Saturday, February 27, 2010

Cure for Trail Boredom

Most of the time, the trail is interesting and challenging and requires most of your attention. But, sometimes it can be incredibly boring and monotonous. When your hiking ten or twelve hours a day, every day, there are times when you need something to occupy your mind. About a month into my thru-hike of the Appalchian Trail, I picked up a small am/fm radio. Most of the time, reception was terrible, but it did help a bit. I was always looking for the news or anything on NPR, rather than music. Next time around, on the PCT, I want something more dependable and interesting.

I'm taking an mp3 player this time with a good selection of music. I'd like something portable that I can put in my bounce box with extra mp3's. I was thinking about taking some audio book mp3's, and then realized that when I hit a town with a computer, (library or place I'm staying), I can download podcasts. I have a few that I listen to on a fairly regular basis. By listing them here with links, I don't have to try to remember them or carry a list with me. Here are some I'm thinking about:

/Filmcast
DWO Whocast
NPR podcast directory
Hatecast
The Doctor Who Podcast
The Oodcast
Nerdist
Crazy Sexy Geeks
Podcast Alley
ODEO

A note on the photo: borrowed from backpack45.com, a website with some great PCT information.