Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
Chad "Octo" Haynes enjoys sunrise at Zealand Cliffs, New Hampshire in a chivey - green Pares hammock.
Pre-Hike Pack Cramming
All the gear before the hike… half of it did not see the whole trip. What did make it start to finish was: SMr Nubé, SMr Pares hammock, Nemo sleeping bag, Reebok ATV19, Hiking stick 2.0, Nalgene, Luci light, Terrible towel (go steelers!) and a Gerber Knife.
Gearing up before the hike of a lifetime, Chad "Octo" Haynes decided to use the SMr Pares Hammock with the Nubé Hammock shelter which lasted the whole journey.
Ready to go! Chad "Octo" Haynes' pack is stuffed to the brim with everything he will need to survive the AT.
July 19, 2015
My Birthday-What an appropriate day to start my AT Journey!
Driving out to the start of the Appalachian Trail near Millinocket, Maine. I stopped by Stephen King's house in Bangor, Maine.
The appropriately decorated home of the King of Horror, Stephen King, in Bangor, Maine.
The last glimpse of civilization- Millinocket, Maine.
After a good start, I enjoyed my birthday and a beautiful first night on the trail in my SMr Nubé and Pares hammock.
The first night on the trail, and Chad "Octo" Haynes' birthday, spent in a Pares hammock and Nubé hammock shelter.
Tromping through beautiful Maine in summer, I rocked my Reebok ATV 19’s… earning my endearing trail-name, “Octo”.
Overlooking the picturesque temperate forests of Maine- Chad Haynes lounges in his Reebok ATV 19's, the shoes responsible for his trail-name "Octo".
New Hampshire
The BEST night on the trail
I stopped to snap a killer shot and snag a few minutes of rest in my Pares, overlooking the Zealand Cliffs in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. This was the best night on the trail. I hung my Pares hammock in the scrubby pines above 5000 ft. alongside a cliff with the perfect view of sunrise. That night, the stars were bright and I could even see the Milky Way clearly.
Chad "Octo" Haynes enjoys sunrise over the Zealand Cliffs in New Hampshire's White Mountains in his Chivey-Green Pares hammock.
With the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire in the background Chad "Octo" Haynes snags a few minutes' snooze.
I didn’t always hang outside- in Vermont I set up my Pares inside a cabin.
In Vermont, Chad "Octo" Haynes sets up camp in a cabin- anything can be utilized to hang a Pares!
But you just can’t beat sleeping in a Pares hammock next to a fire!
While through-hiking the Appalachian Trail Chad "Octo" Haynes utilized many of the campsites along the trail.
I made it to New Jersey and back in the Nubé hammock shelter again. I had a pack of coyotes between me and a stone wall in the middle of the night. Very nerve racking hearing their howls all night.
On the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey, Chad "Octo" Haynes spent a nerve-racking night next to a pack of coyotes.
I barely made it through the “lemon squeezer” in New York.
Chad "Octo" Haynes snaps a selfie at the "Lemon Squeezer" near the Valley of the Boulders off of the Appalachian Trail in New York.
Octos got thrashed but they made it through the halfway point at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania! I had a new pair waiting for me in Harpers Ferry, WV.
After making it through the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania Chad "Octo" Haynes retires his trusty Reebok ATV's for a new pair.
A sign showing the exact halfway point for the Appalachian Trail at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania.
After I made it through the halfway point, I found myself in the beautiful, misty mountains of West Virginia. During the day it rained, so I decided to hang in a shelter for the night. The first half of the journey was grueling but awesome! Now I just needed to make-it through the next half!
Adventure and Photos by Chad "Octo" Haynes
An all-around adventurer: hiker, backpacker, snowboarder, mountain biker, jeeper and artist- designer, photographer and woodworker.
SMr Hammock Camping Gear Used on this Adventure
