Some kids want to fly X-Wings or Gunstars. Some want to be crew on the Enterprise or Normandy. I always wanted a space yacht. Something more than a Heechee One but less than the Bebop; a streamlined solitude between the stars. The Consul’s spinship. The Milano or Dora or Razor’s Crest. Just a pleasant way… Read More SPACEYACHTS OF THE PAST – TODAY!
To everyone who’s asked me for advice on which dehydrated meals to stockpile: 1) Thruhikers don’t usually eat those. When you’re eating 6,000 calories a day, you can’t afford it; when you’re hungry enough to eat 6,000 calories a day, you’ll eat anything; good luck finding them in some triplecrown *trail towns,* let alone further… Read More A Thruhiker’s Advice on Short-term Prepping
Hiking has caused big changes to my body. My feet are longer, and wider; my leg muscles are bigger, at the expense of my arm muscles; and somewhere in there I lost a hundred pounds. As a result I basically had to get rid of everything I owned, and rebuild my wardrobe from scratch. Hiking… Read More Another Basic Bastard
The Arizona Trail is an 800mi (1300km) continuous footpath down the length of the US state of Arizona. It can be thruhiked. I thruhiked it. It was wonderful. This here is my quick guide to the AZT. It’s designed to be detailed enough for your to form a general plan, but simple enough that you… Read More Silver’s Guide to the Arizona Trail
I have thruhiked the Arizona Trail – from Utah to Mexico – two months – 1300km – hikertrash for life. Temps from -20C to 30C. Ellie from 500m to 3000m. Terrain from mountain to canyon to forest to desert (and sometimes all at once). Monsoons, wind storms, snow storms, flash floods, 80km water carries. Giant… Read More Coronado
“Trail magic.” Nothing so stirs the heart of a thruhiker. Or the stomach. (What’s the difference?) You stumble through the desert heat to get to the shade of an overpass, or you barrel down the mountainside to get to a little pass. You’re exhausted. You’re going to take off you pack and sit and lie… Read More Silver’s Guide to Tmaj
I have thruhiked the Cheryl Strayed Highway – from Mexico to Canada – three states – five national monuments, six national parks, five state parks, seven BLM field offices, twenty-five national forests, forty-eight federal wilderness areas – 4270km – hikertrash for life. Eighteen days of rain in the desert. Thirty in the PNW. Snowstorms in… Read More Tumanguya
The mountains are calling, but the rangers are checking permits. The mountains are calling, and if it turns out that there’s an autoroad to the top I am going to friggin’ scream. The mountains are calling, but this is the AT, so, “mountains.” The mountains are calling, and since this is Te Araroa, climbing them… Read More Nüümü Poyo
Six month ago, I posted a comparison of Te Araroa and the Appalachian Trail. Then I went off to Campo. Now here’s my comparison of Te Araroa and the Pacific Crest Trail. I hope it’s of use to future trampers and thru-hikers. -Silver (IG: @daxelkurtz if you want the gag reel) >OVERVIEW The Pacific Crest… Read More The PCT and the TA Compared
A lot of people have asked me what I’m (always) listening to while I’m hiking. Here are some favorites: PODCASTS: Behind the Bastards (Robert Evans) History of Rome (Mike Duncan) Revolutions (also Mike Duncan) Hardcore History (Dan Carlin) Slow Burn (Leon Neyfakh) More Perfect (Jad Abumrad) All The President’s Lawyers (Josh Barro and Ken… Read More Thru Music
