Grandma Gatewood Gear Post-Hike Overview - PLUS Modern Zero-Budget Alternatives You Can Use

[@HomemadeWanderlust]

Just a heads up, here's the link to help fundraise for Grandma Gatewood's statue! ❤️ Even if you can't contribute, sharing is freeeee. www.gofundme.com/f/grandma-gatewood-tribute-statue

[@Drewcatmorris]

Please contribute if you can! This is a person who deserves our support and is a shining example of what can be accomplished at any age. She was a direct inspiration to my Mother and Father and through them to me. Adventure on Grandma Gatewood!

[@jamiepyne4969]

Trans Canada Trail

[@BridgetteMongeon]

I am the sculptor chosen for this project. I'm so excited to see these videos as I now have to do a a photo sitting for her. I'll be looking for all of these things in her size, and looking for someone to pose for me in these clothes.

[@sdearing6375]

Gatewood was an amazing woman - dirt poor, abused (super abused) by her husband, had a lot of kids, and after all of that - one day decides to go for a really long walk with what she had around the house and just carried it. Amazing woman.

[@tomgip]

You did a GREAT job honoring a wonderful woman. Many more people are now familiar with her story because of you. I love how you researched the gear and then mimicked what Grandma Gates did. Well done Dixie!

[@infinityhike]

Re: Cotton Kills. I bought a polyester fleece hood for the sleeping system. Testing it in the middle of a hot summer, I discovered it trapped humidity which condensed on the inner surface and stayed there. My head was getting drenched. Following lengthy online searching, I finally found mention of this on, of all things, a thread among rat keepers. Evidently polyester fleece is used by some as a floor lining in rat cages. But, when new, urine just beads up on top of it. Conditioning involves washing 5 times. So I did that and viola!, the hood started wicking humidity away from my head even on a hot afternoon.

[@robertestrada9643]

Don’t use fabric softener, that attracts moisture too

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

I'm willing to bet that her dungarees and her gunny sack were a 50/50 poly cotton blend.

[@sidneyrwashington3197]

Hello. I grew up in the 50s and 60s. The keds were our everyday shoes. I didn’t know til recently they were zero drop. We always camped with boy scout gear, which was expensive back then, and stuff from home. Thank you so much for remembering granny.

[@CrossoverGenius]

Vans skateboard shoes are also zero drop 😂 Not just for the high performance “minimalist” shoes after all.

[@farstrider79]

As a 40 year old, I've switched mostly to Converse Chuck Taylors, which are basically the same thing. Feet and knees feel better after a day walking and standing than in $150 "modern" supportive shoes.

[@dirtbagsinc.1689]

“And that’s why I spent $40 on a stick” 😂 I love your dedication! What a demonstration of character to stick to the plan and not taking comfy and luxurious shortcuts while honoring the powerful grandma Gatewood!

[@turkeywalker7046]

I’ve hitchhiked across the US a few times. I covered a lot of distance with rides, but spent up to three weeks at a time just road walking. I used a utility tarp for a shelter and it worked well. I’d often just roll up in it like a burrito when it was raining and I stayed dry in my sleeping bag.

[@johnshaw8228]

Turkey walker, when I was very much younger, 48 or 50 years ago, I did the same thing. If I did not have enough money to travel in better style and only enough for Food, I would hitchhike across the United States. I did not do the amount of walking you’re talking about. As long as I had enough money for food I did not let that hold me back. The only real hiking I ever did was a 15 mile forced march in the army.

[@williamwirick886]

This was a great idea for a video! The way we learned to hike and camp in the 80's was an old army surplus bag with food and a bottle of soda stuffed in the rolls. Thats all you needed. Now a days people don't even try to hike and camp without investing a grand in stuff they seen on youtube before hitting the trail.

[@AidaJof]

Hey Dixie - I did not know about Grandma Gatewood nor her incredible achievement ... a woman ahead of her time! I thank you for bringing her story and her accomplishment to our consciousness by replicating that hike but also letting us know how you went about trying to replicate her equipment. I hope there is enough people that contribute to the fund in order to build her a statue to commemorate this great woman.

[@johnshaw8228]

Ada Jof, That’s a good idea. There should be a statue at the beginning of the southern terminus and another one on Mount Katahdin cool.

[@johnshaw8228]

They could even call it or some section of it the grandma Gatewood trail or the grandma Gatewood link, whatever.

[@flipletape9706]

I love this. Very much a survivalist spirit. Thanks for introducing me to grandma.

[@billwatson3527]

I don't know what Swiss Army knife you had but I still have one that my grandfather gave me for my 8th birthday in 1958 and it has a can opener in it. This can opener is used the same way you use a P-38. I think it is great that you went out using the gear from the 50s. My family didn't have much money and that was the kind of gear I used when I went out on Cub Scout outings. Brings back old memories. TY! When you are poor it is easy to go ultra-lite.

[@pambrown6260]

Thank you for your posts. I read her story and was so delighted I sent the book to my 86 year old cousin

[@philliplaroe6107]

Oh Dixie was this a true nostalgia trip for me. At 75 I was a Boy Scout in the late 50’s and had a lot of the gear you carries, canteen, dungarees, Keds, blanket for sleeping - never had a sleeping pad and always looked for leaves or tall grass to set up our bottom less WWII pup tent. Did have a scout backpack that was really just a bag with shoulder straps. Really enjoyed this post, many thanks!

[@sailbc]

I would love to see you go to a "normal" persons house pick out some items and go hiking. I know you discussed the options for a modern day grandma gateway loadout but it would make for a good video.

[@larryn8]

Maybe a “scavenger hunt” overnight backpacking trip challenge. The first one to collect all list items, arrived at camp, and stays the whole night successfully… Wins!

[@ChrisSunHwa]

What fun ideas!

[@ningxizhang5792]

This is a historical survey into the hiking experience in the 50s.

[@danielconnell5844]

This is so cool. I mean I’m not gonna use/do any of this, but it just provides so much perspective. Everyone can get outdoors. The long trails are for everyone!

[@Seamus3051]

Most everyone that I've ever known, including myself, first learned to use a P-38, or P-51 can opener, while serving in the military. Today they're found in any outdoor, or camping / hiking supply shop, and are much more familiar to the outdoor community.

[@nina3118]

When I started backpacking as a kid in the 70s, got all my gear from Army surplus stores. Still have some of it.

[@jimmyjenkins9240]

🎶that’s what I like, what I like about you🎶 ……You are a student and a teacher. There’s no blah blah blah, just you, doing your research, testing your ideas and presenting the findings. This was a top notch presentation. Also, loved the logo placement. Thank you, Aaron, and thanks for tagging along and filming this hike.

[@robertrockwell7581]

Grandma Gatewood is very proud of you Dixie. she looked down on you and said you go girl. thanks for keeping my memory alive and doing what you did. it is the ultimate tribute too her. as I said before she is and always should be a inspiration too all hikers.

[@jasoncbrooks74]

Applying modern methods and gear to the spirit of Grandma Gatewood’s hike is a great concept. I appreciate your effort to use period specific gear to try and capture as close an experience as possible. It did cost you to purchase and find that gear. Using a $10 sleep mat, water filter, and a tarp are cheap, reliable, and safe options. Synthetic clothes and blankets are cheap and easily available. The message of don’t let expensive gear get in the way is extremely valid and especially starting out on a weekend hike. Dixie talks about her first thru hike and her gear “failures”. She didn’t make mistakes she just found a better more comfortable way!

[@musingwithreba9667]

I just love how true to Grandma's gear you were, even the bra and headscarf. And even tho I was born in the late '60s, I do remember my own Gramma always carried an emergency vinyl rain jacket and scarf, and always made sure we had one as well when we stayed for a visit. Fond memories ❤

[@thisbeem2714]

I loved her story when I read it. She was amazing. I think that recreating her circumstances like that was an amazing idea. Thank you

[@markgang1861]

Nice way to return to the Homemade portion of your channels namesake; when you sewed your gear bag.

[@TheBanjonoah]

This is the coolest series! So many of the channels I watch are doing the same thing over and over. Thanks so much for something new and exciting. And historic! Love your channel Dixie, keep it up!

[@BlameMyMuses]

My first time backpacking was in 2011 (mostly loops and overnights that brushed the edges of the AT) and I borrowed almost everything I used for that trip -- including my dad's 1970/80s external frame pack. I'm a 5'1" lady and it was HUGE on me, but i padded my hips out with my sweater and made it work!

[@bobmcelroy7289]

Here's to Grandma Gatewood! And now....Daughter Dixie! Great job, I think she would have been proud of what you did!

[@CaliforniaTravelVideos]

Two thumbs WAY UP - well planned and choreographed, awesome story, totally creative and inspirational!!! The "hot rock trick" reminded me back in the "good old days" 70 years ago when my folks would slip baseball-size rocks in our sleeping bags. After scanning the YT Comments and reflecting at 26:00 it cracked me up that that the dreams of many impressionable young men were probably shattered with the sight of an attractive younger lady wearing a granny bra - some things simply can't be unseen...😉

[@floortenhoopen8879]

Thanks so much for these videos Dixie! I REALLY enjoyed watching them. It gave such a nice historic perspective and honoured grandma Gatewood truely. I also value your message that although good quality gear of course is nicer, you do not need the latest luxury; some of the things you have at home work, older gear and second-hand or borrowed things can work. One thing about granny Gatewood: If you are not sure whether she carried a buff, she surely probably carried a (fine woven thin cotton) handkerchief, which also is a highly versatile item 🙂. All best, thanks again! Floor

[@lysan1445]

It's great that you did the AT Grandma Gatewood's style. It definitely showed that you don't need the most modern and expensive gear, and you honoured that great woman. I loved how you recreated her outfit and what she took with her. I wondered why you never mentioned the Swiss Army Knife she also had with her. These knives came (and most of them still come) with a can opener, which is easier to use and less fiddly than the one you had. I learned to use both, and I definitely prefer the SAK one.

[@richardross7219]

Another very good video. The older WWII wool blankets were heavier than the post Vietnam wool blankets. In 1962, I used blanket pins(giant safety pins) to close the side and bottom of my father's WWII blanket. I got a sleeping bag in 1963. A good scout knife or swiss army knife has a can opener but its a different trick than a P-38. Iodine does taste bad. The trick with it is to aerate it by pouring it back and forth between a canteen and a pot. It then tastes a lot better. Good Luck, Rick

[@AFTR-FX]

Kudos on your Grandma Gatewood hike and the post-hike review! All of my early backpacking trips in the 60s and 70s, were equipped with cheap rugged gear like this - since we had no money. Not so bad! We even traversed the Sierras (in midsummer) with such gear. Kids and all that. Thanks for bringing back memories, and reminding young folks that getting out there is what matters, not what shoes you wear. :)

[@wlarue]

An old emergency trick when using canned items is to take a stone and start rubbing it on the seal at the top of the can. Eventually the stone will wear off the metal seal on the lid and you can then lift it off. Takes a bit of time, but it works.

[@viceb7]

I will remember that! Thank you

[@Rose-co3cp]

Grandma Gatewood was a tough gal. I read the book about her and she persevered. I really admire that woman. She is my inspiration.

[@livingsimplytosimplylive6817]

I love and appreciate your dedication to keeping your trek as authentic as possible. Your detail to mimicking her gear is simply amazing.

[@boredandagitated]

OMG! I dropped my jaw at your jeans! Treat those vintage jeans with love and they’ll look SO cool. Don’t wash too often and wash them very very gently. They’ll start to crease and fade in places where you bend and turn and twist often and it’s so awesome. They become YOUR jeans and only your jeans! I’m mega jealous

[@TheIntuitiveBodyFoodieNetwork]

I'm laughing because I'm only 56 and I wore those same type of clothes hiking as a kid as grandma Gatewood wore. Where I grew up (a sleepy little town in north-eastern Ontario, Canada) fashion didn't change much until the 80's. Even then the changes were subtle. We hiked & camped in whatever clothes we wore day-to-day. The whole idea of fitness fashion didn't come about until Aerosmith & spandex pants lol!

[@zotterQ]

🤣

[@knordberg]

Grandma Gateway would be proud of you. You really did some great research.

[@PapaRocks]

I like , “the dadgum beans”! That’s actually a technical term😊

[@safromnc8616]

Appreciate this Dixie....As someone who grew up hiking the Hocking Hills area and hearing stories about Grandma Gatewood, I very much appreciate you taking this on. I started doing the Winter hike about the same time she quit doing the Winter Hike. I will say it is worth doing the hike, just to get the lunch @ Cedar Falls of soupbeans and cornbread. Some of the things you used, we also used growing up, particularly army surplus stuff.

[@The_Bearded_Lady]

I love the reminders that we don't need a bunch of fancy stuff. And what you can use is stuff that most *anyone* would have on hand at home even if they don't have a bunch of specialized gear like we do. Especially survival wise it is helpful practice for folks to try doing this... But yeah it seems like so much of thru-hiking is focused on having the newest lightest fewest (most expensive) items and that is just so out of reach for most of us. There is something to be said about the benefit of lighter more comfortable gear for a shorter and easier hike for the body, but again, that gear is out of reach for folks on a budget most of the time (re lightening the big 3 or big 5 items that weigh the most). I don't do thru-hiking, but I do a lot of camping with a bushcraft focus and I carry a lot of gear with a lot of weight and do just fine. I go in, build a basecamp and stay for awhile and only do day hiking from that area, then tear down & pack out (unless on my land or a friends' where I can leave a shelter up) and go back out. I also prefer fall and winter outings and can use a pulk sled for some of that time ;) Maybe check out some of the 1800s re-enacters and what they bring for some cool tips. But yeah, thanks for sharing. It is really nice to see women talking about historic women figures in the backcountry and have a reminder that this isn't just a dood thing. All the best

[@clarencespady9009]

I have read a version of the Granma Gatewood story and applaud her achievement. Having watch the above video I am sure that the recreation certainly give greater credibility to the achievement. I am reducing the gear load I use, albeit not to the extent Granma used, likely. One thing that I am failing to see anywhere in the long distant hiker books, videos and other information sources is the use of simple navigation gear. To the end I would recommend ANY ONE considering such a hike read the book "When You Find My Body" A simple compass would have pervented this tragidy. Thank you CB Spady

[@ty5642]

Awesome that you did a Grandma Gatewood hike. I can't help but think that a wool blanket and tarp make a bed-roll. "Bedroll". Like the classic cowboy style oiled canvas tarp and wool blanket(s).

[@YTusercomment]

On using fallen leaves for a sleep pad, you can much better "corral" the leaf pile in making a mattress by carrying one of the heavy duty, black lawn leaf bags. You can then stuff that plastic bag, close the end, and "massage" it into a decent mattress. Being as ticks also love to harbor among dead leaves...having the leaves contained within the plastic bag protects you from that. When ready to break camp, simple task to open and shake out the leaves, fold and pack away for next time.

[@elazarpimentel5340]

Love Dixie, I watch the videos and then listen to them in the background when I have to do work that does not require my full atention. It always makes me smile when I hear he say "breeches". Such wholsome souther streak., Cheers

[@ericthemidget9685]

You were told the “mummy is following you” story as a little girl. I was told the “little old lady with a shower curtain “ thru-hiker story, in 1973. She is my hero. I never even knew her name (I’m a west coast soloist) until I met east coast thru-hikers when I sectioned the PCT. Your history lesson and recreation has been a wonderful experience for me. I’m so happy to see you enjoy the hike what you got mentality. Thanks.

[@Standswithabeer]

Big bold kudos to you for this well-planned commemorative hike in Granny's honor. Respect. I would like to suggest that in lieu of toilet paper, she probably took several pages of the Sears catalog folded in her pocket...which would work famously, and last a long while, even today (thin, strong, semi-absorbent paper). My Granny used it in our outhouse every day. I suspect all those free Sears & Roebuck catalogs hanging in outhouses is part of what made Sears great, in its day. Sometimes, I would tear off a page and bring it back into the house to show Mama what I wanted, lol. :)

[@HomemadeWanderlust]

Ahhhh, good thinking!! And thank you :)

[@wayneburbage8900]

Thanks for the nod to Grandma Gatewood. I read she replied to a trekker criticism on her shower curtain " tent s are for wusses"

[@locutus8496]

I'm in my sixties. I'm old enough to have used a Trapper Nelson pack in my childhood, and it was many years old at the time, but it's what we had. My siblings and I considered them to be "torture racks," our nickname for them. I didn't get a proper external frame pack until I joined the boy scouts in the early 1970s. Even then, it was nothing like the packs available today.

[@jonesy369]

A remarkable project in honor of a remarkable person!

[@raeperonneau4941]

Blows my mind that people, who probably never read the book, choose to minimize someone’s amazing accomplishment ~ whether it’s historic or modern. Sigh.🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you for honoring a woman who dared to do what honored her soul… regardless.

[@chicksgrowtoo]

She must have been an incredible woman, and probably said what people said a lot back then, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…” (For all the nay-say’ers.)

[@richardkillam5023]

You should do a "Modern Grandma Gatewood" hike where you go around your house (or a friend's house) and take some modern day "it's just lying around" gear. I think that would be a fun and informative comparison to this / the other video.

[@necrokittie2291]

yeah a very common water proofing recipe from the days before petrochemicals was using fatwax. it is 50% beeswax and 50% animal fats, like lard, tallow, bear, raccoon etc. it would be melted down, mixed, cooled, and then rubbed/worked into fabric to make tarps, leather, wood, metal, and waterproof cloths & shoes. basically anything they wanted waterproof. which btw, is the original recipe for chapstick because it kept lips from drying out and chapping. it was even used all over the body as a lotion or to treat burns. it still gives me a giggle thinking about people covering everything and themselves with chapstick. some cultures would add in some pine resin as well when using it as a healing salve.

[@thatsamazinggrace9512]

Grandma Gatewood was an amazingly tough lady! You did her justice with your tribute. She would have loved you!❤

[@anitasimmons3599]

Emma Gatewood likely had a can opener in her Swiss army knife and the knife had 2 blades. Granny Gatewood carried a rain Cape on some of her trips they were real common and inexpensive. She likely had blanket pins or dyper pins. You can tie a pebble in the corner of the shower curtain or rain gear and tie out the corner with the line. We now have shelters on the AT. Thank you again for another great video. Safe travels.

[@oned6264]

Awesome segment Dixie! Just the research alone is a daunting task. We’ve all learned a lot about Grandma Gatewood thanks to your efforts.

[@SasSaga]

This is such a cool idea! Betting Granma left her cans behind!

[@frauzimt]

Love this project of yours! I absolutely have to show this to my twelve year old nephew, who ist totally into survival and is slowly turning into a gear nerd... On the shoes: I found out, that I find it very comfortable to hike in my everyday Doc Martens. At least they work fine when I go hiking while visiting my parents and don't bother taking extra shoes for hiking. All in all, good gear does not hurt and makes things on trail easier, but not having special gear should never stop you from anything!

[@unfi6798]

Thank you for sharing your passion & adventure of Grandma Gatewood. A magical story. Grandma Gatewood is an early version of David Canterbury. A sense of adventure & perseverance. Stay safe. Greetings from Australia.

[@Theantichrist9Tails]

It was a great pleasure seeing you do this hike. I got so excited seeing places I've been on the old man cave section. I hope to finish the Scioto trail section in November. I love cold weather hiking.

[@johnpagejr.7628]

Great job Dixie! I had a good laugh when you where using the p38. I figured you would get lots of comments on how to use it correctly. LOL

[@larryn8]

Dixie, A possible answer with regard to the strap on the visor. In the Navy, one of my uniform items was a “Combination Cap” that Chiefs and officers wear. The Combination Cap has an adjustable strap that cinches down at the base of the cap brim. On windy days that strap can be loosened up and lowered to be used as a chinstrap to keep your cap from blowing off.

[@AmericanPatriot-bp7cu]

Hike the AT again with Aaron! What a series that would be!

[@OldPackMule]

Best pack shakedown of Grandma Gatewwod's gear I've ever heard. Thanks for keeping it real.

[@proehm]

I did wonder if she tied the drawstring down to a bottom corner to make it into something like a sling.

[@auntlouise]

As a kid in Alaska we used to camp with Army blankets and sheets of visqueen: we would lay the visqueen down, then the blanket on top of it, then we would lay on the blanket and wrap both the blanket and the visqueen around us - toasty warm (and dry!). Maybe give that a shot, only with the shower curtain, and see if you sleep warmer. My mom used to wear one of those visors - there was a clear (Mom's was blue) plastic bit to shield your eyes and another clear plastic bit that stood up, and both were edged with fabric. The clear plastic bit that stood up would get wrecked from stuffing it in handbag repeatedly, and would just start looking sloppy over time.

[@viveviveka2651]

Cutting off the legs of plus-sized denim jeans could work as a sack. Widely available at thrift stores and garage sales. You could even just use a pair as-is, with one leg over each shoulder. And then have an extra pair in camp and at night as sleepwear and extra warmth. The belt loops could serve as drawstrings. The footholes could be closed in various ways.

[@K0GNITION]

Wow you really put a lot of effort into authenticity here 😆 "I drew the line at underwear"

[@cnawan]

Neat :) I like the look of Rycroft packframes with the blanket and tarp wrapped around everything rather than the bag. Also laying diagonal on a blanket with the corners wrapped all around you is surprisingly warm

[@7951Aries]

I've often wondered why more hikers don't carry back-up water treatment tablets. I carry the sawyer as well as a few aqua tabs. They weigh like nothing.

[@colonelsanders611]

Same here with the sawyer and the aqua tabs. I even carry the whole bottles of iodine tabs including the glass bottles and all, still not that heavy, I just throw it in with my first aid kit and forget about it. Nice to have on short day hikes when I'm not carrying my sawyer since I am carrying enough water from the start. Having the Iodine tabs in my kit is always nice just in case, same reason I always take a poncho even when the skies are clear.

[@wendyanderson8169]

love that you tried out Grandma Gatewood's gear! Have you heard of Lillian Alling? Another remarkable woman walker. In the late 1920's, alone and almost penniliess, she walked from New York City to Dawson City, Yukon, then set down the Yukon River towards the Bering Sea on the coast of Alaska, in an attempt to get to Siberia (she was an immigrant and trying to return home, without the money to pay for passage from New York). I'm reading a book called 'Lillian Alling: the Journey Home.' I'd love to try her incredible journey but am doubtful I could do it. Remarkable achievement in any time, let alone without proper 'gear', no gps, no cell phone, in extremely remote and unforgiving territory.

[@arthurrsaker8893]

What a towering achievement! She must have had the can do spirit by the bucket load and the bloody-minded stubborness of a mule. Thank God there are still some among us imbued with the grit and determination to see things through no matter the odds that are stacked against them, for while that spirit lives on America will live on too. God bless you all.

[@andrewpaisley]

I loved that you did this Jessica. GG was from my grandparents era and I just love learning about the history of our sport. The pioneers the trailblazers are what got the rest of us out there and we them a debt of gratitude for their grit and determination to get out there. We stand on their shoulders. Love the detailed research you did. Thanks for doing that.

[@wyokid5552]

I used iodine tablets all the time in my early days of backpacking back in the 80's. While I can't say I liked the taste, I never felt it was that bad either.

[@susanmyrawills]

Always added “Tang” to the iodine water.

[@farstrider79]

Yeah, I did the same. While it was doable and a carry iodine as a backup because it weighs nothing, you'll never find me reaching for it over my Sawyer.

[@FgtRtd]

Thumbnails got Dixie lookin caked up something fierce 😍 one more reason to love her hahahah

[@desperadodeluxe2292]

My sleeping bag went Missing this winter in ca and I got a cheapo blanket from the thrift store. Besides bulk and weight Way better for alot of reasons. It's warmer and can be worn like a poncho. Used to block the sun. 13:00 always carry a p-38 Incase you get some free cans of food somewhere. 16:00 I carry a dropper bottle from the health food store full of bleach. Which I mostly use for dishes and laundry. Makes it easy to dispense and use. Keep it wrapped up with cloth or something so the cap doesn't split or the glass breaks. 30:00 yellow "duck suit" stuff. Or some old Stearns gear. Heavy weight tho. But def waterproof.

[@Drummondmbf100]

Very impressive. I was amazed to see you could still buy that stuff like she used. Thanks for your video.

[@J4060]

You did it great! Rough times were those. Is not that far that we hiked in blue jeans. Today there is a lot of options for hiking easy no matter the budget available. Please let me tell you that seeing you with that vintage outfit was a blast! Gorgeous blouse and jacket, very stylish! :) Thank you for the work and time you took on doing this homage to that great lady of hike, Grandma Gatewood. Keep on hiking, All the best.

[@CS-in3pg]

Where there's a will there's a way and I ate the Dad-Gum beans anyways.........Dixie, your Southern way of speaking is sooo cute!! 🤣😉

[@horizontaal]

Grandma was blessed. She didn’t know that she did everything wrong. (What a fantastic idea, Dixie, watched the whole video with a big smile.)

[@man-downandtuesday5411]

I absolutely LOVE that you did this hike. Thank you!

[@Rachel-h3n]

Washed , Chip/crisp packets for insulation and plastic garbage bags made into plarn (plastic yarn) and crocheted into cushioning bedrolls are popular items made for those experiencing homelessness, so these would be useful insulation etc.

[@randomweirdo2701]

I about died laughing at your "chafe me to Pluto and back" comment because my 13 y/o piped up with "Not all the way to Pluto, just to Uranus" as he was walking by.

[@HomemadeWanderlust]

😂😂😂

[@bricmpt]

"...I ate the dadgum beans." LOLOL! Love it!

[@Travelstone3]

Great segment Dixie. The visor looks like a casino dealer visor.

[@cj_m2477]

I read Grandma Gatewood’s walk many years ago. She is absolutely inspirational. For myself, there lesson here is that it’s not the gear but the heart to complete the trip. I’m wondering if you have given any consideration to an AT thru hike using Gatewood’s gear. Love your videos Trixie, keep up the great videos and thank you!

[@raeperonneau4941]

Amen. Well said.

[@melizabeth908]

Great video! So informative and well done. I’ve become obsessed with Grandma Gatewood since you started this project, although I do remember you mentioning her before. There are also a couple of kids books about her hiking the AT. BTW Land Surveyors used a pencil and notebook in the field for their notes and measurements because lead will not run like ink if it rains. Now I’m sure everything is electronic.

[@danielwietchy1037]

I was surprised at the lack of "Pilot Bread"- invented around late 1700's and used by many hikers, campers and miners throughout the west and Alaska. I've found many abandoned cabins from the late 1800's and early 1900's and upon their handmade shelves - pilot bread along with baking powder, canned coffee and other canned meats, like bacon.

[@515aleon]

I'm in my 70s. Spam was around in the 50s. Kind of a logical choice. We used to eat "canned bread" (B&B bread--very nutritious, moist, and dense with nutrients, it's still around btw). It's a larger can but she could have used for days.

[@danielwietchy1037]

@@515aleon Very cool... B&B bread (actually B&M type) is still available here in Fairbanks. My favorite was ( still is) the raise one. Ditto...I'm 70 too.

[@Ubette-th7kw]

You did a great job honoring Grandma Gatewood! I have read the book twice and would read it again on a rainy day. Enjoyed watching and appreciate all the work you put into this.

[@viveviveka2651]

Request: re-creations of various Native (or at least very early, since they also immigrated by trekking from Siberia) American gear. And then maybe also other cultures, and ancients. Maybe including the Iceman. There are some ancient Chinese paintings depicting the monk who trekked to India and back, carrying scrolls of Buddhist writings in a homemade backpack. There must be Egyptian, Mayan and others' paintings and descriptions also. Early Americans would be the most interesting to me. I just read about trade between the Paiutes of western Nevada and the Mono Lake area trading their obsidian work, willow baskets and pine nuts with tribes on the other side of the Sierras (who had manzanita berries and acorns to trade, among other things). So they trekked over the high mountain passes for many miles carrying goods both ways. What did they wear and use? How did they sleep and shelter? It would be fascinating to see all this.

[@rayhill8283]

What you went through Dixie to stay on track to the times is highly commendable. Outlay alone. Your awesome! Love your videos. The p38 use was funny. Sorry 😐

[@viveviveka2651]

Trash bags and tape have multiple potential uses, including rain gear, shelter, ground sheets, and vapor barriers to increase warmth at night. The super stretchy materials are good. They have helped me out at times.

[@1FAST91SONOMA]

Grandma Gatewood was a badass, but I'm happy only using my tarp/rain poncho which shares her name (Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape) and absolutely nothing else in common with her gear. I'm perfectly happy with my 6.5lb base weight, even if it wasnt free. A pack, shelter and rain gear all under 1.5lb is worth the price for me. More power to the modern Gatewood-style adventurers, though

[@jimhenderson387]

I ate the dad gum beans. Love it!

[@markbreitenfeld3927]

Just think. Someday you’ll be Grandma Dixie.

[@heysara910]

Oh that got me emotional. I won’t be able to thru-hike for a number of years yet, but I’m planning to, and Dixie is definitely why.

[@bernielamont825]

Have to agree with all the comments, "Great Job!" On another note, how is everything going w/all your hiking allergies?

[@raeperonneau4941]

Great question. Thank you!

[@crazygrandma2972]

I love this video, being a Grandma myself I really want to do more of the AT,but funds currently don't allow it but someday I will get to do more of the AT.Keep on hiking your an inspiration.

[@patrickjones8255]

Bout to watch. I hope you reviewed the stick.

[@whatkjsaw4461]

What a fabulous project to let you get your geek on 🤓🤓🤓 👌thanks for sharing x

[@kerrybiery6360]

I was listening to this kind of sporadically as I was doing stuff in the back yard. So I heard you talking about P-38/P-51s and how you had no prior experience with either. And then you started talking about canned food-black beans. When I heard about the P-38 I thought it was some sort of hand gun. People had written that they cringed when you tried to use it. But I was really muddled trying to combine a hand gun with canned beans. I even had a flash that you were using this gun to open cans of food! Thankfully I finally sorted it out. 🤭

[@HomemadeWanderlust]

😂😂😂

[@christinafidance340]

YAY!!! Another large-footed female!!! HOOORAY!!! I wear a men’s 9.5 (women’s 11) normally so, I’d surely be rocking a 10 or 11 while hiking. (Especially since, I too, also suffer from the occasional ingrown toenail.)

[@KurtKirsch]

thank you, Dixie. for honoring history with such respect for it! Bless your sweet Spirit!

[@proehm]

Talking about Grandma Gatewood reminds me of my great aunt Stella, who was a better hunter and fisherperson than either of her husbands. The men would "harvest" a pig and hang it up and she would butcher it. She was also of the "You want chicken for lunch? Well then bring me (pointing) that one..." generation. Along with "Corn's not fresh if it hits the table between the field and the pot."