He began carrying a guitar on his Continental Divide hike in 1979, and now he carries one all the time. It weighs two pounds. He carried his old guitar for eight thousand miles with no case, just lashing it to the back of his pack with the neck down. The rain drenched it and the sun burned it, but it still worked. He even credits it with saving his life. While hiking through Utah, he spent a night on top of a steep mountain. When he woke up, he saw that the mountain was icy. Trying to skirt a cliff, Jim slipped, falling toward the edge. He kicked his feet in and clawed with his hands, but
...more
