Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America

by Francis Tapon

Francis Tapon sought wisdom when he quit his Silicon Valley job, donated most of his belongings, and set off to hike the Appalachian Trail. He and his hiking partner, Lisa Garrett, traversed the 2,168 mile footpath by walking for nearly four months from sunrise to sunset. The pilgrimage gave him insights that not only apply to backpacking, but to life itself. It also taught him that there sure are easier ways to go from Maine to Georgia.While you enjoy the intense journey, you’ll Why the Appalachian Trail’s credo is relevant to your life.- How to control your finances.- How to discover and pursue your passion.- How to avoid costly mistakes and conquer your fears.- How to dramatically improve your health.- Why the Appalachian Trail teaches you more about human nature than Mother Nature.- How to shrug off misfortune and live stress free.- Why mosquitoes just want to be your friend.Packed with a map, photographs, sidebars, and self assessment quizzes!Francis Tapon knew he had a good life—he had a great career, fantastic friends, a nice home, and a cool electric shaver. However, something was missing. His life was good, but not great. It was quite predictable and safe, but thoroughly uninspiring. He wondered how to take his life to the next level.He thought it would be smart to do what the sages hang out in the woods for several months and get some wisdom. Although he ultimately found wisdom, finding it wasn’t as easy or as romantic as all those spiritual books say it is. They neglect to mention that during the hot humid summer months there’s no air conditioning in the woods.Hike Your Own Hike balances the story of an adventurous and insightful trip across the Appalachian Mountains with practical advice on how to squeeze the most out of life both on and off the trail. It’s enlightening, educational, and entertaining. It’s aserious book that doesn’t take itself so seriously.Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in one season has soared in popularity over the last 20 years. Compared to 1986, there are eight times more people trying to “thru-hike” it! What accounts for this phenomenon?Today people are overly stressed and need a break to return to the fundamentals. Feeling disconnected from the rhythms of life, hikers go on multi-month trails to recalibrate their perspective and to remind themselves of what really matters.Hike Your Own Hike is about an incredible pilgrimage, what we can learn from it, and how to enrich our lives without getting too muddy.Francis is donating 50% of his book royalty to the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. So even if you don’t think you’ll like this book, buy it anyway so you can support those trails.“This is definitely not your ordinary Appalachian Trail thru-hike memoir.”—Brian T. Fitzgerald, Chair, Appalachian Trail Conservancy“Francis Tapon’s book is a marvelous addition to the very best outdoor and personal development books available. Against thebackdrop of a rich and unique journey along the Appalachian Trail, Hike Your Own Hike offers the reader a wealth ofpractical how-tos blended masterfully with the wisdom of the ages. This isn’t another boring hiking guidebook, it’s a wonderfulguidebook for life.” —Kim and Demetri Coupounas, Co-Founders, GoLite“Don’t expect a dull trail log. Don’t expect a humdrum self-help book.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Outdoors, Autobiography

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2006

About the author

I recommend visiting Francis Tapon for all the dirt on me, but here is a quick summary....

I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. I've been to 127 countries, but I keep coming back to this magical city because I love earthquakes.

My mom is from Chile and my dad is from France. I spoke Spanish at home, French at school, and English everywhere else. I can get by in Portuguese and Italian, barely survive in Russian, and speak a few other languages like a two-year-old.

I have a degree in Religion from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. So I am well prepared to start a church and make lots of money off of it.

Read my self-help book, Hike Your Own Hike, which shares the 7 key lessons that the Appalachian Trail taught me and how you can apply them to your everyday life.

I also thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and was the first person to do a round-trip on the Continental Divide Trail.

I had a five-month adventure in Eastern Europe in 2004 and returned there in 2008-2011. Out of that experience was born The Hidden Europe

My next book will be about my 5-year nonstop overland trip to all 54 African countries. It'll be called The Unseen Africa and is scheduled for release in 2027.

ABOUT MY GOODREADS REVIEWS: Most of the books I read are Advanced Reader Copies (ARC) that publishers send me to review. I only read nonfiction. Yes, I'm boring.

Reviews

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book, so of course it's great! :)

To learn more about this book, visit:

Francis Tapon's Website

[JoAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hike Your Own Hike is a bit like The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. It doles out common sense that we should know but need pounded into our heads every once in awhile. Author Francis Tapon isn’t a guru or a life coach, but he is an average person who did a seemingly inhuman thing—hiking the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail—and picked up a few principles that can be applied to everyday life along the way.

The book is split into seven chapters, each one dedicated to the seven life principles Tapon learned on the trail. These principles, which essentially address how to live a happy, healthy and satisfying life, each go into depth about why the principle is important and how to apply the principle to life as well as debunking any criticisms people might have, all under the context of hiking the Appalachian Trail. The seven chapters are also explicitly devoted to seven sections of the trail, so readers hike the trail from beginning to end with Tapon.

Hike Your Own Hike is not a masterpiece nor is it the best written book I’ve ever read, but it’s an important book with an important message and everyone would be wise to read it just to ground themselves in a bit of reality. The book opens with the first principle and also the theme that drives the book: Hike your own hike. That is, live your best life by living the life you want to lead. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you have to do. Go your own pace and your direction.

The next six principles—beware of summit fever; hike with passion; learn from trail lore; eat well, walk hard, and sleep soundly; perform trail magic; and the hike is too important to take seriously—round out the book and provide context for how to live your life to the fullest … or how to hike your own hike.

Though I won’t go into detail about each principle, I will mention that my favorite principle was the final one: The hike is too important to take seriously. That is, there are a lot of things that really don’t matter in life and only a few things that actually matter. We spend a lot of time stressed out over things that we shouldn’t take seriously (I’m guilty) and forget to laugh at life (I’m guilty but getting better). With all the cruddy things going on in the world today, this chapter was a much appreciated reminder that we are in charge of framing how we view the things we encounter in our daily lives. Ultimately, we decide how and in what manner we hike our own hike.

[Heidi English · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the authenticity of this book and its lessons. I especially enjoyed learning the lessons without having to get any blisters!

[Nicoal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since my boyfriend is a few weeks away from finishing an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I've been interested in books about the AT and readjustment to the "real world" after a thru-hike. In searching for books that meet the criteria, I came across this title. My library doesn't own it, but thanks to the wonders of interlibrary loan, I was able to borrow a copy from a library in Wyoming.

Sometimes you read an author's work and just think, "Ahh, someone else gets it!" That's how I felt with this book, though I can see where it may not work for everyone. It helped me to remember what it is I really want my life to be like and served as a reminder of what's important and when to let go.

[Echo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone who is unsure with their life's current path. It methodically leads the reader through many methods of self analysis. Francis offers a plethora of opinions and advice but always reminds the reader to "hike your own hike." Giving the tone of "this is what I would do, but it’s really up to you." Which is more than true.
For those of us that feel we have a solid handle on our life, perspectives and dreams it is easy to glaze over while reading "Hike You Own Hike." Not to say it’s not still worth picking up. I gained a few new ideas of how to inspire those around me, which I cherish just as much as ways to find inspiration myself.

[Razvan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a guide to hiking the AT, but a nice self-help book. Most of the things mentioned in the book are common sense, but the author does a great job in turning his AT thru-hike experience into a metaphor for life.

Go ahead and read it, but even more important, try to apply to your life some of the principles you learn about in this book.

[Alanood Mubarak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third time I've read this book. It always helps me to put things into perspective!

[Jack Oughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some life wisdom you may need reminding of, plus questionable nutritional advice.

I didn't know anything about Thru-Hiking, so it was fascinating to learn a few things about that which I could take away to my own, shorter-distance walking.

[Alan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t finish this one. I thought it was going to be about hiking but it was all about the meaning of life.

[Tammy Sack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I was looking for adventure and found self help. A lot of good ideas for living life to its fullest.

[Joy Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

'HIKE your own HIKE' by Francis Tapon is a self development and self help book with a difference. It shows you why walking is so powerful for your mind, body and soul, as well as covering life lessons that will change your life with increased self empowerment, emotional health and emotional wealth.

This is not a travel guide about the Appalachian Trail (AT) but a fascinating book on life lessons that you can use throughout your life. Tapon shares his wisdom with you. It may kick-start you into walking daily. It may excite you to set off on a long hike as soon as possible. It may make you start treating your body in a different way. It may set you off on a new path in life. Whatever you take from it, it is life-changing.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book about moderation. This is not about middle-of-the-road mediocrity. It is about making hard choices, being disciplined, and living a life fueled with passion. The kind of book that really gets us revved-up!

So much more than a trail book. This is a book about living well.

Full review here:

http://outsideways.com/article/hike-y...

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on my kindle app on my iPad. Really more of a self-help book about how to use what he learned thru-hiking the AT and applying it to life than an actual trail memoir. It did have a really good section on gear.

[PilgrimChris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspirational book! The life lessons learned by the author Francis Tapon can be applied to all walks of life (no pun intended). The wrapping of these life lessons in a hike across America is funny, intriguing and absorbing.

[Marina Shults · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, not only did I want to get out and hike the hike but it was a great inspiration on how to live your own life with passion.

[Cathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too preachy

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still reading this one. So far, very good. Associates the trials and tribulations of hiking the Appalachian Trail to our everyday obstacles and goals in life.

[Cyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too Covey-ish for my taste, but good food for thought despite MANY annoying editing/proofreading errors.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely tried to make a lesson out of hiking a trail. Not bad advice, but nothing new either.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worth a read for the trail anecdotes, but skip the divergence into overly-reductive life-lessons.