A few years back, Mark Hanf of Asheville, North Carolina set out to educate would-be hikers about the importance of Leave No Trace ethics when it comes to hiking the Appalachian Trail. Hanf did so by developing what would eventually become a popular board game designed to teach players about well-known landmarks along the trail, essential gear items needed for a thru-hike, and the important Leave No Trace principles that every hiker should adhere to when traveling along one of America’s most venerated foot paths.
Hanf raised the money for the first version of his game using the popular crown funding site Kickstarter, and he’s turning to Kickstarter again to help fund the game’s latest expansion.
“We are excited to announce NEW cards that expand the game play of both the Backpacking and the Special Edition of The Appalachian Trail Game,” the Kickstarter post reads. “The ME-GA Expansion Set includes two distinct decks — The Thru-Hiker Deck and the A.T. Communities Deck. These two decks combine for 25O new cards and mirror the dual backpacking experience of spending time in the backcountry and in A.T. Communities along the way.”
If you like boardgames, the Appalachian Trail, or the outdoors in general, Hanf’s Kickstarter campaign is a worthy investment. Not only will you get exclusive access to an “early bird” version of the expansion set, but, since a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you contributed to the continued preservation of America’s oldest and most treasured end-to-end footpath.
You can help fund the Appalachian Trail Game expansion set here.
