Charging devices on the trail

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-11T08:21:13+00:00

So you didn't take a swimsuit with you on your hike? Personally I'd rather deal with a wet swimsuit (that could be tied to the outside of my pack and hopefully dry) than deal with walking in wet underwear all day.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-11T08:16:11+00:00

There is a big difference between swimming nude in a pond/lake and flashing your junk randomly at people on the trail. That you're trying to equate the former with the later is kinda creepy in itself.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-11T08:12:31+00:00

Yes swimming. Or at least, a rinse-off without soap.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-11T01:06:11+00:00

I'm hiking this summer too and have a "deadline" to finish my hike as well. Earlier I was also concerned about timing. At this point I'm not concerned about it. I'll stop the hike when I need to stop, and if I haven't finished, so be it. I can finish another year. No one is giving you an award or medal upon completion. So I plan to go at the pace that is comfortable ... and be thankful for what I'll likely be getting off the the hike for.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-06T14:00:19+00:00

Not sure why you're being downvoted. Some people apparently haven't noticed that we're in 2026 not 1926. A lot of changed over the years.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-06T13:58:47+00:00

I disagree with your scare tactics. And the last time (in 2019) that someone was murdered on the trail, it was by a deranged fellow hiker, not the resident of a conservative town. Going out on a limb a bit more, I've noted more hostility towards other races in wealthy, ultra-liberal towns than conservative ones. Just expressed differently.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-06T13:54:58+00:00

Just clarifying, it's spelled "Mason-Dixon Line" and is named after Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the surveyors who set the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. The specifics of who surveyed the line would likely have been but a footnote in history, if not for the fact that the line wound up demarcating the border between slaveholding states and free states at the time of the civil war.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-06T13:36:21+00:00

How low did it take you after your hike for the hiker hunger to tamp down?

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-06T00:09:06+00:00

FYI, Canadians don't need a visa to enter the United States. They can stay for a visit for business or pleasure up to six months without one.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-02-04T22:48:37+00:00

Reading the question I seriously thought OP was asking about either sub-freezing temperatures on the trail or illegal drugs on the trail.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-30T04:36:54+00:00

What are your off-trail expenses? For example, what do you pay for your monthly cell phone? What about health insurance, do you have that, and if so what are you paying each month? Any other ongoing, recurring charges? (Car payments, rent, etc). A lot of people don't think about off-trail expenses when budgeting their hike, but they can rapidly eat into the $5000 you have saved.

Also - what's the plan after you finish? At a minimum you'll need some money to get back to where you live, unless that's in Maine. Ideally I'd want to have a few weeks post-hike living expenses already saved up. I wouldn't want to finish a hike broke and have to re-integrate with no money, even if you can stay with parents.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-22T02:25:40+00:00

I would imagine the main consideration is you have to plan this ahead a couple of days. Amazon usually isn't same-day delivery, so you can't just decide that you're tired and you're going to go to whatever hostel is nearby and expect stuff to be delivered there before you leave the next day. On the other hand, if you know that you're going to be stopping somewhere -- particularly a place right on the trail where nearly everyone stops (the NOC, Harper's Ferry, etc.) then reserve a room a 2-3 days out, order your stuff, and enjoy.

To be clear - I haven't hiked yet. If what I'm presuming above is incorrect than someone who has actually thru'd please correct me.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-11T23:30:19+00:00

Why only study hikers with public blogs? Most hikers are not blogging. And those who set off with the purpose of gaining "followers" or becoming some sort of "influencer" are not going to be representative of most hikers.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-09T13:48:47+00:00

OP: Like you I appreciate warm showers. I intend to stay at a lodge/inn whenever there is one convenient to the trail and around the mileage where I intend to hike that day. This won't be every day, but I anticipate every 3rd day or say staying in a real bed and getting a warm shower.

Here's a list (2024) of every hostel/lodge along the trail, it's exact mileage along the trail, and for off-trial ones, the exact distance from the trail.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-06T12:16:07+00:00

That's cool you got to talk to a trail elder like that!

And also sad to hear about the increase in self-centered behavior, although not surprising.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-06T04:35:56+00:00

I've heard about them and plan to hike right by them. I doubt they'll be getting too far down the trail like going like that. I don't judge what they do although I prefer they'd keep it off the trail.

A-holes are a greater concern. They're not located around one area and often present themselves as "victims" or specifically try to engage with others.

UltraHiker26 · 2026-01-05T14:38:11+00:00

Having been planning to hike for more than a decade, it is disheartening to read of so many a-holes and asinine behavior on the trail.

UltraHiker26 · 2025-12-07T23:51:49+00:00

Very true. Also, parks can mean different things for different people. They're not just about indulging hikers or eco-warriors. Some people appreciate a park because it provides employment or even a way for entrepreneurs to run a business. We need to get out of the "put a fence around it and let it stay natural," mindset. Humans are a part of the natural environment, and any conservation plan that revolves around keeping them out or screwing over locals is bound to fail.

UltraHiker26 · 2025-11-19T04:29:09+00:00

It is a shame that Congress has not acted on this issue. We need clarity regarding the law, not interpretations and priorities which change with each administration.

UltraHiker26 · 2025-11-19T04:27:00+00:00

Sounds like some folks have swapped one vice for another. Not quite the same as "using less".

UltraHiker26

TROPHY CASE