BACKPACKER LONG TRAILS

For years I dreamed of thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail, but I couldn’t get past the “no time, no money” part. Not feeling confident in my skills or my ability to complete the hike (or, heck, even make my way out of the airport to the trailhead) didn’t help. Finding time and saving money for the hike became such a wall in my brain that I continually postponed seriously pursuing my dream, saving it for “one day.” Since you have this book in hand, however, you likely want “one day” to be “as soon as the snow melts at the trailhead.”

One of the most encouraging things in my quest to find the time and money to hike was hearing stories from other people—from a variety of professions and backgrounds—and gleaning what strategies they used to make their thru-hike dreams happen. Frank discussions about finding time and money are almost never found in hiking guides. For some reason, authors have found the quest for money and vacation trivial when compared to the natural obstacles hikers may face on the trail. But to the hiker these human-caused obstacles are often a bigger hindrance than bears or wildfires; money and time are such obstacles that they keep many people from even starting their trip.

We all have the same dream to thru-hike, but the hurdles we face to meet our goals aren’t just thrown at us by nature. This chapter is about learning to use the same strategies seasoned hikers use to get out of job and financial obligations.

To understand how to plan for a long-distance hike, you must first understand what it is and what skills you need to have to complete it. Just as marathoning requires a different set of physical and mental skills than sprinting, long-distance hiking and thru-hiking also have some differences from traditional backpacking. A lot of the skills are similar, but long-distance hiking is trickier than a typical backpacking trip.

• Finding the necessary time, money, and support from loved ones to follow your dreams

• Learning how decisions you make today on the trail will impact what happens to you tomorrow (or even weeks from now) on the trail

Defining Backpacking Lingo

We use the term thru-hiking and thru-hiker throughout this book to refer to any long-distance hiking and hikers, but there are many ways to backpack. Here are a few terms you will hear both in this book and in your hiking life that are useful to know:

Thru-hiker: A hiker attempting to walk from one terminus of a trail to another terminus, all within one season. This can also apply to a backpacker who is walking a loop trail that starts and ends in the same place. Thru-hikers connect all their footsteps so that even when they get off the trail to resupply, they have walked a continuous hike. While this term is usually reserved for those walking trails over 90 miles, it can be used for trails as short as 40 miles.

Section-hiker: A hiker attempting to walk from one terminus of a trail to another terminus over many seasons or even a lifetime. Section hikers do not need to hike all sections in geographical order or even go into a hike with the intention of one day hiking the whole trail.

Flip-Flopper: A hiker attempting to walk an entire long trail in one season, but not necessarily in geographical order. Flip-floppers connect all their footsteps so that even when they get off the trail to restart their journey in a different direction, they have walked a continuous line.

The very first step in budgeting time and money for a long-distance hike is choosing what route you’ll take. We’ll discuss this concept more in chapter 4, but touch briefly on it here to help you better manage your time and money. Maybe you’re already sure of exactly where you want to explore, but there are more variablns and options than you’ve probably thought of. Here are some things to consider when choosing a trek.

Do you have the summer off from school, or the winter off from your raft guide job? Or are you retired and have no time restrictions? Whatever time you have, a long hike is out there for you. Most long hikes have a “window” during which conditions are the most favorable and safest, but if you can’t fit your hiking schedule into that window, you can always break a thru-hike into a series of long hikes over multiple seasons or years. For example, if you can’t fit in the time window for a northbound hike, you may be able to swing a southbound hike. They tend to start and end later in the year.

Depending on the weather window, you can then plan out your per-day mileage. On some trails, like the PCT, you may have to pull consistently bigger miles to finish before your weather window closes. Water sources also come into play. Depending on the season and trail, water sources may be farther apart on some trails, so you have to be either fit enough to walk between them in a day or fit enough to carry water for two days

Long-distance hiking can be filled with days of solitude. When planning a long hike, ask yourself: Are you okay with not seeing anyone for a few days? Will you feel lonely, or will you feel free? How connected do you want to stay? How important is daily cell reception and Internet access? What about exit points—are there a lot of them, in case you need to leave the trail or meet a family member in a support vehicle?

Consider the environment around the trail. Are you looking for a cultural experience or a natural experience? While long trails are everywhere, many hikers who have traveled internationally say that the United States boasts some of the longest, wildest established trail systems anywhere. What kind of scenery are you most excited about?

The Triple Crown Trails

The most famous long-distance hiking trails in the United States are the Big Three: Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and Continental Divide Trail (CDT). These are called the Triple Crown Trails because the few who have completed all three in their entirety are bestowed the Triple Crown Award by the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West at the Annual Gathering. Think of it as the Academy Awards for hiking—except recipients are dressed in puffy jackets and trail runners instead of tuxes and ballgowns, and it’s held at a camp instead of in a theater.

American Long Distance Hiking Association-West President Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa hiked the AT in 1996 (this photo), and, twenty years later, he hiked the CDT. He jokes he'll finish the PCT in another twenty years to complete his triple crown.

When choosing a trail, consider permits—are they needed, and how will you get them? How experienced do you need to be for that particular trail? What kind of skills do you need to master—like navigation, setting up campsites, using an ice axe, fording raging rivers, and so on?

Figuring out how to get away on a hike—both financially and time-wise—is one of the most daunting puzzles a prospective thru-hiker faces. I worked for three summers and all throughout college saving for my first long thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. I set it as my goal and was sure to put away one week’s pay-check per month for my hike. For me, slow and steady saving was the key to financing a long-distance hike. I found time to thru-hike by choosing to do my first long walk at a transition point in my life when I didn’t have a full-time job or many responsibilities.

To help you save for a hike and stay financially healthy, here are some age-appropriate tips for you, whatever your current life status.

I started my first thru-hike a year out of college. For me, hiking a long trail was just the transition I needed before finding a career and planning the next move in my life. The trip and everything I took away from it have stayed with me throughout my life.

For centuries, many cultures have had rites of passage for their young people before they entered adulthood. These rituals helped young people cope with the transition and build confidence and character. Our society, on the other hand, has rushed young people into making decisions—often before they know what they want in life.

As a young person you may not be rolling in wealth, but you should not let a lack of cash get in the way of making your dream trip a reality. I started hiking during this period of life and found these trips to be worth their weight in chocolate.

□ Stash your stuff. Whether you’re taking a gap year or waiting for your career to begin, you probably have fewer assets than older hikers. This can be a good thing: Little furniture and no mortgage can make cutting ties to the off-trail world simple. However, make sure you can afford a storage facility ($50 to $100 per month) for the things that won’t fit in your kind, generous relatives’ attics or basements.

□ Defer your student loans. If you’ve just tossed your grad cap, you probably have more than a few dollars of debt to your name. Fortunately, government-sponsored student loans will grant extensions. “They’re really flexible about giving you even a year’s deferral without many questions,” says 1999 AT thru-hiker and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Tom “Katmandu” McClean. You’ll continue to accrue interest during that time, though. If you have loans from a private firm, deferral isn’t always possible, says John Zachary, a CFP and member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. You’re better off taking a short-term or seasonal job until you’ve saved enough money to keep up payments while on the trail.

□ Don’t let your credit lapse. It’s tempting to throw responsibility to the wind and dive into the woods right after graduation, but defaulting on loans or credit card debt could haunt you. A bad credit score can make it difficult to secure a job or lease when you return to civilization. Make sure you work credit card and loan payments into your trail budget.

If you hate your job or are feeling burnt out, going for a long hike mid-career can be just the jump start you need. Going for a long walk gives you time to reflect on your mid-life goals and strategize how to achieve them. Many of my best friends (who you will meet in the Hike Your Own Hike sections of this book) started hiking mid-career and have found that when they return from their adventure, they are energized and focused on their jobs in ways they never would have been had they not gone hiking. Think of it as career development.

□ Make a tactical exit. If you’ve held the same job for years, talk to your employer about taking an extended vacation or sabbatical. Larger corporations will often grant a leave of absence to a veteran employee, possibly with continued benefits. This could mean major savings on health insurance. “You’ll continue to pay a reduced cost as part of a group plan rather than having to pay an individual health plan,” says CFP John Zachary.

□ Rent out your digs. If you own a home, consider renting it while you’re gone. This will help defray some of the cost of your mortgage payments during the four to six months you’re unemployed. At the very least, find a house sitter to make sure everything remains in working order while you’re gone. Make sure you factor the sitter’s fee into your trail budget and set up automatic bill pay for your mortgage before you leave home.

□ Look into refinancing your mortgage. But be cautious, says CFP and 2004 PCT thru-hiker Scott “Stormtrooper” Jacobsmeyer. If you started a thirty-year mortgage ten years ago, you can significantly lower payments by taking out another thirty-year mortgage. However, this extends the life of the loan, possibly into retirement age when most people want to be debt-free. If you decide it still makes sense to refinance, go ahead and do it. “Just make sure you do the refinancing before you quit your job, since banks require up to two years of earnings history,” Jacobsmeyer says.

If you’ve dreamed of hiking a long trail your whole life but have done the so-called responsible thing and stuck it out until retirement—now is your chance! Soon, you’ll have the time to make your goal come true. Make sure you have the money to do it—and to still be able to enjoy retirement afterward.

□ Start eyeing your 401k. Dipping into retirement savings before you’re 59½ years old will slam you with a 10 percent penalty for early withdrawal on top of income taxes, says CFP Tom “Katmandu” McClean. If you’re within six months of 60, though, you can start withdrawing without the penalty, and CFP John Zachary actually recommends doing so. “If you wait until you’re 70, when the government mandates you start withdrawing, that might bump you up a tax bracket,” he says. Taking money out sooner will smooth the spike in income and could reduce taxation.

□ Stop eyeing your social security. At age 62, you can start taking money out of Social Security savings—a second government benefit coming in on the heels of your 401k availability. However, taking money out of Social Security before you’re of “full retirement age” (either 66 or 67, depending on when you were born) means a 30 percent reduction in monthly benefits for the rest of your life. “It’s a big decision,” wares Zachary.

□ Consider holding out for Medicare. The older you get, the more expensive health insurance is. If you retire before 65, when Medicare kicks in, you’ll be in a pricey age bracket. Consider waiting, and make sure you figure any premiums into your budget.

Unless you’re an excellent saver already, chances are you’ll need to start putting money aside specifically for your hike. You’ll have a better sense of how much you’ll need to save each month after you calculate your trail budget (see “Calculate Your Budget” in this chapter). For example, if you decide you need $6,000 to hike your long trail and plan to start a year from now, you’ll need to save $500 a month. Here are some tips for making it happen, no matter the amount.

□ Eliminate things you don’t need. Living on the cheap prior to your hike will help you carve savings out of your existing budget and put aside more for the adventure ahead. Make your own coffee instead of stopping at your local cafe. Eat out less. Repair your clothes instead of buying new. Be creative in looking at what areas of your life you can trim. After all, you can’t take all the stuff you buy with you when you’re hiking—so you may as well hold off to get it until after your trip.

□ Open a savings account just for your hike. Vow not to withdraw from it. Shop around at different banks and find one that pays the highest interest.

□ Stop using credit cards. People who pay with plastic have less of an emotional connection to the money leaving their hands and tend to spend 12 to 18 percent more annually than those who pay with cash.

□ Don’t rely on the stock market. Investing might be advisable if you have a loose and distant idea of when you want to hike, but not when you have a specific start date in mind, wares Tom McClean. “The market could be in a downturn in eighteen months. It’s much better to have the money than to need it when the market’s down,” he says.

□ Create a visual reminder of your goal. Put that poster of Jennifer Pharr Davis over your mantelpiece. Set out a big jar for change next to the kitchen sink. Having something tangible will help keep you on track.

□ Get insured. If you leave your job, you can get a continuation of your health insurance for up to eighteen months through COBRA. “It’s often the most convenient, but maybe not the lowest cost,” CFP Jacobsmeyer says. Younger hikers can often find better deals through a broker or on the public exchanges. Either way, make sure you have insurance. “The penalties for being uninsured grow more onerous by the year,” says CFP McClean. “Besides, you might need medical care along the way.” If you’re shopping for new insurance, try Healthcare.gov. According to John Zachary, you might be able to get government subsidies based on your prior income.

□ Deal with any debt. One of the best ways to eliminate stress from your thru-hike is to minimize your financial burdens. If you have credit card debt, you might be able to talk the credit card company into new terms. According to McClean, it might require some pushing, but companies oftentimes will accept a reduced payment agreement rather than lose more money by letting their customer declare bankruptcy. Taking the extra time to pay off debt is worth it. “You are planning for this great, amazing journey. You shouldn’t be worried about these obligations,” says McClean. Make sure you can afford not to be.

HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE

WHY WE CHOSE SECTION HIKING

Phil Hough and his wife, Deb Hunsicker, section-hiked the CDT in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Deb and I are Triple Crowners. After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, we chose to tackle the Continental Divide Trail as three sections—each 1,000 miles, and each over three consecutive summers. By doing it this way, we were better able to manage our work lives. We hiked each section during a time when we were least subjected to weather extremes or uncertainties. We didn’t want to be forced to make route selections—such as the high San Juan sections—based on weather and snow conditions. We wanted to see high sections, like the San Juan Mountains, in all their wildflower glory, not covered under feet of snow. By hiking the CDT this way, we were able to have three summers’ worth of long-distance adventures, and we were able to do it in a way that we could keep our jobs, manage our work lives, and manage our trail experience. By section hiking, we could decide where we wanted to be and when we wanted to be there.

—Phil “Nowhere Man” Hough

So how much money do you really need to do a thru-hike? This is an important question to answer to make sure you truly can complete your hike. Sadly, there is no perfect equation for how much a thru-hike will cost. It depends on a lot of things: your goals, what you can do without, and how long it will take you to complete your hike.

My first long thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail was the most expensive of all twenty of my long hikes. I thought camping in the woods for months would be a frugal way to travel, but I made some rookie mistakes that drove up the sticker price on my adventure. I wasn’t happy with the gear that I started with, so I ended up buying all new gear at full price at gear stores along the way. I wasn’t used to camping, so I ended up spending every opportunity I could in a hotel or hostel. I didn’t buy my plane ticket home until the very last minute, so I paid for a very expensive flight. Before I left for the AT, I was so focused on doing everything I could do just to start hiking the trail that I didn’t think enough about money. When I discuss budgets with other accomplished thru-hikers, I realize how common it is to go over-budget—even among some of the most budget-minded people I know.

Here are a few simple equations commonly used by thru-hikers as measuring sticks. They don’t always add up to the same number, but will give you a ballpark range of dollars you should expect to have available.

When creating your budget, don’t forget to include health care costs—medical insurance, prescriptions or OTC medicines, and post-hike physicals (especially tests for Lyme disease, if needed). Also take trail-related costs into consideration. This includes food, hotels, and travel, as well as gear replacement and shipping costs, cell phone bills, and SPOT or DeLorme (now Garmin) satellite tracker bills. Ongoing bills on the home front should also be rolled into your budget: mortgage, car bills, student loans, child support, utilities and rent, storage unit and parking space rental, and vet costs for pets that are being watched by friends or family. Consider canceling monthly or even annual subscription services, such as Netflix, magazines, and cable TV. Make sure any automatic bank transfers are covered.

□ Budget for practice runs. “You might want to go on some trail hikes to test gear and get in shape,” says Tom “Katmandu” McClean. If this is part of your plan, make sure you include the gas expenses and days off work in your thru-hike budget.

□ Prepare for the unexpected. “Have a contingency plan for if you get injured,” Zachary says. He recommends a 10 percent budget increase to provide wiggle room for emergencies. McClean echoes the advice: He had to spend two weeks at a hotel in Damascus resting a stress fracture during his thru-hike. And unforeseen costs aren’t just about getting hurt. You may discover you need a warmer sleeping bag. At some point your shoes may become too small for your swollen feet. It’s possible a resupply box won’t show up, and you’ll have an unexpected extra resupply to pay for.

□ Set aside a fun fund. “I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the social aspect of thru-hiking the AT,” says McClean. The people you meet are part of the experience, and it’s easier to savor that aspect when you can participate in occasional movies or town days. And no matter how much you plan your budget at home, you will have a hard time saying “no” to food and a hotel when you finally make it into town after a hard day and are hungry and wet. Budget well for times like that—or set up a plan that will satisfy your need for food and warmth without hurting the bank. It’s not uncommon for a hiker to want to eat two entrees while in town. Don’t budget based on your appetite now. You’re going to be one hungry animal later.

□ Account for post-hike expenses. McClean recommends including a post-hike unemployment period (unless you’re taking a sabbatical) in the trail budget. It’s important to save up money for when you finish your hike too. It may take some time to find a new job when you return. Try to leave yourself a cushion to cover, at the very least, one month’s cost of living when you return. If you plan to change careers or fields after your hike, it make take even longer to find a new job. This includes money for a housing deposit, rent, utility turn-on fees, and a car if you don’t have one waiting for you. “If you’re a businessperson looking for a job, you might also need to shop for a new suit. A lot of us lose weight on the trail,” he says.

Since my expensive first trip on the Appalachian Trail, I’ve learned the hard way how to keep my thru-hiking budget down. For me, long hikes are made of emotional ups and downs, so splurging now and then is essential to keeping my sanity. Much like dieting, the trick to budgeting on the trail (and off trail) is never to feel like you are denying yourself an experience. Instead, it requires making choices that enrich your life (while opting out of the extras that don’t bring you maximum joy). For example, finding a good hiking partner is a great way to save money, and it can sometimes make your trip more enjoyable. On the other hand, an extra beer at the bar while in town has diminishing marginal returns and isn’t going to maximize your joy.

□ Share gear with other hikers. Having a partner to share gear, like a tent and stove, can be a big advantage—provided the two of you don’t have a falling out. There is risk in sharing big gear items. But, in general, splitting bulk purchases (such as boxes of Ziploc bags or Clif Bars) with other hikers makes for a more efficient use of everyone’s funds.

□ Stay out of town. Town time is money. Staying at a hostel or splitting a motel room with other hikers definitely lowers your budget, but the best way to save money is to skip the bed altogether. By camping close to town, you can do laundry, pay a few dollars to use the shower at a hostel, resupply at the store or post office, and be back on the trail by afternoon. For those times when you do stop in town, go through a mental checklist. Is the weather miserable? Are you sick? Are there other hikers who want to share a room? Does it seem like a valuable experience to stay at this particular hostel or town? If you can’t say “yes” to at least one of those questions, reconsider the pricey room and stick with the tent you’ve already paid for.

□ Avoid restaurants. Of course, the lure of a lumpy hostel bed is nothing compared to the siren call of real food. I know it’s hard, but if you really want to keep a tight budget it’s better to walk past those greasy spoons to the grocery store. When you do eat out, remember that breakfast is the cheapest meal and doesn’t (usually) tempt you with a beer menu. Similarly, comparison shopping has its place even in tiny trail towns, where Dollar General often sells the same instant potatoes, oatmeal, or pasta that the grocery store carries—only for a lower price.

□ Ignore the party scene. The AT and PCT are social trails, and after a long week of hiking, it’s tempting to get a beer with other hikers inside a warm, bug-free bar. But alcohol is an expensive way to make up for a caloric deficit—and it increases the odds that you’ll get a room for the night. You don’t have to live like a monk to stay on budget, but set yourself a limit. If you must buy beer, get it at a grocery or liquor store to save a lot of money (but remember to consume it some place legal and preferably indoors—not the park).

□ Shop smart for gear. A little research can save you a lot of money. Check out hiking forums, read gear reviews, and visit physical hiking stores before you decide what you want to buy, so you aren’t spending double the money replacing that gear mid-trail. (For much more on choosing gear, see chapter 6.) After you narrow down your gear list, wait for deals, keeping an eye on sales and used gear exchanges. Or try making your own gear. Homemade alcohol stoves are growing in popularity and cost only the price of a tin can (but check restrictions on them in certain wilderness areas before you bring them). But you don’t have to stop at stoves if you want to get crafty. Several online sites sell lightweight materials to build your own backpack, sleeping bag, and tarp. A whole world of instructional videos, blogs, and books is available to help you get started. (Note: Make sure to test any homemade gear before relying on it.) And know that making some items (like sewing a pack) takes a lot of skill and time; if you go this route, realize that what you save in money, you’ll be investing in time.

□ Ignore marketing. The entrance of any outdoor store is replete with shiny things you can do without. You don’t need a pricey first-aid kit from an outfitter when you can make one for free out of your bathroom first-aid supply. You don’t need a backcountry French press or plastic wine glasses, and an old Swiss army knife is nearly as useful as any new multi-tool (or better yet—just use a razor blade). Instead of buying two different temperature-rated bags, buy a single 20°F bag and get a silk liner for the cold months. Although there is a lot of cool camping gear on the market, most of it costs money you don’t need to spend and adds weight you don’t need to carry.

□ Don’t spend a lot on clothing. Unlike high-tech tents or down sleeping bags, which often deliver worthwhile performance gains for the extra money, low-priced hiking clothes often work almost as well as the more expensive competition. Used gear stores, thrift stores, and box stores such as Walmart or Target have wicking and synthetic hiking shirts for under $20 that will work almost as well as that $80 shirt from a high-end brand.

□ Trust people (within reason). You can’t build a budget around people’s kindness—but you can open yourself up to it. The fact is, people want to help travelers. You’ll be offered rides, food, and spare gear. People will open their houses to you. You need to use your best judgment in these situations, and it will feel strange at first and maybe a little uncomfortable. Just keep in mind that when someone offers you something on the trail, it’s a gift that you will eventually return by paying it forward to another traveler. Donating $20 to stay with a trail angel who will give you a roof, feed you, and do your laundry is a lot less expensive than paying $50 for a hotel room plus $5 for laundry plus $20 on food. It’s not only good for your budget, it’s also good for your faith in humankind.

Imagine the thrill of reaching the crest of a hill on your hike, realizing your phone has service, and then seeing a dire text message from a friend. Disaster has struck at home, and you need to return immediately to sort it out. Whether the pipes froze, your cat got sick, or your neighbor wants a new fence, your needing to leave the trail to deal with it is often preventable. It just requires working with your support team before you go to make sure that they have the resources and information to take care of almost any disaster that could happen while you’re gone. Make sure you consider and secure all potential issues before leaving home.

Pets on the Trail

If you decide to take your pet on the trail with you, realize that almost all dogs that start thru-hikes don’t make it the whole way. Responsible pet owners realize that a thru-hike isn’t usually a dog’s dream as much as the owner’s dream. Work your schedule around your dog’s needs. After all, Fido didn’t make the decision to come out here, you did. If it gets to a point where the miles, terrain, or trail tread is too tough on your pup, it’s probably time for him to go home, chow down on food, and enjoy town life while you finish your trek.

Before going on the trail with your pet, budget for its food, potential medical bills, replacement doggie gear, any kenneling or shuttling that may occur (for example, national parks do not allow dogs, but many kennels will shuttle your dog around the park for a fee), and for the high likelihood that your dog may need transportation back home while you’re still on the trail. Hotel rates tend to be higher for people with pets, so factor that into your budget too. For more information on distance hiking with your dog, visit allgoodsk9adventures.com

If you have a pet, find a friend or family member to care for your animal. Make sure you leave any meds or special feeding instructions, as well as emergency numbers and protocol, including what to do if your pet gets sick, who your vet is, and limits on pet medical bills. Discuss before you leave who is responsible for expenses, and leave enough money to cover all costs.

For longer hikes, many hikers move out of their home or apartment completely. Others rent out their home or apartment while they are gone. Renting out or subletting your place can be a good way to get some passive income while you hike—or at least make sure you will have a place to come back to when you’re done. One problem here is if you quit your hike, you may be homeless for a while. (Or it can be another way to make sure you don’t quit!) If you live with a spouse or other family members, make sure they are prepared to properly take care of the home (including plumbing, heating, air conditioning, etc.) and care for your things (including pets and houseplants) while you are gone. This may involve leaving phone numbers of trusted repair people, and so forth.

If you’re planning to give up an apartment or move out of your house completely while you are on a longer hike, consider giving your belongings away or putting them in storage. Find houseplants a new home or someone willing to water them while you are away. If you are renting your house out, consider renting it furnished so you don’t have to deal with moving as much stuff. (You’ll still probably want to store your clothes and other personal items elsewhere.) If you don’t have a friend or family member willing to keep your stuff in an attic or basement, factor the cost of storage into your hike’s budget.

If someone is taking care of your bills for you while you’re away, leave them cash before you go on your trip. Many banks, phone companies, and other places allow you to set up autopay for your bills. This is a good way to make sure you get your bills in on time without having to rush to town to pay by phone.

Long-distance hiking has an extremely low rate of fatality—especially compared to almost any other outdoor activity. That said, leaving for your trip is a good excuse to get your will in order in case something happens to you out there. If you’re going on a longer trip, you may consider giving someone you trust power of attorney. Think about life situations and legal issues you deal with on a regular basis. Do you own your business or real estate? If you can think of a good reason, it may be worth talking with an attorney to figure out how to set this up.

In summer 2015 I pioneered a 300-mile route across the Wasatch Range in Utah. Two days into the trip, I turned on my phone and realized I had cell service when I saw a text in all caps from my boyfriend: “CALL ME ASAP. EMERGENCY.” While I was gone, I’d left my car with my boyfriend. He was co-listed on the insurance, but the car was registered in my name. The night before, the car had been towed. The towing company refused to release the car to him because it was registered in my name. I had to backtrack to the nearest road, hitchhike to town, and find a notary willing to sign a letter releasing the car to him. What a hassle! He was lucky I had cell reception and could deal with it quickly. I should have thought about giving him power of attorney before I left.

Thru-hiking is rarely a truly individual pursuit. Whether you hike solo or with a partner depends first and foremost on whether you have a partner you want to hike with, followed by how experienced you are, how hard the trail you chose is, and what the conditions are like. Time spent alone on the trail helps you connect more to nature, see more wildlife, and practice your outdoor skills without relying on others. I personally love hiking solo because it gives me the freedom to set my own pace, decide on my own breaks and camp, and really enjoy nature. If you’re hiking a trail that gets a lot of traffic, like the AT, PCT, or John Muir Trail (JMT), chances are that even if you start hiking solo, by a week in you’re going to meet some great people—some of whom you may even want to hike with for hundreds or thousands of miles. I’ve met some of my closest friends that way.

Starting a thru-hike solo gives you the advantage to choose your friends and hiking partners along the way, and not to feel too bad if you ditch them to spend an extra day in town. While many folks are afraid to start alone, the reality is that hiking trails is statistically a lot safer than walking around cities. Thru-hikers create a bond—we become family. If you’re hiking solo and you fall or something happens to you, if you’re on a major trail, thru-hikers you don’t even know will go to extremes to make sure you’re safe and all right.

Having a partner on the trail means having someone who can share the gear weight, or who can help out in a rescue if you get injured or sick, or who can double-check your navigation to make sure you stay on course. And, of course, it’s always fun to have someone to share the adventure with. If you decide to go with a partner, make sure it’s someone you know really well—not a random someone you met on the Internet or a friend of a friend who also happens to want to hike your trail. Hiking with a bad partner can sometimes be more harmful than almost anything that could happen to a solo hiker. You didn’t come to the woods for drama, and sticking with a bad hiking partner can be psychologically and emotionally painful.

A caveat for couples: I often see romantic partners hiking together where one person is not considerate of the other person’s needs, fitness, skill, or comfort level. These couples often argue loudly in the backcountry—impacting other hikers’ serene experiences. The trip is clearly not good for their relationship. If you go out as a couple, prioritize your relationship over any other goal on the trip—including walking every mile and finishing. If you’re not willing to do this, don’t go together—many outdoorsy couples actually decide to do separate hiking trips so they can enjoy the woods in their own style and avoid conflict with their partner.

If you decide to go on a thru-hike with a partner—romantic or otherwise—spend a few weeks or months having meetings to talk about your expectations for the trip. Aside from familiarizing yourself with each other’s skill levels and what to do in emergencies, ask questions like:

Writing down your questions and answers, brainstorming scenarios, and having honest conversations before you go will set you and your partner up for a better trip.

Whether you hike solo or with a partner, you’ll need a support team back at home to help you logistically, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Your team doesn’t have to be just one person, though it could be. On my first hikes, my dad sent my resupply boxes, but my boyfriend was the person I called on the hard days. A strong support team ensures that your journey is about more than yourself. Your support team will see your emails, photos, and blogs while you’re on the trail and start to believe that they could do it too. But they’ll also call your BS if you want to quit. With loved ones’ support, you’ll be less tempted to quit. Here are the key support team roles to fill with one or more people.

□ Resupply support. This person can send you gear, food, or the latest issue of your favorite magazine when you’re in the middle of nowhere on the trail. (See chapter 5 for more on resupplies.) This person should be good with details and someone you’ll trust with your money.

□ Home front support. This person will watch your dog, cat, plants, and car while you’re gone, make sure your bills are paid, and deal with that jury duty letter. Again, this needs to be a core, trustworthy team member.

□ Emotional support. This person will cheer you up on a hard day and his or her excitement about what you’re doing will fuel you through the lows. The best people are those who are good at answering their phone and email, who rarely go on trips, and who are generally enthusiastic about your hike. Look for positive people who make you laugh. You may want to find more than one person who can do this.

Your support team plays a huge factor in your success. You’ll rely on them for big favors, of course, but that doesn’t mean the work and appreciation needs to flow in just one direction. Once you’ve decided on your team, you need to employ some tactics to get them on board and to show your appreciation once they’ve committed.

Start early—feel out for potential team members at least three months in advance. Make an initial “ask” as early as you can. The best team members are the ones who offer before you can ask. Sit down with each team member individually and go over what kind of tasks they will be responsible for. You may want to make a list and give it to them. Make sure they are clear about their responsibilities and willing and able to do them. If not, find someone else. Make sure they have all the resources they need at least a week before you head out on the trail, including important phone numbers, worst-case scenarios, and, when applicable, cash money. Make sure they have a copy of your itinerary, including important addresses along your trip. And make sure they feel confident they will be able to do their part on the team.

Once you’ve gathered a committed team, throw a party for your team before you go. Stay in touch while you’re on the trail. Let them know your blog address or where you’ll share photos. Send them postcards from the trail. Call regularly to keep them abreast of whether you are on schedule. Give a slideshow and make them dinner when you get back.

In a few cases, friends and family may look at your hike as crazy and refuse to support you. If you don’t have family, friends, or partners willing and able to support you, know that there still is a way to make your dreams come true. With good planning on your part, you can do many of the functions of a support team remotely. You can also pay companies or individuals that specialize in resupply logistics. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, attend a long distance hiking community event at least a year in advance of your trip. It’s quite likely you will befriend someone there who has walked in your shoes and will be willing to help with your support.

A big, long hike isn’t just tough on the hiker—it’s also a challenge for those left at home. But with proper planning and communication, even parents of young kids can complete one. If others are relying on you financially, make sure you have plenty saved up to take care of them while you are gone, or have passive income that can help support them. But money in the bank isn’t the only thing your loved ones are going to miss about you. Making sure that others know they are loved even when you are away is important, and being as interested in their day-to-day life as you are excited to tell them about your trail life is key. Here’s how to get—and keep—your team on board.

Communication is important both on the trail—how many days will the family go without a phone call, and what should they do if that deadline passes?—and at home. Even though you as a hiker might be 100 percent invested—and aren’t asking for permission—don’t spring the idea of a thru-hike on your family. (This goes for adult children and their parents as much as for spouses and kids.) Involve them in it from the beginning. Start casually mentioning the idea and buying some guidebooks. A good way to bring it up is by sharing popular (or more realistic) books or movies about thru-hiking. Show your loved ones why this is important to you.

Often the biggest concern from family and friends is safety. Validate and quell concerns by explaining what a thru-hike is, where you are going, and how you’ll stay in touch. Let them know that this is not the unknown. Others—in many cases thousands or tens of thousands—have done this before.

Demonstrate just how prepared you are by getting loved ones involved with food shipments and any extra research you need. Show them planning documents, or get a wall map and show them how knowledgeable and well-prepared you are for this journey. When your family sees you’re not just walking out the back door with a hobo bindle and a pocketknife, they’ll likely feel better about what you’re attempting.

Even after educating family and friends, you might still find hesitation and negativity from others. It’s important to realize that their negativity is most likely stemming from their concern for the relationship and their fears about what will happen while you’re gone and when you come back. Talk with your partner about what his true worries are and how you will handle that before, during, and after the hike. Help him understand what he will get out of this—such as less conflict in the relationship in the long run—and why he should buy in.

Ted “Scarecrow” Warren completed the Triple Crown (PCT, AT, and CDT) while married with children (his youngest was just three and a half during his AT hike in 2001). Ted and his wife, Carole, a high school math teacher, knew that his hikes would work best over the summer when Carole and the kids were out of school. Ted planned accordingly by starting a few weeks later than normally recommended, so that he was gone when Carole was home for the summer. You may find that splitting a long trail up into a section hike and being gone for shorter periods over several years may be another way to be flexible with your time while still achieving your dream.

If the trip is what you really need at this moment in your life, overall it will benefit everyone. “It’s not my dream or goal, but if he is happy achieving this dream, that’s a benefit for the whole family,” Carole said of her husband’s three thru-hikes. “And I was more than happy to hold down the fort. Don’t get me wrong—there were times I was frustrated that he was not home to help with one thing or another, but I had to remind myself that this is a blink in a lifetime. Ted came home from each of these trails fulfilled and inspired to achieve more great things.”

Plus, as Carole stressed to her kids, their father couldn’t do this without their support. “Daddy wouldn’t be a successful Triple Crown hiker without you,” she’d tell her kids. “Each of us had a piece of his success. He was the shining star, but it wouldn’t have happened without your support.”

As the hiker, be appreciative and show it. Ted found that validating and acknowledging his own feelings about the hike—as well as those of his family members while he was away—was a way to keep the communication honest and authentic. “It is when you don’t check in, or say a simple thank you, or offer guidance when asked, that things may fall apart.”

Maybe your family wants to join in for a few days of hiking, or perhaps they are more comfortable meeting you in a town. Whatever the location, planning trips that are fun and accessible for all parties is key to an invested visit. Know that you might not be completing as many miles as normal with a visitor in tow. Find a good way to compromise: Hike a few miles during the day, but stay in a hotel at night, or have visitors meet you from town to town while you continue to hike and the visitor explores the surrounding cities.

Emergencies, deaths, births—events will happen during a months-long trek. Discuss ahead of time what counts as a “get off the trail”–level incident. Ted knew he wouldn’t come home for emergencies or deaths of distant relatives, but committed to coming home immediately for any crisis relating to his kids. Especially if you have a lot of people depending on you, be mentally prepared that a pause in your trek might be necessary. Just know that the trail is always there, waiting to be finished.

Before you start your hike, invest in a camera that has WiFi built in, or get a WiFi-enabled memory card. That way, when Internet is available, you’ll have an easier time sharing your photos and keeping loved ones in the loop. Also, get a satellite messenger device, such as a SPOT or a DeLorme InReach, which allows you to send out location information even when you don’t have cell service. Ted clipped his SPOT onto his backpack while hiking (SPOT devices also have emergency rescue buttons); each night after he set up his tent, he’d send out a location message letting his family and friends know where he was and that he was okay.

Remember those chain crafts back in elementary school? Carole uses them every time her husband heads on an adventure. She and the kids make a paper loop for every day that their dad is away (with different months represented in different colors) and connect them in a (very) long chain. Then, to keep up with their family dinnertime traditions, each night they remove a link and write a high and low about their day on it, to share with their father the next time they chat with him. “It visually shows the time ticking down,” Carole said, noting that it helped when the kids were young, and still helps now that they are teenagers. Carole also kept up the positivity around the house. “I did not speak negatively about Ted’s hikes and I would never let any negativity into where my kids would hear it,” Carole said. Instead, she looked at his hike as just another adventure for the family. She and her kids sent Ted care packages, talked with him every five or six days, and tried to stay busy with fun trips and adventures themselves.

When I started my second hike on the AT in 2011, I was pretty broke. I had this dream to hike the AT again, but I knew I had to make every last dollar get me as many miles as it could. By training a lot before I left and being smart about planning my budget before I even stepped foot on the trail, I was able to manufacture one of the most fun hikes I’ve ever done, and on a super limited budget. Thanks to all that preparation, I even set a speed record on that hike, and completed it with one-third the budget of my first thru-hike on the AT. Good planning can help remove some of the frustrating unknowns from your hike, like the time I ended up sleeping at a halfway house. Don’t worry—even the best planned hike will still provide plenty of surprises to keep you on your toes.

Here’s what your timeline for planning a thru-hike would look like in an ideal world. This is a rough sketch that should work for most hikers, but will differ from hiker to hiker depending on your responsibilities. For example, some aspects of a thru-hike (such a getting your legal issues in order) may take a lot longer for a mid-career business owner than a college student. Use this timeline as guidance, but don’t panic if you’re not on schedule—you can definitely plan a great hike in less time. I planned my first AT hike in less than a month, for example.

As soon as you can, mention (or at least hint) to your spouse or family that you may want to one day hike this particular trail. Watch some hiking movies and read some hiking books. Sketch out a rough budget (see “Calculate Your Budget” in this chapter) and calculate out how long it will take you to save the money you need. Start saving. Resist the temptation to buy gear for your trip. Finally, hike. It doesn’t matter if it is a day hike or backpacking trip, the more time you spend in nature, the better prepared you will be for spending a lot of time in it. Join a Meetup Group, the Sierra Club, or local outdoors group like the Mountaineers or Mazamas that takes hikes regularly.

Take classes like Wilderness First Aid, Snow Travel, Map and Compass Navigation, and read as much as you can about outdoors skills and safety. (See the Resources for a list of helpful material.) Read trail blogs to get an idea of what day-to-day life on your trail is like. Start looking at gear lists of others who have hiked your trail, and research specific items you’d like to buy. Resist the temptation to buy anything yet. Use this time to get opinions about specific models and to hunt down physical versions of the gear you want in stores or at hiking festivals. If you can, take a short practice hike or backpacking trip on your dream trail. Attend hiking festivals like Trail Days. Keep saving money. Do a backpacking trip. The best training is at least one three- to four-day backpacking trip the summer before you go. Plan your job exit strategy. Keep open communication going with family and friends.

Order maps and guidebooks. Decide on an approximate start/end date (more on this in chapter 4) and discuss ideal timing with family and friends. Get permits and apply for visas if necessary. Consider making reservations for shuttles to your trailhead and your hotel/hostel for the night before you start. Ground transit and hostels for popular trails fill up as many as 6 months in advance. Sketch out a detailed budget with your family (see “Calculate Your Budget” in this chapter) and keep saving money. Go on walks daily, even if they are just in your neighborhood. Use a pedometer or fitness tracker (like a Fitbit) and write down or use a phone or Web-based platform to track your progress. Make it a goal to up your weekly average. See chapter 2 for tips on how other hikers have found time to integrate hike training into their busy lives. If you’ve made some decisions on specific models of gear you would like, start looking for deals on the model or on used gear forums.

Flesh out your itinerary. Ask friends and family to be a part of your support team. This will give you important info on how much you can count on them for resupply. Decide where you may want to resupply. Identify tasks that need to be completed to get your home front ready, especially those that may require getting others involved (resupply person, pet sitter, house sitter, etc.). Start carrying a pack on your daily walks. You don’t need to buy any fancy new gear yet—your old-school backpack should do just fine.

Continue to reach out to friends and family and ask if they will be part of your support team. Tell them a little about your trip, hope that they offer to help, and, if they don’t, find someone else. Talk with your family/spouse about contingency plans in case of emergencies when you’re gone. Continue carrying a pack on your daily walks. Add some minor weight to your pack (5 pounds or less). Order any gear on your list that you haven’t been able to find used. Ultralight gear made specifically for thru-hiking by cottage companies can take up to 12 weeks. Walk in the shoes you plan to wear on trail.

Get the last of your gear so you can start practicing with it—even if you are just setting up in your living room. Research health insurance options for when you leave your job. Many hikers find that travel insurance covers their trip. If applicable, make sure your plans to vacate your home and find a replacement are secure. Get your legal and financial issues sorted. As you get closer to your departure date, you don’t want to have to worry about this. Buy the plane ticket to the trail location. Increase the amount of weight on your daily walks to 10 pounds.

Practice setting up your shelter and breaking it down. Aim to get it up in 5 minutes. Pack up all your gear before your daily walk. Go on your walk and then unpack all your gear. This trains you on the best way to pack your pack, as well as how to pack and unpack quickly. Cull any gear in your system that you think is less important. Research modifications that you can make to your gear so it suits you better. Replace anything that does not work for you. If you plan to use a mail drop resupply strategy, develop a list of all the things to pack in your mail drop boxes and start ordering food in bulk. (You get a much better price this way.) Do more backpacking or a simulated backpacking trip.

Give important contact information and contingency plans to your support people. Make sure you like your itinerary. Share it with your support people and make sure all their questions are answered. Put together your mail drops—the resupply boxes you will have sent to you over the course of your trip (for more on this, see chapter 5). If you haven’t already talked to your employer about leaving, this is a good time to do that. Cancel monthly services or subscriptions you will not use while you are gone. Set up autopay for bills while you’re on your trip. Continue practicing shelter setup, packing your pack, and walking.

Move the last of your stuff into storage. Throw your support team a party that doubles as a going away party. Hand over plants, pets, cars, and keys to your place to your support people.

Pack your backpack with your gear list next to you. Check off everything on the list as you put it in your pack to make sure you do not leave anything behind. Check that you have all the maps, guidebooks, permits, and databook info you need for the first section of the hike. Pack the food you need to complete the first section. Make sure you have plane tickets, hostel reservations, and anything needed to get to your trailhead.

Unpack your pack and make sure you have everything you need. If you see anything that is missing, try to replace it. Many hostels or trail angels near trailheads offer to take hikers on last-minute runs to REI or Walmart. Charge your electronics and make sure that cameras, satellite trackers, external batteries, and such are at full charge. Fill up your water bottles. Make sure you have the food you need to complete your first section. Pack your pack completely with everything but the clothes you plan to wear the next day. Send home the clothes you wore on the plane or any gear you decide you won’t need. Get a good night’s rest.

Shower—it may be the last time for a while. Eat a good breakfast. Pack extra snacks and drinks for your ride out to the trailhead—you don’t want to start your hike hungry. Leave civilization feeling hydrated. Don’t forget your electronics chargers or your hiking poles. Get ready to make new friends, see new places, and start the adventure of a lifetime.

Behind schedule already? Don’t worry. Simply by reading this book, you will be a lot more prepared than most hikers. The ideal timeline schedule allows you to leisurely put together a plan for your hike. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in less time. I planned for my first Appalachian Trail hike in one month—but it was three weeks of research and prep without interruption (though as noted earlier, I made lots of costly mistakes).

Many hikers without a lot of time to plan ahead opt to “plan on the go” and only do what’s needed to complete the first section. This still requires some prep, but can take a lot of pressure off figuring out your exact resupplies. After you’ve hiked the first part of the trail, you will likely take a zero day (a rest day) anyway—that’s a prime time to plan out the next few sections of your hike. If you have less time to prepare, here’s what you should prioritize:

• Permits: These take the longest to get, and land managers’ quotas may already have been met. Check this first before you do any more planning. Make phone calls instead of sending emails. Be prepared to call (or in some cases, fax) every day until you can get a permit.

• Trail-specific guidebooks and maps: The more research and data you have on your trail now, the better prepared you will be. Start reading books and studying maps—especially about the first part of your trip.

• Transportation: Get your plane tickets, shuttle reservations, and hotel/hostel reservations early, as these can be completely booked up to 6 months before thru-hiking season.

• Support team: If you need a support person to help you, talk with him or her now.

• Fitness: Depending on your chosen trail and how quickly you want to do it, you want to start training now. On most trails you can ramp up your miles per day as you get stronger. Start training—but don’t overdo it. There’s no way to make up six months of training in three weeks—that’s only asking for injury. The physical activities I’ve included in chapter 2 are a good guide for what you should do if you’re leaving soon. Accept and plan that you will start your hike significantly slower than other hikers and realize you’ll make up the miles later in the trip when you have walked yourself into shape.

• Gear: Start doing gear research now. Many accomplished hikers put their trail-specific gear lists online. Many garage grown companies that specialize in ultralight gear for thru-hikers have a long wait list (some even make gear to order). Find out how long it may take to get your ideal gear. If there’s a twelve-week wait on your first choice, you may have to settle for a second choice item that ships immediately. You also may end up spending more than you might have if you’d had more time to scope out deals and sales.

• Resupplies: If you’re leaving very soon, I suggest resupplying locally if at all possible and not planning to mail yourself anything. (See chapter 5, “Resupplies.”)

• Route plan: You’ll learn how to set up an itinerary in chapter 4. First time hikers often spend too much time planning food and resupplies. Spend more planning time on the first leg or two of your trip now. You can do planning for later in the trip while you’re on the trail during a rest day.

• Study up: Read everything you can about your trail. The more you know about your trail and its unique challenges, the better prepared you will be (in terms of gear and physical and mental skills) to take on the obstacles.

+ PLANNING TIME AND BUDGET