Minimal Planning?

[jersey joe]

i would like to add, though that overplanning is part of the fun!

I
I'm the same way, I love to overplan. Everyone isn't like us though. Some people thrive on just figuring it out as they go along and can make that work for them.
I would guess that planning helps improve your chance of succeeding but as many have said, you don't need to plan ahead, you can figure it out as you go along.

Something else to consider is how quickly plans/intentions change once you are out there. You could be saving yourself a lot of time by not formulating a plan that goes out the window on the second day.

[oldbear]

For me the mental part is going to be the hardest part
I can't stand swarms of bugs
I find the very real prospect of having to hike in rain for days on end to be depressing as all H
To that end I make a habit of doing 20-30 mile bike rides in rain whenever possible .
All the other aspects of this hike are doable w/o any overkill planning on my part

[jersey joe]

For me the mental part is going to be the hardest part

The mental part is the hardest part for most people.