The One Thing I Wish I Knew Before Hiking the A.T.

[smaaax]

Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I wish I had known about whiteblaze and other websites like Backpackinglight I carried entirely to much weight way back then now I am around 30 LBS for a week. There are great resources on Whiteblaze that you can learn from . Most outfitters will try to sell you a bunch of crap you don't need my rule with a few exceptions (first aid kit) is that if you don't touch it once a day you don't need it

[aaroniguana]

If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

I wish I had carried the first time I stepped onto the AT the knowledge that long-distance hiking is NOT a dating opportunity.

[Doctari]

1. That I didn't / don't need as much stuff as I thought I did. (still learning that lesson )
2. Yea, the mental aspect of long distance hiking. IMHO counts for 98% of hiking once you are past the first week or so.
3. Re-supply ON THE TRAIL (ie: no mail drops) isn't as hard as I thought.
4. Sometimes NOBO on the AT is actually compass SOUTH, & vice versa.
5. It is going to rain! It is going to rain alot. A cheap set of rain gear isn't good enough!! (took me 5 Long section hikes to learn that one )

[Egads]

I wish I knew how to make a living while on the trail

[Lone Wolf]

I wish I knew how to make a living while on the trail

easy.gigilo. worked for me

[Egads]

easy.gigilo. worked for me

No thanks considering the ratio of men to women hikers.

[Lone Wolf]

dude. there's lotsa lady hikers

[Kirby]

Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

I could not agree more.

Kirby

[Spock]

hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

[Lone Wolf]

hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

that's it in a nutshell

[Doctari]

hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

Yep, got to Hot springs 12:35 on Sat, couldn't leave till Monday AM. That trip I had another Mail drop in Erwin. Both were totally not needed, & cost me over 2 days wait as I got to Erwin 5 minutes after the PO closed. Unless it's a great emergency, Erwin was my last PO mail drop!

[vtdrifter]

The contents of your backpack affects your eventual success rate far less than most of the threads on this forum would leave you to believe. Don't worry so much about what you're carrying and how much it all weighs.

And I second Kirby as well.

[Kirby]

In the end, you will spend countless hours thinking of creative ways to drop weight from your pack. Even the light weight kids spends countless hours thinking about ways to go from carrying 15 pounds to carrying 14 pounds and 15 ounces.

Start out with **** until you get to Neel's Gap, where you are going to end up spending money on new gear because they catch you right when your thinking "I'll do anything to make my pack lighter" and end up spending a lot of money.

Also, you've hiked one mile in PA and you'v hiked them all.

Kirby

[Slo-go'en]

That doing X miles a day on the trail is a lot harder than it is sitting at home and thinking that you can do X miles a day on the trail.

[Kirby]

That doing X miles a day on the trail is a lot harder than it is sitting at home and thinking that you can do X miles a day on the trail.

Affirmed. I never did get a 30 mile day.

[kanga]

hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

that's it in a nutshell

absolute truth. i got sick to death of what i had sent myself to eat, even though i tried to have a good variety when i was planning. i bounced a ton of stuff way on because i didn't want to look at it for awhile. i still can't eat a snickers bar - don't even want to smell one, and chocolate is one of my food groups.
mail certain things that you know you will need like first aid or books or whatever, but there are plenty of cheap places in the towns you'll go into to get your groceries there. remember too, after hiking for some time, things you wouldn't have thought you would eat you get cravings for when your body gets into high gear.
also, about the mileage, go ahead and make your daily mileage plan, most do, but have in mind you're just going to have to let it go when you're 20 miles behind what you thought you were going to do at the end of the first week. as intimidating as it could be, "just go hike" is the way to go. it's hard enough without putting expectations on yourself that you might not meet at first. mentally, it's hard to do a long distance hike. if you're a social person, it can get very lonely in the beginning. also, exhaustion can do a number on your mentality too, so i think it's probably better not to be too strict with your planning. it's all going to change on you anyway.
enjoy your hike!

[Lyle]

Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

Hey smaaax,

I'm in Michigan too. Love talking about trails and hiking. Ever need a sympathetic ear (course you'll have to reciprocate and listen to some of my stories too ) just holler.

There needs to be local support groups!

[Bare Bear]

Jelly Bean (06) said that "What we carry in our packs are a reflection of our fears."

I wish I had known that instead of carrying a second 'town' set of clothes that you can hit a thrift shop anywhere and find something for less than $5 to wear for a day or two while zeroing.

[smaaax]

Hey smaaax,

I'm in Michigan too. Love talking about trails and hiking. Ever need a sympathetic ear (course you'll have to reciprocate and listen to some of my stories too ) just holler.

There needs to be local support groups!

I think you're onto something. The distinct lack of trails in Michigan doesn't help either. Oh well, I'll be moving to PA in a couple months.