CHAPTERS
- 0:04 – 1:12
Adam’s 5-month U.S. adventure and comparing landscapes (Australia vs. America)
Joe welcomes Adam Greentree back and they talk about Adam’s extended U.S. trip with his family. The conversation quickly turns to how varied and dramatic the American landscape feels to Adam, and misconceptions about Australia’s terrain.
- •Adam is traveling the U.S. for about five months with his kids
- •Australia isn’t just flat desert—there are significant mountain ranges
- •The U.S. stands out for extreme variety (Rockies, deserts, etc.)
- •Friendly banter about which country is “better”
- 1:12 – 3:18
28 days solo in the Rockies: grizzlies, fear, and how “normal” wild danger feels
Joe brings up Adam’s viral Rocky Mountains solo trek and the intense grizzly encounter footage. They unpack how predator encounters become ‘normal’ in true wilderness, and compare Australia’s risks (especially crocs) to North America’s.
- •Adam’s Rocky Mountain solo trip drew huge public attention
- •Grizzly “false charges” and predator proximity as routine wilderness reality
- •Society’s disconnection from nature amplifies fear and fascination
- •Debate: bear mauling vs. saltwater crocodile attack outcomes
- 3:18 – 4:23
Predators eating prey alive: mountain lions, wolves, and nature’s indifference
They dig into disturbing realities of predation—animals often begin eating before prey is dead. Adam shares recent mountain lion examples, and Joe adds a graphic story about wolves on an elk.
- •Grizzlies (and others) often don’t kill prey before eating
- •Mountain lion footage: eating a calf while still alive
- •Wolves and other predators follow pure survival logic, not morality
- •Nature is efficient, brutal, and emotionally hard for humans to watch
- 4:23 – 9:56
Wolf intelligence and communication: packs, strategy, and Yellowstone’s ripple effects
Adam recounts memorable wolf encounters in Canada, emphasizing their planning and coordination. Joe connects that to broader ecology and wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone, including surplus-kill behavior and scavenger cycles.
- •Wolves used a frozen river to finish a caribou, then returned later
- •Pack coordination: keeping perfect range, howling, alpha signals
- •Cooperative hunting strategies (funneling, boxing in prey)
- •Yellowstone reintroduction and stories of surplus kills in deep snow
- •Nothing truly “goes to waste” in the ecosystem
- 9:56 – 13:19
Staying connected in remote country: uploading, reception hacks, and stepping away from phones
Joe asks how Adam posts content from the backcountry, prompting a discussion of delayed uploads, coverage, and satellite limitations. They broaden into how constant connectivity changes behavior—and why wilderness time is a reset.
- •Many “live” posts are recorded first, uploaded later when back in service
- •Reception varies: high ground helps; some regions have none at all
- •Satellite data is slow/expensive; inReach works for texts, not uploads
- •Modern phones reduce planning discipline compared to pre-mobile workdays
- •Value of being unreachable and away from email/social obligations
- 13:19 – 17:51
Social media conflict and consequences: why people are nastier online
They discuss outsourcing social media, reducing doomscrolling, and the inevitability of negative commenters at scale. Adam argues that the loss of real-world repercussions encourages escalating online hostility.
- •Ari Shaffir and Bert Kreischer use teams to manage social media
- •Scale effect: even 1% negativity becomes huge with millions of followers
- •Online insults feel consequence-free compared to real-life confrontation
- •Fights in youth/sports as a “reset” mechanism for conflict
- •Internet interaction is historically new; norms haven’t stabilized
- 17:51 – 24:45
Virtual reality, haptic suits, and “experiences you didn’t earn” (plus the future of sex tech)
Joe shifts to VR’s rapid progress—haptic feedback, immersive games, and how it will reshape culture. Both worry about people becoming physically weaker and psychologically dependent on simulated achievements and relationships.
- •VR archery/boxing immersion and body feedback effects
- •Haptic suits and the acceleration toward Matrix-like experiences
- •Concern: simulated victories/experiences without real effort or risk
- •Sex and deepfakes as the most disruptive application
- •Tech can ‘take the edge off’ reality and motivation to improve oneself
- 24:45 – 27:38
Time-lapse skies at Joshua Tree: Milky Way, air traffic, and modern ‘futurism’
Adam shares his stacked-image astrophotography, highlighting how busy skies look at night due to aircraft. The talk moves into park closures during the shutdown and frustration with visitors damaging protected areas.
- •Stacking hundreds of images to create star trails and Milky Way motion
- •Air traffic dominates long exposures, creating constant streaks
- •Adam promotes his Instagram pages for photography work
- •Joshua Tree shutdown: trash, vandalism, and even tree-cutting incidents
- •Theme: people disconnect from wilderness and fail to respect it
- 27:38 – 33:34
City vs wilderness culture shock: LA rain talk and Adam’s Disneyland baptism
They contrast urban complaints (like ‘bad weather’) with nature’s need for rain, then pivot into Adam’s first Disneyland experience. Adam’s Splash Mountain story becomes a comedic highlight about discomfort, money, and family fun.
- •Rain as ecological relief vs city inconvenience complaints
- •How little LA rains compared to other regions
- •Disneyland: getting soaked on Splash Mountain and buying Disney clothes
- •‘Everything costs money’ critique—paying to dry off
- •Disney World’s Avatar ride as peak modern theme-park immersion
- 33:34 – 51:35
Hard-earned fun vs shallow fun: misery, gratitude, and why suffering sticks
Using Steve Rinella’s idea of two kinds of fun, they argue that hardship creates lasting meaning. Joe describes a soaked Alaska hunt, and Adam shares how misery in the mountains makes simple comforts feel profound again.
- •“Fun now” (rides) vs “fun later” (hard trips you’ll remember forever)
- •Prince of Wales Island: constant rain, no true dryness, mental grind
- •Post-trip gratitude: showers, sunshine, warmth, and simple comfort
- •Kim’s difficult Montana hike: snow, injury issues, and joy from a fire
- •Wilderness time creates a durable appreciation for modern life
- 51:35 – 55:09
Distance, vehicles, and outback reality: Australian travel, fuel mods, and ‘gray nomads’
They shift into Australian scale and infrastructure—why fuel capacity matters and how remote regions shape vehicle culture. Adam explains long drives to cities and the retired ‘gray nomad’ caravan lifestyle.
- •Australian utility vehicles: trays/flatbeds and rugged setups
- •Aftermarket fuel tanks and long-range travel necessities
- •Western Australia’s enormous distances (18 hours to a major city)
- •Touring culture and retirees traveling with tow-behind trailers
- •Four-wheel driving as a mainstream Australian outdoor tradition
- 55:09 – 57:50
Hunting culture differences (U.S. vs Australia) and the ethics of eating predators
They discuss how hunting is publicly embraced in parts of America but less culturally supported in Australia. The conversation turns to Adam’s mountain lion hunt, how it tastes, and why public sentiment reacts differently to predator harvests.
- •In the U.S., hunting is celebrated; in Australia it’s less visible
- •Australia’s invasive/non-native species create abundant hunting opportunity
- •Mountain lion meat described as delicious—between chicken/pork/venison
- •Public outrage is stronger for ‘charismatic’ predators like lions
- •Hunting as management: tags, quotas, and wildlife biology frameworks
- 57:50 – 1:04:52
Hunting mountain lions with dogs: practicality, regulation, and conservation funding
Adam explains how dogs are used to tree lions so hunters can confirm sex and make legal, ethical shots. Joe critiques California policy: outlawing dog hunting while government agents still kill similar numbers without the public conservation benefits.
- •Dogs make lion hunting feasible; otherwise sightings are extremely rare
- •Legal constraints: only males in some areas to maintain healthy populations
- •Treeding allows visual confirmation of sex before harvesting
- •California bans dogs yet still removes lions via government control
- •License/tag money and hunter participation as conservation mechanisms
- 1:04:52 – 1:08:01
Lanai axis deer and bowhunting realities: ‘jumping the string’ and loving failure
They revisit Lanai as a high-opportunity training ground and discuss how fast deer react to bow shots. Adam emphasizes meaningful hunting—strategy, timing, and accepting failure as part of what makes success valuable.
- •Axis deer are exceptionally fast and reactive compared to other deer
- •Clarifying ‘jumping the string’: the drop-and-load movement is key
- •Why distraction/wind/noise improves shot outcomes
- •Lanai’s density enables practice and repeated stalk opportunities
- •Philosophy: mystery and the possibility of failure are essential to real hunting
- 1:08:01 – 1:26:31
Australia’s ‘vermin’ problem: deer classification, wasted culls, and feral pig brutality
Adam contrasts ethical use of wild meat with wasteful killing and highlights how invasive species pressures reshape policy. The discussion intensifies around feral pigs—ecosystem damage, cannibalism, and Adam’s close-quarters boar encounter.
- •In parts of Australia, deer are treated as vermin with very loose rules
- •Critique of killing and leaving animals without using meat
- •Feral pigs devastate habitat by rooting and destroying plant regrowth
- •Boars can become livestock predators; Adam’s boar attack and knife kill story
- •Pigs: cannibalism, rapid breeding, and major agricultural destruction
- 1:26:31 – 1:49:08
Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) hopes, Australia’s gun laws, and reframing ‘dangerous Australia’
Joe asks about thylacine sightings and the possibility of rediscovery or de-extinction, then they pivot to risk comparisons between countries. Adam argues America has plenty of dangerous wildlife too, and outlines Australia’s post–mass shooting gun restrictions.
- •Thylacine history: extinction driven by persecution and livestock conflict
- •Skepticism about survival today due to camera prevalence, but hope remains
- •Adam’s ‘America is dangerous’ counterpoint: snakes, rattlesnakes, etc.
- •Overview of Australian licensing and limits (no/limited semi-autos)
- •Principle: criminals will still acquire weapons; focus on responsible ownership
- 1:49:08 – 1:54:10
Public lands etiquette and the trash problem: why influencers don’t share spots
They discuss how viral location sharing can ruin wild places—connecting it back to Joshua Tree damage. Adam explains his trash-pickup giveaway campaign and praises cultures (like New Zealand’s hut system) where respect for public resources is the norm.
- •Not sharing ‘secret’ locations to protect others’ hard-earned sanctuaries
- •Joshua Tree as a cautionary tale: vandalism, litter, resource destruction
- •Adam’s campaign: rewarding people for tagging trash cleanup efforts
- •Balloons as persistent wilderness litter that should be banned
- •New Zealand public huts: community maintenance norms vs vandalism elsewhere
- 1:54:10 – 2:28:00
Going off-grid and personal loss: simplifying life and the future of Adam’s business
Adam describes wanting a deeper self-sufficient lifestyle—solar, land, hunting, gardens, and minimal digital intrusion. He also shares a recent family/business loss (his stepmother/business partner), and considers selling the business as life priorities shift.
- •Desire to cut bills, reduce connectivity, and live off the land long-term
- •Family food goals: game meat, chickens/eggs, homegrown vegetables
- •How remote living changes values and reduces modern ‘noise’
- •Adam’s stepmother/business partner (an Indigenous woman) passed away recently
- •Business is mostly delegated; selling becomes a realistic option
