APPALACHIAN TRAIL

In 2012 I quit my job and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, spending 136 days walking 2,184.2 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. The adventure changed my life. Not only is this where I got the name Tarzan, the trek also inspired me to create the AntiComfortable lifestyle I live today. Each evening I sat in my tent and studiously tapped out posts on my Blackberry keyboard and every few days I used spotty public wifi in towns to publish updates to my blog. These videos and posts chronicle the places, people and stories from the AT that I’ll never forget.

Chris ‘Tarzan’ Clemens
NoBo Thru-Hike 2012

Appalachian Trail Videos

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike 2012

2012 Appalachian Trail Film
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Full AT Film – Part 1

Chris Tarzan Clemens AT Thru-Hike Video Part 1
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Full AT Film – Part 2

Chris Tarzan Clemens AT Thru-Hike Video Part 2
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Appalachian Trail Highlights

Getting My Trail Legs - Springer Mountain

Starting The Appalachian Trail

Published: March 12, 2012

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Getting My Trail Legs - Springer Mountain

Finishing The Appalachian Trail

Published: July 24, 2012

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Getting My Trail Legs - Springer Mountain

Scott Jurek On The Appalachian Trail

Published: August 7, 2015

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Getting My Trail Legs - Springer Mountain

3 Days In The 100 Mile Wilderness

Published: July 12, 2012

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All Appalachian Trail Posts

AT Maps

Maps

Published:
This is what 2,184 miles of maps looks like spread out on our coffee table. Now it is time to section them out and plan when Amy will send them…
Read More Maps
Driving Directions

Driving Directions

Published:
I probably shouldn’t have… I went to Google Maps and typed in driving directions from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine…and this popped up. The distance is 800 miles…
Read More Driving Directions
AT Food Shopping

Here We Go…

Published:
All the hours I spent the past few months watching videos, reading blogs, and not packing my gear…it all adds up the week before you leave! We finished assembling our…
Read More Here We Go…
Snow Day

Snow Day!

Published:
April 21. After a relaxing morning at the coffee shop and the outfitters store we headed out of Damascus for the trail. Before leaving I weighed my backpack…40 pounds with…
Read More Snow Day!
Meat and Tarzan

The Hiker Week

Published:
We have been talking on the trail and we thought the weekly cycle of a thru-hiker is a bit different than the weekly 7 day cycle of most everyone else….
Read More The Hiker Week
Ryan and Brian

Flosser’s Firsts

Published:
Meat and I really enjoyed hiking 700 miles with Brian Sarvis, aka Flosser, aka Kilimanjaro. I won’t mention his age, but if Abe Lincoln was talking about Flossermanjaro-AT he would…
Read More Flosser’s Firsts
City Camping Waynesboro

City Camping

Published:
May 17. I spent the rest of a lazy day yesterday enjoying the town of Waynesboro. I sat at the library a little longer, relaxed in the shade on a…
Read More City Camping
Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry

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May 26. Woke up in my tent on the tent pad at the shelter. It was going to be an interesting ride for the day. We took off early and…
Read More Harpers Ferry
Half Way Done!

HALF WAY DONE!

Published:
May 29. Woke up to a nice morning, a little cooler than the last few. I packed up and walked about a tenth of a mile to Pen Mar Park….
Read More HALF WAY DONE!

Rocks + Rain = PA

Published:
NOTE: This blog post includes a lot of information…it is kinda long. Since I know everyone has a busy life if you don’t have time to read it all I totally…
Read More Rocks + Rain = PA
3 Days With Amy

3 Days With Amy

Published:
June 7. Amy called and said that she was at the post office waiting for me…unfortunately I was also at the post office, just in one town over. Once we…
Read More 3 Days With Amy
Jersey Baby!

Jersey Baby!

Published:
June 10. Amy dropped me off at the trailhead in Deleware Water Gap at 11 AM. We snapped some pictures and then she was on her way to the airport…
Read More Jersey Baby!
Hello New York!

Hello New York!

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June 12. Happy Birthday to my wife Amy! I woke up in my tent this morning in the back lawn of the local tavern…guess there is a first time for…
Read More Hello New York!
The AT Zoo

The AT Zoo

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June 14. Woke up in my tent. Unfortunatley I had set it up on uneven ground and I was sliding down the hill all night. I was pretty tired still…
Read More The AT Zoo
Hello Vermont

Hello Vermont!

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June 22. Today was a trail Friday, and I was pumped! Trying to sleep through the night was like trying to sleep through December 24th when you were a kid. …
Read More Hello Vermont!
Rainy Vermont

Rainy Vermont…

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June 25. We finally said goodbye to Sunshine, Nick, and Josh around noon and stopped by the local deli to get food before hitch hiking the 10 miles back to…
Read More Rainy Vermont…
What next?

What Next?

Published:
So what next?  I know I am not even done with the Appalachian Trail, but as it is winding down (I still have 480 miles to hike!) I have been…
Read More What Next?
Vermont Hills Sunset

Vermont Hills

Published:
July 28. Woke up in the lodge…4 hikers and our gear in one room, it did not smell very good. The coffee brewing downstairs did though and we all headed…
Read More Vermont Hills
New Hampshire

New Hampshire!

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June 29. Woke up before 6 and thought about getting an early start on the day. Around 4 it had started to sprinkle so my tent was a little wet…so…
Read More New Hampshire!
Franconia Ridge

Franconia Ridge

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July 3. Woke up in the hotel at 5 AM and thought about getting going…but I rolled back over and slept until 7. This was another hotel with shower soap…
Read More Franconia Ridge
Mount Washington

Mount Washington

Published:
July 5. Woke up in the dungeon of the Lakes of the Clouds Hut…it was nice and quiet until breakfast upstairs. Everyone was moving the tables and benches and each…
Read More Mount Washington
Welcome to Maine

Welcome To Maine

Published:
July 8. Four months ago today I started hiking the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, Georgia. Today I woke up in New Hampshire, 15 miles from Maine, and 298 miles…
Read More Welcome To Maine
Mahoosuc Notch - Mud

Mahoosuc Notch

Published:
July 9. Woke up early in my tent…not because I wanted to, but because someone’s phone alarm clock was going off. Another hiker rolled in late, after dark, not a…
Read More Mahoosuc Notch
Hiking to Andover

Andover, Maine

Published:
July 10. The plan was to wake up early and get into Andover by 8:30 when the post office opened…but after the 26 mile, 15 hour hike yesterday it was…
Read More Andover, Maine
Outside of Rangeley

Rangeley, Maine

Published:
July 11. Woke up in our stealth camp around 7…I woke up earlier but I really didn’t want to move. I had slept for 10 hours but I felt like I…
Read More Rangeley, Maine
Near Stratton

Stratton, Maine

Published:
July 13. Happy Trail Friday! We were going to town! It is a lot easier waking up and going to town rather than leaving town. We started moving around 5:30…
Read More Stratton, Maine
2,000 Miles

2,000 Miles

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July 14. I went to bed stuffed with a stomach ache from the fish fry and drinks. At 3 AM I got up to use the restroom and realized I…
Read More 2,000 Miles
Outside Monson

Monson, Maine

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July 17. We woke up before 6 AM…we were heading into Monson today for a resupply. The hike was going to be a mostly flat 9 miles. We made it…
Read More Monson, Maine
Heading Home

Heading Home…

Published:
July 22-23. I went to bed in the hotel room last night, with no more hiking or camping in my near future.  As I drifted off to sleep though I…
Read More Heading Home…
The Beard Update

The Beard Update

Published:
I have been asked a lot about how long I plan to keep the beard (mostly from Amy, with a bit of an agitated and annoyed tone).  Well, even though…
Read More The Beard Update
Giving Presentations

Giving Presentations

Published:
As I settle into the “real world” after the trail I’ve realized one thing…that I like talking about the trail!  I don’t mind rounds of rapid fire questions about me,…
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Getting Published

Getting Published!

Published:
Shortly after returning from my Appalachian Trail thru-hike I was asked to contribute a feature article to a fitness magazine.  The focus was to be on the sport of “Fastpacking”…
Read More Getting Published!