Welcome to my blog.
Expect reflections on long distance hiking, hiking culture, nature, creativity and my undying love for backrests.
How are you training your home team?
I put a question to members of a thru-hiker support group I’m in and asked this of the former thru-hikers and LASHes:
What did your home team do to offer support that was special and meaningful?
Here's what they said.
What an amazing opportunity solo hiking will be for stretching outside of our comfort zones, especially for the solo hiker who knows how to be alone.
I’m 15 weeks out from stepping on the trail.
But I've been busy with indoorsy things—researching gear, making freezer bag meals, bingeing on Goliath and Catastrophe.
And it suddenly dawned on me...
So I'm getting real about my training plan.
What you put on your booty matters out on the trail.
Especially for women who find themselves, ahem, repositioning their booty-covers many times a day as they strive to stay hydrated on a long trek.
I've found the secret that makes pulling up after a pee a delight, even when you're sweaty and everything is soggy and wet down there.
Just a few shots of the last day of our eight day traverse through the White Mountains.
What a blessing the Ethan Pond trail is to knees that have refused to bend for the past three days.
Good times!
A big part of preparing for a thru-hike and setting oneself up for success lies in getting your head right.
Once you’re prepared mentally and you’ve wrapped your head around the fact that it’s going to be tough--maybe even the hardest thing you've ever done--then you can make some choices about what you’ll do, or what you’ll carry, to vanquish misery.
Some of it fits in your pack. But some of it doesn't weigh an ounce.
Setting yourself up for a successful thru-hike means anticipating some of the unfortunate events that could happen and preparing yourself accordingly, like GI disasters or infected blisters.
Having at least a rudimentary first aid kit in your pack is a good idea.
I'm not one for pharmaceuticals, though I do love a good hit of Advil once in a while, so in this post I give you some essential oil alternatives to popping pills on the trail.
What will you put under your favorite hiker's tree this year? I've got ideas!
(Hint, hint, Honey!)
Five splurges. Five stocking stuffers. And five for the DIYer.
You can't go wrong with anything on the list and there's something for every budget. Happy Giving!
Five months before my start date and I’m contemplating resupply.
Resupply is a big topic. Today I just wanted to share a tiny chunk.
I offer five + five (ten!) resupply points along the AT that are, literally, along the AT. No hitchhiking required. You hardly have to break stride because you’ll be walking right past many of them anyway.
If I can't wear a towel while I'm doing laundry on the trail, what will I wear?
Such is the the dilemma of the thru-hiker, who only has one set of clothes (that desperately need washing).
For this, some genius invented the bounce box.
What is it and what do I put in it? Today, I answer the question.
Each week I'll be sharing five things about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail that I've discovered, learned, heard about, realized or gleaned as I'm immersed in planning my own thru-hike.
This week, I share five things to do five months before you get on the trail. Number five may surprise you!
Enough, already. No more Chili Mac!
Customize your own freeze dried meals and eat exactly the food that nourishes you and titillates your taste buds after a long day on the trail.
It's simple. It's easy. And there's no actual cooking involved?
I’ve cracked the freeze-dried meal code and today I give you the formula I use for putting together meals that you’ll actually be excited to eat.
Fire up your pocket-rocket...dinner's on.
