A decade, and 11,000 miles of long distance hiking and thru hiking. What have a learned from all this obsessive backpacking each year? Through the high mountains, hot deserts, and deep swamps each environment and each trail has definitely come with it's own set of new lessons learned. From the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail and everything in between, I grow each year and become a better hiker through more experience.

I did leave a fair amount of hiking trips out of this due to time, but I've definitely included the most notable.

THE BACKPACKING GEAR I USE:
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0:00 - Intro
1:02 - Appalachian Trail 2012
2:44 - Ocean to Lake Trail 2014 - 2016
3:31 - International Appalachian Trail 2016
4:30 - Appalachian Trail 2016
5:14 - Pinhoti Trail 2016
6:04 - Florida Trail 2016
6:31 - Appalachian Trail 2017
7:06 - Pacific Crest Trail 2018
7:38 - Sheltowee Trace Trail 2019
8:17 - Pacific Northwest Trail 2019
8:46 - Uinta Highline Trail 2019
9:30 - Florida Trail 2020
10:05 - Arizona Trail 2021
10:42 - Tahoe Rim Trail 2021
11:36 - Long Trail 2021
12:12 - Pacific Crest Trail 2022

I like to think of these as 'lessons from the trail.' Sometimes in regards to safety, sometimes personal enjoyment, comfort, friendship, efficiency... all sorts of different takeaways every time I go

AT1 2012
- Pack weight can definitely impact my enjoyment of a hike. In my case it was the main reason I quit the AT as soon as I did. I immediately after started to pair down my gear, and enjoy the hike more

OTL 2014-2016
- Try new things near home, and test your skills in an environment closer to safety so that you are better prepared for trails that are more remote
- I need a lot less to be happy than I thought I did back in 2012 on the AT

IAT 2016
- The importance of paying attention to my body at the beginning of a hike, as we are much more physically vulnerable in the first few hundred miles than much later on

AT2 2016
- I hiked the AT in 91 days, and I learned to remain flexible, and follow my heart in what I want in the moment, regardless of what my plan is
- I am stronger than I think I am, and that these trips are something I want to do more of

PT 2016
- Hard times are fleeting, and that maybe I want to quit now, but that I should never quit just because I am having a hard day, or hard week.

FT 2016
- I successfully set the speed record(FKT or Fastest Known Time) on the Florida Trail in 2016. In doing so I learned the importance of waking up early. Whether you want to make big miles or not, your day will be much better with an early start

AT3 2017
- I tried to join a friend on her thru hike, and I quickly found out how difficult that is to do. They were in great shape and I was not. Coordinating where to meetup was hard in itself. I am now weary of anyone wanting to join ME on a thru hike

PCT1 2018
- I was not successful in my goal of thru hiking the PCT in 2018 and I learned If I want to go fast, then I need to train hard to do so. The slower I go, the less I would need to prepare

STT 2019
- I learned that the less popular trails can sometimes be the coolest, as I very much loved hiking the Sheltowee!

PNT 2019
- Hiking with friends on the PNT I learned how fun it is to be in a group when you have similar hiking styles. Spending time with my buds was the highlight of this trip

UHT 2019
- I found that cheap gear can be great, but maybe it can't always be relied on. When it comes to warmth or keeping dry I want to trust what I have, even if it costs more

FT2 2020
- I did this hike with a friend and though I am very familiar with the trail and state, she would see things that I would miss. Seeing the trail through her eyes, and hiking the trail together I got a whole new perspective

AZT 2021
- I learned that the extra challenge this trail offered made the trip so much more rewarding

TRT 2021
- What I learned on this trip was that sometimes the best parts of a hike can be the sightseeing and travel in the areas surrounding a trail
- For anyone with aspirations of hiking the PCT, I personally cannot imagine a better prep hike than the TRT

LT 2021
- No matter how experienced I am or you are, things don't always go as planned... and that is ok. Any hike is an adventure

So now we have the PCT again, what will I learn this time?

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