One Becker for the AT...

With an upcoming SOBO thru-hike in 2k14. The BK13 would hands down win at 1.3 oz with sheath. Granted I will be carrying a blade I will make for myself the 13 is the only real Becker option. After 40ish miles a day for roughly 6-7 months of your life that extra 1-16 oz you've been dragging along in blade weight will have been thrown away or mailed back home in fools error, that's if you even finish.

In reality go weigh out gear on a scale and realize what your really carrying. oz=lbs and lbs = pain. I'm no gram weenie but I understand the toll on my body after a 40 mile day and that with 6 months at 40 miles per day of it only the bare necessities will be taken. IMHO A SAK would be plenty. It's not a survival test there is a shelter and water source at the end of every days hike.

Also what would you be using your multi-tool for? You wake up - you eat - you walk - you eat - you walk - you eat - you sleep - wake & repeat. Continue for 6 months and go home.

GearGrams is a good tracker add your own gear up and see where you stand with just food,water,shelter,backpack.
 
40 miles a day?

the average hiker can go about 1.5 miles per hour.

40 divided by 1.5= 26-ish hours. So, you are gonna hike for more than a full day without rest or water restoration?

Just saying...
 
I just watched a show that said "for every 10 lbs a fit person carries over 40 lbs, it reduces the distance they can go by 2 km." Others say the distance a fit person can travel is reduced by
0.52 miles per pound." Thats for a "fit" person by military standards. I was that person once. I am not anymore. :D

First choice for me: Sabre grind BK16.
Second choice: BK14.
 
40 Miles a day... Whoa... I did a 17 mile day once with a 50lb pack. Picture Rocks. It was raining and I just kept going. I could not imagine 40 miles and I would not enjoy it for a couple days, let alone a month or half a year. Can you even maintain that level of endurance with limited caloric intake?
 
I did a 40 mile day once hunting in Utah but it was mostly flat and we started 6:00am finished hiking with our headlamps on about 1:00am. I will never do that again. We rested for 2 days after that trek and realized we were on vacation and didn't have to kill ourselves like that anymore. Ha.
 
My brother did the trail in 2005, and I'm not even sure he had a knife(he is silly). I would go with the 14, more than enough. I wouldn't want to be dragging around anything large on that trail. My brother averaged 20 miles a day, and every gram had to be worth it.
 
Well, if you hike all day, 20 miles is completely doable. I still wonder about caloric output vs input. What was he eating everyday?
 
It varies as far as miles per day. From what I understand by talking to others you'll start out around 10 work your way to 20-25 on certain parts it ups to 30 and 40 (flat and easy). I used 40 to make a point that what your carrying will be with you for a long tired way. Caloric intake varies but lands somewhere in the 5-6K range and with what you'll be carrying (dried food stuffs) it is hard to keep your intake up that high.
 
I'm not a big hiker and pretty much would be talking out the side of my neck otherwise if I started popping off..

but I had a friend years ago that was big into hiking and I mean BIG... he'd work half the year, save his cash then have his food rationings sent to different drops at stores nearby the trail.. this type of trek takes ALOT OF PLANNING.....

He did the PCT trail which is 2663 miles in two trips, both trips averaging around 6 months each... he would average around 12-16miles a day pending the terrain, I'm not to familiar about the AT but the PCT has plenty of terrain..

He woke up one day unable to continue, his body had enough, he couldn't move.. he laid there for about an hour the whole time convincing himself he must move onward.. finally after agonizing pain he was able to get his body mobile again...

this is from a guy that is an avid hiker and has been all over the world doing so...
 
I think 12-16 miles a day is probably the norm. I would say that sustaining a 20-40 mile a day hike though weeks and weeks is probably not possible. The toll and caloric intake needed would be huge. I would like to hear some first hand accounts of getting an average of 30 mile days on the AT. I just don't think it's possible.
 
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"So here's a picture of when I ran the AT back in the 80's. Knife ? What knife. I made that entry way with my bare hands and then
I sprinted the whole trail ... only too me 2 days" :D - Joe Isuzu

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Just thought I'd have a little fun with this one :D

First - congrats to anyone who has hiked it.

Second - learned a new term: "gram weenies' (lol)

Third - As someone who hasn't done any "long distance" hiking, gotta' be a trade off between weight and usefulness/safety/crime/animals (i.e. Bears) etc. NO ?
Like I said, never done 2200 miles, just an outsiders perspective. But, I'd think I'd want at LEAST a 17 with me.
 
How about the Candiru? To me, it's a great balance between the ultralight BK13 and the BK14 / Izula.

*running and hiding now*
 
48 days is the fastest recorded time for an AT through Hike... So it's possible.
 
Completing the "Triple Crown of Hiking" is on my bucket list. I will be starting as soon as I retire (8 years away). I am a Scoutmaster and camp every month. Been to Northern Tier and heading to Philmont next summer.

I am a Gram Weenie MOST of the time. Few things I will not compromise on. Backpack and Knife are the two biggies. I'll hike that trail alone. Most of the time on that trail you are what I call "Out There". If you get in trouble, you better be able to figure it out. To me your knife is the one, the most essential piece of survival equipment. I can lose everything and make it out, if I have my knife.

No I'm not gonna carry a short sword, that's just dumb. Im gonna carry my brand new BK-10.

Could I get by with smaller? Probably.......maybe, but maybe don't cut it with me.
 
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