Questions from a Future, Teenage AT Hiker

[bcolyar33]

Hello thank you for taking the time to read my post!

My name is Brock, and I am a high school senior looking to hike a part of the Appalachian Trail between my high school graduation and the start of my college experience. I am hoping for a mentally and physically straining and spiritually enlightening journey, but I have so many questions, which is why I created this White Blaze account to begin preparing.

First of all, it is likely that my hike will take place in June of 2016, and my trip will last around two weeks. I am not sure how much mileage I will be able to cover during that period, and that is one thing I want to inquire about. I am relatively physically fit, having completed seven half marathons and being an avid runner, and I was hoping to cover at least a hundred or so miles during the time period. what are your thoughts?

My biggest and most important goal at this point is deciding on a rough route. I am located in Tennessee and so will obviously want to do a southern portion of the trail, perhaps through North Carolina. ( I would really love to go through one off my favorite towns, Hot Springs ) I believe that I should also work northward, correct? Also, what is a common way for people to get to their starting point on the trail? Obviously driving would involve some difficulties with leaving a car somewhere, and I am not really sure how all of that works.

Finally, my last question for TODAY. I am thinking that I will travel pretty lightweight since I will be alone. Does anyone have a very rough estimate of how much they think equipment and supplies for this trip will cost me?

Thank you so much for any help you can offer me! Obviously this is pretty vague, so if you have any questions that will better help you to respond please ask them!

Brock

[Feral Bill]

Besides exploring the information on this, and other sites, I recommend a couple of books. They have a lot of information well organized on actual paper.

#1 The Complete Walker IV by Colin Fletcher and Chip Rawlings is somewhat dated as to gear, but a great read that explores the reasoning behind the choices you will make.
#2 Advanced Backpacking by Chris Townsend is ab bit more up to date, with great information, It is a bit dryer.

These will get you a good start.

[Bronk]

If you start shopping now and look around and wait for bargains before making your purchases you should be able to buy all of your gear for $300 to $500...you could easily spend 3 to 4 times that if you wanted to, or a very frugal and creative person could spend less...this issue is debated here almost constantly. You sound like you're in pretty good shape, but running and backpacking are not the same thing...walking a trail with a pack and running a smooth road are two different things...you'll be using different muscles. If I were you I'd plan a trip of about 125 miles or so. You could probably do a lot more than that, but accounting for a few short days in the beginning while you are getting used to it and some time to stop and smell the roses, some weather related hiccups and some time in towns, I'm betting 125 miles is plenty for the time frame you are planning on. Hot Springs or Erwin would be great places to end your hike because there are service providers there who can shuttle you. Newfound Gap to Erwin would be about 135 miles, and you'd pass through Hot Springs.

[Odd Man Out]

As a HS senior who can run half marathons you are more than fit enough so I would not worry much about that. As for where to hike, Smokey Mountain. NP has restrictions and permits to negotiate. Starting on the north side of the park and hiking north toward Hot Springs would be a reasonable plan. If you go to the ATC website you will find a list of shuttle drivers you can pay to drive you. It can be expensive but there isn't a lot of public transportation near the trail so unless you want to risk hitch hiking you just have to budget for it. A convenient and popular option is to park your car where you want to end. Get a shuttle to drive you to the start and hike back to your car. This way you don't have to arrange for a shuttle at the end of the hike. Some hostels will allow you to park a car for a fee which gives you a nice secure place to leave the car. They may also shuttle and provide a place to spend the night before and or after the hike. Expect there to be a fee for all of these services so be sure to budget for them. You may find friendly people who offer free rides or food as you hike (known as trail magic) but some hikers come to EXPECT free stuff and that can cause I'll will among local businesses that support hikers. You don't want to be one of those entitled hikers. If you hiked for two weeks at 10 miles per day that would be 140 miles. For a fit young person, I would think that would be a leisurely pace. You could likely more. It will be impotent to take some weekend trips so you have some experience with your gear. Have you ever slept or cooked out in the woods? You also don't want to be that guy who can't set up his tent on his first night because he's never done it before.

[Rmcpeak]

just an idea: Daleville va to woods hole hostel (sobo) would be about 100 miles. You can park at woods hole and they could shuttle you (or arrange) to Daleville. I'm having fun on that section of trail lately and had a nice experience with woods hole earlier this summer. Just an idea, take or leave :-)


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[gsingjane]

I would second OMO's advice to take a few shorter overnights before you embark on a 2-week journey. Even if you're doing sports in school, there will be a few weekends or school breaks where you can do an overnight or two. There is a learning curve to all this, there just is... every time you go out the learning curve will be less steep because the majority of your learning will happen at the beginning, but there is no substitute AT ALL for getting out in the field and seeing what works for you and what doesn't. You don't have to go all the way to the AT, there are plenty of state and local parks and trails where you can give it a try. Also, try and borrow gear at the start so you can see what features are important to you and what kind of personal trade-offs you want to make. I know how much fun and how exciting it is to contemplate a longer and more adventurous journey - several of my high school senior Girl Scouts have talked about similar things - but especially for the ones who really didn't do much if any camping prior to this, I always advise them to start out small and work up!

Jane in CT

[Rmcpeak]

others with more knowledge than me will have better ideas.... I will suggest that you learn about the ultralight approach right from the start and be careful running out to REI and loading up.... A young guy like you can do big hikes in running shoes, a lightweight sleeping bag liner (depending on season/location), and a tarp/poncho and bug net. Oh, to be young again (mostly for the free time)!


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[Slo-go'en]

I would start in Hot Springs and head north, then get off where ever you happen to get to in 2 weeks. Have your folks drive you over and pick you up. I looks to be a bit of a drive from your town to any point on the trail, but not unreasonably so.

It would be nice if you could spend a ton of money on good, light weight gear but for a 2 week trip in June, you don't have to. You can get away with Walmart quality equipment.

The only problem is with a tent. Cheap tents are bulky and heavy. It should be reasonably quiet on the train through NC in June. The vast majority of the thru hikers have already passed by and the summer groups haven't started to show up much yet. So there is a good chance you can get shelter space pretty consistently. The thing is, you can't be 100% sure you can find shelter space every night and the one time you really need it will be when it's not available, so you need some kind of personal shelter with you.

[Siestita]

"It would be nice if you could spend a ton of money on good, light weight gear but for a 2 week trip in June, you don't have to. You can get away with Walmart quality equipment.

The only problem is with a tent. Cheap tents are bulky and heavy... The thing is, you can't be 100% sure you can find shelter space every night and the one time you really need it will be when it's not available, so you need some kind of personal shelter with you." So-go'en

I agree that you need to take some form of shelter with you, even if you plan to usually sleep in shelters. On occasion shelter will be needed to protect you from rain, helping to keep you warm, and thus alive. Wet people can become hypothermic in the mountains, even during the summer. As a runner you have probably dealt with cold at times, but in circumstances where 'going indoors' was a potential option if conditions got out of hand. On the trail you need to be able to shelter yourself, if or when that becomes necessary.

Some people who know they'll be doing extensive backpacking, and who have funds to do so, spend considerable money, $250 or more, purchasing a high quality, lightweight one or two person backpacking tent (or Tarptent). If you were planning to spend the entire summer of 2016 backpacking, and perhaps also other summers after that, I would encourage you to consider buying such a tent. As Slo pointed out, cheaper tents tend to be "bulky and heavy", or in some cases less rain resistent.

But, because this trip will be for just two weeks in June, along the AT in NC and/or Tenn, consider taking with you a tarp rather than a tent. Taking that approach could enable you to minimize how much weight that you carry and/or how much money you have to spend.

Of course, before going to the AT you would need to first practice "tarping" a bit at home and along local trails. Using traps often takes a bit more skill and imagination than putting up tents does. And, special backpacking tarps, designed to optimize both durability and lightness,, cost more than do heavier "homemade" ones that can be assembled from supplies purchased at Walmart (just mid-or-heavy weight plastic painters drop clothes, 'parachute' type cord, and tent stakes). But, cheap homemade tarps, such as those that Colin Fletcher described in his book "The Complete Walker" can keep you safe and dry.

What tarps, unlike tents, cannot do is protect you from biting insects such as mosquitoes. Fortunately, that problem has not yet occurred, at least thus far for me, when I've hiked along parts of AT in the South during late spring and early summer. So, I think that a tarp, either fancy or cheap and home-made, could provide adequate shelter for you next year. For buggier times and places, or for winter conditions, a good tent might work better.

[Siestita]

Many posters here, including me, like to acquire and play with backpacking stuff. We love our toys. So, in pursuing lighter weight and greater functionality (or so we rationalize) we sometimes purchase the best equipment and outdoor clothing that we can afford. But, you will not need to necessarily become a 'gearhead' to hike safely and enjoyably next June.

Manufacturers, including small 'cottage industry' ones, sell high priced, and often high quality, versions of practically everything used by backpackers, but it isn't necessary to own all of that stuff to hike on the AT. Often cheaper alternatives can work well. I believe that to be especially true concerning stoves, cooking equipment, outdoor clothing, and flashlights. And, as I explained above, cheap, homemade tarps can sometimes serve backpackers well.

But, consider purchasing the best lightweight sleeping bag that you can afford. For sleeping bags, quality matters, and its costly. You may not need your bag's full warmth next June, but looking ahead to other trips that you may take later, get one that is 'three season', in other words, get a bag that is capable of keeping you warm even during trips when temperatures will drop down into the 20s and 30s. And , if you can afford it, get bag filled with good quality down. Good bags serve people well for years or decades.

Similarly, be willing to splurge to get good hiking socks, and also for a good quality backpack that fits you well.

[Rmcpeak]

Yeah, but if you go with down (annything) make sure you understand how it works and how to care for it, and how it performs when wet. My bag and UL quilt is synthetic. I have a down jacket though.... Lots of pros/cons to consider. There are some good cheap synth bags out there, btw... The Suisse Sport and Ledge 40 degree bags, coupled with a Thermolite liner or down jacket might not be a bad option for budget AT system.


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[rafe]

To the OP: there is no preferred direction for a section hike. Northbound happens to be the preferred direction for thru-hikes, for a number of reasons that don't necessarily concern you (seasons, history, the social aspects of hiking with other thru-hikers.)

The ATC website has a list of shuttle services along the trail. Get a decent AT map or Guide and learn about the trail towns in TN/NC. Hot Springs and Erwin are right on the trail.

Don't worry too much about daily mileage. Plan and follow through on a few short sections yourself, and you will know what sort of mileage to expect. Additionally, read some hiker journals, there are many online now and some of them make good reading.

[Siestita]

This short video includes examples of very simple alcohol stove "construction".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0v8HGNPlhg

[Siestita]

Oops--I accidentally copied in the wrong link above. This I believe is the one about alcohol stoves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYw-IW4Q1aU