: Gizmo started this podcast in Spring 2015 and released 30 episodes in the first season. In 2016, the second season had 14 episodes. The final season began in 2017, but only two episodes were released before it mysteriously disappeared. So while it’s no longer an active podcast, there are 46 episodes out there to enjoy.
Why I like it: First off, there’s very little content out there from women hikers. Hiking is still dominated by the white, male, 20-something crowd. So, her point of view is definitely a unique departure that I appreciate. She used interviews with hikers – while they were on trail – to bring out their unfiltered thoughts and feedback on various topics. If you ever wondered what it was like to be a thru-hiker, this podcast will undoubtedly give you some answers.
Why is may not be your cup of tea: The intro music was a bit of an odd choice. I’d always cringe when I’d hear it. And while I liked most of her correspondents, there was one who really, really annoyed me during the first season. Luckily, all the others made up for it.
So that’s it for my list… What do you listen to?