IamA (Multiple FKT Holding Long Distance Hiker Attempting to Hike +7,950 Miles This Summer To Be The First Woman To Bag A Calendar Year Triple Crown) AMA!

How do you manage the financial aspect? Health insurance is costly plus sending a bunch of packages for restocking adds up as well.

Quoted from where Anish answered this downthread: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/8hgazt/iama_multiple_fkt_holding_long_distance_hiker/dyk50gj/

I livee frugally on and off the trail and save most of my earnings. Anish

Thank you!

Can you elaborate more on this? Some of us simply don't have jobs that allow us enough time off for long distance hiking. In addition, if you don't earn a lot to begin with, living frugally isn't going to cut it in any realistic timeframe. I think that question was asked because to people like us, it's fascinating you'd get to do this. I want to know more. The financial aspects of long distance hiking are always what I want details on. Sometimes in podcast interviews etc, long distance hikers just blow by those parts. "I just saved and did it."

What kind of job do you have? Do you quit each time you leave, or does the job allow you the freedom of coming and going? Do you have savings for your "future," or are you kind of winging it? Do you have medical insurance? That kind of stuff.

Sorry to bombard ya.

No bombardment! It's a great question! Thanks so much for expanding upon it. Heather has returned to attempting the calendar year triple crown, but we will keep this question for the next session we have planned (after she completes her next trail) and ask her to drill down a little deeper for everyone interested.

When did you start long distance hiking? How did you begin your routine to get to where you are now?

1. I just decided to thru hike and I did. Haven't stopped hiking since.

What’s your favorite piece of non-essential equipment?

A pillow!

Can you share a decision you regretted making in the past while hiking one of your trails? Or maybe something you regretted doing in this current trail?

Many times I've regretted trying to race a storm over a mountain or pass and been far too close for comfort to lightning. I have learned to wait.

Do you feel different coming off the trail and back into "normal" life? I've heard thru-hiking described like a drug - once you come back, you're always wondering in the back of your mind when/how you can get back to the trail. Would you say that's true?

Also, how social is the experience? Did you often come across others and did you ever feel threatened by any of them?

You're an inspiration, by the way. Hope to make it out there myself, one day.

Cheers!

There's definitely a session of post trail depression that some people liken to reverse culture shock. Everyone find a different way to cope.

A thru hike can be as social or solitary as you want it to be. Sometimes I enjoy being with others and sometimes not. I've never felt threatened by a fellow thru hiker

How many miles do you do in an average day?

30-40

Since you’re currently on the AT....

• Favorite state/section on the AT?

• Most difficult state/section on the AT?

• How would you recommend someone train that wanted to do a sub 100 day hike of a long distance trail?

Have fun in the whites! I’ve been telling my wife about your FKT’s all day and she thinks you’re a badass. I won’t get the chance to attempt a thru for quite a while (my son is going to be born at the end of the month!) but hopefully someday I’ll get to experience it.

State/section: Grayson Highlands to Max Patch Most Difficult: NH and Maine Train: Hike a lot with your pack, practice makes perfect

What are your tips for a first-timer that wants to start backpacking but doesn’t have anyone experienced to go with for the first time?

Look for an outdoors club or group in your area

This question is one we would talk about in our trail fam for fun—

If you were to be sponsored by a non-hiking/athletic/gear company, who would it be?

Reeses

Heather Anderson will be here to answer all your questions at 7 p.m. EST. Please leave questions here, so we can ask her all the good ones! We can't wait to kick off and pick her brain about long distance hiking and more!

What’s your best tip for tick prevention?

Bug spray, permethrin your shoes and socks, cover your legs and check for ticks each night and after overgrown areas

On an average day on the trail what do you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? and snacks?

Ps. Also, do you bring beer?

breakfast: bars lunch: n/a i just snack dinner: beans and rice (dehydrated)

beer: no, but i buy kombucha as a town treat whenever i can

What is your mental strategy for thru-hiking? What do you use to get through the tough times and situations and the grind? Do you get lonely on trail? Thanks and good luck!

Well, I really really really love hiking. It's my heart and soul. So really I just accept what is and keep putting one foot in front of the other. It always gets better. Sometimes I'm lonely, bu usually only because I miss my partner, not just because I miss people in general

How do the Gossamer Gear The One and the Zpacks Solplex compare?

They are quite similar, I wrote a thorough reveiw on my old blog runhikelivelove.blogspot.com if you want to read it.

overall they are comparable tents depending on your budget and weight requirements either one is a good choice

What do you do to prevent injury? Do you have a specific routine to care for your feet, legs and back when you’re putting all these miles on your body?

Nothing specific. I just rest when I feel like I need it and try to address issues when they start.

I'm guessing you don't carry everything you'll need for the entire hike with you, so how do you keep stocked up? Thanks

I either mail supplies ahead or buy what I need in towns I pass by

After that many hours on trails by yourself in your own thoughts, are there things you think about more often than others, or do you just stop thinking about things (outside of the immediate, of course)?

I usually find myslef thinking about the beauty of the world around me and my connection to it. how it's forming and changing me at tht moment, in the past, and most probably in the future

What's your favorite burger joint?

Anyplace that serves a real half pound burger and good fries!!

How many pairs of socks do you expect go through? How many boots? What’s the failure rate of your gear?

Socks: 15 Shoes (I don't wear boots): 18 Failure rate: that sounds like a math question and I don't math

What was the nicest interaction you had with another random hiker you just met on trail?

We love this question! With all that trail magic, it's great to highlight some of it!

[deleted]

Remembering that it's something I love and want to do.

I have followed you for years and attempted my thru in 2015. Headed back out to do a long section (NY to Katahdin) in 6 days! I’m bummed I’m going to miss you but I love what you do!

What guides do you use for the three trails?

Do you think you’ll keep the stove now that you’ve learned how amazing a hot drink is in the morning 😜

I use the Atlas/Guthook guides.

Nope1 Stoves are way too risky in the west. I'll probably use it on the rest of the AT though.

What are some tips for keeping rodents out of your stuff at night?

What are the hardest parts to plan for this?

Have you found romance on the trails?

I keep my food in an odor proof sack by loksak.

The hardest part is letting go of the planning. There are too many variables to plan for everything. That's why it's an adventure!

Sure have!

We'd like to introduce Heather Anderson! We'll jump right in with our first question:: ovincent: Hi Heather! I’m Radio - thanks for doing an AMA! How’d you get your name Anish?

https://media.giphy.com/media/pmMn3EaUfrHjy/giphy.gif

;) Thanks! It took us a minute to get the swing of things :) We love that gif though -- So fitting for the occasion ... Now we get it!

You caught on quick. :) Thanks for organizing this!

Thanks so much! We will host two more, one after she completes each trail in her triple crown attempt, if you'd like to tune in again! We will post the time/date on our social media and website! Thanks so much again!

What songs do you always get stuck in your head while hiking?

Usually really random jingles from childhood commercials or inevitably, songs I don't know all the words to

Great Questions!! Keep Them Coming!!

How do you manage the financial aspect? Health insurance is costly plus sending a bunch of packages for restocking adds up as well.

Hey /u/Point6Socks typically folks don't repost the questions like you're doing here, the person doing the AMA just answers the original question. If you prefer to do it this way, that's cool, AMA your own AMA and all that, but it might be less confusing if you just let the original comments get upvoted rather than duplicating them :)

Thanks so much ItNeedsMoreFun! This is our first AMA, and we sure learned a lot ... like how to host an AMA, experience always teaches what research doesn't :) Thank you for the heads up and have a great week!

I livee frugally on and off the trail and save most of my earnings. Anish

dopkick

question from

dopkick

Hi Everyone!!! Welcome to the Heather Anderson Ask Me Anything!! We have some great questions already! Keep 'em coming and let's get started!!

What is more difficult, a long trail FKT or a TED talk?

FKT

Can you give any advice on how to stay safe when traveling solo?

Stay aware of your surrounds just like you would any other time.

Thanks everyone! Time to get some sleep for me...more hiking to come :)

And thank you Heather Anish Anderson for taking over our Reddit tonight for this awesome AMA! Thanks to all who participated!!

A lot of people are asking similar questions to this one from slimcardina: I'm a long ways away from any thought of attempting a full thru-hike, but love overnight/multi-night hiking with friends. If you had to choose, what would you pick as your favorite 2-3 day hike you've done? Either a section of a longer trail, or its own thing entirely.

Thanks everyone! We had a blast while Heather Anderson took over our Reddit account for this AMA session. Thanks to all who participated and asked questions. Keep upvoting your favorite questions, and we will have Heather answer them after she finished her next trail and meets us again for our next AMA with Heather Anderson as she attempts to be the first woman to ever complete a calendar year triple crown! We will post the date and time for the next AMA as it approaches here and on our website! Feel free to use the code AMA18 at Point6.com for 30% off your next merino wool sock purchase! :) (Next time we'll have this down!)

What piece of gear would you recommend to everyone?

Shoes that fit your feet. You have to take care of them!

What's your favorite non-clothing piece of gear?

probably my pillow

Is this real? Anish's social media suggests she's still on the AT...

It is real! She is moving on to finish the AT today but took some time in between segments to do this AMA with us! We will host another with Anish when she completes the trail she's heading to now! We have a tentative date set for Aug. 12. Thanks for asking!

This is Anish answering using the Point6 account