Below is some of the media coverage of Francis Tapon or his books. Francis has been covered on...
3 TEDx Talks
First TEDx Talk: How and Why Travel Transforms You
Learn more about my first TEDx talk, which I gave right before I left for my 5-year trip to Africa. Over 110,000 views:
Second TEDx Talk: Bring Out Your Inner Black Sheep
Watch my first TEDx Talk after I came back from Africa.
Third TEDx Talk: 7 Surprising Lessons from Picking Up 3,000 African Hitchhikers
On November 2, 2019, in San Jose, California.
Television Appearances
Hiking advice
National TV interview as an outdoor/survival expert, commenting on Brian Laundrie case in 2021
I appeared on the local FOX News station in the San Francisco Bay Area:
I appeared on a local CBS station in San Francisco right before my Africa trip:
Dreaming of Traveling the World Award
Amazon and Lincoln-Mercury teamed up to profile 25 individuals pursuing a classic dream. One of those 25 dreams was "To Travel the World." Their producers picked me as the person who best personifies that dream. As a result, a film crew of dozen professionals spent two days filming me at various locations. After much editing, here is what they did...
French American TV interviews me in English for 8 minutes.
Skip the first minute of this video since there's a small technical problem:
Here's the second interview in French:
Photos and more
If you're in the media and you need a very high-resolution photo for print, then click on the images on this page.
Tip: I recommend reviewing the "About" page to get my bio. To learn more about my books, visit the books page.
Hall of Fame: In 2019, I was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, which "features nominees who are world-renowned for their skills and who have helped inspire thousands of others to take part in the great outdoors." That club includes John Muir, Ansel Adams, and some nuts you've never heard of.
Some think they picked me because I've evangelized about the glories of backpacking, but I know the real reason: they're impressed that I backpacked for 45 days without a shower.
KQED, Forum with Michael Krasny. In this one hour in-depth interview, we discuss The Hidden Europe on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the USSR (Dec 29, 2011). KQED is the most-listened-to public radio station in America with over 745,000 listeners each week.
WBAI, Pacifica Radio Network station in NYC interviews Francis Tapon. Rebecca Myles, Reporter and Producer, interviews him about his book, The Hidden Europe.
KSFR, Santa Fe Public Radio, "Interview with Francis Tapon," with Emily Drabanski. It aired on the radio program, "Hello, New Mexico," and is now a podcast. We talk about my CDT Yo-Yo and my book.
New Books in Eastern European Studies. Hugo Lane, who specializes in reviewing books on Eastern Europe, interviews me for one hour to discuss The Hidden Europe.
The Don't Worry About The Government podcast. Francis is a guest on this lively show, where we discuss politics, especially politics in Russia, Belarus, and Macedonia.
This Week in Travel, "We're All Going to Moldova." Francis is a guest on a show with hosts Gary Arndt, Chris Christiansen, and Jen Leo. We discuss Eastern Europe, not just Moldova. The first 40% of the show is about Travel News; the interview starts around the 40% mark.
Upgrade Reality, "Interview with Francis Tapon," by Dirk "Diggy" de Bruin. In this 20 minute interview, we discuss travel, business, and advice for young people.
PracticalBackpacking.com, "CDT Yo-Yo," by Bernie Wilt. An interview about my CDT Yo-Yo.
Backpackinglight.com, "Five Pounds of Gear," by Carol Crooker. A 42-minute interview about how I survive for many months in the mountains with just over five pounds of gear. Part II is "Traveling for a living," by Carol Crooker. A 15-minute interview on how one can travel for a living.
Chicago Tribune, "Getting to know the world around us," by Barbara L. Brotman, September 24, 2012. I'm quoted on the article's second page (which is behind a paywall).
The Washington Post, "Eastern Europe: Innovation's hidden hub," by Francis Tapon. This article first appeared online and then a few days later the editors deemed it worthy of printing a trimmed-down version of it in the Sunday edition.
Patch, "'The Hidden Europe' Comes to Los Gatos," by Rachel Stern. The story about The Hidden Europe book launch.
National Geographic, "Best of Adventure, Trends: New Leaf," wrote, "That kind of annuity should give guys like Francis Tapon—who thru-hiked some 2,800 miles (4,506 kilometers) on the nearly completed Continental Divide Trail (only to turn around and hike back)—more room to roam, both above and below the tree line."
5280, "Taking the High Way: Thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail," by Kelly Bastone, August 2008, pp. 70-73. Denver's premier magazine reports on Francis Tapon's first-ever yo-yo of the CDT.
San Jose Mercury News, "Entrepreneurs to students: start-ups looking for MBAs," by Steve Kaufman, January 10, 1998, page C1. On the cover (including a photo) of the business section of Silicon Valley's premier newspaper.
Click on the cover above for a high-resolution image.
For more information about Hike Your Own Hike, including reviews and excerpts, visit the HYOH page.
Contact Francis Tapon
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