About this episode
On June 15 Joe "Stringbean" McConnaughy took an entire DAY off the previous best Unsupported time on the oldest long trail in the US, Vermont's 273 mile Long Trail. How did he do it? Daylight is an under-recognized factor ... I would run the entire day with sunlight, set up camp at 9pm, eat as much food as I could, pass out for 2 hours until 11pm, be moving by 11:15, run until 3am, pass out at 3:15, get up at 5am, and do the whole thing over again. YIKES! (This is why Stringbean set the FKT on the PCT, the AT, and now the Long Trail, while you and I did not.) Definitely listen to Joe's insider tips - we go into valuable details on his shelter system, food planning (9,000cal/day), and why AT thru-hikers call the state, "Vermud". And, hear what NOT to do! I only brought one water filter. When I lost the o-ring seal, I couldn't get water. So I folded a leaf in half, poked a hole in it, and used a leaf to seal the bottle. My headlamp battery went dead. So I used the iPhone hoping to get through the last night, but then it went dead, in the middle of a moonless night, while crossing a lake on a boardwalk. So I used the light from the display screen of my Go-Pro. A sore throat made eating painful, so I cold-soaked my food, by pouring water into the baggie and letting it sit. I did that with Frito's, nuts ... and made "Oreo slushies". Read Joe's Trip Report and see photos here. Listen to Episode 22, the podcast on his Appalachian Trail FKT here. Important Extra - - - Joe also shares a positive message about integrating his outdoor activities, with the long overdue and super important upgrades to racial equality our country is finally enacting. I’m also hoping this run and my platform will contribute towards positive change and equality in our country. The movement that’s happening in our streets right now shouldn’t stop when we get to the trailhead. Joe cut his toothbrush in half to save weight ... and he also carried 8 rocks, weighing 13.5 ounces, with the names of 8 black folks killed by police (a tiny fraction of the lives lost) to raise awareness of the need to end police violence, stating, We all should bear this weight. Outdoor Afro fund - - - Joe started a fund which has raised (as of this recording on June 24) $7,400 for Outdoor Afro, an organization "Where Black People & Nature Meet." I personally just contributed ... let's have the fastest known time community push this over $10,000! Please consider donating now: https://www.facebook.com/donate/338912980411437/10158117011470991/ At Fastest Known Time, we work hard and pride ourselves on being totally fair. It is all our jobs to ensure our entire country does the same for all its citizens.