While I was reading - or really skimming - this book, my thought was that if you (a) knew someone who had hiked the trail and (b) had ever backpacked, then this book really offered you nothing. However, the next day I found my self researching backpacks and hiking sandals and planning how I could make it work. And I have no plans to hike this trail any time in the near future! So it was an inspiring read!