GEAR, GEAR, and MORE GEAR! Oh My! :)

GEAR, GEAR and MORE GEAR! OH MY!

I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE THIS....

So, I am a self proclaimed gear dork. I mean, I can spend hours searching around online and reading about all kinds of new gear. I mean it's kind of crazy. It is especially crazy when I realize I have all of the gear I need (for the most part), so why am I still looking? Well, I guess it just hits the tomboy in me or something like that. Many times when talking about long distance hiking pack weight becomes an issue. Now, for a little stroll around town, or a 3 day outing the weight you are carrying around may not make THAT much of a difference. When you think on it for a while though, about carrying around the same pack day after day for 5-6 months 5-10 lbs extra in your pack can make all of the difference in the world. Now, typically I see a lot of guys getting into these conversations (gear, weight, ultra-light versus light weight backpacking) but this stuff really interests me. One of the reasons is mentioned above, I'm just a dork...but, I also know I HAVE TO be mindful about the weight I am carrying due to my back surgery. Now, this becomes a little problem for me because I know I enjoy comfort. I do not want to be in a situation in which I am sacrificing some creature comforts to be in an "ultralight" backpacking range (typically seen as around 20 lbs.). I have made a goal of 30 lbs for myself. This would be approximately a 20 lb "base weight" (this is all of your gear excluding consumables, namely food and water). REI has a great article on Ultralight Backpacking Basics, if you need an introduction or are new to terms and weights please take a second to read it, I thought it was informative. When you get down to it there are three main items which people frequently talk about making or breaking weight goals for gear. These are the "BIG 3"; your pack, your sleeping gear, and your shelter. One article I read on the Big Three sets around 9 lbs as a goal for lightweight backpacking. Now lets take a look at what my gear looks like. I don't have money to replace this gear, it is not that old, and this will be what I'm going with for my trip. I am a little over the 9 lbs mark, but I'll have to work to save weight elsewhere. 

BACKPACK     

I am using my trusty old NorthFace Outrider 75 pack. This bad boy has wonderful suspension and fits me great. I had myself fitted up north at a backpacking store way back in 2004 and this guy is still going strong. Now that's where the sort of bad part comes in...it's an older pack so it weighs more. The newer packs coming out are made of lighter weight material, but I am going to go ahead with not dropping $200 bucks on a new pack. This pack weighs in at 5lbs 13 oz. 

SLEEPING GEAR

This is also a piece of gear I have had for a while. I have a Marmot Trestles women's long sleeping bag. This weighs in at 3lbs 14 oz. I am carrying a 15 degree bag for extra warmth since I will be sleeping in a hammock system.

I will pair it with a sleeping pad (which I don't have yet). I am currently looking at the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite which weighs in at 12.6 oz. Carrying the sleeping pad will allow me to have an option to sleep in the shelter system along the trail, and I can also use it in my hammock to add additional comfort/warmth.

SHELTER

After a lot of back and forth I have decided to use my hammock on the trail. It is an ENO doublenest hammock and is super comfortable and good in terms of weight. I have slap straps that go around the tree that are really easy to use. I will have to purchase a bug net and a rain fly. Ultimately the set up will look like the picture below and weight in at 5lbs 6 ozs total. Ultimately, I am choosing to use a hammock becuase of multiple reasons, I think it will help with comfort I experience a lot of hip pain still in relation to my back issues and from what I've read hammocks are awesome for that very thing! I want to option to be able to set up camp anywhere. A hammock system allows for me to do this on any terrain. Plus, if I get tired of sleeping in the shelters I will always have another option to call home.

Altogether I am looking at a Big Three weight of around 13 lbs. This isn't quite in the lightweight category, but hopefully I can look to shave some weight with other non essentials. Ultimately, I am happy with the gear that I have an in trying to maintain some kind of budget I will not be shelling out crazy cash on ultralight gear. Maybe someday I will become famous and someone awesome will sponsor me? HAHA...hey a girl can dream! :)

APPALACHIAN TRIALS...

So, as part of the fun of this journey I spend a lot of time on websites devoted to hiking the AT. I am a total gear geek and get into researching gear, lightweight backpacking (sort of a necessity with my back), and the ins and outs of a thru hike. I have had the pleasure to stumble upon a site called Appalachian Trials @ http://appalachiantrials.com/. I have enjoyed countless hours of pouring over other peoples blogs, reading about advice, stories, tips and tricks. I love the author and webmaster Zach Davis's articles and this blog site has been chosen as one of the best in outdoor adventure. I was on the site a couple of weeks ago and was thinking to myself, "self, wouldn't it be so awesome to be a blogger on this site!?"...now hear me out. I do have a desire to escape our technology-filled world, but I hesitated as I thought what a cool addition this might be to my journey! It would be a way for loved ones to keep up with me throughout my hike....and I might even have a chance to interact and talk with other hikers through this forum. I looked through last years bloggers and realized that out of 1,800-2,000 people that try a thru hike each year there were only about 30 chosen to write blogs on this site. Well, I said to hell with it and decided to apply. My chances were slim, but I figured, "hey, I have a compelling story to tell"...I enjoy writing and taking pictures, I enjoy interacting with others even though I plan to go solo on my trip. WHY NOT me? Well, I got a reply from Zach the other day, I have been accepted to be a blogger on the site for 2016. I was too excited. I think this will add a really cool dimension to the journey, and it will be documented digitally for posterity. LOL...Maybe some day (if that day ever comes), I will be able to turn to my partner and kids and say hey look what I did...or maybe I'll just be 80 in a rocking chair at the retirement home and be able to pull up this journey...and say hey look what I did... :) Well, I am super excited to be a part of the crew. I can't wait to incorporate this blog into my Appalachian Trails blog. It will be an awesome project and I'm excited to see where it goes. Thanks to you for reading and following along on this adventure. It's cool to know that there is support and love out there. Keep checking in as I will have more updates on the blog about the blog under construction... :) :)

WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU WANT TO HIKE 2,181 MILES?!

WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU WANT TO HIKE 2,181 MILES?

This seems to be the question on everyone's mind when I tell them about my upcoming 2016 thru hike attempt of the Appalachian Trail. The question I frequently ask myself is, where in the world did this obsession come from? Since my early teen years I have been pretty adamant about completing this journey. I don't know how, why, where or when I came to know about the AT but it has been something that has gotten into my mind and just stuck there. I think that those who have traveled this path probably can relate, to others it probably sounds kind of crazy. I'm at a crossroads in life. I am single, motivated, and pushed on by a sense of adventure that has never quite been quenched. I spend my collegiate years playing sports, which I excelled at and loved, but I never got that chance to go abroad to study or go off on a backpacking adventure after graduation. I have always been responsible. I have always (tried) to be an adult, to do things how I think they should be done. Continuing in school and forging a career in the fire service became my passion until a year ago when things came crashing down. I suffered a serious back injury, brought on by years of intense athletics and then 5 years of firefighting. I found myself, for the first time, down and out. I was diagnosed with a severely herniated disc and spinal stenosis. This meant intense episodes of back pain, including walking around (or trying to) at a bent over 90 degree angle for months at a time. My neurosurgeon finally decided it was time to have surgery, a discectomy, laminectomy, and coflex device placement (for the stenosis) later, I am feeling better than I have in years. I am pain free (for the most part), and feel like I can again live an active life that I so miss. I miss being competitive, I miss the challenge of pushing myself to the limit, I miss feeling like myself and losing myself in the process of something bigger than myself. SO, as recommended on a lot of other blogs and sites about the AT (yes, I scour these daily) I answered the questions so wonderfully posed by Zach Davis of the Appalachian Trials website (more on this later) fame that follow; 

1. I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail because… (this is your why) I am ready to find myself again. After struggling through a lot of my adult life with various demons, being frustrated with myself, my injuries, having to quit a job I loved, I have come to feel lost. I feel out of touch with myself. I want, no I NEED, desperately this time to myself to test my limits once again, to fall in love with Leah as a person out on her own. I desire to leave the "normal world" behind and become one with nature and myself. I want to know I can complete this journey while only depending on myself (well, and care packages from mom). I want to know I can save the money required for this journey (which is a lot) and plan successfully. I seek to be a part of the trail life, only worrying about basic necessities and escaping from the busy, bustling world of technology and talking heads we all are so used to. I could probably go on and on...and have in my own personal journal, but I think you all get the point. :) 
2. When I successfully thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, I will… (these are the personal benefits you’ll acquire upon reaching Katahdin) I will rest easy with the knowledge that I just completed the most difficult journey of my life mentally, physically and spiritually. I will come to appreciate daily comforts in a new way. I know when I complete this journey I will not look at the world the same way again. I will know why I wanted to hike this trail so badly, and what spiritual force drove me to do so. (I frequently feel that I am being compelled to complete this journey for some purpose other than just to walk)...no I'm not crazy, I think it's more serendipitous than that.
3. If I give up on the Appalachian Trail, I will… (these are the negative perceptions you’ll develop of yourself if you quit – harsh but effective) I will know that I will return. I will feel like I have let people down though for sure for I have shared in this crazy idea with a lot of friends and family. If I choose to quit it will be a huge defeat, however, if I am forced to quit (due to injury or other unforseen circumstances) I know that I will be back. 

This is just the beginning of a long winter of planning and anticipation. I am still in the fundraising phase and would love to have your support. I have set up a GoFundMe campaign to try to help me make this dream a reality! If you feel so inclined, please donate! Anything will help...this money will go towards gear, food, travel, lodging, and trail mix...lots and lots of trail mix. :) 

 

SUPPORT ME HERE! http://www.gofundme.com/Leahfreshstart