6 Canadian Adventure Podcasts You Need to Listen to Now
When we’re not actually adventuring, we love nothing more than listening to people talk about adventuring. Gear reviews and discussions? Yes please. Interviews with our heroes? Sign us up. Tales from the edge? Tell us everything.
The best thing about podcasts is how portable (and free!) they are. You can download a new episode for your daily commute, your morning workout or your weekly run to the grocery store. So, grab your listening devices and lean in for these Canadian adventure podcasts you won’t want to miss.
Explore Magazine’s Live the Adventure Podcast
David Webb
Join Explore’s editor David Webb for meaningful conversations with amazing guests who are as passionate about the great outdoors as we are. From athletes and experts to authors and environmentalists and everything in-between, this popular podcast gets right to the heart of the topics by way of entertaining and honest conversation.
Listen to episode 7 to delve into the world of the ever-elusive Sasquatch by examining the scientific evidence, the folklore and the stories with Bigfoot expert, John Zada. It’s a conversation that is guaranteed to have you looking over your shoulder the next time you head into the wilderness.
The Bikepack Canada Podcast
Ryan Correy
Bikepack Canada was founded by the late Ryan Correy, one of Canada’s most accomplished adventure cyclists, who passed away in 2018, at the age of 35, after a short battle with cancer. His passion for bikepacking and cycling lives on through Bikepack Canada’s podcast archive, an inspiring collection of stories from the most epic routes, races and riders in Canada and beyond. There are more than 70 episodes in total, each one an ode to adventure cycling. After Correy’s death, the podcast was picked up by his good friend and fellow adventure cyclist, Steve O’Shaughnessy, who recorded the final 23 episodes.
Listen to episode 64 where Canadian adventure cyclist Tara Weir talks about the Wild West Route, riding over 5,300 kilometres from Canmore, Alberta to the Mexican border. Weir also shares her thoughts and advice for female bikepackers looking to take on solo challenges.
My Back 40
Steve O’Shaughnessy
Branching out from the Bikepack Canada podcast, Steve O’Shaughnessy went on to start his own podcast, My Back 40, in 2020. Still focussing on adventure cycling, O’Shaughnessy expands his interviews by delving into training, mental health, nutrition and wellbeing from his home in Invermere, BC. The result is a cycling podcast that digs a little deeper into the mindsets of the adventurous. It’s a great listen for anybody looking to tune-up their attitude towards taking on their own big challenges.
Listen to episode 80 with John Freeman of Canmore, Alberta and his dog, Mira, who are bikepacking the world together. John talks about the benefits of having his four-legged companion on the road with him, as a means of bridging his natural introversion.
The Canadian Bushcraft Podcast
The Canadian Bushcraft Podcast
Wilderness survival instructor and Anishinaabe storyteller Caleb Musgrave shares candid experiences from the Canadian backcountry in this weekly podcast, which often runs to more than two hours an episode. Guests and topics are varied and have included seasonal foraging, backcountry gear discussions, lessons in hunting and survival, Indigenous land philosophies, medicinal herbs and much more. The eloquent and thoughtful way in which Musgrove talks about his own personal relationship with the land is worth tuning into.
Listen to episode 78 in which Musgrave tackles the topic of backcountry camp hygiene and how to avoid contaminations and illness in camp. It’s a must-hear for anyone undertaking a wilderness trip this summer.
Trail Running Women Podcast
Hilary Spires
A heady mix of training ideas, race reports, gear tips and honest personal accounts of challenges and triumphs from women athletes at all levels, there’s something for every trail runner in this bi-weekly podcast from Hilary Spires, a race coach and personal trainer from Tsawwassen, BC.
Recent topics have included motherhood, sobriety and mental health as well as strategies for speed in every distance and what to eat to win. Spires is a genuine champion for women athletes and an advocate for body positivity we should all be listening to.
Listen to episode 170 where Spires talks to a runner in her 20s who’s dealing with the effects of long-Covid and the limitations the condition places on her training.
Super Good Camping Podcast
The Goods
Pamela and Tim Good are at the helm of this short and sweet monthly camping podcast that aims to inspire families of all experience levels to get outside more, pitch a tent and gather around a campfire. As a large, blended family, the Goods from Ontario know a thing or two about setting up an efficient camp, cooking up family-sized meals and keeping the kids engaged and involved. Their podcast covers car camping, front-country and backcountry camping and is also full of hacks, tips and tricks for hiking and adventuring with kids, wilderness first-aid, family fishing trips and more.
Listen to the July 2021 episode where the Good’s talk about dehydrating their own camping food, which dehydrators they recommend and which recipe books they use.
Want more adventure inspiration, seasonal outdoor gear and a community of like-minded adventurers across Canada to share it all with?
Click here to join explore magazine’s “Live the Adventure” Club today!
