When I first started planning this hike, I was pretty overwhelmed. There was so much information and so much I felt I needed to know. I didn’t really know where to start. Right at this overwhelming point, I happened to get into a conversation with a neighbor in Tennessee and he pointed me in the direction of a few websites (backpackinglight.com, hikelight.com, and whiteblaze.net). I was obsessed. I didn’t stop reading all of these websites for a week. I couldn’t talk about anything except for backpacking gear or the trail. I could feel people started getting bored with me in our conversations; I had a one-track mind. Little by little, a plan to hike the trail and a gear list came together.
After countless hours researching (and talking non-stop about the trail), I made it my goal to work towards a base-weight (before food and water) of twelve pounds or less. This is a big cut in weight for the type of backpacking I am accustomed to (and a cut to my wallet) but I’m excited to move towards a lighter and easier way to backpack.
To make this a little more interesting for everyone, I was hoping I could get people to post some questions about anything trail-related you would be interested in reading about. Whether it is about gear, the trail, or anything else that comes to mind. I’d like to make this blog a little more interactive for everyone. When I know that the reader has an interest in what I am writing, it is much more appealing to me than simply making you read what I post. Please feel free to post your own story of a long backpacking trip or a new piece of gear you’re exciting about. I want to share this experience with as many people as possible. I hope to inspire people to get out and plan their own dream backpacking trip.