REI Slackpacking for 6 days in the 100 mile wilderness

[peakbagger]

Not my cup of tea, but if someone has the cash and wants to knock off part of the 100 mile wilderness and stay in bed every night, here is your chance,

https://www.rei.com/adventures/trips...dge-based.html

At least they are not taking up already tight space in campsites and shelters. They are taking advantage of the fact that the 100 mile "wilderness" really is not a wilderness. I did split the wilderness in half when I did it as a section hiker using the approach past one of the now AMC camps before they poured money into them. No doubt they are taking advantage of the many logging roads that cross the AT in the area.

If you want "wilderness", head south to Shelburne NH and hike north to Grafton Notch, depressingly, it is probably the longest stretch north of the Smokies with zero roads public or private.

[Montana Mac]

I'm sure it will help all of the YouTuber, TikToK and X users keep up with their posting

[LoneStranger]

That is enough to finance at least a couple of months for me including postage and beer. I am pretty sure I don't want to hike with the sort of folks who would pay that much money to go for a walk. That is why I never became a Maine Guide

[Odd Man Out]

Not my cup of tea, but if someone has the cash and wants to knock off part of the 100 mile wilderness and stay in bed every night, here is your chance,
https://www.rei.com/adventures/trips...dge-based.html
At least they are not taking up already tight space in campsites and shelters. They are taking advantage of the fact that the 100 mile "wilderness" really is not a wilderness. I did split the wilderness in half when I did it as a section hiker using the approach past one of the now AMC camps before they poured money into them. No doubt they are taking advantage of the many logging roads that cross the AT in the area.
If you want "wilderness", head south to Shelburne NH and hike north to Grafton Notch, depressingly, it is probably the longest stretch north of the Smokies with zero roads public or private.

For a lot less, hostels in Milinocket and Monson will shuttle you in and our to slackpack the HMW.

[peakbagger]

But the hiker would not get to stay in comfy cabin with beds and private baths at the AMC camps

Not sure these days but 20 years ago, there were several youth programs affiliated with various universities and non profits that ran 100 mile wilderness trips all summer. They would hire a couple of college kids as leaders and they would hike back and forth with a fresh group all summer with maybe a day off to drop off the last group and pick up the next group. These were not cheap trips. My guess is REI is just renting out their name. AMC reportedly is not making the revenue expected out of the renovated sporting camps in the Wilderness. They had plenty of members who wanted to donate towards the project and they could fund the staffs off the management portion of the grants but eventually they need to break even and pay the staff enough that they want to stay. The biggest problem is they are too far away from Boston, once someone turns off the Interstate in the Waterville area, its all two lane roads full of logging trucks all the way to Greenville and then gravel logging roads to get to the camps. For most, it means a travel day on the beginning and end of the trip. Nice camps on ponds and streams but plenty of other options out there. No doubt REI has a discount negotiated with AMC. The Sierra Club used to do the same thing, where they would "rent" their name out.

[Lone Wolf]

i've never slackpacked even though my 1st trail name was Yankee Slackpacker

[Traveler]

There are spectrums in most things geared toward the pursuit of adventure. Some people will find a good fit along these spectrums, others not so much. Want to travel, meet interesting people and do some fishing? A week on a cruise ship will be unlike a week on a squid fishing boat but both are on the same spectrum, we all have our personal tastes and sense of adventure. I can see where some people would find this a great opportunity overall for a lot of different reasons. I can also see where some may find joining an expedition to Everest would be far better to scratch the adventure itch.

I recall the "Trudeau Moment" I experienced around 12 years old during a summer camp camping trip in the Whites sitting by a pond in the Pemi Wilderness and hearing a loon for the first time. Probably a familiar circumstance to many here. Were it not for the opportunity that camp provided and the 8 other boys that built a special camaraderie in the shared hardship, I question if I ever would have found that on my own.

In my view, anything that encourages and actively helps people get into the forests for a length of time is good for the hiking/backpacking community overall and can translate to both physical support in the maintainer ranks and/or financial support for National, State and local parks and forests.

[Patrickjd9]

There are spectrums in most things geared toward the pursuit of adventure. Some people will find a good fit along these spectrums, others not so much.

I agree, but $3600 is an eye-watering sum of money. Especially considering that one still has to get from the airport in Bangor or Portland to Greenville. Easily another $500 for a rental car or shuttles for someone who isn't driving.

[petedelisio]

i've never slackpacked even though my 1st trail name was Yankee Slackpacker

No walks up Katahdin that might slip into the realm of slack packing?

[Daybreak]

No walks up Katahdin that might slip into the realm of slack packing?

No, I would call that ultra-light backpacking. You "ditch" the gear you no longer need to hike Katahdin (which is not in the 100 mile wilderness) and hike the last few miles with less gear. Does it really matter? There are long more appropriate threads that get into this.

Btw, it is 5 nights lodging and actually only 4 days hiking if you glance at the itinerary. You transfer from town to a lodge in time for dinner on day 1 and transfer back to town after breakfast on day 6. I would consider this trip as a series of day hikes that may include sections of the trail.

[petedelisio]

No, I would call that ultra-light backpacking. You "ditch" the gear you no longer need to hike Katahdin (which is not in the 100 mile wilderness) and hike the last few miles with less gear. Does it really matter? There are long more appropriate threads that get into this.

Btw, it is 5 nights lodging and actually only 4 days hiking if you glance at the itinerary. You transfer from town to a lodge in time for dinner on day 1 and transfer back to town after breakfast on day 6. I would consider this trip as a series of day hikes that may include sections of the trail.

HIMO, forgetting the REE excursion. I still consider dropping gear at the end, middle, beginning of your thru hike to climb Katahdin and pick it back up at the bottom to be slackpacking. And unless Lonewolf carried his whole kit every ascent; I consider it slackpacking. JMO
Jmo. Really is semantics but was just curious if LW might think differently and curious if he carried his whole kit every ascent, even on his flips.

[RockDoc]

Face Mask

Yeah, you need that, but no mosquito repellent!

[tridavis]

I have already mapped it out for our slackpacking group. 1 night out and the rest in an Air BNB. Say what you want, but when you have an 81 year old guy in your group, you slack pack as much as possible. BTW, the average age in our group is 69.