Renee Miller and Tim Beissinger have amassed 2.3 million followers on social media by sharing their expertise in hiking, backpacking canoeing and camping, while balancing careers as a mechanical engineer and plant geneticist, respectively.

They have traversed over 10,000 miles, including hiking from Mexico to Canada twice. They’ve also completed a full circuit of the Pacific Crest Trail that included 1,200 miles of canoeing along the Columbia River and 1,500 miles hiking along the U.S.-Canada border, Beissinger said, in addition to backpacking across the U.S. and bike touring in Europe and South America.

On Aug. 20, the adventure couple releases their debut hiking survival book, “Thruhikers: A Guide to Life on the Trail.” It expands on the short-form videos, delving into the details that didn’t fit within content shared under the handle @thruhikers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

“We have this really surprisingly large audience on the internet watching our hikes and our adventures outside and we try to make a lot of educational content to help explain how it works to do these long trips or short trips, or just to be out camping at all,” Beissinger said.

“You can only fit so much into a 60-second video and the book was a chance to give a lot more details and a lot more information, about how to enjoy a trip.”

From tips on packing philosophy and trip planning, dehydrating food and packing light, the book also includes short stories from the couple’s lived experience on the trail.

“It’s really for anybody who’s trying to make their outdoor experience more fun. We’ve learned that minimizing backpack weight and planning during the right season and sort of approaching a trip in a smart way is the way to make it enjoyable.”

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Bodily functions

The California-based duo has found some of their most popular content online is related to packing lists. But it’s also the videos covering how to manage bodily functions while on the trail for days, weeks, or even months at a time that have clearly resonated with online audiences.

Beissinger said, “People are always curious — how do we poop in the wilderness? How does Renee manage her period in the wilderness? We have videos about those things, but in the book, we go into much more detail and really try to teach folks how they can deal with those bodily functions.”

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Record breaker on the PCT

Last month, Miller broke the existing women’s record for the fastest known time of an unsupported Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike across Oregon. She logged 40 miles on her longest day, completing the journey in 14 days and 14 hours and shaving a day and a half off the existing record.

“It was probably one of the most challenging things I’ve done both physically and mentally, to just be out there by myself trying to walk as much as possible every day,” Miller said.

The outdoor guide is written for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. It will be available wherever books are sold, nationwide.