Outdoorsy podcasts put nature in your ears
The popularity of outdoor activities surged during the pandemic, with record numbers of novice hikers escaping their cramped quarters for the fresh air of national parks and forests. And now that the clocks have sprung forward, the trailheads are beckoning again. These six podcasts focus on our relationship to the natural world, delivering practical advice, dramatic survival stories and first-person tributes to the transformative power of the outdoors.
‘BACKPACKER RADIO’
The popularity of “thru-hiking” (walking a long-distance trail from end to end) has soared in recent years, thanks in part to the success of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir “Wild,” an account of the author’s solo odyssey along the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail. “Backpacker Radio,” a production of the hiking advice website The Trek, features Zach Davis and Juliana Chauncey digging into every aspect of trail life. They offer pointers on how to budget and plan for a weekslong hike, review the latest equipment and interview thru-hikers about their experiences on routes around the world, from the Appalachian Trail to the pilgrim routes of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Starter episode: “Chaunce Hiked the Foothills Trail: Terrain, Difficulty, Hiking With a Dog, and Gear”
‘TOOTH AND CLAW’
Although the mental and physical health benefits of spending time out in nature are well documented, it’s vital not to overlook the inherent perils. Wes Larson, the wildlife biologist and animal behavior expert who hosts “Tooth and Claw,” recounts history’s most dramatic animal attacks in entertaining and educational fashion with his co-hosts, Jeff Larson and Mike Smith. These stories are compelling for much the same reason that we find true-crime tales so addictive: We believe that by learning about worst-case scenarios, we can protect ourselves against them. Larson leans into that by offering practical tips on how to stay safe in the animal kingdom. Not all of the stories take place in the wilderness — the show’s first episode covers the 2007 escape of a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo, while one installment features a Texas woman injured in her backyard after a hawk dropped a snake onto her. Starter episode: “The Worst Black Bear Attack in History: Part 1”
‘THE ADVENTURE PODCAST’
Matt Pycroft, a filmmaker who specializes in documenting far-flung and hostile outdoor locations, delivers interviews with guests who share his thirst for exploration. One’s definition of an adventure can vary drastically, and that’s reflected in the broad range of subjects here. Many episodes focus on mountaineering, polar expeditions and base jumping, but there are also closer-to-home options like cold-water swimming and mudlarking, the tradition of hunting for hidden treasures along the banks of the River Thames in London. Interspersed with the inspiring interviews is advice, like the recent “Explore: How to Plan an Expedition” mini-season. Starter episode: “Mark Agnew, an Adventurous Mind”
‘THE OUTSIDE PODCAST’
Outside magazine has been a go-to source for sophisticated adventure travel writing for more than four decades, and its podcast expands on that tradition, using sound effects and first-person narration to tell immersive, gripping stories about endurance in nature. The podcast, which began in 2016, chronicles stories of survival in the wilderness against extraordinary odds; there’s an episode covering just about any terrifying scenario you can imagine — what it feels like to be buried alive in an avalanche or paralyzed by a scorpion in the Grand Canyon. In recent years, the show has expanded its horizons, offering interviews with public figures about their extreme sports of choice — cave diving for actor Viggo Mortensen, ultramarathons for musician Ben Gibbard — as well as science-based deep dives into the best training plans and nutrition for athletes. Starter episode: “Way, Way Too Close to a Whale”
‘OUTSIDE/IN’
This NPR staple explores stories about the natural world and our interactions with it, hosted by Nate Hegyi, a reporter with New Hampshire Public Radio. One of the show’s regular segments, “This, That, or the Other Thing,” focuses on ways to make more sustainable choices when it comes to eating out, buying clothes and even planning funerals. Other episodes use a pop culture hook, like last summer’s installment pegged to “Oppenheimer.” After the atomic bomb test at Los Alamos in New Mexico in the summer of 1945, the downwind rural town of Carrizozo was blanketed by radioactive fallout, making its water undrinkable and soil barren, and precipitating a spike in radiogenic cancer rates. Hegyi’s on-the-ground interviews with these “downwinders” about their fight for government compensation make for unnerving listening, exemplifying the kind of reporting “Outside/In” does best. Starter episode: “What’s the Most Successful Species on Earth?”
‘NATIONAL PARK AFTER DARK’
Hosted by two longtime friends, this amiable show for “morbid outdoor enthusiasts” delves into stories of when things go very, very wrong in the nation’s most picturesque locations. In every episode of “National Park After Dark,” Danielle LaRock and Cassandra Yahnian detail a dramatic incident at national parks across the nation (and beyond), discussing the location’s history as well as its perils. Some are wellknown cautionary tales like that of Timothy Treadwell, the bear enthusiast who lived among grizzlies for 13 years before being mauled to death by one of them, while others are pure true crime, like the still-unsolved Crater Lake murders. The warm rapport between the hosts, balanced by inspirational survival stories, makes this a delightful listen no matter how dark the subject. Starter episode: “A Lightning Strike Rescue, Yosemite National Park”