This is Gregg & Bobette G. (Cleveland, TN), and we were THRILLED to discover your awesome family! Your preparation, your joy, and your love of the Lord are already an inspiration and blessing to us, and we can't wait to go-along with you on this amazing adventure! Know that we will be praying for you!
@@gregggus thank you SO much for that encouragement and for the prayers. We are eager to see how this experience grows us all physically but also spiritually. We hope to be able to spread Christ’s love trail ❤️🥾
I just started watching your channel. I'm so amazed how you are teaching your children how to hike at a young age. Yay! Can't wait until you do the AT in 2025.
@@DianeWarren-y6i thank you for that encouragement! It’s been a learning process for all of us over quite a few years now, but we are definitely enjoying the fruits of those labors at this point. Thrilled you’ll be a part of our digital trail family!
Hey Six Pack Hikers, Preacher here. I just discovered your channel and am excited to follow you on your NB AT adventure. We are from outside Charlotte and I have been an avid backpacker for a LONG time. The FHT is one of my favorite trails and I am always stoked to see others enjoying it. We have family in the Lake Jocassee area, which makes the FHT convenient. All the best to you on the trail. God bless.
@@preacher1511 welcome to the channel! I’m so glad you found us. We are honored that you joined our digital trail family and are eager to get on trail ❤️🥾 Happy New Year!
@@frolickingflamingo thank you! We’d love for you to follow along. Couldn’t be more excited to get on trail-especially knowing that folks like you are cheering us on 🥰
Look forward to watching you guys in the spring. Keep shaking the weight down. There is a balance between being lite and being comfortable. You guys will figure out what you can do without. Cool to see polite kids.
@@GregGay-w3w thanks for that encouragement! We are definitely hoping to shake some more weight off, but the slightly heavier bags weren’t unbearable, thankfully. Our older two daughters could easily carry a bit more which would take a couple pounds off of David and I. 🙌🏻
You're doing an amazing job with your videoing and your narration!! I watched a friend do the trail in 6 1/2 months in 2024 and was missing the experience terribly. Now that I have found you I'm excited to watch your journey.
@@KyGirl747 I so appreciate that encouragement and your support. Thrilled to have you in our digital trail family! Hope you’ll enjoy following along ❤️🥾
That's awesome for your family. I wish my wife would go on such an adventure (The AT) with our kids. Your kids will remember this forever. Sometimes it's type 2 fun. Type 2 fun is when something isn't fun in the moment, but it is an awesome memory/great story later.
@@Bibs123 oh wow! I love the idea of calling it type 2 fun. So accurate! And don’t give up on your wife. I had never camped or even hiked much at all prior to 2019, and here I am 5 years later on the eve of a thru hike 🙌🏻🥾
Super Excited about your journey. AT is definitely a dream of mine. How wonderful you are doing it as a family. Can’t wait to see what this new year brings for you!!
@@brandyburch347 thank you so much for that encouragement! We consider ourselves fortunate indeed, to be able to have this experience as a family. Really looking forward to getting on trail, and we would love to have you in our digital trail family. 🥰
@@Vibrantlife_365Traveler Thanks for that encouragement! We consider ourselves very blessed indeed to have the opportunity to pursue experiences like this as a family ❤️
You’re doing awesome. The Foothills trail was also my shakedown hike before my 2019 AT thru hike. Kinda jealous. You have sooo much coming that can’t be put into words. It’s hard but worth it.
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm doing it at the end if December and was very nervous about it, but you've made so secure and excited. Thanks again your family is awesome
Found your link through Bucy TV's AT thru-hikers to watch. I love your family; loved this video! Can't wait to follow your AT adventure--this is going to be epic. God bless you one and all.
@@lobstahgirl how neat! Thank you so much for those encouraging words. We’d love to have you in our digital trail family and would covet your prayers as we embark on this journey of a lifetime ❤️
Had to subscribe as y’all are from my old stomping grounds in Fletcher. I worked there and lived in Candler for 12 years. Good luck and blessings on your 2025 AT hike.
Hi. I am local to the foothills trail. I just hiked it in the summer well before the hurricane. It is hard hiking in the winter with such short daylight hours. Happy hiking
@@MyCatIsSmarter the shorter days were definitely something we had to adjust for. We aimed to be at camp by 4/4:30pm each evening so we could get set up before dark. The nights with a campfire were the best ☺️
What a great life shaping adventure for your family. Some of my best memories were made with my son on the trail. Sawyer also makes a gravity fed filters. Mine has 2 3 liter bags. Used it for years and it works great for a group your size as water will be a major need every day. Can't wait to follow your journey!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support! We cannot wait to see how the trail grows each of us independently and as a family. And thanks for the tip on the gravity fed bags. Glad you’ll be following along as part of our digital trail family ❤️🥾
Such a shame you couldn’t do the entire trail, due to the Hurricane. Love the Foothills Trail. A great 76 mile stretch that is more beautiful than many of the 76 mile sections of the AT, although slightly easier than the mountains to the west. One suggestion, Get one or two - 2L CNOC Dirty water bags. The Sawyer bags are prone to leaks and ruptures. CNOC’s are much more durable and dependable. Plus they are easy to creat a. Velcro strap to Gravity feed with an added bottle connector when you get tired of. Squeezing or are at camp. You are set up for success after this shakedown. A thru. Hike is just 3-5 Day section repeated over an over until you finish!
@@gboltonatrail1099 we hope to return to the Foothills Trail once it’s fully reopened. I agree that it is beautiful! And thank you for the tip on the CNOC bags. We actually just received two for Christmas 🎄can’t wait to try them out! Thanks for the encouragement and support! ❤️🥾
@@ItJustDawnOnMe how cool is that? We are pretty new to vlogging, so any feedback is welcomed! Glad to hear you’ll be joining our digital trail family 🥰
Welcome 25' - I would like to suggest with 20* bags to get liners for everyone. It turned out to be one of my favorite pieces of gear and I used it for my entire thru hike. Excited to cheer you on! Jet 21'
@@colleenhikes yes! I had an alpaca liner I was testing out from the now closed Appalachian Gear Company, and the kids have liners coming in from Sea to Summit for Christmas. David is still shopping for his, but they definitely make a huge difference. Thanks for helping to underscore their importance. Eager to have one in the hands of all 6 of us 😁
@sixpackhikers awesome! The alpaca one sounds amazing. I had sea to summit. I picked it up at Neel gap after my zipper on my sleeping bag broke. I ended up sometimes putting my sleeping bag inside it which was weird, but I actually liked lol. When really cold i would since it over my head it helped keep my sleeping bag closed and my pillow also inside in place. I'm surprised I didn't get a new trail name for how ridiculous it looked lol. Kinda like a bivy though. I also did it in shelters to keep the worry of critter visits down lol. In the summer I slept in it on top my sleeping bag.
@sixpackhikers also, it didn't take long till I started sleeping in my hiking clothes, so it helped to be able to wash the liner everytime I did laundry
Great video. I have hiked that section of the Foothills Trail in the past and really enjoyed it. Wonderful family. I will be watching when y'all tackle the AT!!
0:06 Hi Lisa and I (Steve) just watched your Video and have to say well done. Your filming and Blogging are Great. We are in Maine and look forward to watching your travel adventures to getting here. We do trail magic. Will keep an eye on you and maybe get to help you on your way here in Maine.
@@Burnham207 thank you for the support and encouraging words! We would consider ourselves blessed to receive trail magic in Maine. You guys are incredible to come alongside the thru hiking community in that way! ❤️🥾
@@Lt.Hikes0329 thanks for that encouragement! Vlogging is a new venture for me, but I’m learning a lot and really enjoying it. How cool! I really hope our paths cross! Will you be vlogging too?
@@sixpackhikersYes, I have been posting some training videos. I really love the creative process of taking videos, editing them, and then sharing with others.
Fantastic hike! My husband and I do day hikes and we've done bits and pieces of the Foothills Trail, especially in Oconee State Park, Burrells Ford area, and we've been to Whitewater Falls multiple times, but never in the winter. Beautiful! We live in North Georgia but are originally from NC. I just love following AT hikers so I can watch what we've already done (we've hiked 3/4 of the AT in Georgia and some in NC, TN, VA and all of WVA, and then a little in all the rest and we got the 14 State Challenge done last year because we're getting old and we'll never be able to do it all. But we enjoy what we can do). I love watching your family hike and I'll be praying for a safe and successful hike for you all next year.
Looking forward to watching you guys! I finished the AT and Foothills trail last this year. I will also be up doing trail magic in Feb for the new early hikers!
@@ISuckatHiking my family followed you and Leo every day earlier this year! You are such a rockstar, and I commented a few times about how cool it was that you shared your faith on trail. We are hoping to be a spiritual encouragement to folks as well ❤️ Would love to see you and Leo for some trail magic! Thanks for all the work you put into your channel 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Just found your channel while looking for AT thru hikers to follow this year, can't wait for you to get started! FYI if you haven't already found it. There is an adapter to connect your clean water bottle to your Sawyer, it's like $3.00 on Amazon, very nice to have!
@@wildflowersadventures thanks so much! We were a little nervous going in, but we feel sooo proud to have accomplished this. The kids were absolute rockstars 🤩
Subscribed, looks like a fun hike. In time I'm sure we'll get to know all your family members, during your adventures on the AT. Hope you make it to the end! I wouldn't be surprised if your channel is going to be big.
You can throw your tyvek tent footprints in the washing machine to make them nice and quiet. just run them thru one cycle and then throw them in the dryer. I know they can be super loud when it is fresh material. happy hiking
@sixpackhikers yes still waterproof, I haven't had any issues with mine, you just put it in the washing machine, no detergent needed, then you can pop it in the dryer. Doesn't take long to dry it. You can hang dry it also. Some people warn not to use the dryer because if it gets to hot it could get brittle.
Hi guys just found your channel. I love seeing families hiking together. I thru hiked and vlogged in 2022 and thru hiked the foothills trail last year and loved both. I subbed and look forward to following along. I’ll be out at some points doing trail magic so hope to see you out there. You did great and be blessed!!!
@@tamaraleatherwood thank you! And yes, the mental aspect is so important. We do our best to have a positive outlook despite the challenges. We don’t always succeed, but when we do, it makes such a huge difference!
@@nicolemyers4584 Yes! The pot upgrade was a fantastic one. We’d previously had two stoves and two small pots. It was such a pain! 6 miles is fantastic for a 3 year old! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 Our kids are 9-15. Our youngest started increasing mileage around 4-5 years old, but didn’t get to the double digits in miles until 6-7.
Great video! I live near the FHT, so it was our first thru-hike. Maybe my husband and I will see you out there in 2025! We have sectioned as far as Harper’s Ferry and hope to start our final LASH in May. Best of luck to y’all!
@@flowerpower1980 how cool! And what an epic first thru hike. We live in Western NC, so our first thru was the Art Loeb. ❤️ It would be amazing to see y’all out on trail. Will you LASH Harper’s to Katahdin??
@ that’s the plan! We’re hoping to maybe get a few week long hikes done before starting in May to finish. (My husband just retired….yay!) We’d love to get through MD before starting. And oh my….saw your video of doing Art Loeb in a day! Whoa! I’ve backpacked it with girlfriends….but we did it 2 nights/ 3 days….we have a love/hate with Mr Loeb. 😂 How lucky are we to be able to live near such beautiful mtns? Hope to see y’all out there! And again….best of luck….your family has the BEST attitude which is the most important part of hiking!
Looking to do the FT in late December for my shake down. I'll be flip flopping starting in April NOBO from Rockfish Gap, then will return to Rockfish to finish SOBO to Springer next year. Good luck on your thru!
Good shakedown hike! Looking forward to seeing everyone next to the sign on mommy K because I'm sure it's not going to be an "attempt", y'all will finish.
@@skylerrockey5656 so fun! I’m sure you and your family will enjoy it. None of the three campsites we stayed at were official. The official sites didn’t line up with our mileage goals each day, so we aimed for stealth sites listed on FarOut. Traveling from Oconee and east the campsites were at mile 12.4, 17.7, and 26.4, I believe. We hit the 17.7 on on our way back. Hope that helps!
@ you’re fantastic, thank you for the information. I was looking at a few stealth sites via Farout, I’ll look at those mile markers. Looked beautiful! Thank you again for the assistance!
@@skylerrockey5656 glad I could help! The official campsites all looked really nice with good space for tents and a water source nearby. But like I said, they just didn’t lineup with our daily mileage. Our favorite stealth site was on day 2 overlooking lake Jocassee. The sunrise was gorgeous!
Good luck on your adventure. If I may give you a tip: the Sawyer filter is awesome, but that bag is crap. Get rid of that and replace it for a cnoc vecto. You will not regret 😊 Oh and please don't play music out of a speaker when on the trail....
@@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl thanks for the good luck wishes and the tip on the cnoc vecto! We are definitely sensitive to the fact that folks hiking want to listen to nature-honestly, we do too. We were the only people around and had it playing for a 1.5 mile climb before turning it off. Had we encountered anyone, we would have paused it. Music is our last resort motivation wise for our younger kids ❤️
@@sixpackhikersthere is never a place on trail for amplified music. Others will hear you before you see them and turn it down. Use headphones for each individual if music is needed.
Great hike, I enjoy following family hikes. Just curious, what are your vlogging plans for the AT (daily / weekly / no plan, not really thought about it yet, we´re just attempting to hike the AT as a family)?
@@Eastbound84 thank you so much! It’s taken quite a few years to build our family’s hiking endurance to this point. Keep at it 🙌🏻 We bought a handful of survival bandanas from the ATC in Harper’s Ferry, WV. 🤓
What a lovely family you have! I wish I had been able to do something like this when I was a kid. Your tents look like Copper Spurs? How are they working out? I just bought one but testing it out will have to wait til spring, as I'm up in New England, where we're getting a bit of snow this morning. I'll definitely be following your thruhike and wish you all the best!
@@jessicaray4518 thank you so very much! I didn’t do any of this as a kid either. My first camping trip was April 2019 😆 We have three Big Agnus 3-person tents, and we love them! We like the extra room the 3-person size affords, and the weight isn’t bad at all. None of the tents leaked during the heavy rain and wind we had on night 2 either 🥳
@@sixpackhikers When I was pretty young my family and I lived down in VA maybe 30 minutes from Skyline Drive. Definitely spent some time camping up at campgrounds there, but never did any sort of backpacking trips. That was back in the 70's and gear has really come a long way since then! Big Agnes makes some really great lightweight tents. The one I bought is roughly 3 lbs. When I was a kid, we camped in a canvas tent that weighed a boatload!
@@bill8384 yes! Definitely an awesome tip and important thing to remember. We slept with our electronics and water filters-in separate bags 😉 and water bottles came into the tent as well the last night. If it had gotten any colder, those bottles would have come into our sleep systems too 🙌🏻
Very nice. I’m considering to use the Foothills Trail as a shakedown myself. What app was your husband using for tracking the daily mileage? I saw him show it at the end.
@@johnavenall1353 it’s a great shakedown trail! I used FarOut for official navigation. He used Gaia for tracking. We are used to Gaia but are working to get comfortable with FarOut. It’s the official app for the Foothills Trail-and maybe the AT too.
I finished the same hike that you did just one day before you started. Your family did amazing, especially the kids! I was however very disappointed when you started playing music from a speaker. Cardinal sin in the back country. I hope that’s a practice you abandon quickly. I will follow your AT thru- hike unless you interfere with other peoples experience, by deciding your music is meant for everyone. Best luck!
@@rickcodyvideos thanks for watching and for the encouragement! The music was played for a 1.5 mile climb, and we were the only people we’d seen all day. We absolutely respect those wanting to hear the sounds of nature (we do too!), and we would have turned it off if there were any signs of people. Thanks for the feedback ☺️
@@jessicaw.6321 yes! We live in WNC and are pretty aware of the conditions in our area + the TN border. We are prepared to flip up past the most damaged areas if needed and finish those sections when it’s safe to do so. ❤️
Great video but please don't play music with a speaker when on the trail. It's very disruptive to nature and other hikers. So glad you have your family out hiking!!
@@WhiskeyWanderer Totally understand the concern. We played it for a 1.5 mile climb in the last 3 mile stretch and didn’t see a soul during that time. Would have turned it off if so. We definitely don’t want to interrupt anyone’s experience. ❤️
Admittedly I haven’t watched the video. But does anyone else have a sphincter that tightens ever so slightly when they see multiple children being pushed out on Social media doing things that most don’t do? Do all of those kids really want a 60 march on the AT? I know he isn’t in Utah, but….
This is Gregg & Bobette G. (Cleveland, TN), and we were THRILLED to discover your awesome family! Your preparation, your joy, and your love of the Lord are already an inspiration and blessing to us, and we can't wait to go-along with you on this amazing adventure! Know that we will be praying for you!
@@gregggus thank you SO much for that encouragement and for the prayers. We are eager to see how this experience grows us all physically but also spiritually. We hope to be able to spread Christ’s love trail ❤️🥾
I just started watching your channel. I'm so amazed how you are teaching your children how to hike at a young age. Yay! Can't wait until you do the AT in 2025.
@@DianeWarren-y6i thank you for that encouragement! It’s been a learning process for all of us over quite a few years now, but we are definitely enjoying the fruits of those labors at this point. Thrilled you’ll be a part of our digital trail family!
Hey Six Pack Hikers, Preacher here. I just discovered your channel and am excited to follow you on your NB AT adventure. We are from outside Charlotte and I have been an avid backpacker for a LONG time. The FHT is one of my favorite trails and I am always stoked to see others enjoying it. We have family in the Lake Jocassee area, which makes the FHT convenient. All the best to you on the trail. God bless.
@@preacher1511 welcome to the channel! I’m so glad you found us. We are honored that you joined our digital trail family and are eager to get on trail ❤️🥾 Happy New Year!
Great job!! Can’t wait to follow your AT adventure!
@@frolickingflamingo thank you! We’d love for you to follow along. Couldn’t be more excited to get on trail-especially knowing that folks like you are cheering us on 🥰
AMAZING!! You guys ROCKED !!!!! Looking forward to following your adventures!! GBU!!
@@carmenhernandez6102 thank you so much for that awesome encouragement! We are eager to get on trail ❤️🥾🎉
Look forward to watching you guys in the spring. Keep
shaking the weight down. There is a balance between being lite and being comfortable. You guys will figure out what you can do without. Cool to see polite kids.
@@GregGay-w3w thanks for that encouragement! We are definitely hoping to shake some more weight off, but the slightly heavier bags weren’t unbearable, thankfully. Our older two daughters could easily carry a bit more which would take a couple pounds off of David and I. 🙌🏻
You're doing an amazing job with your videoing and your narration!! I watched a friend do the trail in 6 1/2 months in 2024 and was missing the experience terribly. Now that I have found you I'm excited to watch your journey.
@@KyGirl747 I so appreciate that encouragement and your support. Thrilled to have you in our digital trail family! Hope you’ll enjoy following along ❤️🥾
Just found a family to follow for this year! 😊
@@sheilahenry7279 aw! Amazing 🥰 we’d love to have you in our digital trail family!
That's awesome for your family. I wish my wife would go on such an adventure (The AT) with our kids. Your kids will remember this forever. Sometimes it's type 2 fun. Type 2 fun is when something isn't fun in the moment, but it is an awesome memory/great story later.
@@Bibs123 oh wow! I love the idea of calling it type 2 fun. So accurate! And don’t give up on your wife. I had never camped or even hiked much at all prior to 2019, and here I am 5 years later on the eve of a thru hike 🙌🏻🥾
I always look for someone to follow on their AT hike....I think you are it!
Nice video!
Subscribed. ❤
@@chriswhittington294 oh wow! Thank you! We are honored to have you in our digital trail family. Counting down the days 😁
Super Excited about your journey. AT is definitely a dream of mine. How wonderful you are doing it as a family. Can’t wait to see what this new year brings for you!!
@@brandyburch347 thank you so much for that encouragement! We consider ourselves fortunate indeed, to be able to have this experience as a family. Really looking forward to getting on trail, and we would love to have you in our digital trail family. 🥰
You guys are Awesome 👏
I love watching families hike . So excited to go on your journey with you !!!! ❤ Happy trails !!!
@@Vibrantlife_365Traveler Thanks for that encouragement! We consider ourselves very blessed indeed to have the opportunity to pursue experiences like this as a family ❤️
That was a great video, nice job!🥰❤️❤️👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@apen2152 thank you! ❤️🥾
I like your narrative. Looking forward to your AT hike. Safe hiking!
@@vickitea7119 thanks for that encouragement! We are honored to have you in our digital trail family ❤️🥾
I look forward to following your journey. Your family is awesome. Good luck
@@a814723 thank you for the support and for coming along on the journey in our digital trail family! We are eager to get started ❤️🥾
You’re doing awesome. The Foothills trail was also my shakedown hike before my 2019 AT thru hike. Kinda jealous. You have sooo much coming that can’t be put into words. It’s hard but worth it.
@@Drone256 thanks so much for that honest encouragement! We are eager to get started-nervous, but mostly excited ❤️🥾
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm doing it at the end if December and was very nervous about it, but you've made so secure and excited. Thanks again your family is awesome
@@kathychatfield8228 I’m so glad to hear that! And happy trails on your Foothills adventure ❤️ Thanks for the encouragement!
Found your link through Bucy TV's AT thru-hikers to watch. I love your family; loved this video! Can't wait to follow your AT adventure--this is going to be epic. God bless you one and all.
@@lobstahgirl how neat! Thank you so much for those encouraging words. We’d love to have you in our digital trail family and would covet your prayers as we embark on this journey of a lifetime ❤️
Great hike and shakedown! Looking forward to your AT.
@@donbarnett4201 thanks a bunch! It was pretty incredible for us; we learned so much. Even more excited to get on trail in Feb now!
Had to subscribe as y’all are from my old stomping grounds in Fletcher. I worked there and lived in Candler for 12 years. Good luck and blessings on your 2025 AT hike.
@@bser2293 what a small world! Where did you work? Thanks for the support!
Hi. I am local to the foothills trail. I just hiked it in the summer well before the hurricane. It is hard hiking in the winter with such short daylight hours. Happy hiking
@@MyCatIsSmarter the shorter days were definitely something we had to adjust for. We aimed to be at camp by 4/4:30pm each evening so we could get set up before dark. The nights with a campfire were the best ☺️
Awesome shakedown hike, Pushing hard and everyone in good spirits.
@@jamesbonner5989 thank you for that encouragement! We consider ourselves very blessed indeed to be able to venture on trail as a family ❤️
Great job. Can't wait to follow your AT journey.
@@Muggleborn_Adventures thanks so much! We’d love to have you in our digital trail family 🥰
What a great life shaping adventure for your family. Some of my best memories were made with my son on the trail. Sawyer also makes a gravity fed filters. Mine has 2 3 liter bags. Used it for years and it works great for a group your size as water will be a major need every day. Can't wait to follow your journey!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and support! We cannot wait to see how the trail grows each of us independently and as a family.
And thanks for the tip on the gravity fed bags. Glad you’ll be following along as part of our digital trail family ❤️🥾
@sixpackhikers another little hack, Popeyes chicken has tea/Lemonade bags. They can be reused to haul water.
@ nice!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Such a shame you couldn’t do the entire trail, due to the Hurricane. Love the Foothills Trail. A great 76 mile stretch that is more beautiful than many of the 76 mile sections of the AT, although slightly easier than the mountains to the west. One suggestion, Get one or two - 2L CNOC Dirty water bags. The Sawyer bags are prone to leaks and ruptures. CNOC’s are much more durable and dependable. Plus they are easy to creat a. Velcro strap to Gravity feed with an added bottle connector when you get tired of. Squeezing or are at camp. You are set up for success after this shakedown. A thru. Hike is just 3-5 Day section repeated over an over until you finish!
@@gboltonatrail1099 we hope to return to the Foothills Trail once it’s fully reopened. I agree that it is beautiful! And thank you for the tip on the CNOC bags. We actually just received two for Christmas 🎄can’t wait to try them out!
Thanks for the encouragement and support! ❤️🥾
This video popped up in my feed and decided to check it out... enjoyed it, subscribed and looking forward to your AT journey. 😊
@@ItJustDawnOnMe how cool is that? We are pretty new to vlogging, so any feedback is welcomed! Glad to hear you’ll be joining our digital trail family 🥰
Welcome 25' - I would like to suggest with 20* bags to get liners for everyone. It turned out to be one of my favorite pieces of gear and I used it for my entire thru hike. Excited to cheer you on! Jet 21'
@@colleenhikes yes! I had an alpaca liner I was testing out from the now closed Appalachian Gear Company, and the kids have liners coming in from Sea to Summit for Christmas. David is still shopping for his, but they definitely make a huge difference. Thanks for helping to underscore their importance. Eager to have one in the hands of all 6 of us 😁
@sixpackhikers awesome! The alpaca one sounds amazing. I had sea to summit. I picked it up at Neel gap after my zipper on my sleeping bag broke. I ended up sometimes putting my sleeping bag inside it which was weird, but I actually liked lol. When really cold i would since it over my head it helped keep my sleeping bag closed and my pillow also inside in place. I'm surprised I didn't get a new trail name for how ridiculous it looked lol. Kinda like a bivy though. I also did it in shelters to keep the worry of critter visits down lol. In the summer I slept in it on top my sleeping bag.
@sixpackhikers also, it didn't take long till I started sleeping in my hiking clothes, so it helped to be able to wash the liner everytime I did laundry
@ super creative! We’ve gotta do whatever necessary to get sound sleep, so I think that’s an awesome idea 🙌🏻
@ was it exhaustion at the end of the day that made you stay in your hiking clothes?
Excited to watch your journey!
@@aandpforme thanks for coming along! We are equally excited to get on trail. It’s been nearly 5 years in the making 😍
Great video. I have hiked that section of the Foothills Trail in the past and really enjoyed it. Wonderful family. I will be watching when y'all tackle the AT!!
@@paulwilson1449 thanks so much for the encouragement! Glad you’ll be part of our digital trail family 🥰🥾
Nice shakedown, I’ve subscribed and look forward to following your adventure.
@@paulalee9324 thanks so much for that encouragement and your support! 🥰
0:06 Hi Lisa and I (Steve) just watched your Video and have to say well done. Your filming and Blogging are Great. We are in Maine and look forward to watching your travel adventures to getting here. We do trail magic. Will keep an eye on you and maybe get to help you on your way here in Maine.
@@Burnham207 thank you for the support and encouraging words! We would consider ourselves blessed to receive trail magic in Maine. You guys are incredible to come alongside the thru hiking community in that way! ❤️🥾
Enjoyed your video, nice job vlogging! My wife, sister, and I are starting our AT hike in Georgia on Feb 14th. We will see you on the trail 😊
@@Lt.Hikes0329 thanks for that encouragement! Vlogging is a new venture for me, but I’m learning a lot and really enjoying it.
How cool! I really hope our paths cross! Will you be vlogging too?
@@sixpackhikersYes, I have been posting some training videos. I really love the creative process of taking videos, editing them, and then sharing with others.
@ just subbed!
Fantastic hike! My husband and I do day hikes and we've done bits and pieces of the Foothills Trail, especially in Oconee State Park, Burrells Ford area, and we've been to Whitewater Falls multiple times, but never in the winter. Beautiful! We live in North Georgia but are originally from NC. I just love following AT hikers so I can watch what we've already done (we've hiked 3/4 of the AT in Georgia and some in NC, TN, VA and all of WVA, and then a little in all the rest and we got the 14 State Challenge done last year because we're getting old and we'll never be able to do it all. But we enjoy what we can do). I love watching your family hike and I'll be praying for a safe and successful hike for you all next year.
@@scr5boom thanks for sharing part of your story! We’d love to have you in our digital trail family and so appreciate the prayers ❤️
Looking forward to watching you guys! I finished the AT and Foothills trail last this year. I will also be up doing trail magic in Feb for the new early hikers!
@@ISuckatHiking my family followed you and Leo every day earlier this year! You are such a rockstar, and I commented a few times about how cool it was that you shared your faith on trail. We are hoping to be a spiritual encouragement to folks as well ❤️
Would love to see you and Leo for some trail magic! Thanks for all the work you put into your channel 🙌🏻🙌🏻
I followed you also and can't wait to see this family in action!
Just subscribed. Looking forward to watching your AT adventure next year! Wishing you the best in 2025!
@@sandrap3047 thank you so much for the encouragement and support! ❤️🥾
I’m excited to follow your journey! Good luck!
@@bkrajewski6756 thanks so much for the well wishes! We are thrilled to have you alongside following our the adventure 🥰🥾
Great Job! Very impressive. :)
@@AbsoluteTruthMatters thanks so much! ❤️🥾
Congratulations to you and your family. I’m #172. I’ll be following your journey on the AT. Great family.
@@kmichaelp4508 thank you for that encouragement! We’d love to have you follow the adventure. Counting down the days 😍
I have subscribed. Looked forward to the hike.
@@bettyjorodgers8552 thank you so much for the support and encouragement! ❤️🥾
Awesome job! Great video. I'm looking forward to following your journey.
@@celenasherrill1455 thanks so much! We would be honored to have you along as part of our digital trail family. So excited to get started!
Just found your channel while looking for AT thru hikers to follow this year, can't wait for you to get started!
FYI if you haven't already found it. There is an adapter to connect your clean water bottle to your Sawyer, it's like $3.00 on Amazon, very nice to have!
@@andyhikes4305 thanks for joining our digital trail family! And wow-thank you for that tip. Looking into the adapter now 🙌🏻🥾
Congratulations!! Well done!
@@wildflowersadventures thanks so much! We were a little nervous going in, but we feel sooo proud to have accomplished this. The kids were absolute rockstars 🤩
Subscribed, looks like a fun hike. In time I'm sure we'll get to know all your family members, during your adventures on the AT. Hope you make it to the end! I wouldn't be surprised if your channel is going to be big.
@@t.vanoosterhout233 thanks for joining our digital trail family! And thank you for the major vote of confidence. We are SO ready to get started 🥾🥾
You can throw your tyvek tent footprints in the washing machine to make them nice and quiet. just run them thru one cycle and then throw them in the dryer. I know they can be super loud when it is fresh material. happy hiking
@@BucyTV oh wow! I had no idea. They are definitely noisy right now. Thank you so much for that tip. And it doesn’t diminish their waterproof quality?
@sixpackhikers yes still waterproof, I haven't had any issues with mine, you just put it in the washing machine, no detergent needed, then you can pop it in the dryer. Doesn't take long to dry it. You can hang dry it also. Some people warn not to use the dryer because if it gets to hot it could get brittle.
@ that’s incredible! Thanks so much for the insight 🙌🏻
Hi guys just found your channel. I love seeing families hiking together. I thru hiked and vlogged in 2022 and thru hiked the foothills trail last year and loved both. I subbed and look forward to following along. I’ll be out at some points doing trail magic so hope to see you out there. You did great and be blessed!!!
@@stanthemanhikes2965 bless you for being a trail angel! I hope our paths cross during our thru. I’ll check out your vlogs tonight!
If you haven't seen Stan's vlogs from 2022 you should. Absolutely wonderful seeing him hike from Georgia to Katahdin.
@@scr5boom awww thanks so much for the kind words!!
Very cool! I did the same thing here in Virginia a few months ago. Happy trails.
@@todd4480 Awesome! There’s nothing quite like being on trail for multiple days. Very eager to get on to the AT to experience that feeling magnified 🥰
Pace looked great and ya'll kept a positive attitude which helps
@@tamaraleatherwood thank you! And yes, the mental aspect is so important. We do our best to have a positive outlook despite the challenges. We don’t always succeed, but when we do, it makes such a huge difference!
14 miles is good. You all should do great on the AT with a strong start.
@@Praiser7770 thank you so much! The kids really impressed us with their mental and physical tenacity. Excited to get started!
Mom has a Great voice !
@@zanewoodward4822 thank you!
🙌🎉💪🥾 Great job!
@@HikeMichigan thanks so much! ❤️🥾
We’re a family of 8. I love seeing the “real sized pot.” Our kids are ages 3-14, so we do 6 mile or less hikes for now. Hope your adventure goes well.
@@nicolemyers4584 Yes! The pot upgrade was a fantastic one. We’d previously had two stoves and two small pots. It was such a pain! 6 miles is fantastic for a 3 year old! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Our kids are 9-15. Our youngest started increasing mileage around 4-5 years old, but didn’t get to the double digits in miles until 6-7.
Well done! I can’t wait to follow you in 2025!
@@kathygalofski6154 oh wow! Thanks so much for coming along on our journey. We are absolutely counting down the days. Cannot wait 😍🥾
You guys rock!
@@johnmcshea5669 thank you so much! We are feeling pretty blessed indeed to be on the eve of this family adventure 🥰
Great video! I live near the FHT, so it was our first thru-hike. Maybe my husband and I will see you out there in 2025! We have sectioned as far as Harper’s Ferry and hope to start our final LASH in May. Best of luck to y’all!
@@flowerpower1980 how cool! And what an epic first thru hike. We live in Western NC, so our first thru was the Art Loeb. ❤️ It would be amazing to see y’all out on trail. Will you LASH Harper’s to Katahdin??
@ that’s the plan! We’re hoping to maybe get a few week long hikes done before starting in May to finish. (My husband just retired….yay!) We’d love to get through MD before starting. And oh my….saw your video of doing Art Loeb in a day! Whoa! I’ve backpacked it with girlfriends….but we did it 2 nights/ 3 days….we have a love/hate with Mr Loeb. 😂 How lucky are we to be able to live near such beautiful mtns? Hope to see y’all out there! And again….best of luck….your family has the BEST attitude which is the most important part of hiking!
@ something about turning 40 this year made me want to prove myself physically 😂
Looking to do the FT in late December for my shake down. I'll be flip flopping starting in April NOBO from Rockfish Gap, then will return to Rockfish to finish SOBO to Springer next year. Good luck on your thru!
@ how exciting! Hope it goes super smoothly for you. We really enjoyed our time on the trail, and cold hiking is our favorite. 😁
Good shakedown hike! Looking forward to seeing everyone next to the sign on mommy K because I'm sure it's not going to be an "attempt", y'all will finish.
@@markviers998 Wow! Thank you so much for that vote of confidence. We hope to do you proud 🙌🏻🥾
great job!
@@MrMountaincycle thank you!
AT is wet. I would recommend seem sealing and adding additional water proofing to those tents.
@@matthewviehmann7590 thank you so much for that advice! And thanks for watching ☺️
Which camp sites did you select? Planning a trip myself for my family and I. Love the video, FYIA for the information!
@@skylerrockey5656 so fun! I’m sure you and your family will enjoy it. None of the three campsites we stayed at were official. The official sites didn’t line up with our mileage goals each day, so we aimed for stealth sites listed on FarOut.
Traveling from Oconee and east the campsites were at mile 12.4, 17.7, and 26.4, I believe. We hit the 17.7 on on our way back. Hope that helps!
@ you’re fantastic, thank you for the information.
I was looking at a few stealth sites via Farout, I’ll look at those mile markers. Looked beautiful!
Thank you again for the assistance!
@@skylerrockey5656 glad I could help! The official campsites all looked really nice with good space for tents and a water source nearby. But like I said, they just didn’t lineup with our daily mileage. Our favorite stealth site was on day 2 overlooking lake Jocassee. The sunrise was gorgeous!
Good luck on your adventure.
If I may give you a tip: the Sawyer filter is awesome, but that bag is crap. Get rid of that and replace it for a cnoc vecto. You will not regret 😊
Oh and please don't play music out of a speaker when on the trail....
@@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl thanks for the good luck wishes and the tip on the cnoc vecto!
We are definitely sensitive to the fact that folks hiking want to listen to nature-honestly, we do too. We were the only people around and had it playing for a 1.5 mile climb before turning it off. Had we encountered anyone, we would have paused it. Music is our last resort motivation wise for our younger kids ❤️
@@sixpackhikersthere is never a place on trail for amplified music. Others will hear you before you see them and turn it down. Use headphones for each individual if music is needed.
@ Thank you for your feedback.
Great hike, I enjoy following family hikes. Just curious, what are your vlogging plans for the AT (daily / weekly / no plan, not really thought about it yet, we´re just attempting to hike the AT as a family)?
@@ElPiedro80 thanks so much! I am hoping to do a short (
Great job on the video...I can only get my youngest to hike with us. What kind if orange bandana is that? Is it a survival one?
@@Eastbound84 thank you so much! It’s taken quite a few years to build our family’s hiking endurance to this point. Keep at it 🙌🏻
We bought a handful of survival bandanas from the ATC in Harper’s Ferry, WV. 🤓
What a lovely family you have! I wish I had been able to do something like this when I was a kid. Your tents look like Copper Spurs? How are they working out? I just bought one but testing it out will have to wait til spring, as I'm up in New England, where we're getting a bit of snow this morning. I'll definitely be following your thruhike and wish you all the best!
@@jessicaray4518 thank you so very much! I didn’t do any of this as a kid either. My first camping trip was April 2019 😆
We have three Big Agnus 3-person tents, and we love them! We like the extra room the 3-person size affords, and the weight isn’t bad at all. None of the tents leaked during the heavy rain and wind we had on night 2 either 🥳
@@sixpackhikers When I was pretty young my family and I lived down in VA maybe 30 minutes from Skyline Drive. Definitely spent some time camping up at campgrounds there, but never did any sort of backpacking trips. That was back in the 70's and gear has really come a long way since then! Big Agnes makes some really great lightweight tents. The one I bought is roughly 3 lbs. When I was a kid, we camped in a canvas tent that weighed a boatload!
Below freezing, make sure the Sawyer and water doesn't freeze by sleeping with them.
@@bill8384 yes! Definitely an awesome tip and important thing to remember. We slept with our electronics and water filters-in separate bags 😉 and water bottles came into the tent as well the last night. If it had gotten any colder, those bottles would have come into our sleep systems too 🙌🏻
Very nice. I’m considering to use the Foothills Trail as a shakedown myself. What app was your husband using for tracking the daily mileage? I saw him show it at the end.
@@johnavenall1353 it’s a great shakedown trail! I used FarOut for official navigation. He used Gaia for tracking. We are used to Gaia but are working to get comfortable with FarOut. It’s the official app for the Foothills Trail-and maybe the AT too.
❤❤❤❤
Maybe we will meet on the AT next year
@@eddiemathis412 that would be incredible! Are you hiking Nobo or Sobo?
When said you left everything set up while hiked and then came back. Was everything untouched when you returned?
@@kathychatfield8228 yes. Untouched. We took all our food with us though. We just left the tents/sleep systems 🙌🏻
I finished the same hike that you did just one day before you started. Your family did amazing, especially the kids!
I was however very disappointed when you started playing music from a speaker. Cardinal sin in the back country. I hope that’s a practice you abandon quickly.
I will follow your AT thru- hike unless you interfere with other peoples experience, by deciding your music is meant for everyone.
Best luck!
@@rickcodyvideos thanks for watching and for the encouragement! The music was played for a 1.5 mile climb, and we were the only people we’d seen all day. We absolutely respect those wanting to hear the sounds of nature (we do too!), and we would have turned it off if there were any signs of people. Thanks for the feedback ☺️
Have y'all been watching ram Dino on his channel about the condition of the trail so far?
@@jessicaw.6321 yes! We live in WNC and are pretty aware of the conditions in our area + the TN border. We are prepared to flip up past the most damaged areas if needed and finish those sections when it’s safe to do so. ❤️
Did you use Bear Canister?
Oops! Thought I replied. We used Kevlar ursacks instead of bear canisters. The foothills trail was not short on great bear hang spots 🙌🏻
Great video but please don't play music with a speaker when on the trail. It's very disruptive to nature and other hikers. So glad you have your family out hiking!!
@@WhiskeyWanderer Totally understand the concern. We played it for a 1.5 mile climb in the last 3 mile stretch and didn’t see a soul during that time. Would have turned it off if so. We definitely don’t want to interrupt anyone’s experience. ❤️
Admittedly I haven’t watched the video. But does anyone else have a sphincter that tightens ever so slightly when they see multiple children being pushed out on Social media doing things that most don’t do? Do all of those kids really want a 60 march on the AT? I know he isn’t in Utah, but….