The Pre-Trail Mental Game: Lessons from a Long Trail Wannabe
There's a particular kind of restlessness that hits anyone who has committed to a big challenge months in advance. You've spent the money, made the plan, told people about it — and now you just have to wait. Aaron McFarland, a Vermont farm worker preparing for a southbound Long Trail thru-hike this September, put it well: what felt like plenty of time in fall 2025 now feels like a countdown with too many loose ends. That tension is something every serious prepper and homesteader knows intimately.
Preparation Over Perfection
What stands out about Aaron's approach is how practical it is — and how transferable to off-grid life. He didn't just buy gear and hope for the best. He spent months hiking with a loaded 30-pound pack, deliberately choosing harder routes, dehydrating and packing his own trail meals, and honestly reviewing past mistakes from a previous long-distance attempt. That's the same mindset that separates a homestead that thrives through a hard winter from one that scrambles.
- Train with the actual weight you'll carry — no shortcuts
- Make your own food stores well ahead of time, not at the last minute
- Study your failures honestly before the next big push
- Build base fitness through daily functional movement, not just dedicated workouts
The Long Trail covers roughly 272 miles through some of Vermont's roughest terrain. It's not the AT, but it doesn't apologize for itself either. Whether you're heading into the backcountry for a week or buttoning up a homestead before a storm season, the lesson is the same: the preparation window always feels longer than it is, right up until it isn't. Start earlier than you think you need to, and when the date arrives, trust the work you've already done.
Original reporting: thetrek.co ↗
