Hiking in 2050

[Dogwood]

The AT, a Footpath of the Wilderness, will be replaced by the AT High Speed MAGLEV train enabling a New Yorker to take a RT LUNCH BREAK to the Shenandoah Train Station for a synthetic Monsanto Approved blackberry FLAVORED ALL NATURAL corn protein derived SHAKE. You will be charged 3000 credits on your embedded RFID Tracking chip with the New World Order Corporation automatically extricating their fees for being such a great defender of humanity out of your monthly credit allowance. Walking will no longer be an absolute necessary as the then SUPER MEGA consolidation of Bayer, Bristol Meyers, Eli Lilly, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Novartis will have occurred promising a twice daily pill ending the need once and for all exercise.

[wormer]

The entire AT can be viewed in real time by just looking at a screen to help you plan your hike.

[Coffee]

I'll hopefully be 77, still vertical, and still able to hike. Not worried about the details.

[colorado_rob]

The entire AT can be viewed in real time by just looking at a screen to help you plan your hike.

Already have that! Google earth KMZ file, fantastic tool to use to plan section hikes. Google up "google earth KMZ file" and load it into GE, then cruise along the trail at your leisure. Has all shelters, etc.

Interesting topic.... let's see, I'll be 94, yikes! 35 years from now.... 35 years ago was 1980, really, not much of real note has changed in my hiking style since then, other than lighter gear, so I doubt if there will be significant changes in the next 35!

[Sir Setsalot]

It will all be virtual hiking.

[CoconutTree]

Self driving cars will become popular and you can have your car meet you at the next road crossing with a trunk full of supplies whenever you like.

[Kaptainkriz]

Cool idea!

Self driving cars will become popular and you can have your car meet you at the next road crossing with a trunk full of supplies whenever you like.

[colorado_rob]

Instead of bounce boxes, we'll have bounce drones? Resupply drones? Really, that's probably only a few years off. Wow, that actually sounds feasible and for us old farts, might extend our hiking days a few years....

[Sarcasm the elf]

Self driving cars will become popular and you can have your car meet you at the next road crossing with a trunk full of supplies whenever you like.

I'm usually not big on technology on the trail, but that just sounds fun.

[Puddlefish]

Instead of bounce boxes, we'll have bounce drones? Resupply drones? Really, that's probably only a few years off. Wow, that actually sounds feasible and for us old farts, might extend our hiking days a few years....

Why stop at resupply? Anyone have information on that new drone assisted hiker harness?

[TexasBob]

Instead of bounce boxes, we'll have bounce drones? Resupply drones? Really, that's probably only a few years off. Wow, that actually sounds feasible and for us old farts, might extend our hiking days a few years....

Sounds like a business opportunity to me.

[squeezebox]

Cool idea!

So what happens when 30 self driving cars pull into a parking lot with 20 spaces??

[squeezebox]

And also what happens to the pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, wildlife etc that are not part of the GPS system? I don't think self driving cars are gonna happen. Passanger jets already have that technology but we still have live pilots.

[Kaptainkriz]

1st come 1st serve.

So what happens when 30 self driving cars pull into a parking lot with 20 spaces??

[squeezebox]

1st come 1st serve.

But my self drive pickup has a gun rack and yours doesn't???

[Kaptainkriz]

You might see them in your life time. Google is pouring resources into this and the car manufacturers are adoping the control systems already. Several states have approved them already...the fleet is around us and most don't know it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_self-driving_car

And also what happens to the pedestrians, cyclists, dogs, wildlife etc that are not part of the GPS system? I don't think self driving cars are gonna happen. Passanger jets already have that technology but we still have live pilots.

[Kaptainkriz]

Lol, could have battlebots on our hands.

But my self drive pickup has a gun rack and yours doesn't???

[Feral Bill]

I will be 97, still hiking, using the same Svea stove that I bought as a teenager. Maybe someone will come up with the perfect rain wear and winter boots by then. Maybe not.

[Traveler]

So what happens when 30 self driving cars pull into a parking lot with 20 spaces??

The late arrivals burst into flames. The Chinese still haven't worked out the battery bugs from the 2015s.

[soumodeler]

I don't think self driving cars are gonna happen. Passanger jets already have that technology but we still have live pilots.

Huge difference. A plane can't just stop when something goes wrong. A car can.

From what I've read, if the computer begins to detect a failure, it alerts the driver to take over. On the cars with no steering wheel, it pulls over and stops.