Hello everyone, my name is Jess! Soon, I will start my journey northbound on the Appalachian Trail. I figured I should give an overview of myself and my plan before I get to Springer!

A Little Bit of Background

My story doesn’t include a lifelong love for the Appalachian Trail. I haven’t always had the desire to do a long-distance backpacking trip in the way others have. This surprises me now, as I grew up in the western half of Pennsylvania (about 4 hours from the trail) and did a lot of camping as a Girl Scout. Even so, I was unaware trails could be thousands of miles long until about 8 years ago.

I remember stumbling across some videos on YouTube about the Appalachian Trail. I enjoyed watching these trail vlogs about eating boatloads of Snickers bars, hitchhiking to get more, and making friends along the way. I think when I first looked into what the trail was, I didn’t fully grasp the continuity of it. This idea of following one long footpath didn’t burrow into my brain until a few years later, when I was gifted a copy of “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed.

When I finally got around to reading it, I was in such a dark place in my life. I can only recall vague details of the book, but those details were incredibly powerful for me. I thought, “she walked across the entire country and fought so many terrible demons. How insane would it be if I could do that someday?”

For the next 4 years, I would periodically daydream about walking through remote places with my whole life on my back. I began to piece my life back together—the job, the car, etc.—and realized how opposite this “normal adult stuff” was from my dream. I knew I couldn’t live like this, and my partner could see it as well. Eventually, she suggested I push the pause button on my life and hike the AT.

I immediately got to work researching and gathering everything I would need. I probably spent enough money at REI to fund the opening of a new location, but it was money well spent. I will admit, as my departure date nears, I find myself still adding/swapping small pieces. Nonetheless, my gear list is mostly finalized.

Gear

Who knew how utterly consuming the backpacking gear world would be!? I poured over videos and books and online articles about different backpacks and tents and clothes. There is SO MUCH information out there about anything you can think of. It’s overwhelming, especially to someone with no gear and no backpacking experience. I would say 90% of the preparation I did was on which products were worth my money.

My “Big Three”

Shelter

I quickly landed on Six Moon Designs Haven NetTent. This is a double walled, two person, trekking pole tent. It can also be pitched as just a tarp tent, or just the inner net. The appeal for me was being able to keep the inside of the tent dry (ish) while setting up in the rain, and the balance of lightweight and spacious. I think this is the most important piece of gear, as it will be where I live for half of the year. I have since tested it in a multitude of weather conditions, and absolutely love it.

Sleep System

I’m bringing a 0 degree quilt from Outdoor Vitals paired with a NeoAir XLite. Sleeping bags are too constrictive for me, and I sleep much better being able to switch positions throughout the night. The lowest I’ve tested this quilt at was 15 degrees, but I woke up sweating and had to strip off some layers so I’m quite happy with it! In the winter months, I plan to also carry a Nemo Switchback foam pad (for under the inflatable pad) to add warmth. In the summer, I will switch to my REI Magma Trail Quilt 30.

Backpack

I have had a lot of issues with pack fitting and proper weight distribution. I have a Sierra Designs pack that I love, but I despise the lack of storage on the outside of the pack. In search of the outside pockets, I tested out a Hyperlite Mountain Gear pack. After a short day hike my entire left shoulder was in agonizing pain; the weight was not transferring well to my hip belt. I then purchased the Gossamer Gear Mariposa, and absolutely ADORE it.

Everyone talks about their “big three,” and I’ve found most buy essential gear from a handful of popular companies. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this. I’m sure specific companies are so popular because of the quality of their products and their reputation amongst backpackers. My decision to buy from a big name brand was always backed with confidence. What I found a bit more laborious was research on secondary things like proper clothing.

B-List Gear Items

Talking about my whole clothing process would be too lengthy. There’s about as much information on clothing as there is on gear. The topic made me dizzy, especially since most clothing lists I found were for a late March or early April start date. Since I’m starting in February, I was really worried about securing warm clothes that would do well with keeping my heat in when wet.

I ended up with what I think is a pretty solid wardrobe (can you call it that when it’s stuffed in the bottom of a backpack?) Synthetics for hiking, and wool base layers for sleeping. I will not backpack in synthetic undergarments since discovering they make those out of merino wool. I picked up a sports bra from Branwyn and underwear (2 pairs) from Icebreaker.

I recently found a Mountain Hardware fleece hoodie for my mid layer, and have an extremely warm Marmot synthetic puffy coat. My rain jacket is REI brand, which I confess I only purchased because it came in my favorite shade of yellow. I plan to pair this with a rain skirt for those extra wet days.

In the end, I told myself to stop worrying so much. With the amount of outfitters located along the trail, I imagine adding or switching anything to be relatively easy. Plus, my spouse could always mail something to me if necessary.

Speaking of mail…

The Dreaded Mail Drop

I have fourteen boxes I plan to send to myself along the trail. Yes, I said fourteen.

While I am well aware of the frequent opportunities to resupply along the trail, I cannot stomach the thought of Knorr pasta sides and gummy bears filling my food bag every few days. I follow a ketogenic way of eating  in my normal life, and I would like to try an adapted version during my journey. I have experimented with being in ketosis vs. carb-loading while hiking and found that my body personally feels so much better in ketosis. I feel like a horrible, hollow shell if I go overboard on the carbs. On the other hand, I have zero experience with hikes longer than 30 miles.

To the best of my ability, I aim to eat somewhere between 40 grams and 60 grams of carbs/day while on trail. Ideally, it will be even lower than this at first, as I currently eat around 20 grams/day. I think my body would respond better if I can slowly increase my carb intake, regardless of the diet I end up on.

Keeping my way of eating in mind, I did my research on resupply points.  Dollar General only has so many keto options, and I don’t think I can walk 2,200 miles only eating tuna packets and cream cheese and beef jerky. Walmarts and most regular grocers have much better options, but they’re farther apart on the trail. My boxes will supplement these farther distances, as well as provide me with some food variety. I love to cook while at home, so putting together a bunch of dehydrated meals was fun. Plus, why not buy bulk nuts and chocolate at Costco?!

Final Thought

Even after all this planning and trying to imagine what will happen when, I know I must just let the journey take its course. I find joy in working out logistics, but there comes a point when stress takes over. With February fast approaching, the pre-trail nerves have been taking over. I feel a mixture of fear and excitement constantly now.

I have always enjoyed pushing my body and my mind to the limit, and I know this journey will be a sweet combination of both. The moments I’ll remember forever are out there, waiting for my feet to hit the trail. I can’t wait to meet some new people and see some new things!

Adventure on! ✌️