Duct Tape Then Beer
475 episodes listed below
Narrated true stories from outdoor adventure, from a stolen boulder to an Arctic canoe proposal.
The Dirtbag Diaries is a long-running outdoor storytelling show built around climbers, paddlers, hikers, skiers, wanderers, and the communities around them. Its best episodes start with a route, trip, mystery, or hard thing, then find the friendship, fear, grief, humor, or purpose underneath.
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The Dirtbag Diaries is a narrative-format outdoor adventure show, not an interview or panel podcast — episodes are produced audio documentaries built around a single story, with host narration stitching together first-person accounts, field recordings, and reporting. Fitz Cahall is the founding host and narrator; co-hosts and producers including Becca Cahall and Lauren Delaney-Miller also front episodes, and former producer Cordelia Zars returns as a guest host. Recurring contributors like producer Evan Phillips sometimes become the subject of their own segments. Guests are typically climbers, paddlers, backcountry guides, and everyday adventurers recounting a specific trip or incident rather than industry professionals discussing careers. Recurring subject matter includes climbing and bouldering culture (including 'dirtbag' van- and Subaru-dwelling lifestyles), multi-week wilderness expeditions by canoe, ski, or foot, and an annual 'Tales of Terror' anthology episode collecting unsettling first-person wilderness stories. Episodes often braid mystery, humor, and genuine risk — a missing community boulder becomes a detective story with national press coverage; a paddling trip includes a proposal at the Arctic Ocean after nearly being turned back by log jams. Production values lean toward magazine-style storytelling: layered narration, interview tape, and scene-setting rather than straight Q&A. The show benefits listeners who want narrative craft applied to outdoor recreation rather than gear talk or training advice. Episode lengths vary from under 40 minutes for anthology segments to over an hour for single deep-dive stories. Sponsors mentioned in-episode include outdoor gear brands like Darn Tough, Kuat, and Oboz.
Made for: Climbers, paddlers, and backcountry travelers who want narrative-driven true stories about outdoor adventure rather than gear reviews or training interviews.
What sets it apart: Produced narrative documentary storytelling rather than interview format, including a recurring annual horror anthology of real wilderness encounters.
This is what adventure sounds like. Climb. Ski. Hike. Bike. Paddle. Run. Travel. Whatever your passion, we are all dirtbags. Fitz Cahall and the Duct Tape Then Beer team present stories about the dreamers, athletes and wanderers. Want the Diaries ad free? Subscribe today at https://dub.sh/DiariesPlus.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Outdoor adventure becomes a route into identity, conservation and public responsibility through carefully shaped reporting and first-person accounts.
The Dirtbag Diaries follows climbers, paddlers and mountain travelers until an outing opens onto a larger question. Reported narration and first-person accounts connect flooded northern rivers, conservation fights in Cochamo, and a climber's pursuit of 5.13 with the histories…
Floodwater and a mosquito-filled tent turn your armchair into base camp, with the suffering left in.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A heavy object vanishes in Bishop, turning a climbing errand into a funny little mystery with a public-lands pulse.
Portable: A Mystery in Three Parts has the charm of a campfire story that got slightly out of hand. Ethan is supposed to get Portable home, then the heavy object disappears from Bud and Lauren's atrium and leaves a note saying its Bishop journey is not finished.
A loose conversation that turns into a practical push for wildland-firefighter advocacy.
The Diaries starts with family travel banter, then settles into wildland firefighters and the people around them. The show works best once it gets to the practical part: it points listeners to a website for contacting a legislator and nudges them toward a newsletter with updates…
A measured northern expedition story where high water, bugs, and log jams turn a careful plan into something harder.
Bridging Oceans follows Nikki and Jared on a northern canoe-and-foot journey that starts in almost dreamlike conditions: glassy water on Kluane Lake, lupin, eagles, bear tracks. The ease does not last.
A reflective climbing story where Shara's first 5.13 attempt carries questions of identity, racism, diaspora, and release.
Shara's story turns a first 5.13 attempt on Ministry of Magic in Tensleep Canyon into something larger than a climbing milestone. The route gives the episode its spine: chalk, thin smears, a delicate crux, and the frustration of wanting to send while feeling left behind.
Remote rides, wind-scoured peaks, and bad cell service turn outdoor adventure into slow-burn unease.
Tales of Terror Vol. 15 takes the Dirtbag Diaries' annual outdoor-scare format into familiar backcountry terrain, where the mood can turn fast.
A climbing-valley story about a beautiful place coming under pressure and the people fighting to protect it.
This episode treats Cochamo, Chile as a granite valley under pressure, and it makes the stakes easy to grasp. A place built for climbing and wandering is shown being pulled in several directions at once, with dam plans, power lines, land buys, and growing attention all pressing…
Nilay Patel presses tech and media CEOs on how they actually run their companies.
Physician Shoshana Ungerleider pairs TED talks with interviews on aging, drug prices, and menopause.
Food52 hosts break down recipes and food-business origin stories, from sourdough to Salty Pimp cones.
Dan Pashman revisits food science with Kenji López-Alt and rotating live comedy guests.
Portable lands in a Bishop atrium like a joke with real heft.
The Diaries opens in a relaxed, familiar register.
Jared Gentz and Nikki Chu paddled a 1,145-mile route from Haines, Alaska to Tuktoyaktuk in Canada's Northwest Territories over three and a half months in 2022, connecting the Pacific and Arctic Oceans via a web of rivers and a single portage over the Continental Divide.
The Dirtbag Diaries presents a first-person essay by an Assyrian American woman, born to immigrant parents who fled Iraq for the Cleveland area, who found rock climbing in 2019 and used it to reconnect with an identity she had spent her life suppressing.
The Dirtbag Diaries' annual Tales of Terror episode presents three first-person accounts of unsettling encounters in remote wilderness settings.
Cochamó opens as a place of stone and water, where climbing and conservation keep running into each other.
This episode revisits Emily Ford's 2021 winter hike of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail with her dog Diggins, highlighting her journey and current training for the Iditarod dog sled race.
The host reflects on promoting their adventure book and explains why outdoor activities like hiking and skiing are meaningful beyond just fun, highlighting their transformative impact on people's lives.
This episode discusses how to navigate election season anxiety and make your vote count, featuring Graham Zimmerman from voting advocacy organizations.
This episode revisits the story of Mr.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
Fitz Cahall interviews Lauren about climbing legends and the culture of outdoor adventure sports.
A personal story about hitchhiking in Australia after moving there to learn to surf, with a focus on embracing serendipity while traveling.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
A marathon runner reflects on her race and subsequent knee injury diagnosis, while the host promotes listener support for the show.
A woman recounts a harrowing experience searching for her lost dog on a mountain, which triggers an emotional breakthrough about her capacity for maternal love after a traumatic birth.
The host discusses the importance of listener support and introduces a debate about the best season and place for outdoor activities.
This episode features a bilingual story about how running changed Arlen González's life, with versions in English and Spanish.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports featuring stories of athletes and wanderers.
A podcast episode featuring scary listener stories submitted for Halloween, framed within the context of outdoor adventure and community support.
A short episode previewing an epic journey through an incredible landscape and promoting the Dirtbag Diaries Plus subscription service.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
A personal story about being evicted and buying a sailboat to live on, intertwined with a call to support the show.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories from athletes and wanderers, with a focus on climbing, skiing, hiking, and biking.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories from athletes and wanderers, with a segment on old climbing gear.
The host promotes the show's membership program and interviews a writer about memorable adventures, including a story about two Sherpa climbers.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
Fitz and Lauren discuss the challenges of river crossings and the importance of community support for the show.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of athletes and wanderers, with a focus on skiing and climbing.
A podcast about outdoor adventure sports, featuring stories of climbers, skiers, hikers, and other athletes.
A data analyst recounts her first solo camping trip to Olympic National Park, where she confronts her fears and inexperience while seeking personal transformation in the wilderness.
The host reflects on their failed attempt to solve a Rubik's Cube without instructions, leading to a realization about the importance of guidance and learning from others, tying it metaphorically to environmental challenges like the Colorado River.