Well... the pack is packed, the supply boxes are ready to be mailed, and I'm just sitting here twiddling my thumbs. So how about some fun (subjective) photos of the process. Here's my final gear set, all laid out. Or if you're weird like me and enjoy seeing it in list form with weights here you go.

The addition of the keyboard and several pounds of dog gear makes this the heaviest pack I've carried in a very long time, but it's manageable so I'll stop griping and instead keep talking about the process.

While many long distance hikers prefer to resupply along the way, stopping in towns and buying things as they go, solo hiking with a dog makes that difficult. There won't be anyone to watch the mutt while I shop, nor will it be easy to get rides into town with a dog in tow. So to avoid any issues I had to plan specific resupply points and mail myself most of the supplies I'll need over the next month and a half. If you've ever wondered how much a dog can eat in that span of time, here you go:

Since I was going to all the trouble of mailing boxes to resupply points I figured I should at least have some fun and "cook" some dinners to include. I went a little hog wild bulk ordering dehydrated and freeze dried ingredients on Amazon and ultimately assembled 40 some-odd backpacker meals, testing them as I went. I can't really say they're that much better than the store bought pre-made meals... but I never claimed to be a good cook and at least I feel like I accomplished something.