"But How Can You Afford That?!" - Working Hard to Play Hard

It might look relaxing, but a TON of hard work went on behind the scenes before doing a hike!

The number one question asked to me upon finding out that I enjoy long-distance hiking is "how can you afford to do that?!"  Similarly, "you must be independently wealthy!" is a common followup.  The truth of the matter is if you find your passion, most of the time there is so much behind-the-scenes hard work involved in making your dream a reality that many people often don't see your struggle to reach your goal.  This post is brought to you by hard work, folks!

When I had decided I wanted to attempt a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2012 it was July 2011.  I had a vague notion I'd want to thru hike one day, but I made a firm decision in July and immediately began planning.  When you plan for a long-distance hike there is a lot of research involved and the thing I noticed in many failed thru hike attempts was running out of money. This was back in the days before everyone and their brother ran a GoFundMe.  I knew immediately that if I wanted to up my chances of finishing a 2200-mile hike I would need to prepare financially.  

Saving money has never been hard for me.  I grew up in a family where if we wanted something, we saved up for it.  I bought my own cell phone and plan in the early 2000s from part job after school jobs.  I bought my first laptop computer when I was 17 through the same hard work.  Keep in mind these were the days when laptops were $1500 and cell phone plans were only 200 minutes a month with no text messaging options!  I've always been a saver, so this task wasn't hard for me at all.  Although, as an adult with a home mortgage and a fairly brand new car recently purchased, saving money wasn't as easy as it was in my teenage years! The first thing I would need to do is supplement my income with a second job. 

In 2011 I took a job with a temp agency.  The agency I was with specialized only in medical offices, my area of training.  I worked part time at night from home as my regular job, so that left me free for day shift jobs.  In the medical field I quickly found fairly regular work as a temp from 7:30-5 p.m. and still had time for my regular job.  Some weeks found me working as many as 65 hours, but I was okay with this as all that money from temp work was going into my savings and my trail fund.  By the time I left in 2012 I had expanded my network in the healthcare field and saved some money to thru hike. 

The same methodology applied to my summer 2015 thru hikes.  Although the medical field in Syracuse was much smaller, I had to get more creative.  I worked an early morning shift at FedEx and then worked a normal 8-5 job like any other person.  While doing these shifts I often found myself working 70-hour weeks in the Christmas season, but the result was still the same - I was able to funnel the extra cash into my savings for thru hiking.  For months I was often tired and I wasn't the most social person, but the end result allowed me to take off an entire summer to live my dreams.  I am personally not a fan of the GoFundMe campaigns for people to take the time to do a thru hike.  If you want to take the time off from life to do a hike, you should be willing to work just as hard for it as you would any other dream! Kickstarters, however, are different.  If you're a filmmaker or a writer I find this a viable option for production costs.  I have nothing against people who do use GoFundMe for trips, I have just found it's not something I could see myself doing for a trip I've chosen to do. 

Once again I've found myself back in the real world dreaming of my next adventure.  While my new job as a backpacking guide will help me live out my passion on a smaller scale for the next several months, I know that if I want to get back out and take a season away from my adulting hard work and little free time will be the key.  How did you save for your adventuring?  I'd love to hear some of the methods you use!  Please leave me a comment or connect with me on Facebook!

Opinion - In Defense of Baxter State Park

With all the controversy going on surrounding Baxter State Park recently I've really been trying hard to bite my tongue; however, yesterday I saw a hiker friend of mine liked a link a friend of theirs posted to Facebook regarding Scott Jurek taking Baxter State Park to court regarding his three summons issued during his record-breaking hike.  The caption written by the poster was "I hope this puts Baxter Park in their place."  My silence is now going to be broken. 

Baxter State Park isn't your typical state park.  In fact, even though it is considered a Maine State Park, it is an entirely separate entity from all the others.  Baxter State Park is a special place, receiving no tax dollars from Maine residents and is only open through the collection of user fees and the grant given by Governor Percival Baxter - the man who purchased all the individual tracts of land which now make up the park in hopes of preserving the wilderness of the Maine woods in an area where logging was king for much of the late 19th and nearly all of the 20th centuries.  The park is a true wilderness area and is not allowed to expand the roads or facilities - no running water or electricity are in this park at all and this will always be the way.  

The big controversy surrounding the Appalachian Trail began in the fall of 2014, when the park composed an open letter to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy regarding the swelling problems created by thru hikers, mostly the hikers ending their hikes at Katahdin, but also by the sheer numbers of people who are entirely unprepared to hike southbound from the park as well.  This letter can be seen by clicking the link above, but lists the many problems the park has had with thru hikers in recent years.  Contrary to popular belief, the park doesn't mainly cater to thru hikers and their families.  AT hikers only make up between 2-3% of the visitors in this park every year.    

The real issue of this letter came to a boiling point very recently, on Scott Jurek's record-breaking AT thru hike, in which he finished the trail in less than 47 days and beating Jennifer Pharr Davis' record from 2011 by three hours.  Jurek was issued three summons after his summit of Baxter Peak - one for littering, one for drinking alcohol on the summit, and another for hiking with a group larger than 12 people.  Jurek plans to fight the summons in court - and this is the reason for this opinion piece.  

I am 100% on the side of Baxter State Park on this issue.  Having worked very closely with the park during my time in Maine in 2013, I have seen the problems happening in the park and understand their anger regarding this record breaking hike.  This whole issue is not about having a celebratory drink on Katahdin and that seems to be the only thing hikers are complaining about.  This issue is about violating the rules.  If you don't know the rules, that is not a valid excuse for breaking them.  For example, on my 2012 thru hike I didn't know the rules about alcohol and I popped the champagne just like many other hikers before me.  This doesn't excuse my actions and if I were issued a summons, I would plead guilty and pay the fine, as breaking the rules is exactly what I did.  Saying "I'm a good person and I pack out my trash and I didn't know" doesn't make you not guilty of violating the guidelines you are to follow on the summit.  

The thing that is making the park officials the angriest, however, is the corporate sponsorship surrounding the event.  This point is completely glossed over by many in the hiking community.  Jurek wore a Clif Bar headband and had a support vehicle following him with the logo, as well as had a documentary crew following him.  While the company following his journey had obtained a permit to film in the park, they were told filming within 500 feet of the summit for commercial purposes was prohibited.  They chose to do so anyway.  Maine's largest wilderness area was home to corporate advertising on the day of Scott's summit, which isn't allowed.  

With the popularizing of the AT with this week's new film, A Walk in the Woods, Baxter Park has grown more concerned for the future of the impacts that will be made there.  The park has already written in their letter I linked to above that they can and will consider moving the trail completely out of the park, meaning hikers wishing to finish on Katahdin will have to follow the same procedures as everyone else who wishes to climb the mountain.  While I would be saddened to see the trail move, it by no means indicates you can't hike Maine's tallest peak - it only means what most AT hikers seem to forget: You are not special or entitled just because you walked here.  In order for the wilderness of Baxter State Park to be preserved, you might just have to sign up for your Katahdin permit online or register with the park in the future.  I don't see how this would be a bad thing.  

I would love to hear your opinions as to why or why not you agree with Baxter State Park on their stance of this issue.  Please leave me a comment or comment on this post on Facebook! If you would like to read more about the park's creation or learn the history of this very special place, visit their website here. 

Gear Review: Apollo 6 Mobility Package Solar Charger and USB Power Pack

Solar chargers are a popular item in the packs of long-distance hikers, especially as they are first beginning a hike.  As I've tried a few solar chargers in the past, I thought I would give the Apollo 6 Mobility Package - a solar charger with a Spectrum 10 USB powerpack - a try during our summer of exploration.  

Charging a Samsung Galaxy S5

About the Apollo 6 - This charger has three solar panels and weighs just 6 ounces, so it's incredibly light if you're looking for a solar charger to add to your pack without sacrificing too much other gear.  It uses CIGS solar cells that are flexible and durable, meaning there is no glass at all in the unit and it can withstand wet weather, a must-have feature for those of us hiking on the east coast!  Included with the panel is a rubber stopper to place over the USB port so you can still transport it in wet weather without corroding the inside of the USB port.  It also can still charge the battery pack without the need for direct sunlight.  While direct sunlight is obviously best for a solar panel, partly cloudy or shadowed conditions will still allow the power pack to charge.  

About the Spectrum 10 USB power pack - This incredibly lightweight device has two functions: a battery charger and a flashlight with three settings, including high beam, low beam, and emergency/dance party strobe light.  It comes with it's own micro USB charging cable that can be plugged directly into the Apollo 6 solar panel or into a wall outlet with a USB port for fast charging.  The output on this little device is 5 volts, enough to charge even an iPhone!  When plugged in, the light on the back of the flashlight shows red and turns off when the device has a full charge - a handy feature to have to know you'll get the maximum charge.  

Directly out of the pack, the Spectrum 10 USB Power pack charged a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone from 35% battery to 71% battery.  Since it was fresh out of the mail, we didn't have any way to gauge how full the pack was, so we set out to charge the unit.  We tested Apollo 6 Solar Panels in our yard.  Seeing that we get direct sunlight most of the day on our back deck, we set the charger and the battery pack up outside for 3 hours.  After plugging my iPhone 6 into the battery pack after 3 hours, it charged the battery from 22% to 56% before shutting off. The flashlight on the battery pack still worked, so I plugged my phone back into it,  but no more charge could be drawn.  We plugged it back in to the solar charger and left it outside until sundown, where we then brought it back in and hung it in a window so it could get direct sunlight from the morning sun in the morning.  I plugged in my iPhone at 11:30 and by 12:10 it had gone from a 63% change to 100% charged.  The cool thing about this is the battery pack disconnected from my iPhone at the point it hit 100% to avoid overcharging/running down the power pack.  I thought this was a pretty great feature.  

Charging the battery pack in a window

Since we had tested the battery pack, we decided to test the solar panel with our phones directly.  NoKey's Samsung Galaxy S5 had no problems and could use either the micro USB cord that came with the panel or his Galaxy charging cable.  While the direct plug in method was slower than using a wall charger, it did still charge his phone.  When I plugged my iPhone 6 into the panel with the lightening cable (micro USB doesn't have a port on an iPhone), it started to charge but I immediately got a message saying it wasn't compatible with my device. After contacting Endless Sun Solar, they told me that even though I got the message if I left my phone plugged in it would still charge.  This did indeed turn out to be the case.  Again, it didn't charge fast, but it did pull a charge directly.  The reason for the error message is that iPhones tend to be a little more finicky - the fluctuating voltages from solar (such as heavy cloud cover) make the iPhone think it is connected to a grid during dangerous power fluctuations, and so it shows this message and charges at a much slower rate, even though the solar charger may be putting out ample power to charge. Android phones generally do not have this problem, so this only apply to iPhone users. 

Another scenario we used to charge phones was attempted on The Long Trail in Vermont during our thru hike.  We exclusively used the USB device with a wall charger on this hike due to the sheer lack of direct sunlight we would be getting on a northeastern trail in late summer.  Whenever we were in a place to charge our phones, which happened four times during the 273-mile hike, we would also charge the USB device.  We would get a completely full charge on the USB and then pack it away to use as an emergency backup if we ended up with dead devices on trail.  The only downside of this method was that sometimes we would pull out the bag with the charger to see the flashlight had turned on while in the backpack. Since we had no idea how long the flashlight had been on, usually we couldn't get a full charge for our phones.  However, when using the USB power pack and knowing the flashlight hadn't turned on, we would get one completely full charge from 0-100% on a Samsung Galaxy S5 or on an iPhone 6.  

Dashboard charging - great for car camping! 

If you are looking for a durable solar panel without the heavy weight or fragility of glass, Endless Sun Solar has a great option.  If you purchase the Mobility Package, you also get the USB power pack, an item I highly recommend both for the weight and the ease of use.  You can check out the package by clicking here. 

Disclaimer: I received the Apollo 6 Mobility Package for free from Endless Sun Solar as coordinated by Outdoor PR in consideration for review publication.

Podcast Post!

We were recently featured on the podcast N2backpacking talking everything from the Benton MacKaye Trail to our favorite pieces of gear.  Give it a listen when you have an hour to kill!  

http://n2backpacking.com/episode-28-the-benton-mackaye-trail/

Benton MacKaye Trail - by the numbers

This post is kind of a wrap up of the BMT by the numbers.  I'll be publishing a post over on my Appalachian Trials blog very soon and will post a link to that when it's live.  For now, here's a breakdown of the statistics from our thru hike of the Benton MacKaye Trail. 

Benton MacKaye Trail Facts:

-The trail is pronounced Benton "Mac-Eye", not "Mc Kay" as many people think.  
-The length of the trail is different now.  In 2012, the trail terminus was moved from Davenport Gap to Big Creek Campground since it's kind of dumb to walk through the campground, up to Davenport Gap, and then right back down to the campground to get a ride since there is very little traffic at Davenport Gap.  It was 286 miles, then 283, and now it's about 290 due to a reroute.  More reroutes have been completed, but not signed or made official as of yet.  The trail will be closer to 300 in the near future.  
-You can do a loop hike of this trail with the Appalachian Trail.  If you hike the AT/BMT loop, it is 500 miles.  We technically are 500 Milers since we have done both trails.  I thought this was pretty cool!

Our Hike - By the Numbers
-Days hiking: 20
-Zero days (days not hiking during the 20) taken: 1
-Nights spent sleeping indoors: 4 - Days Inn of Blue Ridge, GA; two nights at Green Cove Motel; one night at Tapoco Lodge
-Nights camping: 16
-Nights camping alone: 13
-Days walking in the rain: 1
-Nights camped in the rain: 4
-Biggest Crowds: 15 people at campsite 81 and 12 people at Laurel Gap Shelter in the Smokies (Memorial Day Weekend)
-Days we saw people: 20 - this is not common on the BMT.  Many trail journals I read most people went days without seeing a single soul.  
-Miles per day hiked (on average): 15.26 (not including our zero day)
-Pack weight: Sprinkles ~20 lb fully loaded; NoKey ~ 24 lb fully loaded
-Body weight lost: Sprinkles - 6 lb, NoKey - 20 lb. 

Gear to Change

For both of us, most of our gear worked incredibly well!  For NoKey, we are going to switch him to a full length sleeping pad, as he was using a 3/4 length Thermarest Prolite and had quite a few uncomfortable nights.  He also splurged on a luxury item yesterday - an inflatable pillow.  By swapping out his bug net for the pillow, he'll never even know he's carrying it!  For me, my MSR Seagull pot was just too small for the homemade meals I assembled before leaving.  The meals and water would completely fill the 750 mL pot and stirring them was nearly impossible.  I have upgraded to the GSI Pinnacle Soloist, which has a great nesting system that includes a stove bag, room for a fuel canister up to 220 grams, a cup/cozy, room for a lighter, my Swiss Army Knife, lid, and dual purpose bag to store it in.  I'm pretty excited since now I have a capacity of 1 liter.  The extra 250 mL will make a huge difference!  I will also add some clothing to my bag and carry a pair of capri pants, as there were three nights on the BMT that I was absolutely freezing in my 36-degree down bag.  

As I mentioned above, my summary of the BMT will be coming over on my Appalachian Trials blog and I will be sharing the link with you all soon.  We are really looking forward to hitting the Finger Lakes Trail very soon!

Pieces of Gear You Should Always Leave Packed for a Quick Get Away!

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For those of us who are constantly busy and running on tight schedules, those rare moments when we can spare half a day to get away into the woods usually come upon us quickly!  I always have a day pack filled with essentials for a day hike on my porch, next to my hiking shoes and trekking poles.  This way, when the moment comes, I can put on my shoes, toss my gear in the car, and run off to the woods.  Here is what I always have on hand:

1) 2-liter Camelbak, filled before leaving the house.
2) Hiker first aid kit: Mine includes ibuprofen, emergency Aquamira Drops in case my filter doesn’t work, a lighter, Gold Bond Powder, Carmex, and duct tape.  I also keep a headlamp with fresh batteries in the same bag. 
3) My Sawyer Mini filter.  This thing is a beast - it’s fast, it’s easy, and it has never once failed me.  
4) Hiker snacks. Obviously, these need to be changed out/replenished every once in a while, but I always have hiker-friendly trail foods in my house.
5) Rain gear. I am a huge fan of The North Face’s Venture.  I’ve now owned two of these coats and I’d never wear anything else.  

Do you keep gear packed and ready for your next short adventure? What pieces do you never leave without?  Leave me a comment or connect with me on Facebook to talk about your favorite gear!

What's In a Trail Name?

After sharing my blog with some former co-workers, the thing I heard was "who is Sprinkles?!"  Being that sometimes I forget that not everyone I know is in the know about long-distance hiking, I thought I'd take the opportunity to write a blog about trail names.  

A trail name is an alias by which a hiker is known during their time on trail.  While mostly used by long-distance hikers, they're not exclusive to people hiking for months on end.  They can be used by everyone from spouses of hikers to trail angels (more on this in another post) to trail maintenance workers to thru hikers.  Usually, a trail name is given to a hiker by other hikers, a nickname earned due to some circumstance.  Paul Bunyon can be given to the person who snores the loudest in a shelter; The Flash can be given to the slowest hiker in the group; Snot Rocket given to the one who... well, you get it.

When it comes to trail names, anything goes.  One should be warned that if you ever answer to a trail name even once, it will stick.  I knew a guy who was trying to "outrun" another hiker due to being called Litterbug because a granola wrapper fell out of his pack and he didn't pick it up due to not seeing it.  (He totally did outrun the name by the way).  Also, there's sort of an unspoken rule with hikers that you can change your trail name, but you can only get three names total before the third one has to stick.  Alternatively, to avoid getting an unsavory trail name, you can assign one to yourself.  This is what NoKey did before his thru hike.  While prepping to go on the AT, he gave himself the name NoKey because someone had pointed out to him he had nothing in his life that required a key.  He sold his house and his car, put his stuff into storage, and left for Georgia with only the gear on his back. 

Now we come to my trail name - Sprinkles.  When I left Springer Mountain in Georgia in 2012, I had the trail name Trophy Wife.  When I was preparing to do the AT, the person I hiked with the most was about twice my age.  He and I hiked together most weekends for the 4 months leading up to my hike and would often get the look of people trying to figure the two of us out.  One day he said, "oh, this is my daughter" to which I replied, "oh honey, don't hide our love" and embarrassed him.  From then on, I became known as Trophy Wife.   While the name fit me during those months prior to the AT, on the AT it became kind of a pain.  I was constantly answering the question "Where's your husband?" or "Isn't it a bad thing to be a trophy wife?"  Then, when NoKey and I started hiking together we both awkwardly had to explain that no, he was not my husband.  A trail name switch was required.  When we were about 600 miles in to the trail, the name Sprinkles was brought up.  It fit me not only for my love of Poptarts with sprinkles on top, but also due to the fact that when you're a woman on a trail as popular as the AT in early spring, a lot of people are going to catch you peeing in the woods.  The name stuck and it fits me well :)

I hope this post has explained a little bit more about trail names to those who weren't quite sure what the whole thing meant.  Happy hiking!