Just found this forum and want to walk a loop around the U.S.

WalkinChuck

WalkinChuck

Unconfirmed Account
Feb 17, 2019
2
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Escondido, California
#1
Hello people.
I got the wander lust back in the 1980's but I've been stagnant for the last 20 years. Realizing that being a drone in a job that I don't like for the rest of my life is a horrible thought and a waste of a life I'm about to just pack up and do the walk I've always wanted to do.
I've done a fair amount of research and I've backpacked tens of thousands of miles (I realize what it means to kick out long days for a long time) and I'm open to any suggestions/hints.
I'm in So. Cal. now and would prefer to walk every step of my desired loop. To cross the desert I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll need a beefy stroller because I can't possibly carry enough water for the longer stretches.
Anyway, hi folks.
 
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#2
You'll have a difficult time of it just because a lot of roads aren't really walkable and are surrounded by private land. I'm not even sure if you can actually walk a "loop" around the US because of access issues. One option is the American Discovery Trail which is the only east-west cross-continental trail system. This does go through some stretches of desert, though, where people usually have somebody drive ahead and leave water caches.
 
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#4
Ive had some shitty hikes between towns, plan your route well. You can carry a lot of weight on a folding dolly, theyre lighter than 4 wheel carts, keep the straps on the non-dolly side of your ruck, so you can carry over rough terrain.
 
#5
Check out the books "A Walk Across America" and "The Walk West" by Peter Jenkins. They were written during the 70's so a lot of the info in them COULD be outdated, but he mapped out his entire trip at least and has some hazards and pitfalls to be weary of listed (though he started from the east coast). Good luck!!
 
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#6
Hell yeah! Mad props. You can do it. Sounds like fun. So, are you doing Socal to Florida, Florida to Maine, Maine to Washington, Washington to socal? Or vice versa? What kind of time frame do you expect?

Bring two signs. "NEED FOOD" and "NEED WATER". Tape them to your back or backpack when you're in remote stretches.
 
#7
I met some dude who RAN from Alaska to Florida (in 97 days!!!) and he used a stroller to carry stuff. Seemed to work well for him.
 
#8
Dumbass said:
Hell yeah! Mad props. You can do it. Sounds like fun. So, are you doing Socal to Florida, Florida to Maine, Maine to Washington, Washington to socal? Or vice versa? What kind of time frame do you expect?

Bring two signs. "NEED FOOD" and "NEED WATER". Tape them to your back or backpack when you're in remote stretches.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about >Florida>Maine>Washington and then stopping in Oregon since I've never fit in California.
Though it's what I want to do, I may 'just' do the American Discovery Trail and see how I feel after that. I've wandered a lot in the past and found that it's far safer for me to be far away from roads/civilization. The two legged critters are by far the most dangerous and sketchy.
 
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