Q&A: Preparing for our 2025 AT Thru Hike

[@jinxhikes3021]

Just put your family on my daily prayer list! Maybe I'll see you along the way in person, but if not, I'll enjoy following you virtually.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@jinxhikes3021 thank you so much! We so appreciate all the prayers. ❤️ we’d love to meet up on trail! If you want, fill out our trail angel form so we have your contact info: forms.gle/nyPddaXGFxEnYgnFA Happy trails! 🥾🥾

[@nanabd]

Trekking Along, a mother and her 3 daughters who completed the trail. We enjoyed following them. Mother Goose's hubbs stayed home, helping with sending food boxes, tracking the weather, etc.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@nanabd I’ll have to check out their channel! Thanks for the suggestion ❤️🥾

[@maryhubbard11]

For the last several years, I have picked a couple of though AT hikers to watch!! I’m super excited to watch you and your family and I’ll be praying for your safety!!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@maryhubbard11 we so appreciate your prayers and support! Thrilled you’ll be following along ❤️🥾

[@MizSazz]

If you haven’t already the YT channel Ramdino hiking the trails has a hiker support list hikers register with him their social media channels and rough start date and he has a list so people can check out who to follow on trail He might know of some family’s that have done the trail before. In his videos he has mentioned he has a list of trail angels if you get stuck he might be one to reach out too

[@sixpackhikers]

@ yes! We joined the support list but left a start date off just for safety reasons. Definitely starting in February though. ☺️ I appreciate the tip on Ramdino’s trail angel list. Looking into that now ❤️🥾

[@tiffanyreinertsen1970]

I followed too many last year but this year I'll only follow a handful but. You will most definitely be one of those. Love watching families do things together and I am SO looking forward to watching your journey.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ thanks so much! 🥰🥾

[@CindyRay-n9p]

It sounds like ya'll have planned well. I am excited to follow you on this awesome adventure. Praying for a fabulous, peaceful and safe hike.

[@sixpackhikers]

Thank you so much! We are honored to have you in our digital trail family ❤🥾

[@myjourneytosanity]

I'm really looking forward to following your journey! I think you guys have prepared really well, not just for a normal hike, but taking the kids into consideration as well.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@myjourneytosanity thank you so much for that encouragement! We are thrilled you’re in our digital trail family ❤️🥾

[@eddiemathis412]

String cheese and pepperoni and a little bit of honey on a tortilla is an awesome lunch idea , also refried beans and instant rice is great for dinner this is a great idea for cold soaking.

[@sixpackhikers]

It's so delicious when you've been hiking all morning! And we have definitely cold soaked before. Difficult to enjoy a cold soaked meal in the bitter cold, but if we have to do it, we will! We prefer cold soaking in the summertime 🌞🥾

[@Uconn91]

That was great, looking forward to more singing on the AT.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@Uconn91 I’m sure there will be a lot of that! 🎶 The kids love music and are all in choirs, and the older 2 are in the student band at our church ❤️

[@AmericanEnglishBrent]

You guys are going to crush it. I’ve been doing KZbin for about five years. I strongly urge you to see up affiliate links and a Patreon. Your viewers will want to help you with your journey. Keep up the good work.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@AmericanEnglishBrent thank you so much for that! I have started looking into affiliate links but haven’t explored Patreon yet. I will do that! We are somehow already getting close to the point where we could monetize on KZbin. I am so humbled by how quickly the channel has grown since November. We had 80 subscribers then 😆 the hiking community is so incredible! ❤️🥾

[@AmericanEnglishBrent]

@@sixpackhikers That's awesome! Let me know if you have any questions about KZbin or whatever.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ will do! This is a whole new frontier in terms of my tech experience, but so far, it’s going smoothly 😅

[@stanthemanhikes2965]

I’m looking so forward to following along. I love to see families hiking together. Would love to give you guys support when and where I can. I’ll definitely be in GA NC area sometime in Feb and March. I’ll check out the trail Angel doc and leave my information there. Hopefully I’ll see you out there at some point.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@stanthemanhikes2965 Thanks for the encouragement! We would be so grateful for any support and would love to meet you on trail. ❤️🥾

[@scr5boom]

I followed Stan the Man's hike (2022) after following The Hiker Movie (Greyhound and Bailout from SC in 2023). Stan helped support them several times. What an amazing Trail Angel!

[@sixpackhikers]

@ incredible! I’m continually amazed at the generosity of the trail community 🥰🥾

[@Go-With-Mo]

Excited to follow you all. We'll be praying for safety and success. Take some time in Harper's Ferry to soak up some history while you pass through.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@Go-With-Mo thanks for your encouragement and prayers! We visited Harper’s Ferry in 2023 and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We will definitely have to spend some time again ❤️🥾

[@laurihawley]

Five years of planning and a lot of practice will set you up for a grand adventure! I'll be praying for your safety and success.

[@sixpackhikers]

Thank you so much for that encouragement and for your prayers! ❤️🥾

[@nanabd]

Hubbs, Kevin and I, Becky, have enjoyed your videos, your preparation to a great family adventure. This Q&A video was wonderful. We're following along, but most importantly, we're praying for health, free from injury, and your safety. God bless you ❤

[@sixpackhikers]

@@nanabd Thanks for the encouragement! I am so thrilled y’all are following our journey! Thank you for the prayers; we have faith that God will use this experience to grow each of us in different ways ❤️🥾

[@wildflowersadventures]

Great video! 🎉 We are so excited for you guys and we look forward to meeting you on trail. 💙🙏🏼

[@sixpackhikers]

@@wildflowersadventures thank you for that encouragement! I do pray God enables our paths to cross-even if briefly. Hope your planning is going smoothly! ❤️🥾

[@tommckinney1489]

Thanks for the info, especially about the nav app you'll be using. And yes, I'm praying for you. I watched the "Fight for Together" youtube channel a few years ago when they hiked the AT with their kids. They are Christians and took a day of rest, as you plan to do. I also learned through their channel that there is a min. age requirement for summiting Katahdin. I don't remember what it was or if your kids don't meet it, but it's something to check out.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@tommckinney1489 thanks for the encouragement and the advice on the “Fight for Together” channel. I believe the minimum age for Katahdin is 5, and our youngest kid will be almost 10 when we get there, thankfully! Thanks for thinking of that though ❤️🥾

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

Sounds great! Hopefully your videos won't be too short. 5-7 minute videos I saw from other thru-hikers did show so little that you hardly got an idea about the trail and trail life around it (towns, chores, resupply etc). Me personal I love to see the whole aspect of the hike and not just a few minutes of forest paths.😊

[@sixpackhikers]

@@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl I really appreciate that insight! I’ve heard both sides-keep them short and also let them be longer to include more details. Maybe we will do a combination? Only time will tell. 😅 I definitely don’t want them to feel rushed ❤️🥾

[@forkintherode8236]

Your planning for the AT is very impressive. We are trail junkies, and I'm not sure anyone else have prepared so thoroughly. The BIG challenge will be to avoid injury. Looking forward to this hike.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@forkintherode8236 thank you so much! That is super encouraging. I think bringing our kids along has pushed us to prepare even more than we would without them. And yes! We are praying we are fortunate enough to avoid injuries ❤️🥾

[@forkintherode8236]

@@sixpackhikers I will join you all in prayer for safety

[@sixpackhikers]

@ thank you so much! ❤️🥾

[@briannahanselman2375]

I am so excited to watch yall! I can’t wait for the big 3 video. Will definitely keep your family in my prayers for y’all’s journey.

[@sixpackhikers]

Thanks for joining our digital trail family! And we truly appreciate your prayers ❤️🥾

[@LookUp1991]

Can’t wait to follow along! So excited for you. ❤ We’ll definitely be on your social media prayer team. 🙏

[@sixpackhikers]

@@LookUp1991 Yes! Thank you so, so much for that! ❤️🥾

[@lcdrjsmasterson]

Check out the Crawford's - they hiked the AT in 2018 (I think). They are a family of 8, the youngest of which was 2 at the time (they carried him the whole way in a child carrier). They did the trail in 5 months and 9 days, and even took a zero in order to run a marathon as a family (not including the 2 year old). They were very controversial because of the number of kids and their ages and were investigated by CPS twice on trail because someone watching KZbin thought that taking their kids on the AT was child abuse (which of course it isn't). They released a full documentary of their hike on KZbin entitled FAMILY HIKES THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL [FULL DOCUMENTARY]. Their channel is Fight For Together. Pretty amazing story and there might be some good takeaways in there. Good luck and happy trails!

[@gabiimg333]

Yes! I second this, I loved the Crawfords!

[@sixpackhikers]

Yes! I did watch their documentary a couple years ago. Truly incredible! I cannot imagine completing the hike with a toddler in diapers 😅 bonus points to them!

[@sticktheeagle]

Definitely keep that trail angel interest form in every video description. You will have more who come along later who want to help and that will point them to the form.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@sticktheeagle thanks for that advice! I’ll do it 🙌🏻 we are already so humbled by the outpouring of support just via comments and emails ❤️

[@jandurham6231]

That is a beautiful park. We loved going there a few years back.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@jandurham6231 it really is! ❤️🥾

[@CMDtravels]

Looking forward to watching your family hike! Hope to meet you this year!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@CMDtravels thank you for joining our trail family! I saw your name on our trail angel interest form too. We’d love you meet you, and my kids would be stoked to see another like-aged kid on trail 🥰

[@gwanderings]

Looking forward to watching your videos prior to me hitting the trail in Feb. Hope to meet you out there. Good luck and God bless.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@gwanderings Thank you for the encouragement! I bet we will cross paths. We are starting later in Feb and are eager to get on trail ❤️🥾

[@CherylHollister-dl9id]

Looking forward to following your family on the trail!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@CherylHollister-dl9id thanks for joining our digital trail family! ❤️🥾

[@scottm5506]

The day I started watching you, I started to pray. I'm committing to praying each day , till you are home. ( Joyce, not Scott lol)

[@sixpackhikers]

@@scottm5506 thank you so much for your prayers! We truly appreciate them ❤️🥾

[@David-n7w9f]

Happy New Year. Im so excited for this adventure. You seem well prepared. But there are things that you cant prepare for.You will handle them well as a family.Family will be your strength. Peace

[@sixpackhikers]

@@David-n7w9f happy new year to you too! You are absolutely right. We are holding our plans loosely because we know there are so many variables we can’t accurately plan for. Thank you for your encouragement! ❤️🥾

[@matthewviehmann7590]

Heating and eating out of freezer zip lock bags is easier for thru hiking. Some products like mash potatoes can be eating inside it’s own package with just hot water. You can also put a ziplock bag inside your pot for something more sturdier.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@matthewviehmann7590 thank you for that advice! ❤️🥾

[@FatherTimeHikes]

Hopefully we cross paths on the trail. Saying a prayer for you!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@FatherTimeHikes that would be so neat! Thank you for the prayers, truly ❤️🥾

[@rogerlevasseur397]

When you get to New Hampshire and it's high ridges - please enjoy the views. I've read too often of thru-hikers that speed on thru in clouds or fowl weather to keep to a schedule or to just plain get into Maine and finish the AT. When you get to Franconia Ridge or the Presidential Range, adjust time to get the clear views by doing it on clear weather days -- They're awesome! The views are the big payoffs for hiking in the White Mountains. Other families on the AT - I heard of one family group some years ago that went by the trail group name of "crowd control"

[@sixpackhikers]

Franconia Ridge looks absolutely breathtaking! We will do our best to enjoy it on a clear day. Praying the weather cooperates ☀️ And I’ll be sure to look into that family! What a great name ❤️🥾

[@nicolemyers4584]

Thanks for answering my question about the pot. That’s a hard, nope, nope, nope for me about drinking it. I would be willing to bury food and clean the pot with soap though.

[@sixpackhikers]

Yeah, David is a strong guy to be willing to drink the pot water 😅 I can’t quite bring myself to do it, but when hiker hunger sets in, all bets may be off! 🤣

[@ontheloose2024]

Good luck to you. We started our 2024 thru-hike January 17, so if you have any questions on starting early, let me know. For food, we would do protein bars/breakfast bars in the morning, snacks throughout the day, and a freeze-dried meal at night. The freeze dried meals are nice, as you can cook them directly in the bag and not have to worry about cleaning out your cook pot. The ground will be frozen the first couple months. Also 15/16 miles is aggressive in NH and ME. In general, you'll have to plan on half your average miles in those 2 states.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@ontheloose2024 thank you for all that insight! I totally agree that going 15 to 16 miles a day at the later parts of the trail would be way too much. We may have worded it poorly, but we hope our overall average falls in the 15-16/day range. We are holding our plans loosely though. If you have time to reach out via email, I’d love to ask a few questions: [e-mail] ❤️🥾

[@Muggleborn_Adventures]

Smiles before miles

[@sixpackhikers]

@@Muggleborn_Adventures yes! Important to remember ❤️🥾

[@infinityhiking]

I’m so impressed with this wonderful journey you are taking your family on! You will create memories for your children for a lifetime! I started backpacking with my grandchildren when they were younger, and they absolutely love it! I will pray for you all along the trail!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@infinityhiking thank you so much for all of that encouragement and for the prayers. They are truly appreciated! I hope that we will one day be able to backpack with our grandchildren as well. ❤️🥾

[@eskaifoster4273]

I’m so enjoying watching your AT prep videos and catching up on your older ones as well. Homeschool family here too from Maryland and we love to hike! We live about 15 mins from multiple AT road crossings and I’m planning to fill out your Google form. We would love to bless your family with some trail magic!

[@sixpackhikers]

Thanks so much for joining our digital trail family! And wow-we are honored you’d step out and offer trail magic in Maryland. We would love to meet you! Really hope it works out ❤️🥾

[@smidgen65]

I live in PA and think it's awesome you want to stop at Gettysburg. Be careful going into NYC. I've seen so many people come back on trail from being in the city ending up sick with COVID and stuff like that.

[@sixpackhikers]

Oh no! We definitely don’t want any of that. May have to avoid the subway and other enclosed, tight spots. There’s so many of those in NYC though 😅 we will do our best to stay safe and healthy!

[@meredithd603]

Hey SA & David! You know we will be following along. I still remember years ago along Davidson River when you told us about your plans- and here you are just a few weeks away. So exciting! Praying for this journey for you all!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@meredithd603 so glad y’all are following the journey! I remember that time along Davidson. Not sure how time has flown so quickly that we are nearly starting. Wish y’all could hike part of it with us. That would be epic! Thank you for the prayers! ❤️🥾

[@scr5boom]

I've been following and praying for you ever since I found out about your family hiking the AT. We've hiked to Rainbow Falls and Turtleback at Gorges SP before (and got soaked in a rain storm on the way back). I'm hoping we can get out and do some trail magic with my grandkids in February (winter break from the homeschool hybrid school) so if that's about the time you're leaving Springer we might just see you. Not sure which day or days we'll be able to do anything, but the kids are all in!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@scr5boom thank you for those prayers! They are truly appreciated. How cool that y’all have done the same hike we did! Do you know how hard it would have been to hold the camera while walking on that trail and not trip 😆 In terms of seeing y’all at Springer, that would be incredible if the timing works out! Could you drop your info on our trail angel doc so we can get in touch? forms.gle/3renJGHhcLDaTsS56 Thank you! ❤️🥾

[@scr5boom]

@sixpackhikers actually I was thinking of FS 58 and taking the grandkids up to Long Branch Falls. They've never been. But they've never been to Springer Mountain either, only Amicalola. We'll see what happens!

[@janetmccomb-therusticblack3046]

I am so excited to follow your journey on the AT! My husband and I live in WNC. New Year's Day we were hiking in Gorges State Park. We decided to hike a different trail and not Rainbow Falls. I can't believe we were so close to running into you! Praying for a safe and exciting through hike.

[@sixpackhikers]

Oh my goodness! What a small world. It would have been so cool to run into y’all. What part of WNC are you in? We’re in Fletcher. ❤️🥾

[@janetmccomb-therusticblack3046]

I live in Brevard. My husband and I moved here 2 years ago from southern NH. We love the AT and have done section hikes. We've thought about thru hiking, but the timing hasn't been right. We've hiked the Foothills Trail and the Art Loeb. You conquered the Art Loeb in a day???!!! That's an intense trail!

[@sixpackhikers]

@ we love Brevard! We moved to the Fletcher area in 2010 and haven’t looked back. So beautiful! And yes, I did the Art Loeb trail SOBO in a day. 😅 Something about turning 40 this year made me want to push myself in new and crazy ways. David dropped me off at the trailhead at 4 AM, and I finished right at 8 PM. The last several miles were in a downpour. David picked me up at the end with a burger and fries ready to go. 😍

[@matthewknox9753]

Washington DC is an awesome side quest!

[@sixpackhikers]

Oh yeah! We did a DC trip in 2023 and then headed from there to Harper’s Ferry. Such a cool area 🥾🥾

[@jamesbonner5989]

Well thought out plans. Just stay flexible with everything. Looking forward to following.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@jamesbonner5989 yes sir! We are holding our plans loosely and will be grateful for whatever our trail experience is. Getting this much time as a family is so rare. We don’t plan to take any of it for granted ❤️🥾

[@KyGirl747]

This is wonderful!! Cant wait!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@KyGirl747 thanks so much! We can’t wait to get on trail 😍🥾

[@sticktheeagle]

If you meet Fresh Ground, he may offer to give you sticks of butter!! He uses quite a bit of butter! Hiker hunger generally kicks in after 10ish days but it’s different for everyone. Look forward to following!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@sticktheeagle oh man! I’ve seen several AT vloggers show themselves downing a stick. I can’t imagine, but then again, no one in my pack has ever been as hungry as I know we’ll all be on trail 😅 time will tell! 🧈

[@sticktheeagle]

@@sixpackhikers I never wanted to down a stick of butter on my thru hike. You may not want to either. But what I did do was order and eat two entrees at restaurants in towns. You might have that type of hunger.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ that sounds far more appetizing! 🙌🏻

[@trailsofanoldrunner]

I'm looking forward to following your adventure

[@sixpackhikers]

Thanks so much! ❤️🥾

[@bonnief.1851]

I would think missing church would be hard for me. So glad you’re committing to a day of rest. And Sir Fob!! (LOVE how he got his trail name!). Absolutely LOVED following him, and reading his books. You will LOVE his books!!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@bonnief.1851 yes! We are dreading missing fellowship with our church family. We bought tiny pocket Bibles for our kids for Christmas and plan to do family devotions. We love singing praise songs and will definitely do that on trail! Thankfully, our church broadcasts its services, so we can at least watch those when we have service. Eager to read Sir Fob’s books! David’s already started 🤓🥾

[@bonnief.1851]

@@sixpackhikers❤

[@scr5boom]

We hiked one time with our kids (HS at the time) along the north rim of the Grand Canyon on a Sunday. My husband brought his pocket trumpet along and when we got to a place where we were pretty sure we were alone he played Amazing Grace. I'm sure we had some sort of devotional/prayers as well. Great memories for our family!

[@sixpackhikers]

@ I bet that sounded beautiful-and against such a breathtaking backdrop! 🎶

[@Data_on_trail]

I'm looking forward to watching your family adventure. I suggest you consider a town day at Gorgeous Stays when you get to the N.O.C. area. They have several tiny houses that would be big enough for your whole crew. I spent a few days there last fall when Helene hit the area. It's owned and run by a wonderful family. I think y'all might enjoy a minute there.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@Data_on_trail that sounds really neat! David will be heading to the NOC for something else before we leave, so he is planning to check out Gorgeous Stays. Thanks for the suggestion! And thank you for joining our digital trail family ❤️🥾

[@groemer9913]

Thank you for sharing your journey with us, looking forward to your videos.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@groemer9913 absolutely! We are so eager to get on trail and see how this experience grows and stretches all 6 of us ❤️🥾

[@AbsoluteTruthMatters]

I will pray for your sweet family. As you go around Watauga Lake in Tennessee, I will just be on the other side of the mountain from you. :)

[@sixpackhikers]

@@AbsoluteTruthMatters We so appreciate your prayers and will be thinking of you when we pass that area in TN! ❤️🥾

[@kendallmenges1032]

Checkout these two families who have done the AT. Live Sutton: Mom, Dad, and 5 year old son in 2021 Fight for Together: Mom, Dad, and 6 kids (youngest was 2 years old) in 2018. They are my all time favorites and documented the trail really well.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@kendallmenges1032 oh wow! Will do! 🥰🥾

[@12foottribe]

So informative - thank you for taking the time to answer all those questions. Looking forward to forthcoming gear videos and will be praying you guys to Maine!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@12foottribe so glad it was helpful for you! We appreciate your prayers and are eager to get on trail 😍🥾

[@KrizAkoni]

Hope to see you out there!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@KrizAkoni that would be awesome! Happy trails ❤️🥾

[@goldpanvanman]

Great job, well done 😊

[@sixpackhikers]

@@goldpanvanman thank you! 🥾🥾

[@EleanorNold-ey9ir]

When you are in Stowe try to take the children to Trapp Family Lodge. That's the location where the Trapp family-seven children -settled when the family came to America after the war. There a small Thanksgiving Chapel on the top of the hill the family built in thanks for safe passage out of the war zone. Of course, the family story in The Sound Of Music. Prayers for your families safe passage also.

[@sixpackhikers]

Oh wow! The kids LOVE The Sound of Music movie. Definitely adding that stop to our likely Stowe trip 😍🥾

[@elishevafackrell424]

I'm on the West Coast, but looking forward to watching your journey.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@elishevafackrell424 what a gorgeous area! We hope to one day travel that way and at least set foot on the PCT. Thanks for joining our digital trail family! ❤️🥾

[@ericmcclain9887]

As someone who’s hiked the trail, youve clearly got it together guys. You’re gonna do great! I have a question! Do you plan to all hike side by side the whole day? Or spread out and hike at each individual pace?

[@sixpackhikers]

@@ericmcclain9887 thank you so much for that encouragement! We anticipate staying together most of the time. On previous hikes, though, we have sometimes split into two separate groups driven by pace. So I guess our answer is we will do both. It will just depend on the day. 🤓🥾

[@karinheart]

Great prep and thought put into this. Your amazing

[@sixpackhikers]

@@karinheart thank you so much! Hoping to strike a balance between making good, enjoyable content but not letting it consume my time on trail. I think it’ll all work out well ❤️🥾

[@Goruckyourself68]

Good luck to you all. I will probably see you out there😀

[@sixpackhikers]

@@Goruckyourself68 thanks for the good luck wishes! It would be so neat to cross paths 🥾🥾

[@myleahluffman829]

Great video!

[@sixpackhikers]

@@myleahluffman829 thanks! ❤️🥾

[@apen2152]

I will be watching🥰❤️👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@sixpackhikers]

@@apen2152 thanks!

[@chrischilders2188]

Two years ago a lady and her three daughters hiked the whole trail. They documented their hike on you tube. Also, look on you tube for the family who completed the trail with their 5 year old son.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@chrischilders2188 oh wow! Looking into those folks today. Thank you so much ❤️🥾

[@karenbrown1190]

Greetings from Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 I have watched all of your videos to date and I look forward to following your journey on the AT. Other families who have hiked the AT and posted on KZbin, besides the ones already mentioned, are The Skogman Family, The Field Trip, and Fight for Together.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ thanks so much! It seems I have some homework to do looking into these other families. I’m excited! ❤️🥾

[@jhayft0703]

I’m following Mama bear and Little Bear!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@sixpackhikers]

@@jhayft0703 they are so sweet! Eager to see how their journey goes this year ❤️🥾

[@jhayft0703]

@ I hope you all get to meet!! ❤️❤️

[@sixpackhikers]

@ me too! 😍

[@kevinboyer6249]

Subscribed!

[@sixpackhikers]

Thanks for joining our digital trail family! ❤️🥾

[@tiffanyreinertsen1970]

I'd love to do the Freedom Trail in Boston. I would definitely do that as an add on

[@sixpackhikers]

@@tiffanyreinertsen1970 Oo! Looking into that for sure. Thanks for the tip ❤️🥾

[@nikkicunningham2889]

Gooo SLP!! I’m PRN as well (OTA). See yall out there! “Ripley”

[@sixpackhikers]

@@nikkicunningham2889 how cool! I love the flexibility of PRN work at this phase of life ❤️🥾

[@nikkicunningham2889]

@ it’s great! Of course work isn’t too thrilled but they are still really supportive of me taking time off to do Bama-Baxter. Good luck!

[@sixpackhikers]

@ happy trails! 🥾🥾

[@celenasherrill1455]

Another great video! Are you guys doing the approach trail or starting at Springer?

[@sixpackhikers]

@@celenasherrill1455 thanks for that encouragement! We have already hiked the approach trail (there’s a video of that experience from May 2024), so we plan to start straight from the Springer Mountain summit ❤️🥾

[@celenasherrill1455]

@sixpackhikers awesome. I hiked at Amicalola on New Years Day. I definitely wouldn't want to carry a heavy pack up those stairs. 😂 I'll check out the earlier video.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ we hiked from Amicalola up to just shy of Springer, set up camp, and left everything to go check out the summit and the shelter just beyond it. We hiked back down the next day and drove up to Neel’s Gap to check out Mountain Crossings and hike up part of Blood Mtn ⛰️ can’t wait to summit it in a couple months and come down to Neel’s Gap after 30+ miles 😍

[@celenasherrill1455]

@@sixpackhikers it's going to be an epic adventure!

[@chrischilders2188]

I noticed in one of your earlier videos that you are using the sawyer squeeze. My friends and I used them on the John Muir Trail through hike and found the squeeze bags will pop and will need to be replaced at some time. You can use a smart water bottle as a replacement.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@chrischilders2188 thank you so much for that advice! We have invested in a couple of CNOC bags and will definitely try out using a smart water bottle. ❤️🥾

[@smidgen65]

Evernew bags are great as well and they weigh less than the Cnoc bags.

[@sixpackhikers]

@ thanks for that info! I made a note 🤓🥾

[@JohnBishard]

Gettysburg is nice to walk around in downtown. Also Hershey park but that is expensive for a big family. Hope to meet you in central Pa

[@sixpackhikers]

@@JohnBishard thank you for those suggestions! Hershey would be a lot of fun 🍫 And we’d love to meet up. Take a sec and fill out our Trail Angel interest form so we know how to contact you: forms.gle/pnsv5buNbhJ7i8wV9

[@LookUp1991]

Just a suggestion. Look into someone who might be able to freeze dry some food for you. Also 2KrazyKetos have a great video on making hamburger jerky in the dehydrator. Please add a money button here, so we can gift you along the way. And you need to monetize. It’s a lot of work to put out daily videos. There’s nothing wrong with that.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@LookUp1991 thank you for that suggestion! I’ll look into Krazy2Ketos as well. Hamburger jerky sounds interesting! We haven’t reached the watch hours threshold needed to monetize, but hope to get there in the next few weeks. At that point, I believe we can activate super thanks and other similar options. Thank you for wanting to gift us along the way! For the time being, we just have a Venmo account set up @sixpackhikers Hope you had a happy new year! 🎉

[@dawnseely1013]

Have you reached out to Trekking Along - Mom and her daughters, 2022 thruhike?

[@sixpackhikers]

Not yet, but you are the 5th or 6th person to recommend that channel. Gotta check it out! Thanks for the advice! ❤️🥾

[@richardharries3164]

Excellent video! Thank you very much. I will be starting out from Amicola on the 26th of February and I’m really hoping that I can meet you on the trail. I’ll be coming from England. I don’t have a trail name yet. My only question for you is, what footwear will you be using in the Snowy conditions?

[@sixpackhikers]

@@richardharries3164 Thanks for the kind words! We’d love to meet you on trail. My kids would really enjoy hearing an English accent too 🤓 We are all wearing some form of trail runner shoe, Injinji toe/liner socks, and Darn Tough wool socks on top. We’ve debated a waterproof layer on our feet but haven’t committed yet. We’ve hiked in snow with the gear we currently have, and we’ve been comfortable. That said, we are open to making a change as needed once we are out there 🙌🏻

[@richardharries3164]

@@sixpackhikers Thank you! That’s really helpful. I’ve more or less committed to using trail runners (in England we call them trainers) but I’m still just a little bit nervous about it. I think it’s just incredible and amazing what you and your family are doing and I’m so looking forward to meeting with you. i’m also hoping to meet up with Mama Bear and Bear (she renamed herself recently on her birthday). I followed them through their 2024 AT hike. 😊

[@sixpackhikers]

@ We hope to meet up with them too! We so enjoyed following their attempt last year ❤️🥾

[@philipthompson5796]

How are you going to handle sections of the trail in NC ad TN especially that are closed or that have been washed out by landslides and not rerouted ore restored yet?

[@sixpackhikers]

@@philipthompson5796 great question! We are intimately familiar with the hurricane damage as we live right near it. Also, David has been working at multiple “ground zero” type locations (including Hot Springs) with the power company. The damage was unreal. That said, the progress being made is phenomenal. We are floored by the dedication of the various trail clubs working to clear the trail! We will respect authorities related to closed sections and will detour around as needed. We hope to not have to do that but are prepared for whatever we need to do. Stay tuned! ❤️🥾

[@crocketthikes7717]

Look up 32 Up here on you tube. Huge family that thru hiked few years ago

[@sixpackhikers]

@@crocketthikes7717 I’ve been in touch with her recently. Such a cool story and a really incredible family. ❤️🥾

[@justjonoutdoors]

Yep - man plans, God laughs - maintain your humor and roll with it! He is in charge…

[@sixpackhikers]

@@justjonoutdoors 100% agree! We are holding our plans loosely and consider any distance we accomplish a blessing. Getting this kind of extended time as a family is pretty rare, so we don’t plan to take any of it for granted ❤️🥾

[@earlwoolery1424]

Try looking up-live sutton-KZbin channel. They hiked the AT with then 5 yr old son Harvey, couple years ago. 2023 they had faimly trip/hike in Nepal. Their AT hike may give you a idea on miles and such. Seems like they had lots of games planned to break days up. Some other hikers helped along way with games for Harvey to play. I'll be following along and keep your fam' in my prayers,

[@sixpackhikers]

@@earlwoolery1424 thank you for that suggestion! We will definitely look into their channel. Our youngest will be 9.5 years old when we start. How impressive that their 5 year old did it! We so appreciate your prayers! 🥾❤️

[@crocketthikes7717]

Trail magic almost every day Thru Georgia so u will be eating good. Olive oil adds calories to meals can get in plastic bottles

[@sixpackhikers]

@@crocketthikes7717 I didn’t realize trail magic could be so abundant! We are going to be humbled by any offer of trail magic along the way. Any little thing will make our journey that much sweeter and smoother. Thanks for the tip on olive oil! That would be an easy thing to add for a caloric punch 🙌🏻🥾

[@JimPearsonPhotography]

You might want to get in contact with www.youtube.com/@thefieldtrip

[@sixpackhikers]

@@JimPearsonPhotography thank you for that! ❤️🥾

[@nadezhdagavrilyuk2878]

❤❤🤗🙏

[@KVee12311]

Check out Homemade Wanderlust. Dixie knows a family that hiked the AT. Also if you read the barefoot sisters books, a family hiked the AT. Although that family was completely off grid and I think actually homeless so very different circumstances. Questions for future Q&A:How will you handle water crossing with the 2 youngest? How about hitching with a family of 6? Will all the kids get trail names? Will the family participate in hiker days? Looking forward to following your adventures.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@KVee12311 thank you for those suggestions! I love Dixie’s channel and am always looking for good books to read. 🤓 Quick answers because I’m not sure we’ll do another Q&A before trail: 1. Water crossings-our kids love navigating these! We usually work as a family to figure out the best path and help the younger ones across if needed. We’ll just have to take it one crossing at a time. 2. Hitching-we don’t plan to hitch. We hope to utilize shuttles and rides from folks we know/meet along the way. We shall see! 3. Trail names-we anticipate the trail will provide names for everyone at some point. The kids are eager to see what theirs end up being ☺️ 4. Trail days-whether we participate comes down to timing. We would love to be there! We just aren’t sure what our true pace will end up being and when we’ll be to Damascus. Stay tuned ❤️🥾

[@justjonoutdoors]

5-7 minutes is the perfect length for a daily blog. Anything longer I tend to start skipping through.

[@sixpackhikers]

@@justjonoutdoors thanks for that feedback! We’ll have to see how editing on trail goes 😅 I want to strike a balance between showing details about our experience but being efficient in doing so. Time will tell! Might end up doing a combination of short and slightly extended videos ❤️🥾

[@gollwoods3854]

Precooked bacon just sayin

[@sixpackhikers]

@@gollwoods3854 yum! You can never go wrong with bacon 🥓

[@suemoore1965]

💕🤍👣 This will be an epic journey 💕🤍👣

[@sixpackhikers]

@@suemoore1965 absolutely! We are so eager to get started 😍🥾

[@carissakauwell1655]

So excited for you guys! I homeschooled my sons (all in their 20s now) and I did a backpacking trip with my youngest this past summer. I’ve always dreamed of doing the AT with my son. Maybe one day. What is your Instagram account?

[@sixpackhikers]

@@carissakauwell1655 way to go, mama, on homeschooling your sons! It’s such a rewarding journey. Our instagram is @6_pack_hikers2025 ❤️🥾