Best Advice on How to Actually Hike a Thru

[WIAPilot]

I know that there have to be others who are relatively new to hiking the AT. This advice is by Warren Doyle, who has hiked the trail more than anyone else. I found it to be so incredibly helpful.


http://www.warrendoyle.com/ATBook.html

[camperjames64]

If I have a winter set up will that be enough for southern to northern hike starting inlate may early june?

[kayak karl]

my winter setup is for -10 and would be too much. what's yours rated at? i would use 20 degree for me.

[4shot]

Doyle has some good advive. with that being said, describing a thru hike to someone is akin to describing a sunset to a blind man.

[WIAPilot]

Doyle has some good advive. with that being said, describing a thru hike to someone is akin to describing a sunset to a blind man.

That said, I believe that the more one is prepared = the better their chance for success. Obviously, Doyle believes this too or he wouldn't be teaching his class on how to successful hike the AT.

[Moose2001]

Warren teachs a class on how to "slack" the AT. There is a difference!

[Cookerhiker]

Warren teachs a class on how to "slack" the AT. There is a difference!

He bristles at referring to his hikes as "slackpacks" because he usually day-hikes very ambitious, big-mileage days. But your point is correct insofar as these days - unlike when the term "slackpacking" was coined - most people use the term "slackpack" to mean day-hike. Doyle currently preaches that day-hiking is the best way to go and predicts that overnight backpacking has no future; why would/should anyone carry a full pack when they can day-hike almost all of the AT with careful planning and the assistance of support shuttlers and/or the cooperation between hikers using 2 cars?