Near the start of our hiking columnist @currincy's first long-distance hike, an Appalachian Trail aficionado told him to treat his body like that of a professional athlete for the next five months. But he didn’t. Instead, for the next 6,000 miles, he indulged in one of thru-hiking’s most inveterate if unspoken pasttimes: binge drinking. The Appalachian Trail, after all, is often called the world’s longest bar crawl. Think about it: Hikers spend five days or more at a time in the woods, trudging through rain or across deserts, drinking creek water, and eating whatever it is they have in their dirty bags. When they arrive in town, flavored liquid calories seem like the perfect respite. The binge begins and repeats, if it ends at all. But a staggering amount of scientific research increasingly shows the harmful effects of any alcohol, especially on athletes that don’t get a proper rest. So this Fall, that very hiking columnist decided to try something that seems so obvious—walk an entire long trail (nearly 1,000 miles) without drinking a single drop. Could he actually do it? And if he pulled it off, would he crave booze by the time he was done? Just in time for #DryJanuary read about the results of this experiment in abstinence endurance, plus a guide to the best non-alcoholic beers on the market. Follow the link in our bio 🥃 to read Does Thru-Hiking Have a Drinking Problem? 🎨: @erenkwilson 📷: @currincy