ProBar with the Assist

Any new adventure, whether setting off for college, looking for a new career, or simply developing a new hobby, is tremendously more difficult without support from others.  Thru hiking, especially, is a team effort.

Callie and I are obviously a team, but our hiking clan will extend beyond our immediate geographical location on the trail.  We have a strong network of support--family, friends, organizations--without whom our Appalachian journey would still be a dialogue in the works.  It's impossible to imagine tackling this momentous challenge without a strong network rallying behind us.

In particular, we'd like to extend PROBAR® a sincere thank you.  Having enough food to survive walking for 5 months is a major logistical and financial challenge faced by thru-hikers.  PROBAR® is substantially relieving that burden for our journey, as they've gone above-and-beyond to be with us every step of the way (pun absolutely intended).  They have promised us enough food to have at least one item per day per person for the entire trail. That's around 300 whole ingredient, non-GMO, organic food bars.  As an out-of-pocket expense, this would have been almost impossible. We might have been forced to settle with less-than-ideal food supplements, yet now we've got a small fortune (relative to a thru-hiker's wealth, especially) in the food we want.

Call me a broken record, but I can't stress enough how important food is on the Trail.  With PROBAR®'s help, we can rest easy that we'll be comforted with healthy products that are both satisfying and nutritious.  The blend of fruit purees, date paste, oats, and cashews in the Fuel® bar will provide us with the right balance of low glycemic carbohydrates and protein for sustained energy.  In the midst of walking, when hunger inevitably hits, we'll have the fiber-rich and nutrient-dense Meal® bars to help satisfy our insatiable appetites.  When lethargy sets in, Bolt® energy chews will deliver complex carbs, B vitamins, and electrolytes to help restore balance in our bodies.  And in those moments of reflection, where we contimplate the craziness we just put our bodies through, we'll have Base® bars' cocktail of protein and nutrient-rich chia and flax seeds to help recover our worn muscles and prepare us to resume our journey.

Nothing about the Appalachian Trail will be easy--and it isn't supposed to be.  However, it is a challenge that can be made more possible and more accessible with the help from others.  Callie and I are lucky in this regard, because we not only have a strong network of friends and family rooting for us, but we also have new relationships developing around our journey. These partnerships, especially with PROBAR®, are crucial in getting us one step closer to Mt. Katahdin.