More and more I become aware of the resources we have in video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo.  I recently found this free recording of a lightweight gear shakedown that would be valuable to a 25+ pound packer (base weight) that wants to lighten their load.

Information in the recording (which is broken into four parts) comes through two individuals:

TheOldGuy (a YouTube name) has hiked into Neels Gap, GA, on the Appalachian Trail and is trying to lighten his load by getting a gear shake-down.  He decides to take a video recording of the shake-down.  For most of the recording, he is behind the camera asking questions.

Ryan Davis has completed thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and is using his experience to sort through TheOldGuy’s pack and suggest lighter weight options item-by-item.  He is employed by Mountain Crossings - an outfitter in Neels Gap, GA, that is right on the AT and is the first outfitter a northbound thru-hiker encounters after 30 trail miles.  The workers at the outfitter see hundreds of northbound thru-hikers each spring and are known in the trail community for their experience in shaking down packs.

Both parties in the recording provide genuine insights.  To those that are new to long-distance backpacking, Ryan will provide a great deal of gear information and TheOldGuy will provide comfort and confidence.  My further critique is posted below the videos.  Enjoy:

***Total viewing time – 21 minutes 44 seconds***

I agree with a great deal of Ryan’s advising. Three things I would like to add:

• When discussing the alcohol stove, Ryan mentions that the product HEET (alcohol stove fuel) is available at automotive stores.  I’ve also been able to find HEET in most convenience stores.

• I would ditch the poop trowel and suggest the use of a foot or stick.

• I disagree with carrying 100% store-bought freeze-dried meals such as Mountain House Brand on a long-distance backpacking trip.  Purchasing these meals and putting them in maildrops costs extra money and weight.  The trash is heavy.  To see backpacking food resources I like, click here.

>>>>>>

I’ve now set-up a YouTube Channel to share my recordings and link to others’ recordings that I find valuable as a long-distance backpacker.  Here’s the link.

>>>>>>

Did this blog post help you in any way?  What did you think about the recommended gear in the video?  Was TheOldGuy’s gear similar to your gear in any way?  Please leave comments below.

Have a good day,
Squirrel Meat

I have to admit that I spend a good amount of time thinking about which trail (or section of a trail) is next. I recently discovered and thought I should share this thorough list of long-distance trails in the U.S. If you’re like me, this list makes your eyes get bigger and your heart beat faster.

U.S. Long-Distance Trails Page on Wikipedia

Deciding pursuing a long-distance trek can be overwhelming.  During my AT experience this axiom was regularly stated in the trail community and was one of the more important things I carried along with me:

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.

Its important to have short-term goals when pursuing a big goal.  On the AT, I focused on getting to the next town or shelter.  When times were tough, I focused on getting to the next water source or road crossing.  Since the trail, I’ve found this to be one of the best lessons I learned in that experience.

Last weekend, folks here on the north coast of CA hosted four Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers: Adam “Hemlock Muppet” Canter, Kasi “Beam” Craddock, Jesse “Mountain Goat” Crocker, and Ana “Birdy” Roberts.  The hikers furloughed from Etna, CA, after completing over half of the 2,600-mile trail.  When finished Beam, Birdy, and Hemlock Muppet will have completed two of the U.S.’s great hiking trails - the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

The video’s below include interviews about their experiences.  Thanks for your town time, hikers!

Recently, I was delighted to find Walking the West, which documents the story of two men in their attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail.  Lightheartedly, the film brings unique perspectives of these common trail themes:

• realization of overpacking / decision to cut weight on a micro-level
• the push to stay positive with tough terrain and failing gear
• connection with nature’s simplicity
• importance of food
• requirement of mental toughness
• deepening of connection with self

I was impressed at the filmmaker’s ability to capture a full trail experience in less than one hour of film.  Of six trail documentaries I’ve seen, I’d recommend this one to beginners.  To view in high quality, purchase the film here.  If you are willing to watch in low quality, watch for free below:

I come from the heart when describing a trail friend.

The titanium spork is a lightweight, durable tool that has many uses on the trail.  Its thin-but-strong design makes it ideal for scraping precious calories off the bottom of a cookpot, cutting cheese, or breaking into tough plastic wrappers.  Also, there is a very slim chance that a titanium utensil will break, which saves the hiker from looking for a replacement in town.

If my spork could speak, would it thank me for its travels? Only if my appreciation for its purpose is reciprocated.  May your titanium spork experiences be as positive as mine.

A big thanks to everyone who’s left feedback on the blog and Facebook Page!

Becoming comfortable with food choices can be difficult for a long-distance backpacker.  To help folks with ideas, I searched for the best backcountry cooking resources.  Here’s a review of one of my top three finds:

——————————————————————————————————————————

Teresa “Dicentra” Black has posted over 150 backpacking recipes at OnePanWonders.com.  I was impressed at how the author put together tasty meals using ingredients that could be found at a typical large grocery store.  This is important for the long-distance backpacker who has decided to resupply in town without using mail drops (which can be simpler in many situations).

In many recipes, small amounts of several spices were added.  It’s important to use seasoning during long trips to keep meals appetizing, but I recommend keeping only two or three flavorings at a time (hot sauce packets, blended seasoning powder, dried herbs) and then switching those out when you come across new flavors that seem tasty.  Your tastes will change on a long-distance hike as your body changes.

To find out more about the site author read an interview with her at EasyBackpackingTips.com.

>>>>My favorites at One Pan Wonders:

Breakfast - Chocolate Banana Oatmeal

Lunch - Hula Wraps

Dinner- Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Stay posted - one other trail food resource to come.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Know of another good backpacking food resource?  Please share with our community by leaving it in a comment to this post.

Squirrel Meat’s List of Trail Food Characteristics:

The best trail food is:  lightweight, high in calories, nutritious, compact, packable, appetizing, and requires little energy to prepare.

____________________________________________________________________________

***Bonus Resource*** I just ran into this nice overview of backpacking food on the Wikipedia backpacking page (scroll down to the food section).

Fear:  “If a thunderstorm comes up, I’ll be struck by lightening.”

Symptom:  panic, propensity to make poor decisions

Cure:  Avoid high places, water, metal and tall objects.  If you’re on the ridge, get off.  If you’re exposed, seek cover and blend in.  See more at this lightening safety page by John on the Backpacking with Dave site.

Top Trail Fear: “I’ll forget to pack something that will compromise my safety.”

Symptom: overpacking

Cure: The basic human needs are water, food, and shelter. Got those covered?  You may forget something that brings discomfort. You’ll either turn back, pick one up the next time you’re in town, or decide that you really don’t need it.

Top Trail Fear: “An animal will attack me or pillage my campsite in the night”

Symptom:  waking at every sound

Cure:  Time will prove that animal encounters in the night are rare. That sound you heard was probably just a chipmunk.

Save space.  Save weight.  Cut your toothbrush.

 

 LDB 02 | Interview with Susan Alcorn (Part 1 of 2): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This episode includes the first half of an interview with Susan Alcorn, author of Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago. The book tells the story of her adventure on the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile trek across northern Spain, and gives tips to those who are planning a Camino hike.  It was published in 2006 and was one of three finalists for the 2007 Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Travel Essay.

In the interview, we discuss Susan’s backpacking career and review the content of her book.  For more information about the Camino de Santiago and Susan, visit her website at www.backpack45.com.

 

 LDB 01 | Interview with Dr. David Horton: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the premier episode of the Long-Distance Backpacking Podcast, I talk with with Dr. David Horton, Professor of Health Sciences & Kinesiology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.  David has been an ultra-marathon runner since 1979 and in 1991 set the speed record for traveling the entire Appalachian Trail, which he did in fifty-three days.  In 1995, he finished third in a 2,906-mile race across North America and in 1999 set the Long Trail speed record.  In 2005 he set the speed record for the Pacific Crest Trail, completing the trip in sixty-seven days, a journey that is documented in the film “The Runner” which was released in 2006.

In the interview, David gives descriptions of his experience on the Appalachian Trail and the PacifiCrest Trail and provides valuable health advice to anyone attempting a long hike.  He also explains why he chooses to travel at the rate he does.  After the interview, I’ll review some of the interesting points that David brings up about long-distance foot travel.

<<<Photo by JB Benna of www.JourneyFilm.com>>>

Becoming comfortable with making food choices can be a difficult thing to do for a long-distance backpacker.  To help folks with ideas, I searched for the best resources in the field of backcountry cooking.  Here’s a review of one of my top three finds:

——————————————————————————————————————————

Kirk and Sarah Kirkconnell run Trailcooking.com, a site that includes articles, pictures, and videos related to backcountry cooking.  On their site they’ve posted a collection of over 100 trail recipes and present a cooking technique that creates lightweight, nutritious meals that are full of variety.  The most valuable feature I found on their site was the trail cooking blog (www.Blog.TrailCooking.com) where posts are added daily.

I ran into Sarah at the PCTA’s Trail Fest 2009 last month and had a chance to get a copy of her book Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple, a 90-page guide to the Kirkconnell’s trail food technique and a collection of backpacking recipes (not found on their website) grouped by meal.  I gained from the recipes “Breakfast Trail Rice,” “Trail Shake,” and “Seafood Chowder” and connected with the author in the use of single-serving condiment packets.

The book would be a smart purchase for any hiker who is planning drop-box meals from home.  The hiker who will shop for food along the way might draw from the cooking technique, but should be warned that most recipes include ingredients that wouldn’t be found in the typical trail town grocery store.

Stay posted - two other trail food resources to come.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Know of another good backpacking food resource?  Please share with our community by leaving it in a comment to this post.

Squirrel Meat’s List of Trail Food Characteristics:

The best trail food is:  lightweight, high in calories, nutritious, compact, packable, appetizing, and requires little energy to prepare.

by StuSeeger - www.flickr.com/photos/stuseeger/

The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s (PCTA’s) annual Trail Fest in Portland, OR, this weekend went beyond my expectations of a trail association conference.  Humming with trail culture, the event was much more than a business meeting for board members.  Primarily focused around the PCTA’s communication with its members, Trail Fest also included classes on trail techniques, a sixteen-member vendor fair, and an open mic session for trail stories.

With several hundred attendees, the crowd was rich in trail experience.  This made for worthwhile discussion in the classes I attended.  I recognized some faces from the PCT and was able to get a few interviews of noteworthy folks in the backpacking community.  The interviews will be released in Podcasts soon!

Here are some points of interest from PCTA Trail Fest 2009:

“Walk” films - a collection of PCT documentaries by Scott “Squatch” Herriott

Gossamer Gear - a cutting-edge lightweight gear company

Trailcooking.com - trail recipe ideas, blog

Tarptent - lightweight backpacking shelters

Leave No Trace - impact ethics the outdoors

While reviewing the 2009 PCTA Trail Fest schedule today, I noticed the name of a hiking trail that I’d never seen before.  The Great Baikal Trail will be Russia’s first long-distance trail at 1,200 miles and will wrap around Lake Baikal in Siberia.

One PCTA article claimed that “The GBT would include beach walks, views of the surrounding mountains that rival those of the Grand Tetons, vast treeless steppe land, taiga mountain forests, riparian watersheds and wetlands, and chances to view rare wildlife such as the only freshwater seals in the world, sable, elk, and bear.”

The Great Baikal Trail Association has been formed to develop the trail.  I found their mission statement at their website: The Great Baikal Trail Association is an international, volunteer-driven, non-profit organization that works to develop, maintain, promote, and protect Russia’s first network of hiking trails, and thereby advocate for the sustainable development of Lake Baikal.

Visit the GBTA site at www.greatbaikaltrail.org for more information and details regarding trail crew volunteer opportunites in Russia.

Suzanne Wilson, a PCTA regional representative who traveled to Lake Baikal as a trail consultant, will be speaking about the GBT project at this year’s PCTA Trail Fest in Portland, OR.

I once had the opportunity to work at Mount Rogers Outfitters (MRO) in Damascus, VA (directly beside the Appalachian Trail), and took in loads of backpacking information from the store and trail community there.  One of the more valuable experiences I had during my employment was a direct interaction with Wayne Gregory, founder of the company that makes Gregory Backpacks.  He was visiting Damascus for Appalachian Trail Days and had decided to help with the crowds at MRO by helping with fitting in the backpack section.  From the register, I watched him go through this process of pack fitting and it has stuck with me ever since.

I ran across this Gene Espy tribute video recently and really enjoyed it. The video was produced by Weather Carrot (trailname) and premiered at the 2008 Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association Gathering in Athens, WV.

Gene Espy was the second man to thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail after Earl Shaffer. Espy completed his hike in 1951 in four months. For more information about Gene Espy’s journey see the Pioneer Thru-hikers section of Larry Luxenberg’s “Walking the Appalachian Trail.”