By Land Podcast
This podcast is about learning how to have better backcountry experiences and understanding why spending time outside matters in the first place.
I have conversations with people from diverse outdoor backgrounds to learn from them and hear their personal stories. I cover everything from backpacking, hiking, hunting, conservation, and outdoor skills to the broader role the outdoors can play in our health, perspective, and everyday lives.
Thanks for listening!
-Emory, By Land
By Land Podcast
#71 - The Te Araroa Trail and The Hike For Mental Health with Justin Helmkamp
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Justin “2 Taps” Helmkamp is a Thru-Hiker who recently completed the southern section of the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. He’s also an advocate for mental health and, when he’s not hiking a long trail, he spends his time working with teens and young adults in a Wilderness Therapy program.
On this episode, we talk about his time hiking abroad in New Zealand, how to deal with constant wet feet, how to allow an adventure to take place, and how the wilderness can be a valuable tool for mental health.
Justin is a cool cat and someone you’ll want to pay attention to.
Show Notes and Links
- Introductions
- Justin’s path to backpacking
- The inspiration to hike
- Learning to Thru-Hike from scratch
- Deciding to hike the Te Araroa in New Zealand
- Details of the trail
- The Approach to planning the Te Araroa Trail
- Learning to let adventure happen and building confidence
- How hiking let’s you experience a place
- Learning to hike New Zealand
- How to deal with wet feet
- Being comfortable being uncomfortable
- A note on backpacking footwear
- Is hiking becoming more popular?
- Hike for Mental Health and wilderness therapy
- Finding another purpose while out on an adventure
- Why wilderness therapy works
- Learning to be bored
- Can video or photography ruin an experience?
- Details on guided wilderness therapy
- How the movement of hiking plays a role in therapy
- What can happen in your head when hiking
- Allowing yourself to learn from the outdoors
- How to follow up with Justin and what he’s doing
- https://www.hikeformentalhealth.org/
- https://www.instagram.com/justinhelmkamp/
- https://secure.hikeformentalhealth.org/np/clients/hike/campaign.jsp?campaign=103&fundraiser=9836
Thanks for tuning in! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.
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