441 Gear Fails, Hurricane Hiking & Snakes in Camp

<p>The backpacking meetup happened… and somehow we ended up carrying coolers into the backcountry, eating Philly cheesesteaks and Oreo balls, relocating a snake named Sheila, dealing with gear failure, and trying to beat a tropical storm out of the woods.</p><p>Just another normal weekend.</p><p>This week on <strong>The Backpacking Podcast</strong>, John and Jeremiah recap the latest meetup at Big South Fork before jumping into another round of <strong>Backpack or Send It Back</strong>.</p><p>First up: a <strong>3.2-ounce ultralight jacket that costs $195 but doesn’t come seam sealed</strong>, followed by possibly one of the strangest pieces of backpacking clothing we’ve seen yet—<strong>down sleeves</strong>. Useful ultralight innovation… or gear nobody asked for?</p><p>Then in <strong>Animal Encounters</strong>, we meet one of the biggest bears we’ve ever seen: Katmai National Park’s appropriately nicknamed <strong>“Honky Chonk Bear Donk-a-Donk.”</strong> Yes, that is apparently what we’re calling her.</p><p>In <strong>Hiker News</strong>, we congratulate former guest and ultrarunner <strong>Jeff “Free Outside” Garmeyer</strong> on getting married—sleeveless tuxedo and all—before diving into the chaos surrounding the <strong>Moab 240</strong>. Flash flooding, deep mud, sleet, high winds and severe weather stranded roughly 70 runners and volunteers overnight and ultimately forced organizers to cancel the race. Thankfully, everyone was safely evacuated.</p><p>And finally…</p><p><strong>The Neighbor Update is officially its own segment.</strong></p><p>Jeremiah gives the latest on the ongoing situation with his neighbor’s dog after animal enforcement finally got involved—and we may actually be moving toward a solution.</p><p>Maybe.</p><p>Stick around until the end for the latest version of <strong>The Backpacking Podcast theme song</strong>, this time with a little Disney-inspired flair.</p><p>🎒 <strong>The Backpacking Podcast</strong> with Jeremiah Stringer and John Kelly — backpacking gear, trail stories, hiking news, outdoor culture, questionable decisions, and whatever else happens when we start talking.</p><p>📧 Send us your stories, gear finds, pro tips, guest ideas, animal encounters, and show suggestions:<br><a href="mailto:backpackingpodcast@gmail.com">backpackingpodcast@gmail.com</a></p><p>👍 Like the episode, subscribe, and let us know what YOU would backpack or send back.</p><p>#Backpacking #Hiking #BackpackingGear #UltralightBackpacking #Moab24