OmPi's Adventures

This seems to be common place for friends and strangers who become friends on the trail, you fall into a Hiking Bubble. I've been reading and this topic of hiking bubbles and groups that form on the trail have been prominent lately and a theme seemed to require some reflection. I can hear my mother saying it now "You need to be careful who you surround yourself with." As a kid you looked at her and said "Ok, Mom whatever," but now as an adult this has really struck home. A man by the name of Jim Rohn has a similar saying, "You are the Average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." Take a moment and read that again and think about it. Think about the 5 people you keep closest and see if it speaks truth to you?

A little over a year ago when I was struggling with my health and my world was turned upside down I was confronted with this statement and it is one of the mantras that I continue repeating to myself as I decide on what and with whom to spend my time. It is something that I know will influence my hiking bubble/group. AWOL, The Good Badger, and various others in their hiking journals mention or have demonstrated that they were pulled up or down by their hiking bubble.

Forbes.com has a great article about creating habits and addresses the myth of the 21-day habit formation. In this article the author discusses how simply doing something for 21-days does not necessarily make it a habit and from where this idea came. He continues by offering 3 stages of habit formation and I found them really useful for the Appalachian Trail.

The first stage of habit formation is the "Honeymoon Period" where things seem perfect and nothing can go wrong. This is the period of joy, where you are riding high and overlooking all the problems because something is new, fresh and exciting. The truth is however no matter how great the honeymoon is that it will have to come to an end.

Stage 2 is the "Fight Thru" and this is the point that really struck me. A lot of the suggestions the author makes to create a successful habit (ie finishing the AT), happen here in this stage. What is interesting is that many of the preparations Zach Davis suggests in Appalachian Trials, are the same as those offered in this step.

The fight thru is exactly what it sounds, when the honeymoon wears off and old habits are ready to take back over (ie you are ready to get off the trail), you must fight thru 2-3 times to overcome and solidify your commitment to this new habit. You successfully complete a fight thru by recognizing you are entering into a battle period, next do it in spite of your urge to go back, and finally keep a humility about yourself. Unfortunately there is no easy way around the fight thru but there are some tools to help in your battle. The biggest tools are found in knowing your why's and answering the questions the author recommends and Zach Davis recommends in Appalachian Trials (my answers). Also reflect on them regularly and revisit them when you have the feeling of letting the old habits take hold, in our case when you are ready to give up on the AT.

Finally you will have a new habit, once you have 2-3 Fight Thru's under your belt. That being said it doesn't mean you are immune from backsliding or falling into old habits again but the process of staying committed will become much easier. When in this stage, beware of discouragement (days of rain), disruptions (illness), and bigheadedness (I'm too good for anything to stop me). If you run into any of these, know that you are probably going to need another 2-3 Fight Thru's to get back to a successful habit.

More than anything else we must remember this process is not going to be easy and success through great habits take daily work, they are never permanent and require constant commitment. As I continue in my preparations and the formations of new habits to help me be successful on the AT I commit to often reflecting on these points as well as revisiting and updating my own answers to the Appalachian Trial suggested questions.

"That's out of the ordinary" is one of many that I have heard and it was meant in both a positive and negative fashion. Others have reminded me in various ways of my joy in starting and yet not always finishing something. Some have asked "Are you still doing the Appalachian Trail thing?" and many people are curious with all the other commitments in life how I am going to be able to take 6 months away.

Today when I read this quote it spoke to my inner being, it reflected my desires back at me, and it encouraged me in this journey. I want to take a moment and share it with all of you and encourage each of you who are following this journey of mine to take a moment and reflect on this reality.

Our existence is not even a blip on the spectrum of time. If we continually focus on doing what others desire of us, what society tells us is necessary, and what we have grown up being programed to believe, we will have wasted what little time we have. I encourage you to reflect on this and don't focus on the past but what you can do NOW and in the FUTURE!

So when you combine these two things, a bit of a sticky situation can be the result, namely how am I going to address one without caving on the other. Outside of Food and Gear how to prevent bugs from biting and thus infecting me has been one of the top items I have been researching and I feel I have found some solutions.

DEET - The chemical option! While the EPA continues to suggest that DEET does not present a health concern to the general public I know I don't like it, it makes me feel funny and knowing that the skin is highly absorbent the idea of lacing my body with it for months on end doesn't appeal to me. As well if you read through the EPA's "Using DEET products safely" you will see that on the AT it will be nearly impossible to use DEET safely according to their advice. This will be a last resort that I will pick up on the trail if all else fails me.

Foods & Diet - Whether science or old wives tales some suggest certain foods and vitamins (i.e. onions, garlic, various herbs and spices, Apple Cider Vinegar, Marmite, B12, bananas, beans, and citrus especially grapefruit) will repel bitting insects. For me seeing as most of these items are common in my daily diet I'm hopeful that it will be helpful on the trail. Some of these items may help you on your inward journey as other hikers may also be repelled.

Essential Oils - My secret weapon for the trail is a natural Essential Oil based bug repellant that is still being formulated and tested but I can and will share some of the possible essential oils going into the mix. Rose Geranium (This lady swears by it for her and her dogs in the fight against ticks. Dogs Naturally Magazine references it as well as an effective preventative.) Wellness Mama whom I love and adore has her own suggestions for a Homemade bug spray using Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, and/or Mint Essential Oils. I figure I have a good few months in the FL Mosquito season to test my concoction before giving it a real go on the trail.

Permethrin - Another Chemical Option! While I am hesitant still of using it regularly I think for the trail I will soak some of my gear in this as another preventative. The biggest reason I am compromising on this item is because it has been shown to be much more effective against ticks (LYME DISEASE INFECTING BASTARDS) than DEET with much less of the toxic side effects. Not to mention this is applied primarily to gear, clothes, etc through soaking then drying rather than directly onto my skin. I know I know if its on my clothes and my skin is touching my clothes it is bound to have some transference, but I am willing to accept the effects because the results appear to be top quality. I will probably leave the bottle in my bounce box and send it to myself along the way as applications usually last a few weeks it seems.

Bug Gear - There seems to be lots of different bug gear out there which I'm sure will be helpful for mosquitos and black flies as apparently they get pretty bad on the AT in certain states. Anyway still trying to figure out if the excess weight will be worth having more than what I have in my arsenal already. If anyone has insight on this as well as suggestions I'd love to hear it.

What about you all? What are your plans for dealing with bugs, chemicals or anything else along the trail. Share your insights in the comments below.