Jun 17, 2022

Day 0 - "Gear Choices and Criticisms"

Updated: Jun 18, 2022

I don’t think dad believes I am going to make it very far on the trail. We are at the Cabin (our family has a rustic log cabin on 20 acres of Vermont woods), just a few miles from where we are going to be picking up the Appalachian Trail, and he is heavily criticizing my gear choices.

After some research, I decided on wearing Trail Running Shoes instead of boots and I chose to bring a hammock and tarp instead of a tent. Lighter gear made sense to me, and my experience on the east coast suggests to me that I will never be too far away from a workable pair of trees. He is old school though, and I think the thought of hiking in anything besides the most tough and the most waterproofest of boots gives him anxiety. I promised mom that I would do my best not to butt heads with him too much. We will see how that goes…

Tomorrow we are leaving for the AT. I’m Excited and very nervous! Dad and Aeriel made it just over 300 miles in the last month through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the beginning portion of Vermont. Dad and Aeriel have already hiked over 300 miles… and I am about to take my first ever steps with a backpacking backpack on. On top of that, Aeriel says that Vermont and New Hampshire are the hardest states on the trail… joy.

It’s Rainy, has been for the last few days, and the downpour is supposed to continue well into the weekend. Naturally, dad is critiquing my shoes’ lack of waterproofing, but my spirits aren’t dampened!

I figure that even the best boots will likely be soaked through after a few days of rain, and my more breathable shoes will likely dry much faster. On top of that, if it’s a hot day my feet will be thankful for the additional airflow. We shall see.