What would be your ultimate backpacking adventure?

How about a packrafting/hiking trip somewhere in Alaska? Depending on how much money you have I'd consider a "warm up trip" in the northern Rockies or just a couple days in Alaska. You could work the kinks out of your system then go back for a big trip.

I'd love to go back and do a long trip through the Sourhern Alps and Fjordland areas of the South Island, NZ. Amazing scenery, variable weather, and lots of opportunities for remote walking once you get off the Great Walks trails.

Like to work my way up from a week and go for a week plus around the Wonderland trail, Tahoe Rim, Wind River Range, and similar areas. Then maybe do some foreign hikes (Switzerland and NZ), then maybe the long trails. Thought about waiting until my late 50's, getting a second civilian retirement, … but after slipping/nursing a knee sprain for the last 2 months, it may be time to take a little time off as some things (like knees) don't improve with age.

I'd like to trek the Westfjords and the Laugavegur trail of Iceland. GR10 is on my bucket list too.

One that doesn't end.

Himalayas or Alps

I used to think it would be the PCT or another long trail. More and more though, I’ve really come to respect people who follow their passions and come up with their own routes. Like this guy:
5000 mile canoe trek

>"How about a packrafting/hiking trip somewhere in Alaska?"

Luke: It's been done (not a reason to not do it again) by BPL's own Erin Erin McKittrick, her husband and two kids:

http://groundtruthtrekking.org/Book-Small-Feet-Big-Land/

I'll let you do laundry and feed you sourdough waffles, too, if you came by like they did.

Pre-kids, they did a 4,000-mile trip from Seattle to the Aleutians and she wrote a book about that as well: A Long Trek Home: 4,000 Miles by Boot, Raft, and Ski

Jill Fredston's approach is to stick to the water more (but camping on land):

http://www.amazon.com/Rowing-Latitude-Journeys-Along-Arctics/dp/0865476551

She does more miles, over 20,000 so far, but all in reverse (she's rowing, so facing backwards).

Edited to add: If you wanted to come to Alaska and use the Necky double kayak Jill converted to a rowing shell / 3-month food hauler, I could probably arrange that. Everyone up here is pretty darn supportive of cool trips (perhaps because we see so many people (local and tourists) doing really routine, boring things despite all the opportunities to really amazing trips).

Thanks for all your input. I have a route planned out that is huge to say the least. It has multiple legs, starting with the Pacific Crest Trail, then I'll be cycling south into Mexico. Might go further south to Central America, might not. Depends how I feel at that point. If I still have the health and money when I return to the US border. I'll be hiking the AZT to Hayduke Trail to CDT then either go the PNW trail back to the PCT, or start the next leg of the trip, kayaking the entire Missouri River.

Hope I stay healthy and have enough money. I might take time off in between to work, rest, and heal if necessary.

To follow the path of the two characters in "The man who would be king".
Wearing a Freemasons pendant ……

From the Northwest Territories to Nunavut, all 800 kilometers, on the Thelon esker.

how do you have the free time and money to do that??? :P

Right now I'm working towards doing Panama's 'Camino Real'. It's the old Spanish land route to carry gold and goods between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.

The little bit of research I've done indicates that a few tour companies will take you, carry your stuff, cook for you, etc. In other words, take out all the fun and charge for it. :S

I'll have to find another way. I don't mind going with a guide or small group. I just don't want to go on a five star expedition.

I have time because I don't have a wife or children. As great as that might be, it really does open up your schedule. I also have no interest in building a career, so I don't waste any time with it. I have the money, not because I make a lot, but because I live very cheaply on and off the trail. I don't own much of anything. I don't date. I have roommates, so only pay $100 a week for my living expenses.

It costs about a dollar per mile to hike a long trail, so if I think of buying something I don't need, I think of the miles I could hike instead. When I'm in a town, rather than spend $80 for a hotel, I'll just find a free inconspicuous place to sleep: parks, baseball field dugouts, behind abandoned buildings. I'd rather hike another 80 miles than have one night in a hotel.

I've used couchsurfing.org to get free places to stay also. And I've had people invite me into their homes without me asking. They like hearing the stories and being a part of your adventure. Fellow travelers have invited me to sleep on the floor of their hotel, and once someone offered to buy me and my friend a room at a hotel and a steak dinner (nothing creepy, he just gave us a hitch after I finished hiking the AT and handed us $150 to celebrate.) I used to turn down stuff like that, but I know how good it makes me feel to give someone something, so now I just take it and tell them how much I appreciate it.

Also, when you have the time and you live out of a backpack, you can hitch wherever you want to go, for free of course.

To me being rich is all about having more than you need. I've never been motivated to make a lot of money. I find it a lot easier and a lot more rewarding to just need less.

I'm going to see if I can continue to reduce my expenses while traveling. When I've gained more experience, I'll post about it at ABackpackersLife.com.

"One that doesn't end."

Like Mamma always use to say, be careful of what you wish for, just might come true.

Ryan Grayson, I want to marry you……

A month long excursion to the Four Corners area. Some multi nighters, some day hikes, long drives to Toroweap or up the Kaiparowits Plateau. Zion, Grand Gulch, Dark Canyon, Arches etc. Throw in a river trip and few nights relaxing in Durango or Moab.

He doesn't date…

Do you have to date to get married?!? ;^)

>"Ryan Grayson, I want to marry you……"

I knew a woman who always said if there was someone she thought she wanted to marry, she'd hike the AT with him. She figured anything and everything would come up on such a trip, you'd see them at their best, and at their worst. So, if they were still talking to each other 2,200 miles later, she'd have found and thoroughly vetted the right guy for her.

>"Do you have to date to get married?!? ;^)"

Not in some cultures.

i dont have a career or children and am living comfortably and thats my problem.Time is flying by but i am just working and saving.In the 90s when i made a good living in the stock market,i could and would get up and go whenever i wanted to,on big road trips to the 4 corners or colorado.I guess the biggest problem now is do i dump my apt. and have no known home to return to when i get sick of travelling?I probably need to just jump and live by the seat of my pants and live a little.

I want to explore italy,turkey/mideast and the karakoram valley in n pakistan.I dont know if i should do all these destinations in 1 giant trip or seperate ones.

"I want to explore italy,turkey/mideast and the karakoram valley in n pakistan.I dont know if i should do all these destinations in 1 giant trip or seperate ones."

If I were you, I'd do some serious research and give the idea even more serious consideration before going just about anywhere in Pakistan these days. The natives are restless, and Americans are seriously at risk when traveling there, particularly in areas where the central government's writ is tenuous at best. The Taliban don't pay much attention to national borders, nor do they differentiate between American civilians and our military.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/23/pakistan-mountain-climbers-shot/2449809/

For a single extended BPing trip I would seriously look at a PCT/CDT loop. I think Skurka did this, Great western loop. I have looked at his route down south but there have been a number of hikers such as Dirtmonger that have strung together some pretty cool routes.

A 3 month North and South Islands trip would be my ultimate.

It would have to also include North Island sea kayaking and South Island skiing and deer hunting.

OK, make it 4 months