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I met with Bob on Saturday. This was our first official
session on his thruhike. I brought him a few things:
An Everest frameless pack that he can practice/train
with.
A Packa, as invented by Cedar Tree.
A printed copy of the Thruhiking
Papers as written by Jim Owen (Thanks Jim!), and emails from this list
(Thanks everybody!), all neatly punched and put into a three ring binder.
The Thruhiking Papers are his first 'required reading' assignment.
A copy of the 2001 Companion so he can start planning
logistics. (Provided by our mutual friend Will. Thanks Will!)
A copy of Walking the Appalachian Trail by Larry
Luxenberg. (Provided by TJ from the AT-L list. Thanks TJ!) I read it
myself, and I thought it was excellent.
A copy of A Walk in the Woods by Bryson, for his wife. I
read this too, and thought it was an excellent example of how NOT to successfully
hike the trail, even if they did manage a significant portion of it.
Excellent proof that two boobs with backpacks can actually successfully
experience the out doors. If you think the two preceding sentences are
contradictory, read the book.
We discussed many things, but mostly an overview of our
responsibilities to one another in this process. We discussed (briefly)
sleeping bags, tent/tarp/bivy options, wilderness survival schools, hiking
clubs, and the difference between training, practice, and actually
backpacking.
Bob discovered the Appalachian Trail Institute and has
signed up for the April course. The price was reasonable, but I don't know
what the course is like. We discussed another school in Wyoming, but
decided that course would not be applicable to the AT.
The difference between training, practice, and actually
backpacking is that training and practice should happen close to home. The
middle of nowhere isn't a good time to figure out that your tent, or some
other piece of critical gear, is worthless junk.
I'm also working on developing a section of my website
to organize my thoughts and help him find resources on the net. The
address is www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking, but the site is very blank
right now.
Opinions on the above are welcome. More updates to
follow.
Shane
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