As ready as I’ll ever be

I’m days away from getting on a bus and heading to Georgia. It’s been a busy few months, trying to finish up all my final business with the USAF and then signing up for VA health care and retirement benefits, shipping my best friend Loki from Japan, and moving my wife into her new home. There were some things I wanted to do that aren’t going to happen, but the most critical ones are already taken care of. When I knew I would be as prepared as possible, I bought my travel tickets.

Now that the reservations are paid and the dates marked on a calendar, things are becoming more and more real. I have my equipment more or less ready; I’m still tweaking details, but I can certainly start with what I have.

Family tour

While the past few months have been busy, they have also given me the opportunity to reconnect with generations of family across seven states. I spent the holidays with my children and granddaughter before visiting my mom, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was great to see how everyone had moved on with their lives and found their own success while I focused on the mission and the Airmen overseas. Reconnecting with them was therapeutic and surreal; The pain of leaving my military friends was offset by knowing that I am now closer to my family. And my children, especially, share a similar perspective, a fresh start as they choose their careers, just as I have to choose one for my new civilian life. But for me? First the trail.

Getting ready

In terms of preparation, I started putting in the effort about a year ago and asked an LLM I called «Trail Bot» to help me replace all of my old backpacking gear with lighter stuff. I ordered my new tent from Durston and a Hammock Gear quilt, and equipped myself with pieces from Montbell as they were the best outdoor retailer I had access to in Japan. What I couldn’t find there, I ordered online or bought on several shopping trips after returning to the United States. If you care about my specific gear (probably more than I do), you can check out my Gear List.

Mandatory team photo

I had intended to do a test hike on the Foothills Trail because my son lives close enough to transport me, but I didn’t have as much time as I’d hoped. Instead, I will follow the timeless tradition and let the hike to Neels Gap be my test. Meanwhile, I camped out in my mom’s backyard on the coldest night Central Florida had to offer to test my sleep setup, and awkwardly and poorly practiced the PCT several times with my wife watching, then recorded and sent embarrassing videos of my first failed attempts to our close friends. (To be fair, my friend supported me and said that failure is just the first step to success. I love you, man.) By the end, I felt like I had mastered it.

Finally!

little terrors

Speaking of bears, bear hanging was nothing more than a protective measure, both to ward off mice and small beasts and black bears, which are essentially giant trash pandas. Do you know what I’m more afraid of than bears? Ticks. Not only are they creepy, leaving ghostly sensations on the skin after each encounter, but they also transmit crippling ailments like Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome. Personally, I’d rather be mauled by a bear than spend the rest of my life unable to eat meat or dairy (sorry, vegans). I treated my clothes, backpack, and tent with permethrin in hopes of minimizing exposure to those little terrors.

Come on!

The days go by much faster than I’m prepared for. I’ve taken care of all the important stuff, like filing my taxes, signing up for my VA benefits and health insurance, and getting my wife on a stable footing while she continues her job search for a place where we can settle down (back overseas, if possible). Leaving her behind is probably the hardest part of all of this, but I guess it’s motivation to rush north so she can visit me along the way.

Please feed me

I know there will be things I forget, gear I can get rid of, or things I don’t know I need, but I hope the path provides for me when that time comes. Otherwise, there’s not much left for me to do other than buy my initial food supply and pack for the bus this week. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Georgia! I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment to wish me luck on my trip to Katahdin!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site fdsf6.