I'm about as far from an all-year hiker as you can find. I definitely don't long hikes in the winter, and I don't even like to backpack in early spring or late fall.
So how do I ensure that I'm ready for the rigors of The Trail after many months of avoiding it?
I presently have a three-step process to test everything:
Step 1) One night camping at a state park just a few hours from home. I force myself to use ONLY that stuff that I've placed in my backpack,
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