Hope I can get some help in the right direction.

Guys, I'm seriously grateful for all the advice and information, I wasn't expecting more than 2 people to even answer my thread

It's a safe assumption that many hikers wonder if multiple beaches can be really strung together as a doable backpack. Additionally most work for a major employer (corporate, government, etc..) but wonder what it would be like to just split and do as much backpacking as possible; this is tempered by our responsibilities – providing for a family (kids/pets), paying off loans/mortgages, or simply keeping a resume current and "gap-free" (even a single who can afford to chill for a few to several years may not want to explain that gap). Add that any deviation is usually treated with suspicion unless one has a couple million in the bank (though bank tellers increasingly rat that info out to the financial products industry for a commission and then one spends retirement dodging salesmen and scammers).

http://www.aloneinthewilderness.com/
Alone in the Wilderness is the story of Dick Proenneke, one man who lived his dream in the Alaska Wilderness.

I read the book/journal, and the DVDs (I bought via NPR)

He was an army carpenter, diesel mechanic, that had to get hospitalized for serious injury, when he recovered, at age 40, he decided to go to Alaska, built a cabin by hand with a few primitive tools, in the bush, for a few decades.

The video is peaceful, inspires self-reliance, self-discipline and respect for nature.

Also the Mrs gives me the suspicious look when I re-watch the DVD.

"Also the Mrs gives me the suspicious look when I re-watch the DVD."

Maybe she thinks that you are getting ready to jump ship and head off to the frozen North.

–B.G.–

Gah just had work and had to sleep, sorry if it looked like I bailed. Just wrote down a list of all the reference material suggested here (just added Rodney's suggestion), Pilate thanks for the offer but I couldn't ask you to all of that for me, I live right by 3 bookstores and know one of them has it but thank you very much!

Tyler, I kinda had the idea of a hybrid between those two but am realizing that I need to flesh out what I plan on doing a lot more.

Ken H. got me thinking of going on a 'training wheels' thru-hike and go from there. I actually live right by a mountain trail that's close to the coast and maybe going for it for 1-2 nights and seeing how it goes. I think it would help me realize what skills/knowledge/gear I might need before going forward.

Does this sound like a good idea? If I'm going to do this I wouldn't do this right now, I still want to read everything everybody suggested here to make a more informed decision.

Some Guy,

My PIF offer is still open to you. Like I said, I owe the community this PIF since I took someone else up on their offer recently. Those books aren't doing me any good gathering dust on a shelf but sound like they'd be read by you. Plus I don't think many places stock "Evasion". Let me know if you reconsider.

Take the pay it forward offer. You say you couldn't ask him to do something like that and you didn't he offered. It'd be rude in some cultures to not accept such a generous offer. Of course you have to return the favor at some point to someone se in need.

As for planning and preparation. IMO the only prep you should do is getting comfortable sleeping outside, figuring out your kit and saving money.

If I could do this (and believe me I wish I could) I would try to save as much as I could and get a bank account with an ATM card only. So you are less tempted to spend the money you have. Then I would take a greyhound to Atlanta and hitch or call someone like myself to give me a ride to the trail (take that as an offer). And just walk. No plan no itinerary just me and whatever path I want to take. I wouldn't even Plan on finishing the trail or whatever I set out do do. Just hobo around Woody Guthrie style.

Get bored, do something else. Meet a hot chick hiking southbound that digs you turn around and hike south for a while. Anything you want to do just do it.

person in woods with pack = hiker

person on beach/in town with pack = bum

Sorry, didn't mean to offend but I just got the books the though. I really appreciate it though, thanks for all the help guys, got a lot of reading to do

Some Guy,

I'm not offended at all.

Please update us on your plans and preparations after you've done your assigned homework :)

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