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Each episode explores the gear, skills, stories, and trail-tested lessons behind better outdoor performance. From ultralight backpacking tips and gear design insights to real-world testing, backcountry strategy, and honest conversations from the Outdoor Vitals team, this podcast is built for people who want to get more out of every mile outside.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 152 - Revenge or Reliving? Tushar Mountain Ultra Race Story

EP 152 - Revenge or Reliving? Tushar Mountain Ultra Race Story

Outdoor Vitals ·

Originally released in 2023, this race debrief follows Tayson’s second Tushars 70K attempt and Darren’s first ultramarathon, the Tushars 100K, with Tyler helping reconstruct the day. Their stories cover changed course conditions, pacing, snow and navigation decisions, severe heat and fatigue, aid-station judgment, late-race finishes, and what the final clock could not explain.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 151 - Adventurer's Journal: Maggie Slepian on Bikepacking and Beyond

EP 151 - Adventurer's Journal: Maggie Slepian on Bikepacking and Beyond

Outdoor Vitals ·

Originally released in 2023, this conversation follows Maggie Slepian’s Great Divide Mountain Bike Route attempt from improvised early setups to roughly 1,600 miles of loaded riding. Tayson and Maggie discuss transportation logistics, surface and wind, mileage pressure, mechanical access, the remote illness that ended the trip, outdoor writing, gear testing, and horse stunt work.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 149 - 4 Days, 100 Miles, & 19,000' Of Elevation: OV On The Colorado Trail

EP 149 - 4 Days, 100 Miles, & 19,000' Of Elevation: OV On The Colorado Trail

Outdoor Vitals ·

Four Outdoor Vitals teammates look back on a 2023 Colorado Trail section completed in about four and a half days. This Field Guide stays with their recorded preparation, missed water source, footwear outcomes, personal foot-care details, and early finish rather than turning those anecdotes into universal instructions.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 148 - My 1st Ultramarathon Was Painful: Maximizing Training For The 2nd

EP 148 - My 1st Ultramarathon Was Painful: Maximizing Training For The 2nd

Outdoor Vitals ·

A difficult first ultramarathon can become useful planning evidence when pace, pain, fueling, hydration, course demands, and life constraints are reviewed separately. This historical pre-race guide shows how to turn those observations into progressive tests, early-race restraint, adjustment triggers, and a personal definition of success.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 147 - What The Outdoor Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

EP 147 - What The Outdoor Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Outdoor Vitals ·

A piece of backpacking gear can combine materials, components, specialist factories, design decisions, and repeated prototypes from across a much larger supply chain. Evaluating the priorities and tradeoffs behind that product takes more than a logo, country-of-origin shortcut, or single review score.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 146 - Injury Recovery & Backpacking Out West With Bryce Newbold

EP 146 - Injury Recovery & Backpacking Out West With Bryce Newbold

Outdoor Vitals ·

Bryce Newbold recounts a 2023 Zion West Rim trip while reflecting on his return to running after serious lower-back problems. His account connects route changes, lightweight gear, exposed terrain, gradual training, and the boundary between personal recovery experience and medical guidance.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 144 - High-Performance Nutrition: Mike McKnight (The Low-Carb Runner)

EP 144 - High-Performance Nutrition: Mike McKnight (The Low-Carb Runner)

Outdoor Vitals ·

Ultrarunner Mike McKnight describes his low-carbohydrate approach to training and multi-day races in this 2023 interview. His first-person account highlights strategic carbohydrate use, changing food tolerance, race pacing, recovery observations, and why individual context matters more than a diet label or another athlete’s menu.

Live Ultralight Podcast EP 143 - Trail Nutrition Secrets: Expert Tips from Backcountry Foodie

EP 143 - Trail Nutrition Secrets: Expert Tips from Backcountry Foodie

Outdoor Vitals ·

Trail-food plans work better when they account for appetite fatigue, preparation friction, and changing conditions rather than one calorie target. This historical 2023 guide uses Aaron Owens Mayhew’s Backcountry Foodie experience to build a repeatable system while keeping altitude claims and individual nutrition needs in proper context.