One must have a certain clarity of purpose when leaving one’s home without a key. Such clarity of purpose can be hard to come by on less than three hours of sleep, especially after not getting much sleep the previous night. Not surprisingly, I started off today pretty tired. Fortunately, apart from getting dressed and making sure I had my pack with me when I closed the door to my house to get on the shuttle to the airport to catch my flight to San Diego, there was nothing I had to do that required any mental effort until I got to the airport.
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The last few days getting ready for my Pacific Crest Trail hike have been exhausting, but the end (or start) is nigh.
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Although my gear worked well for my Appalachian Trail and Long Trail thru-hikes, I felt compelled to make some changes because of the demands of the Pacific Crest Trail.
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Since no thru-hike is complete without a gear list, this is the list of gear I’m taking with me on my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. This is largely an evolution of my gear from my Appalachian Trail and Long Trail thru-hikes, though with a few major new pieces. I’ve also written on the details of what gear changed, and why.
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One week from today, on the two-year anniversary of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I will disappear into the California wilderness, my first overnight hike since I completed the Long Trail last summer, and hopefully, my longest (in distance) yet. So far, this week has been about getting the last bit of equipment and supplies before I ship out.
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