great things never come from comfort zones.

about my hike

Hello! I’m guessing you already know this, but my name is Kip and I’m planning on thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail (hereafter: the AT) in June 2024 (Southbound, from Maine to Georgia… Yup.) This is my first thru-hike, but I have a decent handful of backpacking experience (some of which on the AT itself), and innumerable nights of camping under my belt. Not to mention hours… and hours… and hours of research because that’s who I am as a person. Anyway! Below you will see a few FAQs about my hike, some ways you might be able to help me be successful, ways to keep in touch and track my progress during my hike, and my current/planned gear list for the AT is linked in the sidebar if you’re interested. Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions for this ‘landing page’ so to speak! Thank you very much to all my loved ones for the continued support in my silly little adventures. I hope to make you all proud this summer/fall.

See ya on the flippity flip,
Kip (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

Q: Why hike the AT in the first place?
A: It’s been on my bucket list since early 2017, when I had just turned fourteen years old. My first backpacking trip was hiking through the Grayson Highlands (that’s part of the AT) in Virginia with my dad in April 2017. I’m a recent college grad, I’m fortunate enough to not have any major commitments that are forcing me to stay in one place right now. Essentially, it comes down to this: if not now, when?

Q: When are you leaving? We’re gonna be so sad and miss you so much etc etc!!!
A: My start date is June 21st but I’m flying out a few days beforehand! I’m going to be spending a little time vacationing in Maine and at a hostel to get some last minute preparations done in order to set myself up for success!

Q: When are you coming back?
A: My target end date is Dec 1st, 2024. This means I’m hoping to finish in about 5.5 months (a little less than that). This is pretty typical for a SoBo (Southbound, as opposed to starting in Georgia and hiking North) thru hike but I’m starting a week or two later than some other SoBos. I’m anticipating it getting decently cold, but I’m prepared!

Q: What about [bears/snakes/tornadoes/etc]???
A: Suffice it to say that most of the hazards I’ve gotten questions about so far (bears, snakes, serious immobilizing injuries) are quite rare on the trail. The most common hazards are more likely to be, according to my research, water-borne diseases like giardia (ew), weather-related illness like hypothermia or heat stroke, dehydration, stuff like that. All that being said, I have a 25 page (and growing) document detailing all my research and planning for the entire hike, 7 pages of which are dedicated to “what-ifs” like tornadoes and snakes and ticks and poison ivy. If you’d like to see any of my hard work I’d be happy to share it!

Q: How can I show my support for your hike?
A:Firstly, the emotional (and mental) support from my friends has been so wonderful. I’m confident in my abilities, but at the same time I am SO nervous and knowing everyone is rooting for me makes me so happy. Just some kind words mean the world to me!

There are a few logistical ways I’m looking for support as well. I’m aware that a lot of this is a lot to ask, so please don’t feel pressured to commit to these things if that feels like a stretch for you! If you have any questions about how any of these roles might work, please let me know. :]

  • A lot of people have expressed concern for my safety while on trail. After doing some research, I’m looking into getting a GPS/communication device called the Garmin inReach Mini 2. This will allow me to (1) send “breadcrumbs” every 30 minutes on my exact location so you can “tune in” to that if you’d like, and (2) send pre-set messages to a few contacts, for example when I start my hike and every evening when I set up camp. Other features include getting weather forecasts, tracing back my steps if I get off trail, and of course the SOS function in case of emergency. Because this would primarily benefit my loved ones off-trail, I’m asking people to “donate to the cause” if they’d like to receive those messages, be able to see where I am on trail, etc. Please let me know if you have any questions about this, as it is the main way I am looking for community support right now :-)
  • If you’d like to support my trip financially, please reach out and I’d be happy to provide my Venmo or Zelle information! I’m working on setting up a Ko-fi account for this purpose as well. I have everything I need to stay alive on my hike, but anything to help me minimize my pack weight, maximize my health (and comfort), and increase the amount of money I’ll have in savings for my trip and for when I get back would be enormously appreciated.
  • Finally, I’ll be, of course, moving out of my apartment at the end of June before heading up to Maine. If you are able to help me move my stuff into a storage unit please let me know! I don’t want to put the exact date on the internet but it’ll be mid-late June.

Q: How can i keep in touch with you / see your progress during your hike?
A: I’m still workshopping the exact details of this, so please stay tuned for updates to this page as I get closer to my start date, but here are a few things I have in mind. Other than the GPS as described above, ways to communicate with me would primarily include sending texts/calls when I have service and potentially sending mail periodically. The AT is actually not the worst trail when it comes to cell service, and I’ve read that Verizon gets the best signal, which is the provider I have, but it still won’t be great; not more than once a day, I’m thinking. I’m considering identifying a few places to receive mail and letting people know where I can get postcards and such.