Roads, Trails and Rabbit Holes

Tom Ballard
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I'm Tom, someone who's been bitten by the wanderlust bug since childhood. I love the outdoors. Highways, trails, and campgrounds are places where I come alive. I've spent the last 3 decades on the road rather than home. Most of that was as a truck driver. I've hauled everything from oversized loads to rock and roll bands. Now mostly retired, I still drive 3 days a week, leaving plenty of time for adventure. With my wife of over 4 decades, and our 3 kids, we've owned tents, pop-up campers, and a few bigger camping trailers. Road trips are still some of our children's favorite memories. Today, we have a 27 food camper on a permanent, seasonal lot. 5 years ago, I also rediscovered backpacking. I've had several shorter overnight trips, and 2 longer backpacking adventures since then. The next ones are already taking shape in my mind. Join me here as we talk about all these things.

Episodes

  1. Sep 22

    7. Garmin InReach vs iPhone Text - Trail Tested

    This episode is about our last night on the trail, with no cell signal. We were also in a small clearing, surrounded by hills on all 4 sides. We needed to send the evening text to let our families know we were fine. Also, I wanted to check the weather. Cate has a newer iPhone with satellite texting available. My iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn't have that feature. However, I do have my trusty Garmin InReach Mini 2.   The hills presented a few issues, but we were able to complete the task. I'll give you the details in the show. But ask yourself, which one of these do I want to have if I have a real medical emergency in the backcountry? I'd love to hear from you. roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

  2. Sep 15

    6. The AT Kicked My Ass - It Was Brutal

    We ended up switching our trip to the Roan Highlands on the Appalachian Trail. Starting from Carver's Gap in North Carolina, we hiked north to the Tennessee line, completing about 15 miles on our first day. I was totally unprepared for what that day would bring. We ended up with about 34 miles on the AT, then shifted to Cumberland Gap National Park in Tennessee to avoid an incoming storm. In total, we backpacked about 45 miles in 6 days. It started out brutal, then switched to hard in the following days. Within 3 miles of the Carvers Gap trailhead, I'd made the decision to post all my backpacking gear on Facebook Marketplace, sell everything and never do this again. By day 3, we were discussing which section we'd be hiking on our next excursion on the Appalachian Trail. Why was this so hard? It's simple. I've really slacked off with my exercise routine since I retired at the end of 2024. I am back to leaning into it. I'll also cover some of the gear changes I'd like to make for my next serious backpacking trip. Shoes, trekking poles, food, and several other adjustments that will make things more manageable.  Questions or comments: roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com is the dedicated email address for the show. You can also comment on the podcast on YouTube.

  3. Sep 10

    5. River Country Products Does Me A Solid

    You probably already know that I have a soft spot for River Country Products. I've used the Trekker 2 tent and their trekking poles before. I've upgraded to a lighter tent, but I still use the trekking poles. My wife also has a set, and we've used them quite a bit on day hikes and shorter adventures. I had a small, normal wear issue with the trekking poles and reached out to River Country Products for a solution. I was quite surprised at their response. Surprised enough to make it the topic of this episode. For questions or comments, shoot me an email. roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

  4. Sep 7

    4. Sawtooth - Redefining The Adventure

    The Sawtooth Wilderness Loop trip has been on my '26 summer schedule for nearly a year. But mountains and trails can be quite dynamic. Fires, floods, and disasters of any kind can quickly throw a monkey wrench into the best of plans. Such is the case with Sawtooth. The fires of '24 left the ground ripe for erosion, and the Grandjean trailhead flooded out. The flooding also took out part of a highway and the Grandjean campground.  Add to this, a large number of downed trees on the southwest side of the trail, and the northwest portion closed indefinitely. Also, and the final nail in the coffin that contains our Sawtooth plans, eastern Washington is on fire. Guess where the smoke is going?  This episode is about plan B. We're heading 800 miles south instead of 1,300 miles west.

  5. Sep 4

    3. Backpacking In Bear Country, And Other Wildlife Threats

    I'll start by saying that I have no plans to backpack in grizzly country, at least not in the foreseeable future. With that in mind, I'll give you my thoughts, fears, and opinions about the potential wildlife threats most backpackers may encounter. Please don't take this as anything more than my thoughts and opinions. Feel free to correct me if I'm way off. If you have additional advice, please share it with me. I'm always learning. You can always contact me at mailto:roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

  6. Sep 1

    2. Storing Gear for 4 Years - What Survived

    All of my backpacking gear went into storage in June, 2022 after my first Sawtooth trip. Storage wasn't a rented locker or storage unit. Everything was stored in my cool, dry, air-conditioned home office. Each item was clean and dry. This was my saving grace. All electronics went with me as I spent the better part of the next three years on the road. Other than the Anchor charge blocks, I came out well. They just aged out since i continued using them on the road. They have a life expectancy, and it's a bit shorter than 4 years. I hope you enjoy the show, Tom You can email me at roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

  7. Aug 30

    1. Pretty Sure I Was Going To Die, TWICE!

    I backpacked into a great campsite, only 6 miles from the Jeep. Setting up at the most beautiful campsite on this 17-mile loop, I thought I'd hit the lottery.  After setting up camp and then hiding in my tent while a quick storm passed through, I had an absolutely delightful evening. I finally retired to my $29 Walmart sleeping bag. Oh, did I mention that this was my first backpacking trip in 40 years or so? It was also the first night I've ever spent a night alone in the woods. This episode is all about being pretty sure I was a goner around 3 am, and wondering what those giant footprints were, 30 feet away from my tent. They weren't there the night before. I had pictures to prove it. Thanks for listening to episode one. Let me know if you like the show. Email address is roadstrailsandrabbitholes@gmail.com

  • 7 Episodes

About

I'm Tom, someone who's been bitten by the wanderlust bug since childhood. I love the outdoors. Highways, trails, and campgrounds are places where I come alive. I've spent the last 3 decades on the road rather than home. Most of that was as a truck driver. I've hauled everything from oversized loads to rock and roll bands. Now mostly retired, I still drive 3 days a week, leaving plenty of time for adventure. With my wife of over 4 decades, and our 3 kids, we've owned tents, pop-up campers, and a few bigger camping trailers. Road trips are still some of our children's favorite memories. Today, we have a 27 food camper on a permanent, seasonal lot. 5 years ago, I also rediscovered backpacking. I've had several shorter overnight trips, and 2 longer backpacking adventures since then. The next ones are already taking shape in my mind. Join me here as we talk about all these things.

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