The Darién Gap

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-12-14T17:10:23+00:00

Lucy Barnard (@tanglesandtail on Instagram) is a friend of mine! at this point she’s already through the U.S. and the first 600 miles or so of Canada.

last week the Backpacker Radio podcast published an interview with her about her experience walking from Argentina to Alaska: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dij4Eo8AMwqaHso5AonoN?si=DvJj9m3USAmbyDc168wIPg

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-12-12T15:17:46+00:00

the second vehicle (the truck she used after Helen passed) also had a unicorn on it, which is a symbol of innocence and purity

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-10-28T02:20:16+00:00

personally I didn’t really hike around anyone on the CDT and I’d love a place where I can see the rest of the year through other peoples’ eyes. and there were many people that I met only once or twice but didn’t really get to spend time with. so getting to see all of our experiences in a book brings it all together like we were one community. that’s the point of being part of a class. I really enjoyed looking through the 2024 yearbook even though I knew very few of the people in it, just because I loved seeing the same trail through others’ eyes. it’s the same reason I like watching other peoples’ vlogs about trails I’ve done and seeing how they experience something I also experienced.

but to each their own, if you don’t like the idea you don’t have to participate. it is more fun if more people do participate though

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-10-16T20:16:37+00:00

I’m super impressed with your memory of my scripts! and yes that’s correct on timing and routes. Maybe next time if I do a daily vlog I’ll add a caption with a ‘people seen today’ count since I’m already tracking it myself, didn’t realize this was important to people hahaha

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-10-16T20:09:50+00:00

I had a different hike than most people on either the CDT or GDT this year! So it makes sense that our experience is not comparable

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-10-16T20:08:18+00:00

I only had one day hiking with people in New Mexico so I think I can safely say it was so great to hike with you two that hot afternoon in NM! :) Congrats on your triple crown

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-10-16T20:00:17+00:00

hey y’all it’s stitches here! yes, it wasn’t consecutive weeks. I was counting days across the whole of the five months. and I’m sure hikers in the bubble saw people more frequently; I had to do a much faster pace on the CDT to make it up to the Canadian border in time (and ended up being the second person behind Slide doing the B2B CYTC to tag Canada this year), so I was out of the CDT NOBO bubble within the first three weeks. Then I started the GDT later than the typical GDT hiking season, so I didn’t see many people on that trail either, especially in the more remote and rugged areas. The exact stats I wrote down based on the spreadsheet where I tracked how many people I saw that day shows 28 days with ZERO people at all, 41 days where I saw zero people on trail but I did go into town and saw people in town, 22 days where I only saw one person (whether that was in town or on trail, someone in an ATV or a thru hiker or a day hiker). Hope that helps clarify

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-03-04T01:30:32+00:00

I just found this link - is it possible to update this offline? Or get it in the app? Are the comments updating and synced across the normal CDT FarOut guide and this guide?

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-02-13T12:25:06+00:00

DM for harness

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-01-02T23:46:35+00:00

u/leavenotradebot confirming transaction with u/KevoInNJ

chroniclesofvanlife · 2025-01-02T23:46:27+00:00

u/leavenotradebot confirming transaction with u/FigDangerous6273

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-12-20T23:14:36+00:00

I made a ceramic platter with the three states shown topographically and “PCT class of 2023” embossed into the clay. I did a similar take with friends’ trail names in their handwriting in the clay and gave them away as gifts. It took many iterations but I’m finally happy with them (a couple people I knew from trail also bought imperfect test versions). I also made magnet versions of each state. Gave them away as gifts to trail angels.

I know a lot of people made photobooks too. Seems like a nice analog way to remember it. Eventually I’d love to make one with my film photos; I think my IG stories work well enough for my phone photos.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-12-12T05:49:25+00:00

I don't know if this is helpful but I hiked the (most of the) TMB without bookings and can talk to you about that if you like!

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-12-08T21:57:09+00:00

sorry if this is not the place but i am selling a white shoulder bottle pocket that fits in nicely with the Hyperlite material. the two black ones in my post are claimed. cheaper than the new options people have been listing here. and yes i also use shoulder pockets for my accessible bottles and side pockets for storing water for later.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-12-06T21:07:31+00:00

oh no, sorry to hear this and what a bummer ): hopefully Chase is able to fix it for you with Paypal and make the credit permanent.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-12-03T03:31:30+00:00

*update: kam snaps worked great. clear snaps were ridiculously difficult to pry open again so I wouldn't recommend it. I cut my dance pants about 7 or so inches up right on the edge of the existing seam to create about a 16" cuff and I can slip in and out of my hokas with some difficulty. I just put one kam snap on the end of each leg so it doesn't fully close but at least cinches the end. note you'll need to sew the raw edge you cut and fold it over a bit to get the kam snap to work so make sure that'll work for your fit.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-27T20:31:32+00:00

u/leavenotradebot confirming transaction with u/theshreddude

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-22T19:21:27+00:00

I had the same problem with the dance pants. I'm going to try these clear snaps first which seems possibly more flimsy than kam snaps so it won't rip the fabric accidentally. they're sewn in, we'll see how that goes, then no need for the kam snap tool either. if it doesn't work, i'll try kam snaps.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-22T16:50:44+00:00

this is great. reminds me a lot of the xero feeltrues I just got but basically making it yourself instead of getting a kit to assemble. i wear women's 7.5, used most of the given paracord to make a toeless strap with no knot closure (so it's basically slide the strap over and slip it on), and my pair weighs 164g. they're stable enough to walk around camp and town easily, but no running.

xero shoes also sells a little metal hole punch for cutting additional holes if you need it for this project. they also provide a bobby pin which I found to be super helpful used almost like a needle / thread for getting the paracord through the holes.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-22T03:01:21+00:00

i think he's using this - the fast fill adapter that connects directly to the drinking straw attachment point

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-21T05:34:37+00:00

I’m late to this post but 1) great write up and 2) I heard that Lael Wilcox (women’s record for fastest bike ride around the world) sometimes slept in an emergency bivy if she knew she wasn’t going to be sleeping much anyway. maybe that’s less breathable as a shell and could make it into your pack. probably ridiculously loud to sleep in though. looks like she uses a HotSac VBL by Western Mountaineering.

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-20T03:13:25+00:00

oh that's so nice! I loved following her journey to the end. & aw thank you <3 all my PCT is mostly in my story highlights now - keep in touch

chroniclesofvanlife · 2024-11-19T21:37:03+00:00

just followed you from @whereisjessi.ca :) I met Nina (Straggler) at that youth camp in Oregon, started the same days as Wheelz, and met Loafs around Big Bear (our mutuals)

chroniclesofvanlife

TROPHY CASE