The following is from an email I sent to the Te Araroa Trust. The rest of the email was me saying THANK YOU. Here’s the other part. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are a few suggestions I’ve thought of, on how to make the TA even better. But please know that the Trail is truly smashing and these… Read More Suggestions to the TA Trust
I have thru-hiked Te Araroa – from Cape Reinga to Bluff – the length of New Zealand – 3000km – 4 months – tama tu, tama ora; tama noho, tama mate kai – hikertrash for life. Longest day: 15h45 (Mt Crawford traverse in the Tararuas). Shortest day: that zero I took at Upper Wairoa Hut… Read More Bluff
I am an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker (left Springer on March 7th 2018). I am currently in Invercargill, New Zealand, a mere 30km away from completing Te Araroa (left Cape Reinga on November 14th). I’ve decided to take a few zeroes and wait for tramily to catch up so that we can finish together. So I’m… Read More The AT and the TA compared
There’s a lot of “go big or go home” thinking in wristwatches now. And I think it’s an economically rational decision. Either get something expensive and fuck-you, or wear something that costs $30 and is basically disposable. The middle-market is a study in irrelevance. You can see this by looking at TAG Heuer. As little… Read More Daxel Contra Wristwatches
This is really comparing the gear that I am ending the AT with, versus what I’m taking when I begin the TA. Will have to revist if and when I finish the TA – and compare to when I started in Harpers Ferry! Here are the changes: PANTS: -ditched kilt, because (oddly) it’s more of a cold-weather thing. -instead I… Read More Gear changes between the AT and TA
For discussion: When: 1) an accusation is made 2) under oath 3) accusing a person requesting a benefit (and emphatically NOT a respondant in judicial proceedings) 4) of an act or omission, 5) which would, if true, render them unfit to receive that benefit, and 6) the accusation is facially credible; THEN the accusation should… Read More The Process Due
For discussion: a framework for reducing congressional self-interest: A person serving as a member of congress shall be barred from doing any paid work, or any unpaid work for a for-profit corporation, or any unpaid work for a registered lobbyist, for a period of time equal in length to their tenure in congress, to begin… Read More Vow of Poverty
While I was on the Trail, I dreamed – a lot – about things to buy. I thought about what I wanted to own. Things to define myself. Things to wear. I spent a lot of time on hostel wifi looking at shoes and watches and suits. This is somewhat natural. When in A, dream… Read More The Sartorial
Thru-hiking has offered me a really interesting perspective on my relationship to material goods. When hiking, I need only what’s in my backpack. (Definitionally. If I need something that I don’t have, then – well – enjoy recovering my body from the mountaintop.) I rather thought that, at home, I would explode into greater needs.… Read More Needs
I just hit Katahdin and I have some thanks to give. The Appalachian Trail is a thousand things but first and last it’s the people. The people you meet, the people you talk to, the people you can look at and know “we’re all in this together” and that’s really the best feeling in the… Read More Katahdin
