Sheltowee Trace Thru-Hike Part 1 - Trail Recon and the Start! \ 343 Mile Unsupported FKT

Part 1 begins two days prior to starting my attempt. My buddy the Colonel and I travel to Rugby, TN to check out a bit of the new trail extension before heading towards the Northern Terminus of the Sheltowee Trace where I would begin my fastest known time attempt.

Along the way we visit a few iconic locations as well as several new reroutes and a couple places where I had made wrong turns during my first attempt going self supported in 2019.

Other videos in this series:

Food I took for FKT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4TyuAnb3eQ&t=19s
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=valjP9lndjo&t=80s
Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qVy_FfLkk

On this Unsupported FKT I used my Zpacks Duplex and Nemo Switchback pad with a UGQ quilt all carried with a Lite AF Curve 40L backpack. This sleep system is a bit lighter and smaller than my Dream Hammock Raven, Hammock Gear DCF tarp and Nemo Tensor pad. For shoes I wore the Altra Olympus 4.0’s with Darn Tough and Injinji socks and Dirty Girl Gators. My trekking poles were Fizan Compact 3 aluminum poles.

For navigation and verification I used Gaia on my iphone 8, carried my Garmin Inreach mini and wore a Corus Apex watch.