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View Full Version : 10,000 mile walk!!?? So I have a question



Different Socks
04-22-2012, 01:37
Serious answers please.

In less than 2 years(hopefully), I will begin a hike on the Florida Trail to the Mackaye Trail to the AT, then hike to Maine, do a yo-yo, hit Georgia, turn north and head back to Maine, then once there, turn south and hike back to Georgia.
For those of you whom believe that this is a troll or that I am crazy, I have already prepared over 380 dinners. Ok, so maybe it does sound crazy. Anyways, here is one of the many hurdles I must over come: In order to do this many miles over the time frame I have drafted, most if not all of the snack/dessert/breakfast/lunch food will have to be purchased just 3 months or less before I begin dropping them off at campgrounds/motels/hostels, etc. Why so soon before I begin hiking? B/c most of those types of foods have expiration dates.
So, how would I go about convincing the lodging establishments that they will have to hold onto a box(or more) for 6-10 months, and do you have any ideas for foods I can use for those meals that have a longer shelf life and/or no expiration date?
BTW, again for those of you that think this is a troll, here is my experience:
AT--1992
LT--1991
Ice Age Trail--600 miles
PCT(CA)--1996, 1800 miles
CDT(NM/southern CO)--1997, 800 miles
OHT--165 miles
CO 13ers--over 175 done
CO 14ers--36 of 54 done
NE 100 Highest--88 completed
CT--200 miles completed
State Highpoints--25 done!!

And much, much more!!!

oldbear
04-22-2012, 02:33
I know that this may sound crazy ( hey it's me ) But for next year's NOBO thru rather than buying food locally or sending it to POs I was thinking about
Buying clean new 1 gallon paint cans from Home Depot
Filling them w/ non perishable food
Driving to a Trail crossing
Caching the cans and using GPS and a pic to record their location
I'm not going to that for the whole Trail ; just the first 1/3 or so until i get back into the groove and realities of long distance hiking w/ an older body
As a food guy I can tell you that expiration dates aren't absolute ; they build a lot of wiggle room into them...so check w/ the mfr
You may find this useful
http://analytical-life.com/FAT_TOM/
and this
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/hazardanalysiscriticalcontrolpointshaccp/default.htm
and the fact that all sugars are hygroscopic and since they are they work great as a preservative - which is the real reason that HFC finds it's way into so many products

English Stu
04-22-2012, 05:14
I walk a fair bit in foreign lands so arranging drift boxes is not really an option. A few could be handy for special wants. I do research a bit my walks but found early on too much planning takes the edge of the walk. Unless you have real dietary needs, I am a veggie, I just think it unnecessary especially on the AT, to worry too much about resupply. Your itinerary will change, plus you could do all that planning and have to come off the trail and there would be a lot of paint pots festering away in the wilderness.

Firefighter503
04-22-2012, 05:41
Can I ask why you are planning on hiking 10,000 miles? And why spend the majority of it on the AT? I am genuinely curious. Sounds like a great plan, I just think I would vary it up a bit more myself if I was planning on something like this. Just trying to understand your reasoning.

peakbagger
04-22-2012, 05:52
I expect that you really need to hook up with a willing volunteer to support your effort to coordinate shipments to accomodate your schedule whihc will change. I expect it may take a bit of looking but there probably are individuals who are willing to do this service so they can live your hike vicarioulsy.

The reality is that many of the establishments that you want to depend on are seasonal "hobby" operations that may or may not be open in 4 weeks let alone a year. Even if they are long term operations, they generally have limited or no secure storage space. Even if the do, there is a good chance that there is staff turnover and every time there are new staff members there is a chance that the new folks may not understand that long term storage issue. I have heard of a couple of cases over the years close up even at commercial establishments where hiker boxes where stored in a not so secure space and were dependent upon the honesty of thru hikers. Unfortunately a rare minority of individuals thru hiking have a sense of entitlement and if given the chance will grab other peoples food boxes. The other issue is vermin, many of the establishments may nto have vermin resistant storage space and druing the off season, your carefully packaged food may become a good source of food for the local mice and other critters.

Lemni Skate
04-22-2012, 06:26
Yeah, I think I'd make the International AT part of this.

rocketsocks
04-22-2012, 07:17
I know that this may sound crazy ( hey it's me ) But for next year's NOBO thru rather than buying food locally or sending it to POs I was thinking about
Buying clean new 1 gallon paint cans from Home Depot
Filling them w/ non perishable food
Driving to a Trail crossing
Caching the cans and using GPS and a pic to record their location
I'm not going to that for the whole Trail ; just the first 1/3 or so until i get back into the groove and realities of long distance hiking w/ an older body
As a food guy I can tell you that expiration dates aren't absolute ; they build a lot of wiggle room into them...so check w/ the mfr
You may find this useful
http://analytical-life.com/FAT_TOM/
and this
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/hazardanalysiscriticalcontrolpointshaccp/default.htm
and the fact that all sugars are hygroscopic and since they are they work great as a preservative - which is the real reason that HFC finds it's way into so many productsOld bear,I'm not sure I fully understand,If sugars are hygroscopic and have an affinity for water,why does that make for a good cached food?I'm sure I'm missing something here.:)

coach lou
04-22-2012, 07:35
[QUOTE=peakbagger;1280004]I expect that you really need to hook up with a willing volunteer to support your effort to coordinate shipments to accomodate your schedule whihc will change. I expect it may take a bit of looking but there probably are individuals who are willing to do this service so they can live your hike vicarioulsy.

Bob, I would deffinitely help logistics when your up here in the northeast.....except next July you know where I'll be!!!

rocketsocks
04-22-2012, 07:47
Cousin diff,first let me say,are you flipping' nuts,don't answer that LOL.I guess that if i were to take on this epic task,and need to procure the help of others,I would try to find a way to make them more than peripherally evolved,maybe through free advertising.Campgrounds typically have events going on,maybe a follow the hiker type games.I know this really reaching,but then so is a double
"AT yo-yo with thee Ole Floridian-Mackaye bopp",have a great hike,will diffidently be following your progress.Respectfully RS:)

moytoy
04-22-2012, 08:45
I might be able to help with logistics in central and north Fl. I live in Brevard Cty. ( 15 miles from where the FT comes through Christmas) and I work in Gainesville and Ocala during the work week. I travel as far as Lakecity, Lake Butler, Ft. White, Eustis etc. during my work week so I'm all over. Let me know when time is closer if I can help.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 11:33
Can I ask why you are planning on hiking 10,000 miles? And why spend the majority of it on the AT? I am genuinely curious. Sounds like a great plan, I just think I would vary it up a bit more myself if I was planning on something like this. Just trying to understand your reasoning.

The trip I described is just the first leg. Once it is done, I will take time off for the winter to plan and prepare for the next hike/trek which will last for 3 years. After that one is done, I will either go to Europe and do as many long trails as i can there and/or go down under and do some hiking there.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 11:36
I expect that you really need to hook up with a willing volunteer to support your effort to coordinate shipments to accomodate your schedule whihc will change. I expect it may take a bit of looking but there probably are individuals who are willing to do this service so they can live your hike vicarioulsy.

The reality is that many of the establishments that you want to depend on are seasonal "hobby" operations that may or may not be open in 4 weeks let alone a year. Even if they are long term operations, they generally have limited or no secure storage space. Even if the do, there is a good chance that there is staff turnover and every time there are new staff members there is a chance that the new folks may not understand that long term storage issue. I have heard of a couple of cases over the years close up even at commercial establishments where hiker boxes where stored in a not so secure space and were dependent upon the honesty of thru hikers. Unfortunately a rare minority of individuals thru hiking have a sense of entitlement and if given the chance will grab other peoples food boxes. The other issue is vermin, many of the establishments may nto have vermin resistant storage space and druing the off season, your carefully packaged food may become a good source of food for the local mice and other critters.

The rough draft I have already done has looked into the places that i have chosen to leave resupply boxes. Every one is open year round so I won't have to worry about them closing. I also believe that vermin would not be a problem at these places as well. But thanks for the thoughts.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 11:38
Yeah, I think I'd make the International AT part of this.

IAT is a good idea, but by the time I reach Maine, the season will be too late to do the IAT to Canada and then turn around and head south for the Whites.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 11:40
[QUOTE=peakbagger;1280004]I expect that you really need to hook up with a willing volunteer to support your effort to coordinate shipments to accomodate your schedule whihc will change. I expect it may take a bit of looking but there probably are individuals who are willing to do this service so they can live your hike vicarioulsy.

Bob, I would deffinitely help logistics when your up here in the northeast.....except next July you know where I'll be!!!

How close to the AT are you? Lived for 3 years in NE and my mom's side of the family is from Maine so i know the area better than most flatlanders.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 11:43
I might be able to help with logistics in central and north Fl. I live in Brevard Cty. ( 15 miles from where the FT comes through Christmas) and I work in Gainesville and Ocala during the work week. I travel as far as Lakecity, Lake Butler, Ft. White, Eustis etc. during my work week so I'm all over. Let me know when time is closer if I can help.

The FT is the only real question mark in regards to the trails: hunting times, military lands, private lands, flooded trail, rerouted trail, locked locks, etc. So I will have to wait until just months before I leave before i begin planning that part of it. I'll let you know.

Slo-go'en
04-22-2012, 12:43
Snack/dessert/breakfast/lunch food is easy to get along the way on the AT. Your just wasting a lot of time, effort and money to send that kind of stuff ahead. Dinners might be a different story, but junk food I'd buy along the way. If you really want to do food drops, I'd find someone willing to send them as you need them.

oldbear
04-22-2012, 12:50
Old bear,I'm not sure I fully understand,If sugars are hygroscopic and have an affinity for water,why does that make for a good cached food?I'm sure I'm missing something here.:)
Rocketsocks
What happens is that by tieing up all of the Moisture in a product it denies it to the little buggers that need it to survive .....which is why fruitcake lasts forever and honey never goes bad

warren doyle
04-22-2012, 13:11
How long do you plan to do this adventure? Your chances of success or failure will depend on whether you have a time limit or not. The last great Appalachian Trail endurance challenge is for someone to walk the entire AT four times in one calendar year (Jan. 1st-Dec. 31st).

Lilred
04-22-2012, 13:48
Rocketsocks,
Sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. You may want to reconsider having all your food via mail drops. It is so easy to resupply on the trail. IF it were me, I'd sell or eat as much as I can before the trip and resupply along the way. You can always purchase food along the way to mail to yourself further up the trail. No need to worry about expiration dates or establishments holding packages for a lengthy period of time.

rocketsocks
04-22-2012, 17:58
Rocketsocks
What happens is that by tieing up all of the Moisture in a product it denies it to the little buggers that need it to survive .....which is why fruitcake lasts forever and honey never goes badCool,makes sence to me thanks for bio lesson.:)

rocketsocks
04-22-2012, 18:07
Rocketsocks,
Sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. You may want to reconsider having all your food via mail drops. It is so easy to resupply on the trail. IF it were me, I'd sell or eat as much as I can before the trip and resupply along the way. You can always purchase food along the way to mail to yourself further up the trail. No need to worry about expiration dates or establishments holding packages for a lengthy period of time.:confused::-?Yeah,your rightin,fact Iv'e deciced not to bring any food,but will live off the land!:);)

Moose2001
04-22-2012, 18:09
Rocketsocks,
Sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. You may want to reconsider having all your food via mail drops. It is so easy to resupply on the trail. IF it were me, I'd sell or eat as much as I can before the trip and resupply along the way. You can always purchase food along the way to mail to yourself further up the trail. No need to worry about expiration dates or establishments holding packages for a lengthy period of time.

yeah....my thoughts exactly! Why do all the mail drops unless there's a medical reason.

stranger
04-22-2012, 19:11
Serious answers please.

In less than 2 years(hopefully), I will begin a hike on the Florida Trail to the Mackaye Trail to the AT, then hike to Maine, do a yo-yo, hit Georgia, turn north and head back to Maine, then once there, turn south and hike back to Georgia.
For those of you whom believe that this is a troll or that I am crazy, I have already prepared over 380 dinners. Ok, so maybe it does sound crazy. Anyways, here is one of the many hurdles I must over come: In order to do this many miles over the time frame I have drafted, most if not all of the snack/dessert/breakfast/lunch food will have to be purchased just 3 months or less before I begin dropping them off at campgrounds/motels/hostels, etc. Why so soon before I begin hiking? B/c most of those types of foods have expiration dates.
So, how would I go about convincing the lodging establishments that they will have to hold onto a box(or more) for 6-10 months, and do you have any ideas for foods I can use for those meals that have a longer shelf life and/or no expiration date?
BTW, again for those of you that think this is a troll, here is my experience:
AT--1992
LT--1991
Ice Age Trail--600 miles
PCT(CA)--1996, 1800 miles
CDT(NM/southern CO)--1997, 800 miles
OHT--165 miles
CO 13ers--over 175 done
CO 14ers--36 of 54 done
NE 100 Highest--88 completed
CT--200 miles completed
State Highpoints--25 done!!

And much, much more!!!

Get in touch with Justin Lichter, he has walked 10,000 miles before and certainly would have run into some of the issues you are talking about...www.justinlichter.com

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 19:15
How long do you plan to do this adventure? Your chances of success or failure will depend on whether you have a time limit or not. The last great Appalachian Trail endurance challenge is for someone to walk the entire AT four times in one calendar year (Jan. 1st-Dec. 31st).

Begin Jan, walk to AT by April, hit Big K by early Sep, leave big K by Sep 15, hit Springer by mid Jan, depart Springer by Feb 1, hit Big K by Jun 10, depart once more for Goergia by Jun 15 and hit Springer by Sep 14.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 19:23
Cousin diff,first let me say,are you flipping' nuts,don't answer that LOL.I guess that if i were to take on this epic task,and need to procure the help of others,I would try to find a way to make them more than peripherally evolved,maybe through free advertising.Campgrounds typically have events going on,maybe a follow the hiker type games.I know this really reaching,but then so is a double
"AT yo-yo with thee Ole Floridian-Mackaye bopp",have a great hike,will diffidently be following your progress.Respectfully RS:)

I believe that since I have already done a thru of the AT, I know what to expect in regards to terrain, trail conditions, weather, shelters, water crossings, etc. Such as the constant possibility of rain each day. As long as the temps aren't too bag, walking in the rain is really not so bad. On my OHT thru hike, I had rain each day for 8 of 10 days of the hike, but had a great time!!!--How much rain fell, you ask? The locals said they hadn't seen that much rain fall for that time of year in over 50 years!!!

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 19:29
How long do you plan to do this adventure? Your chances of success or failure will depend on whether you have a time limit or not. The last great Appalachian Trail endurance challenge is for someone to walk the entire AT four times in one calendar year (Jan. 1st-Dec. 31st).

WOW! I just realized, I got a reply from the man himself, Warren Doyle. That is too cool!

There is a time limit, but only or the stretch from Sep to Jan to Jun to Sep.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 19:43
yeah....my thoughts exactly! Why do all the mail drops unless there's a medical reason.


No medical reason. And most of them won't be mail drops. I will driving the length of the AT to drop off the boxes of food at the places I will stay. The only things I'll send home or have sent to me is gear for the 4 seasons difference. Though I will have the money, I would rather know that the things I LIKE to eat are in the box, and not have to look for them in a trail town, nor get to a store out of the way. Then there is the matter of price. Almost all items in a gas station are astronomically over priced, small towns along the AT can be over priced and I'd rather spend down time enjoying the town than going shopping for my next 4--5 days of food.

Different Socks
04-22-2012, 20:30
Get in touch with Justin Lichter, he has walked 10,000 miles before and certainly would have run into some of the issues you are talking about...www.justinlichter.com (http://www.justinlichter.com)

Did a quick view of his website. Has alot of good tips, but while I admire anyone that has the stamina to do 30 miles each day, I just can't understand why they would go so far each day. despite the fact that so many hikers say that do this say that they are seeing so much and experiencing so much, the hiker that does only 20 mile each day(with the same pack weight) will have more time to enjoy what they are experiencing.

rocketsocks
04-22-2012, 20:41
I believe that since I have already done a thru of the AT, I know what to expect in regards to terrain, trail conditions, weather, shelters, water crossings, etc. Such as the constant possibility of rain each day. As long as the temps aren't too bag, walking in the rain is really not so bad. On my OHT thru hike, I had rain each day for 8 of 10 days of the hike, but had a great time!!!--How much rain fell, you ask? The locals said they hadn't seen that much rain fall for that time of year in over 50 years!!!Touche',with smarts like yours,you'll have no trouble parting wild rivers.have a great hike.:sun

SunnyWalker
04-23-2012, 00:42
I think you need the help of a volunteer to send these boxes at the proper time for you to pick up. You don't want a mess up in this situation as it looks like you won't have time to mess around. If funds aren't a problem could you pay someone something to do this for you? It might be worth thinking about.

gram cracker
04-23-2012, 10:57
If I were to do this, I'd work with my local Vitamin Cottage. I'd buy them a bunch of boxes, mailing labels and give them money for stamps. Oh, and money for food, too. Every so often, I'd have them send a good size box with a good bit of food and then use bounce boxes to send the extra food forward. They happen to be across the street from a post office, so it would not be too inconvenient.

In return, I'd send pictures and journal entries they could post on a bulletin board near the exit or use on their website. They would get some free advertising out of it.

It seems like people are getting attracted to very long hikes. I'm in the dream stage of one myself. There may be some factors in society creating this desire.

MyName1sMud
04-23-2012, 11:40
Wow you've already DONE a lot.

Best of luck to you.

Different Socks
04-26-2012, 22:20
I think you need the help of a volunteer to send these boxes at the proper time for you to pick up. You don't want a mess up in this situation as it looks like you won't have time to mess around. If funds aren't a problem could you pay someone something to do this for you? It might be worth thinking about.

Got an idea of what would be an appropriate amount to pay someone for their time and effort and storage?

Bronk
04-27-2012, 01:17
The FT is the only real question mark in regards to the trails: hunting times, military lands, private lands, flooded trail, rerouted trail, locked locks, etc. So I will have to wait until just months before I leave before i begin planning that part of it. I'll let you know.


I ran into a guy in mid-May just outside Pearisburg and he said he had started on the Florida Trail in Key West and had completed the Florida Trail in about 2 months. He started around the first of the year, and had caught up to the early March starters.

Bearpaw
04-28-2012, 14:56
Be sure to get info on the Pinhoti Trail. You mention the BMT, which you are on for only 67 miles. You'll be on the PT for its full 300+ miles. Easy walking, but trickier to get local businesses to help out, since the Pinhoti gets relatively little thru-hike traffic.

stranger
04-29-2012, 02:48
Did a quick view of his website. Has alot of good tips, but while I admire anyone that has the stamina to do 30 miles each day, I just can't understand why they would go so far each day. despite the fact that so many hikers say that do this say that they are seeing so much and experiencing so much, the hiker that does only 20 mile each day(with the same pack weight) will have more time to enjoy what they are experiencing.

No one can say what another person will enjoy...we can only speak for ourselves...so perhaps you meant to say that YOU would enjoy doing 20 miles per day rather than 30 miles, etc...

Winds
04-29-2012, 03:11
No one can say what another person will enjoy...we can only speak for ourselves...so perhaps you meant to say that YOU would enjoy doing 20 miles per day rather than 30 miles, etc...

You missed what DS intent was. Given the same variables (age, fitness, etc). More mileage would equal less opportunities to smell the flowers.

Some of the quicker hikers actually seem to have a more harsher view of their experience overall in MY opinion. This MIGHT be also what DS is alluding to as for most, to finish say in under 120 days makes the speed (distance covered) to be the single biggest concern.