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Dirtbag Rich

by Blake Boles

Self-Improvement Society & Culture

Madeline Hryse: traveler, climber, cyclist, fashion designer

Madeline Hryse is a 28-year-old traveler, climber, and cyclist who spent four years moving overland across Latin America and Asia—sometimes alone, sometimes with friends and strangers she met along the way—before cycling 14,000 kilometers from China to Sweden. (@very__odd) Madeline grew up in a family that treated adventure as a normal part of life, but her father was the biggest influence. A mountaineer, bicycle tinkerer, and dirtbag before dirtbagging had a name, he spent his youth hitchhiking to the Rockies and disappearing into the mountains for weeks at a time. Although he died when Madeline was sixteen, she reflects on how much of her own wandering life feels connected to his example. After studying fashion merchandising and selling women’s shoes at Nordstrom, Madeline escaped on what was supposed to be a six-month trip through Central America during the pandemic. Instead, she spent the next four years traveling. She taught English in South Korea, saved $10,000 through extreme frugality, trekked through Nepal, climbed her way across India and Sri Lanka, and continued through Pakistan and Southeast Asia while stretching her savings far beyond what most people would think possible. Along the way, Madeline became increasingly drawn to overland travel and the freedom of moving through places slowly. Rather than chasing famous sights, she sought out climbing communities, stayed with locals, camped whenever possible, and built friendships that carried her across continents. She explains why having a purpose while traveling made her happier than following the standard backpacker trail and how she often spent less than $500 per month while on the road. Eventually, a fascination with maps, Central Asia, and the Silk Road inspired her biggest adventure yet: a year-long bicycle journey from China through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe. We discuss the realities of long-distance bike travel, the experienced Austrian cyclist who helped shape her approach to the road, and why she gradually became more interested in lingering somewhere beautiful than covering huge distances each day. We also talk about returning home after years abroad, resisting the pressure to pursue graduate school and a conventional career, the modest family support that helped make her travels possible, and her growing desire to spend more time with family and build deeper relationships. Madeline is currently preparing to ride the Continental Divide before relocating to Spain, where she’ll attempt to balance adventure with something that has become increasingly important to her: putting down roots. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/madeline

Blake Boles and Ryan Jordan discuss Dirtbag Rich

In this wide-ranging conversation, Ryan Jordan of BackpackingLight.com interviews Blake about Dirtbag Rich. Topics include: The historical meaning of “dirtbag” in climbing, thru-hiking, and outdoor culture How dirtbag culture has traditionally balanced freedom, poverty, adventure, and insecurity The risks and trade-offs of choosing flexibility over conventional career advancement Housing strategies that support a dirtbag-rich lifestyle, including roommates, small homes, van life, travel, and shared living How cultural expectations around home ownership, status, and consumption shape lifestyle decisions Why relationships, community, and the ability to show up for others may be overlooked forms of wealth The role of privilege in pursuing a dirtbag rich lifestyle How to pursue outdoor freedom without romanticizing irresponsibility, poverty, or precarity Find the original episode (including a fairly critical discussion thread) here: https://backpackinglight.com/episode-146-dirtbag-rich-with-blake-boles/ This conversation was originally published on May 1st, 2026.

Eric Darby: off-grid builder, helicopter pilot, grandfather

Eric Darby is a “deeply blue-collar” builder, off-grid tinkerer, helicopter pilot, and grandfather who has spent most of his life avoiding normal jobs. Eric never made much money—his lifetime average income is about $7,500 per year—but he still managed to buy 16 acres in western Colorado and fill it with Earthships, tiny houses, workshops, kinetic sculptures, and other hand-built structures. He describes his pride in being able to weld, wire, plumb, and frame his own buildings, and why waking up with a construction problem to solve feels more meaningful than any paycheck ever could. Although Eric lives an extraordinarily sustainable life—collecting rainwater, generating his own solar power, charging his electric car at home, and building with salvaged materials—he arrived there through thrift and curiosity, not environmental ideology. As he puts it, his connection to nature is often less about hugging trees and more about “cutting down a tree in my way” or trapping the squirrel that burrowed into one of his tire walls. We discuss his stint as a teenage garbage collector, the dirtbag motorcycle years, flying helicopters in Vietnam and Alaska, and the freedom that comes from needing very little money. Eric says his strongest sense of purpose comes from building things for his children and grandchildren, not from trying to set an example for the world—though many young visitors leave his property inspired by what they see. At the heart of Eric’s story is a simple conviction: he would rather be homeless than spend his life in a conventional job fixated on making money. For anyone who suspects there must be another way to live, Eric offers a powerful and deeply practical example. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/eric

Claire Pomykala: cyclist, guide, part-time influencer

Claire Pomykala is a 26-year-old bike tourer and accidental influencer who walked away from a $115,000 tech job because it made her feel physically and mentally unwell—and replaced it with a loose mix of guiding, bikepacking trips, and independent projects. (livingbybike.com / @livingbybike) Claire traces her path into cycling back to a campus bike co-op that offered an unexpected sense of belonging. Soon after graduating college, she skipped the traditional next steps and biked from Atlanta to Baltimore, then spent nearly six months riding solo across Europe. What began as an escape from jobs and expectations turned into a long-term way of life, including later trips across the U.S. and New Zealand. She explains what makes bicycle touring distinct from other forms of travel, why it creates a more immersive and uncomfortable experience, and how her social media following grew at the exact moment she stopped traveling. We talk about her brief time in tech, where she jumped from $15/hour jobs to a six-figure salary despite having little background in the field: a position she describes as largely meaningless and difficult to tolerate, but financially useful, as it allowed her to save money, quit, and return to a more flexible lifestyle. Now, Claire earns money through a combination of leading occasional luxury bike tours for a company, organizing her own smaller (and shockingly affordable) bikepacking trips, and occasional brand partnerships. At the same time, she’s trying to maintain distance from social media, even as it remains her primary source of clients. We also discuss her essay “I’d rather be kind of poor than work most jobs,” the tradeoffs between stability and autonomy, and her preference for time-rich, flexible living over a consistent paycheck, even as she acknowledges the uncertainty that comes with it. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/claire

Scott Stillman: backpacker, author

Scott Stillman is a 53-year-old writer, backpacker, and desert wanderer who built his life around walking canyon country instead of working full-time. He’s the author of I Don't Want to Grow Up and seven other books. (scottstillmanblog.com) Scott traces his evolution from skateboarding teenager to normie bank employee in Ohio to full-time freedom seeker in Colorado. Along the way, he explains why he’s always prioritized time over money, how he and his wife built a life around working as little as possible, and why most people are asking the wrong question when it comes to careers. We get into the specific ways he pulled this off, from compressing an insurance sales job into two days a week to negotiating a car sales role down to weekends only. Now living in Durango, Scott earns a living from his books—spending about two hours a day on social media—and spends the rest of his time hiking, backpacking, and disappearing into canyon country. He also explains how writing accidentally became his path to freedom, the role a good editor plays, and why he ditched photography to start documenting his experiences with words. We also get into the philosophy behind his work: why “this reeks of privilege” is the most common critique he hears from young people on TikTok, why he thinks that’s missing the point, how starting with a beat-up car and a few hundred dollars can still lead to a life outdoors, and why you don’t need to have your whole life figured out—you just need to go. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/scott

Fred Sabater Pastor: trail running coach, Spaniard, father

In this special episode, Blake talks with his old friend, summer camp co-leader, and High Sierra backpacking partner, Fred. Born and raised in Valencia, Spain, Fred brings a European perspective to the question of whether it's possible to become dirtbag rich in a place with different cultural norms and a lower income than the United States. Fred also discusses how professional trail runners transition away from 20-something dirtbag lives and the (positive) challenge of being spoiled by purposeful work—including deeply meaningful professional relationships—early in life. Finally, Fred asks Blake about his new book, released today: Dirtbag Rich: High Freedom, Low Income, Deep Purpose. What did it take to write it? How much did it cost to publish? What comes next? And where can people find it?

Dave Whitson: long-distance walker, history teacher, writer, guide

Dave Whitson is a 40-something high school history teacher and Camino de Santiago guidebook author who has crossed the United States on foot, spent six of the past twelve months traversing Italy, and taken countless student groups on long-distance walking adventures. He has no phone plan, gym membership, or anything resembling a vice. He writes powerful travel narratives, adores the challenge of working with sharp teenagers, struggles with relationships, thinks frequently about death, considers himself a sort of “parasite” on conventional society, and knows more about the Camino (and other modern pilgrimage routes) than pretty much anyone on earth. (davewhitson.com) Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/dave

Ryan Van Duzer: YouTuber, bikepacker, motivational speaker

Ryan Van Duzer is a 46-year-old adventurer, filmmaker, and bike-powered storyteller who has spent the past two decades turning his obsession with movement into a full-time career. (duzertv.com) After a two-year Peace Corps stint in Honduras, Ryan skipped the flight home, bought a $700 bicycle, and pedaled 4,000 miles back to Boulder, Colorado—a trip that changed his life and set him on a path toward sharing human-powered adventures with the world. What followed were years of scraping by as a travel-channel hopeful, living with his mom, chasing production gigs, and refusing to quit when every practical voice said he should. At age 36, he walked away from TV and started over on YouTube. Now he earns a six-figure income through ad revenue, Patreon, bike-design royalties, and public speaking—but he still rides everywhere, owns no car, and keeps his expenses low. We dig into the years when he lived on almost nothing, the slow grind toward creative control, and the constant tension between documenting life and living it. Ryan opens up about how his “get off the couch” mantra evolved from personal fitness to something broader: a way of rebuilding social fabric in an age of isolation. We also discuss the doubts that creep in as he ages out of being the “young, spunky YouTube adventurer,” the exhaustion of constant content creation, and why the freedom he fought for still feels worth it. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/duzer

James Brown: bicycle traveler, relational coach

James Brown is a 43-year-old traveler, relational coach, graphic designer, and lifelong seeker caught between the urge to roam and the desire to put down roots. (jameswonders.uk) After spending his twenties and early thirties working long hours in England’s gray corporate offices—commuting three hours a day to a job he genuinely loved but a life that left him drained—James finally broke free. He quit, bought a motorbike, and rode across Europe before taking an eight-month cycling journey through Asia with his girlfriend. The trip ended their relationship but sparked something else: a realization that he could live on very little, work remotely, and make his own rules. In the years that followed, James built a flexible, purpose-driven life as a freelance designer for nonprofits while living in Italy, Costa Rica, Spain, Morocco, and Colombia. His days alternated between deep creative focus and drifting—renting apartments in tiny towns, learning new languages, and building communities he would inevitably have to leave when visas expired or restlessness returned. At the heart of James’s story is tension: between adventure and stability, freedom and belonging. He dreams of having a home base, a dog, and his own cupboard full of clothes—but he also knows that at any moment, he could sell everything and ride into the horizon again. Lately he’s been trying to understand why through the practices of "circling" and "authentic relating." We talk about how childhood restlessness can become adult wanderlust, how travel can be both healing and escapist, and how to know when "freedom" starts to look like avoidance. James reflects on the comfort of drifting, the fatigue of constant choice, and what it might take to finally stop moving—not because he’s trapped, but because he’s ready to stay. Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/james

Aisha Trent: seasonal worker, minimalist, car dweller

Aisha Trent is a 31-year-old seasonal worker, minimalist, and car dweller who’s spent the past two and a half years living out of her Toyota 4Runner—and doesn’t see herself going back. (@norent_trent) After losing both parents in a tragic car accident, Aisha decided life was too short to wait for permission. She downsized everything she owned, traded a Ford Fiesta for a 4Runner, and built a life centered on nature, healing, and independence. Now she sprays invasive weeds and algae from boats and shorelines each summer in Illinois, saving enough to take winters off for time with friends, or more recently, long solo road trips through Colorado, Oregon, and Arizona. We talk about why she prefers waking up surrounded by windows instead of walls, and how she and her boyfriend make “driveway living” work. Aisha also reflects on growing up insecure, her time in eating disorder treatment, and how outdoor simplicity became her therapy. She’s currently considering a short return to full-time work—just long enough to pay off her student loans and car debt and buy back even more freedom. But first she'll be collecting her inaugural passport stamps in Austria and the Philippines. Aisha's favorite quote: “It’s all lies. Back to nature—the only truth.” (from the music producer Rick Rubin) Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/aisha

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