With less than three weeks to go, Bruce is down to the last few items he wants to complete his pack. These are the things that he has to balance between carrying the extra weight for the additional boost to his hike that they will provide. He is also narrowing down any "luxury" items.

With all this talk about hiking and gear, we thought we'd add a few pics of Bruce in the woods (and on a few mountains) and some of the gear he is taking.

As you can see below, he's looking very relaxed sitting next to his tent.

Bruce’s blog is now regularly updated. You can find it at rtkchallenge.com, where you will also be able to hear our podcast and contribute to his fundraising for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. While you’re online, we’d also be delighted if you’d check out Trailtopia.com and consider the wonderful food choices that they have for your next hike.