What an adventure! I look forward to following you on the trail. Many Appalachian ballads are of English/Irish/Scottish origin; be sure to ask people to sing and play music for you. I "discovered" you when one of your videos from your Ireland walk showed up among the posts on Facebook; I was hooked and went back to watch from the beginning. Congratulations on overcoming your depression and illness and successfully summiting Kilimanjaro. "Head good, body good, feet good, mind good, all good, let's go!" I love the background noises by the lake.
Thank you very much. I am really looking forward to discovering everything about life along the trail. And yes the lake is such a beautiful place to spend time. ALL GOOD Ruth!!
Following! SO interesting. Thanks for letting us follow along in your hiking journey -- Makes me want to set out on the AT. Let me know when you get to Bears Den or Ravens Rock in Northern Virginia and I will bring you and your tramily Sandwiches & Pringles!!!!!!
Can't wait to see your coverage of my home country's (and East Coast) coverage.when on the AT. I'm in the Philadelphia area and would love the opportunity to be a part of the support team and willing to travel the surrounding areas along the route if you need shoe laces, chocolate or some laundry detergent 🙂 Will be sure to fwd my contact info through the back channels before you depart. AWESOME!
Looking forward to seeing this walk Derek, I first started watching your videos in the summer of 2022 when you walked Ireland, by the end of your trip I decided to do a little trip of my own, and basically cycled the WAW route from Cork to kilarney, spent a fantastic week camping out and loved every minute of it, i hadn't camped in nearly 30yrs, I'm doing the whole Wild Atlantic Way in July, have taken 5 weeks off work to do it, and it all started from watching your videos, keep them coming
I am so excited you chose the AT for your next adventure! I live in and love the Appalachians. I think you’ll truly enjoy the diversity of people and environments you find along the way. Many Irish, English and Welsh settled in the Appalachian mountains, so I hope you feel a bit of home here. ❤
Hi Derek, I live in California, you may love exploring Yosemite National Park (visit spring time. Waterfalls are at their best. ) and Death Valley (visit in Autumn or Winter it’s cooler) I think you’re going to love those two locations I really do enjoy walking with you through Ireland, never been it’s just so beautiful and green. Lora
I'm Irish. Born and raised in Cork City itself. I now live in Maryland near the Frederick area. I'll follow your posts when I can. I'd love to be of help in some way if I can. Irish Blessings Maura
Very excited that you’re going to thru-hike the AT! I hope you’ll be vlogging your hike so that we can come along with you. Thanks for sharing your adventures and your insights, hope you have a great hike!😊
I have met many hikers who have done the triple crown, but it is not for me. I have also previously thru-hiked the Pinhoti Trail ( Alabama to Georgia) and the Henro (Shikoku Island, Japan.) In the future, I would like to hike international trails in the 1,000 km range. Your Ireland Way videos brought me to your channel recently. I am planning a 2026 Ireland Way thru-hike. Are you hiking the AT northbound or southbound?
So delighted you are doing this . I have read so many books by folks that have done act .wonder what trail name you will acquire .I hope the many trail angels find you if and when you need them .
Thanks very much. I did have a trail name on the Pacific Crest Trail for a short time but it didnt last. I had an obsession with honeybuns (pastries) when we were hiking in the Sierra mountains and carried a big bag of them with me. So....the guys i was hiking with began calling me 'Honeybun' haha
This is awesome!! I'm in Massachusetts and NH. If you need any support along the way up here, don't hesitate to reach out. The Lee MA area in October Mountain State Forest, where the trail passes through, is one of my favorite places! Also, if you need an off grid cabin on a pond in the woods in southern NH to crash in for a while when your trip is over, I've got a place for you! :) So looking forward to following your journey!
Derek, how exciting. We love your videos, and you’ll be so close this time. We’re in the Arkansas Ozarks. I hope and pray you have a wonderful experience on the Appalachian. Looking forward to watching…
Fantastic!! Going to be a wonderful hike. We have friends who have done some of it. We live a stone’s throw away from the trail in NWNJ. More than welcome to stop by for a meal.
Awesome Derek. Love the sounds of nature where you currently are. Good luck with your AT prep. It’s going to be an incredible adventure. Look forward to your updates.
@@DerekCullenOutdoors Cheers Derek. The Hexatrek was incredible. Highly recommend it for a French adventure through the Alps and Pyrenees. I would love to do the AT, it looks amazing.
Whoohoo! So happy for you! I actually am moving back home to Maine this Summer after living in Ireland for 7 years. I may bump into you on the trail as I love hiking along it in both Maine and New Hampshire. Best of luck to you. I assume you will begin in Georgia?
Yes! The Appalachian Trail ran through the town I grew up in up North. I would see hikers coming into town often. As I got older I'd talk to them to hear their journey story. I've walked parts of the trail in New Hampshire and Maine because of those talks. Lynn-Marie
Fantastic to hear, Derek!! The simplicity of trail life is exactly what I yearn for again. In 2019 I hiked the PCT until South Lake Tahoe and you were one of the people who drew me to it. I'm heading back this year to continue north for many of the same reasons you noted. Good luck with the prep! Oh, actually, admin question: Are you using the same B2 visa you had for the PCT or getting a new one? My initial research leads me to believe that I can use the same one again (even if it's in my now expired passport).
Hi. Your B2 visa should be for 10 years. Make sure you bring your old and new passports with you. I’m in the same situation and this is how it works. I hiked the AT in 2019 and will be starting the PCT at the end of April. Happy trails!
Lovely to know that you were watching my videos before your PCT and delighted for you heading back. The pct is a very special trail! Yes you can use the same B2 visa as pointed out in the comment below. All the best Barry 🙏🙏
Yes!!! I had a feeling it was the AT! I'd love to see you at your halfway point in Pennsylvania and would be happy to provide you a meal, laundry washing, or any needed supplies. - Joan Maíre
Thanks so much Joan Maire, this is a lovely gesture/invite and please do remind me closer to the time. I am really excited about getting to the start of the trail :)
So awesome! I live about 15 minutes from the trail near the Delaware Water Gap. Enjoy it. Going to be a great journey. And maybe we will see you out on the trail!
We stumbled on your videos awhile back….enjoyed them and look forward to your treks on the Appalachian Trail. We’ve only walk a wee bit of it around Shenandoah. Stunning.
I have followed you very on & off Derek since your very early days on a beach in Howth, where I worked for years. I overloaded a bit on books on the PCT & AT & UA-cam videos, but might tag along with you on this one. Nice to hear a familiar accent, best of luck with this one, and most of all have the craic 🥳
HELLO YOU..........................enjoy your journey.......I look forward to the videos................Blessings and Greetings from Daggy,Kiel,Germany☘☘☘
The Ibis are smart sheena haha Actually, the exact same Ibis and geese come every day so they are very used to me and come very close. The geese even walk right up to me now (as though saying hello) at which point I will say 'hello you'....I am becoming attached :)
I had a feeling it was going to be the AT. I should have guessed in the comments. I just read the book wander by Ryan benz who hiked it. It's a really good book well worth a read 😊
Fantastic choice Derek!!! . I had my head wrecked wondering where would it be nd I couldn't have wished for a better hike.. So so looking forward to it Derek as I'm sure you are... 🤣🤣👏👍🇮🇪🙏
Haha my fault and I’m sorry about that. I had to finish the Kilimanjaro video (previous video posted) first so as not to confuse people. Cheers Sean 🙏🙏
Haha my fault and I’m sorry about that. I had to finish the Kilimanjaro video (previous video posted) first so as not to confuse people. Cheers Sean 🙏🙏
Welcome to USA! I live in New Hampshire and would love to run into you at the end of your journey ! I take it you will be going South to North! Good for you!
Hello you!😉. Sounds good Derek. Different kinds of wildlife. Bears and Cougars (the four legged kind) lol. About 18 years ago I travelled from Calgary to Banff and Jasper then took the train through the Rockies over to just the south of Alaska and then all the way south to Vancouver Island. It was AMAZING and you would love it!
Thanks so much Jennifer! I actually lived in Calgary for one year and used to work in Vancouver every few months during that time - loved my time there 🙏
Hi Derek. As a fellow Dub I’ll try to follow your vlog of the AT. I hiked it in 2019 and found my Irish accent made people gravitate towards me which was great. The people you’ll meet will be amazing. I’m hiking the PCT this year and will enjoy following your progress while I hobble up the west coast. Happy trails man!
Ah brilliant James and well done. I’m not sure what to expect with the AT but the scenery on the pacific crest trail is spectacular and different…every, single, day! I found this really helped with motivation on the down days. In what part of Dublin did you grow up? Happy trails to you too 😊
Hi Derek. I grew up in Ballybrack (5-18 yrs old). Now I’m just outside Stepaside village so I can easily walk from my house to 3 rock and get onto the Wicklow Way. What was your PCT trailname btw?
What a lovely place to live. I didn't really have a trail name on the PCT. However, i did go through a phase of eating honeybuns (glazed donuts) in the Sierra section at which point a few hikers began to call me 'Honeybun' lol....it didn't last long :)@@jameswhiteAT2019
@@DerekCullenOutdoors Yes, Darn Tough are based in Vermont! They really are great socks. I look forward to hopefully meeting you when walk through my town. I have really enjoyed your videos after finding you a few months ago while I was planning a hiking and brewery tour in Ireland I am leading for my beer magazine readers this September. Safe travels! Cheers, Brad Ring
Hi Derek, that was a big trip you were just on, now the AT too. I think it might be more sociable than the pct and be closer to civilisation as such. I have only watched Dixie's channel on the AT so not as familiar as with the pct. I see most people keep the memory cards with them all the way but maybe you could copy them and post them as you go, then keep a copy too as post is not reliable. Sure would be interested in gear videos. 1.0 the big three 2.0 shoes, do you know about nnormal shoes they are supposed to be long lasting and there's one with swappable parts. Most people use 5 pairs but it's environmentally damaging. But there's probably not enough time to research and trial them they are 190 a pair I think and there's no insoles (supposed to reduce blisters ? ). I don't think they are zero drop I think it's 8mm. With that video socks. 3.0 camera equipment electronics. Will you bring a Garmin in reach, what does that cost and how often do you drop pings? 4.0 sleep system. 5.0 clothes. 6.0 planned zero days or trail supply plans. 7.0 bear or other animals gear. 8.0 medical kit, tablets what's brought vs what might be nice to have but not brought.water system. One question I'd have is do you have a film editor and if not how hard is it to edit your own videos and is it possible to do as you travel? Do you worry about it interfering with your journey enjoyment or is it part of the adventure that is liked in of itself. Maybe a video about the filming process could be useful. Current plan is PCT in 2030 if I can save enough and be doing okay jobwise. Probably never happen but I'll do some short hikes in the meantime most likely tmb this year then a trail in Norway if possible.
Thanks a lot Paul and yes the pct would be far more remote and wild - I am gravitating toward trips where I meet more people nowadays. My strategy is to use my footage to make episodes on the trail and then delete all the footage after they have been uploaded. That way, there is a,ways space on my iPad for more videos. Editing can take a long time but I can usually get a process going and get faster and faster at making them. Keep in mind, I have been editing videos for 10 years so have a lot of experience with knowing how to speed things up without affecting the quality too much. To your last point, I love film and storytelling in particular so while it takes a massive effort to make as many videos as I do on such trips, it is because I am passionate about it and making the videos will often add to the enjoyment of my trip 🙏
@@DerekCullenOutdoors yes, your dialogues are quite listenable just as vocal there's a lot of thought in them. It's good your not too burdened by editing. I did three weeks on trail in Nepal and met just 3 hikers from abroad that was after the earthquake just before monsoon so quite in a normal year. After two Camino de Santiago trips the lack of people was hard but I could in my mind comfort myself cause I'd had that experience before. Gr20 last June had lots of people but I don't speak French or Italian so sometimes I was around people but alone, that was harder. I think people make a trip more memorable it's another layer though I like being alone during the day, which on the last Camino was hard to find and I drank with too many people so that's fun cause I don't go out at home much but I missed an element of why I did it again. On gr20 I was on a cocktail of pain killers I picked up in Corsica and didn't realise I was a bit stoned for the first week but stopped taking them after that (tramadol) and opium. This year tmb will be a sober affair. Doing yoga now so my back is better and I'm sleeping. The pre gr20 0.5 hours sleep happened for two months so if I'd not done it, I was definitely falling apart. Looking forward to keeping up with your travels!
Hey! I never wear boots on the long walks and always stick to Altra lone peak which have never let me down :) You can see the rest of my gear here -> derekcullen.com/my-gear-appalachian-trail/
Cheers Bob. Yeah I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to spend so long hiking through forest and this was one of the reasons it took me so long to make a decision. BUT I am now committed to embracing this very long walk in the woods ;)
Hmm should be interesting,,, you will need spikes 😂 sending blessings. Get a name on the trail good stuff. Im going to send u the best weather will be purrfect❤
Yeah, there's a "community" alright - but a lot of it is a bunch of young single Americans - and as one of my college aged friends said at Christmas - "They're a bunch of degenerates." So - have fun - but you'll have to really work to feel anything like being alone on that trail. 😉
What an adventure! I look forward to following you on the trail. Many Appalachian ballads are of English/Irish/Scottish origin; be sure to ask people to sing and play music for you.
I "discovered" you when one of your videos from your Ireland walk showed up among the posts on Facebook; I was hooked and went back to watch from the beginning. Congratulations on overcoming your depression and illness and successfully summiting Kilimanjaro. "Head good, body good, feet good, mind good, all good, let's go!"
I love the background noises by the lake.
Thank you very much. I am really looking forward to discovering everything about life along the trail. And yes the lake is such a beautiful place to spend time. ALL GOOD Ruth!!
Following! SO interesting. Thanks for letting us follow along in your hiking journey -- Makes me want to set out on the AT. Let me know when you get to Bears Den or Ravens Rock in Northern Virginia and I will bring you and your tramily Sandwiches & Pringles!!!!!!
Can't wait to see your coverage of my home country's (and East Coast) coverage.when on the AT. I'm in the Philadelphia area and would love the opportunity to be a part of the support team and willing to travel the surrounding areas along the route if you need shoe laces, chocolate or some laundry detergent 🙂 Will be sure to fwd my contact info through the back channels before you depart. AWESOME!
Thank you very much for this lovely gesture 🙏
Looking forward to seeing this walk Derek, I first started watching your videos in the summer of 2022 when you walked Ireland, by the end of your trip I decided to do a little trip of my own, and basically cycled the WAW route from Cork to kilarney, spent a fantastic week camping out and loved every minute of it, i hadn't camped in nearly 30yrs, I'm doing the whole Wild Atlantic Way in July, have taken 5 weeks off work to do it, and it all started from watching your videos, keep them coming
This is amazing to hear. Thanks foe letting me know and fair play to you. The west is amazing for that kind of trip 👍
Enjoy and godspeed 🎉
Wow what an adventure that will be. So looking forward so watching your videos. Stay safe and god bless 🙂
Thanks for being here Linda 🙏
Amazing! Cannot wait to follow along
Cheers guys. You know how much I loved the Pacific Crest Trail so really looking forward to this one !
Brilliant mate well done ,look forward to the videos
Appreciate it Gary 🙏
Thank you me too🙏🏻
Wicked mate look forward to following along and learning as we go
Thanks very much for following Robert :)
Can't wait to see this
Cheers Charlie
I am so excited you chose the AT for your next adventure! I live in and love the Appalachians. I think you’ll truly enjoy the diversity of people and environments you find along the way. Many Irish, English and Welsh settled in the Appalachian mountains, so I hope you feel a bit of home here. ❤
Thanks very much. I am mostly looking forward to meeting the many characters on the AT 🙏
Proud of you
Gwan Derek ya mad thing. I am really looking forward to this adventure and your fabulous videos. As always stay safe xx
Thanks a mill, Val. This will be a wild adventure :)
I just happened upon your channel … wishing I was on the trail. Wishing you the best and following your journey
Hi Derek, I live in California, you may love exploring Yosemite National Park (visit spring time. Waterfalls are at their best. ) and Death Valley (visit in Autumn or Winter it’s cooler) I think you’re going to love those two locations
I really do enjoy walking with you through Ireland, never been it’s just so beautiful and green.
Lora
Thanks very much Lora! Yes I have been to California a few times so it’s time for the East coast now 😜
Just watched a vlog do the AT, Taylor the Nahansha Hiker. What a tremendous trip you’re going to have, it’s looks amazing. Can’t wait to follow you 🥾🥾
Thanks so much Julie and yes I have come across Taylor’s videos before - she is lovely !
Looking forward to watching you hike the trail. You'll be in our area since we live in Maryland!
Maryland! Delighted to have you watching, thank you!
I'm Irish. Born and raised in Cork City itself. I now live in Maryland near the Frederick area. I'll follow your posts when I can. I'd love to be of help in some way if I can. Irish Blessings Maura
Very excited that you’re going to thru-hike the AT! I hope you’ll be vlogging your hike so that we can come along with you. Thanks for sharing your adventures and your insights, hope you have a great hike!😊
Thanks very much and yes I will be posting videos as often as possible as I go 🙏
Great news Derek! Really looking forward to following you along the journey, keep up the great work 👍🏻
Hi there Graham! Thanks a million
I had a feeling you would be doing the Appalachian trail. Even the birds are cheering your choice!
Haha I’m delighted to have made the decision….it took months of going back and forth!
I wish you very good luck on your journey. I am a 2 time AT thru-hiker ( 2006, 2022.) All the best. :)
Cheers Matt! Have you ever thought about hiking the PCT or CDT trails? Perhaps you have hiked them already :)
I have met many hikers who have done the triple crown, but it is not for me. I have also previously thru-hiked the Pinhoti Trail ( Alabama to Georgia) and the Henro (Shikoku Island, Japan.) In the future, I would like to hike international trails in the 1,000 km range. Your Ireland Way videos brought me to your channel recently. I am planning a 2026 Ireland Way thru-hike. Are you hiking the AT northbound or southbound?
So delighted you are doing this . I have read so many books by folks that have done act .wonder what trail name you will acquire .I hope the many trail angels find you if and when you need them .
Thanks very much. I did have a trail name on the Pacific Crest Trail for a short time but it didnt last. I had an obsession with honeybuns (pastries) when we were hiking in the Sierra mountains and carried a big bag of them with me. So....the guys i was hiking with began calling me 'Honeybun' haha
What a coincidence. I've just finished Bill Bryson's book on his Appalachian trail. It's quite the walk. I can recommend the book
Haha strange coincidence! Yeah I will have to read it. Thanks for the reminder 🙏
This is awesome!! I'm in Massachusetts and NH. If you need any support along the way up here, don't hesitate to reach out. The Lee MA area in October Mountain State Forest, where the trail passes through, is one of my favorite places! Also, if you need an off grid cabin on a pond in the woods in southern NH to crash in for a while when your trip is over, I've got a place for you! :) So looking forward to following your journey!
Amazing. Thanks so much Michele, I am looking forward to every part of the trail and really appreciate this kind offer !!
So excited for this adventure!🤗🤗🤗
Cheers Stephanie !,
Derek Cullen for leader of Ireland please !
Good man dereck look forward to my nightly videos👍
Thanks a lot Paul 🙏
Derek, how exciting. We love your videos, and you’ll be so close this time. We’re in the Arkansas Ozarks. I hope and pray you have a wonderful experience on the Appalachian. Looking forward to watching…
Looking forward to following you on this journey 🎉sounds fantastic Derek ☘️👏
Thank you Iris. I am hoping this will be the best trip yet 🙏
Excellent choice for your next adventure! I look forward to following your journey!
Thank you Jayne. I have been looking at this for a few years now and very happy to have waited until now to hike the AT ✨
Fantastic!! Going to be a wonderful hike. We have friends who have done some of it. We live a stone’s throw away from the trail in NWNJ. More than welcome to stop by for a meal.
Thank you very much for this invite/gesture - very kind of you 🙏🙏
Awesome Derek. Love the sounds of nature where you currently are. Good luck with your AT prep. It’s going to be an incredible adventure. Look forward to your updates.
Thanks Ryan. I just saw your hexatrek….wow…fair play !!!
@@DerekCullenOutdoors Cheers Derek. The Hexatrek was incredible. Highly recommend it for a French adventure through the Alps and Pyrenees. I would love to do the AT, it looks amazing.
@@RyansNextAdventure the first thing i thought was hexatrek + Camino Frances = Santiago de Compostela 😜
@@RyansNextAdventure the first thing i thought was hexatrek + Camino Frances = Santiago de Compostela 😜
@@DerekCullenOutdoors that was also my thoughts, I very nearly carried on to make it a Camino.
Whoohoo! So happy for you! I actually am moving back home to Maine this Summer after living in Ireland for 7 years. I may bump into you on the trail as I love hiking along it in both Maine and New Hampshire. Best of luck to you. I assume you will begin in Georgia?
Yes I will begin in Georgia. What made you decided to move back to Maine? (And leave Ireland) …. Feel free to be totally honest !
@@DerekCullenOutdoors family reasons back in Maine.
@@helenaylward5703 ah okay. Hope everything is or will be okay 🕯
G'day Derek🎉 Greetings from Australia. Thanks for bringing us along virtually on your AT adventure.🇭🇲💚💛
Subscribed 😎✌
Best of luck
Thank you!
Yes! The Appalachian Trail ran through the town I grew up in up North. I would see hikers coming into town often. As I got older I'd talk to them to hear their journey story. I've walked parts of the trail in New Hampshire and Maine because of those talks.
Lynn-Marie
Brilliant lynn Marie. I’m hoping to hear lots of stories along the way from other hikers 🙏
Wow what an adventure to take on ,so looking forward to watching your video's on your amazing journey,stay safe Derek
Fantastic to hear, Derek!! The simplicity of trail life is exactly what I yearn for again. In 2019 I hiked the PCT until South Lake Tahoe and you were one of the people who drew me to it. I'm heading back this year to continue north for many of the same reasons you noted. Good luck with the prep! Oh, actually, admin question: Are you using the same B2 visa you had for the PCT or getting a new one? My initial research leads me to believe that I can use the same one again (even if it's in my now expired passport).
Hi. Your B2 visa should be for 10 years. Make sure you bring your old and new passports with you. I’m in the same situation and this is how it works. I hiked the AT in 2019 and will be starting the PCT at the end of April. Happy trails!
Lovely to know that you were watching my videos before your PCT and delighted for you heading back. The pct is a very special trail! Yes you can use the same B2 visa as pointed out in the comment below. All the best Barry 🙏🙏
Yes!!! I had a feeling it was the AT! I'd love to see you at your halfway point in Pennsylvania and would be happy to provide you a meal, laundry washing, or any needed supplies. - Joan Maíre
Thanks so much Joan Maire, this is a lovely gesture/invite and please do remind me closer to the time. I am really excited about getting to the start of the trail :)
So awesome! I live about 15 minutes from the trail near the Delaware Water Gap. Enjoy it. Going to be a great journey. And maybe we will see you out on the trail!
i miss this lake. Nice video
Amazing adventure and best of luck on your USA adventure.My late uncles wife's sister who has also sadly passed lived in Maine USA ..Safe travels
Sounds like a great trip during the best part of the year!! Good luck ☘☘
G’wan Derek. What an adventure.
Great to see you back.
That's awesome! I look forward to seeing your thru hike
Stop in Ohio, did you know we have a Shannon river in Cleveland, also my great grandparents dug the Ohio Erie canal, all the way from Ohio to newyork
We stumbled on your videos awhile back….enjoyed them and look forward to your treks on the Appalachian Trail. We’ve only walk a wee bit of it around Shenandoah. Stunning.
Thank you for watching and for this kind feedback 🙏
I have followed you very on & off Derek since your very early days on a beach in Howth, where I worked for years. I overloaded a bit on books on the PCT & AT & UA-cam videos, but might tag along with you on this one. Nice to hear a familiar accent, best of luck with this one, and most of all have the craic 🥳
Do you travel full time? Maybe you can let us new subscribers know a little more about you… I see you’ve done some amazing traveling!
Hello from belgium
HELLO YOU..........................enjoy your journey.......I look forward to the videos................Blessings and Greetings from Daggy,Kiel,Germany☘☘☘
Hello Daggy (you)! Danke shone and always great to see you 🙏
That is going to be so awesome! Will be fun commn along virtually.
Great to have you here 🙏
It will be a wonderful trip, looking forward to following along!
Many thanks and please do follow along Brid ✨
You'll be walking through some of my favorite parts of the world during the North Carolina, Virginia stretches. I hope you absolutely love it.
Ahhhh nice!! I’m looking forward to every bit of the trail. That said, I’m soaking up the sun here because no doubt it’s going to rain a LOT on trail!
Sounded like those ibis are applauding your plans -yeah! Yeah! Go Derek!!
The Ibis are smart sheena haha Actually, the exact same Ibis and geese come every day so they are very used to me and come very close. The geese even walk right up to me now (as though saying hello) at which point I will say 'hello you'....I am becoming attached :)
A great new adventure ahead Derek. I'm looking forward to following your walking & hiking on the AT.
It is going to be a long and wild trip Mary !!
I had a feeling it was going to be the AT. I should have guessed in the comments.
I just read the book wander by Ryan benz who hiked it.
It's a really good book well worth a read 😊
Yes you should have guessed lol Thanks for the recommendation Peter!
Thrilled to hear you’re doing the AT! We live in NH ! Looking forward to you passing thru!
Cheers Taffy 🙏
How exciting! I look forward to the videos!
Thank you Shannon 😊
Exciting news Derek! all the best on your adventures... I for one will be following along.
Cheers Paul, lovely to see you again 😊
Fantastic choice Derek!!! . I had my head wrecked wondering where would it be nd I couldn't have wished for a better hike.. So so looking forward to it Derek as I'm sure you are... 🤣🤣👏👍🇮🇪🙏
Haha my fault and I’m sorry about that. I had to finish the Kilimanjaro video (previous video posted) first so as not to confuse people. Cheers Sean 🙏🙏
Haha my fault and I’m sorry about that. I had to finish the Kilimanjaro video (previous video posted) first so as not to confuse people. Cheers Sean 🙏🙏
Watching from philippines❤❤❤❤
Great to see you Arlene and thank you 🙏
Great to see you Arlene and thank you 🙏
Great to see you Derek - only shared your channel with a Canadian colleague! Look forward to the next adventure.
Hey Loman! Thanks very much for the best wishes and for sharing my channel with your colleague 😊
Welcome to USA! I live in New Hampshire and would love to run into you at the end of your journey ! I take it you will be going South to North! Good for you!
Hello Ann!! Yes I will begin hiking in Georgia from south to north🎉
Hello you!😉. Sounds good Derek. Different kinds of wildlife. Bears and Cougars (the four legged kind) lol. About 18 years ago I travelled from Calgary to Banff and Jasper then took the train through the Rockies over to just the south of Alaska and then all the way south to Vancouver Island. It was AMAZING and you would love it!
Thanks so much Jennifer! I actually lived in Calgary for one year and used to work in Vancouver every few months during that time - loved my time there 🙏
Well done on your new adventures. Doing the right thing……chapeau! You deserve every success 😀
Thank you very much for the encouragement 👊
Good choice a great feat to accomplish. Look forward to your video's.
I’m looking forward to day one Eddie! Thanks so much
Best of luck, can't wait to see your videos
Thank you!!
Hi Derek. As a fellow Dub I’ll try to follow your vlog of the AT. I hiked it in 2019 and found my Irish accent made people gravitate towards me which was great. The people you’ll meet will be amazing. I’m hiking the PCT this year and will enjoy following your progress while I hobble up the west coast. Happy trails man!
Ah brilliant James and well done. I’m not sure what to expect with the AT but the scenery on the pacific crest trail is spectacular and different…every, single, day! I found this really helped with motivation on the down days. In what part of Dublin did you grow up? Happy trails to you too 😊
Hi Derek. I grew up in Ballybrack (5-18 yrs old). Now I’m just outside Stepaside village so I can easily walk from my house to 3 rock and get onto the Wicklow Way. What was your PCT trailname btw?
What a lovely place to live. I didn't really have a trail name on the PCT. However, i did go through a phase of eating honeybuns (glazed donuts) in the Sierra section at which point a few hikers began to call me 'Honeybun' lol....it didn't last long :)@@jameswhiteAT2019
Looking forward to it Derek 👏
Thanks a lot Kevin…not long now!!
The AT goes right through my hometown of Manchester Center, Vermont. Please reach out - I'd love to treat you to a meal during your thru-hike. Cheers!
That’s also where the darn tough socks are made huh? Thank you very much for the invite !!
@@DerekCullenOutdoors Yes, Darn Tough are based in Vermont! They really are great socks. I look forward to hopefully meeting you when walk through my town. I have really enjoyed your videos after finding you a few months ago while I was planning a hiking and brewery tour in Ireland I am leading for my beer magazine readers this September. Safe travels! Cheers, Brad Ring
The A.T. cool, hope to follow your journey.
Great to have you here Michael 👊
Brilliant ❤
Hi Derek, that was a big trip you were just on, now the AT too. I think it might be more sociable than the pct and be closer to civilisation as such.
I have only watched Dixie's channel on the AT so not as familiar as with the pct.
I see most people keep the memory cards with them all the way but maybe you could copy them and post them as you go, then keep a copy too as post is not reliable.
Sure would be interested in gear videos.
1.0 the big three
2.0 shoes, do you know about nnormal shoes they are supposed to be long lasting and there's one with swappable parts. Most people use 5 pairs but it's environmentally damaging. But there's probably not enough time to research and trial them they are 190 a pair I think and there's no insoles (supposed to reduce blisters ? ). I don't think they are zero drop I think it's 8mm. With that video socks.
3.0 camera equipment electronics. Will you bring a Garmin in reach, what does that cost and how often do you drop pings?
4.0 sleep system.
5.0 clothes.
6.0 planned zero days or trail supply plans.
7.0 bear or other animals gear.
8.0 medical kit, tablets what's brought vs what might be nice to have but not brought.water system.
One question I'd have is do you have a film editor and if not how hard is it to edit your own videos and is it possible to do as you travel? Do you worry about it interfering with your journey enjoyment or is it part of the adventure that is liked in of itself. Maybe a video about the filming process could be useful.
Current plan is PCT in 2030 if I can save enough and be doing okay jobwise. Probably never happen but I'll do some short hikes in the meantime most likely tmb this year then a trail in Norway if possible.
Thanks a lot Paul and yes the pct would be far more remote and wild - I am gravitating toward trips where I meet more people nowadays. My strategy is to use my footage to make episodes on the trail and then delete all the footage after they have been uploaded. That way, there is a,ways space on my iPad for more videos. Editing can take a long time but I can usually get a process going and get faster and faster at making them. Keep in mind, I have been editing videos for 10 years so have a lot of experience with knowing how to speed things up without affecting the quality too much. To your last point, I love film and storytelling in particular so while it takes a massive effort to make as many videos as I do on such trips, it is because I am passionate about it and making the videos will often add to the enjoyment of my trip 🙏
@@DerekCullenOutdoors yes, your dialogues are quite listenable just as vocal there's a lot of thought in them. It's good your not too burdened by editing.
I did three weeks on trail in Nepal and met just 3 hikers from abroad that was after the earthquake just before monsoon so quite in a normal year. After two Camino de Santiago trips the lack of people was hard but I could in my mind comfort myself cause I'd had that experience before. Gr20 last June had lots of people but I don't speak French or Italian so sometimes I was around people but alone, that was harder.
I think people make a trip more memorable it's another layer though I like being alone during the day, which on the last Camino was hard to find and I drank with too many people so that's fun cause I don't go out at home much but I missed an element of why I did it again. On gr20 I was on a cocktail of pain killers I picked up in Corsica and didn't realise I was a bit stoned for the first week but stopped taking them after that (tramadol) and opium. This year tmb will be a sober affair. Doing yoga now so my back is better and I'm sleeping. The pre gr20 0.5 hours sleep happened for two months so if I'd not done it, I was definitely falling apart.
Looking forward to keeping up with your travels!
Maybe I'll see you out there 🙂
Hey Pikes! Are you living near the trail or planning on thruhiking yourself? Cheers !
@@DerekCullenOutdoors Planning a thruhike in april. I live in Norway 😊 I wish you good luck on your hike!
A lot of Norn Erin & Reiver folks settled in Appalachia. You can hear it in their accents. I look fwd to seeing your journey.
Cheers Anvil. Meeting the people was one of the main reasons I picked the AT 🙏
It'll be epic whatever the weather.@@DerekCullenOutdoors
Hey, Derek! Are you starting at Springer Mountain? I don’t live too far away and would love to come out and meet you - if the stars align!
Yes I will be starting in Springer Mountain and hiking from south to north 😜
That’s the way to go, anyway, while it’s still cool down here in the south! 🎉 My mom and I are excited to see your travels unfold! ❤
Fair play lad… what’s your choice of boot for the trip or what do you use currently 🥾
Hey! I never wear boots on the long walks and always stick to Altra lone peak which have never let me down :) You can see the rest of my gear here -> derekcullen.com/my-gear-appalachian-trail/
We wish you the best fortune for your hike!
Do you need a particular passport visa to accomplish this hike?
Thank you Daisy. Yes a B2 visa is needed for international hikers 🙏
I'm gonna be on the trail too. I'm hoping to start in mid March. Maybe we'll get to meet up
Fair play to you Sean…cannot wait to get out there !!
Appa “latchin” trail mate. I see through later videos you corrected that. 😂😂
Derek, what visa do you need to do this trail? Thank you
Just to correct the length of the trail.
It's 2,198.4 miles
Haha thanks for the correction 😊
@@DerekCullenOutdoors I wouldn't have corrected that if you didn't say the phrase "More precisely"
Trust me,,Ireland is a lot better,.the weather,,scenery,,and the people are no comparison.
Hello derek on Europe on a St jaques de compostel’sa traverse 3 pays de chez moi ´
Appalachian trail is a “walk in the woods”. Totally different than walking Ireland trails. Good luck but …
Cheers Bob. Yeah I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to spend so long hiking through forest and this was one of the reasons it took me so long to make a decision. BUT I am now committed to embracing this very long walk in the woods ;)
How did you get permission to stay longer than three months?
I have a B2 visa 👍
Have planned to do it AT .just got hip replacement 😂 so will be following you 👍 missed you when you passed trough Youghal 😢
Do u have your hiker name yet?
Hello !! I do not 😜
Hmm should be interesting,,, you will need spikes 😂 sending blessings. Get a name on the trail good stuff. Im going to send u the best weather will be purrfect❤
come stay in me house in NYC on your way.
Thanks very much for this invite 🙏
Ha, I just won a dollar!
I’m happy for you and you may put more on the bet next time 😜
Yeah, there's a "community" alright - but a lot of it is a bunch of young single Americans - and as one of my college aged friends said at Christmas - "They're a bunch of degenerates." So - have fun - but you'll have to really work to feel anything like being alone on that trail. 😉