House Keeping
“You carry your insecurities”
DOVE
Pack Buddy "My friend funds her hikes by selling Pack Buddies; she’s a triple crowner having thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail. I’ve carried my pack buddy for about 700 miles now.”
Knitting supplies “Back in Pearisburg, VA (~900 miles ago) I encountered someone with spare yarn. I’d already been thinking about acquiring knitting materials so I snagged a set of chopsticks at an all-you-can-eat buffet and I’ve been knitting ever since”
Tarp “My dad always carried a tarp when camping, this is mainly a comfort item”
Blueberry: dog food, book, journal, essential oil
“I feel guilty making my dog carry all her food so I carry most of it”
SWEET TOOTH
“I call this my Bag of Shame. I could throw out the entire bag and I wouldn’t miss it at all but I carry it anyway. Thru hikers are so meticulous about weight but this is my dirty secret. There’s a broken phone in there, might as well be a stone.”
Skills: kindle, mug, sit pad, day pack
“I joined the mug club in Georgia inspired by two hikers that I’d recently met who looked so cozy and at home with their mugs. Each time I lose a mug I’ve been encouraged to buy a mug slightly larger than the last, as punishment. I’m on my third mug.”
HIGHLIFE
Two Hats & a French Press
“Gotta have your coffee and I’m not about to drink instant coffee”
Ten: North Carolina Flag
“My Dad always carries an American flag and I’ve always carried my North Carolina flag during our section hikes of the AT. Representing my home pride.”
Whiskey, 2 giraffes, cigarettes
Buttercup + Midnight:
“Coffee, the only way I can move”
“Ipod, the only way I can meditate, or at least it makes it a hell of a lot better”
LIZARD KING: Headphones + Bucket Hat
“My dad gave me the hat. Music is everything.”
Colored pencils
RAMBO: Stuffed Animal
Carried this companion throughout the entire trail with the intention of giving it as a gift to her niece.
Curious to hear about Julia Rose’s experience walking the southern half of the Appalachian Trail?
Check out her blog posts.
Simple: Magic Carpet
“I paddled 100 miles of the Shenandoah River when it runs parallel to the AT. I made this out of pool noodles to keep my pack off the floor of the canoe but started to also use it to camp on. After the canoe trip (known as aquablazing) I decided to condense it to fit on my pack and bring it back on the trail. It keeps my pack off the dirt, works as a seat and I got rid of my sleeping pad because of this.
Simple: fly swatter and speaker
SCREWDRIVER: Solar Panel + Sit Pad
Soakin’ in the Sun with a solar panel and some fancy shades.
“My mom wanted me to have my phone charged”
COTTONHANDS
Some choose the luxury of a light pack.
Turbo Snail
No caption needed
LOST COOKIE: Spinach
“What you put in is what you get out”
Grill: drumsticks and a yoyo
“I got the yoyo recently at the dollar general. It’s glow in the dark. I didn’t know how to yoyo before the trail”
“I’ve been playing drums for a while and now I always carry drum sticks with me. I tried to go a week without them but missed them too much”
TATIANA: two phones
“I have a work phone and a personal phone. I data mooch off my work phone”
NICK
“The pillow has made sleeping so much better. I would not give it up for food.”
Rocky: Hat + Book
“The hat came from my mom. I got the trail name, and she got me a hat to match it. I always have a book on me”
Pantry: violin
“I’ve played violin for 6 years now, About halfway through the trail, I decided I needed a violin and I’ve been carrying it ever since.”
SMALLS
“I have had three knee surgeries recently from tearing my ACL. I have not used my knee brace since the Shenandoahs but I am carrying it all the way to Maine. I want to hold it on Katahdin as a victory to show what I have overcome. I’ve carried the water gun for about 1400 miles (since Hot Springs) and I used to spray hikers on hot days.”
Nino: ukulele and hacky sack
“My dad’s a musician and I wanted to be able to play music. I have free time out here”
Coach: 2lbs of sour patch kids
“I got bold with my resupply this week because I had the extra room in my pack”
A-hole: croc bling
“A 12 year old hiker (Jaws) was handing out croc bling as a way of connecting with a primarily adult community of hikers. I’ve had these on my shoes for 900 miles now”
Peace Out: Deck of Cards
“They’re just the right size. They’re little but still usable.”