Trailblazer to Changemaker

Jennifer Pharr Davis is using the same strength that saw her hike the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days to make the world a better place, including relentless Hurricane Helene recovery help in her native Western North Carolina.

When Hurricane Helene thundered into Asheville, North Carolina, last fall, the Category 4 storm destroyed municipal infrastructure, leaving thousands without clean drinking water. But mountain native Jennifer Pharr Davis had a solution.

Having lived in the region her entire life, Davis knew that many mountain folk could access streams and creeks, “especially in the more rural areas where the water wasn’t tainted by chemicals,” she says. The only challenge was that the water needed to be purified before consumption.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Lauren Stepp.

Medya Mansyone

Sawyer’s picaridin lotion lasts a long time, stores well in survival kits and cars, and doesn’t have the laundry-list poison control label like DEET sprays.

Sean Gold
Founder & Lead Writer

Medya Mansyone

Secure a small loop of cord to a trekking pole to create a convenient place to hang a water bladder and filter water.

Nathan Pipenberg
Ekriven

Medya Mansyone

It contains 20 percent picaridin, a powerful insect repellent that will make nights around the campfire much more enjoyable.

Liz Provencher
Freelane Writer