Off the Grid

After about 1800 miles trekking through Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, I arrived at Springer Mountain in Georgia and started the Appalachian Trail. Ever since, every hiker I pass who knows about the trail asks me one of these questions: Aren't you a little late? You're not planning on going all the way are you? Will you be able to finish on time? [...] Read more

I don't carry anything that I don't use on a weekly, if not daily basis. So no, I don't carry a gun. I don't even carry a knife. They just aren't usefull items. "What-If" isn't a reason to bring things on the trail. That mentality leads to packs that weigh 40 to 80 pounds. Yes, I did meet a guy with an 80 pound pack. Needless to say, he's isn't [...] Read more

Pennsylvania is an odd place. Here are some weird facts you may or may not know about this historic state: Flattest elevation profile, yet steepest ascents/descents. (Can you say "switchback") Rocky terrain, yet home to the Cumberland Valley, a veritable walk in the park. Rednecks galore, yet north of the Mason-Dixon line. Home to some of the [...] Read more

One can't take all the food necessary for a long distance trek in your pack. Resupply en-route is necessary for almost every backpacking trip. Some people have elaborate package drops along the trail with precise portions and combinations all planned out in advance. I just kinda wing it. I usually shoot for about 3 days worth of food. Next to [...] Read more

I don't know why it took me so long to get on board with this. Backpacks are not waterproof. Why nobody makes a serious hiking backpack that is waterproof is beyond me. Maybe it's because the solution is so simple: Successfully keeping homeless people's stuff dry for years. It really shouldn't have taken me this long to get one of these. I think I [...] Read more

I carry with me quite a bit of electronic gear. Yes, charging is something that I have to worry about. However, what I have does very well on the trail. When I get to town, I'll usually stay in either a hostel or hotel. I'll charge any device that needs it. Sometimes I'll charge my phone in a restaurant or wherever I can find an outlet. Here's [...] Read more

The AT has shelters every 10-20 miles. A shelter is a three sided shack. Some are very elaborate, and some are just a box in the woods. Most of the time they have picnic tables and fire pits which make life more convenient. The downside to sleeping in shelters is animals. Since humans congregate around these places, so do animals. Mice are a huge [...] Read more

So I'm minding my own business following a ridge line, when I drop into a hollow (pronounced: holla!!!) and bam, there it is, a torrential wall of water. 3 weeks ago, hikers traversing this area of Pennsylvania would have been met with drought, struggling to get from spring to spring with enough water. Now, with what I viewed from the mountains as [...] Read more