CAMP athlete Justin Lichter, aka ‘Trauma’, has finished his self-published book, Trail Tested, A Thru-Hiker’s Insights into Hiking & Backpacking. It is a beautiful collection of his short stories, tech tips, and guidelines for getting smarter about foraying deeper into the backcountry. Knowing Justin personally and having had the opportunity to join him on some of his more trivial outings like 50 milers through the Evolution Basin in California, we can say with confidence that he is an absolute gear junkie. He spends more time than anyone we know tinkering with gear and systems and this has enabled him to carry his absolutely minimalist attitude on some of the longest continuous hikes in history. Since 2002, Justin has hiked more than 35,000 miles, equivalent to nearly one and a half times around the Earth.
Spending time with Justin’s book is like spending time with Justin himself. Hiking with him is a singular experience. One spends as much time watching him interact with his gear and thoughts as they do focusing on their own. It is because his are so much better thought-through. For this reason alone, Trail Tested comes highly recommended—the book is guaranteed to point out inconsistencies and help you troubleshoot your own ideas in the same soft manner one experiences interacting with Justin personally.
Here we offer a selection of pages from the book to give you a taste of what we are talking about. In all, there are more tips than you could pack your 60 liter rig, let alone the new 40 liter rig Justin will talk you down to. But each tip (and everything in between) will prove invaluable when you are on the trail and the tips come to mind. It will mean the difference between healthy and sore feet at the end of each day on the trail, a lousy or good night’s sleep, even the difference between accruing fines and avoiding them along the way.
So, without further ado, we want to say congratulations to Justin and please enjoy his NEW BOOK!
