#236 - The Darien Gap has a legend attached to it, but Daniel Eggington brings the parts that don’t fit the movie version: endless wet days, rivers fought step by step, fear used as a tool, and the mental math of staying alive when you’re deep in the jungle with no easy reset button. Daniel doesn’t chase comfort or bragging rights. He chases places where there’s no blueprint, because that’s where he learns fastest and where the story is earned instead of staged.

We start with the moment that set his trajectory: leaving the UK as a teenager for Sumatra after working at a zoo and falling in love with wildlife. From there we dig into expedition travel the way it actually works: preparing for snakes and insects, relying on locals for real knowledge, and keeping your impact low. Daniel shares his Guyana journey down the Essequibo River by dugout canoe, including encounters with local belief systems like Kanaima and how culture can shape safety choices as much as terrain does.

Then we go deep on the Darien, including geopolitical shifts, how different groups control different areas, why “permission” is part of the route, and what a truly miserable day looks like when you’re soaked, underfed, and still pushing forward. We also talk endurance training, why people choose suffering in controlled doses, and Daniel’s next massive goal: a first-of-its-kind Congo River walking expedition planned for 12 months or more, supported by a broader team and modern field comms.

If you’re into extreme adventure, jungle survival, expedition planning, and the mindset behind big goals, hit play, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs a push. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what would your no-blueprint adventure be?

To learn more about Daniel Eggington and his upcoming expedition along the Congo River check out www.danieleggington.com and follow him on Instagram @danieleggington.

To learn more about me and see clips from past, present, and future shows give me a follow on Instagram @humanadventurepod.

Want to be a guest on The Human Adventure? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure.

#235 - The woods “understood her” before she could understand herself, and Alison Monda’s story makes that feel less like poetry and more like a practical roadmap. She’s a full-time firefighter, a search and rescue volunteer, a musician, a longtime hiker, and someone who finally got an ADHD diagnosis that explained decades of feeling scattered, intense, and constantly in motion. When we sit down to talk, it turns into an honest look at what it means to build a life around adventure while also trying to build a brain that feels steady.

Alison doesn’t dodge the hard chapters. She talks about teen addiction, entering rehab at 19, and how sobriety forced her to relearn fun, connection, and self-respect. From there, hiking becomes more than a passion. It becomes outdoor therapy, a mental health reset, and one of the only places her mind reliably drops into a flow state. We get into solo backpacking, why it can feel freeing and terrifying, and how she thinks about safety as a woman alone on trail.

We also go deep on real backcountry moments: a bear encounter that spikes the fear meter, the difference between wildlife risk and news-cycle myths, and the rare but real “creepy human” situations that change how you camp. Along the way, Alison shares practical advice for getting started, including the 10 essentials, offline GPS tools like Gaia GPS and CalTopo, and when an SOS device like a Garmin inReach makes sense. Plus, we talk community on the Appalachian Trail, big-mile dreams like the PCT, and her memoir Fearless.

If you like stories about hiking for mental health, ADHD and resilience, addiction recovery, and the kind of adventure that’s messy in the moment but meaningful later, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe to The Human Adventure, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a quick rating or review so more people can find the show.

To follow along with Alison check her out on Instagram @get_the_f_outside. You can also get a copy of her book, Fearless, on Amazon.

To learn more about me and see clips from past, present, and future shows give me a follow on Instagram @humanadventurepod.

Want to be a guest on The Human Adventure? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure.

#234 - Your childhood dream is supposed to save you, not send you to the burn ward. Dan Schlund is one of the rare people who has flown a real rocket belt, a true rocket motor strapped to your back with about 30 seconds of fuel, superheated thrust, and no room for hesitation. After his third flight off the training cable, a bad landing turns into a nightmare: he gets slammed into the ground, can’t shut the belt off, and is burned in the field until the crew can pull him free.

We talk about the long recovery, skin grafts, and the part that lingers even longer: anxiety and the mental scars that follow a catastrophic crash. Dan explains why he still chose to fly again, how stunt work taught him to never let your last run be a failure, and what it feels like to lift off under full throttle with a roaring crowd and a ticking fuel clock. Along the way, he shares global performance stories, including high pressure flights like the Rose Parade and surreal moments performing in Turkmenistan.

Then the dream ends hard with a later crash during a Guinness World Records flight, a neck injury, and the identity crash that comes when the applause disappears. Dan’s pivot is the plot twist: he rebuilds his life as a paramedic and founder of National Set Medics, helping protect cast and crew across film and TV productions nationwide. If you’ve ever faced a career change, burnout, or the question “who am I now,” this conversation brings both honesty and practical hope.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

To learn more about Dan check out www.rocketman.tv. You can also give him a follow on Instagram @rocketman.tv.

To learn more about me and see clips from past, present, and future shows give me a follow on Instagram @humanadventurepod.

Want to be a guest on The Human Adventure? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure.