Andrew Skurka Answers Reader Questions At The NG Adventure Blog

With his Alaska-Yukon Expedition now fully behind him, long distance hiker Andrew Skurka has had some time to reflect on his latest accomplishments and share some thoughts on that journey, while also answering a host of other questions,  in his latest post for the Nat Geo Adventure Blog.

The questions range from "What would you do without your mother?" (Andrew's mom handles logistics) to "How do you avoid encounters with grizzly bears?", with just about everything in between. Andrew talks about how he plans for his trips, how he calculates the food he'll need, and even his love life. (He is decidedly single, as hiking for 6-7 months at a time isn't always popular with the ladies.)

As usual, Andrew is very candid and offers excellent insights into his lifestyle. He even talks about how he has gotten to the point that his "job" is to hike, which I have to say is a pretty good gig if you can get it. One thing I found very interesting in the article was that Andrew says that he is now done with long-distance trail hiking. He seems to now prefer wilderness adventures that get him deep into the true backcountry where he has to navigate and find his way. The challenges of a long trail hike are not enough for Andrew any longer, and it is easy to see why.

This is an excellent read for those thinking about a long distance hike of their own. Lots of very useful tips and hints to help with planning and logistics.