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- Feb 10, 2006
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Mrs. Tradja and I will be giving notice soon. This year we’re going to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. As many of you know, the PCT starts at the Mexican border outside San Diego, winds through the deserts of SoCal, along the length of the Sierra Nevada, into the Oregon and Washington Cascades, and ends 2650 miles later at Manning Provincial Park a few miles inside of British Columbia.
I thru-hiked the PCT in 1998 and again in 1999. Now it’s 11 years later (and I’m 11 years older). In 2006, we hiked the 3000-mile Continental Divide Trail together. It was an amazing hike in its own right and an amazing experience as a couple. Some of you probably caught the big photo thread on TOS. (“Knives for a 3000-mile hike this summer Part II”
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Yes, we might be foolish to quit our jobs when the unemployment rate is around 20% in our county. But after I was struck by lightning last summer, it cemented my belief that you only live once. We don’t have kids, dogs, goldfish, student loans, car payments, and only a reasonable fixed-rate mortgage. My job is OK but I’ve felt an increasing need to make a career change into public service. Mrs. Tradja’s desire to get out for another big adventure gives me an opening to make a clean transition and decisively move on with getting into national security when we get back.
This hike isn’t really a survival activity, but 5 months on the trail is definitely a wilderness trip! It’s a little different style of activity than we usually discuss here but I hope it proves to be an interesting discussion. In any event, it is a great excuse to post pics of knives and mountains.
Many contemporary thru-hikers maintain online journals at places like trailjournals.com. The PocketMail device and service is popular for keeping these maintained almost in real-time. However, though I am a database analyst by vocation, I just don’t want to lug hardware and keep up on computer chores during this hike. I don’t want to spend hours in small-town public libraries typing up journal posts. Also, blog-style formats are so me-me-me-author-centric.
Instead, let’s give this thread a try as an alternative. Every few weeks this summer, as internet access permits, I’d like to post to this thread with updates, stories, and discussion. After all, my wife gets very tired very fast of knife talk, so I will need my fix throughout the hike!
Over the next 6 weeks, I’ll post about my chaotic haphazard “planning”, such as it is: gear lists, resupply schedule, logistics, training. We’ll start from the Mexican border the weekend of ADZPCTKO and plan to finish at Manning Park in mid to late September.
What knife for a trip like this?
You tell me! I invite makers, manufacturers, or even dealers to provide a suitable knife for me to carry, use, photograph, and review on this expedition. During the trip, I will post updates and photos, with a more comprehensive followup review after the hike this fall. With an assortment of 4 or 5 knives, each one would get at least 500-600 miles (about a month) as they rotate in and out as postal logistics permit. However, it is likely that at times I will carry 2 or 3 at a time just to get more miles on each.
Any design, any steel, any materials, heck, even folders: standard models, prototypes, and concept models are all welcome. Any knife you’d care to provide will be happily reviewed and extensively photographed, but keep in mind that huge choppers are not especially suitable for a hike like this. In my experience, lightweight knives between 5”-9” OAL are well-matched for extended fast and light travel over long distances in a variety of terrains.
7 weeks to go: I've got my 5 pairs of shoes already and will use most of my same gear from the CDT. We still need to find a property management company to handle our house rental. The resupply schedule is almost done. I'm really getting stoked.
I thru-hiked the PCT in 1998 and again in 1999. Now it’s 11 years later (and I’m 11 years older). In 2006, we hiked the 3000-mile Continental Divide Trail together. It was an amazing hike in its own right and an amazing experience as a couple. Some of you probably caught the big photo thread on TOS. (“Knives for a 3000-mile hike this summer Part II”
. Yes, we might be foolish to quit our jobs when the unemployment rate is around 20% in our county. But after I was struck by lightning last summer, it cemented my belief that you only live once. We don’t have kids, dogs, goldfish, student loans, car payments, and only a reasonable fixed-rate mortgage. My job is OK but I’ve felt an increasing need to make a career change into public service. Mrs. Tradja’s desire to get out for another big adventure gives me an opening to make a clean transition and decisively move on with getting into national security when we get back.
This hike isn’t really a survival activity, but 5 months on the trail is definitely a wilderness trip! It’s a little different style of activity than we usually discuss here but I hope it proves to be an interesting discussion. In any event, it is a great excuse to post pics of knives and mountains.
Many contemporary thru-hikers maintain online journals at places like trailjournals.com. The PocketMail device and service is popular for keeping these maintained almost in real-time. However, though I am a database analyst by vocation, I just don’t want to lug hardware and keep up on computer chores during this hike. I don’t want to spend hours in small-town public libraries typing up journal posts. Also, blog-style formats are so me-me-me-author-centric.
Instead, let’s give this thread a try as an alternative. Every few weeks this summer, as internet access permits, I’d like to post to this thread with updates, stories, and discussion. After all, my wife gets very tired very fast of knife talk, so I will need my fix throughout the hike!
Over the next 6 weeks, I’ll post about my chaotic haphazard “planning”, such as it is: gear lists, resupply schedule, logistics, training. We’ll start from the Mexican border the weekend of ADZPCTKO and plan to finish at Manning Park in mid to late September.
What knife for a trip like this?
You tell me! I invite makers, manufacturers, or even dealers to provide a suitable knife for me to carry, use, photograph, and review on this expedition. During the trip, I will post updates and photos, with a more comprehensive followup review after the hike this fall. With an assortment of 4 or 5 knives, each one would get at least 500-600 miles (about a month) as they rotate in and out as postal logistics permit. However, it is likely that at times I will carry 2 or 3 at a time just to get more miles on each.
Any design, any steel, any materials, heck, even folders: standard models, prototypes, and concept models are all welcome. Any knife you’d care to provide will be happily reviewed and extensively photographed, but keep in mind that huge choppers are not especially suitable for a hike like this. In my experience, lightweight knives between 5”-9” OAL are well-matched for extended fast and light travel over long distances in a variety of terrains.
7 weeks to go: I've got my 5 pairs of shoes already and will use most of my same gear from the CDT. We still need to find a property management company to handle our house rental. The resupply schedule is almost done. I'm really getting stoked.
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