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The Weigh-In

Everyone preparing for a long-distance thru-hike seems obsessed with weight. I’m not talking about my weight, although I obsess about that all the time. Nope, I’m talking backpack weight. Thru-hikers talk about weight constantly. In fact, I decided there is no end to the talk about weight and how to lighten it. Let me lead you down the slippery slope.

Base weight is the weight of your backpack fully loaded with all essentials except food and water. On the Appalachian Trail (AT), you need only about four to five days food at any time, so base weight is the usual question and it is followed by lots of discussion on how you could trim it down.

First, evaluate major gear like tents, sleeping bags, cookstoves, and the like, where hundreds of dollars can save pounds. Weight and money are only two factors, but they are pretty big factors. Once you’ve bought or borrowed your major gear, the discussion moves into saving 8-14 ounces here or there  with ideas like exchanging a knife with twelve gadgets for one with just a blade, or hiking with one and a half liters of water instead of two. Next you trim extra items, like deodorant. One AT friend named Further (Trail names will be explained in a future post.) told me, “Don’t take deodorant. You will stink from every pore so there is no use.”

Okay, so my stinky body will still want a lighter  load on my back. Thus, the discussion moves to how to save 4-6 ounces with nifty ideas like  leaving out the emergency space blanket or leaving sunscreen behind. Finally, you move into the truly obsessive zone, and if you are still part of the weight discussion it will turn to using the same soap for dishes as your hair to save a couple ounces on a bottle of shampoo, or drilling holes in handles of toothbrushes. Seriously? Yes, some people will do such things. Long before I looked for a drill bit to reduce the weight of my toothbrush handle, my obsession began to ebb.

Poptart (aka MoneyBags) said, “You are either happy in camp, or you are happy on the trail” to help me understand the things we carry  make time in camp more pleasant,  and the things we leave out make hiking more pleasant. You can fret and research and talk about your choices and never really know what’s best until you actually start hiking – and there really is no “best” anyway. (I’ve noticed experienced thru-hikers change their mind from one hike to the next.) I finally stopped myself from constantly thinking about weight, and decided to just be happy with whatever it turned out to be.

 That worked for a few months. Now I’m three weeks from starting and decided to see if everything would fit into my backpack. It did …and while choosing and packing I decided to learn my base weight:  23 pounds. That’s heavy by today’s standards, but just fine by mine. Food and water will add about 11 pounds and I’ll start the AT with 34 pounds on my back. I’m certain my choices will change over time, but for the first time in a long time, I’m pretty excited about my weight! 

 

 

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AT Dream

After years of talking to potential hiking partners about hiking the Appalachian Trail, it became clear no one I knew was really serious about hiking all 2,189 miles of it in one season. I realized I was going to have to tackle this goal on my own and that’s when I fell into limbo. Without anyone with whom to coordinate, I didn’t know when to start this long hike. My husband suggested going sooner rather than later. His reasoned the longer I waited, the better the chance I would never go at all.

I took a hard look at what would be different about hiking in 2018 instead of a  year or two later. The only disadvantages for going the very next season all had to do with money. Saving more money for the trip and current financial obligations  were at the heart of every reason to wait. I’m a certified financial planner, with decades of experience helping people reach financial goals. I know a thing or two about money, and two things I know for sure. First, you can always use more money. Second, you will always find a way to have money for what you truly want.

I fretted about it for a few more days, and then decided my husband was right. If I waited a few more years trying to have “enough money” it was likely my dream would stay a dream and I would never go. It was time to set a date and figure out how to make the money work out.

I chose March 2018 and began researching how to prepare. Ironically, within a week I had a bona fide hiking partner also committed to go the entire distance! Ten days after she joined me committed for the entire journey and now we have a third partner who will hike at least the first month. I spent all those years searching for a hiking partner, when all I needed to do was commit to my dream and state my intention to those around me.

A couple months later the financial end worked itself out, too. I found ways to cut costs and to save more money. I was inspired to spend less on everyday items. Over time I became inventive in earning a little bit extra here and there. Now I have both a team and “enough” money. Funny how the definition of enough changes when it is no longer an excuse, but a part of your mission.

Whatever your dream, making it part of your life comes when you commit to the dream and take action. For me, the turning point was choosing a date and declaring I would go. I don’t know what it will be for you, but I hope you take the steps to make your dream become your life, too.