WFS 498 - The Dirtbag Diaries with Fitz Cahall - Duct Tape Then Beer, Climbing, Yosemite

Today, we’re stoked to have Fitz Cahall, the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Duct Tape Then Beer, on our show. He’s here to talk about his incredible podcast, The Dirtbag Diaries, and all the inspiring content they produce. We’ll also dig into all the amazing work that they do at Duct Tape Then Beer. So, sit back, relax, and let’s dive into this amazing conversation!

The Dirtbag Diaries Show Notes with Fitz Cahall

1:35 – Fitz talks about the origins of his podcast, The Dirtbag Diaries. He began working on the podcast in 2006, and it debuted the following year.

10:50 – He describes how their team at Duct Tape Then Beer produces their episodes. Fitz is the co-founder and Creative Director of Duct Tape Then Beer which is the parent company of The Dirtbag Series.

13:33 – Fitz tells about the four-part mini-series they made for Climbing Gold which is another podcast that he co-hosts with renowned climber Alex Honnold. Alex was the first person to climb El Capitan in Yosemite in the acclaimed film Free Solo.

14:40 – Looking ahead, they are also open to covering other outdoor sports aside from climbing. They previously covered hunting in their episode called The Elk.

15:43 – His gateway into the outdoors space was fly fishing. He grew up in Southern Florida near the Intracoastal Waterway and then ended up in Connecticut where there are a lot of fishing opportunities. It was there that he learned how to fly fish.

19:00 – Fitz talks briefly about the similarities between climbing and fly fishing.

21:28 – He shares the amazing story of how he connected with Patagonia. They began supporting the show early on and have continued to do so for 17 years. Duct Tape Then Beer has helped Patagonia with some of its films and campaigns such as Newtok, a story of the first climate refugees in America.

23:55 – Duct Tape Then Beer does films, marketing campaigns, and brand work for brands in the outdoors space and conservation organizations. For Fitz, he wants to tell stories on a wide range of topics.

25:32 – Fitz gives his perspective on addressing climate change and other environmental issues. He also shares their contribution to the establishment of the Bears Ears Education Center.

34:20 – He talks about the amazing story of how he came up with the title of his podcast.

37:50 – Fitz wants to provide fun, depth, and meaning to their listeners through the podcast.

40:55 – I ask him about his plans for the podcast.

43:30 – We talk about climbing in Yosemite. For him, there’s nowhere quite like Yosemite in the world. He mentions the film The Dawn Wall where free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempted to climb the El Capitan.

45:45 – He shares about that time when he slept on the face of El Capitan.

49:30 – He talks about the tech he uses for the podcast.

51:15 – Fitz gives us a glimpse of his daily life.

59:24 – He gives some tips for people who want to get into podcasting.

Show Notes: wetflyswing.com/498