"Isn't he home schooled? One of those wall lickers that turns out socially indifferent? Why would that be a problem?"
Yes, he is, but... We use the state's approved alternative to stepping inside a brick and mortar structure. Georgia Cyber Academy. If you live in Georgia, and you are looking for an alternative to traditional schooling, I can recommend it without reservation (as long as you know what you are doing). The boy still has to take state mandated tests. In our case the CRCT.
This is the test by which a student's intellect and academic abilities are measured. Never mind that over 60% of our legislators could not make a decent score on it if they were given it, or that they never took state mandated tests while in school and they decry the state of education and moan for it to return to the way it was when they were in school. I digress.
This test is given in April or May, depending on when your school is scheduled. GCA seems to be late April. So we will have to be in town for the test.
"But what about his actual school work?"
That's a good question. With a very good answer. GCA allows for self paced progress. Which means he does have assignments that must be completed as part of the online learning system. Fortunately these assignments are put out there at the beginning of the school year.
This problem falls squarely on his shoulders. He is tasked with completing EVERYTHING before we hit the trailhead on top of Springer Mountain. He will have to schedule his time, all by his lonesome. We discussed this at length, and I pointed out my concerns at his frequent attempts to procrastinate. He countered with the "I'm at the top of the curve. I score mastery on everything, Dad. Even when I had to sit in a classroom."
Touché.
He did, and still does. For a twelve year old he is a little remarkable. I know most parents say that about their kids, but he has evidence. He read Tolkien, Tolstoy, and a few obscure books I had on my bookshelf. He grappled with Latin and Spanish. He can do statistical formulas and geometry at a college freshman level, which I cannot (and refuse to do, another day has passed and I still haven't used any algebra). He played center, left tackle, and guard, so the physical stuff is not an issue (his current plan is to work up to a decent squat, press, and deadlift). He is as tall as I am (which means he will be well over six feet by the time he exits high school, I'm only average height). He involves himself in learning and discovering on his own, outside of an established curriculum. All of this adds up to a youngin' that can probably complete a state curriculum in swift fashion.
We decided, tentatively on the last week of February, 2015. Maybe even the last day.
"What does that mean? Big deal."
It is important to schedule your thru hike according to probable weather patterns. Now, it is still cold in Georgia during February, and on into March, however it is tolerable. Starting out at this time we should hit Damascus, Virginia at just the right time. The right time being when my wife will pick us up and bring us back so he can take the CRCT. She will then drive us back to where she found us (unwashed, unfed, and with a few hundred miles on us), put us out, and we will continue on until we summit Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Hopefully she will pick us up there as well.
I considered other things regarding schooling, and how we will be disconnected from "society" for months at a time, at least March, April, and May as far as school goes. This is where technology steps in. The iPhone and a Surface RT. Connect to the internet when we set up camp, and if he needs to do anything it gets done. I know it is taboo. We should be moving away from technology during this time, connecting to nature and "finding ourselves". But let's face it. We aren't hippies. I'm not saying it is written in stone either, it is just an option. I like having some sort of backup plan, just in case. It probably will not be necessary.
For those dads out there that are contemplating something like this I offer you Sunshine and Balls. Mr. Reed took his daughter out for a walk. All three of the longest walks (the Triple Crown, AT, PCT, and CDT). She became the youngest person to bag all three.
Now for gear talk with the Dad:
The big three are your pack, sleep, and shelter system. When undertaking a thru hike weight and efficiency are paramount. You will find all kinds of websites devoted to thru hiking and the gear it involves. You will also find people on those websites that recommend something, either a pack or sleeping bag, which you find to be just too expensive. I'm with ya'.
The one thing we learned, after weeks of research and countless youtube videos, is it all comes down to personal preference.
The item I will address in this post is the pack. I know how to rig an ALICE pack, but man is that going to be heavy. You could probably get away with carrying one on a thru hike of the AT, and people have done it. But why would you? The first consideration is the volume and weight of your gear.
We decided to keep it light. Not super-ultra-light, just light. The base weight for "Light" is considered between 10 and 20 pounds. That is a lot of wiggle room if you know how to do it. Base weight is all your gear, not food and water. On a thru hike of the AT you will only need one change of clothes, if that. In fact if you are carrying more than one of anything it should be socks. The start of the trail on a thru hike is normally cold and wet (it starts in Georgia, we get rain here like just about everywhere else). Your shelter doesn't need to be a tent, and it probably shouldn't be. You need a tarp, it's lighter and you have more options about setting it up. Your sleeping bag? It should be the best you can afford and keep you warm down to 20F. Down or synthetic? Doesn't matter. If it gets wet it will not keep you warm, even if it is synthetic. Wet is wet. So don't let it get wet. Down is lighter, but also more expensive.
The boy and I decided on using Hennessy Hammocks for our shelter set up. I don't want to sleep on the ground like an animal, and rodents scurrying over me in one of the shelters gives me the heebie-jeebies. Those run about a pound and a half (give or take). A decent backpacking quilt will run about a pound or so, and the insulation for the bottom of the hammock will be less than that (I get hot easily). The problem will be storing the gear because it takes up space and is fairly light.
We went with GoLite. I have a Pinnacle (the large) which is no longer in their product line. It was replaced with the Jam, which the boy went with. The Pinnacle has the volume to handle large loads, but it still demands I keep things light. I do not plan on going over fifteen pounds. That leaves more than enough room for ten pounds of food and water, while still being a comfortable carry. The GoLite Jam seems a little smaller, but not by much, and it can still hold around thirty pounds comfortably.
Other makes and models that have been popular on AT thru hikes are Z-pack, Osprey, and even some REI store brand packs. The big picture is to consider what your skills are and how comfortable you want to be. If you have some miles under your feet, know how to use an alcohol stove, don't mind eating the same thing over and over, and are organized, you can get to Maine with thirty pounds, and probably a lot less, on your back. If you absolutely must have an internal frame pack, loaded up with a stove (which you will not find fuel for) and two backups, five changes of clothes, a coffee press, a tent, a bear canister, bear spray, a pair of camp shoes, and the heaviest most wind resistant rain gear you can find, be prepared to only make about five miles a day and for your thru hike to be about a year long. Also you will be so tired you won't even use the gear because you will be staying in motels each time you make it to a town. So bring some money, and lots of it.
Thru hikes are labor intensive, not financial undertakings. Choose multi-function gear, light weight, and reasonable. And then figure out how much space you will need to carry it. Simple.
I think the biggest problem our family has regarding the adventure is they are too connected to convenience. If you cut out what you do not need, and look at what is necessary, and only that which is necessary, you find you can use a lightweight pack. A good idea is to check out some of the VLogs on youtube (I like Will Wood, aka Redbeard). You will get an idea as to what you will need, what they discarded, and what they wished they had thought of.
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