What’s In My Pack: Speed Hiker Joe McConaughy
Want to go really, really light? Take a hint from a guy who finished the Long Trail in less than 5 days.
Most thru-hikers trying to set a fastest known time try to cut their pack weight to the bare minimum, ditching everything extraneous in order to move as swiftly as possible. Almost none would stuff their backpack with rocks. But Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy had a good reason.
When McConaughy set out on June 10 on an attempt to break the self-supported speed record for Vermont’s Long Trail, he carried eight stones in his pack, each inscribed with the name of a Black victim of violence—George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery among them. The weight of those rocks, which added almost a pound to his pack, were a symbolic reminder of the systemic racism that affects Black Americans on the trail and off, as well as a reference to the 8 Can’t Wait movement for police reform.
It was McConaughy’s second attempt to set a FKT on the Long Trail, following a failed bid in 2015 and successful FKTs on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. But this time, not even the extra weight could hold him back, and he smashed the previous record by more than a day, finishing the trail in 4 days, 23 hours, and 54 minutes.
The Trip
The Long Trail is 273 miles long, with 65,000 feet of elevation gain. To finish in time, McConaughy hiked about 19 hours a day, averaging 54.5 miles per day. Along the way, he had to contend with mud and rough, rooty, and rocky terrain.
Continue reading the article and view Joe's gear list here.
October 18, 2024
sakado
Nan BACKPACKER, nou enspire ak pèmèt moun yo jwi deyò yo pa bay enfòmasyon ki pi fè konfyans ak angaje enfòmasyon sou avanti bakkontri nan Amerik di Nò.
Nou pran angajman pou onètete, respè ak kolaborasyon nan tout relasyon nou.
Nou konprann ak reponn nan yon mòd alè nan pwodwi a ak bezwen sèvis nan konsomatè nou yo.
Nou pran yon wòl lidèchip nan edike ak patenarya ak lòt moun ki pataje enterè nou ak valè nou.
Nou sipòte pwogram, règleman, ak konpòtman ki ankouraje pwoteksyon nan zòn dezè aktyèl nou yo ak deziyasyon byen konsidere nan nouvo yo.
Nou angaje nan montre bon jan kalite a pi wo nan konvenk foto ak istwa enspire.
We provide our industry with superior service, resources, and audiences. </p>
Nou ankouraje dirab, itilizasyon ki ba-enpak nan dezè.
Nou sipòte ak ankouraje youn ak lòt pou inovasyon, mennen, grandi, pran risk, pataje lide, ak eksprime yon pasyon pou dezè a.
Eksplore Plis kontni
Medya Mansyone
This lightweight, 2-ounce filter removes bacteria, protozoa, cysts, sediment, and 100 per cent of microplastics.
Medya Mansyone
Sawyer’s insect repellent is also very effective for ticks and biting flies, and it won’t damage gear or equipment.
Medya Mansyone
This repellent, made from 20% Picaridin, provides up to 14 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks, and up to 8 hours against biting flies, gnats, chiggers and sand flies.
Soti nan eskwadwon an
Konvèsasyon Kanfi ak kominote nou an, ki soti nan Manm Eskwadwon ak Anbasadè yo nan Brand Patnè ak ekip la Sawyer.
