Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong? • Hacker News Board

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#71

Post by hodgesrm » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:11 PM UTC

ctrager wrote: post #18

In 2019 when I was 63 I did a 500 snippet of the Pacific Crest Trail. Because of needing to resupply, my long hike was really a series of 9 trips, each individual trip lasting about 5 days, more or less, like a work week. I started to think of a day hiking as "a day at the office". Already on "Monday", my first day back on trail I would be thinking about "Friday", the day I could get to town and eat restaurant food i…

I like bicycle touring for the reasons you listed. Bike tours are physically just as hard, but you tend to run into decent food and drink more often. There's no shortage of nice camping.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#72

Post by peter303 » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:18 PM UTC

ctrager wrote: post #18

In 2019 when I was 63 I did a 500 snippet of the Pacific Crest Trail. Because of needing to resupply, my long hike was really a series of 9 trips, each individual trip lasting about 5 days, more or less, like a work week. I started to think of a day hiking as "a day at the office". Already on "Monday", my first day back on trail I would be thinking about "Friday", the day I could get to town and eat restaurant food i…

Andrew Skurka has done several millennium-mile trips in the US and Alaska. He has resupplied exclusively through US Postal general delivery. He prepares his high calorie 4-5 packets before the trip and has Mom mail them in timely sequence. He says he hadnt had a failure yet.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#73

Post by ctrager » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:19 PM UTC

oblib wrote: post #64

I appreciate the goals and tenacity to achieve them of the folks who do this kind of thing but it's not my style. I've spent a lot of time in our State and National forests and for the past 15 years most of it has been off trail and the past 10 most of my trips have been solo. Thru hikers tend to focus on the trail and their only goal is making miles. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not even close to the sa…

I do get that when there are too many people the experience is different. I do get that being in the wilderness with, like, earbuds in your ears is different than listening to the sounds of nature. I do get that being off trail can be different than on a trail. I do get that navigating with a map and compass can be different and fun versus using a GPS app on your phone.

But I wouldn't say, "to really experience the wilderness you have to....".

Instead I would repeat the maxim, "Hike Your Own Hike".

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#74

Post by peter303 » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:28 PM UTC

ctrager wrote: post #18

In 2019 when I was 63 I did a 500 snippet of the Pacific Crest Trail. Because of needing to resupply, my long hike was really a series of 9 trips, each individual trip lasting about 5 days, more or less, like a work week. I started to think of a day hiking as "a day at the office". Already on "Monday", my first day back on trail I would be thinking about "Friday", the day I could get to town and eat restaurant food i…

A 60-something may have the advantage of requiring less food weight than a young man because metabolism has slowed down. I have certainly noticed this when backpacking with much young college students. I eat like a sparrow; them like hogs.

If you follow ultra-light hiking gurus like Andrew Skurka, food can be 75% of your pack weight after a resupply- 9 lbs base weight and 25 lbs food.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#75

Post by peter303 » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:38 PM UTC

zeank wrote: post #55

pythko wrote: post #45

I always love hearing about the logistics of trips like these, and this article leaves me with lots of questions. On the AT section, they mention starting out with packs that weighed over 20 pounds, which is extremely light for backpacking. That’s probably a few days of food, a change of clothes, 2-3 liters of water, and an ultralight sleeping bag. But then they mention a tent, too! In contrast, I talked with someone…

A typical, ultralight backpack weighs about 10lbs, but that can be anything from 5lbs to 15lbs, depending on your preference. Winter conditions add 2 or 3 lbs roughly. An ultralight tent weighs less than a pound. Typical stretches between resupplies are sth like 2-6 days, depending on region and preference. Food for a day weighs sth like 1 - 1.5 lbs. So packs with about or a bit over 20lbs sure is no magic. 70lbs wit…

Your food weight sounds low. High fat food may give you 2,000 kcal a pound; while carbs and protein half that. A 60-something might need 3,000 a 25-mile day; closer to 5,000 for a college student. Its OK to hike a week at calorie deficit. But that could weaken or injure you stretched out to months.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#76

Post by DavidGetchel » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 8:44 PM UTC

grantjpowell wrote: post #15

et-al wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the person's "trail name": https://www.atmuseum.org/trail-names.html

Yep! I went by my real name "Grant" for a long time because I knew I would have to tell the story of how I got my trail name 1000 times and I wanted it to be a good story. Then one night I told people that's why I was waiting to take a trail name and a woman started calling me "Bear Bait" and there was no story... Edit : Couple of my other favorite trail names I heard - Pissbag -- on his first night on trail "ol' Pis…

Those are some great trail name stories! I've got a few...

- Only a test - She accidentally set off her sos spot device and had a helicopter circling her in town and her mom calling.

- Challenger - He gave it to himself as he was involved with the Challenger mission

- Dos egg rolls - Just egg rolls to us, but he was trying to save money and just ordered those, which was about the same price as our huge meals

- U-Haul - was seen carrying their boxes from the post office as part of his resupply.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#77

Post by grantjpowell » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 9:21 PM UTC

js2 wrote: post #25

grantjpowell wrote: post #5

I finished the A.T. in October after 174 days, by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I can't imagine trying to do a whole triple crown in a single year. Hats off to these two! - Bear Bait

Care the share the story behind that trail name? (I have a pretty good bear story myself, and that's just from a week-long hike on the AT.)

Yeah! I answer how I got my trail name and a few of my other favorite trail names below

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#78

Post by zeank » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 9:56 PM UTC

peter303 wrote: post #75

zeank wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A typical, ultralight backpack weighs about 10lbs, but that can be anything from 5lbs to 15lbs, depending on your preference. Winter conditions add 2 or 3 lbs roughly. An ultralight tent weighs less than a pound. Typical stretches between resupplies are sth like 2-6 days, depending on region and preference. Food for a day weighs sth like 1 - 1.5 lbs. So packs with about or a bit over 20lbs sure is no magic. 70lbs wit…

Your food weight sounds low. High fat food may give you 2,000 kcal a pound; while carbs and protein half that. A 60-something might need 3,000 a 25-mile day; closer to 5,000 for a college student. Its OK to hike a week at calorie deficit. But that could weaken or injure you stretched out to months.

It is what it is, I don’t think I’m an outlier here. Personally I bring sth like 600 grams (1.3 lbs) worth of food a day. Keep in mind that typically you don’t have that much time left to spend on eating. But people are different and there sure are people who carry and eat a lot more.

Also, as I mentioned, when in town you use that opportunity to re-stock. A single meal of 6,000 kcal is not unusual.

And yes, all that is quite un-healthy.

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#79

Post by FDSGSG » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 11:05 PM UTC

la_fayette wrote: post #48

saiya-jin wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only if you do few most touristic places in whole range of alps. Most of it is quiet and you will meet few people a day. But sure if you pick one of the most popular hikes in alps then its surprisingly crowded, especially in the summer. Autumn is far superior time for Alps hiking (colors, temperatures, weather). Also don't get that camping restrictions rant in this thread - you can camp literally everywhere outside o…

You can do it and get away with it, however it is absolutely forbidden in central europe, except Switzerland... biwaking is only allowed in emergency situations. If you are caught you might have to pay high fines...

You will never be "caught" unless you camp somewhere inappropriate or make a mess

Re: Hiking America’s three longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?

#80

Post by ctrager » Sat, Nov 20, 2021, 11:52 PM UTC

pythko wrote: post #45

I always love hearing about the logistics of trips like these, and this article leaves me with lots of questions. On the AT section, they mention starting out with packs that weighed over 20 pounds, which is extremely light for backpacking. That’s probably a few days of food, a change of clothes, 2-3 liters of water, and an ultralight sleeping bag. But then they mention a tent, too! In contrast, I talked with someone…

My most typical weight on the Sierra portion of the PCT, with a typical amount of water, food, was about 30 lbs. That includes warm clothes, tent, bear canister, microspikes (but no ice axe). And my luxuries: Crocs, Kindle, inflatable pillow. No stove.

But where I started (mile 652, Walker Pass) was hot with no sure water until 30 miles in, so for that stretch I started with 13 liters of water, my total weight about 45 pounds.

On a 5-day, 4-night trip I'll bring 4-5 pounds of food. I'm getting better at not carrying more water than I need. If I have to go 10 miles to the next water, I'll drink up and carry 3 liters.