Due to extenuating circumstances my thru-hike took 18.5 months.
That is quite extenuating indeed!
It took me 6 months and I planned for 5-6 months. I took it slow and easy during the first half of my journey taking 30 zeroes. At least 10 of those zeroes were for illness and injury. Interestingly, people that started in March last year took almost as long as I did starting in April because of the icy and snowy weather of March. There are intangibles that can force you off the trail for days and weeks that cannot be controlled. For example, illness, weather, injury, or family issues. You can plan for 4 months but realistically you should add a month to your plan to enjoy the trail rather than missing most of its beauty by speed hiking.
Most people can easily do the trail in 6 months so that's what I would plan on. If it takes less then so be it.Originally Posted by jonbobshinigin
That being said most people (about 4 out of 5) don't finish a thru-hike.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
My AT thru took 3.5 months at age 52, but I was in prime long distance hiking condition having hiked the PCT and CDT in the previous three seasons. That was 20 miles per day and it was not a speed hike, just my normal pace developed on the previous hikes. Key for me was keeping a sustainable pace, only three days off to meet friends and family, so I maximized my trail time which was my goal. Pack base weight was about 10 pounds, typically a max of 20 with food and water for an average of 80 miles between resupplies, usually four days. I met a few young, athletic four-month hikers finishing in ME who were keeping a similar pace with no previous experience.
I think athleticism has less to do with long-term hiking pace than your hiking style and experience. If you have your gear dialed in, keep a sustainable pace, streamline and minimize your town stops (master the art of the "near-O" ("near-zero day")), prevent skin and health problems, eat well, rest well--there's no reason you can't hike the AT in 120 days and have fun (and save money, by the way) doing it. Best of luck to you.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
24 years ago, I was 23 and in decent shape before I started out on Katahdin southbound. I was 6'2" and 175lbs with no previous backpacking experience. The trip took me 109 days, including 8 zeros. The entire hike was done solo, so there was no peer pressure to stay in towns or hostels. On paper, I had planned the hike to take 108 days and it took 109, so I wasn't far off. There were sacrifices, though. When I started at Baxter State Park, my pack weighed 63lbs. I did not want to know the weight, but my dad weighed it and told me when I finished. (Remember the no backpacking experience statement.) Over 6lbs of that weight was my 6100 cubic inch external frame backpack. At Springer, though, my pack weight was down to 32lbs. My mail drops were mostly planned at a 5-7 day carry, with one ten day carry (through the Whites......idiotic).
All of this is to say that you can make some royal screw-ups in planning, equipment, and experience and still have a successful hike. It just takes commitment..........and a little bit of luck.
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