Author Archives: adventurestan
Pre-trip Gear Testing: Baby’s First Alcohol Stove
Growing up, camping meant taking a pop-up travel trailer up the North Umpqua River or along the south Oregon coast and eating whatever my mother cooked in her cast-iron skillet over an open fire or anything I picked up off … Continue reading
Pre-trip Gear Testing: Sleeping Outside
I try very hard to accept that other people’s lived experiences may be different from my own. That being said, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me convinced that a person who claims to sleep … Continue reading
Pre-trip Gear Testing: Tent, Pad, Bag
I didn’t do any actual hiking with all my new gear before I started the trail, but I did make sure I tried everything out at least once, and I spent a few nights camping in my parents’ back yard. … Continue reading
Ethical Dilemmas
One thing that quickly struck me about life on the Appalachian Trail is how easily hikers share personal information, not just about themselves, but also what they’ve learned about other hikers. I’m guessing it’s due to the perceived anonymity of … Continue reading
Blogging on the Trail
My goal was to set up this blog before I left for the trail. I bought a new tablet and a data plan and dreamed of writing entries every day. Friends and family could follow my progress! New acquaintances would … Continue reading
Preparation! Planning! Purchasing! Packing!
In January 2014 I made the decision to tackle the AT and spent the rest of the winter and early spring preparing for the hike. This mostly involved spending a lot of time browsing through the forums at WhiteBlaze, ordering any piece of gear … Continue reading
Current Adventure: The Appalachian Trail
Someday, probably not any time in the near or semi-distant future, I am going to customize this blog. Oh yeah, it’s going to be so pretty and sleek. I’ll upload my packing lists! I’ll upload the questionnaire I give to … Continue reading