View Full Version : Looking for 60+ hikers that have completed a tru-hike
Adagio123
09-22-2015, 09:07
I would love to connect with 60 + hikers that have completed a tru-hike. I have many questions. How much did you weigh at start, did you do anything special to protect your feet, knees and back how much did your pack weigh, your food, what was your average mileage, I enjoy meeting people but I know I will try to escape the bubble and go to hotels when tired-how did you handle this, etc
HI, I thru-hiked at age 67. I'm willing to help you in any I can. PM me.
Thorfinn
09-24-2015, 18:50
I just completed the trail at age 70 as a day-hiker. I would recommend this approach to anyone, especially an older person who might need a little more maintenance (comfort, recovery) along the way. You can e-mail if you like.
CarlZ993
09-24-2015, 19:00
Rats. Missed the cut by two years. Finished a couple of days prior to my 59th birthday in 2013.
I would love to connect with 60 + hikers that have completed a tru-hike. I have many questions. How much did you weigh at start, did you do anything special to protect your feet, knees and back how much did your pack weigh, your food, what was your average mileage, I enjoy meeting people but I know I will try to escape the bubble and go to hotels when tired-how did you handle this, etc
Adagio123,
Jeannie and Mel Church hiked the AT this year and Jeannie wrote a blog post
on Appalachiantrials.com Jeanne is 68. She has all their preparation and gear from the beginning. I got a lot of information from them about how to go light and taking care of myself. I still am rereading as I prepare. Mel is a genius at gear he even made some of theirs.
Appalachiantrials.com Jeannie Church 2015 Blogger
mattjv89
09-26-2015, 08:36
I read the title as looking to connect with at least 60 former hikers, this makes more sense! I can't contribute much due to my age obviously but there's a few things I noticed about the older hikers pertaining to your questions. Many seemed to do the same daily miles as the younger crowd (high teens to low 20s avg. in the middle half) just slower and longer. They're walking out of camp as I'm just starting to stir in the morning and we meet at the same spot at night. Regarding hotel rooms it did seem more common for the older crowd to spring for a hotel or private hostel room as they tended to have more funds available. I met an older thru hiker in the whites with reservations at every hut, now that is a comfortable hike! For most of the trail $40-60 will at least get you a private hostel room, more in some spots for hotels. Great way to beat the crowd in town if you can spare the cash.
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I am 65 and will begin my NOBO Through Hike at Amicalola Falls this Tuesday March 15. I have hiked some sections of the trail before and I have hiked and backpacked in many places from the arctic to the jungle over the past fifty or so years. However, I have never attempted to do this many miles day after day, so there is still plenty for me to learn.
My pack weighs 30 lbs. with four days of food and two liters of water. When I get out of the cold weather, maybe around Damascus VA, I should be able to drop about five pounds from that total. I have been doing 10 to 23 mile training hikes weekly for the last six months and I feel that I am ready. My son did the trail ten years ago in 100 days flat and wearing sandals the whole way! I, however, expect to take considerably longer. Good luck to all of us!
Sadly I was planning a thru hike this year but had to abandon due to medical reasons. I can't answer your questions directly as I have not completed the hike but I can provide some information from my experiences.
My base pack weight was just under 21 pounds (lighter in summer). With four days of food and water, my pack weight was mid-thirties.
I was going to resupply about 35 times keeping as close to the trail as possible.
I would recommend building up fitness gradually, alternating higher mileage and heavier pack. As you might imagine or know first hand, there's a huge difference between a 24 pound pack and a 34 pound pack. This allows the muscles around joints like the knee to properly strengthen and support the load.
If it's any help, I have spreadsheets on gear weight, resupply plans and food worksheets that I'm happy to share.
Safe hiking!