A Backpacker's Life List Book in Progress

Ryan Grayson January 30, 2024

I have been working on a book for a decade now, and it seems I may never finish. I don’t like the thought of having well over a hundred thousand words written down on my laptop that nobody will ever read, so I decided to start posting them here in various stages of completion. It’s an evolving thing that I will be adding to in random order and editing for probably another decade. I ponder short story ideas when I hake, so will drop them here as well.

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My $100 Super-Ultralight Gear List

Some of the best moments in my life happened when I had the very least. Whenever I stress about money or work, I remind myself of that. When I was spending a majority of each year backpacking, hitchhiking, or cycling, people would ask me if I was a self-made millionaire or a trust-fund baby. I’d laugh it off and assure them that living like a hobo was dirt cheap.

Q&A: Should I Buy Hiking Shoes or Boots?

This great question comes from a reader named Heather. I like this question because when buying your first set of gear, certain items seem like a given. Football players need cleats, basketball players need high-tops, and hikers need sturdy leather hiking boots, right?

30 Tips for Hitchhiking to Resupply

The first time I stretched out my arm and put out my thumb, I felt equally nervous and excited. A few hundred hitches later, the nervousness has dwindled to nothing, but the excitement continues. It's not simply free transportation. Something about it evokes a feeling of uncomplicated freedom. Akin to minimizing possessions to only what you can carry. My friends and I have gotten many hitches from people who said we were the first hitchhikers they have ever picked up, so it seems we’re doing something right. Here are 30 tips that may help get you a ride.

Nutrition for Thru-hikers: An Interview with Sports Dietitian, Tavis Piattoly

The Internet is full of sports nutrition advice, much of which is driven by fads and not entirely evidence-based, but even the good advice doesn't take into account the limitations that long-distance hikers face. I decided to consult an expert, Tavis Piattoly's, Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant for the New Orleans Saints,

Treating Water with Household Bleach

If you are smart about choosing your water source, you could go for days, weeks, or even years without treating your water and never get sick. It's a gamble, but after spending a few days stepping over moose poop, or seeing a bloated dead animal floating in a water source, or worse yet, having to witness your friend doubled over with stomach pains and running off into the trees to decorate the foliage... anyway, what I'm trying to say is, here's how I treat my water.