Coyotes, rattlesnakes, bears — these were animals I was accustomed to dealing with. Navigating around wild pigs was new to me. One thing had become clear: long-distance hiking in Spain was not like in the United States.

Hiker, author, historian, and guest on episode four of our Common Land Podcast Jeff Ryan shares 11 of his top tips for first-time backpackers, sharing lessons he's learned from his many years of exploring and thru-hiking.