Mail Drops! And an update on our contest! + more!

Hello interwebs! Right now we are on the road to Amicalola Falls State Park! I'm sorry for the inconsistent postings! You wouldn't believe how busy we have been these past two weeks.

Word to the wise: don't try to pack and move your entire apartment in one day.

Here's some quick updates!

Appalachian Trials Sponsorship Contest

We are currently in 3rd place in the Appalachian Trails 2014 Badger Sponsorship Contest! If you haven't voted for us already, please do! All you have to do is click the link, hit the Facebook "like" button above or below our video, and share with your friends! Third place wins some free LARABARS, dry sacks, and some sweet sandals, in addition to an e-copy of Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis. The 1st and 2nd place folks are hundreds of likes ahead. Like 400 likes or more. It's absurd.

Appalachian Trials has been an incredible source of information on how to prepare for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike and really, life in general. Zach is a great guy too!

Gear!

So with the crazy winter, we have switched back to the Gregory in order to bring our 0 degree bags. And good Lord our packs are HEAVY now. Especially with 10 days worth of Sheila's food. But, better safe than sorry. We can always send stuff home.

That being said, I won't be updating our gear list until we get back. We just won't have the capabilities. If you have any questions about what we are bringing, send us an email, or leave a comment.

Mail Drops and Trail Magic

If you're interested in sending us some trail magic while we are out there, we posted a Mail Drop page where you can find information on how to send us stuff while we are out there! We will update this list periodically when we have a better idea of where we would like to stop, and about what day we expect to arrive.

Blog Updates!

If you'd like to sign up for an automatic email list that will let you know when we make a post, please send an email to endlessfootpath@gmail.com. We will be posting hopefully once a week! I won't be using this format to upload pictures because it's difficult to format, so you can view all the photos of our adventure at Facebook.com/endlessfootpath.



Feel free to ask us any questions! We are more than happy to try and answer within the week. :)

13 Days: Gear and Cake!

It is a truly surreal feeling realizing that you are in the process of selling off and packing up your entire life in order to set out on a 6 month journey to find your self, your passion and your purpose. Maybe I'm putting a little too much faith in how life changing this experience is going to be, but I have these butterflies in my stomach and this hope in my heart that everything is going to be different when we come back down to the real world.

Last night we hosted a group of our closest friends and family for an intimate goodbye and support-group meeting. We covered topics ranging from our gear and our winter worries to how to address a mail-drop and our itinerary. We drank and ate and talked into the night, and I can't be more grateful for their support. Our dear friends, newly engaged Anthony and Felica made us the most AMAZING cake in the world.

This was really just too much for my poor heart to handle. I am going to miss these folks so much.

We watched the NatGeo Appalachian Trail documentary on mute and narrated it (hilariously) ourselves. We planned visits on the trail. We even busted out a very special bottle of Stone Vertical Epic 09-09-09 to share with these great people. It was the best way to close out a very special evening. I only wish I had thought to bring out my Polaroid camera to capture the good times.

Things have been a little hard the past couple of weeks what with trying to pack and organize and make sure we didn't forget to order any gear. My dad has also chosen to be unsupportive of the hike, so it's been really tough for me to deal with, but surrounding myself with loving and supportive people makes everything easier. Next weekend is our big, final farewell bash. If it goes half as well as last night did, I will be so elated.

Let's Talk Gear!

As a result of our last shakedown on Standing Indian we made some big decisions and we are changing out our Big 4 and adding a few extra items.


Pack: Gregory Deva 60 and Baltoro 65

These packs are Cadillacs! You hardly realize you're carrying 30lbs. At a massive 5lbs 11oz, these guys weigh twice as much as our Osprey Exos packs. Why? Because we decided to carry heavier, bulkier gear to combat the winter weather and we need the extra space and extra comfort of the bigger packs. We will be switching to the Exos in April though, if the weather normalizes.



Sleeping Bag: Mountain Hardwear Lamina 0

Yeah, we decided we needed a zero degree bag. The night we were on Standing Indian, the temps dipped into the teens with 35mph winds. It was cold! We were able to stay warm and to get some sleep, but Chase had trouble keeping out the drafts. We will be switching back to our Zpacks Twin Quilt when the weather warms.



Sleeping Pad: NeoAir Xtherm

This is a warm pad! And super comfy! And it weighs almost nothing! And it takes up half of the space that the ProRest pads took up! Overall we love this pad and we are confident that it will provide all the of insulation from the frozen ground that we will need. We plan on using these the whole trip.




Tent: TarpTent Stratospire II w/ solid interior

We decided to also purchase a solid, windproof interior for the TarpTent, so hopefully with the combination of the warmer bag and windproof layer, we will stay nice and toasty even in the worst conditions. We will be switching back to the mesh when the weather warms.

Other Gear:

In addition to all of the above, we also purchase a couple pairs of down booties to keep our feet warm in camp, we are ditching gloves for mittens, and we also picked up some items for Sheila. She will be getting a fleece blanket and fleece booties to wear in camp to help protect her from the elements. We think that with these additions our winter camping experience will be much better over all. 

I will be working on updating the gear spreadsheet today and tomorrow so that it reflects these changes. I will also be posting a new page with a list of mail drop locations if you want to send us some magic!

40 days and 40 nights

Things are really moving quickly now! Honestly I don't have much more to update on, other than the fact that we finally compiled all of our winter gear, weighed it out, and packed it up. If you want to check out the full list, visit our gear page above.

Here's a summary of our Big 4:

Backpack: Osprey Exos 46 (2lbs 4oz)

Tent: Tarptent Stratospire II (2lbs 8oz)

Sleeping Bag: Z-Packs Twin Quilt 900 Fill Power Down XL (20 degree) (1lb 14oz)

Sleeping Pad: Thermarest Prolite Plus (1lb 8oz)

The only item out of our Big 4 that we are looking to probably replace is our Thermarest pads. They're bulky and heavy and with the smaller pack, we really need the space. I've been looking at the Thermarest Neoair XTherm pads, but at $180 I'm a bit hesitant to pull the trigger. We haven't paid full price on hardly any of our gear so it's a hard pill to swallow.

Tomorrow we are set to pack up some things around the house, take the Christmas decorations down, and organize the storage shed. I'd also like to fill out our Appalachian Trials lists and post those sometime next week.

We've decided to do a winter overnight at Standing Indian in a couple of weeks. With the crazy weather this week, we'd really like to make sure that our gear is sufficient in case we get caught in a winter storm. For once, I'm hoping for cold and snow!

50 Days Out

Time really is just speeding by. I took the day off today to nurse a baby hangover and to refocus a little. Christmas was a blast this year which was a nice change.

Santa brought us a few things for the hike, including a couple of titanium mugs to match our new Evernew Ultralight Titanium Pot and Traildesigns Sidewinder Ti-Tri stove! We're very excited about this new cook-kit, as it has allowed us to shave about 1.5lb off of our carry weight, not to mention this new set packs down much smaller. Santa is a little late bringing our Zpacks twin quilt, but we're excited to see how all these items fit into our smaller and lighter Osprey Exos 46 packs. With all of these changes, we've managed to get our base pack weight down to around 14.5lbs!

Now, we added onto that weight a little last night. Santa brought me an iPad mini and a Pencil so that I could document my thoughts and such while on the trail easily. I haven't fully decided if I want to bring these items, especially given their cost and delicate disposition, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

We've been testing out potential cameras the past few days to try and decide which one we would like to bring on the trail. My favorite so far has been the Olympus TG-2 Tough camera. It's only fault in my book has been the sad, sad panorama mode that "stitches" together several images. I much prefer the smooth panorama that I've grown used to on the iPhone, so I could probably get away with just using it to capture 180 degree views.

Thinking about it now, it seems like we are planning on bringing quite a few electronics... Not too sure how I feel about that.

Chase has been able to cut back on work now that it is after the holiday and he actually has Sunday off this week. We are hoping to make some great progress on packing and planning. Maybe I'll even get the gear spreadsheet finished!

Merry Merry y'all!

Every moment speeding by...

I have been so overwhelmed with responsibilities these past two weeks that it has been difficult to find any time for blogging.

I'm still working on putting together our gear list, but this has proved difficult do to last minute changes in some key pieces. I promise it will be up soon! We are narrowing down cameras, back-up batteries, and trail runners at this point, but we just changed cook kits and sleeping bags, so things are still very much in flux.

Chase and I haven't been home together enough for us to sort out our proposed schedule to let our friends and family know where we will be and when. I'm hoping things will slow down after Christmas and we can figure all of this out.

The house is a mess. Most of my stuff has been packed in boxes, but Chase has a long way to go. I got the Christmas tree out of the garage today and had a mini panic attack about the amount of stuff in there. Good thing we are taking the week before hitting the trail off to tackle it!

I'm giving my boss notice that I am leaving on Monday. That should be a fun day. /joy


Sheila doesn't seem stressed out at all...

Shakedown Hike #2

Next week Chase, Sheila, and I will be setting out to Springer Mountain to hike as much of the AT as we can in 5 and a half days! We are planning on driving up in the evening after work, grabbing a hotel and getting a good nights sleep, and then setting off from Amicalola State Park in the morning.

This is our first hike with all of us together and it will be my longest hike yet. We are planning to cover 57.3 miles of the AT plus the 8.8 miles of the Approach Trail for a grand total of 66.1 miles! Oh boy!

To makes things even more exciting, the forecast for next week has winds in the 45 mph range on top of Springer and the low temperature near 28 degrees Fahrenheit! I think this will be a pretty good test of our fortitude and winter gear, though I'm sure the weather in February is going to be pretty different.

We had some last minute gear purchases to make to be ready for the cold weather, including some heavyweight long underwear, Nalgene cozies, and some waterproof over-mitts. Eventually I will put out a collective gear list, but for now there is just no time. I have a lot to say about the gear we've already purchased and used a bit, and I'm anxious to get that information out there!

My biggest challenge has been putting together Sheila's first aid kit. I had to purchase a bunch of stuff and make sure her kit packs down enough to fit in her pack. I plan on making a special post dedicated to doggy first aid. Sheila will be carrying about 5 lbs of her own gear, including 1 L of water, 1.5 days of food, her first aid kit, a ball, a brush, and her bowl. We just ordered a Guyot Designs Squishy Pet Bowl in size small (24 oz). We have the 48 oz version, but it is really just too big and it is a little awkward to pack. I hoping the smaller size will remedy this! We also bought an OllyDog Mt. Tam Hands-Free Dog Leash . I used it to take Sheila for a walk around the neighborhood, and while it is nice having my hands free, I'm not sure if I like how stiff the stretch is in the leash. I'm planning on taking her for a run tomorrow morning to see how it might work out.

Well, that's all for now. I'm completely exhausted… To bed!

Tent replacement

I’m thinking we are going to upgrade to this Tarptent Stratospire 2. After an overnight with the dog in the Marmot, we decided we don’t have enough room for us all.

And this tent is about 52% lighter (Marmot Astral 2P: 4lbs 13oz vs Tarptent Stratospire 2: 2.5 lbs).

Now all that’s left is to order it before our November shakedown!

Gear update

Here’s a quick list of the big ticket items we have purchased so far. We are planning on beginning in February, and we’re both a bit nervous about the cold, hence the heavier jackets. Some base layers have also been purchased, as well as a couple of beanies and things. We still have a long way to go, but at least we are making some progress! We've been getting a great deal on almost all of this gear because Chase is such a wiz at shopping for deals. I swear he's addicted to Steep and Cheap.


Gregory Baltoro 65

Osprey Ariel 65

Mountain Hardwear Lamina 0

Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20

The North Face Meru Gore-Tex Jacket

Patagonia Super Pluma Gore-Tex Jacket

Patagonia Women’s Micro Puff Jacket

Patagonia Piton Hybrid Hoody

Patagonia Men’s Micro Puff Jacket

Patagonia Nano Puff Hybrid Jacket

Tenting

We got our tent in the mail today! A Marmot Astral 2P! It’s lovely, and roomy enough for the whole family. We will be testing it out in Bahia Honda next month! It's a bit on the heavy side, but we got it for a good enough price I hope we will be able to handle the weight.

Christmas in March

We had a goody bag full of Patagonia jackets and gear waiting for us at home after spending 9 days on the St. John’s River! Feels like Christmas!

Chase and I participated in this Transformational Learning Opportunity offered by our school. We spent 9 days aboard a houseboat living with 10 other students. It was really a great opportunity and it really changed my perception of how we treat our natural resources. Here in Florida, everything is about water. We studied and learned about our extensive freshwater spring system and how our actions are impacting these fragile and ancient ecosystems. Conserve water, y'all!

Rain Jacket

Bought my own first piece of (potential) gear today; a rain jacket! This was the Deal of the Day on REI, and I couldn’t resist. This Sierra Designs Wicked jacket weighs only 10oz, and is apparently wind proof! There isn’t any insulation, so I’m hoping the size will be big enough to layer underneath. And if I decide it won’t work for the long haul, at least I’ll have a bright purple rain coat to wear around town (okay it's pink).

REI Grand Opening Gear Haul

Of course, the first gear we buy is for the dog. :)

With all of the goodies we earned from REI for going to the grand opening events, we were able to buy the REI Ultra Dog Pack that is normally $75 for around $50, and even then I was able to use promotional and gift cards to cover the rest of the cost. I ended up only paying $6 out of pocket for it. We're having a hard time deciding which size to go with. Sheila is a standard Australian Shepherd weighing around 50lbs. The pack says to measure around the deepest part of the chest, and she is just at 27in. This puts her in a “small” pack, which holds 8.5L. The pack fits very well in all areas except for the strap around her belly. It’s just a little too tight, and I’m worried about how it is going to affect her. There is a much more expensive Ruffwear pack online, which we might order just to see if it fits better. 

The other items we picked up with our promotional gift cards include these sweet REI dog food and water bowls. They pack down slim and fit well even in the small dog pack. My only concern is that the rim around the water bowl does not dry quickly, but I’m sure it is not that big of a deal. We also purchased two 0.5L Platypus bottles that fit nicely in the dog pack, that way she can carry her own water.

Also, I bought a nalgene (my first!) just because. We received something like 5 Camelbak Eddy water bottles for free, but I have an addiction and I’m not ashamed.

REI Grand Opening

My dearly sweet trail partner and partner-in-crime is currently braving the 48 degree weather (brrr!) to stand outside for a chance at a free Camelpak bag with a REI gift card inside! I’ll be joining him tomorrow morning, and perhaps even Sunday morning for the free loot. Every little bit helps!

We will also be signing up for the REI membership and even a credit card or two. So stoked that REI decided to put in a store just as we were deciding to thru-hike the AT!

Gear Trip #1

We’re on our way to the local Black Creek Outfitters to test out some packs and shoes and things. Probably won’t pick up anything today, but it will be nice to finally put my hands on the things I’ve been looking at on the Internet for weeks now. When you're not very familiar with all of this outdoorsy stuff, it really makes a difference being able to walk into a store and handle something.

Also, the local REI is opening this having it's grand opening this weekend, which means there will be lots of opportunities to get free REI money and sign up for credit cards and memberships. Oh, and did I mention there will be free breakfast?! So stoked!

I’ll update later with what I tried on, liked and didn’t like. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction!

Update:


Well that was unproductive! Black Creek Outfitters had very little selection and absolutely no customer service. We were the only customers they had and still no one came by to assist us. I'm pretty disappointed. Thankfully Chase knows his way around packs and boots and things, but they didn’t have any display size small packs to try on. I tried on two pairs of boots though, and determined I probably need a 7.5, which makes sense since I normally wear a 6.5. It's all about how the shoe fits though, so there are many more brands and styles to try on.

The search continues!