SPEAKER_03 0:13

There's just so much that would come from hiking for 2,940 miles or 4,730 kilometers, and for days, weeks, and months on end. So we just had to get Cam back on to hear the story, his learnings, and all about the PCT. So uh without further ado, let's get into it. How are you, Cam? Welcome home.

SPEAKER_04 0:32

Thanks, boys. I am uh yeah, I'm doing well. Happy to be home, that's for sure. But yeah, incredible journey over in the US.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Yeah, welcome back to uh to Australia. And uh just thought we'd we'd pick your brain on the uh the first question we always ask, which is uh what's keeping you curious at the moment? Yes.

SPEAKER_04 0:51

Great question, as always. Yeah, probably the last few weeks, I've been very curious about uh how life will be back home because yeah, I was away for five months. I've basically been living on trail in the wild, completely different to um how I would live here in general. And so it's been interesting to think about how life will be post post such a big adventure. And now that I'm sort of back, I've been back for a week and living that it's it's very interesting kind of adapting back to regular life. Um so that's been a fun little process.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Yeah, so Kush obviously you know gave a a bit of a a background to what you've just done. But I was wondering if you could give us a more complete synopsis of what you actually just did, like what the PCT is, and um, I don't think we could really do it justice trying to explain the absolute adventure that you've just been on. So, yeah, do you want to give us just a quick overview of kind of what you actually just did?

SPEAKER_04 1:45

Yeah, sure. So, yeah, the Pacific Crest Trail is probably the most iconic through hiking trail on planet Earth. It's yeah, almost 3,000 miles long, traverses the west coast of the US from Mexico to Canada. So you're crossing the entire country, which is really cool, and it's just a wild trail. It's so diverse and so beautiful, and it goes through so many different landscapes and environments, and yeah, it's just a crazy experience. And not many people finish the trail every year, you know, a few thousand people start it. It's quite hard to get a permit, it's quite popular, but it's very hard to finish because yeah, just at this the sheer length, really, it's a long way. Speaking in kilometer terms, it's four and a half thousand kilometres. So obviously that takes many, many months, and so many things can go wrong in that time. But yeah, I was lucky enough to make it to the end and just the best thing I've ever done. Really incredible trial.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

That's so epic. Like, I guess we were we've been fans like lots and lots of other people on Instagram and and followed the journey through through your reels and what you were posting, what you were sharing on your stories. So, shout out if anyone hasn't seen that, I'm sure you have, but check out Cambo Stock on Instagram and you can follow it, relive it. But um, look, a lot happened from what we saw. You know, there was fires, trail closures, side missions. You did a 24 hour hike, 24 hour straight hiking challenge, and then incredible like views, peaks. You talked a lot about the trail angels and the trail community and epic towns you went through, which I'm really keen to to hear, I mean, all about. But I guess let's start maybe with some of the highlights and some of the unexpected highlights that you know you've done a lot of through hiking before, but what did you get out of the PCT and what blew you away? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:27

Well, you mentioned the uh the trail angels and the trail community, and for me that was the biggest unexpected highlight. I have done a few big trails before in Australia and you and New Zealand, and there's just something special about the trail community in the US. There's so much history around the Pacific Crest Trail and through hiking in general. The PCT's been around for 60, 80 years, something something like that. So it's an old trail, and all the towns and the people that sort of live near the trail know about it and love through hikers and are so generous towards through hikers. And for me, that was just it was the most, yeah, it was the best bit to be honest. So many kind people, so many, so much love and to people that are hiking the trail with you as well. Everyone's just so friendly. And you know, I think, I don't know, in Australia at least, you hear a lot of negative things about the US, at least from the news and you know, all kinds of media. So I feel like going over there, I had some negative perceptions, not all negative, but I had nothing but positive experiences there with with the people and the towns and the trail. And so for me that was a huge highlight and something that I think out of all the things I experienced over there, I remember the people the most. But obviously, the trail and the landscapes, incredibly beautiful, some of the most beautiful places that have hiked in the world, and so that was another major highlight.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

It seemed like uh, you know, every second week you're getting a care package from someone too. It seemed like you you had a lot of support from obviously people that you just met and then uh people in towns, and then yeah, just like uh so much support. It seemed like there was yeah, there was there was a lot of people really getting around it, which is awesome.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

Yeah, people just opened their houses up to you. So like we stayed at people's homes and people, yeah, like you said, send you care packages to different spots, and it's just yeah, you feel the love.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

I guess in today, like in today's world as well, that seems so unheard of. There's so much about like um security and like you know, there's a lot of of distance, I guess, within communities, but this is literally like you know, strangers just opening their lives, their homes, their generosity, their care to you, um, which is so unique. That's that that's awesome. I also saw you you hiked with a couple of people for a lot of the journey and then different people like along the journey. Is that is that quite I guess is that common? Like I I know you've done previous hikes before where you were kind of solo the whole time.

SPEAKER_04 5:46

Yeah, I mean historically I I've hiked solo for most of my trips, and that's what I prefer to do. It's how how I enjoy the trail the most because I do tend to really enjoy pushing myself and walking big miles, and I think walking with other people it puts some limitations on how fast or slow you end up walking if you want to stay with them. But um, there is a huge culture on the Pacific Crash Trail of forming like little trail families and meeting and hiking with with people. So, you know, I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started. I kind of intended to just walk alone like I usually would, but I ended up meeting people pretty much in the first week of the trail. And um, yeah, like one guy in particular, another Aussie dude named Dan, we ended up hiking together for pretty much the entire trail from like day four to the end. And then um, you know, at one point we had a group of seven of us that hiked together for two months or so, and I entered the trail with Dan and this chick called Emma, who we hiked together for a long time as well. So I had so much fun, you know, hiking in a group, which I never really thought I'd say, but it was epic, and those guys are just so awesome, best friends for life. You don't really spend that much time with anyone in everyday life, you know. Besides my wife, I don't think I've spent, you know, more than a couple hours a week with any one person over an extended period of time. Whereas we were spending 24 hours a day, seven days a week for literally five months together, and so you build a real bond, you know, you're doing really tough stuff together constantly. And um yeah, it was really cool.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

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SPEAKER_02 7:39

Especially on some of those those big days, uh, you know, like the tough times. I remember one of your um reels was was looking at like you you had you're just covered in mosquitoes, and you're like, this sucks. Yeah. And like just all of those things, you know, like, yeah, just like going through through everything. And uh, I guess kind of off the back of that.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

I was just gonna say, like, the mosquitoes in Australia, we think they're bad, but there was a like a two or three week period where the snow melts, and so everything, there's a lot of water everywhere, and the mosquitoes start breeding. Oh, yeah, and it happens every year at a different time, and we experienced that sort of like halfway through the trek, and it was just hell on earth for two or three weeks, and yeah, nothing could nothing compares to that, even here. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

And I he only had a pair of shorts, I think, too.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

So yeah, just shorts, and like I had a face net to at least protect my face, but you just get attacked, and they'll follow you for like miles down the trail, and they somehow keep up with you, and just there's nothing you can really do about it. Obviously, you spray yourself with a bug spray or whatnot, but they're relentless.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

I guess along from that, Kush asked you about kind of like the highlight. What was like the scariest thing that happened? I know that when you were comparing um hiking with people to being alone, you were saying that I guess the thought of a mountain lion or something becomes a bit more significant when you're by yourself. So yeah, what was like the craziest thing that happened, do you reckon?

SPEAKER_04 9:04

The yeah, there's definitely a fear of the wildlife. It's funny because Americans think Australia is the scariest place on earth as far as going into nature with the snakes and spiders. It does doesn't make sense to me, and every American I talk to just wouldn't give in to the fact that America is actually so much scarier because they've got snakes and spiders. They've we saw rattlesnakes everywhere, and those things are deadly. And then they've got literally got bears and cougars, and people get killed by them sometimes, and that's that is terrifying to me. We have nothing big here that's dangerous, and so for me, definitely at the start at least, the idea of seeing a bear or like especially a cougar who have been known to like store hikers and attack hikers on occasion, that was terrifying for sure. And we saw I think I saw six bears throughout the trek, and there's only black bears uh on and around the trail, and black bears aren't typically very aggressive, and so the more I saw them and the more I talked to people that had experiences with black bears, they didn't really become they weren't really scary by the end of it, and I was within yeah, 10 metres of a black bear multiple times on trail, and the heart rate goes up and whatnot, but you know they're not going to attack you most of the time. But the idea of a cougar like st stalking you in the dark, that is terrifying. Luckily, I didn't see one, but I'm pretty sure that cougars saw me plenty of times, so I wouldn't be surprised.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

Really? That's so scary. You just know these eyes looking at you, but you just you have no idea what oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 10:29

And other hikers saw them, so they were there. Wow, okay, they were definitely there. Yeah, they were there.

SPEAKER_03 10:36

I remember I was hiking in Canada once, and the the scariest thing to actually get past was a moose. I thought they were they'd be super chill, but because they're just like I think it was pretty aggressive, maybe protecting his wife or his kid or whatever, but they have massive antlers and were just like staring at me and in on the trail, and I couldn't really get past. And I was like, Well, if you have one good hit at me, I'm done. Yeah. So yeah, they're huge, right?

SPEAKER_04 10:58

I didn't see any because we were a bit further south, but they're massive, right? That'd be terrifying.

SPEAKER_03 11:02

Absolutely. I want to ask obviously, you've done you've done hiking before, but maybe a lot of our listeners haven't. What does it feel? And you talked about this at the start. What does it feel like hiking for five months straight? Just you knowing you're gonna wake up every day to life on the trail. It's a pretty wild experience.

SPEAKER_04 11:17

I mean, I have hiked before, but nowhere near that long. This is probably double the longest hike I had done previously. So, you know, it's a very big adjustment period towards the start. Just as I'm adjusting to being back at home now, when I started the trail, it's a big adjustment period. Your body's just adapting, your mind's coming to the coming to terms with the fact that this is life now, and it's it's an interesting process, it can be hard at times, but by about a month or so in, everything's sort of on the your body and mind are on the same page, and it's just like this is life now. And as someone who loves spending time in nature and camping and just roughing it and challenging myself, it it was the best thing ever. I loved being out there for that long, it was just the most epic thing, and yeah, I already miss it. I've been off for a week and I miss it. As much as I want to be at home by the end of the trail and I missed missed family and whatnot, I could go back out there for sure. Yeah, mate, it just got back so nice.

SPEAKER_03 12:11

I mean, obviously you talked about like how iconic and massive and epic the PCT is. How distinctly different have you found it from some of your other massive through through hikes? For example, the Bidman track or some of the stuff you've done in Tassie or yeah, in in Nepal, like how different is the PCT?

SPEAKER_04 12:30

Yeah, I think the main thing that I found that was super different was just like the through hiking culture in America in general, just the trail community and the history, and it's just like a part of life over there if you're near the trail. Whereas I think some of the other places I've gone to, like New Zealand and like the Bib Track here in Western Australia, there's not as much of a history and a culture around it, and um, you know, trail farm families aren't as prevalent, trail angels aren't as prevalent, and so just the vibe over there around through arcing is quite different. And obviously the wildlife and landscapes are different as well. But for me, that was the most radical damage, was just basically the community and the feel of being on trail.

SPEAKER_03 13:08

Well, I guess one thing we wanted to like ask you for, like I guess ourselves and our listeners, like you know, this your story sounds epic and incredible and super adventurous, but also scary and big and unknown. Like, what would you tell someone that's inspired but intimidated by your story? Like they want to go do a big hike or adventure but have no no idea where to start. Like, what would advice would you give? Would you say do the PCT or something over there? Or what do you reckon?

SPEAKER_04 13:33

Yeah, I mean it's no doubt very intimidating, especially if it's like you haven't done much backpacking before. But a lot of people ask me that, they're like, I I want to do the PCT, it's always been a dream of mine, but I'm just like terrified of it. And I mean, yeah, the simple answer is just go for it. It's it's scary, but it's it's interesting because like a hike like the PCT, it's basically just a heap of five-day backpacking trips back to back to back because you'll get to towns and you'll resupply and reset in a town, and you just go out again. And so if you think about it like that, it's a little less daunting, I would say. And another piece of advice that I give to people that are gonna start a big hike like the PCT is to just not plan, basically. I didn't plan further ahead than like two days probably when I started. I didn't even know what was ahead. I didn't know what towns were there or whatever. It was just like I set foot on trail and I'll just figure it out as I go, and that just takes so much pressure off your shoulders, I think, because like I said, it's just okay. I got a five-day section and then there's a town there. Let's get through that and then figure out the next section, and you're just gonna meet people out there, and everything sort of happens. There's a saying on the PCT, at least, where it's the trail provides, and it just it always is true somehow. The trail just provides, you know, things just work out, and so it's an interesting way of looking at it.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Yeah, is that you're like, oh, it's like a five-day, but you just keep doing it for weeks and weeks and weeks.

SPEAKER_04 14:54

And yeah, so when you think about it like that, it's like it's not as crazy, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:58

No, exactly. Yeah, it's like, well, you know, lots of people plan three or five days or whatever, and they'll go do one. And so I guess, yeah, if you keep thinking of it like that and you reset when you get to the next town along the way, yeah, it feels much more manageable, I guess. So I guess talking about your experience and before we're discussing how it ended up being about five months for you, like a huge amount of time. Being out outdoors, time with yourself and time with other people that you'd never met, obviously. I guess like what does that do to you? Like having been out there for so long, like last time you were on the show, we talked about kind of like the value of being outside. You know, you said like people should just get outside, it's so good for you, clear your mind. Yeah, kind of yeah. Did you find anything significant, especially given the length of time that you're out there?

SPEAKER_04 15:43

Yeah, for sure. I mean, doing something like that is life-changing. And like you mentioned, I I think being outside is the most powerful thing that anyone could do for physical and mental health. And so extended periods outside is just gonna exaggerate those positive effects. And so being out there for five months, I have never felt better in my entire life. Just so mentally clear, so at peace, and just like constantly challenging myself every day in so many different aspects is just so powerful for personal growth. And I do feel like a different person afterwards. I was able to challenge ourselves socially and physically and psychologically and all these different ways, and it just it's just so good for you. And I felt the effects of that constantly. And the longer I was out there, the better I felt. I just, you know, felt at one with nature and all these things.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

It was incredible, man. We're just taking a quick break. We'd love it if you did us a favor and gave us a five-star review on your podcast streaming player. We'd really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

One of my favorite reels that you posted was um you had like the voice overlay of uh Gandalf speaking to um, I think I'm not sure whether it was Lord of the Rings or whether it was The Hobbit, but it was it was Bilbo or Fred. I think it was The Hobbit, yeah. And it and it was when he's saying like, can you guarantee safety? And he's like, No, but you'll come back, like this will change you. And I was like, Oh man, this is so such a great analogy for your like five-month hike. It's that's it was so good. And I guess like I love that correct talking, talking about that, like what was your kind of like why for doing the hike? And obviously, you know, initially you thought you were gonna hike a lot of it by yourself, and you didn't end up doing that. So, yeah, did that change? Did anything kind of change along the way?

SPEAKER_04 17:22

Yeah, I mean, going into it, I just I wanted the adventure, that's pretty much what I wanted. I wanted something that would challenge me, something you know, something new that was longer and bigger and harder than the things I'd done before. And I definitely got that, it was incredible. But I think my wide definitely sort of changed as I went along because like you said, I I went there thinking that I'd hike alone, and so that's its own challenge. And then I ended up just hiking with the same people. I pretty much didn't hike alone for many days the entire trip. So that whole perception changed, and by the end of it, I felt like I was out there to just be with these people that I had spent so much time with and just experience it all together, and so it kind of shifted from that solo adventure and that solo channel challenge to doing, I guess, all the same things, but with the group. And yeah, that was something I didn't expect to happen, but it really did. We had such a tight-knit little trio by the end of it, and I wouldn't have wanted to hike alone, I wouldn't have wanted to finish alone, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

Yeah, it's uh it's such a cool, like shared experience, and such a cool I know you you already said it, but like when you're literally living inside each other's lives 24-7, 360, like not 365, but like all day every day, and in such a an environment that's like free of the rest of world the to develop worlds, like stimuli or distractions and stuff like that, you really I guess get to know each other, which is that's so cool.

SPEAKER_04 18:43

That's the best part of being out there is you are so removed from all the world and crazy stuff that's happening. Like we're in the US, so there's all this stuff with politics and election cycles and stuff, and it's just like we leave a town and that's just all gone. No one's talking about that. It's just like you're in the middle of nowhere, disconnected from it all, and it's the best thing in the world.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Yeah, like your only other input is other people who is who are also on the trail, and their only other input is other people who are also on the trail. So you're just like you're like not isolated, but you are, and it's so interesting.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Totally. That's a pretty good community as well, if you ask me. So, I mean, you've already talked about it, but what are some of the biggest things you've learned or something surprising that you learnt and you've taken away after the five-month trip?

SPEAKER_04 19:29

Yeah, well, I've touched on it, but I definitely was surprised to learn that I love hiking in a group because before this I would have said that in 99% of situations I would choose to just go out into onto a trail alone. But I just loved hiking with people so much. There was something about just meeting people from all around the world with all these different life experiences, all different stages of life, and then all just doing the same hard thing together and going through the same experience together that was super powerful. Like that group of seven that we had for the first half of the trial, we had two Australians, a couple of Americans, and then we had a Belgian, a Dane, and a Slovak. So it was so diverse, and no one knew each other before the trial, and then somehow you just this little family, and I just didn't think I'd love that so much. It was weird, and it challenged me a lot socially as well, because like I'm super introverted in everyday life, and that's probably why a lot of the reason why I hike alone a lot. But being a part of that community each and every day was it pushed me in that kind of realm as well, which was super cool.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

That's so epic. I guess you also learnt that just by being like in it all day every day. And I'm sure if you if you really, really wanted, you could you break off and do your own thing, but like I guess you kind of just got sorted into it and then you were enjoying it, and that was that.

SPEAKER_04 20:48

Yeah, I did I did break off a couple of times, which was which was nice, but uh yeah, 90% of the time was with the crew. That's sick.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

A lot of those were you going off and doing a another section of the hike that you wanted to do separate from the PCT though, weren't they?

SPEAKER_04 21:02

Yeah, there were a lot of uh obviously the the trail just goes through wilderness areas and so you you're always seeing these offshoots of different trails, and most people would just hike or stay on the PCT because it was long enough, but there was a few trails I really wanted to do off the main trail, and so occasionally I'd separate and leave the group just to go experience some other things and extend the adventure a little bit, which in hindsight was so worth it. Um, because uh I think you mentioned towards the start there was a lot of there was quite a few trail closures due to like wildfires that were happening, and so had to skip some trail on the PCT. So the fact that I got to do all these other routes kind of made up for that, which was really cool.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

Yeah, I saw I saw as well like some of the massive peaks that you did. Like it probably can't I don't know why we haven't mentioned it, but it can't be understanded just how ridiculously fit you'll you are and you would have been on this on this trek, like 24 hours hiking, all the peaks you did, over 4,000 kilometers, like none and and every time I watch the reel, like I had to pinch myself just how many Ks you're doing. Like you were dropping 30, 40 mile days like just yeah, like just like it was nothing. And for other people, a hike that's longer than for Australians, like I guess 20 K's is considered super, super long. So um like how are you feeling? You just feeling incredible?

SPEAKER_04 22:18

Yeah, I'm the fittest I've ever been. You feel like a superhuman on a through hike. It's a cra it's a really crazy feeling because once that you get to that point where your body starts to adapt and realizes this is what we do all day, every day. Just like it diverts all resources to recovery and to building that fitness up, and you just feel so powerful. Like you said, we're walking 50 kilometers a day for 20 days in a row sometimes, just absolutely huge amounts of distance. And it felt it was hard sometimes, you feel there's a lot of heels, whatever, but like it felt pretty doable, and um, yeah, we climbed some big mountains and just ridiculous amounts of vertical gain, and your body just it just becomes like a superhuman, it's wild. And I think it's a draw for a lot of people is that you can just access this fitness that you just never could in everyday life because you're never gonna be training for 10 or 12 hours a day like you are on a through hike. And the biggest challenge for me is is getting home now and realizing that this fitness is just gonna drop off a cliff, and like how in the world do I keep it? So I'm just trying to hang on to it as long as I can and use it for something or whatever, because yeah, I'm never gonna be this fit again, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 23:27

And I'm sure you're super proud of it as well, because like you said, people get injured, like that's no small feat at all. Like hiking that much for that long, that consistently, that hard, it looked really hot sometimes because conditions were unforgiving. So to get through really, really strongly, you must feel just super proud.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

I didn't get injured once and I didn't get a blister once, didn't get sick once. In a way, I was lucky, but also I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing, and so I knew how to ease into it and avoid all those things. Um, and so I was able to make it to the end. But you know, like I said, a couple thousand people start the Pacific Crash Trail each year, there's probably three thousand starters this year. And if I had to guess, there wouldn't have been more than 500 people that walked the entire trail and got to the end. So most people will get injured or they'll get sick or they'll something will happen and they'll have to quit the trail. That's it's way more common than not. And so, you know, managing your body and your health is such a such an important aspect of the hike. And yeah, I'm stoked with how my body held up through it, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

It truly is phenomenal that you did that. I mean, like I I got injured for training for the Sydney Marathon uh a few weeks ago, and I'd barely been running at all, and I would just be so easy to get overuse and injuries. So I think it's yeah, it's actually super common amazing that you you're able to pull off what you did. Yeah, I mean, last time you were on the show, we talked a little bit about like kind of the business side and like how it actually worked for you, because obviously it's your job. And I was wondering if like did anything change for you with the business in terms of like fundamentals or like where like revenue is coming from, or like did you just do you view it the same as like before you went? Because it's such a large portion. I know we talked a little bit about the difficulties of having to do like paperwork when you're on a trail for months and months. So, um, yeah, do you have anything to say about kind of the business side?

SPEAKER_04 25:16

Yeah, well, I went I was very intentional about this through hike because in in previous hikes I'd done specifically like New Zealand last year. I went in with a with a mindset of, oh, I could probably make some good money while I'm out here because brands will want to work with me, because I'm posting and getting a lot of attention. And like you said, it was just so stressful because I had to do all this contracts and paperwork and invoicing while I was hiking, and it was I hated it so much. It wasn't worth it. So this trip I was like, I'm not gonna do any of that. I'm just gonna take a step back from the real hustle business side of what I do, and um really just rely on sort of like my passive income sources, which was like my Patreon community and and that kind of thing. And I lent into that quite a bit on trail because yeah, like produce I produced a vlog every single day of the trip, and I love it so much, and so it comes sort of somewhat easy to me, but it's definitely you know mentally exhausting doing that and adding it all these other stretches, is just it wouldn't have been sustainable on the PCT. This is such a longer and harder hike, and so yeah, I was lucky enough to get a lot of support online. I reached a lot of new people on Instagram through the videos I was putting out, and my Patreon community grew quite a lot to the point where it was able to sustain me just fine on trail and super grateful for that. And now I've sort of switching back into that uh sort of hustle mindset and that I'm home and sort of capitalise on the growth I had and and see what kind of opportunities pop up. And yeah, in hindsight, it was just it was a great decision. I probably could have made a bunch of money working with brands while I was out there, but I was just able to really enjoy the experience and not stress myself out over all that could be super authentic as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's also a big part of it. You know, I didn't feel like I was pressured to say this or that, which I don't usually, but that kind of thing does come in, especially when you don't have as much time um to negotiate or to chat about things and you're just saying yes to to everything like I I have in the past. So yeah, yeah, it was it was a very relaxing. I was wondering about that actually.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

You edited so many of these reels, and I was wondering how did you go with signal and did you have like a a catalogue of um like music that you could like overlay? Did you have that all locally? Like how did you handle that? Or was it just like you had signal the whole trip?

SPEAKER_04 27:29

Definitely didn't have signal the whole trip. There were times where I didn't have signal for a week, and so yeah, I I had a bit of a process. I'd I'd uh edit in my tent every night, and then if I didn't have reception, I couldn't really complete the edit because, like you said, like I didn't have access to music and I couldn't upload it, obviously, as well. And so basically all of my vlogs were about a week delayed uh behind real time, and so I was able to like schedule posts. So, for example, if I knew I wouldn't have reception for five or seven days, I would just get a bunch of videos done, schedule them when I had reception in a town or whatever, and then while I was out of reception, that'd all be going up sort of in the background, and then I just repeat that process for for parts where I didn't have have signal, which I mean most of the trial didn't have signal, it was mainly towns or when you're near towns that you got some sort of connection, and so delaying everything like that was basically the solution to to being out of post consistent consistently still. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Yeah, awesome. I mean, I guess we're we're nearly nearly at time. So uh if we're allowed to ask, because I know you just got back from the probably one of the biggest trips of your life. Um, what's next? What do you have in the works? Like, what is what does Cam Bostock want to do next?

SPEAKER_04 28:43

Yeah, definitely going to um relax for a little bit, that's for sure. Yeah, my wife needs some cam time, that's for sure. She's uh she's graciously let me go on hike for five months, and so I've got to repay the favour a little bit. But I also just love uh Western Australia this time of year, spring coming into summer is uh is epic and I miss the beat and the weather, and so I'll be chilling for at least a couple months. Um always got some adventures planned though, so probably coming towards the end of the year and into next year, there'll be uh lots of stuff happening. But yeah for now I'm working on like a short film from the PCT from the trip. So gonna put that put a little film together which is really exciting, probably take quite a bit of kind of my time over the next couple of weeks to put together, working on a a brand and a business that we're launching soon called Optiventure, which I think you guys know a little bit about. Um aiming to sort of really simplify supplementation on these big trips on travel and through hikes on expeditions, and so yeah, I've been working working uh working on that with a mate of mine, Hirsch, who I think you know Cush for like a year. And I was yeah, I was testing the product actually the entire the entire Pacific Crest Trail and it's incredible. So really excited to launch that pretty soon as well.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

I think you dropped it on like day 20 something, 28 maybe. I think it was like the first time that you went through the gear and you're like, hey, there's this thing, it's a supplement, it's actually my supplement. Oh interesting.

SPEAKER_04 30:14

Yeah, so I was using it the whole trek and dropped it a couple times, but it's gonna be good now that we've got all the branding and stuff happening and to kind of finalize the product and the formulation to share it with the world, it's gonna be awesome.

SPEAKER_03 30:26

Can't wait to hear more about it. Uh like, yeah, obviously I've I've had a bit of insight, but I'm very, very keen to hear all about it, see everything about it, and release it. Because obviously, if it sustained you so well for five months over some of the most rugged terrain and one of the most challenging through arcs of the world, like there's gotta be something to it.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

So I'm very, very excited to thanks heaps for chatting us through this whole PCT trip and all of these little extra bits of uh information that that we wanted to know. Um, I guess, yeah, if if a listener could get anything out of this discussion, what's your key takeaway?

SPEAKER_04 31:00

I'm probably gonna repeat myself from the last of the last podcast we had, but go outside. It is so good for you, and I will never stop saying that because that's I mean, that's the reason I make videos online and I do what I do, because I just think it's such a powerful tool in so many ways to just get outside, challenge yourself, go on a hike, get the sun on your face, breathe in the fresh air, and to see the impact that it has if you do that regularly, it's just so it's so powerful. To me, people are sitting inside and scrolling their phones and watching TV when the world is out there waiting and it's a really profound.

SPEAKER_02 31:32

The message stays the same. I love it. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 31:35

I actually love that that's that state concert after all you've learned. Well, mate, thank you so much for coming on, so much for sharing your story. You know, we've we've been following along, and I'm sure a lot of our listeners have as well. So without without further ado, or no, sorry, without anything else to add, thanks for listening. Find us at CuriosityCrisis.com and CuriosityCrisis on Instagram. We're on all major streaming services, so you can listen how you like. Um, a favor, if you've got anything out of this episode, please uh give us a five-star review on your podcast player. It helps us show out heaps. And otherwise, thank you and catch you on the next episode.

SPEAKER_02 32:10

Thanks for listening. Find us at the CuriosityCrisis.com and Curiosity Crisis on Instagram. We're on all major streaming services, so you can listen how you like. We'd like to just ask a quick favor if you could share this with a friend. Your recommendation means a lot. Thanks, and we'll catch you in the next episode.