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| (Mount Katahdin Photo by Victor Maisano) |
On October 13, 2013, Victor completed the trail, summiting Mount
Katahdin in Maine 198 days later.
RG: Just about everyone I met, experienced some degree of post-hike blues when
they returned home. How are you feeling about being back in civilization and
what do you miss most about being on the trail?
VM: There has certainly been some post-hike blues, however, I knew this was coming and I was prepared for a cure. Since ending my physical adventure, I have been fairly swamped tying up loose ends with my followers, sponsors, and other BackpackingAT related social media adventures. On top of that, all my friends I am getting back in contact with are always asking me questions and want to listen to stories, so I get to relive my trail experience through memory, still, on a daily basis.
VM: There has certainly been some post-hike blues, however, I knew this was coming and I was prepared for a cure. Since ending my physical adventure, I have been fairly swamped tying up loose ends with my followers, sponsors, and other BackpackingAT related social media adventures. On top of that, all my friends I am getting back in contact with are always asking me questions and want to listen to stories, so I get to relive my trail experience through memory, still, on a daily basis.
The thing I miss most about the trail is probably the
routine and challenges. With Baxter Park closing after October 15th, I was on a
time crunch near the end, as I summited October 13th. Waking up every morning,
not exactly knowing what I was going to see or where I was going to sleep
always filled my soul with excitement. I miss that most.
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| (Moxie Bald, Photo by Victor Maisano) |
In our first interview, you said you hoped to gain a new perspective from the hiking community and learn all you could from the experience. What was the biggest lesson you learned on your journey?
For as much as everyone comes from different walks of life
and have their own reason for starting to hike 2,185.9 miles, they all have
inherently similar characteristics; longing for adventure, trying something
different, an excuse to leave modern civilization. What I have learned is that
people have different thresholds they are willing and not willing to break.
This fact alone sets the course for how the hike will finish (or not finish).
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| (Photo by Victor Maisano) |
Yes they did! I did meet a number of great people. Some of
which will continue to be great friends, even though there is great distance
between us now.
I certainly saw my fair share of animals. I did not expect
to see the numerous amount of snakes and turtles I saw. On the flip side, I was
disappointed I did not see any moose, elk or porcupines near the end.
As for my wilderness survival skills, I picked up some
knowledge along the way from other hikers. Looking back, I probably don't consider
many of these things wilderness survival skills as I learned them early on and
practically used them every day (hanging bear bags, moderating fire, climbing
rocks, recognizing animal traces, etc.), but they most certainly are!
Before starting your
hike, you said your biggest concerns were having enough power and knives. Did
that change as you started getting used to your new life on the Appalachian
Trail?
Ahh yes, I remember this thought clearly.
In terms of security, I feared a little knife would not
protect me. This may be true, but there was not much I could practically
bring in its place that would have actually satisfied this feeling. I ended up losing
and sending home two of the three knifes I started with, leaving me only with a small
2.5 inch knife. This definitely was all I really needed in the end and was
perfect for all the tasks I assigned it to (cutting mole skin, hot dogs,
kindling, rope, food packages). Anything larger would have certainly been extra
weight and not efficient. From a protection stand point, anything dangerous in
the wild would need, much, much more than a large knife to secure your
survival. Luckily, I never (other than one encounter at night with bear) felt
threatened during those six months from animals and mountain folk.
Power: You can never get enough. I feel like that's a plot
to almost every movie, but it's true! In the beginning, I was using a Goal Zero
Solar Panel and battery back. This worked great as I had the panel strapped to
my backpack most days (when it was not raining). Once the leaves
started to grow in, however, this option was not effective for me as I was always on the
move and could not afford to hangout out in the sun for two hours at a time.
I switched systems and went with a NewTrent rechargeable battery pack. Since I was going through a town every 4-8 days, I would seek out an outlet and recharge my power source, which would allow me enough power till the next town. I just had to be mindful of how I used my power allocation. Uploading content almost daily, it was hard to fight the demons not to use my devices for other internet surfing and Netflix.
I switched systems and went with a NewTrent rechargeable battery pack. Since I was going through a town every 4-8 days, I would seek out an outlet and recharge my power source, which would allow me enough power till the next town. I just had to be mindful of how I used my power allocation. Uploading content almost daily, it was hard to fight the demons not to use my devices for other internet surfing and Netflix.
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| (Photo by Victor Maisano) |
I shed so much weight and could have shed so much more had
I not been carrying around all the technology I did. At the end, I got down to
30lbs. Much of my cookware (excess pot, cup, fork, scrubber), clothing
(additional shirts, shorts, underwear), gear (knives, ropes, pulleys, excess
stuff sacks, nalgene bottles) was sent home. By the end almost all my gear
(including technology) was different from when I started. Either it broke and
was replaced, upgraded, or traded out for something different. If you want to
check out what I ended up with, check out this list I put together:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuDs5DTT4s3-dDRuSGw4NEh2d3MxT19Temh0OUh4cUE&usp=sharing
Now that you're an AT
expert, do you have any recommendations or advice for people starting their
hike in 2014?
Actually test your gear. I kinda went at this with a big
headed approach "being an Eagle Scout, I know what I need and how it works."
However this did not necessarily hold true. Actually going out for a weekend in
the elements would have saved many packages being sent home within the first
couple months of the hike.
Get in contact with a number of former AT Hikers. They have
so much knowledge to share and LOVE to talk about their experience. Take this
information and make a note of it in your AWOL Guide (I advise against the ATC
Guidebook as it's a little too simple - no elevation map and significantly less
tips about information about towns). This way you don't have to memorize all
the information, but rather can reference it as you stare at this book at least ten times a day. I would have gotten the PDF version as well.
Remember that while you’re hiking, you’re hiking your own
hike. So many times I saw that others and myself, felt like they were trapped
or obligated to stay with certain groups or spend an extra day in town. You
don't have to. There are always (mostly) people on the trail you can hike and/or camp
with and people always have a way with catching up.
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| (Thru-hiker on Mount Katahdin, Photo by Victor Maisano) |
My sponsors where Verizon Wireless, Dollar Shave Club, Leki,
SuperFeet, Dr. Bonner's, Grand Trunks Goods, Sea Bear, and Big Agnes.
Having worked in the marketing industry for the past 6
years, I know what sponsors expect and how to keep them happy. However I
learned that sitting behind a desk while communicating with your connections
and sharing content is much easier than attempting to hike 20 miles, and get 6
hours of sleep while finding a strong enough signal and time to send out the
15+ pictures a day. Planning in advance, maintaining expectations and following
through on your commitment certainly made this a positive experience for me.
For approaching companies, I would 1) highly suggest going
for the B-List companies. Unless you have connections within the A-List
companies I do believe it is much harder to get sponsorships. 2) Make sure to
start your communication early. Many companies plan early on in the year how
they plan to allocate their funds. 3) Be prepared and provide information about
your background and intentions on how you will use their product, and what they
will get in return. 4) Don't be afraid to pick up the phone. Many people hide
behind email, message boards and direct messages. Give the company a call and ask
to speak to their marketing department.
From following your
blog, it seemed you loved just about every moment of the hike. I know how hard
it is to stop the adventure when you love it that much, so what is next? Any
trips planned?
I did love every moment. From fording the Kennebec river, to
starring a bear in the face at night (alone), to completing the day’s hike in
darkness cause your headlamp ran out of batteries… I loved the experiences.
What is next... well I am financially forced to find a job.
Luckily, I have a great resume and experience, so hopefully I can land something
soon in the Marketing/Social Media field. I'm looking to the outdoor/adventure/racing
areas for opportunities as this is a natural fit.
Whether it's riding across the US on a bicycle, sailing
across some oceans or hiking the PCT I am always keeping my ears and eyes open for
that next adventure opportunity. Perhaps my next job and adventure could be one
in the same... we can all dream,
It has been done before and you seem like a person that can make it happen. Victor, I wish you the best of luck and keep in touch!
RELATED POSTS
The Before Interview with Victor Maisano
It has been done before and you seem like a person that can make it happen. Victor, I wish you the best of luck and keep in touch!
RELATED POSTS
The Before Interview with Victor Maisano
A Backpacker's Life by Ryan Grayson is licensed under a
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