Granite Gear Sponsored Team Packs Out 1,090 lbs. of Trash on Appalachian Trail

Granite Gear Sponsored Team Packs Out 1,090 lbs. of Trash on Appalachian Trail

August 24, 2015 – Two Harbors, MN – Most Appalachian Trail thru-hikers find themselves a few pounds lighter at the end of their journey. However, when Goose, Cap, and Spice completed their journey, they had gained over 1,000 pounds – of trash. In March, the Granite Gear sponsored team of three friends had set out to hike and clean up the Appalachian Trail, and five months and 2,190 miles later they had successfully packed out 1,090 pounds of trail trash.

“To clean up, walk along, and live on one of America’s greatest trails has been the most amazing experience,” said Seth “Cap” Orme, founder of Packing it Out. “Achieving our goal to inspire others and raise awareness created a huge sense of accomplishment among the Packing it Out crew. To feel completely alive and to do what you’re passionate about every single day is the greatest triumph I can think of. ”

Stemming from the Leave No Trace principle “pack it in, pack it out”, the Packing It Out team accounts for their own items but focuses more heavily on the things that haven’t been packed out by others. In order to remove as much waste as possible, the team carried extra heavy duty trash bags and extra cordage to accommodate heavier loads, such as mattresses. Often having to carry trash for up to 4 days before finding a receptacle, the team relied on the kindness of others to help them dispose of the garbage at trail heads.

 “I can’t recall a single time that someone denied taking the trash away,” says Orme. “We can’t express how thankful we are for the help of strangers.”

The job of packing out trash did, however, take a toll on the physical bodies of the team and Spice actually ended the thru-hike 300 miles early, due to injury. Once the team has healed and rested, the plan is to keep packing it out on a smaller scale until they attempt the PCT in 2016. They hope to maintain their trail fitness the best they can by getting out and cleaning up local trails. To learn more about Packing it Out and how they accomplished their impressive goal, visit www.packingitout.blogspot.com. To contact the team, please contact Shelly Smith at Shelly@darbycommunications.com.

About Granite Gear

For 29 years, Granite Gear has brought cutting-edge products to the outdoor marketplace. Their award-winning backpacks, adventure travel gear, extensive variety of storage sacks, lifestyle accessories, and canoe gear offer excellence in design and construction. Granite Gear’s desire is for all outdoor enthusiasts and travelers to experience the incredible durability and comfort of their products. Located in Northern Minnesota, just minutes from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Superior Hiking Trail, they have a rugged and beautiful testing ground for their products.

CONTACT:

Shelly Smith / Darby Communications
shelly@darbycommunications.com
828.254.0914 / 630.337.6505 cell