100 Days
My original plan for this trip was Maine to Key West. My original plan was to do it with someone else. My original plan was more docile. So it goes. I don’t think I would …
Ode to Tarp Camping
Under a tarp I feel free. No doors, no walls. Sheltered from the rain in just the right ways. No less, and no more. Free to observe my surroundings even in a down pour. Free to …
One last shake down!
With a 4,700 mile hike looming I sit and reflect on a mindset I held close in trips of the past. Much to the dismay of my employer, I’ve taken a whole lot of vacations over …
Maps and Guides for the Eastern Continental Trail
At first I thought, “Wow, this is easy! AWOL’s AT guide has been ordered, Sandra Friends FT Guide, too. 3,500 miles down, only 1,200 more to go!” Then I came across a bad sign… some guidebook …
Final gear list for the ECT
Check out this gear… in video form! Youtube This is what I’m carrying on the Eastern Continental Trail. I’m starting in Quebec in July, and will probably be done with the first leg of the trip, …
To trekking pole, or not to trekking pole
If my trekking poles were to break, I wouldn’t replace them. I would leave them behind. This was the unpopular answer to a question about using trekking poles on my upcoming thru hike. Unpopular because a …
The wonders of no cook meals and going stoveless
If you’ve ever been backpacking you more than likely carried a portable stove, but have you ever thought about leaving that at home? 2 years ago I did, and since then never looked back. The …
Learning how to run – Training for my first ultramarathon
Of late I’ve been running. Something I never thought I would do in my life. Simply a mythical thing random people do on sidewalks. Somehow, and I’ve certainly got people to blame, I’ve got it in my …
What I’ll be carrying on the Appalachian Trail and Florida Trail
(This has been updated) In 2012 I set off on the Appalachian trail for a section hike with a backpack weighing in the range of 60-70lbs. This was one of my first real backpacking experiences… …
6 months and 4,800 miles on the ECT
I’ve always been drawn to long trails you could say. Yearly trips to North Carolina with my family to visit my grandparents when I was young had me facing trails that I couldn’t see the …