All Quiet on the Western Front

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Between Adam's trip to Mexico and my 1,000,000 things to do before leaving Denver, time has been our biggest enemy. We hope you keep reading and keep following and we promise to reward you with some sweet, sweet blogging in the near future. We arrive at Springer Mountain in 12 days! So close!!

For those who read the past post on my water treatment dilemma, I've stopped whining and made up my mind. I'm going with the filter.

Cheers,
Frank

Hello Goodbye

Well, this is It!  This is the moment I stop staring into the abyss and take another leap of faith.  I am retiring from my current occupation today, waiting to hear back from two architecture schools, and headed into the mountains for five months.  This is surreal.

For nearly four years I have worked at Analysis Group as a Litigation Research Assistant.  Originally on track to becoming an attorney after college I altered the course and entered the realm of economic and litigation consulting.  A.G. has been a very practical experience; it put food on my plate, a roof over my head, and lessons in my mind - I am grateful.  In the time since I deviated from big law I have re-turned to my passion; I will become an architect.

Now I embark on a week-long vacation in Cancun with Tiffany, followed by twelve days of trail preparation and logistics, then I will leave Boston for Virginia to see family and friends for two days, and finally down to Georgia to begin a new chapter in my story. 

"Thank you" to everyone!  I truly believe that I have been thrust into the most fortunate station in this existence. 

We are "condemned to be free"

-Adam

AT(weeting)

Love it. Hate it. Don't know what it actually is (talking to you, Dad). Twitter is many things to many people. Adam and I want to keep this blog as a way for family and friends to follow us on the trail, however the uncertainty of wi-fi or network signals along the trail and in towns may make updating difficult at times. I've added a twitter widget to the blog so that in the event we don't have internet or want to quickly let people know we are still alive, all we have to do send a text message and it will make a tweet, which will in turn show up on the blog. I'll see if Adam wants to set up his own (is he even on twitter?) or just vicariously tweet through me.

In the meantime, check out the twitter widget to the left. At least now I have something to tweet about other than BC sports!

PS- 10 years ago, did anyone thing the word "tweet" would be used everyday? 10 years ago I don't think I ever said that word.

One month countdown!

It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in Denver. Sun is shining. Its already about 60 degrees. Many things to be grateful for. And Adam and I leave for the Appalachian trail in exactly one month! Let the countdown begin. We will be posting things like our gear list and tentative mileage plans in the coming days and weeks. Final arrangements are being made and mail drops are being prepared. I even slept in my sleeping bag all week (albeit in the comfort of my bed)! One month and counting. Can't wait!!!

Appalachian Trail in 4 minutes

A few friends have passed this along to me over the last couple days. The person who made this little montage (Kevin Gallagher) supposedly snapped 24 pictures of successive steps, each day for his entire thru-hike. Pretty cool way to get a sense for what the trail is like, start to finish. Enjoy!

Green Tunnel from Kevin Gallagher on Vimeo.

Water, Protozoa, and something called Cryptosporidium

Frank here. Really coming along with my gear. I want to thank my roommates for putting up with the stockpile of food I have in our dining room right now as I begin preparing some of my mail drops for the trail.

One of the remaining items I need to make a decision on is what I will be doing for my water treatment. Some people swear to the fact that they haven't treated their water in the back country for 20 years and have never gotten sick...I say they are one bout of explosive diarrhea away from changing their tune. Call me a sissy, but I am doing EVERYTHING in my power to prevent water-borne illness on the trail. I already have to deal with sore knees, blisters, exhaustion, bears, and lyme disease. I am not taking a chance on parasites making a home in my intestinal track. Click here to read about Cryptospordium...you will never not wash your hands after using the bathroom again.

With that said, I am having a difficult choice on what to use for my water treatment, mainly because there isn't a truly perfect option out there. The phrase "you can't have your cake and eat it too" comes to mind.

First, you have your run of the mill water filters. This would be my ideal choice. They filter the water of both the microscopic organisms (to an extent) as well as any and all of the larger items that might make the water unappealing (i.e dirt, bugs, twigs, etc). Here is the "can't eat your cake" part. They don't protect you from water viruses (think Hepatitis A), they are the heaviest treatment option, and are notorious for breaking down in the field. Also, if the temp drops below freezing (legitimate chance early on the trail), the tubes and filter freeze and are at risk of no longer working properly. Damn.

Second, there are chemicals. Options range from iodine tablets to bleach and chlorine solutions. These are the lightest treatment choices and except for the iodine tablets, they kill everything in the water. They are the nukes of water treatment. Unfortunately, they don't clean the water (from sediments, etc), they take up to 4 hours to clear out everything that could be in the water, and being in "the wild", I was hoping to taste that delicious, pure stream water, untreated of chemicals. I already get the treated stuff at home. I want pure.

Third option is to go with this new technology called the Steri-pen. This fancy little gizmo is the new wave of water treatment. Essentially it looks like an electric thermometer and you stick it into your water source where it will flash ultra-violet light, which is supposed to kill anything and everything in there. Essentially it causes all the protozoa and micro-organisms to have seizures and keel over. Its also very light. Sounds great. I'm in. Crap, I forgot about the can't eat my cake part again. It's expensive (some of these are over $100 each), it runs on batteries, which could die (no big deal, I'll bring some chemicals as back up), but it also doesn't filter the water. So if I am out of water and the only option is a stagnant pond...uggghhh. The other negative is that technically, if I dip my nalgene into the stream for water and then use the Steri-pen to treat it, the water which remains on the rim of my nalgene is untreated. "Big freakin deal" you may say, but remember, if the water is contaminated, a drop of water (an amount which can and does remain on the rim of a nalgene) can contain thousands of organisms.

Everything we do in life has a risk involved. When my friends in Boston are crossing the street, they risk getting run over by the countless swarm of insane drivers. When my friends in Denver venture to the mountains, they risk being struck by lightning (in the summer) or eaten by a snow monster (in the winter). I guess the thing I need to accept/realize is there is no way to "have it all." I need to make an informed decision based on what I believe/know and stick with it. If it turns out wrong, I change direction and go from there.

I'm stumped. I was hoping that writing this all out would reveal a clear winner. Anyone have any tips??

Packing and sending the perfect maildrop

I have been following a specific Appalachian Trail forum (whiteblaze.net) and aside from the innumerable opinions on the site, there is often a good amount of really useful information about the trail. When I first decided I was going to hike it, this was the place I went to in order to find out those initial burning questions... "How will I actually eat on this hike?"

I recently read a great post by Karen Sousa on packing and sending maildrops to thru-hikers on the trail. I wasn't really sure how the whole process worked, but she put it into great perspective. With Karen's permission, here is her post, "Packing and sending the perfect maildrop" listed on the whiteblaze.net forum. Have a read:

The following material is based on conversations with many hikers as well as personal experience. There is no right way or wrong way; this is just a sampling of the information I have gathered. It is not my intent to tell you whether it is right or wrong to use maildrops, just to aid you in the process of packing and sending maildrops. Whether you use many mail drops, a few mail drops or no mail drops is a very personal decision; there are many factors that can affect your decision including availability of a support person, dietary constraints, costs of buying vs. mailing food, and the convenience of not having to make the PO in time to get your food, especially around holidays. Even if you decide to not have any mail drops or just plan on hitting a few post offices so your loved ones can send you care packages, these hints can still be helpful. If you know someone will be sending you things, share at least the Care Package section with them.

Care Packages

Do:
· Plan ahead and do research on your particular hiker's likes and dislikes.
· Look for care package items all year long - good presents are sample sized hand creams (not heavily scented), Chapstick/Blistex with SPF, hair scrunchies and elastics, socks (you need to know what size and brand), sample dental floss (make friends with your dentist), airplane-size plastic bottles of liquor (check with the USPS before sending alcohol), phone cards, and homemade goodies are always welcome.
· Treats mean more if they are the "right" brand or are something special to that person.
· Make color copies of photos of friends and family or hiking events (Trail Days, leaving Springer, etc) and offer to send the actual photos at the end of the hike. That way, the hiker doesn't need to carry extra weight but can share the pictures until he is ready to discard them or use them as fire starter. Include poems, jokes, emails they may find humorous.
· Send stamped postcards - you never know - you might even get one back!
· Send everything in small portions.
· Include freezer type Ziplocs in which to store anything you send. And an extra one or two never hurt either.
· Look for food items with strong flavor - fireballs, jolly ranchers, jelly beans, dried fruits, individual sized
· Label any food items that might be unidentifiable.
· If all else fails and you are out of ideas, send cash with instructions to spend it on ice cream, beer, a good meal, a night in a motel - whatever you would buy that person if you were there personally. Or send a Ben and Jerry’s coupon! http://store.benjerry.com/coupons.html

Don’t:
· Don’t send a whole batch of cookies with the idea that there will be plenty to share. Many hikers get mail drops at the exact same places and they will often ALL have "extra to share". Send half a batch, wrap the rest of the batch well, throw it in the freezer and send it at a later date when your efforts can be appreciated a second time. Or…find another hiker to send them to J
· Don’t feel that more is better. Remember how carefully you watch what you pack when you hike and apply that care two-fold to a long distance hiker. Instead of sending a magazine, send the interesting article. Instead of the whole bag of candy, try a snack size Ziploc full.
· Don’t forget that if you send a three-pound package, they have to carry that three pounds in their pack up the mountain that is always on way out of town.

For hikers:
· If you are asked, "What do you need or want?" and you do have something you need or want, please share that information. The reason these packages are called "Care Packages" is that the person sending them cares.
· Share these hints and cautions with your friends and family, especially those who don't hike. Grandma wants to make sure Little Johnny doesn't go hungry and may send pounds of food to each maildrop unless she is educated.
· If you are well loved, you might want to limit the "public" mail drops to four or five. If you do that and are getting food drops, limit your snacks in those particular food drops.
· Don't forget to say thank you.

Packing Food and Gear Packages (These suggestions are dependent on the hiker having a fair amount of trust in the support person. If there is concern, more pre-packing may be necessary)
1. Bag everything in Ziplock bags if possible. It will probably need to be placed in a Ziploc on arrival anyway and that will cut down on waste needing to be disposed of in town.

2. Double bag any liquids.

3. If there is anything with a strong scent, especially soap, double bag the item - preferably vacuum sealing one of the layers and wait until the last possible minute to place in the package. Even double bagged soap will transfer smell if left in a box for more than a few weeks.

4. Bag food separately from toiletry items.

5. If package is over 10 pounds, either pare it down or split it into two smaller packages. It will probably be cheaper to mail that was as well. This may occur in Hanover when exchanging winter gear. It can also apply for the northbound hiker when sending home that same winter gear NORTH of Mt Rogers. Remember, the hiker has to carry everything you send. If you send ten pounds, they have to carry ten pounds.

6. Organize your mailing area and keep all your boxes, tape, labels, etc in one place. Include a good pair of scissors and a sharpie marker. Try ordering boxes, labels, etc from the USPS. (see Post Office Hints).

7. Label boxes with stickers identifiable to the hiker. Put last name in large block letters on every side of the box except side with the label. Stickers will help hiker identify box if it is mislabeled. You can print out all the labels using a word processor program. An hour of work one evening will make life a lot easier when you are trying to pack a box in a rush.

8. Make lists of what items you need to include in "every box", "every other box" and "on demand". Every box items may include dinners, snacks, TP, film, film mailers, Ziplocs. Every other box items might include batteries, spices, duct tape, data book pages, and maps. Don't forget the occasional items like a replacement toothbrush and boot sealer. Check lists and quantities periodically to make sure you won't run short. Consider ordering bulk toiletries online (see resource list). They all have different delivery costs, but the time and cost savings may outweigh the delivery costs.

9. Store all dehydrated foods in a large Ziploc in the freezer. This will extend the shelf life and ensure that when you do send them, you won't have to worry about spoilage.

10. Keep all of one type of food together so you can pick an assortment as you pack the box. (i.e.: an assortment of snacks in one large box so a variety can be sent with every drop) For procrastinators, this is a HUGE time saver when you are trying to rush to the post office before or after work.

11. Make up a couple months' boxes at a time, including the "every box items" and a list of items to be added at the last minute. Address labels can be made at that time. Add soap to the box at the last minute to avoid transfer of the soap smells to food items. (yes, I know I mentioned this before, but it is THAT important!)

12. Consider buying food in "batches" every couple of months (if support person is willing). This way, if the hiker absolutely HATES a specific food item after a few weeks, he is not stuck with a 6-month supply. Or, he may decide he would rather purchase food along the way and won't need you to mail everything.

13. Buy stock in the Ziploc company - you will need plenty! The traditional Ziplocs work better to store food and powders than the new "zipper" type. I have recently started using the bags with the double zippers – they seem to be easier to close with cold fingers.

Vacuum Sealer Magic
1. Many food items can be sealed in individual/sample-sized packages for ease of use or just ease of mailing. Items I have experimented with for long term un-refrigerated storage (up to and over 8 weeks) include peanut butter, oils - plain olive and flavored olive oils, freshly shredded parmesan cheese (I have seen this last four months), rum, dried meats, dried veggies, dried fruits.

2. Other food items that I have personally packaged and used without refrigeration for up to two weeks include Velveeta, cheddar cheese, pepperoni, and jelly. Try at your own risk. Some items work better in cooler weather.

3. Non-food items can also be packaged in single-use sized packages - shampoo, soaps, lotions - this is recommended particularly if they have a strong odor.

4. Vacuum sealers like the Foodsaver Compact can be obtained at Walmart, Sam’s Club, at an online retail store or often you can find a good buy on Ebay. I have included a resource list at the end of this handout. It can also be ordered by phone (through the infomercial) but I think it is much more expensive that way and you have to pay shipping. I have worked with the larger Foodsaver, but prefer the Compact one because the vacuum isn't as strong, making it easier to seal in liquids. It is an investment, but is more important in my kitchen than a microwave!

Post Office Hints
1. Print address and return address clearly- preferably on Priority Mail labels. It’s really annoying to shuffle boxes, data book, etc while standing in line at the post office. The mail carrier I spoke to said priority labels are preferred and that the mail gets processed quicker. Don't forget the return address and the "Hold for AT hiker ETA##/##. I have had packages returned undeliverable several months after sending.

2. Since this original article was posted, the USPS has initiated their Click–n-Ship program. This enables you to enter the label, pay for and print the shipping label and arrange for a pickup at your residence the next day. We ship many packages a week for our business using this service and it is invaluable. You can use the delivery confirmation functionality with Click-n-Ship as well by entering your email when you setup the shipping label. If you print online shipping labels, there is no additional cost for delivery confirmation

3. USPS Delivery Confirmation can also be purchase when sending packages from the post office and be tracked by phone or online. The USPS has a place online where you enter the confirmation number and they email you when it has been picked up. http://www.usps.com/

4. Technically, if you go to the post office to mail your packages, postal clerks can require that you pack and seal a box in front of them prior to mailing. To avoid this - label everything clearly, be polite at the counter, go to the same post office every time.

5. Remember that Priority packages can be forwarded if they are unopened. This is important is sending "bounce box-type" supplies.
6. The USPS has a website where you can calculate the postage by weight and distance. Priority rates have changed recently and are now zoned. http://postcalc.usps.gov/ A 9 pound package mailed from NC to VT was $15.90, a 10 pound package was $16.95. It might be worth it to send a pound of homemade brownies for an extra 80 cents! Both weights would only cost $8.95 of you could fit the contents into a flat rate priority box.

7. Ask if there are any local post offices that keep longer hours than normal. I found a nearby post office that that stays open 'til 8pm Monday through Friday and all day on Saturday.

8. I prefer USPS because I have had better luck with them forwarding packages than UPS. You may feel differently based on your experiences. Check the ALDHA companion, Trail Guide, etc. to see if there are non-post office drops that accept USPS packages (hostels, motels, outfitters, etc.) If you are sending the package to a non-post office location, please call and confirm that they still accept packages and that they are still in business!

9. Don't forget to remind equipment manufacturers, suppliers, etc that you can't send UPS or FedEx to General delivery.

10. If you have concerns about forging signatures, have the hiker sign a few "change of address" forms ahead of time in case you need to have packages forwarded. These can be obtained online at https://moversguide.usps.com/ or at the post office. It can also be done online at the same website but it will cost you $1.00 for each transaction.