>>2734738Yes you have gone mental. Go for it anyways.
Expect friendly people everywhere, but when you get near larger towns, be ready to protect your shit from bums. Normally bums just want your stuff, not a fight, and just squaring up and shouting will send them off, but always be ready for more.
That being said, 9/10 of the people you meet will be kind and helpful.
Expect to go multiple days soaking wet. I don't care how good your rain gear is, you will on occasion run into bad weather that lasts upwards of a week, and it WILL get in. Be able and willing to be very, very cold some nights as a result.
If you do this with limited resources, then expect to go hungry from time to time. If you have never gone a day without eating, I suggest training yourself with fasting. Try to work up to lasting a week drinking only water.
If you have plenty of money though, you shouldn't really have to worry about it
Expect to be lonely. Very lonely. Most outdoorsman types are loners (myself included) and enjoy a few days with no one around. When you go for two weeks without even seeing another person, you really start to feel it. You really appreciate the conversations you have with people.
Expect to encounter the police. Contrary to the unhinged ranting of anarchists and hippies, the police will be very friendly. They will roll up on you asking why you're sleeping under a bridge, or saying someone called about a man walking the road in the rain, ect ect. If they think you're homeless, they may be rude or cautious at first, but you can literally watch their faces shift in relief when you explain that you're a hiker. It's pretty funny. Just be cooperative, polite, and show them your ID when they ask, and they'll let you go, and might even give some tips on where up ahead to spend the night. Absolute worst case scenario is they say you can't walk the road, and give you a "courtesy ride" to town back the way you came. If that happens, just take another road for a few days.
