How many miles do you have done, then? Section hiking the whole thing over years is a cool achievement. I have about 170 miles of the Ice Age Trail's 1100 miles done, a few miles at a time.

Tomorrow I'm heading out for one or two nights of backpacking, and being alone in my head is a concern for me, too. Once I get to my campsite, I know it'll be a bit of a struggle. I should be set up by 6:00, and then what? I loaded a phone with movies and TV shows, and I have a book. Those hours of idle twilight are tough.

For a stove, I have an Esbit. It's pretty minimalist. This week I'm going even more minimalist and seeing how I do on only cold food: Mountain House granola for breakfast, a Pro Bar and summer sausage for lunch, and the same for dinner. I have dried fruit and gummi bears for snacks.

It's possible my trip will be two nights, and I always take some extra food just in case. I have 10,000 calories packed, and it's probably massive overkill. I'm figuring 3000 calories per day and planning for three full days (even when I might be done in as little as 28 hours).

How much hiking did you do before this? You seemed well prepared; I suspect you hike a fair bit?