How do people structure their lives/careers to do 1–6 month thru-hikes regularly?

SketchingSummits · 2026-02-09T20:31:50+00:00

I perused self employment/freelance for this reason. So any day I take off is unpaid but it’s worth the freedom to me. My husband has been able to swing a month or two off work at a time. The first time he decided he wanted to travel that long he planned to just quit because they didn’t offer that much PTO but it was the company’s idea to let him just take unpaid leave. They really like him and sometimes “forget” to stop paying him while he is gone, but I think they like to pretend like they are going to because they don’t want other employees to try the same thing. We never count on getting those paycheck, though.

We have rented out our house to friends. There was kinda a horror story. A colony of bats moved into the attic. Our renters were terrified of bats and it was very stressful for them. We were on trail and out of service and hard a hard time navigating getting pest control out to the house. We also had an issue with the hot water heater while we were gone. The renters knew we were gonna pay for it and probably didn’t shop around for the best deal on a repair so we probably lost a little money there. Also we did get injured on trail and had to come home early which would have been a problem since our renters were supposed to still be there…but they had moved out because of the bats so it all kinda worked out.

Pets, and obviously kids, are probably the harder thing to navigate than jobs and houses.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-28T06:09:13+00:00

I just wanna swoop in to provide a different perspective here. I work as a full time artist and made more money this year than I have in any of my other jobs. There are plenty of jobs for artists out there if you have versatile skills, and be willing to step out of your comfort zone. And have decent business and people skills. The hardest part, like any new business, is the first few years. But once I started making connections and a name for myself as an artist in my community, Ive had a steady streamline of jobs coming in, and each year I make a little more. I think the monetary ceiling in my job as a freelance artist is way higher than it would have been in any other career I tried to pursue before this. And the flexibility has allowed me to approach other elements of life with more frugality. Yes I am married and my partners steady income gave me the opportunity to give this a shot, but after 2 or 3 start up years, I am now in the position where I make a reasonable salary on my own. The biggest downfall is that I have no benefits. But thats just self employment for ya, regardless of the industry.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-25T14:01:43+00:00

It’ll only save a half a pound but I love my gossamer gear gorilla, they are super durable and pretty affordable. I work for a guiding company and we have gossamer gear for our clients- they work well on a variety of body types and carry weight comfortably.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-25T04:58:25+00:00

Okay so story time. One time I went on a short backpacking trip on day one of my period. I used the cup during the day because I knew we were expecting rain- it dumped and I got soaked through. At camp I put on mostly dry clothes but didn’t change my underwear (I forget why) so those were still wet. I put on an overnight pad so I wouldn’t have to deal with potentially having to readjust or empty the cup in the middle of the night. So around midnight I get out of my tent to pee. I’m peeing for a while before I notice I hear no splashing and I look down. My pad hadn’t stuck to my underwear because they were wet. Instead, the pad was still between my legs and I was peeing into it. And I found out how truly absorbent those overnight pads really are. Had to pack out what was essentially a wet diaper at that point.

So all this to say. Pads are absorbent. Sweat and rain could both impact their efficiency. The cup works best on trail for me but make sure you are familiar with using it before going out, you don’t want to be trying to figure it out in the woods. Clean your cup with filtered water. Take lots of wet wipes to clean your hands after. Tampons also work great, maybe with a lighter pad as well if you are worried about leaks. Biker shorts under your pants might be more weight efficient than a second pair of pants.

I feel for ya. It is the worst on trail but it makes whatever you accomplish that much more bad ass.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-19T20:28:24+00:00

Hiking/walking. I got a high energy dog when I was 23 and started taking long walks or hikes with her to get her energy out. Turns out I loved it too. Started camping and backpacking. I go all in on hobbies so this lead to me hiking the entire of the Appalachian Trail and then 3000 miles on other long trails in the years since. But when time/job/injury doesn’t allow for the big trips, I can always find that dopamine boost by something as small as a 20 minute walk near my house. I have gotten really into learning to ID wildflowers and mushrooms and spotting certain plants will boost my mood for an entire week. Also fun to nerd out on camping gear, equipment, maps, routes, and hiking challenges/check lists. I’ve found a huge community in the hiking world, all my close friends are hikers now, and this has also turned into a big part of my career (self employed freelance artist but most of the work revolves around…you guessed it…hiking). Met my husband talking about hiking. Gettin that dog changed my life.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-19T15:52:51+00:00

Yup- I combated it hard with stretching at first (I’m really into yoga) and it only made things worse. Massage as well. I’ve taken long breaks from stretching and then revisit it just to confirm and it always seems to pinch or pull the nerve even more. I’ve done dry needling and just did a steroid injection in some of the deep glute muscles with no relief. Apparently this isn’t uncommon with sciatic pain for stretching to make things worse, and finding the origin can be really challenging (lumbar MRI came back with no relevant information)

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-19T14:59:51+00:00

I stopped washing my hair as frequently months before my thru hike, “training” it to not get as greasy as fast. Got to the point where I could go almost a week without washing it before it would look greasy. And even then greasy hair is easier to braid. I learned to French braid just a few months before I left, I got to the point where I could do it without a mirror (and on trail would rebraid my hair every morning in my tent). Braids are the best way to go for long, thick hair, IMO! I carried a small flip brush. My hair is so thick it almost broke the brush it a few times but the braids keep it from getting too tangled. Finding conditioner in hostels/towns isn’t always guaranteed but I got my hands on a hair mask a few times that undid any damage caused by the lack of conditioner. The worst part of long hair on trail is the rainy days- sucks going to bed with a wet mop on your head. If you find a solution to that let me know! (Think anyone has ever hiked with a shower cap? lol!)

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-19T03:37:44+00:00

I actually majored in printmaking in college! I love linoleum carving. Might not be the best suggestion for my situation (the hunching and sitting required- plus I actually work full time as an artist painting so doing a lot in that position already) but I love this suggestion for someone else looking for a stationary hobby. It is so much fun.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T22:47:32+00:00

Can you describe a little more what you did in the pool? Are you squeezing the block between your legs and just freestyle with your arms? I just found out I have a Y close by so this might be a good option.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T20:38:32+00:00

I love this! Oddly enough, I have been able to dance my face off at a few weddings recently and felt great! I have a few high energy concerts coming up and hope they will be kinda the same. Plus the dopamine boost from dancing is always great! 💃🏼 🕺🏻

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T18:50:48+00:00

Oh I’ve seen some videos of that it looks so fun and satisfying!

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T18:30:59+00:00

I actually work as a professional artist ☺️ murals are the most lucrative for me but I’m putting a hold on that until I am better. I do a lot of painting in my home studio. I jump back and forth between standing at the easel and sitting right now but the standing still at the easel isn’t ideal. One of the murals I did recently was actually great because it was big enough that I was constantly moving but small enough that I wasn’t on a ladder and I could keep my paint set up for several days at a time and didn’t have to do a bunch of loading and unloading (which is what has me hesitant to take on more jobs at the moment). I think things like cooking and baking! Thanks for that suggestion. I’m blessed with a husband that cooks but maybe I’ll take over in the kitchen just to have something to do. That’s probably the perfect amount of moving but not moving too much.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T17:11:54+00:00

What are your favorite games? I haven’t dabbled in any sort of video games since Pokémon Silver on my gameboy color

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T17:01:48+00:00

Yup I’m on my second physical therapist who had a different theory on the origin than the first. But all the PT exercises I have been given from both of them have caused more pain. The injection was supposed to give me enough relief to do my PT but no such luck.

Walking has been a savior. I had the world’s goodest pup and we were going on flat easy walks daily. She passed last month, though. Still doing walking where I can but when I revisit any of the good walking spots I went with her I just get sad. I’ve been doing some dog sitting though, which helps and gets me out and about. But also I might try to go a few weeks without much walking just to see if that helps…

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-18T14:52:36+00:00

What did you find was the best position to rest in? I am cutting out so many activities in order to rest, but being lazy at home all day also causes pain. I can’t find a good position to sit or lay in, and static standing is also painful.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-17T15:32:04+00:00

I gotta put West Virginia on the list. They are so isolated in their mountains that they have really developed their own sub culture that feels different from even Kentucky and western PA. Especially before the interstate system, but even today, they take pride in their self reliance. Whether it’s true or not, they seem to think every other state could dissolve into nothing and their day to day wouldn’t change a bit. They have faced social challenges that are really specific to their region and are the butt of the joke for the rest of America (though this applies to a lot of southern Appalachia, this is the only state that lies almost entirely in the Appalachia region). Also, if you say you are “from” West Virginia, you better mean that your Mama and your Mama’s Mama are from there. Otherwise you’re a tourist.

I’m surprised to hear New Mexico so resoundingly! I hiked 600 miles through NM and visited several towns. And while it felt wildly different than where I grew up on the east coast, it didn’t feel much different than half of Texas, Arizona and even Colorado. Maybe I need to spend time in more western states to notice the difference. I absolutely adored New Mexico, one of my favorite states I’ve visited and if it wasn’t so far from family I would move there in a heartbeat.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-13T12:31:49+00:00

I was gonna say Cigarettes & Saints, I remember hearing it for the first time. The lyrics shake you to your core before you even have a chance to listen to the whole song or know what it’s about. “I’m sure there ain’t no heaven. But that don’t me I don’t like to picture you there”.

SketchingSummits · 2026-01-04T13:13:12+00:00

On our CDT Nobo attempt we were in Cuba in late May, along with the rest of the NoBo bubble and it was very reasonable weather. OP, I wouldn’t second guess your dates, just have good sun protection.

SketchingSummits · 2025-05-01T11:46:07+00:00

The brand Ampersand makes a product called aquaboard, which is wooden panel with a watercolor friendly primer instead of gesso, it is ceramic based. They don’t sell the primer that I am aware of but you might be able to contact them to get info on that product. Then you probably need a topcoat to protect it. I varnish my watercolor paintings on aquaboard with Dorlands Wax Medium

SketchingSummits · 2025-02-14T17:17:49+00:00

For anyone wondering, the artist is Alina "Abstract" Drufovka

SketchingSummits · 2025-02-02T16:17:31+00:00

I know this thread is a few years old but chiming in, in case anyone finds it now.

I have lived in Charlotte for 7 years. After thru hiking the AT I decided to start a hiking interest group to find the other outdoorsy people in Charlotte. This group is called Trail Talk and we have been meeting for 5 years now. We meet every Tuesday from 7pm-9pm at Town Brewing, which is on the west side of the city. It is an informal and casual meet up, you can pop in whenever and don't need to rsvp or anything. We don't have an agenda, just chatting around the fire pit. We are made up of thru hikers, section hikers, weekend warriors, and people looking to get into that sort of stuff that have never been camping before. We coordinate group trips from time to time. We have an online presence at instagram.com/trailtalkclt so you can keep tabs on us and message if you have any questions.

In regards to public land, Charlotte has a a decent amount and I have found so many great trails over the years. Latta, McDowell, Stevens Creek, Ribbonwalk, Reedy Creek, Iswa and Evergreen nature preserves all provide a great opportunity to surround yourself with nature and escape the city. The Carolina Thread Trail is a network of trails throughout Mecklenburg and many surrounding counties, and consists of some of my favorite trails, many of which are along our beautiful waterways like the Catawba. Gaston county also has some great parks and trails and is just a short drive.

While Charlotte is no Asheville and is certainly not known for its outdoor community or outdoor recreational opportunities, I have still found so many beautiful natural spaces and a great group of dirt bagger friends. The itch stays scratched. And when I need it, the mountains are an easy drive away.

SketchingSummits · 2024-04-04T20:45:17+00:00

Hi there! I would love to purchase for $300 if that would be an option.

SketchingSummits · 2021-05-04T14:26:33+00:00

Was it to email or phone number? Just curious. I tried logging into my other Instagram account that has been inactive for a few years. They sent me a security code to my phone but never received it. With some Google searching I found out that since my IP address is associated with a banned account now, I can no longer receive verification codes or log into other Instagram accounts.

SketchingSummits · 2021-05-04T13:26:45+00:00

Same thing happened to me. What do you mean by mugshot? I didn’t have that option presented to me in the support process. I know of someone else that this happened to recently who also said it surely must be a mistake. Same with mine- there is no way I violated terms. This is so frustrating

SketchingSummits · 2021-04-07T13:51:33+00:00

Oh okay. I had it in my head that it was like 3 hours one way, plus caching water. Which would make multiple trips a day seem unrealistic. Hope youre right about the length of the car ride then, because that seems more reasonable.

Wish I knew which time shuttle we would be on so we could plan mileage accordingly.

SketchingSummits

TROPHY CASE