Thru hikers online have mentioned it can cost $1000+ per month on the trail. If I'm not mistaken, most of that is food. Lightweight, nutritious food costs can be a massive expense. So, how to lower that cost without sacrificing nutrition?
I'm currently experimenting with Augason farms freeze dried emergency food cans. These target the emergency food market. So, it seems less expensive than brands targetting backpackers.
Review: These grapes...were not cheap. $31 for 1lb, 2oz. Even without added sugar, they are too sweet for me. They have an after taste a bit like lipton sun tea my mom used to make. While im not a lipton tea fan, the nostalgia is welcome. The crunch is wonderful. Since Im not on the trail, Ive put them in plain yogurt. It's a perfect combo.
I’ve joined some fellow slakkon in plans to hike the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail two years from now. This is a multi-month, 460-mile hike including at least one mountain.
As part of my preparations for the trip, I’m putting together a (very preliminary) to-do list of things I need to get done to prepare for the expedition.
Short-Term (next couple months)
finish bio for group website
check trail maps and plan route, including how much food/water needs to be carried between town drops/water sources
continue regular day hikes at nearby trails
use lighterpack.com to evaluate gear and break down weight
set up training regimen at the gym
Medium-Term (this year)
do at least one multi-day hike
buy that compass I’ve been eyeing and take the navigation class periodically offered at the local REI
renew first aid certification and look into wilderness-specific first aid training
Long-Term (next year)
evaluate, save up for, purchase, and evaluate on a multi-day hike: new sleeping bag and pad, possibly a new backpack as well
continue regular hikes, including multi-day hikes.
anxious, afraid, ill, not sturdy, and a total badass.
When I think back on the various adventures I’ve had, I start to realize that actually, I’m kind of a badass.
I’m used to thinking of myself with words like “anxious” “afraid” “ill” and “not sturdy.”
But, when I reflect, things come into perspective: Sure I’m anxious. I also push through. Sure I’m afraid. I’m also a fighter. Yup, I’m ill. Sometimes so ill I can’t get out of bed for months. I also live af. And physically, yeah I’m breakable. I’m also a persistant little shit. Something breaks and I heal. Not always as good as new. That’s not unusual though, especially after a certain age and a certain number of injuries. I haven’t let go of life and living. For someone as anxious afraid, ill, and not sturdy as I am, yeah, I’m kind of a badass. No, a total badass. ^_^
Compared to my backpacking friend Trailmix, I am not very athletic. Compared to my adventure buddy AJ I’m not as knowledgeable. Compared to an Olympic athlete most of us don’t appear to be doing all that well. See what happens depending on the yardstick used to measure ability? So, I don’t mind that when measured with the same yardstick I don’t reach these other people’s measures when I put things into perspective for myself. And, if they compared themselves to some of my strengths, they wouldn’t reach me either.
What I know about me is that I’m resilient af. Every breath I’ve taken through and after all of the things I’ve experienced and survived has been my yardstick for myself. A victory shout in my own journey towards my own goals.
Contrary to popular “bootstraps” and “inspiration porn” mythology, not everyone can sort through what I’ve been handed in life and do what I’ve done with it. Some don’t keep breathing, don’t journey in ways that I have etc. And that doesn’t make them less than me. We have different capacities in different areas. And, I don’t condone shaming people for it.
The thing about working with time, instead of against it, he thought, is that it is not wasted. Even pain counts.
Shevek, from Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed
I have utter contempt for “Everything happens for a reason.” It smacks of of fate or god driving events towards some pre-determined destination, including unconscionable happenings. I find no comfort in the notion of a driving force that could be so cruel, only resentment.
The agency allowed by the notion express in Ursula K. Le Guin’s quote, on the other hand, I can take comfort from it.
Image description: Screenshot of the website Trigedasleng.info/dictionary/ showing the word of the day is: “kik roun” (verb) live. And Translation of the day is: “Chon yu bilaik en chon yu gaf in bilaik na kik thru, emo laik tu krei nosseim diyo. Who you are and who you need to be to survive are two very different things.
(Also, where did the ability to add an image description to the image go Tumblr? T_T)
The initial inspiration for going on a long section hike of the PCT was illness. It has since been woven into the opportunity to raise money for lgbtqia youth suicide prevention. But, it is still also about living more, as much as I can, before I die. I did not know that there was such a thing as a death doula. I wish I could hire this person to put together a death plan. I am going to die someday. I don't know when. I've already come to the precipice several times and ended up pulling through. It has certainly given me a drive to live with purpose. All of those close brushes have intimately acquainted me with the reality though. Some day, death will brush against me and I will follow. This concept of having things in place for that time, that moment feels so peaceful, so life validating. So, I wanted to share it on my backpacking blog, since this blog wouldnt exist without me being ill. And, I hope others will benefit from the video as well. :)
