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Tag:

bikepacking

photo waypoint in Gaia GPS
Gaia GPSHow-ToNew Features

Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

by Abby Levene August 30, 2022
written by Abby Levene

Whether you’re marking water sources, saving prime camping spots, or capturing breathtaking views, waypoints provide an invaluable tool for navigating and documenting your adventures. That’s why we provide some of the most advanced waypoint technology on the planet to go along with our world-class maps.

We’ve incorporated your feedback to make waypoints even more customizable and easy to use than ever before. You can now color-code waypoints based on opened/closed, good/bad, by type, trip, time — you name it. There are no limits when it comes to how you can use waypoints.

To get your creative juices flowing, here are our top 10 ways to use waypoints on our adventures.

But first, what are waypoints?

waypoints on a map

A waypoint is a reference point that helps you determine where you are and how to navigate to your destination. Whether you’re hiking, bikepacking, overlanding, or fly fishing, waypoints can help you find your way. In Gaia GPS, a waypoint is a marker you place on the map to signify a feature, your location, or any other spot on the planet. That may be a flag marking a key turn, a photo showing a sublime alpine lake, or a tent emoji illustrating the best camp spot so you can find it again later.

Here are the top 10 ways we use waypoints on our adventures and even in daily life.

1. Plan Adventures on the Big Screen

As you map out new routes on your desktop at home, drop waypoints to mark the parking lot, key turns, and where you plan to stop for lunch. Don’t worry, your waypoints will automatically sync to the Gaia GPS app on your phone or tablet.

2. Navigate to Detours & Destinations

Gaia GPS’s powerful navigation tools allow you to get turn-by-turn directions to any waypoint with just the press of a button. Want to take a detour to the mining ruins? Just drop a waypoint on the map on your phone and Gaia GPS can guide you directly there. This feature also comes in handy for navigating to the summit, or making your way back to the trailhead. Just drop a waypoint for where you want to go and tap “Guide Me” (iOS/Android).

You can drop a waypoint at your exact location, place it anywhere on the map, or type in the coordinates — up to you!

3. Add Photos to the Map

Gaia GPS hack: you can make photo waypoints! Immortalize that breathtaking view, chronicle a burn field, or remember where that avalanche slid across the trail. Take a photo of your current location (iOS/Android), and it will automatically show up on the map, geotagged to that exact spot. Just hit the + button on the top bar of the app, and tap “Take Picture.” A camera waypoint will show up on the map. Tap it to see your photo, along with the time stamp for when it was taken.

4. Mark Campsites for Later

Whether you’re reserving a campsite through recreation.gov on Gaia Topo or happen to come across a prime dispersed camp spot on your adventures, drop a tent emoji on the map to mark it forever. Gaia GPS pro mountain athlete Kyle Richardson uses waypoints on multi-day bikepacking and running adventures.

“Before I leave for a trip, I mark potential bivvy spots with waypoints as I plan my route on Gaia GPS at home,” Kyle says. “I then drop waypoints at my exact camp spots so I can find them again next time.”

With your campsites marked on the map, you can find them even in the dead of night.

5. See Mile Markers

Break your route into manageable chunks by dropping a mile marker in 1-, 10-, or 50-mile increments, or whatever makes sense for your adventure. Likewise, drop a waypoint at each checkpoint along the route. For endurance events like ultra running races, many race organizers use Gaia GPS to share the race route with participants and they drop waypoints to signify aid stations along the course.

In fact, many trail and gravel riding races post GPX files of the course and aid stations on their website. Whether the file is on Gaia GPS or not, you can download the file and upload it to your Gaia GPS account (web/iOS/Android). That way, you can train and race along the course and know exactly where you are, when the aid stations are coming up, and ensure you’re on the right route.

6. Label Water Sources

From water sources to water crossings, water can play an integral role in every type of adventure. Make your life a little easier for yourself by dropping a waypoint when you come across a stream, lake, or water cache. (And of course, if you’re caching your own water, make sure you leave a waypoint so you can find it on route!)

You can even color-code water sources based on their status thanks to our new colorized waypoint feature. Mark good water sources in green and bad ones in red. If you have to ford a river or if you find a refreshing lake for a swim, mark it on the map!

7. Avoid Hazards

Drop waypoints to mark washed-out bridges, downed trees, or whatever impedes you on the trail. Document where you saw that big scary snake with a photo waypoint. Same goes with bottlenecks on route: add a waypoint to remember where there’s a locked gate or a “no trespassing” sign so you can easily reroute next time.

8. Note Trail Status

Is the trail open or closed? Mark it with a green circle, a red X, or use the new colorized waypoints to create your own color-coded system for closures and trail conditions. Drop a yellow pin if the trail is muddy, or a green one if it’s dry and good to go.

9. Add Reminders

Say goodbye to forgetting where you parked your car. Next time you leave your car in a hectic trailhead parking lot, at the airport, or tucked into a parking garage, drop a waypoint as you exit your vehicle so you can find it stress-free when it’s time to go home.

We recommend you pick up after your dog in the moment. But if you MUST leave a doggy wag bag on the trail, make sure you drop a waypoint so you remember where it is so you can — and will— pick it up. Same goes with stashed water bottles, extra layers, or whatever else you may have tucked away behind a tree to snag on your way home.

You can also drop waypoints for cool zones you want to come back and explore. That’s what Kyle does when he stumbles across climbing and bouldering areas: “If I’m out on a run and I find a sweet rock, I’ll drop a waypoint so I can come back with the right gear.”

10. Document Memories

You can use Gaia GPS as a memory book for your adventures, with waypoints marking the locations of key memories on your trips.

That’s what Denver-based teacher Ian Silberman did as he reflected on his relationship with Phoebe Novitsky. He added waypoints to mark their first hike, where they bonked a gravel ride, and where he texted Phoebe from his tent late at night. On top of Monarch Mountain one winter morning, Ian pulled out his phone to show her each waypoint on the map, pointing to the real-life locations in the distance. After reminiscing over their adventures outside, he pointed to the star on the map, directly where they were standing, before getting down on one knee.

As you mark memories on the map, remember that you can add notes to each waypoint to chronicle even more information. Just tap on the waypoint, and scroll down in the pop-up drawer until you see “Add Notes.”

Customize Waypoints Even More with a Premium Membership

Everyone can use waypoints on both gaiagps.com and in the app. To level up your adventures with custom waypoint border colors, upgrade to a Gaia GPS Premium Membership .

Gaia GPS Premium unlocks all of the maps, including the suite of National Geographic Trails Illustrated titles, MVUM, USFS, and weather maps. Plus, you can navigate offline and print your maps so you can find your way if you lose cell signal or if your phone dies.

August 30, 2022
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Gaia GPSOut and Back PodcastUser Profiles

Jenny Jurek Talks Bikepacking Japan with Two Toddlers

by Abby Levene July 15, 2021
written by Abby Levene

How to listen: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox

Eight years ago, Jenny and Scott Jurek planned on going to Japan for their honeymoon. But life got in the way, including Jenny’s thriving career as an outdoor gear and apparel designer, Scott’s record-setting Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and the birth of their two children.

In August of 2019, Jenny and Scott shipped their bikes across the world. And with their one and three-year-olds in tow, they left their Boulder, Colorado home to embark on a month-long bike-packing tour across the mountains, beaches and farmlands of Hokkaido, Japan. The family covered 600 miles and camped in a new location every night while carrying all of their own gear.

Tune in to episode 35 of the Out and Back podcast to get all the details about bikepacking in a foreign country with two toddlers. Jenny, who is of Japanese descent, describes the joy the family felt connecting with her ancestors’ homeland. The kids didn’t want to leave! She gets into the shame she experienced growing up with a different sounding last name from her classmates, and how she’s come to cherish her ancestry as an adult.

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Jenny describes how she went from working in finance to landing her dream job as a designer for Patagonia. She keeps it real with her and Scott’s challenges of getting pregnant, including two miscarriages; how the AT injected new life into their relationship despite her sometimes harrowing task of driving around the east coast backroads by herself to support Scott on his run; and the struggle of balancing two young children with starting her own business.

Keep on eye out for Jenny’s new business, Always Up. It’s a gear company for active families, and her debut product is a first-of-its-class maternity belt for runners. Get some visuals from the Jurek’s Japan trip by watching a short film Jenny and Scott made about their family trip. Follow Jenny on Instagram for an inside view into Jenny and the family’s busy and beautiful life.

Next episode: Life with Fire

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If you live on the west coast, you’ve already woken up to bright red suns and thick, smokey skies this summer. Fire season has arrived. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing fire-ravaged towns on TV. Yet wildfires are actually not all bad. We’ve just exacerbated their scope, and in fact we are the ones who get in the way.

On the next episode of Out and Back, Wildfire Public Information Officer and former wildland firefighter Amanda Monthei breaks down why wildfires remain vital for ecosystem health, and how humans misunderstand this life force. She gets into the history of wildfire management in the US and how we’ve primed conditions for fires of unprecedented scope. Amanda dives into what we can learn from indigenous fire management practices, and how we can learn to better coexist with fire in the future.

Amanda also shares how she grew so infatuated with fire, leading her to work grueling summers as a wildland firefighter and then in the coveted role of a hotshot crew member. She unearths why she left that vocation, and how she’s turned her attention to educating the public about how to coexist with fire, rather than fight it.

Follow Amanda on Instagram, and check out her brilliant podcast on all things fire, Life with Fire.

Excerpt:
Jenny and Scott Jurek wanted to Japan for their honeymoon…eight years ago. But life got in the way, including Jenny’s career as an outdoor gear and apparel designer, Scott’s record-setting Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and the birth of their two children. With two toddlers in tow, the family shipped their bikes to Hokkaido, Japan. They covered 600 miles over a month while carrying their own gear. By the end, the kids didn’t want to leave! Get the inside scoop on the trip and the Jurek’s wild life.

Last episode: Map Points to a Marriage Proposal

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If you’re craving a feel-good story, go back to the last episode of Out and Back. Phoebe Novitsky knew there was something special about Ian Silberman from the first time they met at the dingy basement office of SOS Outreach in Denver, Colorado. The stars never quite aligned for these two expeditionary learning educators. Years later, Phoebe finally mustered the gumption to put her feelings out there. She sent Ian a text. He didn’t respond.

Turns out, Ian was gearing up to lead a 17-day backpacking adventure for his students. It was a rough trip. After Ian evacuated one student with a stomach bug, he noticed that text from Phoebe. The two struck up a text conversation that continued on for the rest of Ian’s trip, their words shrinking the many miles of wilderness separating them. They never looked back.

From taking a wrong turn on Colorado’s Grizzly Peak to bonking on an epic gravel ride, Ian and Phoebe quickly got to know each other through their trials and triumphs outside. And they developed an unbreakable bond in the process. While it may not be about the destination, the landscape played a crucial role in forging Phoebe and Ian’s connection. The couple especially share a love of Buena Vista, Colorado and the surrounding Sawatch Mountains. Ian knew he wanted to incorporate geography into the proposal. He ended up taking it to the next level. Tune in to the episode to hear all about his ingenious plan, particularly how Gaia GPS helped Phoebe and Ian take a trip through time and space to put a ring on their relationship.

Learn how you can make your own memories on the map by using our new feature, emoji waypoints.

July 15, 2021
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AdventuresGaia GPSHow-To

A Complete Intro to Bikepacking: How to Pack Your Bike & Plan Your Route

by Adrienne Schofhauser March 24, 2021
written by Adrienne Schofhauser

If you enjoy both the excitement of biking and the solitude of backcountry camping, bikepacking offers a new thrilling way to explore wild places. With all of your gear packed strategically on your bike, you’ll cover more ground than you would backpacking, camp under the stars, and gain the skills for navigating a new type of adventure.

An evolution of bicycle touring, bikepacking travels along mostly backcountry singletrack and hiking trails, often using gravel paths, or fire roads to link them up. Bikepacking trips may be as simple as an overnighter in your local mountains or a multi-week international excursion. Because of the terrain, bikepacking gear setups tend to be lighter than those used for traditional bicycle touring, foregoing panniers for more streamlined solutions.

In this article, you’ll learn about bike options, how to pack your gear, and how to plan and navigate routes. This guide also covers tips for preparing your body and your bike for that first adventure, so you can focus on simply enjoying the scenery—and the descents.

Included in this guide:

  1. Bikes for bikepacking
  2. How to pack and carry your gear
  3. Essential camp gear & bike tools
  4. Best maps for bikepacking
  5. Preparing for your first bikepacking trip
  6. Bikepacking routes and resources

Bikes for Bikepacking

Just about any well-functioning mountain bike or touring bike with at least 2.4-inch wide knobby tires makes a suitable bikepacking option. If you’re just starting out, consider using the mountain bike you own—after all, you know you’re comfortable on it.

That said, certain bike styles do offer better experiences in backcountry terrain. In addition, frame material and components like gears and tires affect your ride.

Types of bikes

four bikepackers riding a gravel road in Colorado
WTF Bike Explorers ride through Routt National Forest, Colorado

To choose the right bike, consider the terrain you’ll be riding through. Does your route travel along mostly dirt roads or mountainous singletrack? Here are the main bike styles and where they excel.

  • Full suspension: Most popular for technical singletrack, these bikes feature suspension in both the fork and the “rear” of the bike. Suspension absorbs bumps, like rocks and roots, creating a smoother ride. But it adds weight and reduces pedaling efficiency. And though it’s rare, suspension forks and shocks can present issues—like leaking air—that can cause headaches in the backcountry.
  • Hardtail: These feature suspension in the fork only. Thus, they’re slightly lighter and offer greater pedaling efficiency on flat terrain, saving you energy. Yet they can be jarring on bumpy trails, which zaps energy. These bikes reign if your route is mostly double track, fire roads, or smooth singletrack.
  • Fully rigid: Best for pedaling efficiency and simplicity. For riders exploring mostly gravel paths, rigid bikes keep things simple. However, they’re likely too stiff to really enjoy any kind of backcountry singletrack.

Frame Materials

Frame materials influence your bike’s weight, price, and ride feel. Like anything, “ultralight” materials cost more. Fortunately, today’s mountain bikes weigh far less than their predecessors. (Besides, bikepacking isn’t always about distance, but rather the adventure.) The frame design plays a role in your experience, but here are general material guidelines.

  • Carbon fiber:
    • Pros: Ultralight.
    • Cons: Expensive. Slightly risky in rocky terrain, where a hard smash can crack the frame.
  • Aluminum:
    • Pros: Less expensive. More reliable than carbon in rocky backcountry terrain.
    • Cons: Generally heavier than carbon. A harsher ride feel.
  • Chromoly Steel:
    • Pros: Most durable. Typically the most affordable. Most plush ride feel.
    • Cons: “Heavy.” Limited offerings in full suspension.

Bike Components

After safe brakes, the drivetrain, tires and pedals impact your overall ride experience the most. Ultimately, the best bike is one that’s safely functioning, fit to you, and comfortable enough to spend long days in its saddle.

image
  • Gears: Opt for easier gears to make pedaling your loaded bike less taxing, especially up climbs. Pedaling gets progressively easier with more large rings in the rear cassette and the more small chain rings up front.
  • Tires: Most modern mountain bike tires at least 2.4 inches or wider adequately handle backcountry terrain. In general, the wider the tire, the smoother ride. Those with more aggressive traction knobs require more effort to roll, but offer better grip.
  • Tubeless Tires: Tubeless tires shed weight and better resist punctures, making them popular. But they take extra effort to install.
  • Pedals: Choose between flats or “clipless.” Flat pedals allow you to get on and off your bike quickly, say for hike-a-bike sections. And flat shoes offer better traction for hiking. Clipping into your pedals (clipless) increases pedaling efficiency.

How to Pack and Carry your Gear

You want your bike as nimble as possible for bikepacking. This means strategically spreading out the weight of your gear while keeping most of it centered and low. Bikepacking-specific bags help you do just that. But if you’re starting out, you may opt for a more DIY approach using a day backpack and gear you already own.

Bike Bags and Gear-Carrying Options

LRG_DSC03322.JPG

Lightweight and tailored to specific places on a bike, bikepacking bags streamline gear carrying. This approach can ultimately make bikepacking more fun by improving how the laden bike handles.

  • Seat bags: Perfect for carrying soft, bulky gear. Seat bags take extra care to pack and attach in order to minimize sway below the seat. They’re available in five to about 15 liters and various levels of waterproof protection.
  • Handlebar systems: Two options: roll bag or harness. For mountain biking, roll bags provide a slimmer profile for better clearance when your suspension fork compresses. A harness offers maximum versatility for larger items, such as long tents.
    Frame pack: Finding the right frame pack to fit in your triangle takes a little finesse. Full-sized bags provide more volume but may interfere with a rear shock. Partial packs leave room for a water bottle cage beneath. Some packs feature organizational pockets.
  • DIY system: If you have a daypack and dry bags at home, you can bikepack. Place heavier gear in your day pack and lighter items in the bags that will go on the bike. Attach the bags to your handlebar and seat post with ski straps or bungees. Dangle things like a coffee cup or flip flops off any setup with a carabiner.

Additional Carrying Options

  • Stem bags offer easy-grab convenience for snacks, phones, and other small items.
  • Fork cages can carry larger water bottles or stove fuel on trips in less technical terrain; just ensure they don’t interfere with the stanchions on your suspension fork.
  • Small backpack provides another place for snacks, layers, sunglasses and water reservoirs. But keep it light—you have plenty of weight to maneuver.


Where to Place Gear on Your Bike

Smart packing leads to a safer, more enjoyable ride. Still, it may take a few trips to dial-in your system. Strive for a low center of gravity and evenly weighted handlebars and seat pack.

  • Light, bulky items go in your seat pack: Things like sleeping bags and clothing. If your seat bag is waterproof, pack your sleeping bag without its stuff sack.
  • Light, long items go in your handlebar roll: Items like tents, sleeping pads, and other larger gear. Take care to not over-pack your handlebars to maintain safe steering.
  • Heavy items go in your frame pack: Things like bike tools, stove, and fuel. Positioning most weight in the center of your bike increases stability.

Essential Camp Gear & Bike Tools

LRG_DSC05409.JPG

Space is at a premium on your bike. Prioritize compact gear—and the lighter, the better. Your current backpacking gear likely covers most bases. Fill in the gaps from there.

Camping Gear

  • Shelter: Tarps and bivy sacks certainly make the lightest, most compact options. Yet in buggy terrain or foul weather, you’ll likely want the protection of a minimalist, pack-small tent.
  • Sleeping bag / quilt: If conditions allow, a featherweight down quilt with an elastic foot box may be all the warmth you need, saving precious room in your pack.
  • Sleeping pad: Air mattresses offer greater comfort and roll up tighter, but require at least a ground cloth to prevent punctures. Closed-cell foam pads are bombproof, but offer far less cushion and may be too bulky for backcountry setups.
  • Stove: The lightest gas stoves weigh just a few ounces and fit in the palm of your hand. 4 oz. fuel canisters stow easily as well. Alcohol stoves remain your lightest and cleanest-burning option. They limit your cooking to water boiling, but they’re ideal if you won’t be passing any gear shops to refuel.
  • Water & water filter: Research water sources before your trip to help assess how much to carry each day, as well as the type of water filter to bring to combat contaminants you might encounter.
  • Clothing: Beyond your bike outfit, pack warm layers for camp and flip flops if you use clipless shoes. Pack multiple socks and underwear, but otherwise wear the same outfit every day.
  • Sunscreen & toiletries: Pack these as you would for any backcountry adventure. Just remember to Leave No Trace.
  • First aid kit: Biking in remote terrain increases the safety hazards. Adventure Medical Kits makes a wide array of great wilderness first aid kits. Include super glue, needle and thread, duct tape, and patches for your sleeping pad and tent fabric.
  • Don’t forget: Your headlamp, spare batteries and chargers, bear hang kit, sat device, and other essentials for minimalist backcountry camping.

Bike Tools

Preparing for every mechanical issue would require an entire workbench of tools. Instead, carry those that will triage most common issues—and that you know how to use. Again, consider the terrain. For example, in rocky terrain you might pack more spare tubes.

tire repair.jpeg
  • Spare tubes, tire plugs, tire levers & small pump: Rarely does one escape a backcountry trip without at least a few flat tires. Even if you run tubeless tires, carry spare tubes, as sharp terrain (and crashing) can rip the sidewall of your tire beyond repair with sealant or tire plugs. On longer trips, also carry a patch kit.
  • Bike multi-tool: Featuring multiple sizes of Allen wrenches, a multi-tool lets you tighten, adjust, remove, and replace most bits on your bike trailside. Ensure the sizes match your bike’s bolts. Choose one with a chain breaker.
  • Chain lube & wipe cloth: Lubing your chain each morning before your ride is one of the easiest ways to keep your bike running smoothly throughout your trip, especially if crossing streams.
  • Chain quick links: Chains break. Quick links allow you to use a spare length of chain to replace the broken section, quickly locking it in and getting you back in business.
  • Zip ties & ski straps: Your ultimate MacGyver gear. From taming unruly cables to providing bag tie-downs, these come in handy.
  • Also consider: Bike lights, spare brake pads, shock pump for full suspension bikes, spare derailleur hanger.

Best Maps for Bikepacking

Planning a bikepacking trip encourages you to get savvy about land use access and, you guessed it, terrain—because biking isn’t always possible where hiking is. Gaia GPS’s map catalog provides numerous planning and navigating resources, and a Premium membership gives you access to them all. Here are the most helpful maps for bikepackers, along with some pointers for building your route.

Satellite Topo Base Map: This topo-and-satellite hybrid makes an excellent base map for bikepackers, who need to really visualize the terrain. It places the contour lines of Gaia’s Topo map over ESRI world satellite imagery. Use the topo lines to calculate elevation and the satellite imagery to see terrain features such as forests and open areas.

Ensure you know how to read topo maps.

Wilderness Map Overlay: Bikes aren’t allowed in designated Wilderness zones. This overlay lets you pinpoint Wilderness boundaries and ensure that your route avoids them. Find this map under the Feature/Weather Overlay option.

USFS Recreation Sites Map: Quickly find bike-friendly trails and campgrounds along your route. This overlay highlights U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, trailheads, visitor centers, and land-use access through an easy-to-read legend. Find it under the Feature/Weather Overlay option.

24- and 72-Hour Weather Forecast Overlays: In addition to the 48-hour Precip Overlay, Gaia GPS includes 24- and 72-hour Forecast Overlays. Pack the right gear for the forecast with these options that you can display over your favorite base maps. Sourced from NOAA data.

Wildfire Overlay: Dodge road closures, avoid burn scars, and find views unobscured by smoke using the Wildfires (current) and Wildfires (satellite) maps, now free for all Gaia GPS users.

Finally, find free camping spots using the Public Lands Overlay—and sleep soundly knowing you’re not trespassing.

Building Your Route

Blog_Feature (Robyn Martin

Once you know where you want go, use the Gaia app or Gaiagps.com to build your route and add waypoints with helpful info along the way.

  1. Create a route in Gaia: This step-by-step video tutorial guides you through the process. Start with your preferred base map. Then add overlays, such as those mentioned above, to increase your knowledge of an area. Or, import GPX files: If you find GPX files for routes online, import them into your phone. Here’s how to do it for iOS, Android, and at gaiagps.com.
  2. Drop waypoints: Mark water sources, camping spots, trail junctures, and other key points. Tag them with symbols and color-coding, and add notes. Here’s how in iOS and Android.
  3. Download your map: Ensure you do this while in cell service in order to access your map offline.

Preparing for Your First Bikepacking Trip

With your bike, gear, maps and routes, you’re nearly there. But before you pedal out into the great unknown, be sure you and your setup are dialed. Here’s a checklist to help.

  • Gain the fitness and sit bones you need by doing longer rides in the months prior.
  • Give your bike a safety tune-up yourself or take it to your local shop.
  • Learn how to do trailside repairs.
  • Practice packing your gear to dial-in your system.
  • Ride your bike fully loaded to experience its handling; consider doing a single night adventure to test your setup.
  • Get current beta on the zones through which you’ll be traveling via ranger stations and trip reports.
  • Download (and print out) your Gaia GPS maps!

Bikepacking Routes and Resources

Multi-night mountain biking has soared in popularity, and with it the resources and inspiration to plan an amazing trip. Here are a few places to start.

  • Find routes: Bikepacking.com, Bikepacking Roots and pinkbike.com (search bikepacking) offer a goldmine of routes, stories, images, and sometimes the GPX files to kick off your journey. Also use these sites to indulge in bike and gear nerdery.
  • Dip your toes in: Catered adventures, such as those in Canada’s Chilcotins, allow you to give bikepacking a try without carrying all of your overnight gear or hassle with cooking for yourself each night.
  • Get social: Tap into communities on Facebook for everything from gear setups to adventure ideas.
  • Get to know the popular trails: This article highlights some classic routes.
March 24, 2021
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Fidgit and Neon smile for the camera outside of a turquoise building in Mexico. Their bikes are leaning against the wall and are laden down with gear.
Gaia GPSOut and Back Podcast

Her Odyssey: An Adventure Across the Americas

by Mary Cochenour September 16, 2020
written by Mary Cochenour

How to listen: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox

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This week, we catch up with world adventurers Bethany “Fidgit” Hughes and Lauren “Neon” Reed for an update on their journey across the Americas. Hughes and Reed have spent the last five years backpacking, biking, and paddling their way across South and Central America, Mexico, and the United States on their non-motorized tour of the American continents. The long-distance hikers are now hunkered down in the States waiting for Covid to subside before finishing off their adventure in the northernmost part of North America.

Fidgit (left) and Neon (right) smile for the camera with their backpacking gear. They're standing in front of a forest.
Hughes (left) and Reed (right). Photo credit: Fede Cabrera.

Hughes and Reed met during their Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2010, where they earned their trail names Fidgit and Neon, respectively. After Hughes completed her PCT thru-hike, she took a stab at conventional city life. She lived in a house, got a car, and landed a management position in an accounting office. But the pull of adventure tugged hard at her heartstrings.

While sitting in a traffic jam, she became inspired by the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. From that, Hughes imagined “a human-powered traverse of the Americas, connecting the stories of the land and its inhabitants.” She dubbed the adventure “Her Odyssey.”

A map of the Her Odyssey route to date shows the path Fidgit and Neon took to backpack, bike-pack, and kayak across South and Central America and the US.
A map of the route to date. Red: backpacking. Orange: bike-packing. Blue: kayaking.

Hughes enlisted Reed to join on the trek, acknowledging that their different personalities complement one another. Reed agrees and describes their personalities with a Venn diagram.

“I usually lean towards the logical side,” Reed says. “And Fidgit is usually leaning towards the emotional side. We pull each other towards the center in a lot of ways.”

In this episode, Hughes and Reed discuss how they traveled through the wilderness in foreign countries, their incredible and heartwarming interactions with locals they met along the way, and some tips for treading lightly through indigenous regions and cultures. We also hear about their safety plans and how their contrasting personalities serve their expedition mission in unique ways. Don’t miss this episode if you want to learn about getting off the tourist path in South and Central America.

Learn more about Hughes, Reed, and Her Odyssey on their website. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook. Support their mission, or just simply buy them a meal, on Patreon.

Fidgit, laded down with her backpacking gear, interviews two Quechua women.
Hughes interviews two Quechua women.

1:00: Fidgit and Neon started their journey over five years ago.
5:25: The duo met on the PCT in 2010.
8:25: The idea for Her Odyssey came to Fidgit on a drive home from work in Kansas City.
10:50: Fidgit’s belief system led to her reach out to Neon to be her travel partner.
14:30: Fidgit and Neon pull each other towards the center of emotion and logic.
19:50: Fidgit spent three years planning this trip.
22:30: Accepting that they didn’t know what they were doing proved essential.
23:30: Neon uses her power of observation to help them navigate.
25:00: Fidgit and Neon tell an illuminating story about getting lost.
27:00: How sharing knowledge about routes and trails differs in Latin America and the US.
30:00: Learning some of the local language is an important display of good will and respect.
34:00: Fidgit and Neon share pointers for interacting with locals and being respectful of local culture.
41:40: Gaging threats and avoiding dangerous situations internationally.
45:35: Self-defense strategies for staying safe overseas.
52:00: Women’s bodies were found cut up in bags while they were in South America.
59:50: How Fidgit and Neon dealt with drinking water in South America. (Their strategy didn’t always work!)
1:05:50: Fidgit and Neon go separate ways for part of their journey.
1:12:00: When a region got too “murdery,” they moved on.
1:21:10: How COVID has impacted their travels.
1:29:30: Fidgit and Neon are currently focusing on the storytelling and community building components of their journey.
1:30:20: The ultimate goal of their trip is to reach the Arctic Ocean within the next two years.
1:33:00: How they balance structure and letting the journey unfold.
1:33:30: Advice to those looking to go on their own odyssey.
1:36:30: The grossest things Fidgit and Neon have eaten on their trip.
1:43:00: The one luxury item Fidgit and Neon can’t travel without. (You will never guess!)
1:49:00: How Neon and Fidgit got their trail names.

Next Episode: Get the Most out of Your National Park Trip with Guide Book Author Scott Turner

Scott Turner smiles for the camera while sitting on a rock with his arms crossed on his knees. Red and gold canyons loom in the background.

Next week, Shanty and Mary sit down with hiker, guidebook author and licensed therapist Scott Turner. Turner has written guide books to five national parks, as well as his home of San Diego county. He shares insight on how to get the most out of a one-day visit to a national park, including insider tips for getting off the beaten path at Sequoia, Zion, and Joshua Tree National Parks.

Turner explains why he believes early morning wake-ups are worth it to maximize your adventure. And he runs through what you should pack for a day hike to ensure you have fun and stay safe. Turner almost always hikes in trail running shoes, and he shares why he prefers them to hiking boots, plus why he brings the “10 essentials” you need to survive an unplanned night outside. You’ll also hear about Turner’s favorite National Park, and how hiking helps him be better at his day job as a therapist. Last but not least, Shanty and Turner break down the best hiking Pop Tart flavors.

You can learn more about Turner and find his guidebooks his website. Follow Turner’s adventures on Instagram, and connect with him on Facebook.

Last Episode: Solo Backpacking with a Stalker

Mary smiles for the camera while backpacking through the alpine.

When Mary Cochenour became a wilderness ranger, she was forced to conquer her fear of solo backpacking. It took some time but with a lot of practice, Mary eventually grew comfortable camping alone in the woods. That is, until she realized she wasn’t alone after all. A man had been stalking Mary even in the farthest corners of the wilderness.

Tune in last week’s episode of the Out and Back podcast as Mary tells a thrilling tale about her early days as a wilderness ranger in Desolation Wilderness in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Hear about her first night spent alone in the wilderness and what happened months later when she discovered that a man had been following her around the backcountry.

Mary reveals how this sketchy incident inspired her to keep backpacking solo and how she drew on this experience when working with victims as a violent crimes prosecutor in Montana. This story, although gripping at times, reminds us that sometimes you have to face your fears head on to finally overcome them.

We are excited to introduce you to Mary because she is the Out and Back podcast producer and a writer and editor at Gaia GPS. When she is not in the office, Mary works as a guide for Andrew Skurka Adventures in wild places around the west, like Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite, and the Brooks Range in Alaska.

Learn more about Mary on Instagram. Read Mary’s bio on Gaia GPS’s team page and view her hiking credentials on Andrew Skurka’s guide roster. Also, read her tips on how to plan your first solo backpacking trip.

Tell Us Your Story: Have You Ever Been Lost?

Two people pour over a paper map in the backcountry.

Have a great story about getting lost in the woods? Shoot us an email at media@gaiagps.com for a chance to be featured on the Out and Back podcast.

Tell us in 500 words or less how and where you got lost and what you did to get yourself out of trouble. Bonus points for humorous narratives and tales with surprise endings.

In addition to a podcast interview, the winner will receive Gaia GPS swag and a free Gaia GPS membership to help keep them from getting lost on the next adventure.

Meet the Hosts

the host of the podcast Andrew Baldwin wearing an orange hat and blue jacket with a frosty beard, smiling

Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin

In 2019, host Andrew Baldwin completed a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. After five months on the trail, Baldwin returned home to pursue a career in voice acting. A friend of the Gaia GPS company, Baldwin was a natural choice for hosting the Out and Back podcast.

In each Out and Back episode, Shanty strives to bring you conversations with people who spend an extraordinary amount of time outdoors. Listen in as Shanty taps into each backcountry expert’s superpower so that you can take their knowledge and experience with you on your next adventure.

Mary smiles while lying down and resting her head on a rock. She's wearing a purple jacket, gloves, and a black buff around her ears.

Mary Cochenour

Mary is the Out and Back podcast producer and a writer and editor at Gaia GPS. Before joining Gaia GPS, Mary worked as a lawyer, newspaper journalist, ski patroller, Grand Canyon river guide, and USFS wilderness ranger. Mary holds degrees in journalism and business as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montana. Mary is licensed to practice law in Montana and Nevada.

When she is not in the office, Mary works as a guide for Andrew Skurka Adventures in wild places around the west, like Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite, and the Brooks Range in Alaska. Learn more about Mary on Instagram. Also, read her tips on how to plan your first solo backpacking trip.

September 16, 2020
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