The Start of My Journey

Well, today I met my first fellow AT thru-hiker and figured I might as well start journaling! I feel like today officially launched my journey.

I posted on a thread called Where is the Class of 2014 on the WhiteBlaze.net forum. Another 30-year old Austinite also posted on the thread and we decided to get together this afternoon for a quick 2.5 mile hike at Emma Long Metro Park. Doug brought his Bernese mountain dog, Henry, and we discussed our interests and AT plans while we walked. It was great to talk to someone in a similar situation, saving up money to do something exciting and different with their life!

I’m glad I decided last fall to wait until 2014 to begin my hike. I’ve been able to sell over $500 of my stuff so far on eBay to help fund my gear purchases. I still have more to sell! I have plenty of time (maybe TOO much time!) to thoroughly research every purchase and wait for good sales. I’ve done pretty well for myself so far! Here are some of the main items I’ve already purchased:

• MSR Hubba tent from eBay – pretty much brand new! I’ve already set it up in my living room and laid down inside to test it out. It’s small, but I’m only 5’ 3” and it’s all I really need. The footprint was included with my purchase, but I’m undecided if I want to use it yet or not. I’d love to protect the bottom of my tent, but I might rather use those ounces on something else. Every little bit counts!
• Leki Cressida trekking poles – also from eBay, but brand new! They are specifically designed for women. Might be a scam, but I’m small and I want to make sure I do what I can to get gear that fits me as well as possible. I’ve never used trekking poles, so I’m expecting a learning curve. I guess I should break them in soon!
• Thermarest Prolite Women’s Sleeping Pad – found this on sale. It’s specifically designed to keep women warmer in certain areas. Hope it works! It’s purple too! Go Frogs!
• Seattle Sombrero rain hat – Found used on eBay. I was inspired to buy this after reading Certain’s trail journal. I really like it! It will keep the sun and rain off of my face and neck. It might not breath well, so I hope I get to keep it. I think it looks so cute on!
• REI Kimtah rain jacket – found this on clearance at REI. It’s an XS and fits really well. I also think it’s pretty light. I initially thought I’d use a poncho, but I decided to go with rain pants and rain jacket so I could use them as windbreakers (I almost said “to break wind” LOL!) and to wear while doing laundry. There are cheaper options, but Frog Togs, etc. don’t seem to last, from what I read.
• Knee-high gaiters – I might return these for something lighter. I need to do some more research. I hear gaiters are great for keeping dirt and rocks out of your shoes and can help keep your feet dry for a bit longer. The ones I have might be overkill though. Guess I need to reweigh them.
• Patagonia Nano Puff – a Christmas gift. I’m not sure this will be warm enough. I wore it with a tank and fleece top with long johns, pants and a wool hat on a cold, very slow hike a few weeks ago. I didn’t stay very warm. I have a Micro Puff on order. I’m going to see how that one is. I don’t want to carry down because I’m scared it will get wet. I feel like I still need to do research on the best jacket/vest/baselayer combo to keep warm. 

I really want to buy a ULA Circuit pack but I’m waiting to build up my PayPal balance.  I need about $150 more dollars. I’m also waiting for them to offer special colors again. This may be silly, but having a pack that stands out slightly from the rest makes me think it will be easier to recognize it in a pile at a hostel or somewhere. I’m sure this is ridiculous, but it would be nice to have something a little bit special. We shall see!

Alright, this is getting a bit long. I will continue later. I’m very excited about this “irresponsible” trip and can’t wait to discover all of the people and places I will meet along the way!