Friends and family know all too well that I cannot shut up about my favorite podcasts. I love listening to podcasts on long road trips and multiday backpacking trips as a way to pass the time while learning something new. From compelling true-life stories, interesting science facts, to binge worthy audio dramas, there is a podcast out there for every taste. Below is just a short list of some of my favorites from 2018.
The Walk
Genre: Drama
What It’s About: This unique serial podcasts stars you (the listener) as the main character. The story begins when your character, “Walker,” is handed a mysterious package and instructed to get it to Edinburgh. But before you have a chance to ask any questions a group of terrorists set off an electromagnetic pulse disabling all electric devices and plunging the country into chaos. The terrorists want the mysterious package you are carrying. Who can you can trust and how can you get it to Edinburgh before they catch you?
Science Solved It
Genre: Science
What It’s About: Each episode follows the host, Kaleigh Rogers, as she does a deep dive into how science solved a major mystery of the natural word. From scuba diving flies to chemtrails, this podcast has something for everyone.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “Don’t Be Alarmed, But the Rocks Are Crawling”
Homecoming
Genre: Drama
What It’s About: Hedi Bergman hasn’t thought about her time working as a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center for years. It’s not until she is visited by an auditor from the Department of Defense that she realizes she doesn’t really remember anything about working there. While attempting to piece together the facts about her time at the facility, Heidi realizes that not everything at the Homecoming facility was as it seemed.
2 Dope Queens
Genre: Comedy
What It’s About: Hosts Pheobe Robinson and Jessica Williams are funny as shit. Episodes start off with the two hosts hilariously discussing their lives and then transition into a live comedy show in Brooklyn. Pheobe and Jessica are awesome and the comedians they feature are amazing. This podcast makes me laugh out loud in public like a crazy person. Warning: this podcast is raunchy in all the best ways.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “#28 A Sex Toy in Every Port”
Ear Hustle
Genre: True Stories
What It’s About: Ear Hustle is all about real life inside San Quentin Prison told by the people living it. Stories vary from how to get by living in a 4’ x9’ cell with another person to the best recipes created from items at the commissary.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “Looking Out”
Every Little Thing
Genre: Facts and Trivia, Science
What It’s About: Why aren’t cargo shorts a thing anymore? Are there really planes flying above us to enforce the speed limit? Is it safe to sit on a public toilet? Host Flora Lichtman gets to the bottom of some of life’s most pressing questions.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “What Would Happen to Your Body in Space”
Threshold
Genre: Natural Sciences, Environment
What It’s About: Season one of Threshold focuses on the story of the American Bison. Learn about the history of the bison and the current complicated fight over how they should be managed in and around Yellowstone National Park.
Science VS
Genre: Science
What It’s About: Host Wendy Zuckerman uses science to find out what’s fact and what is just a bunch of hooey. The show uses a humorous approach to tackle big issues like weed, veganism, online dating, UFOs, and nuclear war.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “Lemmings”
Reply All
Genre: Storytelling, Technology
What It’s About: Reply all combines immersive storytelling and technology to create compelling stories about the internet. The episodes vary from investigative journalism, decoding popular tweets, and to solving listener’s tech support issues. Hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman make nerdy topics cool.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “#102 Long Distance”
Outside Podcast
Genre: Outdoors
What It’s About: Produced by Outside Magazine, the Outside podcast features stories about adventuring in the outdoors, stories of survival, and interviews with big names in the outdoor industry.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “Science of Survival: Frozen Alive”
Mission to Zyxx
Genre: Comedy, Science-fiction
What It’s About: Mission to Zyxx is a completely improvised sitcom that follows a team of misfit ambassadors on their misadventures in the distant Zyxx Quadrant.
Outside In
Genre: Natural science
What It’s About: Outside In uses an investigative journalism approach to bring listeners on a deep dive into stories about the natural world and the environment.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “Parenting at 24,000 Feet”
The First 40 Miles: Hiking and Backpacking Podcast
Genre: Outdoor
What It’s About: Listening to The First 40 Miles is like going out for beers with your experienced backpacking friends and picking their brains. This is a great podcast if you are just starting out in backpacking and hiking, but even veteran backpackers will learn some new tricks.
Episode to Get Hooked on: “001: Are You Really Bringing That Screwdriver”
This is brilliant. Everyone in the world needs to read this blog. Thank you (as always) for the podcaspiration!
Just making sure you take the time to remove the ear buds and listen to the sound of silence as well. That is pretty good stuff too.
My husband and I like to listen to podcasts when taking long drives/road trips, but sometimes we get stuck on what to listen to! Thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks. I hope you find some you like. Happy listening.