Ever wonder how those hikers with the tiny overnight packs manage to survive the night with such small packs.  Read on and I’ll tell you, so you can do it yourself. It pains me greatly when I go hiking and see people laboring to carry massive packs through the woods.  I ponder what they have in those huge packs to [...]

  For a long time I have been wanting to show everyone my cook set up.  A lot of people ask what I cook on and are shocked at the small size of my set up.  They see it as extreme but in reality it’s quite common among thru-hikers and other long distance folk.  I started with a heavy in [...]

So a while back I did a post called AT vs. PCT where I compared the numbers of both my hikes.  I said I would do a gear comparison.  In the process of doing so I realized I had never posted a post I wrote on how to cut pack weight.  While finishing up that post I also wrote a [...]

For a while now I have been selling anything and everything I don’t feel I need or want on CraigsList. I got to the point where I had more than I needed or wanted in my life. It was high time I simplified. So just the other night I went to meet someone at Trader Joes to sell them my [...]

Hours. That’s the amount of time it took for someone to ask me which trail (Appalachian and Pacific Crest) I liked better and which was harder upon finishing my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike.  It’s not something you can easily explain to someone who’s never done either. Rocks, roots, mud, humidity, ticks, leaches, and mosquitoes are what you’ll find on the [...]

The Leach Story So if you think I’m some tough bad ass hiker dude because of my 1000′s of miles of hiking, this story may change your mind some.  It will tell you how a tiny little creature turned this trail harden man into a screaming school girl.  (No offense ladies)  -scatman I was on my first ever thru-hike.  On [...]

Day 153, 07-30-01 Daisy Pond Lean-to – Katahdin 12.8 miles, AT — 2168 I’ve done it! I’m sitting on top as I write.  The climb was a piece of cake.  I love it.  Jeff and I climbed like champs.  There were only a handful of people up here when I summited.  There are tons of people now. It hasn’t hit [...]

Day 152, 07-29-01 Hurd Brook – Daisy Pond Lean-to 11.0 miles, AT — 2157.0 No E.T. camping.  The bugs weren’t too bad.  We had an owl come into camp right as I started the fire.  Mortis and Jeff went to bed.  I stayed up w/ the fire. None of us could sleep in the am.  We were up at 6am.  [...]

Day 151, 07-28-01 Wadleigh – Hurd Brook Lean-to 19.6 miles, AT — 2149.5 The mosquitoes were bad last night.  I was happy to be in my tent.  Jeff and I talked a bunch from within our tents.  Neither of us could sleep. We got up late around 8am.  The climb up Nesuntabunt Mtn. was tougher than I expected.  I did [...]

Day 150, 07-27-01 Antlers Campsite – Wadleigh Stream Lean-to 13.6 miles, AT — 2129.9 What a great night!  Antlers Campsite was the best.  It’s the most beautiful spot yet.  The sun woke me up at 5 or so but I didn’t get up till 7am.  I thought it was about 8:30 but I was wrong.  So much for sleeping in. [...]