2. Thomas "The Real Hiking Viking" Gathman

Shanty catches up with free-spirited and fun-focused Thomas Gathman, who picked up the trail name "The Real Hiking Viking" due to his Norse-like beard and his warrior status as a former Marine Scout Sniper. Viking served two combat tours in Iraq before coming home, selling all his possessions, and hiking more than 20,000 miles on America's longest trails. In this episode, Shanty goes beyond the iconic beard and unravels Viking's often-overlooked journey from sniper to pro hiker. Viking shines a light on how he was first introduced to thru-hiking culture and what inspired him to step on the trail and never look back.