{"id":66436,"date":"2026-07-20T13:12:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/?p=66436"},"modified":"2026-07-28T13:14:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T03:44:34","slug":"podcast-hiking-the-larapinta-where-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/podcast-hiking-the-larapinta-where-to-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Ep 207 &#8211; Thinking About Hiking the Larapinta? Here&#8217;s Where to Start"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen to the full episode here:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-video-popup-wrapper\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-video-popup-close\"><\/div>\n\t\t<iframe class=\"wp-video-popup-video is-hosted is-landscape is-resizable\" src=\"\" data-wp-video-popup-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A3ciAUJqUL4?autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\">\n\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-19517669\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1259564\/19517669.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-19517669&amp;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two and a half weeks, 223km, and a whole lot of honesty about what actually happens on trail.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode Ben turns the mic on his co-host Lauren, who&#8217;s about to walk the Larapinta Trail &#8211; 223km from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder with two colleagues over 14 days. They dig into the gear debates that actually matter (trail runners versus boots, three wildly different backpacks between the group), the sleep system upgrades that finally made multi-day hiking bearable for Ben, and the practical realities of toileting, safety, and staying calm about snakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tune in for a genuinely candid conversation about preparing for a long trek, whether you&#8217;re a first-timer feeling intimidated or a seasoned hiker fine-tuning your kit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/there-are-some-magic-views-on-the-larapinta.jpg\" alt=\"One of many scenic views of nature along the Larapinta Trail\" class=\"wp-image-33293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/there-are-some-magic-views-on-the-larapinta.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/there-are-some-magic-views-on-the-larapinta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/there-are-some-magic-views-on-the-larapinta-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/there-are-some-magic-views-on-the-larapinta-10x7.jpg 10w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timestamps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>00:00<\/strong> &#8211; Welcome: 5 years of the podcast, and today&#8217;s topic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>00:48<\/strong> &#8211; Why Lauren&#8217;s in the spotlight: preparing for the Larapinta Trail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>01:56<\/strong> &#8211; Safety awareness: the male\/female perspective on the trail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>06:42<\/strong> &#8211; The trip itself: Alice Springs to Mount Sonder, 223km in 14 days<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>08:27<\/strong> &#8211; Do you need all new gear? Starting out vs. already having kit<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>15:54<\/strong> &#8211; Trail runners vs. boots: the great hiking footwear debate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>18:15<\/strong> &#8211; Ankle strengthening and prepping your feet before you go<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>20:35<\/strong> &#8211; Gaiters: worth the weight or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>24:30<\/strong> &#8211; Three very different packs: ultralight, heavy-duty, and in-between<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>27:49<\/strong> &#8211; Small comfort upgrades: cook kit, sit mats, and camp luxuries<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>31:00<\/strong> &#8211; Toileting on the trail: practical tips nobody talks about<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>43:14<\/strong> &#8211; Sleep systems: why a good mat is worth the extra weight<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>46:46<\/strong> &#8211; Managing fear: snakes, bugs, and staying safe on a remote trail<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>48:49<\/strong> &#8211; PLBs and satellite messengers: when to actually use them<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>59:04<\/strong> &#8211; Food for 14 days: dehydrated meals, drop boxes, and trail treats<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Products mentioned<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Osprey<\/strong> pack (heavily padded, framed &#8211; Crystal&#8217;s pack) &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Zpacks<\/strong> backpack (ultralight, ~400g &#8211; Sam&#8217;s pack) &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GSI<\/strong> cookware (pot and silicone scraper)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/frontier-uitralight-collapsible-cup\"><strong>Sea to Summit<\/strong> X-Cup<\/a> (collapsible cup)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/hiking-sleeping-mats#?pagenumber=1&amp;orderBy=11&amp;specIds=1879&amp;brands=6\">Sea To Summit Ether Light sleeping mats<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/hiking-sleeping-mats#?pagenumber=1&amp;orderBy=11&amp;brands=38&amp;type=2153\"><strong>Therm-a-Rest NeoAir sleeping mat<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/helinox\">Helinox chairs<\/a><\/strong> (mentioned as something Lauren decided <em>not<\/em> to pack)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Salomon<\/strong> mid boots &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>KEEN<\/strong> boots &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Merrell<\/strong> Moab shoes &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scarpa<\/strong> SL boots &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dirty Girl Gaiters<\/strong> &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trail Gaiters<\/strong> (Australian-made, worn by Sam) &#8211; not in Snowys range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/hiking-food\">Hiking food<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; dehydrated meal brands compared<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thanks for listening, tune in again for next week&#8217;s episode!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-3fc1e5f8-10be-4b09-998a-70c6506a24fc\">Thanks for tuning in to this week\u2019s episode of the Snowys Camping Show Podcast. Don\u2019t forget to subscribe to us on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCgpO6k-UyaYgwyLg0ESceCg\">YouTube<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0wy9b822eekXe00bAIqPbX\">Spotify<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/au\/podcast\/snowys-camping-show\/id1527530990\">iTunes<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/db56692e-96e7-418d-929d-88c5fde70b1a\/Snowys-Camping-Show\">Amazon Music<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/269-snowys-camping-show-79675943\/\">iHeartRadio<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pca.st\/z1mx2k64\">Pocket Casts<\/a>,&nbsp;or <a href=\"https:\/\/podcastaddict.com\/podcast\/3281467\">Podcast Addict<\/a> so you never miss an upload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-087cbd57-77e9-4533-b8fc-12f45f86e371\">If you have any questions for Ben and Lauren, make sure you head over to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/snowys\/\">Facebook group<\/a>&nbsp;and let us know as we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-78e4097f-2fbd-446d-a99b-9a3d09f52d17\">Catch you out there!<\/p>\n<div class='watch-action'><div class='watch-position align-left'><div class='action-like'><a class='lbg-style1 like-66436 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='like' data-post_id='66436' data-nonce='29b65540dd' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Liked it' \/><span class='lc-66436 lc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div> <div class='status-66436 status align-left'><\/div><\/div><div class='wti-clear'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the full episode here: Two and a half weeks, 223km, and a whole lot of honesty about what actually happens on trail. In this episode Ben turns the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1638,"featured_media":18026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1571,854],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast-hiking","category-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66436"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66439,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66436\/revisions\/66439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}