In Part 2, Cam and Doc get into what he's built and what he believes. The Hiking Life: a free resource started in 2010 while he was building the website and scanning pre-digital photos; now covering everything from Patagonia to Siberia, a mix of trip reports, skills articles, and what he calls random musings, including "Practical but Crappy Christmas Gifts for Hikers" (starts with Ziploc bags) and "50 Reasons You've Taken Ultralight Backpacking Too Far" (ends with trimming the bristles of your toothbrush). The Wanderlust series: approached by a publisher 10–11 years ago, six books so far, a seventh on the world's best day hikes coming early next year - more inspiration than education. Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies: the education complement, covering everything from thermoregulation in cold wet environments to efficient downhill technique. His hiking philosophy: the decrease in pack weight should balance with the improvement in your backcountry skill set; there's a lot of hyperbole online and you're going to be your own best teacher. And then the closing story about a man named Mark on a mountain pass in Switzerland 30 years ago, with a blue jacket and 33-year-old boots, who taught him that you can tell more about a hiker's love of the wilderness by the effort they put into their regular short walks than by any big-name expedition.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — it dropped 10 minutes ago.

Show Notes

About the Guest


Cam "Swami" Honan is an Australian long-distance hiker, writer, and founder of The Hiking Life (thehikinglife.com). Backpacker Magazine has called him the most traveled hiker on earth — 75,000+ miles across 68 countries. He completed the legendary 12 Long Walks: 12 consecutive thru-hikes, 14,000+ miles, 29 states, 4 Canadian provinces, 18 months, 2011–2012. Along the way he completed one of the fastest Triple Crowns on record (~236 days — PCT northbound, CDT southbound from Montana, AT southbound from Katahdin) — as a byproduct, not a goal. He is the author of the Wanderlust book series (6 volumes and counting) and Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies. His trail name, Swami, was given to him on his first PCT hike in 2007 by a woman from Glasgow who found his trail yoga amusing. Hiking Poll score: 7 out of 100.

What's Covered in Part 2


Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

The Hiking Life — What's On It


The Wanderlust Series


Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies


Ultralight Philosophy — Your Own Best Teacher


How Long-Distance Hiking Has Changed


The Poodle Dog Bush — Ridgecrest


Mark — Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary


Off the Beaten Path — The Living Mountain


Pay It Forward — The Three Trail Organizations


Links & Resources



  • The Hiking Life: https://www.thehikinglife.com

  • Cam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehikinglife

  • Wanderlust book series — Available wherever books are sold. Six volumes: USA, Himalaya, Nordics, Mediterranean, The Hidden Tracks, and more. A seventh — world's best day hikes — is due early next year.

  • Hiking and Backpacking for Dummies — Available wherever books are sold.

  • The Living Mountain — Nan Shepherd. Cam's Off the Beaten Path recommendation. An ode to the Cairngorms of Scotland; about 100 pages. Written during WWII, published in the mid-1970s. Nan Shepherd appears on the Scottish £5 note.

  • Continental Divide Trail Coalition: https://www.continentaldividetrail.org

  • Appalachian Trail Conservancy: https://www.appalachiantrail.org

  • Pacific Crest Trail Association: https://www.pcta.org


Connect with Hiker Trash Radio



  • Email: mailto:hikertashradio@gmail.com

  • Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.


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