What do you learn after months of walking one of America's big long-distance trails? Apparently, quite a lot that no gear list or guidebook can cover. The Trek's Trail Correspondents podcast has released episode 13 of its fifth season, in which its 2026 correspondents look back on the mistakes, surprises and hard-won wisdom picked up across the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail.
The episode, titled "Lessons Learned", gathers audio reflections from five hikers-on-the-ground: Logan "Pipsqueek" Hannah, Parrish "Quip" McWhorter, Scott "Steady" Anderson, Sorrel "Big Dawg" Perka and MacKenzie "Wilt" Wieder. Each files regular dispatches from the trail throughout the hiking season, and this instalment asks them a simple question: what do you know now that you wish you'd known on day one?
The answers are the kind of thing only accumulated mileage produces — things they got completely wrong early on, moments that changed how they see both the trails and themselves. For anyone dreaming about a thru-hike, that's arguably the most valuable intel going: not another packing spreadsheet, but an honest accounting of what months on foot actually does to your plans, your body and your head.
The episode is hosted, produced and edited by Andrew "Shanty" Baldwin, and runs under sponsor Altra, whose trail-running shoes back the series (there's a 10% discount code, TREK10, at altrarunning.com). You can listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, where The Trek invites reviews, and the show has a presence on Instagram alongside the wider Trek community.
For travellers, the appeal goes beyond aspiring thru-hikers. Trail Correspondents is essentially a free, ongoing scouting service for America's Triple Crown routes — real people reporting in real time on conditions, mindset and the small daily decisions that make or break a long walk. Even if you're only contemplating a week-long section of the AT or a day hike near a PCT trail town, hearing how experienced walkers adapt (and get humbled) is useful context for planning your own trip. And if you're simply curious what a five-to-six-month hike feels like from the inside, this is a low-commitment way to find out before you quit your job and buy a 30-litre pack.
