What does it mean to carry your fears?
As a hiker, you might hear people talk about carrying your fears – what’s this?
It’s what happens when you’re afraid of, for example, being too cold while you’re on the trail, you may end up packing and carrying way more clothes than you need so you know you won’t be cold! Or if you’re scared of being hungry, you may carry way too much food!
What did I start hiking the Appalachian Trail with, but ended up ditching or sending home?
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- My camp pillow. Some people do hike with a pillow of some sort, but mine was just silly. I always found a stuff sack of clothes or sweatshirt or something to put under my head and was totally fine!
- First aid supplies. Now don’t get me wrong – you need a first aid kit! But mine was humongous for one person. I was carrying way too many first aid supplies, coming from a summer camp/trip leading background where we always carry a giant first aid kit because, you know, liability. My trusty trail family helped me sort through it and keep only the bare essentials.
- My hiking boots. Now, again, unless one of the select few who hike barefoot, you need hiking shoes! But I picked the completely wrong shoes for me and they destroyed my feet. So I ended up stopping at an outfitter along the trail and buying brand new, different, boots – and like magic – no more serious blisters or lost toenails!
- Runners mace. Starting this adventure as a solo, single, female hiker, I thought it wasn’t a crazy idea to carry mace, just in case. But my trail family kept it real for me. After hiking for a few weeks, they honestly asked me, did I ever need it?? Did I even ever feel like I might need it? The answer was no, not even a little bit! And in the hiker box it went.
- A book to read. Before starting my hike, I had these fantasies of laying around in the woods, sun shining, birds chirping, and finally having some quality reading time. Ha! Any time I spent ‘laying around,’ I was sleeping. The rest of the time was spent actually doing stuff – getting water, cooking/eating food, setting up or tearing down camp and visiting with other hikers. Some people do like reading on the trail, I never found the time for it.
My husband (who I met on the trail!) also ditched a few things early on. One was his water filter – it broke after minimal use, so he switched to Aquamira drops.
And, wait for it….
3 pounds of hot cocoa mix!! Haha! But on a more serious note, try not to carry foods in bulk on your hike – just resupply along the way, ok?
In general I hear from a lot of other hikers who end up ditching their water filters, because they either break, or clog, or go too slow, are too heavy, the list goes on! I really recommend Aquamira Drops instead, they’re ultralight, and easy to use.
Another thing that hikers usually bring too much of is clothes! Too many outfits, or too many layers.
You really do only need one outfit for hiking, and one warmer, dryer outfit for sleeping. And then the appropriate layers for the climate you’ll be hiking in.
I’d love to hear what gear or items you brought with you on a hike that you realized you didn’t need, let me know in the comments below.
Check out these posts for more tips on preparing for your long distance hike:
- How safe is it to go backpacking alone?
- How to financially prepare for a long distance hike
- How to protect wildlife – and yourself – on the trail
PS – Download my complete backpacking gear checklist, so you have everything you need, and nothing that you don’t.
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Hey there, I have hiked my whole life but only done one long distance hike with a leadership building camp when I was a teenager. I am doing a 3 week long hike through the AT this summer by myself and am nervous. I have always been a bigger girl and am worried this will someone affect me now that I am on my own. I work out 3-4 times a week and am fully able to. I have also hiked moderate to extreme hikes my whole life and been bigger than I am now. Is this just my nerves? Any advice?
Hey Ellis! I am so excited for your trip this summer!! Nerves are totally normal – I would be nervous for you if you *weren’t* nervous. I was terrified before my first solo trip, but that turned into 100% excitement once I was actually on the trail, doing my thing 🙂 It sounds like you are on the right track, working out regularly, and have some hiking experience, and that will definitely give you an advantage! But, I always say, nothing can really prepare your body for long distance hiking, like long distance hiking. It may be hard in the beginning of your trip, but the beauty of solo hiking is that you can set your own pace! Take breaks whenever you want! Camp out wherever you want! And honestly, on the AT in the summer, you’re bound to run into other hikers, so you won’t be totally alone out there. Enjoy it, take it slow and easy the first few days (at least), and take the time to connect with other awesome hikers out there. And feel free to pop back in and let us know how it goes!! Or if you have any other questions, of course.
I’m much older (I’m a senior) who will be hiking four weeks beginning in Virginia heading south and most of that time I will be solo. At first, I was going to hike north beginning in Georgia April first, but I didn’t want to hike through snow in the mountains. I’m not prepared! I keep moving the date back further and further. Maybe I’ll leave Memorial weekend! I am small (I’m not five feet) and my friends are quite concerned for me! I think they are concerned more because I’m an older woman and I’ll be hiking by myself most of the time, but I’m not worried. When my babies were small, I would take them every Memorial weekend.Good luck to you! Perhaps, I’ll see you!