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Getting After It
This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a relentless pursuit of growth, grit, and getting after life on your own terms.
Every week, we break down what it takes to push limits, embrace discomfort, and turn ambition into action. This is where wisdom meets execution—because knowledge alone doesn’t cut it. You have to apply, refine, and outwork your own self-doubt to see real results.
We bring on guests from all walks of life—entrepreneurs, athletes, creatives, adventurers—people who have battled through resistance and come out stronger. Their stories aren’t just inspiring; they’re roadmaps for anyone looking to level up.
The mission? To fuel your fire, challenge your thinking, and equip you with the mindset and tools to chase down your biggest goals.
This is Getting After It—not just a podcast, but a movement for those who refuse to settle.
Getting After It
127 - Dustin Illgner - Amazon Expeditions and Stories of Surviving Mother Nature
What happens when you get dropped into the heart of the Amazon rainforest with nothing but a machete, a bow, and the will to make it out alive?
In this episode, I sit down with Dustin Illgner — adventurer, survivalist, and perhaps the only man in the office who’s stared down a howler monkey after building his own jungle shelter. We talk about his expedition deep into the Amazon under the guidance of former British SAS soldier Ian Craddock, where Dustin was left to survive completely alone — no food, no phone, no timeline for pickup.
He shares how survival strips life down to its core: water, fire, shelter, presence. We cover:
- The psychological tricks to surviving isolation in the wild
- Eating grubs like popcorn
- Facing tarantulas, bullet ants, and jungle otters
- Why hardship creates clarity — and confidence
- How choosing adversity opens new doors in life
- The power of stillness and the beauty of becoming “one with nature”
We also get into Dustin’s other survival trips to Tonga, the Philippines, and Panama — and what it really means to test your edge and come back changed.
Choose something hard this week. Strip it down to the next step. The next breath. The next brick. And remember, comfort never made anyone interesting.
Keep getting after it.
Watch a recap of Dustin's Amazon trip here. Check out his YouTube channel: @OneWildPath
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I hope today’s episode sparked something within you to pursue your dreams and unlock your true potential. If you found value in it, consider sharing it with someone who might need that same push.
This podcast is built for you—the dreamers and the doers. My goal is to provide a space where you can find inspiration, learn from others, and feel empowered to chase what matters most to you.
That's a bear, I guess it could be a moose, but moose moose are also crazy dangerous. Yeah, I would rather run into a black bear probably than a moose.
Brett:Yeah, dang, whatever works out, you can be aggressive with that thing.
Dustin:This feels official, dude, I like it.
Brett:We're trying. Man, you should have seen the first few episodes of this. It was rough. That was me in my basement and I was like, had no idea what I was doing. Nice, I always tell this story. I had someone on from pattern, his name was stan and it was episode eight and it's great story. Like he talks about how he learned all these life lessons from his dad and his dad passed away from cancer and it was like this really heartfelt thing. And then, uh, I go back and I listen to the audio and it's all auto-tuned because, like I had, like a sound mixer and so it was like we sound like t-pain talking about like these cancer yes, yeah, it's like not.
Brett:Yeah, he's like talking about his, his dad, you know, going through chemo and all these terrible things and it's just we're auto-tuned the whole time.
Brett:But thanks, yeah so rough but dang gotten, gotten some lessons learned, some hard ones. But uh, yeah, man, it's uh, it's rolling now so we can, we can go into it. Do I look at the camera at all, or am I talking to you? Yeah, just talk, talk to me. It's, uh, as easy as you want it to be. But, yeah, dustin, thanks for thanks for coming on. Yeah, excited to be here, it's I. Um, I'm also very excited that you're here. Yeah, because I first heard um. It's funny because there was a guy named dust who joined Pattern not too long ago and I thought it was him that did these survival trips. And I went up to him and Kate asked me to do some onboarding with him. And I was like, so you do these onboarding trips or these adventure trips like survival? And he's like I have no idea what you're talking about.
Brett:He's like that's probably another Dustin and I'm like well, I got to figure out who this guy is because I want to talk to him. So, yeah, man, I got to ask how did you get into this stuff?
Dustin:Yeah, um. So, starting out, uh, from Kansas and not a lot of people were outdoorsy around me my dad took me camping. We did some like back country campingcountry camping. Yeah, immediately had a love for it. So, being from kansas, you're kind of like, well, I gotta go explore everywhere else because I mean kansas is a great place. But like, what am I gonna go do?
Brett:it's pretty flat right. It's like planes, yeah, super flat.
Dustin:Uh, there's some lakes, there's some some pretty woods, but it's not utah, it's not colorado, california, montana, you know the, the highlights, yeah. So I so I started going off and, and you know, convincing my dad to take me on whatever trip we could, uh, and then I started planning my own, kind of through that, I started going um or discovering my love for the outdoors, born more every trip. So I started pushing it harder and harder. My friends from Kansas were like we're going to come. Yeah, they were pretty clueless as to how it works. Uh, there's not as much like backcountry culture there for the outdoors. People who are outdoors there, uh, are more into like hunting and things like that.
Dustin:So, yeah, yeah, started bringing my friends um and I was like man, I'm pretty responsible for everyone here because I have like learned kind of what I'm doing through trial and error. But I'm just backpacking, figuring it out as I go, and should something go wrong, should we get lost? Um, you know, I don't really know what I'm doing. So I was like I should learn something. Yeah, I'd always had the itch to do like island survival. That I always thought was cool, but started being like well, I should like just go learn how to do this yeah, how'd you hear about like island survival?
Brett:because I think I told you I first learned about it from that youtube channel, outdoor boys yeah, so I just started researching it.
Dustin:Well, I remember when I was young, my friend and I would go to the creek we had a creek in our backyard, yeah, and I'd be like man, I'm gonna survive on an island one day. I think I was like passed away or something like that.
Dustin:I was like oh, I'm like the island, like you know you, you romanticize it and you're like I'd be catching crabs building the cool shelter. It's not like that. I mean, once you're good it can be, but anyway. So I was really inspired to do it, sort of just googling it. Yeah, got in touch with the company. I was like you take people to islands and train them how to survive. And uh, they're like, yep, so I signed up for a trip. Um, just kind of like, screw it, I can do it. Yeah, um, I'd done some international travel now by myself and this is kind of like that next adventure. That was both wilderness and international travel, so booked it.
Dustin:We were going to go to panama oh man we're going to take a helicopter, jump out of the helicopter, swim to the island and survive. Oh my, but uh. What a good start yeah yeah, but it fell through, so okay there. Uh, it was led by this guy named ian craddock. He has since passed away. He is the most incredible human I've ever met. He was ex-british sas, which is a tier one military group yes, yeah on our side we we have Navy SEALs.
Brett:Yeah, the Navy SEALs are those guys.
Dustin:One above that is like 166. He was the equivalent of that on the British side, so we're supposed to go with him. One of the guys that was going to go on this expedition from the Netherlands. He broke his leg and so him and his three friends backed out. We no longer had the minimum number to get the helicopter, so we couldn't get to the island gets canceled. So he reaches out to me.
Dustin:Um, in the meantime I was like, hey, this other trip that's coming up, uh, but it's gonna be in the amazon rainforest. I was like all right, and I'd been to the amazon two times already at that one's doing like an eco lodge thing, and then another time camping with the tribe, um, which we can get out a little bit. Yeah, the wadani tribe had camped with them and I was like all right, like the amazon's pretty intense, I don't think this sounds like fun at all during survival. But I'd also gotten far enough along that. I was like, but I know it's not, it's going to be that goal. That's like just beyond my, my comfort zone. So I was like let's do it that's crazy, man.
Brett:I mean I. I think I talked to you about paul rosalie, you know yeah, I've followed his work. His work is awesome it's amazing what he's doing and like he'll post things of him just waking up with spiders on his face and he's like, yeah, another night in the amazon. Yeah, so you gotta be comfortable I mean that's like yeah, that's, that's a big leap, like okay let's go surviving the amazon, so I'm excited to see where this goes. Yeah, yeah.
Dustin:Yeah, so I did it and it's funny. We'll get into this probably later, but we did an exploration trip about a year ago, a little over a year First recorded humans where we went and I'll kind of explain that a little bit later. Whoa, I had some friends who wanted to come and I made them listen to Paul Rosalie because I was like you need to listen to this, tell me how you feel after the podcast, because I think painting the Amazon as both the most incredible majestic can't miss place and the most brutal, terrible, avoid at all costs, right. So I'd have people listen to it and if they were like, yeah, this still sounds good, I was like, all right, you can come.
Dustin:So as long as I had some other, you know, like experiences.
Brett:Yeah, no, they have to have complete rookies, they have to have their.
Dustin:So, yeah, I went to the Amazon in Guyana. It's on the north coast of South Africa or South America, between Suriname and Venezuela.
Brett:Okay.
Dustin:Went deep into the jungle there, learned how to survive with this British SAS guy plus a couple of tribal people, and had a couple other people that went and learned to survive and did it, yeah.
Brett:So what does that look like? Like you guys all show up as a group and first first day at camp, like I've heard, shelters, the most important thing. You got to get shelter first and then it's water, then it's food.
Dustin:Yeah, and there's different. Some people prioritize it in different ways. There's always like different acronyms and stuff. But yeah, in the Amazon I would say prioritize shelter. So yeah, we flew into Guyana, then we flew in a little deeper and then we took a bus. Then we got to this little tribal village. We then got our packs and we hiked in. So for the first five days it was training, so we had hammocks, we had food, we had basic accommodations for, let's just call it, a rough camping trip.
Brett:We're sleeping in hammocks, which has a net, and all that Not ideal, but you've got a place ideal, but yeah, if you're not outdoors, you're gonna hate it right, if you're outdoors and you've camped, you can deal with this like it's not that tough, um, you are waking up early and you're going on hikes.
Dustin:The jungle is pretty tough, um. But so five days there we spent the first one where he had like a little structure. He had built it's like a roof and we had like a, a picnic table. Um, he had a whiteboard and I think even like a power generator, so at night we like flick on a light. We had that there. That was, I think, three days and then we all hopped in the canoe, we went deeper into the jungle and then we trained a little bit more, but further away from stuff yeah and then the last bit um, essentially we hopped into boats.
Dustin:He took us all out separately. I went with. It was just me, this british sas guy, ian, plus lionel, who's the uh elder of the makushi tribe. Okay, go down the river. They pull over. They tell me to get out. I have a couple basic supplies. Um, they said we'll see you here in a few days. They didn't tell me how many days it was going to be. Um, ended up being three. So you know it wasn't like still yeah, yeah, yeah but uh, yeah, built shelter so what's it like?
Brett:what's going through your head when they're like, okay, we're gonna take you on a canoe, go a little bit further in. And then the final point, he's like now get on this boat and you know you're gonna get dropped off. Like what are you thinking is there? Are you like I'm freaking out? Are you kind of calm? You you got you know kind of, you're good, you're confident.
Dustin:Yeah, it's kind of both your, your mind's kind of racing.
Brett:You're like what did I?
Dustin:forget. You're thinking back to every class. So on one hand you're panicking and you're like have.
Dustin:I thought of everything. On the flip side, another part of my brain is like you're going to make it. It's like all this anxiety you have, you know you're going to be fine, it's just to say, would you be a little bit more comfortable? Um, yeah, I mean kind of cause you could give up if you want. So he would give us a radio If we hit the button, then he'd come pick us up so we have like an escape button, yeah, Um, so I knew I could at least have an out and I'd be. What was most at risk was sure I could get hurt, but really it was just like my pride. So yeah that's fair.
Dustin:Yeah, so a lot of emotions, um, but then gone. You have that moment where you see the boat going off and then you see them turn the corner and then you see them no longer. They're gone. Oh yeah, that was pretty exhilarating, where I just looked around and I was like it is me yeah, the freaking amazon rainforest I have no idea how long I'm gonna be here exactly.
Brett:Yeah, it's crazy.
Dustin:That was pretty exhilarating all right like this is what you signed up for and this is it, and you kind of look up at the sky, you look down at the dirt, you look at the water and you're like it's just me in nature and like yeah that was one of the most probably present moments I've ever had. That's got to be amazing. Yeah, it's, it's, you have that moment.
Dustin:We were like I really am right here right now yeah like I almost picture myself on a map, like and like a google earth and like you know, zooming out. It's like it's just me and like yeah, nothing else picturing you. Yeah, the canopy above me, that's crazy man. Yeah, it was pretty wild.
Brett:So what was like first night? Like Like, did you set up? Like, did you build a shelter, or like what that looked like Build a shelter, okay.
Dustin:That was my first priority.
Brett:Yeah.
Dustin:That was tough. Here's the thing is in survival. You're like, oh, I could build a shelter, I could get this, I could fish, I could build a spear I could. But your energy resources and your energy bank, essentially, is going down. So imagine like you have your cell phone and you're sitting there being like all right, like what are the most important phone calls I got to make, and you're just watching that battery go down and down and down and you're like okay, like put it on airplane mode.
Brett:Like you know, switch it back off, you know it's like what do I?
Dustin:really takes a ton of energy, okay, so built a shelter, um, pretty basic structure, some y sticks. So you know, stick that has a, you know, use that. Okay, for the roof, I found some trees that I could go up against. You want to be lifted off the amazon floor because it's the amazon and there's tons of creepy crawlies.
Brett:Yeah, which we gotta, we gotta talk about that I want to know a little bit about that stuff.
Dustin:Oh yeah, tarantulas grubs, uh, bullet ants. We'll talk about bullet ants holy cow built a shelter um. We had uh iodine, so thankfully yeah, yeah, for water right. He gives us that now we did have like you could build a little bamboo thing to to um, boil water and everything. But in the amazon you lose water so fast. He's like I know you have the skills, let's not risk it because that could be a pretty big liability. You know he has a company and has a conscious you know, yeah, absolutely dying on him, so didn't have to worry about that as much I had I.
Dustin:Then there's water there, um, so that's the one good thing about that area. Yeah, built a shelter, got a fire going, had um a little flint striker for that, so got a fire going with that. Um kept that going all night. Yeah, that first night was pretty scary and terrible. The jungle comes to life at night, so it just there's stuff yeah, that's what I've heard.
Brett:Man monkeys like screaming right howler monkeys.
Dustin:Second, loudest mammal in the world and there was one right above my like shelter, like a few trees over, so that's gotta be and you can't see it yeah, no, no, you can't, you can't, and uh, yeah, so holy look up. Look, I would freak out look up a howler monkey car. I don't know if you're going to edit it in.
Brett:I can toss it in here. Yeah, I'll put it in.
Dustin:And it sounds like some sort of demon. So you just got that around and then just bugs, you know, flying in. There's no. When you're sleeping in a tent and you hear noises, you at least have that barrier no barrier, no headlamp. So I had a little fire going. Once that went out, it's like pitch black.
Brett:Yeah, you got nothing. I got to. You know, so pretty scary. You can't really see the stars because of all the jungle.
Dustin:Yeah, exactly, so it's like no stars canopy, you know, I could see a little bit past me to you, and if I had a bright fire going up to your imagination, that's crazy.
Brett:So what tools did you have when they dropped you off?
Dustin:Yes, we had, uh, some fish hooks and a little bit of line. Um iodine, a can, a canteen, um a bow and arrow with like three shots, wow, um a knife, a machete, the Flint striker I mentioned that that might be it, holy cow. So no food. We had some cotton balls. Yeah, no food, no water.
Brett:Cotton balls to start the fire. Yeah, okay, man, so you're hunting.
Dustin:Yeah, hunting is the idea. Uh, I didn't do so well Um fishing I did not so well, um, foraging, that was big.
Dustin:Here's the thing is there's a couple key things you need to learn for survival how to make a shelter, how to just mentally deal with it, yeah, you know kind of how to prioritize, how to get a fire going, but after that it's how do you know your landscape around you? Um, so there are some resources here that, like, you can use, yeah, to then say, okay, I can at least get some calories this way. So foraging is big, that's a big one, I would learn and what would you go and find in the amazon?
Dustin:yeah, the the one is hard, so you can get down from a palm tree. Okay, you can pull out something about like this big, probably. Yeah, um, it's a decent amount of calories. Probably. I don't know the exact count. I'm gonna guess four or five hundred. Um, look it up, double check me on that. But yeah, the only thing is it has a no taste and it like it's super, super fibrous and it takes up like a lot of like stomach space. So imagine if you're like eating kind of like celery that's a little bit more fibrous.
Brett:Yeah, just dense.
Dustin:You can only have so much, so I got some of that. Um, there's a tree called the cookery tree and it has these little grubs that grow in the um Walnut, so you get that down there. They're virgin to the outside world. Outside world they were like they were in there as a larva. They've never, seen the outside world to crack them open. And they're small.
Brett:They actually don't taste that bad really you can get some of that. It's staring at you in the face, that's like oh yeah, I've got a youtube video where it shows us.
Dustin:And we all had this last thing. We had camp initiation everyone had to eat one and oh, there we go yeah, people were like oh, it's so bad. Oh wait, actually it's not as bad as you think, yeah. It's just the psychological thing, exactly, yeah, so we had that, we could use it as fish bait. In my case, I only caught a few small fish, so then I just ate some grubs.
Brett:Yeah, eating some grubs. It's like your bucket of popcorn. Yeah, tossing it back.
Dustin:Can't have too much, though.
Brett:It's pretty, so you can only have a couple dang.
Dustin:That's wild man. So how'd the rest of the trip go for the for that time? Yeah, so let's see, I had some grubs, uh, had some hard palm. I think I had two of those, and then after a while I got like another one. Yeah, I'd be chewing it. I just like the stuff was falling on my mouth. I don't want to swallow this, that's just. It's once you've had enough yeah, it's like eating like celery cardboard.
Dustin:Oh, so didn't have a ton more food. Um, caught a few small fish, ate a few grubs. I don't think there's any fruit I had there's like one mango you could find. I couldn't find any. Um, there was one kind of like nut and it has like this powder in it, that kind of tastes like banana. You can't have much of it. Yeah, I forget the name of it. It's escaping me right now. I had a little bit of that, not much, uh, so didn't eat much. Had water, barely slept. Yeah, to the point of like, uh, you know, felt very off, yeah just like unbelievable fatigue exactly.
Brett:Is that because of like the monkeys, like the loud sounds, or like you're just worried, or, yeah, you're worried?
Dustin:monkeys are going, bugs are, bats are flying around. Your mind is just kind of going crazy, you know. Again it's think about when you're in the basement by yourself and the lights are off. It's a little creepy. And then you're like, if something scares you, I'm going to turn on my phone and everything. You get creeped out. You can't do that, so you get the phone going and then it goes down. So sometimes I'd finally kind of relax in the fire. The wind would change direction. Next thing, you know, smoke's in my face.
Dustin:It's like, ah, coughing and all that it's like, okay, now I'm up, then you hear something else. That was not good. Then my shelter was built up on the tree I was mentioning earlier, the coca tree. It has some branches that are kind of like bamboo, where they're all pretty straight. They're pretty flexible. You've made that for my bed, wrap some palms around it, but it's not comfortable. It's still kind of like moving around, you're kind of falling through it, um. So yeah, you're pretty uncomfortable, your bed sucks uh, there's stuff everywhere that's like alive uh, and you're kind of scared. So I probably slept an hour between two nights that's nuts, you know.
Brett:Yeah, that is crazy. So, like, what are you doing during the day? Just hanging out or what's that look like?
Dustin:Yeah, Um well getting resources important.
Brett:Yeah.
Dustin:Building a shelter is important If you're not actively doing something. One of the best survival sayings is you don't have to run, walk you don't have to walk, stand you don't have to stand, sit you don't have to sit lay, yeah, if you have to be awake, go to bed, um, so a lot of downtime, yeah, if you're not doing something.
Dustin:But yeah, building the shelter, trying to find food, trying to forage, uh, keeping an eye out for any game. I saw a? Um little agouti. It's like a little possum. It's probably like this big. Oh, I saw one shot at it. I missed by like an inch, but then I got stuck in the log that it was under so I had to to pull that out. Lost an arrow that way. I then saw a little, um, it's like a jungle Turkey, I don't know the exact name, a little bit smaller.
Dustin:I had left my bow strong for too long and it lost some of its tension, so it had gotten wet. I shot it. My arrow just barely went, so missed that. But trying to find food um shelter, the fact that I knew there was an end date, you know he didn't tell me exactly how long it was like it's not going to be more than like four or five five at the absolute max.
Dustin:Um, and I was like I was pretty sure three or four, you can kind of take your foot off the gas pedal a little bit, but usually what you're trying to do is really make your shelter way better, always gathering firewood. If you're going to go for firewood, keep an eye out for food. If you're gonna go for food, keep an eye out for firewood. Um, it's really just getting your resources, um replenished and stocked up. That's awesome.
Brett:That's what you always kind of have to be doing man that's like uh, every kid's dream is like just go out and live in the forest yeah, that's crazy man. Yeah, did you have anything crazy happen to you during those two nights or that whole time there? Like, did you run into any animals, anything that was either dangerous Animals or insects? I want to learn about that stuff.
Dustin:Yeah, you're constantly seeing stuff. I didn't see too many. I saw one snake I don't think it was a venomous one, I forget. It was like this red snake which can, I guess, be territorial and aggressive, but it was down the bank, it wasn't too close to me, so thankfully, no snakes. I saw a tarantula in my um, in my actual shelter, not quite the size like my outstretched hand, but pretty big.
Dustin:Yeah, probably like this, and I was in my shelter so I just got him out, moved him, relocated him, yeah, um, one night, on the second night, I heard this really crazy noise around my shelter and I was like, yeah, like this weird whistling noise, like that's not a monkey, that's not. Yeah, I thought my mind starts, you know going places. Then I was like is it one of the tribal guys? Like playing a joke on me, because I can't, it's not a bird. It starts circling my shelter. Oh my, I can't tell what it is. So I'm keeping the fire between me and it and I'm like banging my machete and I'm like what is happening? You know, if it's over here, I'm kind of playing this game of try to keep the light source and I'm freaking out. Later on I find out. It was a kinkachu, which is like the cutest little, like ferret monkey looking thing.
Brett:And.
Dustin:I was like okay, that was nothing.
Brett:But that was like my scariest. It's the mind games man. It is, it is.
Dustin:I had a couple cool moments where one of the days I was sitting in my little jungle shelter and think of that classic picture of the days I was sitting in my little jungle shelter and think of that classic picture of the canopy, the lights coming through and you can kind of see the rays of light yeah yeah, I had my fire going.
Dustin:So I'm looking up and that's coming through and I'm sitting there and I have a roof on my shelter. It's with palms and it's kind of making this really cool. Uh, volumetric light is coming through and two just gorgeous, um jungle hummingbirds come into my shelter and I mean mean, I'm just laying there, super still. They probably had no idea I was there because I was being so quiet and at this point I'm covered in Amazon dirt and grime so I don't smell like a human wearing sunscreen and stuff anymore.
Dustin:So anyways, they flew in and for maybe just 30 seconds they were just zooming around and I was just watching. I was like you don't get this if you're hiking, you don't get this. If you're hiking, you don't get this. If you're with tourists, you don't get this. If you're taking pictures, you don't get this. If you're talking, you get this. If you've been sitting in the same spot, totally, still totally silent, for an hour or more, that's awesome. So these two beautiful birds were flying around my shelter and then that was the day one or two. One of the mornings I went out. There was a little log that went into the river and I just sat there and I was like huh, just sat by the water and all of a sudden a, a giant river otter swam up.
Dustin:I mean within like 15 feet to me Really, and it swims up and it's like making eye contact with me, and me and I are just we're just looking at this, uh, looking at each other and just kind of swimming around, and yeah, I'm checking it and it's checking me out and I just watched it and you kind of almost had this moment where it didn't physically shrug but kind of like the same thing. It's kind of like and then just kind of zoomed off and I just watched it do its thing, kind of go in and out, and that's so cool yeah it was a really cool moment.
Dustin:It made these like, like throat noises. Um, that was a really cool moment. I was like I'm, oh man, face to face this wildlife and we're looking at each other it's not me observing it. So a lot of really cool like low key, um calm moments too.
Brett:Yeah, I feel like that would be something like that's worth taking the trip alone. It's like even when I I I told you before we started recording, like my wife and I just got back from Montana and we went out to Glacier National Park and we just went on some hikes, and even that is just like you have that opportunity to be one with nature, and it's like you feel so connected and we were talking the whole time.
Brett:It's like we just feel so calm and it's like I think it's because this is what we're meant to be doing. Yeah, so it's interesting, but that's so cool, like having moments like that, and yeah, that's rad.
Dustin:They're totally worthwhile. And I think it's like you're saying one with nature. There's at some point, kind of like a tipping point where at first you're like a nature tourist yeah, You're the fish out of water taking pictures and you know. And then, after enough amount of time, enough amount of you know, you've sweat and you've, you know, been out there, you've woken up in nature you kind of start to stop being a tourist and actually are one with nature, especially when you're using nature as a resource and you're very aware of what it can provide for you and what can also take from you.
Dustin:As far as the heat and the exposure and dangerous animals. That's when I really do feel one with nature. I'm both appreciating it in a more full way, um, and also fearing it in a much more way as well, I mean mother nature is a beast. Yeah, you don't, you don't, but you do want to appreciate it.
Brett:Yeah, absolutely, and like I don't know. That's why I love living in Utah, because we have the mountains so close by, and it's like every time I go to Arizona that's where I'm from.
Dustin:You know, mother nature's in charge yep, you got the mountains there and you got desert down south. Yeah, but, and yeah there's there's a good mix up here, so it's it's fun to be able to escape into it. That's why I love it here too.
Brett:That's awesome, man. So the amazon, you get picked up and, um, I assume they just like take you back to the group and everything and everyone's sharing stories.
Dustin:Yep, I mean it was an awesome like party essentially, I mean once we got back to the tribal thing. So Ian, again the British SAS guy he kind of believes in like push you to your absolute limits, so picks us up. I was the last one to get picked up. Everyone else was downstream, I was upstream.
Brett:They're like.
Dustin:I'm really going to push Justin here, yeah, exactly, I'm really gonna push you out. Yeah, yeah, exactly, I'm gonna suffer. I mean, it's probably an extra hour or two, nothing crazy, but it was like you know. So that was great, um, pick up and I'm like all right, great, like, give me some of that food. I know you got some. He's like no, no, in a survival situation, your rescuer is probably not gonna have extra meals on them, oh man.
Brett:So like three hour boat ride. Oh no food. So I'm like ah, let's go.
Dustin:I know he had it and he was like he gave me a few crackers because like an average hiker might have, yeah, like some trail makes or something yeah so, uh, anyways, had a few crackers.
Dustin:Then, three hours upstream, it's the time where I got stuck on a log. We're like hauling this out. I haven't eaten, I haven't slept. Um, then we go, we get to the edge. Uh, the forest is like well, we got to bring our stuff back. So then we have to put on 60-pound packs. These are military packs, not like nice backpacking.
Dustin:Right right, I'm sitting there with this thing, I'm like okay. And then we had to hike probably a mile through the jungle and there was a really well-defined trail, but you're still humidity and all that.
Brett:And you're depleted, Like you're just drained Yep.
Dustin:That's insane. Um, you're feeling beat up. I remember at one point I was getting like a little light head like that, yeah you know. So it's like a march. After that, get back to the tribal thing. First thing. He's like have a beer. I'm like all right, like I haven't, like I have no food. Me had one beer and I was like oh, you're falling, you're falling around, and then after that buffet. Yeah, it was like they're bringing out this fish they had caught and it was awesome they'd made these like little, uh, cinnamon cake things.
Dustin:I don't know, it probably wasn't actually, so it's something like that. Um, then now we just ate eight, eight, eight, eight. Showered, passed out, woke up eight, eight, eight, eight.
Brett:Yeah, that's gotta be the best feeling yeah like anytime I I'd go on like a huge long run or something like that. I take a nap, that's the best feeling, but I can't even imagine what it would be like three days oh yeah, no sleep, no food or like little food, and then it's just like party time. That's gotta be so cool it's.
Dustin:It's not only the rest and recovery, which is the best thing ever. I mean showering and getting into like dry clothes. When you're in the amazon, you're somewhat wet for the entire time, because your humidity and everything doesn't yeah, it doesn't um go away, so that's awesome.
Dustin:but then the second piece, just that feeling you're like I just did. You're thinking this is that thing that I didn't know if I could do and I was just hoping I would not give up. And you're like, just did it. This is now this life thing. It's not even a box you check. It's like I have this new skill, this new appreciation, this new confidence. I mean, I walked out of there feeling like I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof. That's awesome, man.
Brett:That's so cool and to your point like probably gives you such an appreciation for things like running water and dry clothes. And all the little things we take advantage of for every single day. Yep, it's like man just gives you a different appreciation for it.
Dustin:You're not taking your boots off in the Amazon, really. So, you can't right, I was like wiggling my toes, you know, and I was like ah.
Brett:I was like they're dry and I'm wiggling.
Dustin:This is great, you know. So just little stuff like that. It was a wood floor with a little like tribal eco lodge, so I was just walking barefoot in there and I was like man, the ground's flat. This is great, my feet are yeah.
Brett:No bullet ants.
Dustin:Yeah, exactly, yeah, Okay. Well, he knew where a nest was, so he showed us Again. This guy is about as hardcore as they've come. Yeah, just any story that you could possibly imagine. He's got it. Yeah, and he's telling me a story where he had a grenade that blew up and he had hot shrapnel in his back. Oh jeez.
Dustin:And then when he got taken to the medic, he wanted to be kept awake so he could advise the medic on how he was like watching with a mirror, like how to stitch it and remove it, because a, he is one of those guys he's so smart he doesn't trust other people yeah, and then he's like, if I can get him to stitch deeper, I get paid more because you know it's it's, you get paid per stitch on your injury. Yeah, um, so he's a guy like that. Okay, he wanted to show us the bullet ant because he said he got bit by a bullet ant twice in his life and both times he spent 24 hours in his hammock whimpering really how painful it is.
Dustin:It's the number one most painful insect bite or sting yeah, in the world.
Dustin:Um. So, as he showed us there, he was like hey, come over here. Here's what the nest looks like, here's how you can identify it, here's how you tap the tree to see if blah, blah, blah. So he showed us um my recent amazon excursion, we were nine days in the jungle. On our last 15 minutes, uh, my buddy and my, our guide, anders, uh, he has a company called the wild tails. I'll come up. Um, he had one on his neck and so I was like, and then, instead of smashing it, he flicked it, which is the right thing to do, cause you smash it, you're getting stung. Yeah, um, ever seen anyone actually be to get in bit? And I mean, if that would have happened, he would have just gone down and yeah yeah, thankfully we were close, but we're like, oh man, like the jungle dude.
Brett:Yeah, that's, that's insane and they're, they're pretty big aren't they?
Dustin:they're like the size of a. Essentially they're not actually ants. Imagine, oh really imagine like a pretty sizable wasp, but what they are are wasps that have lost their wings through evolution. Interesting, um, so they look like an ant, but about like, yeah, this big. So imagine a wasp that's totally black, um, no wings and a stinger.
Dustin:That's and it doesn't kill you, it's just incredibly painful it doesn't kill you, it's uh, it's some sort of neuro thing where it spasms your like nervous system there. So for like 24 hours it just has this. Your, your nervous system is like. I don't know how to explain it, but yeah, not good.
Brett:Yeah, the only experience I've had with bull ants. I don't know if you've ever seen Jackass. Yeah, yeah, there's this one scene, yeah, where they put their hands in, like these mitts.
Dustin:Oh, they did that.
Brett:Yeah, they put their hands in like these mitts and like it's Steve-O, of course.
Dustin:Yeah.
Brett:And Steve-O's like throws him off and he like runs into the water and stuff and but just like it's, I can't believe people.
Dustin:Guys are crazy.
Brett:Oh yeah, they're nuts, but they're, they're broken in the head. Yeah, so, but man, that's awesome. Yeah, great show, great show, yeah, um, so what were you doing out there last time?
Dustin:just another survival trip or yeah, so last time was an expedition, okay, uh. So ian craddock, the guy who passed away, we wanted to honor him. Anyone who had come in contact or got to know Ian, he was just hands down, one of the most influential people you had ever met. Yeah, when I was in the jungle with him for two weeks I was like the only thing that's cooler than the jungle is this guy. Really, I was like any piece or anything of wildlife that I'm going to see, any cool plantan's cooler and what was his like interest in the, the jungle and survival, specifically like how to get into that he just loved it.
Dustin:He was a, he was a nature boy, he was a wild I think he is one of those guys who's super, super extreme and he's not enjoying life to its fullest unless he's pushed himself, so he's like, well, that means the amazon. So I think that's where he went and he set up a company and, uh, he got some business through it. I mean to where he would bring survival people like us, but he would also work with like a-list celebrities, really bringing them down. Yeah, it's really funny, this tribe um, they, like you know, haven't seen the outside world too much. Some of them have now been to town and everything like that. Um, but like oh yeah channing tatum.
Brett:Yeah, we know chan you know it's like they're just like name jobs.
Dustin:Some people they were like yeah, we like drank a bunch of rum and he shows his dance moves.
Brett:Oh yeah, he's our great friend too. Yeah, exactly yeah, so like it's. It's so funny.
Dustin:And then, um, one of the tribal guys. He actually got onto a TV show in London. So this guy actually flew to London to be on a show called family life swap. Oh wow, they put him in London and, yes, they did that's hilarious.
Brett:That's probably a big culture shock.
Dustin:Yeah. So I think he wanted to go somewhere. That was extreme, yeah, and then somewhere he could start up a business and if you're filming movies there's a need for the Amazon. Some of the most beautiful regions If you go in the basements a little more flat. We are by the Paco Ramo Mountains, so there's like a mountain bit richer because of oil, but at least at that time second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Brett:Really, I didn't know that.
Dustin:Yeah, per capita after Haiti, which is not great. But what is cool is everything's super untouched and super remote. So, this is where you can actually go to um places. The amazon I haven't been explored before, so he really liked that aspect. He felt like he had this place that he could find, that he'd be like let's go find a new waterfall, let's go find a new species.
Brett:So he, it was, just, it was a playground for him yeah um, so yeah, that was, that was him.
Dustin:That's why he set it up there. He passed away, uh, my friend anders, who I I mentioned again the Wild Tales. He runs that company. He was kind of his right-hand man. He wanted to set up, operate or kind of rebrand it and after COVID he's like, let's get a trip going. So him and I talked we're like, hey, let's get an expedition going and see if we can kind of kick off your company. So we did a memorial for Ian and then plan this awesome expedition in the jungle.
Brett:So what's, what's? Uh, I mean, I think that's a great way to honor him, by the way.
Dustin:I think that's so cool.
Brett:Um, yeah, um. What's an expedition Like? What are you guys looking for? Something you're trying to explore right?
Dustin:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we were looking for something. Um, we wanted to be tailored and, like, do something that would make him proud. So he worked with the Makushi tribe they're the ones in Guyana when he met them I'm going to say 21 years ago I think is the last number I heard. I don't know if that's exactly correct, but around 20 years ago we'll say they were still very, very primitive. I mean, a lot of them were still like naked in the jungle and he took them into modernity to a certain degree, as and they wanted that.
Dustin:They were very like hey, we know the outside world, like we've been there a little bit, how do we start to? So he really formed a really great relationship with them. I mean, they respect him so much, he respects them so much. So we were like, how do we do an expedition that's in this area that would also honor them? So it's the Makushi tribe. About 200 years ago there was cannibalistic war, um, where the caribs yeah, uh, the caribs came and invaded and essentially killed the men, enslaved the women and then children killed and ate the children.
Brett:Oh my, so this?
Dustin:crazy holy broke out, yeah uh, just 200 years ago, yeah, 200 years ago, the tribe. Uh, they had sarama, which is the uh village that we now go through. Sarama, in their language means human barbecue. Oh my, because that's where they all got captured and they burned all the men and all that. I have a YouTube video out of this, if you ever want to check it out and Lionel explains it.
Brett:Yeah, what's your YouTube channel called. I'll put it in the show notes.
Dustin:It's called One Wild Path and I have one video up, and it is of this trip.
Brett:Right on. So there we go 200 years ago.
Dustin:This tribe breaks off into two groups, maybe more, but kind of two main groups. One stays in Sarama Uh, you heard their fate. And then the other went and kind of hit in the mountains and we're like we're not going to fight this, let's get away. How do we go hide? Like the caribs are too strong about 20. The reason I said ian met them 21 years ago is 21 years ago was the last time someone found this waterfall. Um.
Dustin:So they went to this waterfall and they found a petroglyph and like, oh, this is the chief, oh, that's cool and through kind of oral tradition, like, oh, this is like, yep, this is the place where, uh, their chief was slaughtered years ago. Um, it's like, okay, we know this, and if you look at the area in the topography, we think there's probably a second waterfall further up. So, like, let's go see if we can. We know where the first waterfall is. Let's see if we can push a little further um and see if we can find the old village that then kind of broke off and then essentially died out. Oh man, so that was the intention of the trip. Um, we were gonna go um see if we could find it. It was taking a little bit too long, so we were like, just looking at our days, like we could maybe make it to where we think it is, but we're going to be pushing it and at this point if now we don't have enough reserves where someone does brandon inc.
Brett:When we slow down, it's gonna be pushing it right too close so and you can't really plan it out on google maps because it's just no covered.
Dustin:No, no and and this area where we went. There are no records of anyone going there wow the reason we kind of say they're the first recorded humans where we went is we do want to respect the tribe. Yeah, they might have been there at some point, but they do have records up to 21 years ago of who's gone where and everything.
Dustin:This one ian started leading expeditions yeah and no one had been to this region and no true outside influence had really gone in this area prior to him. So first recorded humans where we went, there was a mountain. They were like if we can't make it to the village, there's this other cool mountain from overlook. Let's just go climb that. So ended up doing a mountain hike. It's like a three to 4,000 foot mountain Nothing crazy, Um, but through the jungle it's tough. Yeah, that's gotta be your human and all that stuff.
Dustin:Oh, I can't breathe and no trail and you know you're walking like oh this is a cliff, let's turn back there, you know so it gets tough. So yeah, went up there instead. Uh didn't find the village, but we're the first recorded humans where we went there. That is awesome. We took the tribe. We had three tribal guides with us damien, lionel and paul so we decided to name the mountain the lipa, for d-a-l-i and then p-a all right, they're called the lipa the lipa, not to be confused, a dual lipa um yeah, so we ended up doing that instead.
Dustin:That was kind of the whole premise. The expedition yeah, um, and went up and that is awesome man unofficially named them out. It's not going to be in any maps and we'll even see if the tribe they don't really care that much they're like yeah sure it's called the lipa so yeah, that was the expedition.
Brett:That is awesome. Do you feel like indiana jones when you're doing this?
Dustin:because I for sure would there's a few moments where you're like, uh, like we saw like a 15 foot anaconda what there was a yeah uh in the water. There was a moment where, um, some spider monkeys probably like six of them like surrounded us from like 60 feet up and they were just like breaking off huge sticks and throwing it at us and then trying to pee on us and then throwing really huge chunks of poop at us and actually hit my friend's pack.
Dustin:I mean he got splattered that was monkeys man yep, uh and ocelot came through our camp, uh, which is oh, that's cool. Yeah, jaguar yeah, um, so that came through. Uh, let's see monkeys, anaconda. Oh, we caught a caiman. There was one that was we can't put this other really beautiful waterfall, yeah and uh, this caiman's like kind of coming up like we don't want this thing. So, like anders, just like caught it and, yeah, you know, probably like a five foot long thing. So and what?
Brett:are they?
Dustin:they're not crocodiles, they're not alligators, they're like a mix, just a yeah, smaller version yeah, it's kind of like an ocelot, it's a small jaguar, it's like a small crocodile. So in those moments you do feel like indiana jones. We sent up the drone nothing for miles, uh, and then our drone got attacked by killer bees at one point. So really make sure we don't bring that back. Um, yeah, I mean, nine days, no humans, no trails, wow, no pieces of trash. We didn't see a satellite, we didn't hear an airplane or a helicopter or any traffic or any anything. The only thing we saw is at one point on the trail we saw some slashes in the tree. Yeah, and that was from, uh, back in the day the tribe would go harvest rubber. Um, oh, wow, okay, that was like the only sign of humans we saw. So, yeah, there's a lot of points where you're like I do feel like ananda jones right now yeah, that is so cool, man it's pretty wild so did you?
Brett:um, like during that time you said nine days with just no contact with anyone, and like it feels like you're in a different. Yeah, what's that like? Because I mean you hear it all the time like everyone's like, man, if I could get rid of my phone for just a day, yeah, like I would love it. Or like you know, I just need to go take a trip by myself, or whatever it is like people always say, you know they just need to get away for a second, but you're immersed in that for nine days and you have no option. Like you can't pick up your phone, even if you wanted to. So like, what's that like?
Dustin:It's, it's the most refreshing experience you could possibly have. Um your mind, I feel like your brain goes to a place where, like, oh, this is how my brain is supposed to operate where I wake up and I just look around at the physical things around me yeah, I'm thinking about water, I'm thinking about food, I'm thinking about how my feet feel and you're just, you're very like tuned into being a human, and then it's really good for your mind and then your body starts to feel better too, like you're definitely pushing. I had, like you, I had a rash on my arm from like a heat rash, and you know you're sweaty, but you're uncomfortable, but you can just tell you're moving your body in a way that's meant to like.
Dustin:I actually went into the trip.
Brett:I was pretty nervous with plantar fasciitis oh, okay and yeah, which is you know, very bad on your feet, yeah, which is, you know, very bad on your feet, yeah Kills.
Dustin:Which is you know. You're hiking every day with these packs, but and how long?
Brett:How long are like typical day hikes, probably four to eight hours.
Dustin:Okay, usually I'd say five, but I mean, you are hoofing it.
Brett:That's a long time, it's like walking through a sauna.
Dustin:Yeah, you know, if you done a hot yoga class, imagine a 60 pound pack with long pants, long shirt. Yeah, uh, going, but uh, brutal, yeah. But what I recognize is every step wasn't flat and I was having to grip with my toes and I was stepping on all these rocks and, like you know, the weight that I was supporting was in a weird way and my plantar fasciitis completely went away rather than getting worse really yeah, I think I was strengthening all the right muscles through my hips, through through my knees, through my ankles, through my feet.
Dustin:That's crazy. And actually my plantar fascia just like got better, which is, you know, insane.
Brett:Yeah, that is pretty cool.
Dustin:So super refreshing both for your mind, super refreshing for your body. You feel like you're doing a detox because you're sweating out a gallon a day. I don't know the actual very present and you're kind of like, whatever's happening in the world, I just have to be here. Yeah, you know it's, there could be things happening. I can't worry about it. My worry does nothing. So I'm going to worry about setting up my, my hammock.
Brett:I'm going to worry about getting firewood. Yeah, that is awesome, like know um. I bet it also like helps you get closer to the people that you're with too oh, it's such a bonding experience like um, I'm not sure if you've ever heard of the band of brothers yeah, I just watched that show.
Dustin:I just watched it like three weeks ago, actually so good, it's like one of my favorites.
Brett:But, like, I think obviously this is a different example than war. But like you know this group of men, they hate each other and then eventually they become brothers. Um, and it's because they go through hard things together and they're like relying on one another. I feel like that would be the same exact thing. Yeah, in a situation like this, where it's like, hey, you're struggling over there, hey, I'm gonna go get you some food or whatever, it is like you guys just take care of each other yeah, you do.
Dustin:Um, obviously, like you said, not nearly as severe, but the concept still applies and right you're up through the highs and the lows, like there's definitely a few times where, um, one of the girls she kind of had like it was a low level, kind of like asthma attack or whatever, nothing crazy. She had her inhaler, but you know it's like, hey, like I'll get you water, you know, or like take a break. Um. And then I remember there's one hike where I got to the end of the day and I was like I'm actually done, like've I've been an ultra marathon runner and stuff and it's tough. But when you get to the end it's like, oh, I need a breather. I could go more if I wanted to.
Brett:Yeah.
Dustin:On this day I was like I, I'm literally, I'm just done. Yeah, so you're.
Dustin:you're with each other for the lows, but then you're also there for the highs Um's like it sucks for him in the moment, um, but then you're just laughing about it so hard and you end the trip with just these, like memories that are so unique, so real that, yeah, whenever we see each other, like remember that time that anders tackled, that uh came in. Remember when we did see the uh, we caught an electric eel, or when we saw the piranha we saw stingrays. I remember we were like taking a bath and we realized next to you was a stingray, like we have that.
Dustin:Um, it's crazy, yeah, and it's just you're like, you just belly laugh yeah, that is awesome yeah, it's something that can't be replicated other than through through, going through it together and through it.
Brett:Yeah, getting after it together. That's so cool, man, but um, you just brushed over that you're an ultra marathoner, by the way.
Dustin:Kind of Um, it wasn't a sanctioned run, I've only done one is a 50 K, which is like the minimum threshold I'd done. I just started running and then I was like, okay, I'm gonna do a half marathon just by myself. And then next week I was I'm gonna do it again. And then I took a weekend off, did it, and then the weekend after that I was like I'm going to train it actually for a marathon. And then the night before I stayed out a little bit too late and didn't get a good night's sleep have a drink or two.
Dustin:And I was like I woke up the next morning feeling kind of like I'm get away from me, so I'm gonna go for a long run. And then I just kept going and then I just like, all right, I'm gonna not stop till I hit 31 miles really dang man terrible decision I like. Just I couldn't walk right the next day like I work up to that, don't just be like I'm gonna do it today, so did it brutal.
Brett:Uh, yeah, happy I did it, but um my joints are still feeling it yeah, I mean that's awesome, though I I do that, so that's why I so that's why I asked but what's like your ultra marathon? I mean my first one was last year in Arizona in the desert, in July.
Dustin:Oh, geez yeah, so that was rough but it was a.
Brett:It was a 50 K cause I just wanted to do it. And, um, that one was cool because I ran it for my friend who was going through stage four colon cancer at the time um, and I wanted to quit. So many times I was like I can't yeah I'm running it for him. I can't quit yep um, and then, like the first 15 miles, I would throw up every like half mile or so yikes, so half mile.
Brett:It was rough like oh geez um, and it was a seven mile loop, and so the first time I get through I was like, yeah, I'm doing okay. And then I like ran back to my aid station. I was like I need some stuff, yeah, um, and they were all worried about me and so I would be like stop, yeah, but anyways it got through it, but um, yeah, I'm running in the canyon lands this year cool, um, and then, 50k nice and then we're doing my brother and I are doing a 50 miler in sedona next year, but, um, yeah, just trying to do it.
Brett:And then, duluth, minnesota, have a marathon next month, um, you're hooked, I'm hooked, yeah, I'm hooked. But that's like and when you're talking about um, you know being so present, like you're focused on water, you're focused on food and you're focused on, like, the next step and, yeah, how your feet feel, it's like it's interesting because I have a lot of those same thoughts, like when I am running. It's like you have to be in the moment, you have to be right there, yep, um, and it is kind of nice because it's like there's nothing else going through your head right and so, um, that's kind of my escape is like running, in a sense.
Brett:But, um, yeah, I, I want to go back to you. This isn't about ultra marathon stuff. We can talk about this, this at work. That mentality does apply to survival too.
Dustin:I mean having the right gear, having the right techniques, everything like that that's so important to survival. If you don't have a machete in the jungle, it's not going to work. But the next, or maybe even the most important thing is the psychology of it. When we had our meetings with Ian, we stacked up some cans. He's like here's the base. I made a little pyramid. He's like the base is your psychology. It is like how do you deal with every day, how do you want to survive? That's the number one thing.
Brett:Did he give you any tips for that? Like, when you're struggling, here's what you do.
Dustin:No, not really, because he's just a human that operates on a different level. I've met some very insane people in my day and I still feel like I'm. I relate to them more than I don't. Ian was the one person where I was like nope, I'm not, I'm not cuffing the same cloth. I was like and this includes, you know, people who have been on a loan, this includes, you know, ian is the one person where I was like I could spend an entire lifetime training and like hardening my mental state. I just he's just a different beast, so smart, so tuned in, so tough, just so like yeah, anyways, uh, so he would give you some advice, but like I don't know, he was talking about how one of the soldiers in his platoon or you know unit, got shot in the neck and was like spewing blood. He's like I put my knee into his, uh, bleeding neck and saved his life, and it was a great day you can just tell it doesn't phase him that much.
Dustin:There was a problem I fixed. The problem Day is good. I had to do it.
Brett:That's insane.
Dustin:He gave some tips, but it was also a different level.
Brett:What about you when it's tough and it probably rains a bunch in the Amazon and you're wet and you're tired and you have no food? What do you tell yourself to keep going?
Dustin:I think, um, I think of that quote. I forget where I heard it, but it was like there is no wall, just this brick. It's like if you're laying down bricks to build a wall, it's like, don't worry about, oh, no, I'm cold. Then what's going to happen in this many days of all? Just be like I am cold, but I'm cold. Yeah, that's a feeling. I'm alive. Yeah, you kind of just focus on the moment that you're in, like you're saying, when you're running, just being present. I think that's a big one.
Dustin:Um, and sometimes too, just trying to like phrase it as a challenge where I didn't think I could survive on the amazon and then I did so. Then the next time I'm in a situation where I don't think I can do it, I I'm like, well, last time I thought I couldn't do something, I did it and I had still a lot left in the tank. You know as as tough as it could be and I was as depleted as I'd ever been, but I still hiked that last bit to the jungle with a pack on and this and that that didn't kill me. So kind of having those experiences to draw upon and say, yeah, I'll get through this and now the next thing's not going to be as tough.
Brett:Yeah, that's such a good mindset. Yeah, I love that. And it's like, yeah, I mean I've coached a few people and like, walking them through that, like I always remember this Seven miles for some reason, is always like oof, like it turns people off from like when they're trying to start running, they're like I don't know, that distance seems like a lot, I don't know.
Dustin:More than double the 5K yeah.
Brett:But every time they always finish it and they're like that was crazy, I did it, I didn't think I could. And I'm like, yeah, so just wait until you hit 13 and then keep going up and it just, and like it just shows that you just don't know your limits. No, and I always tell my wife this because she's like what distance are you going to stop running?
Brett:I'm like I don't know, Like I just want to find what my limit is and see if I can reach it Right. And luckily that day hasn't come. But it's like I want to. I'm just curious, like I want to see what I can do.
Dustin:Yeah.
Brett:And it's for you, you know like what is the distance?
Dustin:it's probably for you it's like it's less about some numerical goal and more about like, how do I get into that?
Brett:moment. Yeah, okay, if like whenever that moment stops being there. Yeah, and I mean running for me has become a mental game more than it has like oh yeah, what ian was saying like it very much is the psychology. Yeah, it needs to be the base. Take that next step so I love that.
Dustin:That's huge. That's huge. Don't worry about the marathon, worry about the next step, don't worry about the wall, worry about the next brick.
Brett:I love that. That's so good. Yeah, I'm going to put that as a quote on this one. Cool the description. But um, you went to the Philippines recently. Right, I did. How?
Dustin:was that. It was great. It was another survival esque uh thing. So, uh, yeah, it was cool. We went to an uninhabited desert Island, just our group, some people did survival, some didn't. Um, but we learned a bunch and it was a beautiful jungle Island that you have beautiful jungle that spills onto the white sand beach, that then spills into the clear water, which then becomes a beautiful reef, and we had it all to ourselves. That's crazy, fantastic all to ourselves.
Brett:That's crazy, fantastic. Holy cow, what's on? Is there like coconuts on the island and things like that? Yeah there's coconuts, you guys are chopping coconuts and drinking them on the sand.
Dustin:There's coconuts um, yeah, that's like that we call the tree of life. There you can, you can open it up. There's, um, if you have a green coconut, you can drink that water pretty much as much as you want. Yeah, there's brown. There's a little more oil in that, so you can't do it as much. The the next phase is when it kind of starts to grow and if you bring that up, there's like a little cake in there, so it's like a little carbohydrate cake. But there's coconuts. There's fish, there's a I think it's sea parsley. I might be mispronouncing that, but kind, of like a little edamame shell that's got some beans in it.
Dustin:Can't have a ton of those, but you can have some not much kind of depends on the season, but that's so cool, man. Yeah, there's some stuff out there we. We brought though our own food for this yeah, unless you're doing a survival challenge similar to the last one camping and then survival yeah, man, that's cool.
Brett:Do you have any trips coming up like any planned?
Dustin:chilling for now.
Brett:I'm getting married okay, from now so uh, yeah, uh.
Dustin:Melanie, my fiancee is also a hardcore badass and she uh came with me to the last Amazon expedition.
Brett:She goes with you.
Dustin:Oh, yeah, yeah she she didn't want to do the survival phase this time, which I can totally get. Yeah, but yeah, hiking. She was right there every step of the way when I was done hiking and like huh she was like, all right, I'll set up camp. She was still having energy in. Her is looking at doing um uh like wedding and then honeymoon plan which will probably actually take a little bit easy on the go survival.
Brett:Yeah, yeah.
Dustin:So, um, yeah, nothing too crazy we. We've kicked around the idea of Mongolia or like um after that and like doing some horseback riding and stuff it'd be camping and like living with the, the tribes out there and yurts, but it's much more um comfortable. Yeah, true survival would be like a in between a hard camping trip and not quite survival.
Brett:Yeah, that's, yeah. Would you ever go up to like?
Dustin:alaska. Oh, I'd love to yeah really I want to do arctic survival um at some point, if I can. Some crazy stuff up there yeah, that's why you got to do it.
Brett:That's why you got to do it, man you got to brace the elements, um, but yeah, like that, like I was telling you about the outdoor boys, he's posted videos where he's in negative 20 degrees in a hot tent and there's just nothing around him. Yeah, so he has to, like, pack in his food and everything for that, but he's melting snow to get the water, and just so interesting, and I don't know. I've always been fascinated with the outdoors. Like, yeah, um, should do one of these trips. I'd, I'd love it honestly.
Dustin:I would love it. I think you like it.
Brett:I'll let you know what the next one is yeah and um, are they always out of the country? Uh?
Dustin:no, actually. So, uh, desert island survival that's what I did this survival trip with, uh in the philippines, um, we are actually trying to find a good island, um, that is, that is in the U? S, to do like a survival white oh, wow, um. So we're, we're looking around. It's a little bit more difficult because we we have what we call, like the Goldilocks zone not too hot, not too cold, um, for these islands that are, uh, the main islands, we have one, yeah, uh.
Dustin:The ones I've not done is Indonesia, um, and the Maldives, and then also French Polynesia here and there. That sure doesn't run, but has to be an Island that is beautiful and feels remote, but also close enough that if you do need a to evacuate, you can. It has enough resources on it, like coconuts and things like that Um, but like that um, but then also doesn't have like pit vipers or anything too dangerous. So you have to find the right island. It wouldn't be exactly that in the states, but there's just so many uh islands that are either super, super, super expensive or, you know, like pretty much like a jet ski dock and yeah, it's like, okay, you're not really camping, so we are looking at that, it'd probably be a short like a four-day trip or something.
Dustin:If we could get it up and running and it'd be more of like an intro. Let's learn bushcraft. Uh, you can sleep under the stars if you want, but um, yeah, hopefully in the us at some point here soon. Yeah, I would love it yeah, I'll let you know.
Brett:But I mean, I grew up going to the sierras. Like my family loves the high sierras and those are great. My uncle he like loves it so much, him and his uncle. So my great uncle, they bought a decommissioned tungsten mine in bishop california, whoa um, just because like it's right in in the mountains, cool, um, and I think they got it for like a killer price and are they gonna still do mining stuff or just like oh, I don't think they're mine, I think they're trying to?
Brett:turn into a hydro plant actually, um, because there's so much water coming out of the mountain like that they want to sell it to la. But, um, I don't know, man, just going up there and being like connected to nature and just it's just something else. So, like, what you do is amazing, it's been amazing.
Dustin:It's been awesome. If you're on the cusp like, should I, should I not do it?
Brett:Yeah.
Dustin:Push yourself a little over the edge and, worst case, you go. Yeah, that sucks, not for me you know, but you're not gonna regret it. You're gonna come back with so many stories yeah yeah, it's, it's fantastic.
Brett:I mean um, like a motto that my wife and I embody from her dad actually is you can do hard things yeah and um, like we run a marathon or a half marathon every year in his honor and like get as many people as we can to come and join this thing. Um, and that's the theme is like you can can always do hard things Right, and um, something like that. It's like, yeah, I mean, everything is in in life is hard, like choose your heart Right, and it's much better to to choose the adversity yourself than to have life do it for you. And so I don't know. I think there's so many lessons to be learned in that, and so I'm serious, you got to keep me in in. I will check.
Dustin:I would love it I think, uh, we were saying like choosing the hard stuff. There's another quote that I love big quote guy, yeah hey, me too yeah, it says, uh, for those who do difficult things, life will be easy, for those who do easy things, life will be difficult. I'm like that's like a nice little paradox there and I think it makes a lot of sense I do too you do the survival, you do the ultra marathon and then, when you're in a pinch in life, you know, or something like that, or you yeah the hike is going longer than you thought.
Dustin:You're like, yeah, it sucks, but it's not. It's easy because I've done so many hard things.
Brett:Right, it's such an important mindset to have, yeah, like it bleeds into every part of your life, like it does, I'm sure, same for me with running. Like I take the lessons that I learn, and like you have good runs, you have bad runs, and you have good days at work and you have bad days at work, and like you just got to push through and keep your eyes focused on the next thing.
Dustin:Like you said, the next step, yep like if I got a bad night's sleep. I'm like I can't go to school tomorrow. I'll be so tired now I'm like dude, I didn't sleep for two days on the amazon survival right I'll get through the day like whatever.
Brett:Yeah, like yesterday. I don't want to stare at excel right now, but but yeah, whatever it gets, it get get you through, yeah, but man, yeah any other stories you want to share or anything else um, I mean, I guess, some other highlights.
Dustin:I did the the panama survival that was.
Brett:Oh yeah, we didn't even talk about panama yeah, panama, and then tonga.
Dustin:Um, the amazon's the true highlights. That's like where you're really pushing yourself. Panama did uh, island survival through desert island survival. Go look them up, they're fantastic. Uh, it's a true highlight. So that's where you're really pushing yourself. Panama did Island Survival through Desert Island Survival. Go look them up, they're fantastic. It's a company founded by my friend, tom Williams. He was on the show alone in the UK.
Brett:Really yeah, he won, no way yeah the UK.
Dustin:He didn't have to last quite as long, just people gave up quicker there. It's the first season there the Brits People gave up quicker there. It's the first season there, but he won it pretty handedly. He's a great guy, awesome company he set up. He really is like here's how to have a crazy adventure while also keeping it beautiful and fun, anyway. So he founded this company and I went with him to Panama. He reached out to me. My name was in the group of survivors. It's a very small, uh, group of people.
Brett:Um so, uh, you know it's, it's not many people out there trying to just survive, willingly getting rid of everything and you know embracing uh uncomfortable things, but anyway.
Dustin:So he got my information reached out, so he's doing a trip, so I went with him. It was 10 people on the island plus two survival instructors, him plus lucas miller. Lucas miller was on season one of the us um alone. He's the guy really. He built the boat. He made likea little guitar. So if you've ever seen season one, he was on there I'll have to watch it after this.
Dustin:Yeah, yeah, he's, he's awesome, he knows his bushcraft so well. But, um, yeah, we went to that island six days of training and four days of survival. I did it with my two friends who I did jungle survival with, who I met out there, yeah, um. So then we did it as a group of three for four days. We were his first ever group to not use any of the resources.
Brett:He gives you a little bit of calories. He gives you a little bit of water yeah nope um that's gotta make you feel good yeah, I did.
Dustin:That's another thing where you're like I want some water. It's not coconuts. I've been slightly dehydrated for four days, but then when you go back, you hop on that boat and he's like here's water, here's chocolate, let's go get a burger. You know, tonight we're having pizza.
Brett:You're just like hell yes, yeah, I mean, it's the hunger is the best sauce.
Dustin:So like that pizza you're eating is like the best thing ever and he was, so it's gotta be the best. Yeah, did that trip.
Dustin:That was awesome, and then I went out to um, probably like a year and a half after that, uh went with two youtubers with desert on survival. Um, really, yeah, they're named kara and nate. Um, care, with a k, they're all one word. Look them up, they're huge. They have like four million subscribers. Dang, they're awesome. You get on the island. They're working harder than anyone. Everything you see in their videos they are truly doing that's awesome. I mean, there is a time where we're setting up the group shelter right, let's go for like a sunset hike and nate was like no, I'm gonna hang back and finish up the shelter. I've seen so many. You guys go, have fun. I was like dang, like he's like he's legit, yeah, so it's awesome going with them.
Dustin:They, uh, I did the panama trip.
Dustin:They came like a week after us, oh, wow they did the panama trip, and then I was like, oh, that's cool, we got the youtubers. And then the next time he was like, hey, like you want to come do some photography and videography and just help out. So went out to tonga, um, and then was with them when they did their video. Yeah, I'm in the, I'm not in the video, I'm just in the background. But uh, then I did two nights solo, oh, wow, yeah, doing uh on tonga, which, if you're going to survive anywhere, surviving tonga, really it's. We called it the garden of eden, it was like coconut like.
Dustin:Like when you're in Panama getting the coconuts down. The trees are tall, it's tough to get them down. There were so many coconuts. This place was so unfished that I was just like this has got to fish.
Brett:Really, you're just having a great time. This is amazing. It's a fishing trip now.
Dustin:The highs were like 72 and the lows were 68. So I was like great. It like 72 and the lows were 68, so I was like great it's temperature. Yeah, you're perfect, yeah, so, uh, it was. It was awesome and it was so beautiful. We watched humpback whales jumping in the distance no way the most highest concentration of humpback whales.
Dustin:You can also legally swim with them if you're going to like a licensed guide. So the guy who rescued us from our island on the way back he was like let's go find some humpback whales. We swam with humpback whales. What's that like? Is it scary? It's, it's humbling. I mean I was looking at there's a mother and a calf. Yeah, the calf is swimming around being like look at me, look at my flippers, like just you know, kind of swimming at you and swerving and then doing barrel rolls and the calf is probably bigger than you oh, like the size of like a school bus.
Dustin:And then, uh, the mother is just huge. And you're in the most pristine, crystal clear water you could possibly imagine and you're looking at this humpback whale and you're like I can't really see the tail because it's that deep down. So that wasn't, that's insane. Yeah, so tonga, survival was pretty easy. I mean, it's still very tough, but pretty easy, yeah any survival would be hard, yeah, yeah and then, um, the humpback whales, and then they had these.
Dustin:They call them foxes, like these fruit bats that fly around. They use their eyesight, not echolocation oh really, yes, they're flying in the day, interesting, and they're like the biggest one they can get to, like five feet wingspan Now that's a big one, but I would say plenty of three to four and a half foot, and they have these orange heads. So I just remember there was a day where I was watching the sunset by myself and I'm on this beautiful pristine beach by myself, no boats, no, nothing in the distance, and I can see humpback whales jumping, and then behind me are these giant foxes flying around oh my and that was one of the most magical moments you could possibly that's amazing
Brett:yeah, that was really incredible how could you not like remember that for the rest of your life? Like seriously like the hummingbirds and the amazon, and yeah, it's moments like that like that is amazing it's, it's um. Yeah, I feel very normal people don't get that stuff.
Dustin:They don't but they can. They can. It's just a simple choice of saying I'm gonna do it. Yeah, that's true. Who are like how do you do this? I'm like I don't have any secrets, I'm not special I'm actually trying to get you to come out.
Brett:Yeah, exactly, yeah exactly Then.
Dustin:a lot of my friends came to Philippines one. I made that trip a little bit easier, but it's like you just have to make the decision to go. It's going to hurt your bank account a little bit, you're going to have to stop eating out for a little bit, you're going to have to train a little bit. But there's these tiny little sacrifices add up to these incredible life experiences. Life experiences, and not only is that experience awesome now, it unlocks your perspective for greater experiences. If I hadn't done that amazon trip, I'm probably not doing these island trips. I'm not doing that first island trip. I'm not hanging out with these really awesome youtubers on the second one I'm not hanging out with them on that.
Dustin:I'm not bringing my friends to the philippines, so it's like right, just allow yourself to unlock your potential.
Brett:That's so cool, man. I love that. Yeah, and it really is like there's so much out there for everyone, and it doesn't have to be like survival or running or anything.
Dustin:It's just like if you have a desire to do something, follow your passion in that the youtube video so I'm making the next one for the philippines yeah um, and yeah, I've actually found that I really enjoyed the art of storytelling. Like you look at a scene like how do I film it, how do I capture it then, how do I like condense it down so an audience can get it? Um, so I'm actually pretty proud of my first one. It's a 47 minute video, but I think, it came out pretty well.
Dustin:I spent hours doing that. Editing is a beast on its own it's a beast so and I was like, if I'm trying to do this expedition to make ian proud, I need to make a video to make him proud. Yeah, now, that being said, he'd be like you're making a youtube video, dude, really, but because he's like one of those guys yeah but, uh no, I I had a lot of fun.
Dustin:So I'm making a philippines one, um, and hopefully that'll be out in the next month or two. We'll kind of see how it goes. Um, that's what I'm gonna remind me. Your youtube channel name it's one wild path. Or if you just look up my name fun fact I'm the only dustin illner in the world. Are you serious? There's only like three to four hundred illness in the world with ill gner. So there's only like three to 400 illness in the world with ILL GNER. So if you look up my name, you'll find me. All right, there we go. But yeah, the video's up. Um, I've got like 15 subscribers. So, hey, there we go. Yeah, but it's, it's cool, it's fun. Um, and another one will be coming out soon.
Brett:Well, I'll definitely put the link in this video description so people will watch it, because what you're talking about just sounds amazing. I want to learn about it more so and, yeah, keep me posted on any future ones. But um, it's been great having you, man it's been awesome and it's crazy because, like you, have all these stories and you sit right behind me at work so it's like, yeah, I would never know.
Dustin:That's just the guy who's staring at excel, or you know, talking to a brand about their product margin and I'm over there looking at random data points, so same thing.
Brett:But, um, yeah, man, it's been so fun talking to you and hearing your experiences and everything. So genuinely appreciate you coming on. Absolutely. Thanks for having me, of course, man, and, um, yeah, everyone else out there appreciate you guys tuning in and listening and, as always, keep getting after it. Keep getting after it. Dude, that was awesome. Cool man, that was fun. That was fun. That was fun.