Trail Tested

by Justin Lichter

Hundreds of valuable tips and advice based on Justin Lichter's more than 35,000 miles of hiking across the country and beyond. Whether you're a new hiker looking for expert advice, an experienced hiker looking to hone your skills, or a thru-hiker gearing up for a 6-month trip, this book is packed with priceless information to make your trip a successful and comfortable one.

267 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Justin Lichter grew up about an hour north of New York City and has lived in Santa Barbara, CA, southern VT, Dillon, CO, and is currently living in Truckee, CA. When not hiking, he is a ski patroller and enjoys backcountry skiing, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, surfing and anything else active. Since 2002, he has hiked over 40,000 miles. In 2002 doing a cross-country map and compass trip through the canyon country of southern Utah, in 2003 hiking from Georgia to Cap Gaspe, Quebec following the Appalachian Trail and International AT, 2004 hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and then the Pacific Northwest Trail to the Washington coast, 2005 the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada then continuing on the Great Divide Trail from the Canadian border up into northern Alberta, 11/1/05 to 10/23/06 completing the Eastern Continental Trail (Cap Gaspe, QC to Key West, Florida, incorporating the AT), Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in under a year, a total of over 10,500 miles, and in 2007 a traverse of the Southern Alps and the South Island of New Zealand. There are many more hikes including in 2009 hiking 1800 miles unsupported through Africa, in 2011 hiking about 2,000 miles across the Himalaya Range, and in 2013 skiing 450 miles through the High Sierras and traversing the Copper Canyon in Mexico. In the winter of 2014/2015 Justin and Shawn completed the first winter traverse of the Pacific Crest Trail.

He is the author of Trail Tested, Ultralight Survival Kit, and Short Stories From Long Trails.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a fantastic how-to book on lightening the backpacking load. The author is a well-respected long distance hiker. Unlike other lightweight hikers, this author doesn't seem to have an axe to grind or an agenda he's trying to push. Just very practical advice on choosing gear. He even includes complete gear checklists for different seasons and environments, like alpine; desert; wet summer; etc. HIs advice seems practical and time tested. This book will still be salient twenty years from now. It's a keeper.

[Shayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written by someone who has obviously done a lot of hiking, but not so much writing. The words are imprecise and the flow isn't much to write home about. Also, this dude is a bit full of himself for my taste, especially compared to more humble writers on the topic (see the hammock camping book). That said, that's not what the book is supposed to be about. It is one guy's opinion, albeit with lots of shiny photos and side bars to make it more exciting, I guess.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed with useful information and tips (pun-intended). The author has been on some amazing treks.