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Michele
01-04-2007, 18:08
Well many of us are preparing to leave for our hikes SOON :banana . I always wondered, as I read previous years' journals, what everyone meant when they said, "I got caught off guard with so much to do in these last few days!"

I thought it would be helpful for those of you who have been thru it to list some of those little things that come up that are easy to forget to do before departing. Here's a few of my thoughts, and I know I'm not thinking of everything:

1. Make sure everyone who will be mailing you things have the post office addresses

2. Put all gear that will need to be mailed to you in one place with clear instructions of what it is (I know my mom would never know what self-tensioning lines are!)

3. Purchase stamps ahead of time so the person helping you out doesn't have to pay for your postage (unless they want to...then that's a bonus!)

4. Make a list of additional gear stores and contact info for them as well as what you purchased from them, if they aren't already listed in the Companion or other guidebook, etc. This will make repairs/reorders much easier, especially if your support person is helping out

5. Make sure your finances are covered...setting up automatic payments, etc.

6. Fill out mail-forwarding card if you're completely moving out of your home

These are just a few things I'm thinking about doing. Can't wait to read about other things people know about. Thanks everyone!

Blissful
01-04-2007, 18:18
Since I take some meds and a few vitamins (ester C and glucosomine), have to get that figured out - how much I will need, getting them together in mail drops, etc. Some of the little personal stuff can catch up to you.
Also need to get some kind of small lightweight notebook for journaling. I've opted out of doing pocketmail.

the_iceman
01-04-2007, 18:47
I have been struggling with the journal thing as well. I love composition notebooks but they are kind of heavy. For short entries 3X5 files cards, unlined, will work well. Mail them home as you fill them out. They fit in a snack size zip-lock.

the_iceman
01-04-2007, 18:57
Michele -

I took care of item 0 about 25 years ago so items 1 - 6 are covered. I married a really supportive and understanding partner who is making it all possible.

There are still 1,000 things left to do with the business and house that I feel the need to address and I feel the clock tick, tick, ticking.

The Weasel
01-04-2007, 19:00
Make photocopies of all important documents (drivers license, credit cards, medical cards, etc) and give to support person and store in separate location.

rafe
01-04-2007, 20:06
I have been struggling with the journal thing as well. I love composition notebooks but they are kind of heavy. For short entries 3X5 files cards, unlined, will work well. Mail them home as you fill them out. They fit in a snack size zip-lock.


A seventy-nine cent spiral-bound notepad (shirt-pocket size) from the drug store will do. It'll last a few weeks, at least. When it's filled up, mail it home and start a new one. Oh yeah, don't forget the BIC pen... ;)

Jack Tarlin
01-04-2007, 20:33
A few things off the top of my head:

*If you wear glasses or contacts, carry a LEGIBLE copy of your prescription

*If you have any medical condition or allergies, if you don't wear a medic-
alert bracelet, make sure this is information is visible in your wallet, diary,
or somewhere it'll be seen by emergency medical people.

*Likewise, make sure your "Contact in case of emergency" info is easily found

*Make a list of the places you expect to get mail. I know this sounds crazy
I know of folks who've forgotten to go into certain towns to get mail; like-
wise I know of people who've gone ballistic in Post Offices cuz their mail
wasn't there, only to realize later they didn't even have mail there!

*Make a list of people who you should write to regularly, especially the older
folks. You'll be less likely to forget sending a postcard to granma that way.

*Before you leave, make a photocopy of all the important numbers,
addresses, E-Mail addresses, etc., that you normally carry in your wallet.
Leave the copy with your base camp person at home; this way if your wallet
is lost or stolen en route, this info won't be lost as well.

*Do the same thing, obviously, with Credit Card numbers, Travelleres Check
numbers, Insurance Company numbers, etc.

*Always carry an extra phone card and at least fifty dollars in cash.

*Bring extra ziplocks, duct tape, and a couple safety pins. Sooner or later,
you WILL need them. Also, I always carry a piece of thin metal tubing
around two and a half inches long (maybe .75 at a hardwear store). It
comes in REAL handy if you ever have to "splint" a tent pole, which happens
more often than you think.

*Lastly, make sure you're 100% comfortable with your gear before you leave;
i.e. you should have put your tent or tarp up several times at least back
at home; you should know how to take apart, reassemble, clean, and repair
your stove, water filter, etc. Seam seal your tent and waterproof your
footwear well before you leave.

All I can think of right now to start.

Spirit Walker
01-04-2007, 20:37
If you don't have someone at home taking care of things, it gets really complicated. What do you do with your car? Who will drive it, so it doesn't fall apart, but won't drive it to death? (Twice while we were gone there were accidents involving our truck, as family members used it to move big items. We didn't allow it to bother us - though the dents are still there.) When is the insurance renewal and inspection due? Who will do it? Who will monitor your mail so unexpected bills, jury notices or IRS notices are found before they become a problem? Does someone have your checkbook, with signed checks for those unexpected bills? If you leave your previous residence, who needs to be notified? Not just friends and family, but financial institutions (they won't forward a check card or credit card if it expires while you're gone), your job, outdoor organizations (if you want to continue to get your newsletters), etc. Do you need temporary/travel insurance? Can you stop some of the multitude of catalogues coming to your home? (That takes about four months.)

Just packing and putting things in storage takes much longer than you would expect. We thought we had plenty of time, but on every hike we've ended up working really hard to get it all done just before we left, and on two of the hikes we ended up just piling everything that didn't get packed out on the curb for the garbage.

Blissful
01-04-2007, 20:44
Dumb question but I was thinking about cash on the trail - I know ATMs are available in the big towns - is there a listing where you can find them, even at road crossings? I know a lot of places don't take credit or debit and cash is also good for that quick stop at a mini mart. I have two to think of as well, so the cash goes quick.

Jack Tarlin
01-04-2007, 20:54
Blissful:

All major towns will have one or more; your Thru Hikers Companion or Handbook will give you more information on onther locations, smaller towns, etc.

But note: ATM's can break down. They can run out of money, or printer paper, or whatever. Or your card can get eaten for no good reason. You can almost always get "cash back" on a purchase at a Post Office, but not always. Plus they're not always nearby or open. I advise hikers to carry cash at ALL times, at least fifty dollars and perhaps more if they're comfortable doing so.

Blissful
01-04-2007, 20:55
This is other stuff I had to think about -

I have a web site and domain- making sure they are up to date and registration is up to date and won't expire.

If you have a pet, check on medication (we give monthly heart worm pills and tick stuff), instructions for care, etc.

Clear your e mail Inbox as much as possible of unneeded subscriptions to organizations etc so people checking it won't have a hey day (if you can't check it for a while yourslef while on the trail)

Most important - Get a physical and have your teeth checked (esp if you are college age). I had Paul Bunyan checked at the dentist yesterday and come to find out his wisdom teeth need to be pulled. He will have it done next week. So don't put it off, get appointments now.

Blissful
01-04-2007, 20:58
Blissful:

All major towns will have one or more; your Thru Hikers Companion or Handbook will give you more information on onther locations, smaller towns, etc.

But note: ATM's can break down. They can run out of money, or printer paper, or whatever. Or your card can get eaten for no good reason. You can almost always get "cash back" on a purchase at a Post Office, but not always. Plus they're not always nearby or open. I advise hikers to carry cash at ALL times, at least fifty dollars and perhaps more if they're comfortable doing so.


Jack, will you be available for emergency questions while we are en route? :)

Thanks a bunch. And to others for great suggestions.

Jack Tarlin
01-04-2007, 21:05
I'll be around here til early March or so.

After St. Patrick's Day you'll have to find me somewhere between Georgia and Maine. :D

Can always be reached here or at Baltimorejack at hotmail dot com which I'll be checking every week to ten days.

Blissful
01-04-2007, 21:07
I didn't know you were thru hiking, great. Then leave updates at the shelter logs, ha ha

Sly
01-04-2007, 21:09
Anyoe know how often a car should be started and how many miles it should be driven over the course of 7-8 months?

Sly
01-04-2007, 21:10
Hey Jack, some trails out West beckon your name. You're welcome to come along if you'd like.

Jan LiteShoe
01-04-2007, 21:14
Man, just reading all this makes my stomach knot.
:)
I remember how stresed I felt in February, packing up my life and tying up loose ends.

The good news is, once I stepped on the Trail, it all melted into the background, then - poof! - gone.

Blissful
01-04-2007, 21:18
Man, just reading all this makes my stomach knot.
:)
I remember how stresed I felt in February, packing up my life and tying up loose ends.

The good news is, once I stepped on the Trail, it all melted into the background, then - poof! - gone.


That sounds good to me. Best advice yet!

Jan LiteShoe
01-04-2007, 21:21
One tip that was helpful to me was if you're packing up your things for storage, to make a list of the things you're likely to need in the first month or two back to town life. Things like seasonally appropriate clothes (you'll have zero fashion sense when you return, so now may be a better time to lay a few things out, LOL), books, resume and important files... I'm forhetting exactly what I needed at first, it wasn't much.
Of course, it all came creeping back before too long. Ha! You'll be shocked at the junk you save. When I unpacked, I lost count of the times I pulled something out and thought "I took the time and money to store THAT? What was I thinking?"

Lone Wolf
01-04-2007, 21:22
That sounds good to me. Best advice yet!

It really is the best advice. if you forget something it's no biggie. *****t works out. it's just a hiking trip.

Jan LiteShoe
01-04-2007, 21:22
One tip that was helpful to me was if you're packing up your things for storage, to make a list of the things you're likely to need in the first month or two back to town life. Things like seasonally appropriate clothes (you'll have zero fashion sense when you return, so now may be a better time to lay a few things out, LOL), books, resume and important files... I'm forhetting exactly what I needed at first, it wasn't much.
Of course, it all came creeping back before too long. Ha! You'll be shocked at the junk you save. When I unpacked, I lost count of the times I pulled something out and thought "I took the time and money to store THAT? What was I thinking?"

Forgot the last part - then place these set-aside in LABELED boxes at the front of your basement pile or storage locker.
:)

Doctari
01-05-2007, 08:40
If you wear glasses to read: Make your contact numbers large enough that YOU can read them if you loose your glasses. Mine are 24 point Times new Roman, 1.5 spaced lines.

Coat your important (copies) papers with water proffing stuff or laminate them. This will add weight sure, but it's better than needing to [call someone, figure out where resupply is, etc.] & finding your papers a large glob of wet goo. Zip locks can fail or be left open.

Phone cards "RULE"! The one I carry is Cincinnati Bell, so I have unlimited caling, as long as I pay my home phone bill. BUT, I also carry a $50.00 off the shelf calling card, & use it most times, the Home Phone one is carried "just in case".

And, a hint Jack mentioned but cannot be stressed enough: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE with ALL of your gear. Practice untill you are sick of it, then do it again. I can litterally set up my hammock n tarp with my eyes closed, (still can set the tent up that way, can even do the tent with one hand, not well, but I can do it.). When I used a tent, this saved my life one time, if I had to struggle with it I likely would have not gotten it up & could well have died of hypothermia. As it was it took me about 10 minutes to set up, when "normal time" was 2 min. or less.
My kids got a kick out of this: I had them squirt me with a hose as I set up my tent, just to "get the feel of it, when it's raining."
Havn't done that with the hammock, got "the feel of it" the natural way :D


Doctari.

Johnny Swank
01-05-2007, 09:09
Get outside and actually backpack. There's a slew of hikers every year that attempt a thru-hike that have no idea what backpacking and camping is about. 100 miles later, they've vanished. A thru-hike is hard enough, so give yourself a decent chance to begin with.

DawnTreader
01-05-2007, 12:59
Just a note;

The only ATM machine in Stratton, is not a typical STAR server. A couple of buddies, and I could not get money out of this machine, and were in a bad way, had to find a ride to Rangely and the convience store for funds....

Peaks
01-05-2007, 19:13
A couple of things.

Before I left, I had a series of boxes on a table in the basement. Each was filled with I thought I needed at each mail drop. The boxes were all addressed, but not closed. I left instructions to close up the box and mail it by a specified date unless they heard otherwise from me. That way, I could change dates and contents of each box before it was mailed. And, I carried a copy of the inventory in each box and the mailing date and post office. The only surprise was at Rockfish Gap where they could not find the package.

For journals, I use a Rite in the Rain surveyor's notebook. Stapled, no metal spiral binding to bend up.

VictoriaM
01-06-2007, 14:32
A couple of things.

Before I left, I had a series of boxes on a table in the basement. Each was filled with I thought I needed at each mail drop. The boxes were all addressed, but not closed. I left instructions to close up the box and mail it by a specified date unless they heard otherwise from me. That way, I could change dates and contents of each box before it was mailed. And, I carried a copy of the inventory in each box and the mailing date and post office. The only surprise was at Rockfish Gap where they could not find the package.

For journals, I use a Rite in the Rain surveyor's notebook. Stapled, no metal spiral binding to bend up.

I did the same, only mine are in plastic grocery bags. All that needs to be added are last minute things, like bread and anything extra my husband wants to send.

I'm keeping an online journal, so my mail drops will contain just enough sheets of paper to last until the next drop, and envelopes to send them to my best friend to transcribe. Extra, of course, to write home to hubby and The Old Folks (my in-laws).

I've gotten some great ideas on this thead, so keep it going!

hammock engineer
01-06-2007, 14:44
I am doing a similar thing with my extra gear. I am going to leave all of my extra gear (summer and spare gear) with my parents. I am going to put it all in a couple rubbermade containers. I am going to label everything and create a list of the contents. That way when I can call and ask for a certain item to be shipped, I am sure to get the right item. My parents mean well and want to help. But I can see getting a summer sleeping bag instead of a winter coat or something.

Johnny Swank
01-06-2007, 15:04
Hide a couple of hundred dollars in one of your storage boxes. It'll be a nice surprise when you unpack, and you'll probably need every penny if your thru-hike was anything like mine!