By Mary Anderson

As I packed for my hike I thought about the spin it put on my concepts of resources. I was surrounded by all the stuff I would use in the next four months. It looked like a lot. Yet it all fits inside my pack, and except for the food, it weighs less than 20 pounds. I won’t even have a change of clothes with me. Yet it will be plenty. Why don’t I live this way when I am not hiking?

Ultra-light hiking pioneer Emma Rowena (Caldwell) Gatewood. Known as Grandma Gatewood, Emma became the first solo female thru-hiker of the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67. She wore Keds sneakers and carried a small notebook, food, and clothing in a denim bag. No tent, no sleeping bag.

My boxes full of food, waiting to be mailed, also looked like a lot. Indeed, for many in the world, these ten boxes of dried spaghetti, instant potatoes, granola, tuna, beef jerky and power bars would be gourmet meals. And once on trail I will view them that way as well. But at home, eating instant potatoes is not all that appealing.

I am aware that in the Wyoming desert, water will be scarce and polluted by cows. Yet in the mountains I will have rivers to cross that may be up to my armpits. Having the right amount of water is dependent upon where I will be at any given time. I am lucky to live in Vermont, where even though I sometimes have to haul water to my house, there is plenty to be found, and not so much that I worry about being flooded by rising sea levels.

While on trail I will miss the resources Korongo offers to us writers. Yet I am grateful for the resources it is providing me, which will make this hike so much more enjoyable than my last. Knowing I will be able to stay in towns is a huge gift for me. It reminds me of how much I appreciated a roof over my head after being homeless with a two-year-old child.

Food, water, clothing, shelter: The basics become so much more meaningful when we hike.