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The shelters in this section were my favorite through VA. Some are a little far apart, but doable if you give yourself time. But they were great shelters.

Hey, I live in Richmond and am also looking for weekend hiking partners. I'm not in NoVA, but I can drive over to the AT to meet up. Your pace/distance sounds great for me. I have my own gear and...

I love the Roxy Ann bag because it's a little wider than your usual mummy backpacking sleeping bags. It may be heavier, but only by a few ounces. It's also VERY warm. Personally, I like that...

I tell you what I do: I have a light weight skirt that I put on over my shorts and then pull my shorts off at the end of the day and to change into light pants for sleeping at night.
Also, hanging...

Hey, you can tent wherever you want in the SNP. The only thing to be careful of is that you can't have a fire if there isn't an established fire ring. I found lots of flat places to camp along the...

I've never had any trouble with vines on trees. I will say, though, that there've been a few spots where I couldn't find trees at all, like in Grayson Highlands. But the long pants option is a...

Yeah, sorry to hear about Jerry's. He had the best food. (at least really good after being on the trail :) But it's still a nice town to visit because the hostel and people at the Baptist church...

I'm a teacher and have summers off. Last summer I hiked 500 miles, but I usually just do weekend trips.

Let me echo previous posts, that you should wait until your wife is OK with you being gone...

I think you're going to want a sleeping bag, at least a light one. I hiked with a hammock through june and july last summer and was pretty cold at night, esp. at higher elevations. Now, in July, I...

Ditto on using food bag as bear bag. For the AT, as long as it's hung properly, you don't need to worry about getting anything special.

Last summer, I ran into several Europeans who were in the States on a 90 day visa just hiking as much of the AT as they could and having a great time :) I'm personally fond of Virginia, so I say go...

Shaving probably does help keep you cleaner, but, man, it's really bothersome! Plus I didn't want to carry a razor around the woods with me. I made a point to shave my legs in town because it gets...

It doesn't cost anything to live in the woods, so $1,000 is totally possible. However, it'll just cover food while on the trail. I found a night in a hotel every now and then was helpful and I...

Yeah, it's no big deal deferring loans, but keep in mind that the interest is still building up, so you pay more in the long run. It's best have enough in the bank to continue paying the loans while...

I think camp shoes are great. I use a pair of knock off Crocs from Wal Mart (about $5) and use them every night of hiking! I can let my feet breath when in camp and they protect my feet better than...

You don't need it. If you get it, you'll carry it for a week or two and then send it home :)
But I will say, I had a sea to summit waterproof bag and actually used it as a bag to carry water if...

I don't carry a "bum bag", but I definitly like shorts with deep pockets for whatever you might need, like snacks on the go or my camera. And the belt of my pack has pockets that I used all the time...

The journey is just putting one step in front of the other. And you should just enjoy it :)

For me, I'd have to say the Mt. Rogers area of southern VA in early June. Beautiful fields, wild horses and rhodandrans (sp?) all in bloom. Just a beautiful area.

About a half mile north of the Knob is Tinker cliffs. Lots of good (and legal) camping spots and great views over the valley.

For my hike last year, I used Oboz shoes, 2 pair of "smart wool" socks, and ankle gators. The Oboz were great shoes! I used two pair of socks so I could switch out when one got wet or really dirty....

I don't know why thru-hikers get so bent out of shape about SNP. It's a lovely park and even though there's more traffic than other parts of the trail, I wouldn't call it crowded. Plus, it's not a...

Hey Whiteblaze,
I want to do some 3-4 day hikes through central VA this Jan/Feb/March. I live in Richmond and my job is really flexible now, so I don't have specific dates in mind. I'm thinking...

Diseases like giarda and other parasitic diseases come from waste that already contains the disease. You are most likely to get it from water sources that run through cow fields or where diseased...

I spent my summer in an ENO hammock and loved it! You have to get the fly, bug net and straps separate, but altogether it costsa bout $150 for teh doublenest (which is a few ounces heavier, but mucy...