Getting Charged by a Moose, a Month of CDT Solitude, and Going Pro as a Hiking Photographer with Caleb "Meatball" Adcock (BPR #364)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Caleb "Meatball" Adcock, a professional photographer and thru-hiker who completed the AT last year and is currently midway through the CDT, doing it almost entirely alone.  Caleb walks us through how he built a career shooting for brands like Hyperlite and Jetboil while thru-hiking, why authentic trail photography looks so different from what brands used to put out, getting Lyme disease on the AT and spending four days at the Yellow Deli, sleeping on a pool floaty for four days, what it's actually like to hike the CDT almost completely solo for months at a time, what he's learning about himself in the solitude, and the time he was charged by an angry momma moose multiple times near Leadville.  We wrap the show with my review of the popular KETL Mtn No Fry Sun Hoodie review, a complex question of the day involving depriving access to the rest of the world's meal access or cooking appliances, the triple crown of ways you'd behave differently if there were no ramifications, Why You Should Never Take Gear Advice to Heart, and many tears are shed as this is Chaunce's last Backpacker Radio studio visit as a Colorado resident. Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com.  Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% of hyperlitemountaingear.com [divider] Interview with Caleb "Meatball" Adcock Caleb's Instagram Caleb's Website Time stamps & Questions 00:05:15 - Processing 00:06:45 - Reminders: Sign up for the Trek's newsletter, subscribe to the Trek's new Youtube channel, the Trek: On Trail, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:12:50 - Introducing Meatball 00:20:40 - Discussion about balancing impressions on social media 00:21:45 - Did you ever worry about posting shitty pictures? 00:23:43 - What's the least professional thing you've done in one of your videos? 00:27:30 - Discussion about authenticity with brand photography 00:29:14 - Which of your photos or videos have gone the most viral? 00:33:03 - Where in your career arc did you get into photography? 00:36:00 - How did you determine your pricing? 00:39:00 - What brands have you worked with? 00:43:45 - Have you had any entertaining requests you've turned down? 00:46:55 - What did you study in college? 00:51:00 - How do you quantify the value of your work? 00:55:25 - What's the funniest interaction you've had with someone who's recognized you? 00:58:30 - How did you get into backpacking? 01:04:05