A Talk With a Thru Hiker

[NORTHERNHIKER]

Hello everyone,
I am the co-founder and the president of a new college club called Go Outside, see description below. I was inquiring if anyone who has thru-hiked the AT, PCT or CDT would be willing to take a phone call or video chat with the club and talk about your time as a thru-hiker and answer some questions. If you happen to live in the area and would like to come in person too that would also work!

Go Outside is a student organization that is deeply rooted in the idea of living life in wild spaces and developing practical and technical skills to further one’s experiences. Go Outside is a gathering place for individuals to share the knowledge they have gained from their past experiences as well as learn skills form fellow members and experts. By having these conversations, members will feel they have the confidence to plan their trip the way they want it and while on a trip they will thrive in whatever conditions are thrown at them.

Thank you so much!

[Tipi Walter]

Why limit your inquiries to long trail thruhikers? Why not include "mere" backpackers too? Or backpackers who live outdoors in Alaska or Montana or North Carolina? Or guys who pull expedition type backpacking trips??

[JNI64]

So true what tipi's saying, there's alot, alot, I'll say it again alot more to being "outside " than thru hiking. Why not cover more aspects and experiences. Maybe some students what a different approach other than thru hiking, as we have all kinds of options to being "outside ".

[CalebJ]

You guys are assuming they aren't planning to have more than one conversation. Perhaps the thru-hiking perspective is just one they want to share?

[JNI64]

I want to add a big good for you'll starting such a program. Great idea to get young adults outside . After all they will be our future hikers, trail maintainers, whiteblazers.... as far as assuming person mentioned thru hikers a couple times. After reading what they wrote it's hard not assume such. " a talk with a thru hiker", "talk about your time as a thru hiker ", " if anyone has thru hiked" .

[CalebJ]

as far as assuming person mentioned thru hikers a couple times. After reading what they wrote it's hard not assume such. " a talk with a thru hiker", "talk about your time as a thru hiker ", " if anyone has thru hiked" .

Right - that's clearly what they're asking for right now. But the idea that it's the only topic they'll ever cover is merely an assumption.

[Siestita]

Northern Hiker -- I'/m guessing your club may be located at a particular college or university, rather than simply being something "virtual" . Montana is a large state. In what town is your new college club located? Perhaps a former thru hiker or other experienced backpacker in your area could speak to you all there in person.

Or, if this to be an entirely virtual operation, conducted exclusively by phone or on the net, is such a program needed in that context? There are already many good blogs and Internet postings in which individuals and communities of people give one another advise on this subject, make "how to do it presentations" , and show things that they've done.

[TNhiker]

Montana is a large state.

it's Minnesota...

but, i was also wondering the same thing-----where is OP wants this speech done......

[NORTHERNHIKER]

To answer your questions.

The club will entail a wide variety of outdoor skills/experiences including wilderness first aid, navigation, food section, packing for a trip, planning a trip, paddle sports, biking, climbing, hiking of course and many other topics. I am not trying to exclude other types of hikers but for this section, I thought it would be interesting to look at things from the perspective of a long haul Thru-Hiker as they face specific challenges that are different than shorter trips.

The entire idea behind the club is that I am fortunate to have been able to have a lot of outdoor experience from a young age, a few hundred miles of hiking a few thousand of canoeing. But most people don't have this experience. I often run into people who say they would like to get more involved in the outdoors but they don't know how or where to start. Hence, the formation of the club.

As mentioned above we are the future of outdoor enthusiasts and I hope that we will use all of the astounding technology that is at hand to experience and love nature rather than to be afraid of it.

So I am looking for a Thru-hiker to talk but you bring up a good point there are lots of different people who could contribute to the organization that I can find on this website, not just thru-hikers.

We are a Club at NDSU...........GO BISON

[Dogwood]

While I agree, as a TCer, and as a section hiker, day hiker, weekender, and LD hiker, primarily LD which I dont personally label until some 200+ miles(which is meaningless other than to me!), there can be and are a few unique aspects to LD hiking/thru hiking, other hikers can equally if not more so, be totally in line with applicable comprehensive answers to some if not all the knowledge you seek. For example Tipi Walter about a love of Nature, as ga ga if not more so than my anal diatribes about it. Ask TW how that name arose. It's an offense to him and might be to me, if I was easily offended, to exclude his thoughts on that topic. On the other hand going 3000 miles in a shot for 5-6 months is not his thing and he's uppity around some crappy thru hiker behavior, rightly so. I wouldn't seek me out as a LD hiker wanting a deep dive on all the electronic gadgets a hiker, a hiker of any length and duration can use. I'm somewhat a Luddite in that arena.

If you'd want I can assist informing about some of the uniquenesses I feel or know can exist but truly much of that has been on line, written about and discussed for so long already. TIP: dont say thru hiker say LD hiker. I find it's less offensive. There are some LD hikers available for coaching or speaking events or offering classes that do this free or as part of paid employment. Liz Thomas, Cam Honan, Andrew Skurka, Zach Thomas, Heather Andersen, etc. In effect we're cutting their throats competing with their offerings attempting to gain something free of financial payment. And, some of these folks already graciously offer some of the answers you seek on their sites. Paul Mags Magnanti for example who also is involved in Trail Show podcasts. Ask the Trail Show group who are all TCers, I think, your questions/a question. They entertain some personal questions. They can be funny as shart too. Go to a ADHA West event and this topic may also be broached. There are Montana based LD hikers too, so far easier to enlist local LD hikers than expect a LD hiker to travel to MT on their own dime to offer free coaching or speaking engagement to your group. BPL members and the founder Jordan who is in MT may help simply by getting a subscription to BPL. Be ready for a mash up of UL philosophy and gear wonk speak. I'm not trying to offend or be a dbag but these can be realities.

Another perspective is despite that personalized LD hiker definition, say a hiker labeled LASHer(long arse section hiker), or more simply section hiker, or week+ long hiker is doing a 400 mile section that's greater than the distance than say thru hiking the JMT,or LT. So these terms get muddled or meaningless. They are just labels.

Another pt is that many LD hikers/thru hikers and section hikers doing more exceptionally long hikes are highly correlated with being ULers(ultra lighters) taking on cookie cutter hikes based on typical LD strategies of doing many short resuppllying and town under a roof stops. That makes these folks basically doing back to back to,... series of much shorter section hikes or 'hut' hikes as is the norm on some longer trails and shorter ones in other areas of the world. Again a muddling of labels.


Yet another thought is only 2-3 out of 10 professing AT thru hikers complete their intended thrus. That makes their self labeling thru hiker meaningless and incorrect as when they don't finish their thrus they are in actuality section hikers in 7-8 out of 10 cases. See the inaneness of the labeling LD hiker or thru hiker can be?

There are Backpacker mag classes on WFA and Navigation but a far larger range offer them through professional orgs. REI offers cheap navigational classes. Food is highly offensive topic and rather highly personalized but Brenda Braatten offers free advice. Cam has the link on his aptly named ThehikingLife site. Swami is gracious to offer free advice on his site although he might enjoy a ramen packet or a hair cut as a trade off. LMAO


So, after all you got a talking from.... a....hiker.