This subject is most interesting to me since I do long trips with one food load and no resupply. My longest trips have been 24 days with about a 50-60 lb food load including stove fuel.

Mileage is hard to figure but on one trip into Pisgah NF in the Wilson Creek area I did this route---my route marked in red---with several trails done in repetition to link up other trails etc. I started the trip at the big red blob. Worked my way north to Timber Ridge and Gragg Prong and Lost Cove Creek and then southeast to the Pine Ridge area and went south over Hiway 181 to Steels Creek---and eventually back to my entrance point.

Alot of options for an uninterrupted trip---like continuing away from Steels Creek on the MST into Linville Gorge. Why more backpackers don't do these kind of trips amazes me---as generally they have huge blocks of time to devote to a trip. Initial back weight with 24 days worth of food probably/most certainly/of course deters them.