View Full Version : introduction, 2014 thru
Hello everyone!! I've been a lurker for awhile now and decided it was time for me to introduce myself and ask some questions. I am 23 and work in the IT field for a small business, married, and have 3 very troublesome dogs :) I got the AT bug in 2007 when i did a week long section with my brothers and have been hooked ever since. I am planning a thru in 2014. I will be starting night classes soon and plan to have my degree in teaching by then. I figure this is a great transition time to go on a thru since i will be changing jobs.I just have a whole bunch of questions but i will start off with just a few :)
1. My wife is worried about safety on the trail such as murderers, bears, etc. I have tried to explain to her that the trail is safe but she's not buying it. Any ideas?
2. I live in Pensacola, FL (panhandle)and am looking for some trails around here, any suggestions?
3. I see lighter and better gear coming out all the time, any reason not to wait closer to 2014 to upgrade gear?
Thanks a lot for listening to me ramble on!
Chad
Blissful
05-07-2011, 16:13
Hello everyone!! I've been a lurker for awhile now and decided it was time for me to introduce myself and ask some questions. I am 23 and work in the IT field for a small business, married, and have 3 very troublesome dogs :) I got the AT bug in 2007 when i did a week long section with my brothers and have been hooked ever since. I am planning a thru in 2014. I will be starting night classes soon and plan to have my degree in teaching by then. I figure this is a great transition time to go on a thru since i will be changing jobs.I just have a whole bunch of questions but i will start off with just a few :)
1. My wife is worried about safety on the trail such as murderers, bears, etc. I have tried to explain to her that the trail is safe but she's not buying it. Any ideas?
2. I live in Pensacola, FL (panhandle)and am looking for some trails around here, any suggestions?
3. I see lighter and better gear coming out all the time, any reason not to wait closer to 2014 to upgrade gear?
Thanks a lot for listening to me ramble on!
Chad
Tell your wife I am a woman who did over a thousand miles of trail ALONE. And survived. You use your brain. And realize its more safer in the woods than in your own neighborhood (while I was off in the woods, in my county three people were killed and dumped on a road... It was a carjacking).
Yes I'd wait on gear. Meanwhile, save up $$$.
Maybe do the FL trail - ? Or head north to upper GA
1. My wife is worried about safety on the trail such as murderers, bears, etc. I have tried to explain to her that the trail is safe but she's not buying it. Any ideas?
The most dangerous activity you'll probably ever do is driving. Why worry about hiking? Your chances of getting murdered on the trail exist, but are probably at least an order of magnitude lower than your chances of getting murdered in Pensacola.
2. I live in Pensacola, FL (panhandle)and am looking for some trails around here, any suggestions?
Wish I could help
3. I see lighter and better gear coming out all the time, any reason not to wait closer to 2014 to upgrade gear?
No reason to go out and buy gear now, however excited you might be. Unless you need to gear up for a hike between now and your thru.
Librarygeek
05-09-2011, 21:58
Hi, Chad. I'm planning right now for a 2014 thru as well. I won't be going alone, though I have yet to find a hiking partner(s). Alone is tempting, but the simple fact is, as my late husband used to say, gravity is not my friend. I can count on falling down more than the average person - so safety in numbers.
I haven't started telling family that I'm going to finally do this, but I anticipate many of the same arguments you're getting. Do some research and present her with facts. That may help.
I think I'm going to open a savings account just for trail and gear money - and research the living daylights out of everything between now and then.
I look forward to getting to know you as we gear up for our hikes!
Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions.
Librarygeek - I really like the idea of a savings account. I think i will start that this week. I have already started the ton of research and it gets overwhelming at times.
I have told a few people about my plans and the majority of them act as if I'm breaking some sort of sacred tradition of growing up, getting married, going to school, get jobs, have kids, buy a house, work, work, work, and then maybe retire.
Hopefully I will get more support instead of criticism because I am straying from the norm. I'm thankful that this community of support exists so that people in a similar or the same situation are still able to have a support group.
Thanks people of WhiteBlaze!!