Notes From The Trail

From the beginning, American Backcountry has taken great pride in providing our customers with destination-specific tees designed by talented artists. This unique approach allows us to offer apparel that truly speaks to our customers and their individual journeys and adventures. None of this would be possible without the artists behind the tees. 

Today, we are excited to shine a spotlight on one of our artists, Jeff Markowsky, who created some of American Backcountry’s early designs back in 1997 and has since rejoined us to continue sharing his remarkable artwork.

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Springtime is a reawakening. Flowers stretch up toward the sky, black bears crawl out from their hibernation and the Appalachian Trail becomes alive with hikers who are just beginning their 2,000 mile trek to or from Mt. Katahdin. Along the way they’ll eat, sleep and live under the open sky and carry everything they need on their backs. Knowing what to take and what to leave behind can make all the difference. As Earl Shaffer put it, “Carry as little as possible but choose that little with care.”


If you’ve already made the decision to hike the Appalachian Trail, the prospect of shopping for your new adventure can be exciting! Take the time to research the best items to suit your personal needs and ensure your success in completing a thru hike. In this blog we‘ll cover the ten most important things you need to take to make it the trek across 14 states.

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The year is 1993. With the back of his car loaded full of hopes, dreams, and American Backcountry’s first tee shirt designs, Frank Hintz set out on his journey to the Appalachian Trail Conference’s Headquarters. He was in search of someone who would give American Backcountry the shot it deserved and he found Brian King. Brian not only agreed to try some of the designs, but also suggested setting up a booth at the annual Appalachian Trail Days festival in Damascus, VA. Frank may not have known it at the time, but that day was just the first step in a long journey to come.
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