Two 16s and a 10 Gets You a Cheeseburger - June 14

Tomorrow we will be in the Big D, and I certainly don't mean Dallas. We hiked two 16 mile days and will hike 10 tomorrow to eat cheeseburgers in Damascus, VA. Damascus is one of half a dozen towns where the trail actually is located on the sidewalk through a 6 or 7 block town. It's hiker heaven with town food at every other storefront.

In Damascus we will hit our 900 mile mark. Getting close to the big four digit milestone. Can't wait.

A few of you have asked how our equipment is holding up. We have had no major problems. In NY Best Wife fell and landed on one of her hiking poles snapping it in two. She bought a new cheap pair which are working out fine. Pappy 12 replaced his pole tips in Johnson City, TN for $6. Simply screw out the old and screw in the new.

Early on, one of the cords that connects the wrist strap to my Black Diamond hiking poles broke. When I called Black Diamond to get a replacement cord they said the best they would do is give me 40% off a new set of poles. Really? I fixed it myself with a piece of para cord which has worked fine the last 800 miles. I've been bad mouthing BD customer service up and down the AT ever since.

Big Agnes customer service on the other hand, gets an A+. When I damaged a segment of my Big Agnes tent pole assembly in NY, one phone call was all it took to BA customer service. They emailed me a drawing of the pole segments so I could reply confirming which segment I needed. It was in the mail that day. That word goes up and down the trail as well.

We used our TarpTent while waiting on the new BA replacement pole segment and are very happy with it. It has two huge vestibules instead of one on the BA tent which is very nice.

Best Wife wore out her Thermarest air mattress. No longer will hold air. Replaced it in Franklin, NC with a Klymit. She misses her Thermarest