Daniel's Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail

Hi, my name is Daniel and I'm fundraising for a purist solo Yo-Yo Thru-Hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT). A solo hike implies you will be doing the entirety of the trail alone, and a purist hiker is someone that insists to do everything alone. Purists accept no food, water, or other things from other hikers. A thru-hike (through hike) is a continuous hike from one end of the trail to the other. In the example of the Appalachian Trail, this means starting at the southern terminus in Georgia and hiking to the northern terminus in Maine, or vice versa. Finally, a Yo-Yo hike means you start at one end of the trail, go to the opposite end, and immediately turn around and go back to the starting point. This is planned as a 366-day hike taking a full year, 6 months to get from the southern terminus to the northern terminus and another 6 months to get back. I have already registered my thru-hike to begin on January 28th, 2024. Before the hike begins, I will be doing several test hikes, and camps with gear I have obtained, to prepare for the AT. The only time I plan to leave the trail is in May when my child will be graduating from high school.

For the last 18 years, I've struggled with PTSD from my time in Iraq from 2005-06 and again in 2009-10 while active in the United States Marine Corps. After my first tour in Iraq, I began to deal with these issues using alcohol and unfortunately, it just got worse from there. About a year ago, I spent time in the hospital due to a pulmonary embolism. Unless I'm doing extreme activities such as hiking, I'm required to be on blood thinners. The silver lining, though is that the blood tests showed signs of liver damage and luckily I wasn't addicted to drinking, so I was able to quit before irreparable damage could be done. Due to that though, the usual issues that led me to drink have come back in full force. For me, this hike is not just a challenge for me to overcome, but also my salvation. While hiking in South Dakota, North Carolina, and even Italy and Ireland a common feeling came over me. The hyper-awareness that usually makes living a near impossibility, is lessened. Each day I'm on the trail the feelings I felt while on patrol in Iraq lessen, and the feeling of freedom increases. The overwhelming fog of trying to stay alert to possible enemy attacks from any possible direction at any given time is stifling. It gets to the point where even breathing can be a struggle day in and day out. The only time I've felt that I can free myself from these painful memories and episodes is on the trail.

Before the hike begins, funds will be used to obtain any gear that is still needed such as a water pump, larger pack, 4-season tent, and winter sleeping bag. While I have most of the gear needed for backpacking over a weekend, backpacking in the middle of the winter will require gear that is specialized for lower temperatures. This gear will eventually be used not only for the yo-yo hike of the Appalachian Trail but also for the PCT and Continental Divide. Those hikes are further into the future, but with each successful hike, they come closer and closer. Once the hike begins, any additional funding will go towards food that will be acquired at resupply points and through packages that will be mailed to me tailored to supply me with the perfect amount of nutrition for the hike itself.

After what seemed like an eternity filled with questions for others and research and surveys, I finally was able to settle on the main gear needed for the hike. I'll post it here for those who are curious about what the money raised will be going toward. Please keep in mind these items and by extension their prices are subject to change based on research and Q&A of other hikers. I've also left a color key to show items I already own vs. items I still need. If you know me personally and would rather purchase an item and send it to me directly, I have no problems with that. Please let me know which item it is so I can color code it or make a note indicating as much. You can call or text me anytime. Thanks everyone!

Appalachian Trail Gear List