Heyyy there! I’m Mandy, and my trail name is Veggie.  My partner is Karma.  We work seasonal jobs and love the outdoors.  No long-term 9-5s for us!  Together, we are perpetual thru-hikers who have lived in a van for years and now have a home base in the PNW.

This slow lifestyle allows us to be our full creative selves.  We’re all about books and podcasts! Sometimes we listen to the same podcast or audiobook; other times, we listen to different ones and recount them to one another. 



Veggie hiking into the sunset on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).
A hiking couple posing at the high point of the Whipple Range.
You + Me and a mountain

Both van life and thru-hiking allow me to write, a passion since I was young.  My journaling has taken many forms over the years, from writing down streams of thoughts to bullet journaling and nature journaling.  It’s always been about writing.

Karma loves creating and modifying his gear setup, especially for thru-hiking.  He’s got his sewing machine and has created some amazing things for us! 


One of the biggest things we love about our lifestyle is seeing and understanding the natural landscapes we pass through.  I began nature journaling and wildlife photography at the same time. Photography has helped me learn to appreciate birds…a new passion that came unexpectedly.

You’ll find a little bit of everything in our lives in this blog. It could never be fully niched. While we often thru-hike for months of each year, we also roam around the rest of it. Maybe one day I’ll create a niche blog…but until then, enjoy this slightly chaotic conglomeration!

Hiking FAQ 🏕️

Veggie’s first trail was the Camino de Santiago francés in 2008.
Karma’s first trail was the Pacific Crest Trail in 2012.

You can read our full hiking resumes here!

Veggie’s favorite trail is the Continental Divide Trail because that’s where she met Karma.

Karma’s favorite trail was the Hayduke Trail.

Yes! We both have. I would note that while someone often starts solo, it’s usually easy to find others to hike with or around on any of the more popular trails.

In my opinion, this depends on your skill level. You should never do a trail ONLY to get the triple crown if you don’t want to hike it.

For most people, I recommend starting with the Appalachian Trail (AT), then hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and finally heading out on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). This builds backpacking skill levels in the most forgiving way.

However, if you’re located on the USA West Coast, you can totally go PCT, AT, then CDT.

We generally consider ourselves lightweight hikers, but not necessarily ultralight hikers. This is partially because we like to carry good food, often a camera, and other random items to add another layer to our thru-hiking experience. We have also hiked many desert trails where we had to carry 4-8 liters of water at a time.

I prefer not to weigh my backpacks, but rather go for what feels ok. Then, I test how much adding 4 liters feels to know ahead of time if I should get pickier.

If you want to investigate, here’s everything in my thru-hiking backpack and what I took on the Portuguese Camino in 2024 to give you an idea of two different setups.

Karma and I joke that our favorite gear shifts slightly on every trail. However, over the years, our top three are usually the same, but the order shifts:

A warm Arizona sunset over the Haven Tent in the desert.

Van FAQ 🚐

Our current van is a 2020 Ford Transit, 148WB, High Roof.

Our first van was a 2000 Ford Econoline, “High Roof” aka medium roof.

The new build took us 8 months to complete in 2021. The first build in the Craigslist van took us 13 days and was super minimal.

We opted for Ford because any mechanic anywhere in the U.S. would know what to do with it.

Sprinters need special Mercedes-certified equipment, and that’s often only found in cities. Since we typically van camp on public land far from cities, Ford seemed like a better option.

While a Dodge Promaster would also fit that criteria, my favorite mechanic said we would no longer be friends because he’d have to fix it all the time. We chose to stay friends.

Several apps and good old-fashioned paper maps!

We use iOverlander 2 and GaiaGPS apps for most of it. Then, we also have state altases in the van if we lose cell service.

The best way to meet other nomads is to go to van events! We met many of our friends at TinyFest San Diego, at Skooliepalooza, and at Holy Toledo. Find which ones make sense for where your travels take you, and go participate in the events. We’ve met amazing friends just by the luck of the draw in accidentally parking next to each other!

Inside of a converted cargo van with a fixed bed, overhead compartments, and bookshelves.