This time four years ago, I was somewhere in Vermont on the Appalachian Trail. I felt like my hike was almost over, clueless that I had endless memories yet to make and friends left to meet before reaching Katahdin. I had just started hiking with Sam who, unknown to me at the time, I would shortly…
This past spring, I ordered a Hennessy Hammock Hyperlite Asym Zip. My job as a ridge runner in Connecticut and Massachusetts has me camping on the trail more nights that not. I previously used an ENO hammock, but I wanted to upgrade to a better backpacking setup. Update: I’ve now owned this hammock for four…
I just finished my ridge runner training week in Connecticut, and I will be spending the summer working along the Appalachian Trail. I’m excited for the opportunity to give back to the trail. The most asked question we get is… What is a ridge runner? The short answer is I am a glorified trash lady/…
I first bumped into Mandy “Purple Rain” Bland along the AT in New Hampshire. Even 1,800 miles in, she was still bubbling with enthusiasm. As is the fluidity of the trail, I didn’t see her again after our brief meeting. Imagine my surprise when I saw a Facebook post over two years later for Purple…
Isn’t it Dangerous? What a familiar phrase. Anytime I plan any sort of hiking adventure, international travels, or road trip it seems like there’s always a handful of people who want to question my sanity. However, it’s really not as scary as it may seem. Here we’ll cover the potential dangers of the Appalachian Trail…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrnqfE-agqI?rel=0] Hello, readers. I’ve been wanting to expand to video blogging for a while now, and this is my first attempt. Hopefully, this is the first of more DIY gear videos. If you’re trying to spend the least amount of money as possible on gear, you may want to consider making some of it…
After a day of hiking, you might develop what is referred to as “the hiker hobble.” It’s when you wake up in the morning (or get up after a long break), and all of your muscles are stiff. You inevitably have to hobble around camp for a few minutes before you have full range of…
So, you’ve been planning a thru-hike on the AT…or maybe a bike tour or a backpacking trip across Canada or some other wild adenture. Chances are, if you’re planning a long hike, you’ve been asked if you’ve read Wild or A Walk in the Woods, those being the only sources to the long trails many people have. If…
The winter before I began my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, I told everyone I knew about my plans. The number one question people asked was, “You’re not going alone, are you?” Having already done a few section hikes before starting my thru-hike, I knew exactly what I was getting into and was not worried…
This post is going to be a little out of the ordinary for what I normally blog about. I typically stick to informational posts about the Appalachian Trail, but I might be seeing a Pacific Crest Trail hike in my future. So today, I want to talk about WILD. Or more specifically, WILD being turned into a movie…