Irreverent Warriors is a veterans’ nonprofit that runs Silkies Hikes — group ruck-style hikes held in dozens of US cities, named for the short military-issue PT shorts participants wear. The organizer frames the hike around a symbolic 22 kilometres, covering 4 to 10 miles at
… MoreIrreverent Warriors is a veterans’ nonprofit that runs Silkies Hikes — group ruck-style hikes held in dozens of US cities, named for the short military-issue PT shorts participants wear. The organizer frames the hike around a symbolic 22 kilometres, covering 4 to 10 miles at a pace of 2 to 3 miles per hour with hourly stops, and many hikers carry a weighted ruck. This is explicitly not an athletic event: the purpose is to break isolation among veterans through humor and camaraderie, as part of the organization’s suicide prevention mission.
The Washington DC hike is held on Saturday 14 November 2026, in Veterans Day week, and has the earliest start on the calendar: 7:00 a.m. from New Jersey Avenue SE, finishing around 4:00 p.m. Check-in opens at 7:00 a.m. as well and runs to 9:00 a.m., so the hike departs as check-in begins.
Silkies Hikes are for veterans, active duty, National Guard and reservists only; the organizer’s event page states that minors, civilian hikers, pets and strollers are not permitted, with documented service animals the only exception. All participants must e-sign a waiver incorporating the organization’s Code of Conduct. Registration runs on DonorDrive, closing at noon on the day of the hike; the fee is shown at checkout, and a free option is available via promo code from . The local coordinator is Kimberly Pond at or 202-948-4866.
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