Hiking Memoirs to suggest for nervous Dad??

[Ileah7]

My father is very nervous about the 2014 thru-hike I'm planning with my fiance. So far he has asked me to carry a satellite phone and wants us to learn survival shelters, to set snares, and increase our knowledge of edible wild plants. In general, I think he sees this as a very rustic trail where we will never be in town or have phone service, even though I have talked extensively about the sections of the trail we have hiked over the past few years. I'm hoping to find a realistic but not overly sentimental trail memoir that I can suggest he read (with nothing in it that will have him requiring I carry pepper spray or giant knife!). I own Becoming Odyssa, Walking with Spring, and A Walk in the Woods but none of these seem right. Any suggestions?

[rocketsocks]

Look thru "Postcard" trail journal for a whimsical twist on things...it's my favorite.

http://www.amazon.com/Were-Off-Wilde.../dp/1413498205

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=123123

[ams212001]

My father is very nervous about the 2014 thru-hike I'm planning with my fiance. So far he has asked me to carry a satellite phone and wants us to learn survival shelters, to set snares, and increase our knowledge of edible wild plants. In general, I think he sees this as a very rustic trail where we will never be in town or have phone service, even though I have talked extensively about the sections of the trail we have hiked over the past few years. I'm hoping to find a realistic but not overly sentimental trail memoir that I can suggest he read (with nothing in it that will have him requiring I carry pepper spray or giant knife!). I own Becoming Odyssa, Walking with Spring, and A Walk in the Woods but none of these seem right. Any suggestions?

I think Becoming Odyssa is actually a good one (I know you are unsure about that one). I gave it to my mom recently to help ease her fears. I think more of my explanations about safety made it easier, the book is just supplemental. Surprisingly, she felt at ease when I reminded her that criminals are lazy and hiking in the woods to hurt someone is not a top priority. Also, setting up a plan for her to follow my where abouts has eased her mind. I am going to purchase a map so she can mark the places I am at and been. Referring him to here is another good resource. There are some threads asking where some people are and a lot of Whiteblazers make sure to respond and use their resources to locate the person.

[Spirit Walker]

Model T's "Walkin' on the Happy Side of Misery" is humorous but also gives a pretty realistic picture of life on the trail.

[Rayo]

I wrote a very detailed, daily account of my 2012-thru-hike. You can find all entries at my blog www.followingblazes.blogspot.com

Hope your dad can rest easy.

[Alleghanian Orogeny]

......one of which is that there are over 400 road crossings along the AT.

And facts: Depending upon your carrier, most of the AT has cellphone coverage.

And pictures: Go to the interactive map on the ATC's website and zoom in for some detail. It shows how the AT is in reality, for the most part, a narrow corridor of trail, with towns, residences, and farms within a reasonably short walk everywhere other than the Smokies, the Whites, and Maine, and even in Maine there are a number of logging road crossings.

AO

[max patch]

You're a 28 year old adult. Tell dad you're not 16 years old anymore.

[kayak karl]

You're a 28 year old adult. Tell dad you're not 16 years old anymore.

,but she will always be his little girl

[kidchill]

Ummm...survival shelters, snares, and wild edibles...Tell him you're carrying a shelter, there's shelters all along the AT, and you'll be carrying food. In terms of personal safety, google the crime rate for the city you live in (granted it may be low considering you live in CT), and then google the number of crimes DIRECTLY on the AT, versus the estimated millions of people on the trail each year. I'm fairly certain the trail is statistically safer. I only feared for my life once on a thru-hike, and go figure, it was on a highway, NOT the trail.

[Lone Wolf]

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Appalac.../dp/089227106X


kidding......

[rocketsocks]

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Appalac.../dp/089227106X


kidding......

Lone wolf you bastid ...but it was a good read.

[max patch]

http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Appalac.../dp/089227106X


kidding......

thats a great answer and I wish I had thot of it first.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Why not go one step farther had drag dad along on a weekend hike on the A.T.? The housatonic river walk or Salisbury to jug end would be good starting places. The vast majority of non hikers have a view of the A.T. that is complete nonsense, the quickest and most enjoyable way to change their mind is to get them hiking.

If that's not an option, the I'd recommend a hiking documentary: Flip Flop Flippin is the first one that comes to mind and can be found here: http://www.squatchfilms.com/

There is also one that was done by National Geographic that is a little cheesy, but is available on Netflix streaming. Just search for Appalachian Trail and it is one of the first options that will pop up.

[Sarcasm the elf]

My father is very nervous about the 2014 thru-hike I'm planning with my fiance. So far he has asked me to carry a satellite phone and wants us to learn survival shelters, to set snares, and increase our knowledge of edible wild plants. In general, I think he sees this as a very rustic trail where we will never be in town or have phone service, even though I have talked extensively about the sections of the trail we have hiked over the past few years. I'm hoping to find a realistic but not overly sentimental trail memoir that I can suggest he read (with nothing in it that will have him requiring I carry pepper spray or giant knife!). I own Becoming Odyssa, Walking with Spring, and A Walk in the Woods but none of these seem right. Any suggestions?

If he suggests either of these things, just remind him that carrying a giant knife is illegal in most states and carrying pepper spray is actually a felony in Massachusetts uess you have a license from the state. (It's unlikely that you would ever get in trouble for carrying either while hiking, I only mention it to help you make your case)

[Ileah7]

Lots of good thought here and a few books to look into. Thanks! Lone Wolf, love it... and so would my Dad if I wasn't going to be out there (or maybe he already has and this is the problem!!)! Part of the problem is that he doesn't like to talk on the phone and lives 14 hours away in Michigan... so I can't take him on the trail with me. He tends to listen to any phone conversation for about 5 minutes before he leaves Mom and I to talk and goes back to whatever he's reading that day, which is why I'm looking for books! At this point I've talked him out of the satellite phone by agreeing to carry a GPS spot (which a family member already owns) even though I think this is overkill too. I'm trying to find copies of Happy Side of Misery and Off to see the Wilderness now. Thanks again for the help!