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2000miler
09-07-2015, 18:45
I'm coming off a 6-day shakedown hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington. Tons of pictures and full stories uploaded at the link in my signature, but I have to reiterate how useful one big shakedown hike was for preparing for the Appalachian Trail.

I'm interested in hearing your lessons learned from big shakedown hikes. We're nearing the end of summer, so presumably the big shakedown hikes are behind you or are coming up soon.

My big lessons learned:


Think you want to do a thru? Do a big shakedown trip first. Despite all the absurd things that went wrong this trip, the stab wounds, the sore feet, the hunger, the cravings, the blisters – at the end of the trip, I was still absolutely fired up about my thru next year. Discovering that you don’t have the fire in your belly for a 6-month trek while on a 1-week shakedown hike is so much better than figuring it out on a thru attempt, after you quit your job and leave your family and friends behind.
Setting a conservative pace for yourself for the first few days will let you get your trail legs under you with minimal risk of injury. Super tired legs = Not paying attention to footfalls = Landing weird on tendons that aren’t accustomed to strain = bad stress injury to ankle / foot / knee that takes weeks to heal. Cool your jets, we’re in this for the long haul. Go for 10 miles a day your first week, then ramp it up after that. Your body will thank you.
Pack yourself delicious, easy-to-make food for the trail. There's reading this, and then there's experiencing this. Screw healthy food. Screw complicated cooking. Your best intentions at home will absolutely fall to hell after 24 hours on trail. I was so tired and craving salt so hard that by the end of the trip I was ready to see if my Trader Joe’s Raw Organic Almonds would make a good fire starter. Convenience and tastiness are king in the wilderness. I'm considering going stoveless for the convenience on my thru.
Immodium. Take it. You won’t need it ’till you drink some bad water and you’re 3 days out from town, squatting over the side of a cliff letting it fly in the wind. Then you will be really, really glad you have it.
Take any blogging notes in an offline app, then transfer over to WordPress or your preferred blogging platform once back in civilization. I took all my notes out on the trail in the WordPress app with my phone on Airplane mode. As soon as I took my phone off airplane mode, the drafts all deleted.

JustaTouron
09-07-2015, 19:09
Just one persons opinion, but for the life of me I don't get why anyone who hasn't done multiple week long hikes, decides they want to hike the AT.

Why would any think it sounds like fun to do something for 6 months something they don't do every time they have week or weekend off.

Sent from my SM-T110 using Tapatalk

pauly_j
09-08-2015, 06:03
What a ridiculous thing to say. I don't swim with dolphins every weekend but that's not to say I wouldn't want to on a holiday.

bigcranky
09-08-2015, 06:45
Yeah, but would you swim with the dolphins continuously for six months without ever getting out of the water? I mean, yeah, the dolphin swim sounds great for like an hour or two, but after that not so much. :)

That's the difference between "hey let's go for an overnight hike" and "hey let's go walk up and down steep mountains for six months, leaving our jobs and our families behind, carrying heavy packs in rain and snow and summer heat." Totally different.

pauly_j
09-08-2015, 07:58
True but who can say they have real experience of that situation? No one knows if they're going to enjoy walking all day every day for half a year until they've done it.

I'm starting my first ever thru hike in 2016. I love to hike, ramble, and hill walk. I've never done so for more than a handful of days in a row because I have a job, commitments, etc. I don't know how I'll react to hiking non-stop for 6 months and I don't believe anyone would on their first hike. I don't believe hiking for a week long trip 3 or 4 times a year when you have time booked off work prepares you any more than going for a weekend trip 3 or 4 times a year.

As long as you know your gear and you have the fitness, it's pretty irrelevant.

Spacelord
09-08-2015, 09:39
What a ridiculous thing to say. I don't swim with dolphins every weekend but that's not to say I wouldn't want to on a holiday.
If all you can do is float on your back it's not gonna be very enjoyable I wouldn't think. At least work up to a strong dog paddle for the big holiday.

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pauly_j
09-08-2015, 10:52
Hence my point about having the fitness.

What JustaTouron (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php/25727-JustaTouron) is implying is that you wouldn't dream of doing a thru-hike if you didn't already spend all your time hiking.

Quite the opposite; I'm doing a thru-hike because it's what I never have a chance to do.

JustaTouron
09-08-2015, 11:52
Hence my point about having the fitness.

What JustaTouron (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php/25727-JustaTouron) is implying is that you wouldn't dream of doing a thru-hike if you didn't already spend all your time hiking.

Quite the opposite; I'm doing a thru-hike because it's what I never have a chance to do.

Yes, that is my point.

You wouldn't buy a fishing boat if you had never fished. You would rent a boat and only once you started going fishing so often you decided it made more sense to own one than to rent all the time would you buy one.

You won't buy a lifetime membership at a golf course before you took your first lesson.

You won't decide you want to move to Australia if you never even visited first.

So why do so many people who rarely if ever hike (even though it is a very accessible sport) decided, "hey I want to spend 6 months doing something, I never avail myself to do on a three day weekend."

Mags
09-08-2015, 15:31
So why do so many people who rarely if ever hike (even though it is a very accessible sport) decided, "hey I want to spend 6 months doing something, I never avail myself to do on a three day weekend."

Because of the romanticism of an AT thru-hike trumps reality for many people.

Mind you, I agree with you.

Weekend hikes, besides letting see if you actually like hiking, are also fun... (assuming you enjoy hiking..which I guess is the point).

Dogwood
09-08-2015, 16:59
Pack yourself delicious, easy-to-make food for the trail. There's reading this, and then there's experiencing this. Screw healthy food. Screw complicated cooking. Your best intentions at home will absolutely fall to hell after 24 hours on trail. I was so tired and craving salt so hard that by the end of the trip I was ready to see if my Trader Joe’s Raw Organic Almonds would make a good fire starter. Convenience and tastiness are king in the wilderness. I'm considering going stoveless for the convenience on my thru.


LOL. I wonder if organic almonds burn better than conventionally grown almonds. :)

Let me remind you. Don't assume healthier eating has to be tasteless or some how be a forced fed eating experience. HEALTHIER NUTRITIONALLY DENSE FOOD CAN BE JUST AS IF NOT MORE TASTY THAN UNHEALTHIER FOOD LIKE PRODUCT CHOICES. Just as your food choices, food habits, and imagination have evolved while eating questionably unhealthy highly refined highly processed food like products you can evolve your food creativity with healthier trail food choices.

Eat on.

Funny JustaTouron, the same romanticism trumping reality Mags referred to with thru-hiking the AT I've seen also played out by economic social climbers who HAVE bought fishing and sailing boats, some quite expensive and large, with zero fishing or sailing experience. Some of these boat folks never have left the marina berth but just enjoy advertising and limitedly enjoying their newfound expensive toy while at dock. After a couple yrs of boat maintenance and upkeep expenditures these are the folks that are sometimes often all too happy to get rid of their hole in the water with a quick down and dirty nitty gritty undervalued boat sale. Nomadic buddy in Hawaii now lives on a 28ft sailboat he obtained by trading for it with 30 days of his work way below value just from such a situation.

Before thruing the AT I had a good sense I would finish despite never having done a lengthy LD hike. I had gained similar experience in knowing I loved walking by all the walking in Nature I did as a child with friends, family, BSA, church groups, and with the NJ/NY county park system under various weather and terrain scenarios.

While exhilarating in the extreme swimming in deep water in rough seas into a pod of Spinner Dolphins, which is a smaller dolphin species, in Hawaii it is also dangerous with them flipping and spinning all around you. If one jumps and hits you you could get seriously injured or even be knocked out and drown.

Malto
09-08-2015, 17:58
True but who can say they have real experience of that situation? No one knows if they're going to enjoy walking all day every day for half a year until they've done it.

I'm starting my first ever thru hike in 2016. I love to hike, ramble, and hill walk. I've never done so for more than a handful of days in a row because I have a job, commitments, etc. I don't know how I'll react to hiking non-stop for 6 months and I don't believe anyone would on their first hike. I don't believe hiking for a week long trip 3 or 4 times a year when you have time booked off work prepares you any more than going for a weekend trip 3 or 4 times a year.

As long as you know your gear and you have the fitness, it's pretty irrelevant.

if I were king then I would require at least a hundred mile hike prior to allowing my subjects to begin a thru hike. But since I'm not a King, I just will watch and shake my head as the majority of thru hike attempters discover that reality is much difference than the romantic notion of a thru hike. There is a huge difference between a weekend and a multi month hike as you will learn. And physical fitness is not nearly as important as mental fitness which is gained through experiencing conditions as hard or harder than what you see on your thru hike.

GoldenBear
09-08-2015, 20:37
Had quite a few lessons learned

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/entry.php/583-Based-on-my-choices-from-a-week-ago-I-nominate-myself-for-quot-Bonehead-of-the-Year-quot

Dogwood
09-08-2015, 20:53
Shh, stop it Malto. You're scaring them...into reality. Besides, you're ruining my purchase opps. Some of those AT thru-hiker wannabees will think it's all about the bike(the kit in backpacking lingo). I may be in the market for some barely used fire sale I HATE BACKPACKING CF backpacks and shelters.

Malto
09-08-2015, 21:24
Shh, stop it Malto. You're scaring them...into reality. Besides, you're ruining my purchase opps. Some of those AT thru-hiker wannabees will think it's all about the bike(the kit in backpacking lingo). I may be in the market for some barely used fire sale I HATE BACKPACKING CF backpacks and shelters.

I met a guy at about mile 140 on the PCT that was quitting the next day at Paradise Cafe. He was a BPL member (as was I) and had a kick butt UL setup with cuben this and carbon fiber that. But he should have spent a bit more time learning whether he really liked walking day after day. That likely ended up being a I HATE BACKPACKING fire sale.

Dogwood
09-08-2015, 21:33
The heat of the Mojave and size of the sauteed mushroom, onion, Beefstake tomato, and Tillamook Cheddar Cheese burgers at Paradise Cafe have that affect on some people. ;)

egilbe
09-08-2015, 21:39
I met a guy at about mile 140 on the PCT that was quitting the next day at Paradise Cafe. He was a BPL member (as was I) and had a kick butt UL setup with cuben this and carbon fiber that. But he should have spent a bit more time learning whether he really liked walking day after day. That likely ended up being a I HATE BACKPACKING fire sale.

I must love backpacking since I dream of doing it, while at the same time, backpacking is some of the hardest stuff I've ever done. I had an early spring,three day trip, where above 3000 feet, I was post holing in 6 feet of snow and battling blowdowns every few hundred feet. I was exhausted and my feet were constantly wet. I still look back with fondness because it was the first extended backpacking trip my GF and I did together. We saw a moose at the top of Old Speck mountain. We stealth camped near the summit, just below the snow line. We took our time and concentrated on not breaking any bones. I envied a kid I met this weekend on the AT who lost his job and decided to go hiking. I would do the same thing if I lost my job now. I'd be simply gone.

pauly_j
09-09-2015, 04:20
if I were king then I would require at least a hundred mile hike prior to allowing my subjects to begin a thru hike. But since I'm not a King, I just will watch and shake my head as the majority of thru hike attempters discover that reality is much difference than the romantic notion of a thru hike. There is a huge difference between a weekend and a multi month hike as you will learn. And physical fitness is not nearly as important as mental fitness which is gained through experiencing conditions as hard or harder than what you see on your thru hike.

Yes, and what I'm saying is that a vast majority of people don't have the capability to do a multi-month hike. People have jobs, mortgages, bills, family, etc. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to do something. I do most of my walking in the hills and currently live in a very flat part of the country. I only go on one or two proper hiking trips a year but that won't stand in my way.

MuddyWaters
09-09-2015, 05:57
We live in a society today that is used to instant gratification. You can have anything you want, right now. Yes, they buy $1000 golf clubs and dont know how to play. Yes, they buy $100,000 boats and dont know anything about boating or fishing. Yes, they buy $750,000 houses that they cant afford, on pure speculation that the price can only go up. And yes, some decide to hike 2000 miles just because they are enamored with some overly romanticed concept, or totally bored with their cookie cutter existence.

So a lot of people make foolish impulsive choices based on marketing, imagery, and dreaming. So what?

Its not that hard, it can be learned on the fly, people get in shape quickly. Even out of shape fat people can enjoy themselves too. Many nobos each spring have never hiked before, some of them make it, while others with experience....quit. A weekend hike, or a week, doesnt uncover much of the mental challenges that longer hikes create.

Malto
09-09-2015, 07:11
Yes, and what I'm saying is that a vast majority of people don't have the capability to do a multi-month hike. People have jobs, mortgages, bills, family, etc. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to do something. I do most of my walking in the hills and currently live in a very flat part of the country. I only go on one or two proper hiking trips a year but that won't stand in my way.

does a hundred mile hike take multi-months? There is a huge gray area between a weekend and a long trail (multi month) thru hike. Glad it won't stand in your way, hope it works out for you.

garlic08
09-09-2015, 08:57
I always recommend (to people who ask) a 100-mile shakedown hike, hopefully in similar conditions to the longer trip. That's long enough to learn whether the gear you chose is right for you, and whether you actually enjoy the whole business. I learned good lessons before my PCT thru during a 100-mile desert shakedown hike in southern NM, fairly close to home; a single large water carrier is a bad idea, desert chaparral will rip the bit valve right off a hydration hose, dust and sand affect the feet differently than dirt and mud, and illegal immigrants are trying to get to work. And I really enjoyed it.

rafe
09-09-2015, 09:20
In my opinion -- there's no way to know if you'll like long distance hiking until you've done it. What exactly is "long distance" -- well, that's hard to say. I had done quite a few hikes of 1, 2, or 3 nights in the woods, in the White Mountains and the Adirondacks, before attempting a thru. That's not quite enough.

The gear issues sort themselves out, usually within a few days or weeks. Setting aside money issues, injury, family emergencies, etc., it's the drudgery, repetition and tedium of a thru-hike that cause most folks to leave the trail. And leave they do, even after months of trying.

Traveler
09-09-2015, 09:31
In my opinion -- there's no way to know if you'll like long distance hiking until you've done it. What exactly is "long distance" -- well, that's hard to say. I had done quite a few hikes of 1, 2, or 3 nights in the woods, in the White Mountains and the Adirondacks, before attempting a thru. That's not quite enough.

The gear issues sort themselves out, usually within a few days or weeks. Setting aside money issues, injury, family emergencies, etc., it's the drudgery, repetition and tedium of a thru-hike that cause most folks to leave the trail. And leave they do, even after months of trying.

+1 well said.

Life is full of things we do or take on with minimum preparation. Building a garage without having much building experience to speak of, buying a car for the next 8 years based on a 20 minute test drive, having children without living with an infant on weekends and weeks off for a year, or starting a business without a lot of business ownership experience. Hard to get experience in these things until you do them. Same is true for long distance hiking.

Some take on long distance hikes due to the romance of them, some take it on as a challenge after camping out a few times, others its all they do. That some take it on without a lot of experience and fail is not necessarily cause for derision, failing and trying again are hallmarks of strong character. Those that fail and never return to the woods are not failures, they tried something they believed was worthwhile and it proved to be not for them. Likely they left the trail and went on to tackle something they became successful doing.

Sethern
09-09-2015, 11:52
We live in a society today that is used to instant gratification. You can have anything you want, right now. Yes, they buy $1000 golf clubs and dont know how to play. Yes, they buy $100,000 boats and dont know anything about boating or fishing. Yes, they buy $750,000 houses that they cant afford, on pure speculation that the price can only go up. And yes, some decide to hike 2000 miles just because they are enamored with some overly romanticed concept, or totally bored with their cookie cutter existence.

So a lot of people make foolish impulsive choices based on marketing, imagery, and dreaming. So what?

Its not that hard, it can be learned on the fly, people get in shape quickly. Even out of shape fat people can enjoy themselves too. Many nobos each spring have never hiked before, some of them make it, while others with experience....quit. A weekend hike, or a week, doesnt uncover much of the mental challenges that longer hikes create.

100% this. Although I would call it less foolish and more dreamer. Too many armchair hikers telling new people with a dream they can't do it IMO. Let people try. The great thing about Hiking is that it really is not that hard. even a 6 month thru is not the hardest thing you will do in your life. If someone has a dream to Hike the AT. Whether its a life long dream or some flight of fancy brought up from a movie, book, or some overly romantic idea of what a thru hike is. Who cares? Let them go after it. Sure some will fail and some will even fail hard. Some will never go hiking again. Some will fail but fall in love with hiking and mite even come back and make it all the way. And one of them first time dreamers might just become the next Triple Crowner!

And hiking gear is not really the most expensive impulse buy one can make. My $4000 Walkera Scout X4 that has only been in the air once says hi. And just about everyone dose it. I am willing to bet most if not all of you have a few items just sitting around that seemed like a good idea at the time. At the least that hiking gear could be great for bugging out when the Aliens fly out of the Yellowstone volcano causing the earth to flip its magnetic pools and melting the ice.... Or whatever it is that is going to kill us all this year.

Dogwood
09-09-2015, 15:00
Yes, and what I'm saying is that a vast majority of people don't have the capability to do a multi-month hike. People have jobs, mortgages, bills, family, etc. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to do something. I do most of my walking in the hills and currently live in a very flat part of the country. I only go on one or two proper hiking trips a year but that won't stand in my way.

There is this thought by some that those who thru-hike/LD hike are in some "Special" category that allows them to partake in thru-hiking. Here it is. There is NOTHING special about being in the position to thru-hike/LD hike. There are no mysterious set of predicaments where the planets align and the moon turns to blood that must occur to thru-hike/LD hike. People find individually appropriate solutions to thru-hike/LD hike when they earnestly seek them! People find a way just as they have also found a way to make it through puberty, lose their virginity, become a better lover, graduate middle school, high school, and college, save up for their first car or house, become a spouse or father or mother, hold down a job, win their first fight, make it through 4 yrs in the military, grow tomatoes, drive a car, obtain a home/biz loan, ride a bike, cook the perfect al dente spaghetti, change a diaper, and punch keys on a keyboard.

Traveler
09-09-2015, 15:56
5 or so months is a while to take off from a job or leave a spouse and child to fend for themselves (presuming the spouse is not working). The combination of those elements alone would be difficult to counter, aging out of puberty as a comparative notwithstanding. As you cited, finding a way to hold down a job requires being at the job. I don't compare the effort to nab a 5 month vacation to cooking spaghetti well, changing a diaper, or growing tomatoes myself, but its an interesting comparison. You must be a really freaking good spaghetti cooker!

There are indeed special circumstances that people can create for themselves or take advantage of that solve these problems, but they are few in number on any given year. Which explains the high percentage of single youngsters trying their thru luck annually. Thats the demographic that has less responsibility in life than someone of 40 likely has.

I am not saying it cannot be done with some gumption, but several times over my working life I tried to get the time off from a career to do an LD walk without success. Had I gotten that, getting away from the house, wife, kids, payments, etc would have been more difficult but manageable to a larger extent. I submit someone would need a certain amount of good timing combined with a degree of luck to make it all happen on their schedule without losing something in the process. That loss, depending on what it is, probably keeps many people from making the choice. A 5 month walk costs something, the price tag varies for everyone.

Another Kevin
09-09-2015, 16:17
Yes, and what I'm saying is that a vast majority of people don't have the capability to do a multi-month hike. People have jobs, mortgages, bills, family, etc. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to do something. I do most of my walking in the hills and currently live in a very flat part of the country. I only go on one or two proper hiking trips a year but that won't stand in my way.


There is this thought by some that those who thru-hike/LD hike are in some "Special" category that allows them to partake in thru-hiking. Here it is. There is NOTHING special about being in the position to thru-hike/LD hike. There are no mysterious set of predicaments where the planets align and the moon turns to blood that must occur to thru-hike/LD hike. People find individually appropriate solutions to thru-hike/LD hike when they earnestly seek them! People find a way just as they have also found a way to make it through puberty, lose their virginity, become a better lover, graduate middle school, high school, and college, save up for their first car or house, become a spouse or father or mother, hold down a job, win their first fight, make it through 4 yrs in the military, grow tomatoes, drive a car, obtain a home/biz loan, ride a bike, cook the perfect al dente spaghetti, change a diaper, and punch keys on a keyboard.

Two sides of the same coin, really.

By my lights, anyone I meet Out There carrying the necessary stuff in a backpack is a hiker.

There's nothing special in deciding to attempt a multi-month hike that warrants special treatment. What's hard is sticking with it - but it's no harder than sticking with anything else important. I'd argue that sticking with my marriage for 25 years was a lot harder than doing a thru-hike - and I'm happily married. And then the other thing that's hard - so hard as to be impossible for many - is letting go of all the other priorities of life. I don't happen to see anything in thru-hiking that would make it worthwhile to let go of my other priorities, thank you very much. But that's an individual decision.

By the same token, there's no failure in deciding that thru-hiking does not appeal, or that one's priorities lie elsewhere. Nobody should have to present their credentials to enter the trail.

Dogwood
09-09-2015, 18:17
Things worth achieving require extended effort and choices to be made. Of course, if a concerted belief exists that the achievement is not absolutely worth it from the onset the effort to find solutions to gain the acheivement will not be invested. Finding possible solutions and innovation where they were not found in the past often require rethinking or redefining the challenges approaching brainstorming solutions from perspectives not previously explored.

I was eating spaghetti when I wrote that post. :) It was pretty darn good. It was also an unusual outside of the box scenario. Here's a good example about what I'm talking. How do you envision that eating of spaghetti? I'd bet you didn't envision it as eating spaghetti made from 100% quinoa topped with maitake mushrooms, avocado, and olive and truffle oil using only chopsticks. What does that tell you? What can you learn about that? Hopefully it relates that someone had to rethink or redefine how spaghetti was made and eaten.

Really, these principles extend to scenarios infinitely beyond the ability to thru-hike/LD hike.

If these principles were never enlisted by Earl Schaeffer, Eric Ryback, Grandma Gatewood, Andrew Skurka, Justin Lichter, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and a multitude of other innovators they would never have achieved what they did.

Dogwood
09-09-2015, 18:38
"There's nothing special in deciding to attempt a multi-month hike that warrants special treatment....it's no harder than sticking with anything else important. I'd argue that sticking with my marriage for 25 years was a lot harder than doing a thru-hike - and I'm happily married."

There you got it. Takes pretty big long term commitments and efforts coming to the DECISION to find individually appropriate solutions to finish 4 yrs of college, 13 yrs of elementary school, paying off a 30-40 yr mortgage, raising children, especially the first one when you have zero experience, up to the age of 18 yrs old, finding the money to buy your first car as a teenager raising money by mowing lawns or working at McDonalds, raise yourself out of the crime and poverty stricken ghetto, turn your life around after a foolish adolescent act lands a minority in prison, etc. WE FIND WAYS THOUGH! DON'T WE?

"And then the other thing that's hard - so hard as to be impossible for many - is letting go of all the other priorities of life."

See, now if you can redefine that you may find an individually appropriate solution that DOES NOT entail walking away from your spouse, a career, and life's other priorities. I've seen it done first hand repeatedly. BUT, when you're NOT willing to believe there is that individually appropriate solution waiting for you you'll never earnestly invest in seeking it.

"I don't happen to see anything in thru-hiking that would make it worthwhile to let go of my other priorities, thank you very much. But that's an individual decision."

Words written on the wall.

"By the same token, there's no failure in deciding that thru-hiking does not appeal, or that one's priorities lie elsewhere. Nobody should have to present their credentials to enter the trail."

Absolutely. But again it sure is shweet when we make that decision based on independently knowing that if we earnestly sought individually appropriate solutions we could if we wanted!

Mags
09-09-2015, 18:42
Go out. Backpack for 5-7 days. Most people should have the vacation time to do this activity. See if you like backpacking for a few days. If you don't, perhaps a 5+ month hike is not for you. Try something different.

Not sure why this sensible advice causing so much consternation.

Better yet, is there a logical reason to NOT do such a simple thing before investing time, money and possibly putting your career on hold and/or family obligations for 5+ months?

rafe
09-09-2015, 18:44
Practice and research are useful preparation for a thru-hike, but by no means a guarantee of success.

I've witnessed hikers who appeared to be woefully unprepared and walked the distance. I have witnessed hikers who were fit and well-prepared who did not.

Our big dog here on Whiteblaze likes to make the point that he quit his thru hike in Gorham. Not just once but twice.

rickb
09-09-2015, 18:57
Go out. Backpack for 5-7 days. Most people should have the vacation time to do this activity. See if you like backpacking for a few days. If you don't, perhaps a 5+ month hike is not for you. Try something different.

Not sure why this sensible advice causing so much consternation.

Better yet, is there a logical reason to NOT do such a simple thing before investing time, money and possibly putting your career on hold and/or family obligations for 5+ months?

I wonder what percentage of thru hikers like backpacking. Seems like a great many don't incorporate it into their lives after they reach Katahdin.

rafe
09-09-2015, 19:08
I wonder what percentage of thru hikers like backpacking. Seems like a great many don't incorporate it into their lives after they reach Katahdin.

I've wondered about that myself. In any case, I feel bad for thru hikers who've walked through beautiful sections in bad weather, and wonder whether they ever had the urge to revisit those sections.

And I know a few dedicated peakbaggers who have zero interest in camping or long-distance hiking.

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 19:21
I've wondered about that myself. In any case, I feel bad for thru hikers who've walked through beautiful sections in bad weather, and wonder whether they ever had the urge to revisit those sections.

And I know a few dedicated peakbaggers who have zero interest in camping or long-distance hiking.

I yearn to go back the peaks where the weather did not cooperate while I was there. Fortunately that list is not long. Carrigain is one such peak. After I get the 67 of New England, I will revisit many peaks. Carrigain will likely be the first.

Beyond the desire to go back, I do not understand the hiker that will hike 100's, if not 1000's, of miles, but won't take a 0.5 mile Blue Blaze to a breath taking view. Many hike for a notch in their belt and miss the treasures near the trail they are walking on.

HYOH and all that.... I guess.

Lone Wolf
09-09-2015, 19:25
i am the king of blue-blazes

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 19:31
i am the king of blue-blazes

I don't doubt that.

rickb
09-09-2015, 19:37
Beyond the desire to go back, I do not understand the hiker that will hike 100's, if not 1000's, of miles, but won't take a 0.5 mile Blue Blaze to a breath taking view. Many hike for a notch in their belt and miss the treasures near the trail they are walking on.

Not sure why all the fascination with extra blue-blaze views and waterfalls. Are they something you reflect back on years later and memories that bring you joy?

Now the pair of Black Backed Woodpeckers I spent time with over the weekend, they will be with me forever.

Edward O Wilson could see more in a square foot of dirt than most hikers could see along every blue blaze that was ever built. No reason to take even one unless you feel the urge.

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 19:47
Not sure why all the fascination with extra blue-blaze views and waterfalls. Are they something you reflect back on years later and memories that bring you joy?

Now the pair of Black Backed Woodpeckers I spent time with over the weekend, they will be with me forever.

Edward O Wilson could see more in a square foot of dirt than most hikers could see along every blue blaze that was ever built. No reason to take even one unless you feel the urge.


It truly is a choice. I am not saying mine is superior. I am just saying that I don't grasp the many thru's I have seen with their heads down making miles. Some hike at night. It is a mystery to me. Obviously many grasp it. Many do it. When I am on the trail, I am constantly being distracted by the beauty of the trail. Why the fascination with the detours? My goodness there is so much beauty in those detours. I am the kid that runs to the next attraction at the fair. I hike fast because I want to see what is next. When I see what it is next, it becomes a part of me. Yes, I treasure those memories.

Lone Wolf
09-09-2015, 19:49
the only blue blaze i regret not doing is gulf hagas. i'll do it one day

Malto
09-09-2015, 19:50
I yearn to go back the peaks where the weather did not cooperate while I was there. Fortunately that list is not long. Carrigain is one such peak. After I get the 67 of New England, I will revisit many peaks. Carrigain will likely be the first.

Beyond the desire to go back, I do not understand the hiker that will hike 100's, if not 1000's, of miles, but won't take a 0.5 mile Blue Blaze to a breath taking view. Many hike for a notch in their belt and miss the treasures near the trail they are walking on.

HYOH and all that.... I guess.

I can answer this. Because the "breathtaking" view is virtually identical to the breathtaking view that you saw twice earlier that day and will see three times later in the day, once at sunset. People have different motivations, what may be a perfect day relaxing at an overlook may be shear torture for some who like to be on the move.

Malto
09-09-2015, 19:53
It truly is a choice. I am not saying mine is superior. I am just saying that I don't grasp the many thru's I have seen with their heads down making miles. Some hike at night. It is a mystery to me. Obviously many grasp it. Many do it. When I am on the trail, I am constantly being distracted by the beauty of the trail. Why the fascination with the detours? My goodness there is so much beauty in those detours. I am the kid that runs to the next attraction at the fair. I hike fast because I want to see what is next. When I see what it is next, it becomes a part of me. Yes, I treasure those memories.

I don't understand why people don't hike more at night. More wildlife to see, cooler temperatures, incredible light show as the moon plays in the trees. My goodness there is so much beauty in that darkness.

Dogwood
09-09-2015, 19:55
Oooh, you missed one of the best on the entire AT Wolfie.

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 19:59
the only blue blaze i regret not doing is gulf hagas. i'll do it one day

I did it. It was nice. I am glad I did it. However, there is a 200 yard blue blue not too far from there that is much better in my opinion. Almost every thru misses it. The view of Katahdin from the Rainbow Lake Dam is incredible. I sat on that beach for a half hour trying to convince myself to keep moving. There are so many short detours that so many miss. The view of Jo Mary Mountain, from Cooper Pond is another such view. Each one of these views has me asking myself how I would ever live if I did not have the chance to see such things. I could care less if I ever get any notch in my belt at the cost of seeing this stuff. Again, that is just me.

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 20:06
I don't understand why people don't hike more at night. More wildlife to see, cooler temperatures, incredible light show as the moon plays in the trees. My goodness there is so much beauty in that darkness.

I get that. I spent weeks getting a picture I was pleased with of Hale-Bopp. I watch aurora forecasts and drive to dark areas during peak northern lights. I set up 3 mattresses on my back lawn for my children to see likey the best Leonid meteor shower of their lifetime (1998). Like I said, it is all choices. From your description, it appears I am missing out.

rafe
09-09-2015, 20:08
I can answer this. Because the "breathtaking" view is virtually identical to the breathtaking view that you saw twice earlier that day and will see three times later in the day, once at sunset. People have different motivations, what may be a perfect day relaxing at an overlook may be shear torture for some who like to be on the move.

But the view from Katahdin's summit is not like the view from Franconia ridge. I wouldn't want to miss either one.

Just today on facebook I saw some lucky thru hiker's "victory" photo from the sign on Katahdin. Behind him was a gray void. I wonder if he'll ever return to check out what he missed?

Mags
09-09-2015, 20:32
I wonder what percentage of thru hikers like backpacking. Seems like a great many don't incorporate it into their lives after they reach Katahdin.

i suspect they like it enough otherwise they would be the 75% who drop out.

however, point well taken. I think many enjoy the life style of ld hiking more so than the hiking itself.


Practice and research are useful preparation for a thru-hike, but by no means a guarantee of success.

I've witnessed hikers who appeared to be woefully unprepared and walked the distance. I have witnessed hikers who were fit and well-prepared .


That gives me the warm fuzzies and really touches my heart.

However, the question still was not answered: is there a logical reason to not go out and hike and see if someone actually likes hiking for a few days before, you know, going out hiking for five months ? I mean 5-7 days seems like such a small investment when literally hundreds of people quit along the way.

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 20:54
That gives me the warm fuzzies and really touches my heart.

However, the question still was not answered: is there a logical reason to not go out and hike and see if someone actually likes hiking for a few days before, you know, going out hiking for five months ? I mean 5-7 days seems like such a small investment when literally hundreds of people quit along the way.

Come on Mags. You know that is a rhetorical question. However, if you insist on having a straight man, I will be it. There is no reason not to do as you suggest. It is a prudent course of action.

Mags
09-09-2015, 20:56
Come on Mags. You know that is a rhetorical question. However, if you insist on having a straight man, I will be it. There is no reason not to do as you suggest. It is a prudent course of action.

Based on the responses on this thread, I am under the impression most people in this "community " seem to think this otherwise. :)

rickb
09-09-2015, 21:12
Based on the responses on this thread, I am under the impression most people in this "community " seem to think this otherwise. :)


Of course Mags is right.

Even so,a small part of me cannot help but think that it is easy to backpack when you are enjoying it, but the real trick to a successful thru hike is to keep going on those days when you are not. Therefore if you take that 5 day shakedown hike and discover backpacking sucks but still head for Springer, you will do just fine.

Harmless
09-09-2015, 21:28
I voluntarily do many things I don't actually enjoy. I do them because they are hard. Going, when I feel like stopping is satisfying. It isn't masochism. For me, it is mastery of myself.

Some people really, really like landscape scenes. They should take advantage of every enjoyable opportunity to view a landscape.

Some people really, really like covering epic distance. It may not feel good at the time, but it feels good to have done.

It is a challenge to remember how different we are from one another.

I wouldn't dream of asking my family to bless a 6-month hike without demonstrating that I can succeed at multiple shorter hikes. OTOH, if I didn't have a family, I might just start walking one day when the whim struck me.

Hike your own hike.

rafe
09-09-2015, 21:38
Of course Mags is right.

Even so,a small part of me cannot help but think that it is easy to backpack when you are enjoying it, but the real trick to a successful thru hike is to keep going on those days when you are not. Therefore if you take that 5 day shakedown hike and discover backpacking sucks but still head for Springer, you will do just fine.

Conversely, you might hit a stretch of lovely weather and gorgeous scenery, have a great time, and still find yourself miserable the first time you hit a three-day stretch of rain or a succession of view-less peaks.

I am not arguing against practice hikes and gaining as much experience as you can before attempting a thru-hike. I'm just saying that it's no guarantee.

"The fallacy of education is in thinking that what needs to be learned can necessarily be taught." I read that on a chalkboard many years ago.

Lone Wolf
09-09-2015, 21:42
i was never physically challenged on the AT. the five, 50 mile trail ultras i ran taxed my azz

BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 21:47
Based on the responses on this thread, I am under the impression most people in this "community " seem to think this otherwise. :)

Most people don't run calculations to maximize food densities, or build 100 stoves trying to save a gram of fuel efficiency, or study maps and blogs to determine reliability of water and then run calculations of how much water to carry between water sources. What can I say? Most people are odd. :D

Heliotrope
09-09-2015, 21:48
Very entertaining thread. Veering far from the original point but perhaps for good reasons. Have not thru hiked but have been backpacking and day hiking for over 30 years. It is my number one favorite thing to do on a day or week off. I have refined my kit and techniques over the decades. I have learned much from each trip and the experience keeps improving.. There is pleasure in testing new ideas, in enjoying nature and in pushing our bodies and minds through challenging feats. Modern life in the box is hard to pull away from especially during childrearing, mortgage paying years. 5-6 months may be too much time away. The romantic notion Mags refers to may be why people are fixated on the AT. When there are shorter thru hikes to be had: the AZT, PNT. Wonderland trail, Long Trail. So in addition to a 100 mile shake down how about a short thru hike first? Like taking on a half marathon before the marathon before the triathlon...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dogwood
09-09-2015, 23:18
.....The romantic notion Mags refers to may be why people are fixated on the AT. When there are shorter thru hikes to be had: the AZT, PNT. Wonderland trail, Long Trail. So in addition to a 100 mile shake down how about a short thru hike first? Like taking on a half marathon before the marathon before the triathlon...

Agree with you although if even a shorter distance thru-hike is a prep to the longer AT thru kinda boils down to the same principle as posed by Mags.

There's a lot more notoriety that comes with mentioning the world famous AT compared to all those other trails that plays into opting for instead a AT thru hike attempt. What attracts some to the AT as well are the mounds of analysis, documentation, guidebooks, memoirs, sites like this, and overall interest that exist. The AT represents a great amount of hiking convenience and familiarity which makes it popular to hike too. I'm sure some ATers have said to themselves if so and so can do the AT under so and so circumstances I have hope that I can do it too.

Mags
09-10-2015, 00:07
Therefore if you take that 5 day shakedown hike and discover backpacking sucks but still head for Springer, you will do just fine.

That makes absolutely no sense at all.

I tried swing dancing once at the behest of my girlfriend at the time. I did not do it again because I did not like it.

Using your logic, perhaps I should have gone to a swing dancing camp (really, there is such a thing). , spend hundreds of dollars and precious vacation time and know I would do just fine?

Cripe.




I am not arguing against practice hikes and gaining as much experience as you can before attempting a thru-hike. I'm just saying that it's no guarantee.

"

I am just simply saying a person should see if they actually like hiking first to see if they want to commit to more hiking as square one.

Not talking about success or failure. Just something much more simple.



I read that on a chalkboard many years ago.

I went to Catholic school. I read lots of crap on a chalk board....

Here's something far more direct: You are more likely to learn by actually doing something first.

I did not read that on a chalk board. Just made it up.

Dogwood
09-10-2015, 00:25
I find the personal accounts and connections made between topics to be amusing. Exploring swing dancing and being ready to LD hike, eating spaghetti and being able to LD hike, etc. :p

Mags
09-10-2015, 00:27
She was cute. I was in my early 30s.

You do things when you are in your early 30s with a cute woman to well,...'nuff said.

Dogwood
09-10-2015, 00:40
Why do the sensible thing Mags when it would take away from being distracted with ceaseless gear talk, shopping, posting here, opining on a subject one has little to no personal experience, romanticizing about a life or potentially life altering event one could experience, or doing something not deemed worthy or epic enough. The idea of the day is forget about the prep and work and research and knowing yourself when you can bypass all that and be the first string multi millionaire quarterback at the next epic Super Bowl throwing TDs to Santana Moss without ever having taken a snap in high school or college or having thrown a pass to Moss.

rickb
09-10-2015, 05:08
That makes absolutely no sense at all.

I tried swing dancing once at the behest of my girlfriend at the time. I did not do it again because I did not like it.

Using your logic, perhaps I should have gone to a swing dancing camp (really, there is such a thing). , spend hundreds of dollars and precious vacation time and know I would do just fine?

Cripe.

I should probably have emphasized the part of that post that said "Of course Mags is right" and "a small part of me cannot help but think" which directly proceeded the comment of mine you quoted.

My post might still not have made any sence, but at least it would obvious that I agree with you.

The idea I was getting at -- however poorly I presented it-- was that just discovering you enjoy backpacking may not be enough. Part of having a most excellent hike for some of us had to do with pushing through the rain and hunger and boredom and loneliness and parts that were not enjoyable.

Having a a really great week-long hike might not reflect that part of thru hike.

Being out for a week and having fitful night of sleep on a hard pad listening to every twig snap at 3 am, nursing a bolster on your little toe, and really not knowing what the hell to do with yourself between the time you stopped for the day and it finally got dark AND STILL wanting to do a thru hike more than anything is a good sign, I think.

No doubt I was thinking too hard, and went down my own rabbit hole on that post. Not the first time,

In the end I could not agree more that it is important to get out on shakedown hikes prior to a thru.

Traveler
09-10-2015, 05:33
For what its worth, I agree with the long weekend to 5-day backpacking shakedown hike to assess if you care for the activity. Though it won't provide much of a barometer if a long distance hike is for you, it will help you decide if this or swing dancing is in your wheelhouse.

rafe
09-10-2015, 06:19
I'm not quite sure what we're arguing about any more but I'm drawn to this trainwreck of a thread in any case. We're compelled to argue from our own unique perspective. I'm more interested in the hiker who quits 1/3 or 1/2 way up the trail, and what sort of preparation might have prevented that.

If a hiker spends big $$$, quits his/her job, travels to Springer and quits a few days later, that is a special kind of stupid that neither saddens nor concerns me. To do such a thing requires money and privilege beyond my reckoning. I shed no tears for such folk. More money than brains, I say.

So, what are the odds for your typical, happy weekend warrior? How many consecutive days must one carry a pack before one has walked "a long distance?" Mags cites a figure of 5-7 days. By that standard, I was ill-prepared. Multiple short treks does not equal one long one. I knew that, but took the chance anyway.

Long-distance hiking was something I had to learn to like, and that learning took years and years. Maybe it was just a matter of growing up. To this day I'm amazed at those who claim to have never had a negative experience on a hike. I can't imagine that but am haunted by it. Something tells me there's a truth in there that I could stand to learn.

Traveler
09-10-2015, 06:53
Long-distance hiking was something I had to learn to like, and that learning took years and years. Maybe it was just a matter of growing up. To this day I'm amazed at those who claim to have never had a negative experience on a hike. I can't imagine that but am haunted by it. Something tells me there's a truth in there that I could stand to learn.

Could this fall into the category of there are no bad hiking experiences, its just that some are better than others? I have had a more than a few miserable hours and days in the woods, but those experiences helped me learn something new about my equipment, gear I should get, or about myself. I wouldn't necessarily categorize these as negative experiences, but I have a mess of much better ones.

Malto
09-10-2015, 07:07
For what its worth, I agree with the long weekend to 5-day backpacking shakedown hike to assess if you care for the activity. Though it won't provide much of a barometer if a long distance hike is for you, it will help you decide if this or swing dancing is in your wheelhouse.

I don't think thin anyone would disagree with your first statement. Most of the comments in the thread directly address the bolder part of your second sentence.

pauly_j
09-10-2015, 08:57
I guess I'm looking at it in a different way from a lot of people. I'm not really viewing it as a challenge to complete like I would a race (incidentally, I ran a marathon sub 3 hours having never ran further than 10k previously - it's not always about relentless training). I'm looking at it more as a situation I'm going to put myself in for 6 months.

I know that physically, the miles are not going to put me off; I consider myself in a very good state of general fitness. I know that the weather is not going to put me off; I live in England and have cycled and walked everywhere throughout my life (I know what 'wet' is!). I know that missing things and people will not put me off; The main reason I'm going is to break out of my routine, see new things, meet new people. I know that I like hiking and hill walking; I've done it all my life.

I've never hiked a long trail or spent more than a handful of days in a row in the wilderness but I know I'm well prepared.

rafe
09-10-2015, 09:03
I've never hiked a long trail or spent more than a handful of days in a row in the wilderness but I know I'm well prepared.

Now that's chutzpah. Best of luck to you. Let us know how it goes.

garlic08
09-10-2015, 09:21
When I started my AT hike, I was shocked at how many obviously unprepared people were attempting a thru-hike--obese, over-packed, clueless to the basics of camping, etc. So many were miserable. I couldn't understand why one would make such an investment in money, time, career and family standing with so little preparation. Everyone should be doing it my way!

But I learned that the diversity in hikers was part of what made the AT special. Though I still think getting ready is a real good idea, and recommend it to those who ask, it's not a necessary criterion for enjoying the AT in whatever way you want to enjoy it. For many, it can be a "fine and pleasant misery."

rickb
09-10-2015, 10:03
I've never hiked a long trail or spent more than a handful of days in a row in the wilderness but I know I'm well prepared.

If your preparedness includes a solid understanding of Lyme disease-- awareness, prevention, diagnosis, treatment (both prophylactic and after a confirmed diagnosis) I would be hard pressed to take issue with that.

If you somehow missed that one, maybe not.

BirdBrain
09-10-2015, 10:04
No matter what you do, someone will think it is wrong. There are those that say just do it and learn as you go. There are those that say that you should, to the best of your ability, be prepared for every foreseeable possibility. And there are a million opinions in between. If pressed, many will call your view stupid or arrogant if it differs from their view. It is truly an amazing process to behold. I have seen people I have great respect for argue polar opposite views. I have seen them say such blunt and insulting things about what the other guy is doing. HYOH has its place. Find out who you are and apply it to this adventure. You are not going to change who you are.

I am the type of person who tests most everything. When I have not used my table saw in a while, I run a test cut before I start cutting the real thing. If I am going to do any touch up painting in the house, I paint a sample to see how it will match before I paint the real thing. I check the door on the way out of the house to see if it is locked. I apply this mentality to my walks. It follows a pattern of who I am.

In the spring, I check out all my gear. During the winter, I have pondered things that could be improved. Sometimes those "improvements" are gear. Sometimes they are methods. I check things as best I can at home. I test things on a shakedown. I test myself on a shakedown. I injure myself in my day to day life. If you have an active life, you probably get a few bumps too. There is something on my body that is healing most of the time. The shakedown is the time to find out if I am ready or if my gear is ready or if my "improvements" are worthy. The trail is humbling. I would rather be humbled on a 3 day walk than a 30 day walk.

None of this is a superior plan. It is reflective of who I am. I think it is a better plan. I can and have argued that it is a better plan. I have had people that I have great respect for shoot holes in my methods. They do so because of who they are. They think it is because their methods are superior. Sometimes that might be the case. Many people find a way to succeed doing thing vastly different from the other guy. Many people think my endless testing and checking and planning is an unreasonable way to do things. I think their difficulties along the trail are a result of their lack of planning. They think such things are unavoidable and that you can plan so much that you don't go. It goes on and on.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense. I would advise people to live with themselves. You are who you are. Do the best you can, knowing who you are. For some, even that concept requires too much thinking. Had to put my dig in. :) That is the normal way we debate here.

pauly_j
09-10-2015, 10:22
Thank you, I will.

pauly_j
09-10-2015, 10:23
Now that's chutzpah. Best of luck to you. Let us know how it goes.
(In reference to the above)

Gambit McCrae
09-10-2015, 13:33
Just one persons opinion, but for the life of me I don't get why anyone who hasn't done multiple week long hikes, decides they want to hike the AT.

Why would any think it sounds like fun to do something for 6 months something they don't do every time they have week or weekend off.

Sent from my SM-T110 using Tapatalk

Spot on



What a ridiculous thing to say. I don't swim with dolphins every weekend but that's not to say I wouldn't want to on a holiday.
How this post should have been typed:
This is going to be a ridiculous thing to say; I don't swim with dolphins every weekend but that's not to say I wouldn't want to on a holiday


Yeah, but would you swim with the dolphins continuously for six months without ever getting out of the water? I mean, yeah, the dolphin swim sounds great for like an hour or two, but after that not so much. :)

That's the difference between "hey let's go for an overnight hike" and "hey let's go walk up and down steep mountains for six months, leaving our jobs and our families behind, carrying heavy packs in rain and snow and summer heat." Totally different.

Spot on

JustaTouron
09-10-2015, 14:51
My comment is not intended to discourage anyone from following their dream.

It just seems odd to me that ones dream would be hike the AT, if they aren't the type of person who goes hiking every time they have a free weekend.

I would say the same thing about someone who wanted to ride their bike across the country, when they never take a weekend bike trip.

Or someone who doesn't run, wanting to train for a marathon.

And those things happen too, just doesn't make sense to me.

Traveler
09-10-2015, 15:02
My comment is not intended to discourage anyone from following their dream.

It just seems odd to me that ones dream would be hike the AT, if they aren't the type of person who goes hiking every time they have a free weekend.

I would say the same thing about someone who wanted to ride their bike across the country, when they never take a weekend bike trip.

Or someone who doesn't run, wanting to train for a marathon.

And those things happen too, just doesn't make sense to me.

I don't believe one must spend every day they have off and all their vacation time backpacking to figure out if long distance hiking is for them or not. Seems to me a few weekends and/or a five day would be enough to make that decision. Maybe its just me, but I didn't need much backpacking experience to know that I liked it enough to do a lot of it.

capehiker
09-10-2015, 17:55
I love shakedown hikes. I agree with others who say a long section is good before attempting a Thru. You can watch gear videos on YouTube and its glaringly obvious who pieced their kit together from going to REI versus actually being in the woods.

HikerJ
09-10-2015, 20:16
What I worry about is the discipline to get through the initial doubt. I know if I can make it to Neels Gap in good spirits I can make it the rest of the way. The longest time I've spent hiking was 87 days, at that time I was too young to really have a choice to not hike. For me, anything that is a challenge, starts with a little discouragement, just gotta push through it.

Lone Wolf
09-10-2015, 20:44
what if neel gap didn't exist?

Dogwood
09-11-2015, 00:33
Just one persons opinion, but for the life of me I don't get why anyone who hasn't done multiple week long hikes, decides they want to hike the AT.

Why would any think it sounds like fun to do something for 6 months something they don't do every time they have week or weekend off.

Sent from my SM-T110 using Tapatalk


Some folks want to say they did something special something of epic proportions something of notoriety. They want to feel they are doing something different, moving, changing, contemplating change, meditating, regrouping, decompressing, etc. The woods or Nature have often attracted those seeking these things.



My comment is not intended to discourage anyone from following their dream.

It just seems odd to me that ones dream would be hike the AT, if they aren't the type of person who goes hiking every time they have a free weekend.

I would say the same thing about someone who wanted to ride their bike across the country, when they never take a weekend bike trip.

Or someone who doesn't run, wanting to train for a marathon.

And those things happen too, just doesn't make sense to me.


Folks don't always apprise themselves of the cost or effort needed to LD hike. It's becoming increasingly common. This carries over to many situations in which there seems to be a reward or something to gain. I think it relates to coveting something yet seeking to achieve without paying one's dues. It closely parallels the romanticizing Mags spoke about. Then, once on trail the reality sets in and..........then the shortcuts are sought .......and then the realization few exist to actually walk to Maine on the AT. THEN, the debating, rationalizing, justifying, excusing why it's OK to quit, yellow blaze, aqua blaze, etc or simply lie about what was done. Quite common!

Kenai
09-11-2015, 05:29
What Mags posted about taking a few 5-7 day shakeout trips is sound logical advice. That is the approach that I am taking in planning my thru hike. But in my younger days, I was much more impetuous in my planning. I had never been on an overnight bicycle trip before, but I still replied to the ad in the back of the NY Times, and did a 38 day, 1800 mile bike tour from New Hampshire, thru Maine, Nova Scotia, and PEI. A few years later, my buddy told me that there were jobs in Alaska, for the salmon season. We packed up our packs, sleeping bags, and a tent, and drove up to Alaska, with an old Rand McNally map, and our last paychecks. We had called ahead, and had tentative jobs at a processing plant, but on arrival, the plant was closed down. We found other jobs, and I stayed for quite a while. I put off college for a couple years, but it was well worth it. Sometimes you just got to say WTH, and go for it. At least that was my attitude then. I was ill prepared, looking back on it, but we survived, and thrived. Some will arrive at Katahdin, most will not. Some will have crappy gear and still complete the journey, others will have the lightest and best gear, and will tap out by Neels Gap. Everyone will have their own motivation for attempting the journey. For me, it is the adventure. I have been sitting around for too long without one. I wonder how many hikers actually look at this forum before they start their hike?

garlic08
09-11-2015, 08:26
...I wonder how many hikers actually look at this forum before they start their hike?

Pretty few, I'll bet. You actually can prepare for a hike without using the internet, and that might entail actually getting out and hiking.

I personally never even heard of WB until well after I'd finished my hike in 2008--Mags mentioned it on a hike later that year. (That says something--I've been skiing and hiking with a major contributor and moderator, and he never talks about it (or his dirt-bag gear).)

Nice story, by the way. We do sometimes change as we age. We get middle aged, get credit cards....

Mags
09-11-2015, 10:20
and he never talks about it (or his dirt-bag gear).)

.

i am usually more interested in the post-hike brews :)

BirdBrain
09-11-2015, 10:31
i am usually more interested in the post-hike brews :)

So that's what we are calling these endless debates now. :D

rafe
09-11-2015, 11:04
Pretty few, I'll bet. You actually can prepare for a hike without using the internet, and that might entail actually getting out and hiking.

I personally never even heard of WB until well after I'd finished my hike in 2008--Mags mentioned it on a hike later that year. (That says something--I've been skiing and hiking with a major contributor and moderator, and he never talks about it (or his dirt-bag gear).)

Nice story, by the way. We do sometimes change as we age. We get middle aged, get credit cards....

Ya think? (Big grin.)

Kenai
09-11-2015, 11:17
Pretty few, I'll bet. You actually can prepare for a hike without using the internet, and that might entail actually getting out and hiking.

I personally never even heard of WB until well after I'd finished my hike in 2008--Mags mentioned it on a hike later that year. (That says something--I've been skiing and hiking with a major contributor and moderator, and he never talks about it (or his dirt-bag gear).)

Nice story, by the way. We do sometimes change as we age. We get middle aged, get credit cards....


Thanks Garlic. I imagine you are eating well on those back-country trips. I bet Mags makes a mean freezer bag lasagna.

Mags
09-11-2015, 11:31
Ya think? (Big grin.)

Well, that does mean you actually have to out and hike. Something people seem hesitant to do pre-trip. ;) (And perusing REI on weekends does not count as a hike... :D)

HikerJ
11-10-2015, 21:32
I took this thread to heart, I did 6 days in Connecticut on the A.T. because of it , I liked it, didn't get nearly as many miles as I wanted, but I totally enjoyed it. And I'm sure it will be nicer with more people, I only saw a handful of SOBO. I still intend to hike next year. Glad I came across this thread, I needed a shakedown hike.

Lnj
11-11-2015, 18:37
It truly is a choice. I am not saying mine is superior. I am just saying that I don't grasp the many thru's I have seen with their heads down making miles. Some hike at night. It is a mystery to me. Obviously many grasp it. Many do it. When I am on the trail, I am constantly being distracted by the beauty of the trail. Why the fascination with the detours? My goodness there is so much beauty in those detours. I am the kid that runs to the next attraction at the fair. I hike fast because I want to see what is next. When I see what it is next, it becomes a part of me. Yes, I treasure those memories.

+1 -This is the very reason I like to hike at all, whether it be a few hours on a Saturday, all weekend long or whatever. Why would anyone chose to spend the most valuable commodity in life... TIME... in the woods and not even really look at the woods? Every time I go, no matter where it is, I am in absolute AWE of the beauty of it. It's artwork that cannot be replicated. It's a gift. It was all built for us, for our enjoyment and resource. My eyes feast upon it... and my husband just needs me to come on so we can get to the next point on the map. Just different strokes I guess.

Lnj
11-11-2015, 18:59
No matter what you do, someone will think it is wrong. There are those that say just do it and learn as you go. There are those that say that you should, to the best of your ability, be prepared for every foreseeable possibility. And there are a million opinions in between. If pressed, many will call your view stupid or arrogant if it differs from their view. It is truly an amazing process to behold. I have seen people I have great respect for argue polar opposite views. I have seen them say such blunt and insulting things about what the other guy is doing. HYOH has its place. Find out who you are and apply it to this adventure. You are not going to change who you are.

I am the type of person who tests most everything. When I have not used my table saw in a while, I run a test cut before I start cutting the real thing. If I am going to do any touch up painting in the house, I paint a sample to see how it will match before I paint the real thing. I check the door on the way out of the house to see if it is locked. I apply this mentality to my walks. It follows a pattern of who I am.

In the spring, I check out all my gear. During the winter, I have pondered things that could be improved. Sometimes those "improvements" are gear. Sometimes they are methods. I check things as best I can at home. I test things on a shakedown. I test myself on a shakedown. I injure myself in my day to day life. If you have an active life, you probably get a few bumps too. There is something on my body that is healing most of the time. The shakedown is the time to find out if I am ready or if my gear is ready or if my "improvements" are worthy. The trail is humbling. I would rather be humbled on a 3 day walk than a 30 day walk.

None of this is a superior plan. It is reflective of who I am. I think it is a better plan. I can and have argued that it is a better plan. I have had people that I have great respect for shoot holes in my methods. They do so because of who they are. They think it is because their methods are superior. Sometimes that might be the case. Many people find a way to succeed doing thing vastly different from the other guy. Many people think my endless testing and checking and planning is an unreasonable way to do things. I think their difficulties along the trail are a result of their lack of planning. They think such things are unavoidable and that you can plan so much that you don't go. It goes on and on.

I am not sure if any of this makes sense. I would advise people to live with themselves. You are who you are. Do the best you can, knowing who you are. For some, even that concept requires too much thinking. Had to put my dig in. :) That is the normal way we debate here.

+1 All That above!!! It's like asking advice on parenting. What a swarming mess of ideas and theories, each being right and each being wrong depending on the person speaking and the person listening. It's so much FUN!!!!!:p

Connie
11-11-2015, 19:25
I would say, yes.

1. to get in condition for the "conditions" I could reasonably expect because I ask.

2. if I have new equipment, I try it on an easy hike where I can see how well it works out without putting myself or the rest of my gear at risk.

For example, I can expect windy conditions.

Is the "windshirt" worthy? I have a jacket.

Is this tarp or tent easy enough to set up in windy conditions? If I practice more, will set up be easy enough?

3. if I am out-of-shape for any reason.

4. I also like to work with new food or new recipes on a shakedown hike, before a longer hike or a more remote location hike.

Nukids2
01-12-2016, 11:46
I use to run marathons and ultras and individuals wanting to give them a try would ask me what was the hardest part of the whole process and I would honestly say, getting to the starting line. You don't really fail if you get to the starting line and attempt the event. I would rather attempt and fail then have sat at home and kept saying, next year until I was 80. Yes, preparation almost always equals success so do everything possible so you can succeed and of course get to that starting line.

Tahoeturner
01-12-2016, 14:18
I thank all who contributed to this thread.

I’m 66. I’ve day-hiked probably way more than 1000 miles, but I’ve only slept on the ground a few times. I’ve read eight books on the AT experience and I’ve watched too many YouTube videos. I made the decision to tackle the AT late last fall when I had little chance of doing a local long distance shakedown hike (without deep snow). But, I’m still game for attempting a thru-hike starting in late March. With my age, I don’t have the luxury of waiting too many more years to acquire more experience. I’m currently doing frequent training hikes by carrying a heavy pack up and down different mountain pass highways near home (Lake Tahoe).

Will I wimp-out? I don’t believe so. I wouldn’t be attempting this if I were not very convinced that I could complete the challenge. Baring unforeseen catastrophe or a failure of leg linkage, I plan on making it to Maine. If I don’t, will I be disappointed? Of course. Will I regret making the attempt? Most definitely not.

“I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.” — Lucille Ball

walkingjoe
01-13-2016, 22:46
I think the idea that one shouldn't thru-hike the AT without a great deal of experience shows how removed from nature (read: spoiled) we are. I'm not saying one shouldn't be prepared, but it should only require so much preparation to go for a walk -- albeit a VERY long walk. This was once how one traveled, with much more than 30 lbs in tow. It would be foolish to take a thru-hike on without the right knowledge of equipment, water supply, etc., but I don't think it's necessary to do a handful of 100-milers unless your goal is to make 100% sure you're going to enjoy it, but for some people that isn't necessary.

Romanticism definitely plays a role (especially when a hiker movie is released). I think non-hikers who thru-hike the AT are looking for the adventure, and are willing to risk hating it. If I spent a year preparing for all the adventures I've been on, I never would have gotten to the actual adventures. I'm more of a weekend backpacker and day hiker who has wanted to do a long distance hike since before I knew what the Appalachian Trail was. The reason I'm specifically going this year is because I am dying for six months away from computers and phones and nonsense tv, and I can't think of a better way for someone who enjoys hiking to do that. Granted, I am doing test hikes with different pack weights, equipment, footwear, as well as some cold weather tests, but this is just to enhance my experience by avoiding as many mishaps as possible (some will happen anyway). But I won't pick on those who just decide to do it for the adventure with no experience -- it takes a lot of courage to do so and lots of couch potatoes have made it to Maine.

MuddyWaters
01-13-2016, 23:28
Shakedowns are not necessary.
Wont make much difference.
Ample places to swap out gear in first several weeks on trail
Learn as you go, has worked for many people, even if more expensive.

But...adjusting expectations, and fixing foot and gear issues ahead of time isnt worthless, it makes your time on trail more enjoyable.

Miel
01-25-2016, 15:04
Just one persons opinion, but for the life of me I don't get why anyone who hasn't done multiple week long hikes, decides they want to hike the AT.

Why would any think it sounds like fun to do something for 6 months something they don't do every time they have week or weekend off.

Sent from my SM-T110 using Tapatalk


Cheryl Strayed did the PCT with no experience at all. And she lived to write a book; help adapt a film,and become rich from it.

Not for everyone. I'm in training and currently at the start of it. I live at sea level and that's been tough, let alone tackling hills and mountains in the training hikes ahead. However, for family and financial reasons, I can't do a thru-hike for four years. If I'm not up to it by then, the money I saved for it will go to a certain charity.

Miel
01-25-2016, 15:12
Then again, there's that gentleman with weight issues who is biking across America, and started with no conditioning. (I too have weight to lose, @50pounds, and won't do a thru-hike until my excess poundage is off. My PCP says I don't have health issues with this, but I'll be backpack, tent etc.in tow, no need for excess, forgive the pun, baggage.)

www/facebook.com/fatguyacrossamerica

Your thoughts, please on weight loss before ​a shakedown hike?

(You may have seen the article about him last summer or fall in the NYT.)

egilbe
01-25-2016, 15:49
Then again, there's that gentleman with weight issues who is biking across America, and started with no conditioning. (I too have weight to lose, @50pounds, and won't do a thru-hike until my excess poundage is off. My PCP says I don't have health issues with this, but I'll be backpack, tent etc.in tow, no need for excess, forgive the pun, baggage.)

www/facebook.com/fatguyacrossamerica

Your thoughts, please on weight loss before ​a shakedown hike?

(You may have seen the article about him last summer or fall in the NYT.)

why not incorporate the shakedown hike as part of the weight loss program? No one says you need to do 20 plus miles. Do 5, 6, or 7 miles days and enjoy the experience.

Pedaling Fool
01-25-2016, 19:47
Then again, there's that gentleman with weight issues who is biking across America, and started with no conditioning. (I too have weight to lose, @50pounds, and won't do a thru-hike until my excess poundage is off. My PCP says I don't have health issues with this, but I'll be backpack, tent etc.in tow, no need for excess, forgive the pun, baggage.)

www/facebook.com/fatguyacrossamerica

Your thoughts, please on weight loss before ​a shakedown hike?

(You may have seen the article about him last summer or fall in the NYT.)One of my most important lessons learned on the trail is that the body is very, very efficient at using calories, but you gotta build up that efficiency. Problem is that our bodies lose that efficiency, because we mostly sit around, thereby the body breaks down, and we keep stuffing (and stuffing...) our faces with food -- so no reason to be efficient.

We've all heard the mantra: We eat too much..., that's a very true statement, but many don't understand just how much we all overeat.

A thru-hike is one of those activities that virtually everyone loses weight, not so much because we are walking all day (not down-playing the importance of that...), rather because we are forced to ration our food, because we don't carry that much food, since it's heavy. We are all burning way more calories than we are taking in, something that is very hard to do when you have unlimited access to food, despite how much you workout. BTW, that fatguyacrossamerica will find it tough to lose weight, he would have lost it much faster on a thru-hike, because on a bike he has food all around him. Not saying he won't lose weight, he kind of has to, since he's so heavy, but I'd be really interested in what his daily diet consists of...

You want to lose weight, you gotta cut way back on your intake, period. Forget all the advice that says you gotta eat so many calories per day; your calorie intake depends on your activity. Today is my rest day from working out, all I did was yard work. I ate no breakfast/lunch and my dinner consists of yams, soup and garlic bread. Not exactly 2,000 calories.

Yes you will feel hungry and there will be times you feel a little light-headed (if working out on an empty stomach), but work thru it and your body will learn how to feed off your fat stores, instead of waiting for the easier fuel source (whatever you stuff into your face).

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/inside-triathlon-magazine-fat-burning-machine_31034

Excerpt:


The following is Sindballe’s personal account of how he attempted to make his body into a fat-burning machine, thereby giving his body the most efficient and limitless fuel available to him. It was originally seen in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Inside Triathlon magazine.

A good friend of mine once finished a six-hour ride in the mountains on nothing but pure water. No gels, no energy drinks—just water. And he was not out on a Sunday ride—he was hammering, riding hard on the ascents and flying down the descents. Can you do that? Or are you already thinking of how many gels and bars you would need to drag along for the ride?

While research over the last 10 years has improved our understanding of fatigue and the interplay of metabolism, heat and fluids—as well as the role our brains play in all of this—there is still a general consensus that the size of our carbohydrate stores and the rate at which we can derive energy from fat play a significant role in endurance. And while most triathletes are well versed on the carbohydrate side of this equation—how to stock and replenish glycogen stores before, during and after workouts—few understand how to tap into their ability to use fat for fuel.

When we are very fit, our glycogen stores can fuel a six-hour hard ride in the mountains, similar to the one my friend took. But after the ride, the glycogen tank is almost empty. In comparison, even a rail thin triathlete stores enough fat to fuel five Ironmans in a row.

Fat is an almost unlimited resource, but it comes with two problems: The human brain is a sugar lover, and the rate at which fat is burned for fuel is too slow to support a hard, fast Ironman effort. In other words, your body fuels itself with a combination of glycogen and fat (and a little protein), with fat being the source of fuel that lasts but which cannot be tapped quickly enough to keep you moving fast.

The problem of your brain loving sugar can be solved by taking in enough carbohydrates during exercise. And the fat burning problem can be abated by teaching your body to use fat at a faster rate—thus staving off the depletion of the glycogen tank and allowing you to go faster longer. (Once the glycogen is gone, your body can only tap into its fat for fuel, thus forcing you to slow down or bonk.)

The easiest way to improve your ability to oxidize fat—turn fat into energy—is to train for long hours on the trails or in the saddle at a relatively slow pace. Generally, you don’t want to go much faster than your Ironman pace if you’re trying to stimulate your fat oxidation capabilities. While most athletes are well aware of this, there are several diet and training tricks out there that claim to increase the quality of the training stimulus these rides and runs provide. I have researched and tried most of these tricks myself while I was an Ironman pro and now have an understanding of what does and doesn’t work.

Read more at http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/inside-triathlon-magazine-fat-burning-machine_31034#3EsDvcZILHxCehC5.99

Abner
01-25-2016, 23:40
I'm all for shakedown hikes, but that is my style. I'd even do a couple of shakedown hikes again if I were anticipating ten or more days of hiking because I haven't done as much backpacking as I once did. Speaking for myself, after a couple of months of living in "civilized society" I lose my trail smarts, trail balance, sense of what to pack and what not to pack. I even lose my efficiency at setting up camp, lose some skill at camp cookery. Shakedown hikes, especially those in inclement weather can save myself much trouble on subsequent hikes. I sure as heck would do shakedown hikes in preparation for a long distance hiking journey. And if I were traveling with a significant other we'd be out there sharpening our skills and getting used to each other's "trail style" for many weeks before departure on the "big trip."

If anyone would like to read a great long distance hiker's defense of shakedown hikes I'd refer you to Ray Jardine's book, "Beyond Backpacking." But I have to say I admire other types of folks who just shoulder a pack, strap on some boots and set out on a hiking odyssey. Sometimes they don't get very far down the trail before there are serious health consequences, or shin splints, or debilitating blistered feet, but there are those who overcome the inevitable learning curve and have outcomes that are really satisfying for themselves. There are enough of us who have leant newbies sleeping bags, or given them food when they were famished to give a stern warning to those entering the backcountry alone and without proper preparation---it would be better if you'd study up on the basic nuts and bolts of long distance hiking so that you don't blow out your knees or lower g.i. or try to cross a shallow waterfall and get yourself in real trouble. For all these reasons can you tell i am one for shakedown cruises. Even better, if you are a greenhorn is to find a hiking club or an outfitter or some experienced person who knows is way around in the woods and learn what it is you'll need to know before setting out into the wilds. My three cents.

Tahoeturner
01-26-2016, 01:49
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." — John Muir on expedition planning

Traillium
01-26-2016, 01:57
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." — John Muir on expedition planning

Love the quote! … but that's not my style …


Bruce Traillium

Mtsman
01-26-2016, 02:08
There are certain threads that rub me the wrong way. This is one of them.

Is Mags advice solid and stable advice? Yes. Should it be required? absolutely not.

Should hikers have to like views to go on a hike? No.
Should hikers have to have the right gear? No.
Make the miles? No.
Be in shape? No.
Have the right footwear? No.
Talk on forums? No.
Eat the right food? No.
Do they even have to like LD hiking? No.

Could all this make it easier? Yes, but certainly not required to participate.

HYOH keeps me in check. It helps me to stop judging other people and their methods of hiking. It helps me to stay on the ground instead of thinking my way is the best way and putting my way on my self-built pedestal. Good advice is good advice, but it is just that advice. The moment we put rules and restrictions on who can or who can't get on a national trail based on prerequisites, we are all doomed.

just my .02, YMMV, HYOH

Tahoeturner
01-26-2016, 12:12
Love the quote! … but that's not my style …


Bruce Traillium

Not my style either, but it's a cute quote. I've been researching and training now for 4-5 months. Doing the whole trail has been in the back of my head since I was a kid growing up near the trail in NH.

Mags
01-26-2016, 12:40
There are certain threads that rub me the wrong way. This is one of them.

Is Mags advice solid and stable advice? Yes. Should it be required? absolutely not.

just my .02, YMMV, HYOH


I don't think anyone said anything was required. Suggested, yes.

Happy Trails..

Tipi Walter
01-26-2016, 14:24
Don't really know what this thread is about so I guess I'm qualified to respond.

I suppose when you're 8 years old with your first pack you do a shakedown backpacking trip (hike included) afterwhich you have 70+ years to keep backpacking. A thruhike is just 5 or 6 months, what about the 75 years left of the rest of your life?

Here's my Rule Number One: If you're outdoors you're a success. If you're indoors you are a failure.

And who cares if you do a pre-trip hike or a post-trip hike or a shakedown hike or a shakeoff hike or a head-swivel hike or a backwards hike or go with a Tuba or barefoot or pull an interfaced thruhike with a yo-yo flip flop or do a dog hike at 1 foot off the ground?? Just get out.

Outside good, inside bad.

Lessons learned? I'm presently a human failure as I sit indoors typing.

Coffee
01-26-2016, 17:24
True but who can say they have real experience of that situation? No one knows if they're going to enjoy walking all day every day for half a year until they've done it. .

Not sure about that. A few weeks can do it. On the JMT in 2013 I reached the point where the PCT and JMT diverge at Crabtree Meadows and really wanted to walk all the way to Mexico rather than end my hike the next day. At the end of the Colorado Trail in 2014 (four weeks) I wanted to keep going. If you want to keep going after being out for a month, chances are a longer hike would work out well. So far the longest hike for me was around 7 weeks. If I can't thru hike it won't be because I don't want to.

JaketheFake
01-26-2016, 19:00
Have you geniuses ever realized that some of us who are not fanatical about hiking want to try the AT because we understand that it will be a new challenge and spending the allotted time on a trail to either confirm or deny our desire is self defeating? So what if some of us "new to hiking" don't have the 2,180 in us....the distance we do go will be a lot further than 99% of the lard *** couch potatoes in our society. Also, don't be so naive that some of us are not bringing a life time of outdoor skills with us to compensate for the lack of hiking experience.

That being said, I have completed one short shakedown and will do at least one longer one before April....but I promise you it won't be the arbitrary 100 miles.

Mags
01-26-2016, 19:19
So Jake, you found out you like hiking. Congrats! Mission accomplished. Have a wonderful longer journey.

Cheers....

egilbe
01-26-2016, 19:33
Have you geniuses ever realized that some of us who are not fanatical about hiking want to try the AT because we understand that it will be a new challenge and spending the allotted time on a trail to either confirm or deny our desire is self defeating? So what if some of us "new to hiking" don't have the 2,180 in us....the distance we do go will be a lot further than 99% of the lard *** couch potatoes in our society. Also, don't be so naive that some of us are not bringing a life time of outdoor skills with us to compensate for the lack of hiking experience.

That being said, I have completed one short shakedown and will do at least one longer one before April....but I promise you it won't be the arbitrary 100 miles.

Why so grumpy and defensive? The best way to get experience is to do it. I feel every hike less than 2000 miles is a shakedown hike ��

rafe
01-26-2016, 19:34
Should hikers have to like views to go on a hike? No.
Should hikers have to have the right gear? No.
Make the miles? No.
Be in shape? No.
Have the right footwear? No.
Talk on forums? No.
Eat the right food? No.
Do they even have to like LD hiking? No.

Wrong on at least one count. NOBO, SOBO, flip-flopper or section hiker, sooner or later, one way or another, you've got to make the miles to be a 2000 miler.

JaketheFake
01-26-2016, 19:39
Why so grumpy and defensive? The best way to get experience is to do it. I feel every hike less than 2000 miles is a shakedown hike ��

Because I spent a night in a tent in 25 degree temps last weekend and it threw my entire body off kilter (including emotions)! Lol!!

JaketheFake
01-26-2016, 19:44
But seriously and without being grumpy....the chance of completing something with a 75% failure rate is, Well, intriguing. Not to mention it's a good excuse to be completely consumed by something for 6 months that involves being outdoors.

Lone Wolf
01-26-2016, 19:51
But seriously and without being grumpy....the chance of completing something with a 75% failure rate is, Well, intriguing. Not to mention it's a good excuse to be completely consumed by something for 6 months that involves being outdoors.

the walkin' ain't the hard part. it's doin' it every day for months. bet you love pizza but do you wanna eat it every day for 5 months?

Water Rat
01-26-2016, 19:53
The main point of this thread seems to have been lost along the way... It is not about the number of miles, it is about getting out there and testing the gear and yourself before tackling a long hike. Why? Because it makes sense to check your gear, figure out where you are with your fitness, and to see how it will all come together.

If you have never backpacked before, this is an excellent time to find out if you even like backpacking. Some people love the trail and love hiking, but hate backpacking.

If you have minimal backpacking experience, a shakedown hike allows you to gain a little more experience and work out any issues with your backpacking kit.

It is your hike and only you can decide how long your shakedown hike needs to be for you to feel you are "ready" for a long distance hike (or, as ready as you can be). The main topic throughout has been that shakedown hikes are helpful on many levels. The OP even stated that his recent shakedown hike (not so recent anymore!) was only 6 days, but he learned a lot during that time. Everyone is going to have a different idea of how many miles, how many days, what kind of gear.... HYOH. Nobody can prep you for the trail, except you. The more experience you have (miles and gear and fitness) will help you in achieving your goal, but there are never any guarantees. The more you prep, the better your odds.

rafe
01-26-2016, 20:00
Because I spent a night in a tent in 25 degree temps last weekend and it threw my entire body off kilter (including emotions)! Lol!!

And there you have it. Same thing happened to me. Out tromping through Harriman State Park with a buncha youngsters. What was I thinking? Several boxes of Kleenex later, I'm almost back to normal.

JaketheFake
01-26-2016, 20:32
Hike your own shakedown hike! HYOSDH!

Water Rat
01-26-2016, 21:21
Hike your own shakedown hike! HYOSDH!

Bet ya can't say that 10 times fast! ;)

Turk6177
01-26-2016, 21:31
I have done several week long hikes on the AT and some multi week hikes in other places. I honestly learn something new on every single trip. It started out with weight savings when I started with a heavy pack. I then graduated to techniques and skills for wearing my pack, getting water, setting up camp, and how to efficiently pack my back. I think I am at the stage now where I am refining things, including more creative meals, adding a couple light weight luxury items, etc. I think people are better off doing several shakedown hikes so their first day on the AT is not their first day using their gear. There is a reason why Mountain Crossings Outfitters is so busy in the spring. I would say the number one reason is lack of preparation.

4eyedbuzzard
01-26-2016, 21:51
the walkin' ain't the hard part. It's doin' it every day for months. Bet you love pizza but do you wanna eat it every day for 5 months?^^^this^^^

damskipi
01-27-2016, 00:24
the walkin' ain't the hard part. it's doin' it every day for months. bet you love pizza but do you wanna eat it every day for 5 months?

I do! That sounds awesome. :banana

Miel
01-27-2016, 13:41
why not incorporate the shakedown hike as part of the weight loss program? No one says you need to do 20 plus miles. Do 5, 6, or 7 miles days and enjoy the experience.

Trying to,egiblke. :)

I'm up to 10 miles a session. I do the annual Walk for Hunger (20 miles), no problem, no soreness even though its once a year, but I don't do it with any gear. Maybe the next one I'll do it with gear. The first Walk for Hunger was, IIRC, 27 miles. I was in 7th grade and did that. Easier as a youngun' I feel, looking back!

I do agree with you.

Miel
01-27-2016, 13:41
**egilbe sorry typo!

Miel
01-27-2016, 13:54
One of my most important lessons learned on the trail is that the body is very, very efficient at using calories, but you gotta build up that efficiency. Problem is that our bodies lose that efficiency, because we mostly sit around, thereby the body breaks down, and we keep stuffing (and stuffing...) our faces with food -- so no reason to be efficient.

We've all heard the mantra: We eat too much..., that's a very true statement, but many don't understand just how much we all overeat.

A thru-hike is one of those activities that virtually everyone loses weight, not so much because we are walking all day (not down-playing the importance of that...), rather because we are forced to ration our food, because we don't carry that much food, since it's heavy. We are all burning way more calories than we are taking in, something that is very hard to do when you have unlimited access to food, despite how much you workout. BTW, that fatguyacrossamerica will find it tough to lose weight, he would have lost it much faster on a thru-hike, because on a bike he has food all around him. Not saying he won't lose weight, he kind of has to, since he's so heavy, but I'd be really interested in what his daily diet consists of...

You want to lose weight, you gotta cut way back on your intake, period. Forget all the advice that says you gotta eat so many calories per day; your calorie intake depends on your activity. Today is my rest day from working out, all I did was yard work. I ate no breakfast/lunch and my dinner consists of yams, soup and garlic bread. Not exactly 2,000 calories.

Yes you will feel hungry and there will be times you feel a little light-headed (if working out on an empty stomach), but work thru it and your body will learn how to feed off your fat stores, instead of waiting for the easier fuel source (whatever you stuff into your face).

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/inside-triathlon-magazine-fat-burning-machine_31034

Excerpt:

Bike Guy has also been having dental problems, and has been taking some time off to deal with them. He's been in and around towns, though. I would hate to have a dangerously-abscessed tooth spiral out of control while away from a town with a clinic. (I'm prone to such abscesses.) One thing I will do before setting out is attending to dentistry (even as some dental things cannot be controlled; I practice great oral hygiene and I still have problems.)

Thanks for the quote and perspective about burning fat. Much appreciated.

Anyway, I'm interested in how his journey turns out. The guy from the NYT a couple of years back (I can't recall his name) seemed to have an easier time of it from Washington State to New York. But he was in good physical and emotional health. Bike Guy started out with issues to begin with, and I hope all that biking helps mitigate some of his mental health problems as well. (Maybe not the panacea, but of some assistance, as exercise can help so many of us.)

As well as a thru-hike, a cross country bike ride is also on my list.

Lone Wolf
01-27-2016, 14:33
the walkin' ain't the hard part. it's doin' it every day for months. bet you love pizza but do you wanna eat it every day for 5 months?


I do! That sounds awesome. :banana

no grasshopper, fantasy and reality are different things. listen to the wolf

Pedaling Fool
01-27-2016, 18:49
Thanks for the quote and perspective about burning fat. Much appreciated.

Anyway, I'm interested in how his journey turns out. The guy from the NYT a couple of years back (I can't recall his name) seemed to have an easier time of it from Washington State to New York. But he was in good physical and emotional health. Bike Guy started out with issues to begin with, and I hope all that biking helps mitigate some of his mental health problems as well. (Maybe not the panacea, but of some assistance, as exercise can help so many of us.)

This is my mindset when it comes diet and exercise:

-- Food/diet is how I lose (or keep off) weight, not exercise.
-- Exercise is how I make (and maintain/keep) the body strong, not thru diet.

I know there is some overlap there, but that is the mindset I must always have when it comes to losing/keeping the weight off. Exercise is a constant for me, luckily it's part of my everyday life, if for nothing else my bike (note my screen name) is my primary form of transportation and has been for nearly 30 years. Plus I regularly run and lift weights.

You'd think keeping the weight off would be no problem for me --- wrong! I can easily (very easily) put the pounds back on if I don't watch myself, mostly because the more you workout the bigger your appetite -- and that gets back to why a thru-hike is so effective when it comes to people losing weight, i.e. the very necessary food rationing.

So just because this guy had to take some time off his X-country bike trip shouldn't really matter if he was serious in losing weight; the only way to lose it is thru reduced calories, period.

egilbe
01-27-2016, 19:44
But, for most people, hiking is a pleasant way of exercising. Yes, its difficut, but its, mostly, not boring. I really need to get my barbells back out again. Too much slacking lately

damskipi
01-27-2016, 21:07
no grasshopper, fantasy and reality are different things. listen to the wolf

I actually know somebody who ate pizza at least one meal a day for 5 months, missing only two days. He celebrated his accomplishment with a pizza party :D

Lone Wolf
01-27-2016, 21:08
there are exceptions

Mtsman
01-31-2016, 23:30
I don't think anyone said anything was required. Suggested, yes.

I was eluding to this post by malto:

[QUOTE=Malto;2001876]if I were king then I would require at least a hundred mile hike prior to allowing my subjects to begin a thru hike. But since I'm not a King, I just will watch and shake my head as the majority of thru hike attempters discover that reality is much difference than the romantic notion of a thru hike. There is a huge difference between a weekend and a multi month hike as you will learn. And physical fitness is not nearly as important as mental fitness which is gained through experiencing conditions as hard or harder than what you see on your thru hike.

That really set off my rant tbh. I can't stand when people put requirements on nature. Er, I should explain that more. I dont mind requirements that protect nature from the human element but the requirements that protect humans from nature are ridiculous. If that human wants to go out in nature and not do their research and die on a mountain or trail or whatever else. That is their decision. We are in the information age and if someone cant find information about their chosen path and do the research then that is on them.



Wrong on at least one count. NOBO, SOBO, flip-flopper or section hiker, sooner or later, one way or another, you've got to make the miles to be a 2000 miler.

I don't mind and will admit when I am wrong (several times a day). But this one you got wrong. I didn't put the 2000 miler requirement for my list, you added that requirement, not me.

rafe
02-01-2016, 00:00
I don't mind and will admit when I am wrong (several times a day). But this one you got wrong. I didn't put the 2000 miler requirement for my list, you added that requirement, not me.

The thread is about the necessity of shakedown hikes.... I assume that is in the context of preparation for a thru-hike or some other ambitious long-distance hike.

A shakedown hike for a shorter hike is a tautology.

Mtsman
02-01-2016, 03:29
The thread is about the necessity of shakedown hikes.... I assume that is in the context of preparation for a thru-hike or some other ambitious long-distance hike.

A shakedown hike for a shorter hike is a tautology.

That is still an assumption you made. Just because it is a long distance hike, even if it is the AT, doesn't mean they are going for a 2000 miler "achievement" as you imposed in your rebuttal. Either way this is a frivolous argument that the rest of the thread is probably already dreading.

If you are the debating type and want to continue I would love to carry on a PM about it as you seem like a sensible and fun person to debate with.

YMMV HYOH

TexasBob
02-01-2016, 11:49
Starting on a thru hike is a leap of faith. Your goal of hiking the entire trail depends on many things over which you have essentially no control (accident, illness, etc.). Nobody can predict whether they will fall victim to calamity or lose interest after hiking 100 miles or 1500 miles. There is a limit to what you can anticipate and prepare for before you start. If you knew exactly what thru hiking was like before you started it would diminish the excitement and experience. Spend a night or two trying out your gear, break in your boots and hit the trail. If you don't make all the way, so be it - your life will be richer for trying

Malto
02-01-2016, 14:51
[QUOTE=Mags;2036421]I don't think anyone said anything was required. Suggested, yes.

I was eluding to this post by malto:



That really set off my rant tbh. I can't stand when people put requirements on nature. Er, I should explain that more. I dont mind requirements that protect nature from the human element but the requirements that protect humans from nature are ridiculous. If that human wants to go out in nature and not do their research and die on a mountain or trail or whatever else. That is their decision. We are in the information age and if someone cant find information about their chosen path and do the research then that is on them.




I don't mind and will admit when I am wrong (several times a day). But this one you got wrong. I didn't put the 2000 miler requirement for my list, you added that requirement, not me.

wow, you are easily set off. Nobody put any requirements. Lighten up Francis.

Mtsman
02-01-2016, 21:58
[QUOTE=Mtsman;2038166]

wow, you are easily set off. Nobody put any requirements. Lighten up Francis.

You are right.

I think your thought was just the straw that broke the camels back. There are many articles about regulations put on hikers and more so mountaineers that are starting to pop up more lately. I don't have a problem with authority like many people may assume but I don't think the oversight needs to be THAT micromanaged. If people are stupid enough to die for their lack of information and preparedness then that is only strengthening the gene pool in my mind.

I guess that is a little harsh to say, especially if others have loved ones that have fallen prey to nature but they ultimately accepted that responsibility and were willing to die for their goals. There should be no one that stands in the way of that persons decision. Especially people that don't even know that person.