Planning vs. winging it

[superman]

The hardest part of the AT for me was getting to the trail and going home when it was over. The data book and thru hiker companion gave me all the information I needed. I tried to get a special dog food for Winter in the early part of the AT but the post office just didn't work for me. Winter didn't have a problem switching dog foods as I anticipated that she would. Pat from Maine does more planning for us when we hike other trails. Resupply and town stops are often not as easy as on the AT. Just let your hike unfold for you...don't try to pre-write what will happen. In the beginning you may question your choice to hike the AT but that will fade as you adjust to the AT. Seasons will change and by NH or Maine you may start feeling like you've been out there forever. Don't worry about it... that will morph into a combination of excitement of approaching Katahdin and a weird sadness that the end is near. When you come down from Katahdin you will begin a strange decompression. As you recall your hike you will smile at so many things that you could not possibly have anticipated. It takes a while to get your mind around what you have experienced and you will know why so many go back again and again to enjoy "the hike."
Plan...."you don't need no sticken plan."

[Grampie]

A little planning won't hurt. Especialy for the first few weeks. What I did was look at the Data Book, figure out what kind of miles I thought I'd be doing and figure out where and when I would resupply. I did this just so I thought I was leaving home with a plan and I could let others, at home, know where I would be.
I soon learned that much planning wasn't necessary. I would resupply and using the Data Book figure where and when I'd be doing it again. I would than buy enough to get me to that resupply point. That method worked well for my whole hike.
As far as food drops and bounce boxes are conserned. My feeling is, the less you depend on the off trail world, the more you will enjoy the freedom of an AT thru-hike. Most hikers get sick of eating the same stuff after a while. If you purchased food and are sending it out as food drops you probably will give most of it away or leave it in a hiker box. Most of the stuff, hikers put in a bounce box and keep shipping ahead are things you can buy or get for free along the trail.

[Doctari]

I have my hike TOTALLY planned, down to what to eat at each rest stop for the first 4 days, and where to have my rest stops.

Also in that plan is the "plan" to burn the above mentioned plan at the first fire pit I come to & then wing it the rest of the way. (WOW, the word "plan" 3 times in the same sentence.)

I too started with the idea to have ALOT of mail drops. I have cut that to 6, and each one is about 1/2 of the stuff that I originally planned for each. The article Jack mentioned would at least be a good read, & printing it out isn't a bad idea either.


Doctari.

[Bonjour]

Asside from the pros and cons of plans or lack of them, it seems to me that hikers should do their best to support the communities along the trail. The AT is an important part of their economy. They do much to support the hikers so reciprocity seems to be in order.

[mweinstone]

wing it wingador. planning is for the flightless birds. fly man!

[Peaks]

Family needs to have some idea of when you expect to be where. So, do some planning. As Jack posted, there is plenty of information available.

Coupled with this, bear in mind that any schedule needs to be kept flexible. Some times, you will want to hike along. Other times, you will want to linger. So, don't be a slave to your schedule.

I planned my thru-hike. The schedule was conservative, but family was able to track my progress and knew when I expected to be where.

[antonweir]

In planning, I did this way-too-complex analysis of distance and resupply that resulted in interlinked Excel spreadsheets and nifty graphs. Put in a few variables and it spits out all sorts of idealized schedules. The simulation shows only a couple spots where some extra effort is required to keep decent resupply intervals down to no more than four days. With that in hand (and my experience of carrying super-heavy packs for desert trekking) I was delighted to realize that all these drops are nothing but a logistic headache that invites error and frustration.

I vote "wing it" and shall definately do so on my stroll. It'll save some postal worker a hernia and let me focus more on not focusing on anything.

AW

[J Link NJ]

haha awesome. thanks everyone. i think winging it sounds more fun anyways.. its like.. spontanious haha

[Michele]

The article Jack mentioned would at least be a good read, & printing it out isn't a bad idea either.


Doctari.

Just a note on what I did. I downloaded the printable version of Jack's resupply notes and cut the parts I wanted to reference or remember as I progressed up the trail, and pasted them into an email. I emailed all the information to myself at my pocketmail. Now, I have his info w/me all the time for the first leg of the trip to VA. Just an idea I thought I'd share.

I'm doing only 1 maildrop...at Fontana Dam, and I don't have it pre-made or anything. I'll probalby just mail myself one from an earlier town and/or have a few things sent from home. Other than that...no mail drops, no bounce box. This trail and the wonderful community that has formed around it have made it possible for all of us to hike w/out a ton of planning, so THANKS!!!!