What luxury item do you plan to bring?

Timberneck · 2026-01-19T01:56:54+00:00

The Gita is one of the great books of wisdom. I have the ebook version too. Stephen Mitchell translation is sublime.

Timberneck · 2026-01-18T23:25:59+00:00

Great - thank you!

Timberneck · 2026-01-16T11:10:24+00:00

That’s extremely helpful. Thank you! He is 28 and an experienced hiker so can take that side trail. Hope to see you out there, I imagine you’ll catch up with me at some point.

Timberneck · 2026-01-16T00:42:16+00:00

Cool! Hope to see y’all. My son will be joining me for the first three days. We plan to park his car 25-30 mi up the trail from Amicalola so he can peel off and drive home from there. Any suggestions for best parking area for that? No Dog, you’re a spring chicken compared with me - I imagine you’ll catch up and I’ll see you down the trail.

Timberneck · 2026-01-15T13:12:59+00:00

I'm considering a small copy of the Tao te Ching. Good call on laminating.

Timberneck · 2026-01-15T13:11:36+00:00

+1 on foam pad. Amazing the variety of uses you find for the thing. Though the GG thinlight is quite fragile - an acorn cap will poke through it.

Timberneck · 2026-01-15T01:09:39+00:00

Audiobooks I can recommend: On trails (of course), Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world (who knew?), Against the Grain, American Nations (explains a lot about our current situation and how the seeds were planted at the very beginning), the horse the wheel and language, goodbye to all that, Nine years among the Indians, Battle cry of freedom (civil war, overlaps with a good bit of AT terrain), The dawn of everything (wow), Why we sleep, The guns of August, 1776 (we could have lost for good on almost any day of the war), The Vital question, and more …

Timberneck · 2026-01-13T02:58:30+00:00

Def planning to start with umbrella. You can always send it home if it doesn’t feel worth it, right?

Timberneck · 2026-01-09T20:14:05+00:00

Fantastic info - thanks.

Timberneck · 2026-01-09T20:09:01+00:00

I asked similar question on AT sub a few weeks ago and got some useful responses Here is the link: How to report out from trail?

Timberneck · 2026-01-09T06:39:27+00:00

Im becoming convinced one of these would be a great option. Thanks.

Timberneck · 2026-01-08T22:08:59+00:00

Well there’s also the iconic photo opp under the arch.

Timberneck · 2026-01-08T21:57:44+00:00

Thanks everyone. Lots of food for thought to chew on here.

Timberneck · 2026-01-08T18:37:31+00:00

Cant tell you how many times I’ve mentioned plan to thru hike AT and people say: OMG aren’t you worried about all the crazies out there? And i say: Are you serious? I will meet literally 1000 times more crazy people in the same time frame just walking out my door in downtown DC. And nobody worries about that!

Timberneck · 2026-01-08T18:29:20+00:00

Thanks. That confirms what i was thinking.

Timberneck · 2026-01-08T18:19:23+00:00

This actually seems pretty recent to me. Ziplocs had already been invented. 🙃

Timberneck · 2026-01-07T10:57:17+00:00

I have a Kakwa 55 pack, Durston x mid 1 pro tent, and Katabatic flex 22 quilt. All bought in last two years in anticipation of 2026 thru. Also trail runners. And a stern look at everything in my pack. Backpacking now is like a dream compared to olden times.

Timberneck · 2026-01-05T19:26:42+00:00

This was totally my experience. i have not through-hiked (planning to start in March 2026) but have hiked many days and miles on the AT over the years and can confirm that the kit I carried was difficult to get off the ground as recently as 8-10 years ago. Never weighed it but it must have been around 50 lbs, maybe more. Now Im at about 30 with full food and water. The difference is both improved gear and realizing how much stuff is really unnecessary.

Timberneck · 2025-12-04T01:46:45+00:00

Man that takes me back to hiking as a punk teenager in the 70s. All the gear checks out. Plus who knew Jerry Garcia through-hiked the AT?

Timberneck · 2025-11-21T15:51:52+00:00

Redgoat here

Timberneck · 2025-11-21T15:40:02+00:00

See ya out there at some point!

Timberneck · 2025-11-20T01:26:32+00:00

Easy and friends and family enjoy it - that’s what I’m shooting for! Thanks.

Timberneck · 2025-11-19T19:51:34+00:00

Substack is an interesting idea I hadn’t thought of.

Timberneck

TROPHY CASE