'The Keeper': Why an Army Vet Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 363 Name Tapes

Long-distance hikers have a few things in common with people serving in the military. Not only do they carry heavy packs for miles on end, but people who were once strangers tend to form close bonds on the trails. They even give each other new designations while out in the wilderness, called a "trail name," similar in many ways to a military call sign. You can't choose your own trail name, and you have to accept it for what it is.

In the upcoming movie "The Keeper," Angus Benfield ("The Post") plays George Eshleman, an Army veteran who hikes the entire Appalachian Trail for the first time to raise awareness about veteran suicide. Along the way, he runs into a group of other vets hiking the trail. When they find out he's carrying the name tapes of 363 fellow veterans who took their own lives, his trail name becomes "The Keeper," and they help him fight his own depression and finish the path before them.

The full Appalachian Trail runs from Maine to Georgia, more than 2,100 miles, so it's no small undertaking to hike the entire distance. The journey, for even experienced hikers, can take from 5-7 months. "The Keeper" is based on the true story of the real Eshleman, a combat veteran who faced his own struggle with PTSD and depression. When he lost a close friend to suicide, he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail.