3,000 Miles & 24,000 Water Filters | Oats | Thru-Hiker & Community Director at Sawyer Products
3,000 Miles & 24,000 Water Filters | Oats | Thru-Hiker & Community Director at Sawyer Products  
Podcast: Hikes and Mics Podcast
Published On: Mon Jun 30 2025
Description: Send us Fan Mail🥾 3,000 Miles, One Husky, and a Whole Lot of Oatmeal: Trail Life with Oats 🌲🐾🎙️ Oats joins us this episode — a long-distance hiker with over 3,000 miles under her boots and Community Director at Sawyer Products. Her love of the outdoors traces back to TAASC, a small Asheville nonprofit that got kids outside who otherwise wouldn't have had the chance, and she went straight from that into thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail with barely a night of solo backpacking experience — carrying the exterior-frame pack Santa gave her when she was 10.Oats talks through the trail name origin story (a bag of dry oatmeal packets from her grandma and a spork that broke on day one), hiking the Colorado Trail during COVID, completing Jennifer Pharr Davis's 330-mile Appalachian High Route through her own backyard, and finally finishing the Pinhoti Trail this spring after Hurricane Helene derailed her plans. She also opens up about experiencing Helene from a distance while her hometown of Asheville was devastated, and how she helped coordinate Sawyer's donation of 24,000 water filters to the region. We also get into hiking with her husky Thru Dog, permethrin as a tick strategy, gear she swears by (a handheld umbrella, camp booties, Shamma sandals), her firm belief that there's no single "right" way to hike, and a full round of season "this or that" questions — narrow ledges or creek crossings, sun on your back or wind in your face.A warm, funny, deeply generous conversation about resilience, community, and dry oatmeal.Episode Links:Oats Hikes WebsiteOats Posts on The TrekSawyer WebsitePinhoti Experience FoundationRebuild Hot SpringsBeLoved AshevilleFollow us on Instagram, @HikesandmicsThis episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic AllTrails+I'm excited to share that I’m now a Trailheads Ambassador for AllTrails+! If you love exploring the outdoors, AllTrails+ is your ultimate adventure companion. Get offline maps, real-time wrong-turn alerts, and trail previews to help you hike smarter and safer. Plus, with 3D maps and deeper trail insights, planning your next trek has never been easier.Try AllTrails+ free for 7 days, and when you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get 30% off your AllTrails+ membership!Sign up here: AllTrails+ (promo is only redeemable via web and not the app)Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artists Go check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don’t forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.