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“Carrying the load is always the question. 2900 miles of lugging a backpack is what it boils down to” (click to enlarge)
“I want to be able to interact with as many people as I can, as much as I can.” Images courtesy of Kelly Bush (click to enlarge)
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ExWeb interview with Kelly Bush (part 1): Walk across America
Posted: Jan 14, 2010 05:03 am EST
In February American Kelly Bush will start walking across America; from Los Angeles to New York City (2,900+ miles / 4,640+ km). He will be walking in aid of charities and “kind of practice for next November”, he told ExplorersWeb.
Kelly explained to ExWeb’s Correne Coetzer why he wants to walk across America and what he will take with him.
ExplorersWeb: Why do you want to do it?
Kelly: My best friend Eric Drake took his own life back in 2005 and this walk is to raise awareness for our foundation, The Lee Eric Drake Foundation. In Eric’s memory we’d also like to include other charities.
ExplorersWeb: Why does the foundation wants to include others?
Kelly: Eric was an amazing individual, helped others every chance he had and in that spirit we decided that whenever we do or hold an event we will always include other charities; that's what Eric would have done, that’s what we will do.
ExplorersWeb: Who are you including?
Kelly: The Wounded Warrior Project. We couldn't think of a better way to honor Eric's memory or the efforts of our heroes than to have them included as a partner charity.
We’re looking forward to working with them and we hope that some of our wounded warriors can walk a few blocks or miles if they feel up to it when we pass through their towns.
ExplorersWeb: What is your game plan?
Kelly: The plan is simple. Walk… Walk… Walk…
Our idea is that during the journey East the entire trip will be documented. I plan on technology and my background as a systems admin to help make this happen.
I will be taking video equipment to document the trip: I plan on taking as much footage as I possibly can so I can upload to the website and YouTube what I’ve done and the people I’ve met.
I’d like to meet some of our heroes and those affected by suicide and speak with them, I think it would be amazing. Hopefully, in the end, I can put it all together in the form of a nice little documentary.
I will be taking photos throughout the trip. Photos of everything I can possibly take will be taken to show everyone where I started where I went and where I ended up. I’ll be uploading these as well as the video to a server I’ll have setup for storage and I’ll also be posting on FaceBook pages, Picasa Web Albums, our website, email, you name it. I’m sure these pictures will be worth more than a 1000 words by the time this is all over with
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I will be updating everyone every chance I get. I’ll make sure that I can send out updates every chance I get no matter where I’m at. I’m working on an array of gadgets that will pretty much let me talk to the world every second of the trip. Twitter from an iPhone, FaceBook from the top of the mountain tops with a possible satellite connection, blogs from the tent at night, GPS of my location to Google maps, you name it I’m going to try and have it. I want to be able to interact with as many people as I can, as much as I can.
ExplorersWeb: When are you starting, from where and how long will you walk?
Kelly: On 3 February 2010, the fifth anniversary of Eric’s death, I'm planning on leaving Los Angeles to head out and walk across America. I'll end my trip 3 to 4 months later in Time Square, New York City.
It’s hard to come up with a firm end date because I just can’t predict what’s going to happen out there, that’s the reason for the gap.
ExplorersWeb: How much gear will you carry with?
Kelly: Carrying the load is always the question. 2900 miles of lugging a backpack is what it boils down to. I’m going to try and keep it as light as possible but with everything I need to support me it may still reach the 30 – 40 lbs mark.
ExplorersWeb: What will be in your backpack?
Kelly: Currently, I pack a Gregory Palisade 80 pack and in it I will be hauling:
Built in camelbak
REI Trekker 1.75 sleeping pad
Marmot Never Summer 0 degree sleeping bad
REI Quarter Dome T2 tent
REI Titanal Shock Lite trekking poles
Black Diamond head lamp
Gerber Suspension multi tool
Targus tripod
Nikon Coolpics camera
iPhones
Garmin Forerunner GPS watch
Brunton flexible solar panel
Small paper notebook
Water filtration kit
Personal hygiene items
Fire starting items
Probably a Jetboil cooking system but I'm still looking into this one
Rain gear
Cold weather clothing
3-4 pair of underwear and socks
2 extra pairs of pants
2 extra shirts
Pepper spray for just in case
It sounds heavy but it's really not, right now I'm around the 30 lb mark not including the 3 liters of water I could carry in the CamelBak.
Check in again the read about Kelly’s plans for November – a return journey on Antarctica.
On 3 February 2010 Kelly Bush is planning on leaving Los Angeles to head out and walk across America. His trip will end 3 to 4 months later in Time Square, New York City. Kelly is doing this walk in memory of a late friend, in aid of charities and to prepare himself for a South Pole expedition.
Kelly was born in 1981 and is an Information Technology Consultant in Nashville, TN. He is single, “never married and no kids”.
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