From the CDT to Content Creation: The Thru Hikers Tim & Renee’s Outdoor Adventures

I sit down with Tim and Renee—better known as Simply the ⁨@reneeandtim⁩ . These two have thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT), set a Fastest Known Time (FKT), and built a massive online audience with their content on backpacking, ultrarunning, and dehydrated trail meals.Follow the Thru Hikers on the internetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thruhikers/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thruhikers?Website: https://thruhikers.co/We talk about their full-time careers in plant genetics and engineering to outdoor influencers, the pressure of going viral on TikTok, and what it’s like filming content while hiking thousands of miles. Renee shares the story behind her self-supported Oregon FKT and how spreadsheets, heatwaves, and stubborn fire seasons played a role.Check out The Barkley Bonus Episodes: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KrLfLJn9Joy6PwwX3uEFR?si=cb96d5bf10ca48f3Support our sponsors Janji.com, Garagegrowngear.com and Csinstant.coffeePlus, we dive into:-The realities of turning hiking into a career-Dehydrated food experiments gone wrong (bibimbap, we’re looking at you)Trail name origins ("Blue Man" and "Sausage")-How to prep for your first long-distance hike (spoiler: you don’t need to be an expert)-Their book combining backpacking recipes and advice-And why trail running has become their go-to between big hikesThis episode is perfect for aspiring thru-hikers, FKT nerds, trail chefs, and anyone wondering how to turn a love of the outdoors into a lifestyle.Chapters00:00 Adventuring with an Audience03:06 Balancing Careers and Adventures05:59 The Journey to FKTs09:00 The Transition to Ultra Running11:56 Navigating Social Media Growth15:04 The Process of Writing a Book34:51 The Journey of Publishing a Book36:44 Wildlife Encounters and Adventure Stories41:05 The Art of Dehydrating Food for Hiking50:29 Preparing for a Thru-Hike Adventure55:40 Trail Names and Their StoriesSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comKeywordsThruhiking, Ultra Running, FKT, Adventure, Social Media, Content Creation, Hiking, Outdoor Activities, Balancing Work and Adventure, Recipe Book, hiking, adventure, wildlife encounters, thru-hiking, book publishing, dehydrating food, trail names, outdoor stories, FKT, hiking tips