Thru Hike Prep

[pmrs88]

What kind of gear did you prefer? Specifically: water filtration, sleeping pad, and Sleeping bag (Down or Synthetic) Did you go to an REI to get fitted for a pack?
I've been considering the : Big Agnes Flycreek ul2 tent & Sawyer Squeeze or Platypus Gravity Filter. I thought I would buy one of those accordion style sleeping pads to give them a try on a weekend trip to see if I like it. If not, I'll pay the extra $$ and get a nice inflatable one.

I hiked for two months using the Thermarest Z-Lite Sol sleeping pad and I have to say I didn't sleep very well the entire time and eventually ended up buying a three quarter length Thermarest Pro-Lite and then cutting the Z-Lite in half to use for my feet and as a seat pad during the day. The extra bit of cushioning actually made a big difference and allowed me to sleep more comfortably on my side.

[la.lindsey]

I hiked for two months using the Thermarest Z-Lite Sol sleeping pad and I have to say I didn't sleep very well the entire time

I used the Z-lite (accordion one) on a 3 week section and slept...ok. (I'm a side and stomach sleeper.) I went back to my ridge rest (the foam one that rolls up) and it's SO much better. I don't know why there's such a difference, but y'all, there is.



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[AfterParty]

Simply shouldering your pack a few times a day can be helpful for some too. Playing with your loadout can be very helpful too. What goes where what needs to be easily accessible. Type o thing. Simply getting out is the best training. And using a pad on the hard ground for more then a night or ten.

[josh_ATL]

I've been hiking my whole life and have done several 100 mile+ hikes, but nothing prepared me for thru hiking. There was no getting used to walking 15 miles a day, everyday, in almost constant pain. All my hiking trips before my thru hike had an end that was not far off. I ended up hitting a little more than 1200 miles, and had a work emergency that took me off the trail for a few weeks, and decided to come back this year to finish. The hikers that I saw that made it were the ones who weren't bothered by anything. They were the ones who didn't let the rain or the heat or the cold bother them. They were constantly laughing, and always had a smile on their face. They could go into town and kill a Chinese Buffet, head to the bar afterward, drink til 3am, but were always up and hiking their 15 miles the next day. They could spend the days when it was 100 degrees outside hanging out at a wayside drinking blackberry milkshakes and cold beer while playing cards, and would hike 20 miles in the dark so the day wasn't wasted. When the days started getting shorter they were up at sunrise so they would make it to camp before it got dark and cold. They took as many zeros and neros and they wanted to rest their body and let injuries heal. The day hikers, trail angels and other hikers would constantly remind them that they were running behind and better hurry up if they want to make Katadhin, and they would politely agree and go on their way, knowing in the back of their mind that they had plenty of time. Other hikers would ask them when they started and laugh because they had been out for so long, not realizing that many of them had left the trail, some for several weeks to go home for a wedding, or family reunion, or funeral, or any number of reasons, and then come back to the trail only to discover they had lost their trail legs it had taken 3 months to develop. They take in as much off trail scenery as they do on trail. They hitch rides to the closest Mexican restaurant which isn't actually close at all and will pretty much make the day a nero, but Mexican food is amazing when you've been in the woods for a couple weeks and its Cinco de Mayo. They go to Gatlinburg and sample moonshine and end up getting stuck in that tourist trap for a couple days. They go dumpster diving behind the Food Lion after an old hippie convinces them with several stories of his fruitful midnight excursions to the dumpster. They spend a couple extra days in town when they should be hiking because come on, its the Finals, and let's all admit it, Cleveland needed something good to happen. They Head to DC for the 4th of July because it's only a thirteen dollar train ride. They go to New York City to visit with other friends, family, and even run into other hikers. They stay in Hanover and extra day after they are offered the opportunity to go to their first Ivy League football game. They are the ones who pack out thirty racks of beer and ribeye steaks when a friend comes to visit, just to give them an unrealistic view of how "hard" hiking is. They pass by the HOJO that is on the trail and decide to stay a whole extra day and night, even though they just took a zero. Why? Because there's a pool. Because it's been 100 degrees for the past ten days. Because there are other hikers you lost back in Tennessee that you thought you'd never see again. But most importantly, because what's one more day to get to Katadhin? It's not like you have any plans set in stone for the next day, or even the next week or month. The hikers that I saw make it were the ones who didn't let a schedule, or time frame, or another person get in the way of their hike being one of the most fun, most memorable, and most exciting experiences they would ever have. They spent hundreds on lighter weight gear, just to throw a watermelon, a few packs of bubba burgers, several pounds of fresh veggies and a couple boxes of wine into their brand new Cuben Fiber packs, and hoof it 6 miles up a mountain because dinner was going to be amazing! They didn't say no to adventures that presented themselves along the way, they didn't worry about finishing in a certain amount of time, they didn't worry about walking a certain amount of miles in any day. They just walked and did what they wanted to and let the trail provide the adventure for them. Those were the people that finished.

[Dogwood]

Hiking all day, every day for months can be mind-numbing boring. The body adapts automatically, the brain - not so much - and that's the weak link in the chain.

With that in mind, try walking on a treadmill, 3 hours at a time, for 14 days in a row and see how that feels.

I dont think hiking is boring at all. I truly enjoy it. What animals will I see today? What scenery will I see that I havent seen before? What flowers? Will I see any bent trees? What people will I see?
Just walking on the other hand is quite boring to me.

I dont hike much for various reasons and I dont consider myself in shape. However, when I go for a hike I can easily put in 3 miles with a 5lb pack to start. Snacks and water.

Im not overly worried about getting in shape for my hike. If I get to go I will get in shape on the trail. Ill start slow and go from there. I figure if I can hike 3 mi even though I havent hiked in months I can start out with 6 mile days and work up from there.

At least on a thru hike after my hike I wont have to run errands, do laundry and shopping for 4 people, cook for 4 etc every day.
I can most days just rest.

Have you hiked 12-20 mpd, every day with the exception of a few zeros - for several months in a row?

That's what we're talking about doing here....

Hiking is exciting (for me) too - but there are long periods of boredom interspersed with moments of euphoria - enough to keep me moving - but definitely it takes the ability to deal with boredom to master a multimonth hike.

Boredom can happen no matter the length of time on trail or daily mileage. Boredom is commonly give as an excuse for quitting an anticipated and otherwise decently planned long hike.

Listen up AT thru-hikers!

Grace gives a prime example for beating boredom - staying in a state of wonder, having appreciation/gratitude/mindfulness, excitedness, and expectation of always something new to experience at ever bend in the trail with every footstep. For her, as I too can relate, it's the ever changing wonders of nature.

[Greenlight]

goldielocks,

I have about 200 miles of mostly hilly hiking experience from great Indiana state parks (Tecumseh and Three Lakes trails in Morgan Monroe SF, Turkey Run SP, Clifty Falls SP, Knobstone Trail, and that is how I'm preparing for my thru. But that is touching the tip of the iceberg. At 24, you should be fine by just doing it, building up mileage over the first month so you don't kill yourself. But use all of your gear before you light out for the biggun' because there is nothing worse than pulling into camp and having to have others show you how to use your gear.

How much backpacking experience do you have? And how are you preparing for your thru-hike?

[Jim Adams]

I was on my first thru hike of the A.T. for 3 weeks before I found out that it was longer than 1,000 miles? Had never backpacked for more than 3 days prior to that.

[Slow Trek]

I believe it has a lot more to do with your state of mind than your amount of training.While we only hiked from Springer to Harper's,we still saw many drop out. I did one 6 mile hike to test a new pack,and that was my total training. I am 54 and was 25 pounds overweight when we began,and still smoke a little. Were there people hiking faster and farther? You bet. Did we care? No. We had a goal,and met that goal through the normal hardships of bears,rain and heat. The key is.you must WANT to be there. We started the same day as a young lady that at times was three or four days ahead of us,much more fit and faster. She also liked to party and sleep late-in the end,we hiked into Harpers on the same day.Regardless of training,if you want to bad enough,you will.

[DownEaster]

I've got a fair amount of backpacking experience, including somewhere close to 300 miles on the AT. My longest stretch was the northernmost 200 miles starting at Katahdin. This was quite a while ago; I forded the chest-deep Kennebec River back when that was a thing (before the canoe ferry). I live in urban California now, so the available hiking is quite a bit different. Around Silicon Valley there are plenty of places for day hikes but not many for backpacking. My preparation is mostly local utility hikes. I leave the car at home and use a day pack to go get groceries, visit Lowe's and Home Depot, & c; typically I'll carry about 25-30 lbs. and climb freeway overpasses rather than hills. The nearest Walmart grocery is a 6 mile circuit that's largely through a strip of narrow parkland, and I can (and do) choose to avoid the paving and walk on grass and dirt. When I take my big pack and get 10 2-liter sodas I'm coming back with 60+ lbs. on my back. My objective is to make a 25 lb. pack feel like everyday carry weight, and to incorporate this training into my normal needs rather than have to plan a special conditioning outing. Buying beverages makes for easy exercise opportunities. Each gallon of milk is 8 lbs., and each 2 liters of soda is 4½. Plus the exercise makes you thirsty, so you drink yourself back to needing another supply run. I've read that it takes 40 miles of loaded walking to properly break in hiking shoes, and I could wear through 4-5 pairs on my through hike. I've started on the first pair. Good thing I've got almost a year to prepare!

I'll try out the new tent, new sleeping bag, & c. in the back yard and hope the neighbors don't give me grief. (The fences are just to mark the property lines, not high enough for privacy.) The cookware can be exercised on the patio, and whether I do so on the barbecue grill or backpacking stove is entirely my business.

[Bansko]

You don't need a ton of physical prep. I took 5 mile walks about three to four times a week for two months prior to departure, with a full pack every time. Carrying the pack was important since it was weighted according to what would be my trail weight (about 27 lbs. with food and water). When I started at Springer it felt as if I was just going on another of my walks (albeit much longer and with more vertical). I lost 25 lbs. in about six weeks as the trail whipped me into better shape.

Before I started my thru hike I read a comment that said don't worry too much about getting into peak shape; the trail will take care of that for you. Very true.

[tflaris]

I see that advice here often, terrible though it is.

1) A lighter body incurs less stress.

Most thru-hike attempts are just that, and most wannabe thru-hikers quit early, when they're at their least fittest and when they're mentally unprepared/weak. Even though it isn't forced upon us, the trail ain't no cake-walk; why make it any harder on yourself? You don't see many fat thru-hikers when they're at their fittest, and you can eat plenty en route, regardless of how fast or slow or hard you go. The AT ain't limited on towns or resupply. And trust me, refueling is half the fun, because everything is fair game once your metabolism has kicked into high gear.

2) A lighter body in theory allows you to carry a few more pounds on your back. This could be in the form of a more insulated sleeping bag, or a pillow, or an inflatable mattress, enabling the hiker a better chance at sleep and recovery during those hard (and cold) first few weeks.

3) Being heavier than necessary forces us to work harder, and it increases our injury risk. Again: no matter how easy you try to make it, the AT ain't easy. Sure, it is a CHOICE to do it, but that doesn't make it easy. As such, one is obliged to at least attempt to make it less difficult. Human nature, in our endless quest for comfort! It's comfortable being fit.

Pretty much my philosophy. Lighter is better I lost 15 lbs for my JMT Thru Hike. Best weight savings ever.


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[SwathHiker]

There was no getting used to walking 15 miles a day, everyday, in almost constant pain. ... The hikers that I saw make it were the ones who didn't let a schedule, or time frame, or another person get in the way of their hike being one of the most fun, most memorable, and most exciting experiences they would ever have. They spent hundreds on lighter weight gear, just to throw a watermelon, a few packs of bubba burgers, several pounds of fresh veggies and a couple boxes of wine into their brand new Cuben Fiber packs, and hoof it 6 miles up a mountain because dinner was going to be amazing! They didn't say no to adventures that presented themselves along the way, they didn't worry about finishing in a certain amount of time, they didn't worry about walking a certain amount of miles in any day. They just walked and did what they wanted to and let the trail provide the adventure for them.

That's the way you DO IT!

[StichBurly]

I've been hiking my whole life and have done several 100 mile+ hikes, but nothing prepared me for thru hiking. There was no getting used to walking 15 miles a day, everyday, in almost constant pain. All my hiking trips before my thru hike had an end that was not far off. I ended up hitting a little more than 1200 miles, and had a work emergency that took me off the trail for a few weeks, and decided to come back this year to finish. The hikers that I saw that made it were the ones who weren't bothered by anything. They were the ones who didn't let the rain or the heat or the cold bother them. They were constantly laughing, and always had a smile on their face. They could go into town and kill a Chinese Buffet, head to the bar afterward, drink til 3am, but were always up and hiking their 15 miles the next day. They could spend the days when it was 100 degrees outside hanging out at a wayside drinking blackberry milkshakes and cold beer while playing cards, and would hike 20 miles in the dark so the day wasn't wasted. When the days started getting shorter they were up at sunrise so they would make it to camp before it got dark and cold. They took as many zeros and neros and they wanted to rest their body and let injuries heal. The day hikers, trail angels and other hikers would constantly remind them that they were running behind and better hurry up if they want to make Katadhin, and they would politely agree and go on their way, knowing in the back of their mind that they had plenty of time. Other hikers would ask them when they started and laugh because they had been out for so long, not realizing that many of them had left the trail, some for several weeks to go home for a wedding, or family reunion, or funeral, or any number of reasons, and then come back to the trail only to discover they had lost their trail legs it had taken 3 months to develop. They take in as much off trail scenery as they do on trail. They hitch rides to the closest Mexican restaurant which isn't actually close at all and will pretty much make the day a nero, but Mexican food is amazing when you've been in the woods for a couple weeks and its Cinco de Mayo. They go to Gatlinburg and sample moonshine and end up getting stuck in that tourist trap for a couple days. They go dumpster diving behind the Food Lion after an old hippie convinces them with several stories of his fruitful midnight excursions to the dumpster. They spend a couple extra days in town when they should be hiking because come on, its the Finals, and let's all admit it, Cleveland needed something good to happen. They Head to DC for the 4th of July because it's only a thirteen dollar train ride. They go to New York City to visit with other friends, family, and even run into other hikers. They stay in Hanover and extra day after they are offered the opportunity to go to their first Ivy League football game. They are the ones who pack out thirty racks of beer and ribeye steaks when a friend comes to visit, just to give them an unrealistic view of how "hard" hiking is. They pass by the HOJO that is on the trail and decide to stay a whole extra day and night, even though they just took a zero. Why? Because there's a pool. Because it's been 100 degrees for the past ten days. Because there are other hikers you lost back in Tennessee that you thought you'd never see again. But most importantly, because what's one more day to get to Katadhin? It's not like you have any plans set in stone for the next day, or even the next week or month. The hikers that I saw make it were the ones who didn't let a schedule, or time frame, or another person get in the way of their hike being one of the most fun, most memorable, and most exciting experiences they would ever have. They spent hundreds on lighter weight gear, just to throw a watermelon, a few packs of bubba burgers, several pounds of fresh veggies and a couple boxes of wine into their brand new Cuben Fiber packs, and hoof it 6 miles up a mountain because dinner was going to be amazing! They didn't say no to adventures that presented themselves along the way, they didn't worry about finishing in a certain amount of time, they didn't worry about walking a certain amount of miles in any day. They just walked and did what they wanted to and let the trail provide the adventure for them. Those were the people that finished.

I Agree 100%. What years did you hike?

[SawnieRobertson]

I see that advice here often, terrible though it is.

1) A lighter body incurs less stress.

Most thru-hike attempts are just that, and most wannabe thru-hikers quit early, when they're at their least fittest and when they're mentally unprepared/weak. Even though it isn't forced upon us, the trail ain't no cake-walk; why make it any harder on yourself? You don't see many fat thru-hikers when they're at their fittest, and you can eat plenty en route, regardless of how fast or slow or hard you go. The AT ain't limited on towns or resupply. And trust me, refueling is half the fun, because everything is fair game once your metabolism has kicked into high gear.

2) A lighter body in theory allows you to carry a few more pounds on your back. This could be in the form of a more insulated sleeping bag, or a pillow, or an inflatable mattress, enabling the hiker a better chance at sleep and recovery during those hard (and cold) first few weeks.

3) Being heavier than necessary forces us to work harder, and it increases our injury risk. Again: no matter how easy you try to make it, the AT ain't easy. Sure, it is a CHOICE to do it, but that doesn't make it easy. As such, one is obliged to at least attempt to make it less difficult. Human nature, in our endless quest for comfort! It's comfortable being fit.

Uriah speaks truth. Ahhhh, to be not younger but leaner.

[SawnieRobertson]

I was on my first thru hike of the A.T. for 3 weeks before I found out that it was longer than 1,000 miles? Had never backpacked for more than 3 days prior to that.

That is so funny. What was your reaction when you found out? Glee? Hee hee.

[gracebowen]

goldielocks,

I have about 200 miles of mostly hilly hiking experience from great Indiana state parks (Tecumseh and Three Lakes trails in Morgan Monroe SF, Turkey Run SP, Clifty Falls SP, Knobstone Trail, and that is how I'm preparing for my thru. But that is touching the tip of the iceberg. At 24, you should be fine by just doing it, building up mileage over the first month so you don't kill yourself. But use all of your gear before you light out for the biggun' because there is nothing worse than pulling into camp and having to have others show you how to use your gear.

Thanks Dogwood. That helps me make my point. 10 min on a treadmill and Im bored to tears. On many dayhikes I go just a little further because I want to see whats around the next bend. On my last hike where I had to bail because I both overextended myself and my kids were done I still found aporeciation in the small things like stopping to watch a lizard scamper across the trail.

My last overnighter I hiked 7 miles in one day eith a school backpack that weighed about 20 lbs. I carried most of the weigh including 3liters of water. I also didnt have proper gear. But hey we got out there. We put our poly tarp over the picnik table and slept under it. ��and I tied it to the metal table (it had holes) with zip ties. 2 miles were an accident because we missed the side trail to the campsite. Prior to that my longest hike was 3 to 4 miles carrying only about a 5 lb fanny pack. And it had been months since my last dayhike. Still not bad IMHO for someone who is usually pretty sedentary.

[gracebowen]

Jeez my new schedule is catching up to me. I obviously meant to quote Dogwood. Hey on the plus side Im working more and making more money. That means 1 I can save more and 2 if/when I hike in 2020 or so if I still have the hours my daughter can afford to send me a little each month. Shes going to take over my job for me unless things change lol.

[rafe]

Best prep is to be in shape, have a good attitude, plenty of cash on hand, and issues on the home front sorted out and under control. From my experience, attitude is a yooge part of it.

[DownEaster]

10 min on a treadmill and Im bored to tears.

Best prep is to be in shape, have a good attitude... From my experience, attitude is a yooge part of it.

Sometimes being in shape and having a good attitude are at odds, as the quote above indicates. If you've got the time to start slowly on a through hike, getting in shape on the trail isn't the worst approach. It's obviously better if you're in good shape when you start, but forcing yourself into shape beforehand at the cost of souring your attitude can be counterproductive.

[Sovi]

I've never calculated the miles I've been, while I have never done more than 2 days in a row backpacking the thru hike of the AT has always been a dream. I do local trails every chance I get though. Mentally I've been preparing for ~25 years, physically lately are local 8 mile day trails.