It’s nice to see you so excited. Have fun in the shelter in your back yard. Now just play some loud snoring to keep you awake & maybe add some food for the mice to come in 😂

I know that feeling of everything looking like the trail lol. Much love from the class of '23!

I can tell you they are very comfortable. Can't wait to meet you on trail, you'll be a day behind me so I have no doubt we'll see each other. Stay well and stay safe, I had to take this week off hiking as I pulled my hamstring last week and the end of my hike. It's a slight pull, so I'm resting it to let it heal. Great video BTW I love the shed as a shelter idea to test gear. I'll be doing my gear test in a couple of weeks when I hike max patch to the roaring forks shelter. God bless, sir.

I will be there Feb 21st! I have been practicing all year. Just did a Colorado trip to truly test my cold weather gear.

Hello Frank! Great idea to check out your gear in the shed during a cold snap to simulate one of the shelters. A lot of similarities except you will have fewer mice and other shelter critters. In another month, the temperatures should be equaling the end of February and March in Georgia. I like to think of my 16'x16'- 3/4 covered deck as my shelter on the trail. I carry concealed too and follow the USCCA videos and would be real concerned about all the legal issues that could erupt if a firearm was used even if it was justified. A lot of people have their opinions on this subject, but that is mine and I would not carry. And you are right, the extra weight is extraordinary when trying to save grams and ounces. Keep the videos coming!!

Hey Frank! Ive got a bit of property in Bristol, not far from the mt. If you want/need to test gear outside, id love to meet ya. Our property isnt nearly as steep, but we have 124 acres and ive done 4 day "backpacking trips" on the property. Let me know if youre interested. Im heading to do the Cranberry Lake 50 tomorrow!

Go Frank. i found less then 25lbs with food and water was optimal as an older hiker with my hyper light 55l Smart to keep it light but sufficient.

Ku4zx here! One of the radio enthusiast, that noticed the antenna . . . lol If I can, and we are able to get into sync, ( I say that because most AT thru hikers, use at least a two week buffer for their videos. ), I may try and meet you on top of Big Bald, via Sam's gap, with a 2meter HT, and you can hook up with some of the locals through a repeater on top of Mt. Mitchell. You can scratch the itch and not have to carry the weight. That kind of Trail Magic, would make for some nice video as well. You can answer that question, somewhere down the line. Big Bald shelter, is just about a mile or two, from the summit, and is a normal stopping point for a lot of hikers. If you think you may want to do that, let me know, so I can start training. I'm going to be 64, I don't want my butt kicked by some old man! lmao!! And if you don't want too, I will understand. I'm just here to provide a little support. Mostly watching lol. 73 and God Bless Frank!

Did a little shake down hike last year (2022) just about 6500 miles, too short I know, and I am still a huge fan of having some reserves within my sleeping kit. Some people like to calculate it really close so they can save 50 grams and they say, I can still wear my puffy if it gets too cold. I know that there are special sleeping bags just for your legs but I am not convinced this is comfy over 2000 miles. I had a warm sleeping pad and a 0 F bag, not a quilt. I slept better than at home. Still in snow and wind inside the shelters, in the Smokies, in February. Because of covid there were no tarps to close up the shelters but I didn't need them anyways. I had dedicated winter sleeping gear which was just a warm base layer, no socks whatsoever. Your feet will be happy to get some air inside your sleeping bag. If you get cold during the night, try to identify the source of the cool air. Maybe the zipper of the bag fails or there are gaps. If the cold comes from the ground you need a better sleeping pad. Not every shelter is built equally. Due to age, some have wide gaps in the floor (some also in the roof). Having some kind of ground sheet can be important even in a shelter as otherwise the wind can blow snow thru the floor directly to your pad. If -heaven forbids- you get cold during the night on trail in winter, hike out, google "Western Mountaineering" or call your preferred brand. Paying 100 bucks to overnight it, is worth it. Otherwise you will spend a week in a hostel and there you will stay buried in the sheets. I saw grown men trying to sleep in shelters with five pairs of trousers on. It stayed cold until May, thats why I took my well deserved holidays on the PCT with summer gear. A pro tip regarding mice: Give the mice space to run between you, your gear and the walls. That works. Mr Mouse can do his checks for food - hopefully finding nothing - and you can sleep. Otherwise they will climb on your face. I had no microspikes but I wish I had. In the Smokies it is not always possible to walk around the ice.

Frank, thanks for commenting on carrying during the AT thru hike .ive been asked the same questions several times. I concur with your answer. If interested in some AT training, im 30 minutes from the Virginia AT. Currently, hiking 30+- miles a week for training purposes. Im carrying 30 to 40 lbs and adjusting downward as my training sessions get closer to February 2024.

How’s your trail prep coming along.

great video. I love your common sense approach. I missed the last few but watched this one. I’ll go back and hit the others. It’s nice to watch yours for content for sure but esp because you don’t have music playing while you talk. Please don’t let anybody talk you into adding music. it’s both unnecessary and annoying. thank’s much and keep them coming.

Just found your channel, I was just up at Amicalola Falls State Park on the 11th of Oct. I ran into a bear around 5 miles in the trip up to Springer Mt. I was recording a video and came up on a bear eating next to the trail, watch the video I posted. The shelter is still closed, but I don't think its for bears, cause there is still camping allowed around the shelter. Maybe mice? When are you planning to start, I may start the end of March if I do try?

hello! do you need a video editor? :)

Walking around your yard filming is getting old. Just sit down and present your information. I'm just not interested in seeing your pool and shed over and over again.