The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 1KHO 563: We Took Our Kids on a 2,650-Mile Walk | Vince Strawbridge, Pretty Good at Walking
Sep 3, 2025
Vince Strawbridge, author of "Pretty Good at Walking," shares his family's adventurous 2,650-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail. He discusses the unexpected lessons from this journey, including resilience, patience, and the balance of personal goals with family dynamics. Vince reveals the challenges of logistics, like mailing food and chasing post office hours, and how shared struggles strengthened their bonds. He highlights the transformative nature of discomfort and how the trail shifted their family perspectives, enriching their lives beyond traditional education.
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Decision To Hike As A Family
- Vince proposed taking their kids on a through-hike after a 60-mile family trip and got the principal's unexpected permission for Aiden to pause school.
- The family chose the Pacific Crest Trail to do something different and ambitious together for five months.
Prep By Watching Dailies And Joining Groups
- Research other hikers' daily videos and join family-focused groups to learn logistics before a through-hike.
- Use resources (post office addresses, Facebook groups) to plan resupplies and trail expectations as a family.
Racing The Post Office
- They pre-packed the first 500 miles into priority mail boxes and mailed to general delivery post offices to simplify resupply.
- Vince recalls racing post office hours and re-packaging in Portland to meet mailing windows on trail.
