Thru-Hiking for 30 Years, Working for ALDHA-West, Six Moon Designs, & FarOut, and Ridgerunning with a Dog with Whitney "Allgood" La Ruffa (BPR #312)

In today’s episode of Backpacker Radio, presented by The Trek, we’re joined by Whitney La Ruffa, better known in the world of backpacking as “Allgood.” Allgood is the former president of ALDHA-West, the current Chief Revenue Officer at FarOut, and a certified backpacking OG—his first thru-hike dates all the way back to the early ’90s (some of you weren’t even alive then… which is weird). 

Since that first trek, Allgood has racked up an impressive list of trails, including the JMT, Wonderland Trail, Chinook Trail, Sierra High Route, PCT, CDT, and others. In this episode, we dive into stories from his countless miles on trail, his passion for backpacking food—he’s a bona fide backcountry chef, as evidenced by him freeze drying his own meals—and he spills the beans on some of his favorite trail-tested recipes. 

We also chat about how a chance encounter on the AT led him to adopt his dog, Erwin, and how Erwin has deepened his love for dogs in general. 

Beyond the trail, we get Allgood’s take on how backpacking has evolved since the 1990s, hear a heartfelt update on the health of former guest and beloved trail icon Renee "She-ra" Patrick, and unpack some of the recent bumps in the road for FarOut.

We wrap the show with how Damascus has bounced back in the wake of Hurricane Helene, if animals could talk, which species would be the most annoying, and the triple crown of states we'd draft in a civil war.

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Betterment: Learn more at betterment.com/trek.

Bear Mattress: Use code “BACKPACKER” for 40% off at bearmattress.com.

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Interview with Whitney “Allgood” La Ruffa

• Allgood's Instagram
• Allgood's Blog

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:25 - Reminders: Listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon, hold the Trek’s tent for us, apply to blog for the Trek!

00:11:00 - Introducing Allgood

00:15:52 - How has the world of thru-hiking changed from the early 90’s to now?

00:21:05 - Do you have any strong stances in which you’re a curmudgeon?

00:28:35 - Do you think there are more entitled hikers today?

00:36:05 - Tell us about your dog

00:43:00 - What’s the key to maintaining a dog’s longevity?

00:46:30 - Do you have a strong opinion about fresh/refrigerated dog food?

00:47:30 - Tell us about ridgerunning with Erwin

00:50:13 - Did you do any thru-hiking between 1996 and 2011?

00:52:45 - Tell us about the Chinook Trail

00:54:40 - Have you picked up any parallel hobbies?

00:56:55 - What