Thruhikers: Tim & Renee
We’re Tim and Renee.
Also known as, the Thruhikers! We adventure by foot, bike, canoe, and any other non-motorized transport we can come up with. We also make dehydrated and freeze dried meals recipes to share, and that we enjoy on our adventures.
Together, we’ve explored over 10,000 miles and have built a community of more than 3.4 million followers across our social media channels. Join our community as we explore new places, create recipes, try out gear, and overall just have a ton of fun outside in wild places!
Here on our Substack—Trail Magic—we share our experiences hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and camping to exploring the outdoors. We also break down every aspect of our adventures; trail routes, gear, recipes, and more! And of course, we share stories from our time out on the trail.
We’re excited you’re here to follow along!
Our adventures.
We thru-hiked/canoed the Pacific Northwest Circuit: 2,700 miles from the ocean to the Rockies and back by foot and canoe. We have thru-hiked the Continental Divide Trail: 3,000 miles from the Mexican border in new Mexico to the Canadian Border in Montana. We have also thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail: 2,650 miles from the Mexican Border in California to the Canadian Border in Washington State. Our adventures don’t end there: Renee set the unsupported FKT of the Oregon section of the PCT, we’ve backpacked all around the USA, and we’ve backpacked approximately 1,000 miles around Germany. We even developed an app—Wanderfreund—which is a map and guide that enables others to do more long-distance hiking in Germany.
We have bike toured in Europe and South America, competed in marathons and ultra-marathons, and we have both completed an Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run). We live in California where we work as an engineer (Renee) and scientist (Tim). Before this, we have called Göttingen (Germany), Missouri, California, Illinois, and Wisconsin home.
Trail Magic.
Trail Magic is our newsletter and community resource for hikers, backpackers, and adventurers looking for tips and tales from (and for) the trail. We’ll share recipes (like those we publish in our book). We’ll break down backpacking tips like how, what, and (what not) to pack. We’ll give our hot takes on gear we love (and don’t). And we’ll fill you in on our adventures — and advice for what we learned along the way.
Each update, we’ll share:
Trail Magic Newsletters: Covering our thoughts on all things food, gear, and adventures.
Recipe Posts: Recent creations from our kitchen, featuring dehydrated and freeze-dry meals for the trail.
Gear Reviews: Unfiltered takes on what we love (and not) for our trips.
Updates and News: What’s new with Thruhikers, like exclusive launches, upcoming trips, partner updates, and more.
Connect with us.
Follow us on other corners of the internet.
Read our book.
Thruhikers: A Guide to Life on the Trail is packed with advice, techniques, gear recommendations, and troubleshooting tips for beginner and experienced outdoorsy people alike.
We take you through the entire experience: before the trail, on the trail, and after the trail. Plus, they include over 20 plant-based dehydrated recipes, like Curry Rice and Cold-Soaked Shepherd's Pie, and more to bring on your adventures.
Learn how to plan your trip, pack your gear, deal with animals and leave no trace, eat and drink safely, avoid and care for injuries, pass the time, navigate all types of weather, get over the post-trail blues, and more. With this guide, you’ll be prepared for anything.
