I've been working with my trainer (i.e. he has been killing me) for the past few months to get ready for my hike. The other day, he asked me if I had had my backpack properly fitted. When I told him I hadn't, he hooked me up with another trainer that worked at Whole Earth Provision Co. for three years. Score!
I brought my fully-loaded (minus food, water, and fuel) Osprey Aura 65 pack to Lifetime Fitness and Andrew checked it out for me. I'm sooooo glad he saw me coming and met me as soon as I got upstairs. I felt like a doofus wearing jeans and carrying a huge backpack into a gym. Since I bought my pack online (and scored a 20% off coupon!) I was just kind of guessing on size and fit. Apparently I guessed pretty well because he only made a few small adjustments. One of the other trainers that was watching us said, "That pack's as big as you are!" Another said, "Is your entire house in there?" To which I responded, "Soon it will be!"
I'm so glad I was able to get fitted BEFORE I set off on my trip. I was planning on just waiting until I got to Neel's Gap, but this was so much better. After I open my Christmas gifts in a few weeks, I'll have everything I need to hit the trail besides a more rugged/waterproof point-and-shoot camera. I think it's about time to book that plane ticket to Atlanta! Woohoo!
My name is Stacey and in 2014 I completed a 2,185.3 mile northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I made daily updates to this blog for the first 1,000 miles or so. Now my focus has shifted to reflecting on my time in the woods and sharing my knowledge with aspiring hikers. If there is anything in particular you'd like me to write about, please let me know! I'm always happy to share my experiences out on the trail.
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