View Full Version : Destroy my Assumptions
Frank_the_cat
09-25-2014, 18:28
You know what they say about assuming... and the more I research a Thru-hike, the more I start to think I really am an a--.... So I wanted to compile a bunch of my questions and assumptions and get some feedback and I head into planning for this spring.
1. First, I had NO IDEA how common it was to leave trail to stay in a hotel or hostel or to restock. This is still kind of blowing my mind. I think I just assumed that you got to a post office, grabbed your stuff, and kept hiking.
I had budgeted in two different nights at hotels as rewards or small goals to shoot for along the way, but should I budget in more? Is this completely up to the individual or is it really recommended to hit a real bed more often? (this is assuming no major injuries or hurricanes or whatever)
2. Tying into the first question, I'm curious about zero days. Again, I assumed that if you hit a spot that you really liked (beautiful scenery, nice weather, great lake/stream nearby), you'd just park it for a day and enjoy the outdoors. Maybe give your armpits an extra scrub, drink a cup of instant coffee, and just relax. Was this a ridiculous assumption, should I be looking to seek out shelter for my zero or nero days?
3. (typing this out made the question seem stupid, but here it is) I know specific parks can have specific rules (like the GSMNP), but for the most part, do you spend the night in campgrounds or just off the trail where you feel like finishing the day? Or a combination of both?
4. I also assumed that you could carry about a weeks worth of food with you at a time and was mentally planning packages and weight along those lines. (Note: I'm a girl, so that changes calorie calculations) However, most of the guides I've seen suggest 3-4 days worth of food at a time. Do I need to plan to re-stock more often? Or is this, again, up to the individual.
This is all I have for now. Seriously, thanks for any advice or tips. I am looking forward to a trip of a lifetime.
Sarcasm the elf
09-25-2014, 18:44
Check out this section of this site which will cover a lot of question 4:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?15-resupply
Frank_the_cat
09-25-2014, 18:51
Check out this section of this site which will cover a lot of question 4:
Nice!!! Thanks, navigating this site can be kind of confusing sometimes
Lone Wolf
09-25-2014, 19:10
2. practically nobody takes a "zero" in the woods
The typical thru-hike nowadays is essentially a long string of 3, 4, 5-day sections. Lots of town stops, though some of them may be "neros" meaning you got some hiking that day, vs. "zeros" where you got none. Most thru-hikers take their zero days in town, doing laundry, eating greasy food, doing exactly the sorts of things that they can't do in the woods.
They take advantage of "real world" facilities as they present themselves, eg. a mini-mart or greasy spoon located a half mile from a trailhead.
Resupply via mail drops is still done, but most hikers try to minimize it, mostly because you never know when the PO is going to be open or if you're going to roll into some sleepy hick town on Saturday afternoon and have to wait till Monday morning before you can claim your mail drop and move on.
Q1 Hostels are great, also nice to treat your self once a month and have a motel room to yourself, nice to wander out of the shower in your birthday suit and not have to worry about anyone. You'll want to get into town, just to change your diet. Budget for more days in town. I took 13 zeros plus alot of neros.
Q2 Zeros in town for me. Food and relaxing on a bed all day, socialising with other hikers, doing your resupply a bit more slowly, checking out the local outfitter. Going to AYCE - dont miss the one in Waynesboro, Virginia - Ming Garden - best AYCE on the trail.
Q3 Mostly camped at shelters or marked spots that were in the guide. I only actually stayed in shelters 3 times. There was a few times I stealth camped.
Q4 How long is a piece of string. I didnt used drop boxes just resupplied at towns. Depending on where the next resupply would be would determine how much food to carry.
Dont have a schedule - just relax and take it as it comes.
Taz
(1)I took almost all of my zero days on the trail, but that is far from the norm. If you get a shower once a week you can avoid spending money on motel rooms. In fact, not staying in town will save you a lot more money than the cost of a motel room. By staying in town you'll eat at least one more meal at a restaurant, maybe two. And you'll buy a few beers where they are available. And you'll spend money on other stuff. Many people say they can hike on the cheap and avoid spending money on booze and motel rooms, but I've seen few people actually pull it off. I was on the trail 4 months and spent between $1600 and $1700. Most people spend three times that. Informal hiking groups and cliques form on a thruhike, and if you become a part of one you will be stopping in more towns because there will always be one of your friends that is stopping so the whole group will stop.
(2) This is exactly what I did. I usually carried 3 or more days of extra food because if I got up in the morning and hiked a mile and found a really cool spot I was not above stopping for the day and hanging out, reading a book, etc. Some places I'd hang out 3 or 4 days. But very few people would do this. You'd come across a blue blaze trail a half mile long to a scenic overlook and most people would pass it by. To me this was the good stuff. But most others were in too much of a hurry to make miles or make it to the next town.
(3) Most people camp at the shelters which are typically spaced 8 to 10 miles apart because they are established campsites and many of them have an outhouse and almost all of them have a water source. Its a social gathering center in the evenings as well. But you can usually camp anywhere along the trail.
(4) Depends on how much weight you want to carry and how often you want to go into town. In the south you will hit a town every 2 to 3 days.
Usually can't check into Hotels before 11:00am or so. This allows time from wake up to get some miles in before you hit town. Still allows for basically a full day and evening/night in town. I personally don't like to roll into town/hotel late at night, just stay in the woods. This is a Luxury, not to be hurried... :)
I like the idea of "near zero" or nero days to save money. A couple of times this year, I camped a few miles away from a town and got to town by mid/late morning. That leaves plenty of time to shop for resupply, do laundry, check into a hostel/hotel, and eat at restaurants and you only have to spend money on one night in town rather than two. I plan to use weekly nero days for the most part when I thru hike the PCT and AT over the next couple of years. Maybe 3 or 4 zeros for the entire trip, as needed.
MuddyWaters
09-25-2014, 20:09
You need the town days to consume calories.
You can carry as much food as you want. There is no limit. You won't want to carry more than to reach your next resupply option, probably 3 to 5 days. It is just easier not to carry what isn't required.
I met an old guy in GA with 45 lb pack, he had 2 weeks food. He said he thought the only way he would get to ME was to not come off the trail. He got off at 20 miles to lighten his load. I could have told him, but he wouldn't have listened until he learned it for himself.
hike through Maine
Except for the Monson to Baxter stretch, Maine's a good example of a hike done as a series of 3-4 day sections.
Gorham -> Andover
Andover -> Rangely
Rangeley -> Stratton
Stratton -> Caratunk
Caratunk -> Monson
Slo-go'en
09-25-2014, 20:49
Try loading your pack with 7 days worth of food. It is a) bulky and b) heavy. 5 days of food is my limit. Thankfully on the AT that's about as long as you have to go between supermarkets.
Hikers typically use hostels more in the early season down south. For one thing, their cheap and there are a lot of them. Plus, it's about the only way you can get clean. Washing in the woods is possible, but there is no substitute for a nice, hot shower. Especially in April and early May when it's still pretty chilly out there. Farther north where there are fewer hostels and motels get more and more expensive, you'll try to stay in them less. But there comes a point when you just HAVE to get a shower, wash clothes and eat a couple of big town meals. Usually about every 7 to 10 days.
Hot showers are important. :) I think one can have enough of roughing it.
Back in the day, the big adventure on the AT was the so-called Hundred Mile Wilderness, 'cuz you really had to go 100 miles without resupply. But even that is no big deal; most northbounders do it in five, maybe six days. The terrain isn't that tough, and they have lots of adrenalin pushing them on. It's tougher for the southbounders, just setting off on their hikes.
The Cleaner
09-25-2014, 21:33
While reading this spring's entries on Trail Journals, seems some hikers in the south just hostel hop. Go as fast as you can, eat crappy or no cook food reach hostel, pig out, shower, sleep in real bed, repeat. One guy said he needed a shower every few days...Oh the humanity....
The Cleaner
09-25-2014, 21:47
I remember one woman hiker, only hiking the 1st hundred miles this spring when some snow storms forced many off of the trail several times. She said she spent almost $1000 on motels and town stays and shuttles. The trail has changed a lot since the early 80s when there were like 3 or 4 close to trail hostels till Damascus...
Spirit Walker
09-25-2014, 23:21
You can hike the trail any way you choose. Some ways are more difficult, some more or less expensive, some more relaxing, etc. I've known people who never slept indoors, a couple of hikers who never took a bath/shower, others who never hitchhiked, others who did speed hikes and others who took ten months to hike the trail. Some people always hike shelter to shelter, some never stay in shelters. You can make whatever rules for yourself you want, and you can choose to change them any time.
FWIW, the first time I thruhiked was long before internet. I didn't know much about the trail except what I read in the Rodale books. I assumed that as a female, I wouldn't want to hitch to town, so I planned to resupply only in towns that were actually on the trail or very close. I had some 14 day food drops. I had a very heavy pack. And yes, I did mail drops on that first hike. What I found was that I still ended up going into town to get food that was fresh and tasty and different. I found that I sometimes desperately wanted a shower, or a room to myself (I stayed in shelters for the most part), or a chance to do something different than hiking all day every day. I was happy to sit in a garden in town with a trashy novel or to go to church or a movie. I really wanted to eat more food, because my idea of enough food before the trail bore no relation to the amount of food I actually needed when I was hiking all day every day. I sometimes went to town because friends were going to town and I didn't want to continue alone. Before you thruhike, you don't realize how the push to reach Katahdin can take over your hike, so you don't want to relax at overlooks or spend days alone in the woods, you just want to make miles. We had one hiker friend who would buy a half dozen books in town and then spend two or three days at a shelter or camping to read them, but he was a rarity.
Frank_the_cat
09-26-2014, 07:52
This is freaking awesome, thanks guys. I don't want to individually respond to each of these, but man, it makes me feel better to know there aren't "hard and fast" rules.
2. practically nobody takes a "zero" in the woods
Well, I have planned for a long day only to come upon a amazing vista one day early, so I sat my butt down. Well the AM went and noon slid by so I ate lunch in the sun and basked in it's warm rays till late in the afternoon. I met and talked to some folks that I did not know and would have had just passed by on the trail. I watched day turn to twilight and I found a place to setup nearby so I spent a day in the woods and I would call it a zero day as I walked less than I would if in town, but it was no zero in any other way one could think of. All in all it will go down as one of the best days ever, peaceful, beautiful, serine, warm, sunny, good company with just the right amount of solitude.........Priceless to steal a phrase. Zeros are what you make them where you make then.
Starchild
09-26-2014, 09:05
People thru hike all different ways, but the most popular is the frequent town stop resupply (every 1-5 days).
What you said about finding a great wilderness spot and chilax (zero) for the day, well not many hikers will give up a beautiful day in the woods and not get some serious miles in. After all most are there for hiking, the journey, and all thru's are on the clock needing to make their destination before weather shuts them down (SoBo's get a bit more latitude in this). The only day I zerod in the woods was right before Mahoosic Notch (toughest mile of the AT), as it was pouring rain. I was with about 6 others in the shelter right before it waiting for the next day and better weather to get through.
In some places such as PA, with very cheap/free stays are about 20 miles apart, it is common to hike town to town every day, even if that means pitching your tent in the backyard of a tavern or two. Yes this increases the cost of the thru with tavern food and drink, but hard to resist such a nice way to travel and is super light.
Bluegrass
09-26-2014, 15:55
As others have said, you have to hike your own hike.
That said, there are some limitations you will run into. The most pressing will be the amount of calories you need to consume, and the added weight you will be carrying as a result. You might need 3500+ calories a day on the AT, and 3500 calories can get heavy. I am sure there are people who could go 10+ days between resupplies while on the AT, but their miles on the early days would suffer.
Most people will find it easier to stop every 3-5 days for resupply. It breaks up the monotony a bit and prevents you from carrying too much food all at once. And of course food consumed in a restaurant in town are calories you do not have to carry on your back. With AT towns fairly accustomed to through-hikers, you can generally get a ride into town, hit the grocery and a lunch spot, and be back on the trail without too much time lost.
I think that most people will generally fall into that sort of schedule. You will find a lot more variety when it comes to zeros and hotel/hostel stays. Some people will do an entire through-hike with almost no zero days, and some will have a couple dozen. Same thing with hotel stays. Part of it is budget related, part of it is comfort. Most people are not on a strict schedule, so it can be a decision made on the fly.
While I was on the trail I found myself thinking about logistics quite a bit. How much food did I have on my back? When was the next resupply? What sort of mileage would I have to do between now and then? How much food would I need to get at the resupply? Did I know of any good restaurants at the resupply?
Someone once mentioned that on the trail they got into the mindset that hiking was their job. They would hike 9am-5pm (as an example), and that would be their responsibility for the day. As with anyone working 8+ hours a day for months at a time, sometimes you need a 'vacation' from work. That can be a zero day, a hotel stay, or just a real meal in a diner.
MuddyWaters
09-27-2014, 06:54
Double post
MuddyWaters
09-27-2014, 07:03
You might take a near-o to wait for someone to catch up, take it easy on injury, or rest after a couple of long days strung together. Unless you are too sick to walk, a full zero in the woods wouldnt be likely. If you can make a town, you will push for it to get some real food and a bed.
Frank_the_cat
09-28-2014, 22:07
It breaks up the monotony a bit
What's really funny to me is that this is (again) something I never thought about. You're right, mentally, after a while, waking up, hiking, camping down, is going to wear on the nerves. Really good to think about.
What's really funny to me is that this is (again) something I never thought about. You're right, mentally, after a while, waking up, hiking, camping down, is going to wear on the nerves. Really good to think about.
I guess Cpt's Louis and Clark really appreciated the Indian villages they came accross...
I guess Cpt's Louis and Clark really appreciated the Indian villages they came accross...
Detail: Cpt Lewis/ 2ndLt Clark :)
JohnnySnook
09-29-2014, 02:40
I feel ya Frank the cat. The more I read the more I wonder about what really goes on. I'm from south Florida so hiking in the cold does't sound to fun. Even so i want to start in march. I want to have the time to get north and enjoy the best part of the trail. I think making it to the northern states is a goal. That is where I want to slow down. Maybe hike up a creek a mile to two and setup camp for a zero or two. Enjoy the true wilderness. This could all change. You just never know.
I do know that I'm a very social person but I'm also an introvert. I don't like sleeping in groups and a few stops to have my own hotel room will be nice.
I feel I'll spend a lot of time at a shelter but will sleep in a tent. At times I just want to be left alone.
My job requires that I work 7 to 20 days in a row and involves being around or talking to 30 to 100 people a day. Average day of work is 10 to 16 hours with 20 hour days to be expected. When I'm not working I like to be alone. After a 3 or 4 week job I often don't answer or return calls that aren't about the next job, close friends, or family. I just want to go fish, or MTB, and be alone. This can last for days. This didn't work so well in my last GF till we started living together. Now I'm single, no kids, and feel this is the right time to do this. I'll be 41 when I start so I'll be in the middle of the pack age wise which ail bel interesting. Many don't understand this behavior but its just what keeps me going. So hiking a lot of miles and then maybe disappearing a mile up a creek after a day or two in town will probably happen.
Thats just my life and will be my hike. I may be committed to a group for weeks and then just disappear. Its what works for me. We'll see what happens.
Starchild
09-29-2014, 07:14
This may have been said and I might have read it, but this thread is getting long and over several days so...
One issue I see about a zero in the woods as the OP seems to describe is it needs to be planned, extra food and fuel and that detracts from the spontaneity that the spirit of the OP's assumption seems to imply. Now this is more important when you have to make a several day stretch to your next resupply, however there are also many areas where you have a choice of where to hitch in for resupply over several days.
The issue with a zero in the woods is that doing it comfortably would probably require more "camping" equipment than I would want on a long distance hike. A folding chair, for example. But I can think of some places where base camping for a day or two would be attractive with some day hiking thrown in, but that wouldn't really be a zero day.
speaking to Lonewolf's comment "Practically nobody takes a zero in the woods.." I would add to that.. what the heck is the point of taking a zero day in the woods? There's no restaurant, no shower, no resupply, and frankly what the heck are ya gonna do spending all day in a 3 sided log shelter? Esp if it's not raining.. use the woods for travelling, use towns for resupply and re-energizing.
There are no rules, except those that you choose to live by. My advice: Schedule no mail drops, plan no mileage, have no expectations. Put your wad of cash in a zip lock bag, load your pack, buy a weeks worth of food, start putting one foot in front of the other. Have fun, do what you want, and when the wad of cash is gone, go home.
I normally will resupply every 3-5 days ( I buy 100% of my food along the way ), I only stay overnight about once every two weeks and if i need an extra zero, i will take a zero in the woods about once a week, my favorite place to zero is watuga lake or any place with a stream nearby and a nice view, on my thru-hike in 2006 i met Purina Meow and she does not hike on sundays so every sunday she was zero'ing in the woods. so don't let some one tell you, you can't zero in the woods cause you can.
You can find many campsites along the way, and their is shelters spaced about 8-10 miles apart those are first come first serve except in the GSMNP.
3-5 days is a normal resupply for the average hiker, but in the 100 mile wilderness you might need 6 or 7 this will be you biggest resupply. and atleast 5 days for the GSMNP if you don't plan to go into Gatlinburg, and remember some of the hostels has a resupply store.
Example: Fontana Damn to Standing Bear Hostel- 5 days. but it all depends on how many miles per day you do, the more MPD you do the less food you need to carry, Less mile more food.
and the most important piece of advice is this is you hike don't let someone else tell you how to hike it. HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE.
and the most important piece of advice is this is you hike don't let someone else tell you how to hike it. HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE.
Great advise!!
I see many, many young folks ending up in groups of 2,3,4,5 hikers. Then everything becomes a "group" decision....no longer a HYOH.
And usually the group decides on more town stops than most hikers budget for. Most will spend more $$ than they were planning.
Great advise!!
I see many, many young folks ending up in groups of 2,3,4,5 hikers. Then everything becomes a "group" decision....no longer a HYOH.
And usually the group decides on more town stops than most hikers budget for. Most will spend more $$ than they were planning.
YES and this is why most younger folks don't make it, if folks would do their own thing, i feel that we would have a bigger completion rate.
I see many, many young folks ending up in groups of 2,3,4,5 hikers. Then everything becomes a "group" decision....no longer a HYOH.
And usually the group decides on more town stops than most hikers budget for. Most will spend more $$ than they were planning.
Yup.
For those that can physically and mentally handle a long distance hike, running out of money is the number one reason people fall off the trail. Whether you intentionally, or not, end up traveling with a group of like minded and/or similarly paced hikers - Increase your budget for a thru-hike attempt. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Frank_the_cat
09-29-2014, 18:34
One issue I see about a zero in the woods as the OP seems to describe is it needs to be planned, extra food and fuel and that detracts from the spontaneity that the spirit of the OP's assumption seems to imply. Now this is more important when you have to make a several day stretch to your next resupply, however there are also many areas where you have a choice of where to hitch in for resupply over several days.
Yeah, well, I thought you *did* plan for them. Like I said, I hadn't realized this until I started reading.
Frank_the_cat
09-29-2014, 18:37
my favorite place to zero is watuga lake or any place with a stream nearby and a nice view,
Yeah, this is what I thought. I really appreciate the feedback, It's good to know I need to plan for more in town time, but also good to know I can just sit my ass in the woods and not do anything.
Every time I see "plan" mentioned here it makes me cringe. Most of them are thrown out when the realization hits those attempting a thru-hike that they're impractical. Of those that do keep to them... well it usually ends up being more trouble than they're worth. The added stress that a plan can bring isn't worth it, IMO.
Lone Wolf
09-29-2014, 19:22
speaking to Lonewolf's comment "Practically nobody takes a zero in the woods.." I would add to that.. what the heck is the point of taking a zero day in the woods? There's no restaurant, no shower, no resupply, and frankly what the heck are ya gonna do spending all day in a 3 sided log shelter?i guess you're not into "nature" and just into makin' miles and town comforts
JumpMaster Blaster
09-29-2014, 19:25
Ah, an ultralight chair would be a necessity for me. There's only so much "rest and recuperation" I get from sitting on a log or a picnic table. How many times have I wished for one where I could actually lean into and take the pressure off my back.
Now if only I could find a way to drop the 1lb 4oz I'd need to carry along an Alite Mantis, I'd do it.
Lone Wolf
09-29-2014, 19:44
Ah, an ultralight chair would be a necessity for me. There's only so much "rest and recuperation" I get from sitting on a log or a picnic table. How many times have I wished for one where I could actually lean into and take the pressure off my back.
Now if only I could find a way to drop the 1lb 4oz I'd need to carry along an Alite Mantis, I'd do it.
i have this http://www.backcountryedge.com/video-big-agnes-helinox-camp-chair.aspx
Some folks make it pretty much a moving party, and much of the fun happens in towns and hostels.
It's not all about hiking. Past a certain point for some people it becomes more about gluttony, booze, sex, and drugs.
But it doesn't have to be that way… yes you can enjoy the woods and minimize the town B.S.
Siestita
09-30-2014, 00:17
I realize this thread is part of the "thru-hiker specific" forum, but can't resist pointing out that thru hikes are not the only enjoyable way to get out in the woods.
It's not just weekenders or clueless novices who sometimes enjoy doing low mileage days, zeroing in the woods, and doing back country base camping. I enjoy engaging in those pursuits things myself. But, they may be incompatible with mileage driven pursuits such as completion of AT thru hikes.
Would be thru hikers sometimes begin their journeys without having previously had much backpacking experience. Later some of them leave the Trail before they have spent very many days or weeks along it. Hopefully some of those folks also figure out that destination focused long distance hiking is not the only way to enjoy living out in the woods.
As a college student in 1972 I enticed to try out backpacking by reading Colin Fletcher's "Complete Backpacker". What attracted me was not the fact that Fletcher had spent a summer walking the length of California, but his description of spending nights sleeping on a mountain side just few miles from his home.
i guess you're not into "nature" and just into makin' miles and town comforts
There's the rub, a typical thru hike involves a daily or weekly quota of miles, and that kinda cuts into the "communing with nature" stuff. Just another waterfall. Just another view. Ho hum, never mind, I've got miles to go yet. It's almost 100% opposed to what Benton MacKaye was hoping for when he proposed the idea of the AT.
I'm with Dogtra regarding schedules and itineraries on the AT or any other trail.
Quota of miles? Interesting. If time is an issue you can always flip flop. Booze, drugs, sex, yes please. Or you might need to take a zero day because the Masters is on TV. Whatever. Trying to structure the most freedom you will ever experience in your life is futile, and exactly against the point. You should plan zero days around rain, snow, sleet, hangovers, and good fishing.
Slo-go'en
09-30-2014, 19:58
"Just into makin' miles" At some point, that's what a thru hike boils down to.
If you don't make those miles, your not going to finish. You'll run out of time or money or both. So, it's a bit of a compromise. At times you need to slow down and enjoy what's around you. Other times you have to pound out the miles. Doing a thru hike is a job. Your job is to get up and hike 10 to 20 miles a day, pretty much everyday.
stonedflea
10-04-2014, 16:02
i'll preface this with "i haven't read many of the other posts." :) you will learn a lot while you're hiking, and it will blow your mind. i just spent a few hours this past week re-reading through the notes i wrote on the trail, and even with all the time i spent on whiteblaze prior to my hike, i was still just so naive. :)
1 - you will miss the comforts of a bed. not saying you'll be bill bryson or anything, but you'll feel the want/need to indulge a little more than you think you will. especially if it's that time of the month. those times are always spent better in society. i splurged twice on the trail and had a room to myself. the rest of the time, i shared rooms with other hikers in hostels and bunk rooms: that helps to cut costs down a ton. it's not necessarily recommended that you be in a real bed more often. you'll just probably miss actual sheets.
2 - i spent one full zero day on the trail, holed up in a shelter reading a book because the weather was piss poor. it was raining cats and dogs, it was cold, and the closest shelter was three miles away over a mountain that was still so crappy, i slipped and fell down it the next day in the sunshine. all the other hikers that had just come over the mountain just told us to stay put. that said, i spent plenty of other days laying under shade trees and just not hiking. and then i hiked. i had tons of neros on the trail, and those were right lovely. :)
3 - the only thing i was aware of was the no tenting at GSMNP, but they'd still let you tent if the shelter was full.
4 - the thing about carrying a week's worth of food at a time is that it's heavy, and you have to plan accordingly. for instance, if you hit a town on monday, but you want to spend a week in the woods, it might be that the next monday, you're nowhere near a town. you'll either have to only carry 5 days' food and resupply when you hit town, or carry 9 days' food. there's really no need to carry a week's worth of food - it will just be extra weight because you'll have passed two towns before you run out of food.
i will give you this: i made an ass of myself assuming how much money i would spend. i wound up spending probably $3,000 on my hike. i budgeted half of that. i wasn't a partier. i think i drank maybe three times on the trail. it just costs a lot to be in the woods. granted, i had a dog with me and her dog food was always the most expensive thing on my resupply list, and her boarding through the smokies was $250 alone. but i should have accounted for that.
have fun with your hike. it will be the best time of your life. :)
There's the rub, a typical thru hike involves a daily or weekly quota of miles, and that kinda cuts into the "communing with nature" stuff. Just another waterfall. Just another view. Ho hum, never mind, I've got miles to go yet. It's almost 100% opposed to what Benton MacKaye was hoping for when he proposed the idea of the AT.
I'm with Dogtra regarding schedules and itineraries on the AT or any other trail.
WOW "a quota of miles" on any of my thru-hikes I never felt the need to do big mile days, I did big miles days cause I could and I wanted to NOT cause I had to. The main reason I go into the backcountry is to experience what nature has to offer, If I am too busy trying to get miles instead of enjoying Gods Country well then what is the point.
Parse it out any way you like -- by the total, by the month, the week, or the day. You've got to do 2200 miles, roughly, over about 5 or 6 months, roughly. Might be 20+ some days, zero on others. It's still a quota. There's a fixed distance and a certain maximum time available for a traditional thru hike.
mdbamabrad
10-14-2014, 16:41
Zero in the woods- I ended up hiking more on days just because their was nothing else to do.
Parse it out any way you like -- by the total, by the month, the week, or the day. You've got to do 2200 miles, roughly, over about 5 or 6 months, roughly. Might be 20+ some days, zero on others. It's still a quota. There's a fixed distance and a certain maximum time available for a traditional thru hike.
Exactly. If you don't want to make miles, be it 12 a day (6 month pace) or 18 a day (4 month pace), then there are activities you can do that are just as rewarding in a different way.
Spend a summer hiking in Yellowstone with no definite agenda in mind for example.
But if you want t hike the length of a long trail, be it one shot or in sections, you have to make miles. :)
Cedar1974
10-18-2014, 17:27
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PJevaw46TX5jR6t1ri1h0IqQOT1e9nXhStnxT-qliqQ/edit?usp=sharing
I found this sheet on here and put it in my Google Drive for others to edit, but it really is a nice way to plan how much foor you might need in the long run.
Frank_the_cat
10-18-2014, 19:34
I just finished up my first sketch out of the trail - how many miles I want to go, where I want to go into town, how much food at each drop. I'm leaning, right now, to doing more zeros or neros in the woods, but I have space and money budgetted in in case I decide that was a stupid idea and want to take a real shower.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions.... now I just have to wait... and collect gear...
I think that is a good idea. As others have said, a lot of people have to leave the trail for financial reasons. You will definitely want a hot shower more than you can anticipate right now at home. I think zeros on the trail are a great idea, and a great way to relax without spending money. But remember, you will want a restaurant meal now and then, and you will not want to be the only one who can't afford it!
Also I believe food drops are not necessary unless you have a restrictive diet like vegan or gluten-free. Mailing from Kansas means you probably won't save any money, but will create a lot of hassle by forcing yourself to make it to town during the PO hours. In small towns especially, this can be pretty limited! Since you are avoiding hotels, it is even more restrictive because you have to arrive before the PO closes - possibly as early as 4pm! And like someone pointed out, if you come in on a Saturday you may be stuck two nights waiting for the PO to open again.