Life Beyond the Map: Interview w/ Modern Explorer, Tay Wanders

Life Beyond the Map: Interview w/ Modern Explorer, Tay Wanders

Author: Locations Unknown December 27, 2025 Duration: 58:21
Today we’re sitting down with Tay, a Southern girl turned road-warrior and modern explorer who approaches adventure with confidence, intention, and a grounded perspective.

A single mom and storyteller at heart, Tay creates outdoor and travel narratives designed to help women step into big, wild places feeling prepared and empowered. Through thoughtful destination inspiration, practical safety insight, and carefully built itineraries, she works to make adventure feel accessible rather than intimidating.

What began as traveling out of her truck during COVID quietly evolved into a full-scale business. By working remotely, Tay has built a life that allows her to stay present with her daughter while giving her firsthand experiences of the world from an early age.

Tay’s story is about taking calculated risks, trusting your instincts, and realizing that adventure doesn’t have to wait for “someday.” We’re excited to dig into her journey, how it all came together, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

You can learn more about Tay below:
Instagram
Tay Wanders Linktree
TayWanders.com

YouTube

Learn more about Locations Unknown: https://linktr.ee/LocationsUnknown

Check out our other shows on the Unknown Media Network:
Crime Off The Grid
Off The Trails
Hike N' Seek 
Who Runs This Park

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Locations Unknown ventures into the silent, vast spaces where people have simply gone missing. Hosts Mike & Joe guide each episode through a specific case, piecing together timelines from the final known moments, through the often-frustrating official searches, and into the lingering questions that haunt families and park rangers alike. This isn't just a true crime podcast; it’s a close look at the intersection of human error, unpredictable nature, and the peculiar geography of places like dense national forests and isolated mountain ranges that can swallow a person whole. You’ll hear about the decisions made in the critical hours, the terrain that complicated everything, and the community of experts and amateurs who keep looking. The show naturally explores how these landscapes, while beautiful, hold secrets, making the wilderness itself a central character in every story. Tune in for a respectful, detailed examination of stories that end not with a conclusion, but with an open map and a deepened mystery. The podcast digs into the cultural fascination with these vanishings and what they reveal about our relationship with the wild, remote corners of the country.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Locations Unknown
Podcast Episodes
Nathan Issiac Campbell - Denali National Park - Alaska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:09
May 27th, 2020, a hiker is flown into the remote Carey Lake region of Denali National Park for a months-long solo expedition. He stays in contact with his wife through a Garmin inReach until mid-June, then suddenly goes…
Eric Robinson - High Uintas Wilderness - Utah (Spotify Rerelease) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:01
July 28th, 2011, experienced Australian hiker Eric Robinson begins a ten-day solo trek across Utah’s remote Uinta Highline Trail. Along the way, he encounters dangerous snowfields, leaves the established route more than…
Eric Robinson - High Uintas Wilderness - Utah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:01
July 28th, 2011, experienced Australian hiker Eric Robinson begins a ten-day solo trek across Utah’s remote Uinta Highline Trail. Along the way, he encounters dangerous snowfields, leaves the established route more than…
Andrew Porter & Ian Stasko - South San Juan Wilderness - Colorado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
In September 2025, two experienced elk hunters traveled into the rugged backcountry of southern Colorado for what was supposed to be an eight-day trip in the remote South San Juan Wilderness. Both men were seasoned outdo…
Celine Cremer UPDATE - Tasmania - Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:08
In August 2023, we covered the disappearance of a 31-year-old Belgian traveler, who vanished after setting out on a short walk to Philosopher Falls in the dense rainforests of north-west Tasmania. What appeared to be a b…
Derek Joseph Lueking - Great Smoky Mountains National Park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:49
March 17th, 2012: a 24-year-old leaves a hotel in Cherokee, North Carolina, before dawn and drives into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hours later, his Ford Escape is found with his wallet, keys, cash, and survival…
Alvie Webb - San Juan National Forest - Colorado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:29
October 19th, 2019: an elderly lifelong hunter is dropped off along Divide Road in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest for a short morning elk hunt. He’s told to follow a familiar trail down to a pickup point by 10 a.m.…
Ryan Shtuka - Sun Peaks - B.C. Canada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:20
February 17th, 2018: after a night out at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, a 20-year-old leaves a house party for the short walk back to staff housing and is never seen again. A winter storm batters the mountain vil…
Special Release: Fan Voicemail reactions - Part 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:44
Hey friends! We’re taking this week off while we make a few upgrades to the studio. In the meantime, enjoy our latest subscriber only episode, where we listen to and react to the newest voicemails we’ve received. We also…
Melvin Nadel - Santa Fe National Forest - New Mexico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:23
September 6th, 2009: a 61-year-old fitness instructor, black belt, and seasoned bow hunter leaves his campsite near Elk Mountain in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest. He tells his two companions he won't go far and w…