Bryan DeLay was 12 when he took his first backpacking trip, with his Scout Troop, in the mountains of Tennessee; he was smitten. But it wasn’t until he was 35 and realizing there had to be more to life than developing shopping centers that he got into backpacking big time. Over the next 30 some years the Knoxville resident estimates he’s spent 75 to 100 nights a year in a tent, bringing his number of nights on the trail to around 1,600, and the number of states he’s backpacked in to 25. Despite taking a big trip out West every August, Bryan, a native of Tennessee, still prefers backpacking in his backyard, the Southeastern United States.
In 2008, Bryan started documenting his trips on YouTube, as Backpacking with Bryan Delay. Today, we talk with Bryan about his adventures and why he prefers the Southeast backpacking experience.
Check out Bryan's videos on his YouTube Channel, Backpacking with Bryan DeLay, here.
In the News
For more on the Tree Cookie celebration Saturday, Oct. 30, at Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park in Tennessee, go here. For more on exploring the park itself, go here.
Check out the new WNC Outdoor Industry Job Board here.