Search:

+1 to using a bottle. A 32oz Gatorade bottle has a ridge in it all the way around that holds line very nicely, it's smooth enough to resist snagging, and when it gets beat up it's cheap and easy to...

Sounds like the four-state challenge, except with an extra 24 hours to manage an extra 15 miles or so in PA. I don't really see the need to skip a night's sleep.

Suunto is a good choice of brand if you want all the bells and whistles. If you decide you don't, I've never owned a Timex that hasn't been an absolute trooper.

I picked up a Kelty summer-weight bag on clearance from Cabela's that I use for crashing indoors whenever necessary. Inexpensive and synthetic, I don't have to worry about beating it up.

You're welcome! It's not the lightest, but it's a pretty good benchmark. The article on the preceding pages is interesting as well.

Winton Porter's is a good start.

http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

It's nice that you feel secure enough in your evaluation of 10K's dog's personality, without even meeting it, to demand an explanation like that and delineate what is and is not "acceptable". It's...

Of course I mean "if cost is no object".

Like they said, if cost truly is no option -- we're talking $300+ here -- Western Mountaineering is pretty much the last word in sleeping bags. Warm, light, compressible, and made in the USA.

There's the Saucony Progrid Razor. I've never tried the beasts on, but they always seem to jump out at me when I'm in the running store, and they may be something like what you want.
...

Might loosen during the night, depending on what knot you use. I like to use a taut-line hitch, and it might be too slick for that kind of knot to really bite into.

It's pretty easy to rig to a pack strap when necessary, but the real advantage is if you need to stop and do anything... like a bathroom break in the middle of the woods. Much easier to do this under...

Another vote for an umbrella here. I know I'm in the minority, but I like it.

Not a whole lot of town life in the North Jersey Skylands -- yes, that is what the area is rather wishfully called -- but Mountain Creek is definitely worth a trip if you have friends that can bring...

David Miller ("Awol") mentioned a guy who did this in his book, Awol on the Appalachian Trail. The guy's name was Hot Dawg, and there's a picture of the cat on top of his pack.

Great point right here. You're also going to need some cash to get you through once you get back home. Even if you have an awesome job/boss and you're allowed to take a leave of absence to hike and...

I don't think that old advice of "buying the pack last" is saying you have to do trips without a backpack first, nor that you have to marry yourself to the pack you choose. Rather, if you choose your...

Not to threadjack, but how do you like those? I was considering them but I'm not too up on trekking poles. Does not being able to adjust the length for up- and downhills bug you?

Nice choice. A solid bag, and they take well to modding. It's popular to reduce their weight by clipping off some of the extra stuff.

Here is a fair guide as to what a typical thru "really" needs. It was written by Winton Porter, whose name will definitely come up as you do your reading.
...

As mentioned above, the Batona Trail in south Jersey is a nice flat one. If you can spare three days/two nights, you can do the whole thing and claim your first "thru-hike", which is cool.

For her...

Maybe I need to recalibrate my entitlement-o-meter, but that original post (the past line in particular) just rubbed me the wrong way. The huts are nice things: well-staffed, hot food, and other...

You not being told what you want to hear isn't the same as the forum being unhelpful.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?74539-I-am-at-a-crossroads

People read what you said and...

The squeak is normal, it'll go away as they break in. Be sure you've trimmed the toe area of the insole so it isn't folding or wrinkling, which will cause blisters. (I do this by loosening the laces...

I used green for a while, in about three pairs of running shoes (~1200 miles) in a little under a year, and liked them, and then took a suggestion to switch to orange for my most recent pair and...