Hiking Without a Stitch
Meet the new podcast about the unexpected things that happen when you leave your clothes and your inhibitions at the trailhead
Jonathan Norman started Hiking Without a Stitch with a clear question: what actually happens when you take off your clothes and all the expectations that come with them and step onto the trail in your natural state?
Launched in the fall of 2025, the podcast has already grown into something more layered than its premise suggests. Over eleven episodes, Norman has moved through the full terrain of naturism, the legal landscape of public lands, the conversations with his wife and his mom who both had real questions he had to answer honestly, a therapist who found personal healing through nudity, and a men's hiking community in North Texas built on the idea that brotherhood belongs outdoors, unencumbered.
His most recent episode takes a different angle entirely, sitting down with Edward, the artist behind The Nudist Diaries, to explore how drawing the human body in everyday, non-sexual contexts can quietly dismantle the cultural reflex to treat nudity as inherently provocative. It's a conversation about art, stigma, nude beaches, and what it looks like to simply let the human body be what it is. That thread, naturism as something honest and human rather than scandalous, runs through everything Jonathan has built here, and it's exactly why we wanted to sit down with him.
Interview with Jonathan Norman March 2026
What was the moment you knew you had to start this podcast?
When I first was exploring and getting into naturism and figuring out how it all fit into my life, I knew I liked being naked and I also liked hiking. After hiking out to a local nude beach and stripping off for the first time to skinny dip and walk around. I found out that I loved the feeling of freedom and how much lighter I felt. I soon started looking for more media and representation for outdoor nude recreation.
I couldn’t find much dedicated information in audio or video format but I did find people that had blogs or shared openly on socials about their nude outdoor adventures. I realized that I could do a podcast myself and talk to these people and share their stories, to show that non sexual nudity is fun and can be done in the outdoors safely and respectfully. I feel that we need good representation if we are going to keep enjoying nudes activities out in wild places.
You say the podcast “isn’t just about nudity it’s about connection, authenticity, and living free.” What does that actually look like on the trail for you?
The nudity is a component of the bigger experience. On a trail it looks like being more aware of my surroundings and intentionally slowing down. Being more connected the smaller details around me. It’s showing a respect for the land that you’re on and the other people you may encounter.
It’s being thoughtful with when, where and how you are showing up in the view of the public. For me I want to be seen as someone who’s passionate about this way of life and the activities I’m involved in. But doing so in a respectful manner and to show that we are out hear doing this but we are doing it the rite way.
You’ve had some really vulnerable guests, your mom, your wife, a therapist. What has surprised you most about bringing the people closest to you into this conversation?
How open and curious the people closest to me have been about nudity and the benefits and how it’s changed me. It’s shown me that it’s better to be authentic and step into your truth. Even if you have to have some harder conversations or be misunderstood. It’s just better and what I’ve found is most people are actually a lot more open and understanding than we think.
For someone in the Planet Nude community who’s comfortable with social nudism but has never tried nude hiking, what’s your pitch for getting out on the trail?
If you already enjoy being naked and want to try a some what immersive experience, find a secluded area and be intentional with where you’re stripping off. There is almost endless tracks of public lands and secluded wilderness areas that present the opportunity to enjoy nature in a way that connects you back to everything around you. There is something different about it the way the sun warms your skin the and how the air shifts around parts of your body that are normally covered.
You sweat and it drips off of you instead of sitting on your shirt and shorts. Then the moment happens and you forget that you’re naked. Your thoughts and worries start to fade into the background of your mind. As you take in the sensations of being naked in nature. It’s pretty bad ass to stand naked at the top of a mountain overlooking the valley below.
You’ve talked about navigating encounters with clothed hikers and the legality of nude recreation on public lands. What’s the one thing you wish more naturists understood before heading out?
As a user group we are stewards of public lands and we aren’t the only people out on these multi-use spaces. We need to be intentional and thoughtful about the way we are showing up in these spaces. Choosing correct times, picking trails and areas that are low traffic and carrying a cover up to quickly cover up if need be. We also need to be good representation of what non sexual nudity looks like in these spaces.
Don’t act weird or like your doing something wrong. Your energy carries over to what others perceive when they encounter you. We are the face of nude recreation to a world that is uncertain about nudity. And if we don’t take care of what we already have it can be taken away and we will loose the opportunities.
What do you want someone to feel after listening to an episode of Hiking Without a Stitch for the first time?
I want someone to feel empowered to explore their own journey into non sexual nudity. I hope it gives someone the tools and the permission to go try it out themselves—whether that’s sunbathing in your backyard, hiking naked on a trail, or skinny dipping in a lake or river. We are just regular people—we just like to do it clothes-free. 🪐
Great podcast! Refreshing point of view!