It’s about more than pace.

One of the most used phrases in the hiking community is hike your own hike. It basically means to go at your own pace and to experience the trail in your own way. For me, a plus-size backpacker, the phrase hike your own hike is about much more than keeping my own pace. From gear selection to meal planning, everything about my hike requires unique preparation to suit my individual needs. It would be easy to simply mirror other successful thru-hikers in terms of gear and preparation. However, it’s not that easy. What works for others needs to be adapted to work for me. I feel like that awkward new kid at school who just doesn’t fit in.

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A heavier hiker  =  A heavier backpack.

In preparation for my 2024 Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I am learning what hike your own hike will mean for me.

I am very excited to finally have all my gear assembled. After cramming items here and there in my backpack, trying not to carabiner too many things to the outside of my pack because I don’t want to look amateurish, I finally got everything just as I thought it should be. A big check mark off my to-do list. I immediately weighed the pack, anxious to see that all-important base weight – total weight less food, water, and fuel.  My goal has been between 15-18 pounds. Not ultralight, but a fair starting point in my opinion. I allowed myself a little extra knowing that everything in my pack, from my quilt to my sleep clothes was plus-sized.

When I lifted my fully loaded pack onto the scale the display quickly mocked me with a glaring 22.3 pounds! My heart sank. My hopes were dashed. In a word, I was pissed. I was more than 4 pounds over my goal! If my base weight without food, water or fuel was 22.3, then my total weight would surely exceed 30 pounds. While that may not sound like a lot, trust me, you soon feel all thirty of those pounds bearing down on you with every step.

I am beginning my thru-hike during the winter which will mean heavier clothes, sleeping gear, etc. Several items will be shipped home or exchanged once the weather warms up. Regardless of this, hiking my own hike means coming to terms with a heavier pack.

Fueling a plus-size thru-hike.

As a plus-size hiker I anticipate that I will burn more calories than the “average” thru-hiker. I am estimating my daily calorie burn to be in the 7,000-10,000 range. This means that I will need to carry more food than the average hiker to fuel my body. More food = more pack weight.

Nutrition is an extremely important component in a successful thru-hike. While younger, more fit hikers may be able to eat anything they like, my body will require more nutrients in addition to higher calories. As much as I want to swear myself to healthy eating while on trail, I know that there are going to be Little Debbie snack cakes between Georgia and Maine, and I’m looking forward to them. I will seek to fuel my body in the healthiest way possible, without depriving myself of the treats that I deserve. Food = fuel. Joy = another day of hiking.

It’s going to take me a minute to get my “trail legs”.

I’m slow – really slow. I’ll get there, but it’s going to take me a minute. I anticipate the first couple of weeks to consist of hiking from one shelter to the next and hopping from one hostel to another. That means short mileage days as I acclimatize my body to the hellish pursuit I have laid before it. Taking my time will be crucial in these early days so as to avoid injury. I am okay with that. I will gradually become stronger; my stamina will increase, and I will be a more confident hiker capable of higher-mileage days. Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail takes on average 5.5 months. By starting in February, I am allowing myself a full eight months to complete my journey, thereby factoring in a slow start.

Enjoying the view while embracing the suck.

I anticipate a good majority of this adventure to be Type 2 fun – meaning, it’s going to be miserable as it happens, but epic as it is retold. Again, I’m okay with that. I just need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. This thru-hike is going to test me in every way – physical, mental and spiritual. But in the long run the views will outweigh the suck, and the fun, albeit Type 2, will be life changing.

Better than the Jane Fonda Workout.

It goes without saying that when you burn 7,000-10,000 calories per day for six months or longer, you are going to lose weight – probably a lot of it. On the surface that may seem like a good thing, but it’s also something that needs to be monitored. A 2,200-mile walk is going to require a great deal of strength and stamina. Balancing this with rapid weight-loss will be challenging.

Keeping my expectations in check.

As a slow hiker I will undoubtedly meet several people that I enjoy hiking with, but inevitably lose because their pace is faster than mine. I will have to enjoy their company, but not get too attached. I may not have that “tramily” experience that many thru-hikers enjoy until I am farther up trail, if at all. My hike, in all reality, will probably be a solo hike for much of its duration. The good side of this is that I am going to meet so many amazing people – as they pass me by!

I want to experience the trail, not conquer it.

My reasons for thru-hiking the Appalachian trail are highly personal. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. It’s not about conquering the trail, or the mountains along its path. It’s about conquering my own inhibitions and proving to myself that yes, I can do hard things. It is my intention to document every day on trail through video and journals so that I might share the experience with others who are contemplating a thru-hike, or any adventure for that matter. I will have to learn balance in this so as not to miss the first-hand experience of the trail. The hike is for me, but the journey is about all of us who struggle to put one foot in front of the other and step forward towards our dreams.

Keeping my pride in check – accepting the help of others.

I have always been independent; accepting the help of others has never come easy for me. I know, however, that the journey ahead is going to require me to check my pride and humbly accept any help I can get. There is no way I can do this alone.

There are so many wonderful folks out there, known in the hiking community as trail angels, who give of their time and resources to assist thru-hikers. Whether it be a ride into town, a hot meal, a warm bed for the night – these folks are a large part of what drives a successful thru-hike. I look forward to meeting these ambassadors of the trail and hearing their stories. I hope to share my story with them. The magic of the Appalachian Trail is not the dirt and stones that make up its path, it’s the people which make up the trail community. I am thrilled to have an opportunity to be a part of this community.

Same path – different shoes.

Hundreds of thru-hikers will set off this year attempting to complete the 2,197.4-mile footpath from Springer Mountain Georgia to Mount Katahdin Maine (or vice-versa if they are headed southbound). The path is the same for all of us, and yet the shoes that traverse it will carry a wide diversity of folks, each hiking their own hike towards the finish line. My goal is to stay true to my hike, whatever it shapes up to be. I vow to keep my feet planted firmly in my own shoes, and to turn those shoes towards Maine. I will hike my own hike, one step at a time.

Follow my 2024 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike on YouTube!