There are questions. I have answers.
Q: Ok, you’re doing what?
A: I am hiking the Appalachian Trail going northbound. This means I’ll be starting at Springer Mountain in Georgia and heading north toward Maine.
Q: Wait, the whole thing?
A: If that’s how far my legs can take me! That’s the plan.
Q: How long will this take?
A: I expect it to take between 5 and 6 months.
Q: But…..Why??
A: Why not! For the opportunity to do something amazing, to get out of the city (and my comfort zone) for a while, to be outside, and to be able to eat pop tarts everyday (yes, I am actually motivated by this). Hiking the AT has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and the opportunity to do something like this really started to become a reality in the past few months. The decision was made that it was time to stop talking about doing all the things, and actually do all the things. This is my thing. Life is short, do awesome shit.
Q: What are you going to eat?
A: Everything. I expect to be consuming 4000-5000 calories per day. Hiker meals consist of calorie dense foods that are good and are lightweight. That being said, there is a nutritional balance there as well. I’ll go into what I’m eating in more depth in later posts. Also, there are towns and outposts along the trail, typically every 3-5 days, providing resupply.
Q: Where do you sleep?
A: The hiker house consists of an amazingly lightweight tent, a sleeping pad, a sleeping bag/quilt, and a stuff sack filled with clothes as a pillow. This will be for the many nights outside where I don’t stay in a shelter or lodging along the trail.
Q: What about bears??
A: Black bears along the AT want your food, not you. Encounters in camp are always caused by not following good camping practices. Hang your food, pack out trash to keep the camp area clean of food waste, avoid cooking in the same place you sleep. If you do come across a mama bear with her cubs while hiking, back away calmly and forget the selfie.
Q: What about grizzly bears? They will attack you!
A: If anyone was to see a grizzly bear along the AT then that would mean the circus or local zoo has an escaped inmate. There are no grizzlies in the Appalachian Mountains.
Q: Ok, just try to not get eaten by a bear.
A: I will.
Q: But you’re bringing a gun right?
A: Nope. I am not bringing a gun. I’m not hunting anything (I’ve been walking and I’m tired, not to mention it would be illegal in most places). I’m not shooting an attacking bear (see previous answers). It’s way too heavy.
The AT is a very social trail used by hundreds of thousands of people each year. Yes, there have been rare incidents of violent crime. Compare it the crime rate in the city, and there’s a better chance of something happening on your street than on the trail.
Q: What about a machete or a hatchet?
A: If I wanted to pretend to be Rambo and pack heavy artillery and swords, I would hike through Syria.
Q: A knife? Will you bring a knife?
A: Yes, I will have a knife!
Q: Where can I get updates and pictures of where you are?
A: Right here on the B-Log! I won’t be updating facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. I will be updating this site with progress, pictures, and pop tart consumption rates.
Q: How do I get in contact with you? Will you have a cell phone?
A: Yes, I’ll have my cell phone. However, I expect reception to be unreliable at best outside of towns. Please check this site first for updates. If you want to reach out, you can email me at midcitybrandon@gmail.com.
The B-Log 