Entertainment on the AT: Part 1, Reading

Big, unwieldy, fragile, and HEAVY (great book though).

I consider myself an avid reader. Indeed, I have problems falling asleep at night if I don't get some reading in. So of course I plan on reading during our thruhike. But how? At first I thought I'd just mail myself books every so often and tear out the pages I've already read as I go (à la Cheryl Strayed in Wild), but that seems like a bad option. One, because I don't want to carry the extra weight (especially since I typically read massive 1000 page epic fantasies), and two, because I don't think I can bring myself to destroy books (it just seems too Fahrenheit 451 to me).

Then I thought, "Okay, well, I'll take my Kindle." Which is a fine plan and many thruhikers are big fans of carrying a Kindle. Not only can Kindles can carry tons of books, they are somewhat lightweight, and they stay charged for a suuuuper long time. But in the end, I decided against the Kindle. Firstly, because I don't want to accidentally break a somewhat expensive electronic device, and secondly, because my Kindle isn't backlit (even though some models are, although they weigh more).

Sample of the Kindle App.

After reading online about the kindle app for iPhones (or any smartphone really), I decided to download it and see if it was to my liking. Turns out that it is. I will already have my iPhone with me, so this diminishes the need to bring the kindle (or book), saving a significant amount of weight. My phone is also backlight, so I don't need to use a headlamp to read. The downside to using my iPhone to read is that it will significantly drain my battery. Not such a problem for me since I also have a Mophie Juice Pack rechargeable iPhone case. It holds about a full charge and a half.

Sample of OverDrive.

There's plenty of other options out there for recharging your electronics on the trail. Mophie makes a Powerstation external battery for recharging electronics, which holds probably somewhere close to three iPhone 4S charges. There are tons of similar devices, but some have more charge than others. The trade is in weight. The more battery life, the heavier the weight. Accomplished thruhiker Wired (from Walking with Wired) often reviews electronics. She typically goes for what she calls "bricks", heavy ass devices that hold quite a bit of charge. One such device she reviewed from her AT thruhike is NewTrent's PowerPak. Some opt for solar chargers, but the AT is mostly in shade, so this isn't the best option for this particular trail.

While researching about reading apps for my phone, I came across another really nifty app, "OverDrive". OverDrive allows you to access your local library's electronic book database and download books or audiobooks to your phone (or Kindle, Nook, etc.) from anywhere with wifi. Wow, talk about awesome. This app allows me to carry and read a near infinite supply of books, for free! And if I want to listen to audiobooks while I hike, I have that option too! I'm seriously stoked about this app. The downside is that OverDrive isn't the best piece of programming ever made. It's a little glitchy, but I can get over that considering what it offers.