Katahdin or Bust: Increasing Your Odds of Enjoying Hiking and Backpacking - Softcover

Hinshaw, Mr. Gail

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1732164304 ISBN 13: 9781732164307

Publisher: Hinshaw and Associates, Inc., 2018

Synopsis

In 2017, approximately 4,000 people spent months studying and planning their epic adventure to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. They paid from $1,500 to $4,000 for equipment, set aside four to seven months of their lives, budgeted $4,000 to $7,000 to spend while hiking, and arranged to get to a trailhead. These activities were all done with the anticipation of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. However, 80% of these people failed!

This book was written by a professional startup/turnaround specialist who spent his entire career working with thousands of employees to improve the processes within their companies. It is from his own failed attempt at thru-hiking the AT that he says:

 “A process that has an 80% failure rate is the wrong process!”

Based on two years of both primary and secondary research, this work explains new and innovative approaches to enjoying long distance hiking. This book is a game changer for not only those people in the 80% failure group but for all hikers who want to enjoy long distance hiking without all the pain. It is a how-to guide for the enormous number of people who want to hike long distances but are afraid they are not able to fulfill their dreams. Long distance hikers have been told they should not quit their dream of thru-hiking a long trail on a severe weather day or later they will be sorry.  Now, it needs to be said; they should not quit their dream without first reading this book.

This book will tell you how to:

• Triple your odds of success by merely selecting the best starting location; it’s not Springer Mountain! (Chapter 10)
• Triple your odds of success by completing a particular training program! (Chapter 11)
• Reduce your average daily pack weight to less than 6 pounds -- including food and water! Plus, you will never sleep cold! (Chapter 8)
• Select the proper balance of food and nutritional supplements to maximize your energy! (Chapter 16)
• Select the best hiking strategy for your personality! (Chapter 9)

This book will also tell you:

• What two beverages you need to drink EVERY TIME you resupply! (Chapter 16)
• Why you need to throw away your shoes every 500 miles! (Chapter 12)
• The cheapest way to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail! It’s also the easiest and possibly, the most enjoyable. (Chapter 10)
• Dozens of hiking hacks and tips that will help you to enjoy your Appalachian Trail experience, not simply endure it! (Throughout the entire book)

The foreword was written by Dr. Warren Doyle, the person recognized as having hiked more miles on the Appalachian Trail than anyone else. With 17 traverses of the trail under his belt and 37,000 miles of trail under his feet, he knows better than anyone else what it takes to fulfill a long-distance hiking dream.  His comments include:

“This book is a most welcome addition to the literature of the Appalachian Trail.”

“It is an easy-to-read narrative on how to increase the chances of realizing one's dream of walking the entire Appalachian Trail . . ."

“Mr. Hinshaw's book focuses on the more relevant areas of AT preparation.”

“Yes, it is better to be a SMART hiker than a STRONG hiker.”

“It is my hope, as well as the author's, that this book will help future hiker hopefuls realize their AT dreams.”

About this title

About the Author:

Gail Hinshaw is a 2016 and 2017 Appalachian Trail hiker, trail named Dr. Fix-it. As a youth, he earned the Eagle Rank in Boy Scouts. He fell in love with hiking and backpacking while serving as a ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch. Gail’s formal education includes two degrees in industrial technology and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt in quality and process improvement. His professional career included being an organizational start-up and turn-around specialist, working in the field of process improvement. It is only proper he now shares game-changing methods and equipment modifications to enable more people to enjoy hiking and backpacking.

Review:

Appalachian Trail hiker and professional business turnaroundspecialist Gail "Dr. Fix-It" Hinshaw details the "smarter, not harder" approachto long-distance hiking in Katahdin or Bust. According to Hinshaw, A.T.thru-hikers spend quite a bit of money, and most don't ever finish the trail.Rather than winging your thru-hike attempt, comb this book for well-researchedadvice on packing, food, money, training, and logistics. Hinshaw's tips willincrease your chances of completing the A.T. (spoiler: Springer Mountain maynot be the best starting point). This isn't the book everyone is talking about,and it's not hot off the press, but it's an invaluable thru-hiker resource.

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine
blueridgeoutdoors.com/magazine/july-2019/summer-reading-list/

About this edition

• Publisher: Hinshaw and Associates, Inc.
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1732164304
• ISBN 13: 9781732164307
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248
• Editor: Hawkins Mr. Jim