WHY WE'RE WALKING
To many, the idea of embarking on a nearly 2,200 mile hike over the Appalachian Trail may sound crazy. But to us, it just made sense.
Beyond diseases and deaths, there are social and economic impacts associated with not having nearby access to clean water. It is common for someone in a developing country to have to walk 3-4 miles (one way) to simply fetch a few gallons of water - that's nearly 5 million steps in a year! Spending this time walking to the water source prevents many from attending school, working, and even increases the risk of sexual assult.
By helping providing a clean, safe water source within a community, you are not only helping decrease the number of diseases associated with contaminated water, but you're also giving that community the opportunity for a better quality of life. By eliminating the 3-5 miles a day that a child often has to walk to fetch water, you are allowing them to attend school and have the opportunity for an education. We want to help 2 communities never have to walk those 3-5 miles again for water -- enter the Appalachian Trail.
At roughly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, hiking the full length of the trail will translate roughly to 5 million steps. We wanted to better understand even a glimpse of the reality that a billion people face each day. We will be hiking the full length of the trail and living on only a few gallons of water each day opposed to the 150 gallons that most americans use daily. Each of us will be carying a 20-30 pound pack that contains all of our necessities. While many people choose to attempt "ultra-light" backpacking and carry the least weight possible, we wanted to know the feeling of carrying the weight of 3-5 gallons of water every day.
Instead of carrying jerry cans of water, however, we will be carrying personal water filters and drawing water along the way from streams, ponds, and springs. It may sound inconvenient, but it's really a luxury when you realize many people have nothing but a piece of cloth to filter out mud, dirt and debris from their water - with nothing to filter out parasites and other diseases.
While our jounrey will be a challenge, we know that it will pale in comparison to the reality that nearly 1 billion people have to face each day. However, if our experience can raise awareness or encourage even one individual to make a financial contribution to give another human clean water, that's one more life that is changed!
