One important planning question

[radevil5]

Well I have the money needed to thru-hike, have the gear and time off of work. I'm just lost on the whole planning a thru-hije thing. Thinking of "wingin" it avg 15m days and reapply in town when I can. I do have the 2016 they-hikers companion. Is this a pretty normal thing to do or so I need to really plan for this?

[radevil5]

Lots of typos sorry on my phone.

[Lone Wolf]

Well I have the money needed to thru-hike, have the gear and time off of work. I'm just lost on the whole planning a thru-hije thing. Thinking of "wingin" it avg 15m days and reapply in town when I can. I do have the 2016 they-hikers companion. Is this a pretty normal thing to do or so I need to really plan for this?

you just need to plan the day you want to get to springer/katahdin. resupply as you go. it's what i did. it was less than 9 months between deciding to walk the trail and actually taking the first steps

[radevil5]

Yea I am 31 now and planned on hiking the at for years but this year might be the only real time I can. I have people home that can mail drop anything I need if needed. But if I follow the 2016 companion and go into towns once a week to re-supply I think I'll be okay. Thanks!

[Wool]

Check this out, it's a few years old and so some of the data and hostel info may be a little off but it's a great place to start. This will help you see where you'll be if you average 15m a day, because that means you'll have some 20 mile days and some 10 miles days. Dave Miller writes a guidebook that most people thru-hiking use The A.T. Guide, the link and data are his. http://theatguide.com/PlanNobo2010-15.html Happy Hiking!

[johnnybgood]

No planning necessary to walk. Pick up where you left the trail the next day and continue on. You'll figure out the rest while hiking with other hikers.

[JaketheFake]

You and I can fumble around together... I am doing the same plan with exception to a few mail drops here and there. I know I will be on Springer at some point April 6th. After that who knows? However, count me out on the 15 mile a day thing (or at least at the start).

[Slo-go'en]

Oh no, you have to plan in excruciating detail, like what time you'll get up in the morning, where you'll stop for lunch and what you'll eat, what views to stop at, how many miles you'll walk each day and do that for each and every day of the entire hike. That way you'll know to the minute when you'll summit Katahdin.

[Turk6177]

I would get AWOL's guide and turn a long hike into any little section hikes and wing it. Planning your week sounds fun.

[Rising3agle]

Gear, money, and time - getting all 3 of those to line up at the same time is the hard part. There's enough resupply along the trail to not have to worry, especially with the guide for help.
If it were me, I'd hit the trail and just go for it. I would wager that within 2 weeks you'll be doing as well as many who spend years planning the trip down to the footstep.

[turtle fast]

If you got $, good gear, and the time...that's most of it! For planning, you DO have to figure out where your starting and how to get there! If NOBO, you have to choose if doing the approach trail or dropping off close to the start. I would suggest the Hikers Hostel package where they pick you up in Atlanta, get a bunk for the night, and drop you off at either place. For resupply, check out the articles here in that section and you get a better idea where the few drops may be helpful. Though most of the time if you use the the thru hikers guide to locate services, supply isn't as hard as one thinks.

[bigcranky]

Just take three or four days of food to Springer and start walking north. The Companion will tell you where to resupply (hint: Neels Gap for starters :) ) The rest of it will come as you hike. After a few weeks the logistics get pretty straightforward: you'll know how long it will take to the next town, so you'll buy that much food.

[evyck da fleet]

If you have the time you can read prior hikers trail journals to see where they resupplied and do a mock thru hike figuring where you'd resupply at 15mph for however many days you want to go b/w towns to ease your mind. I was in a similar situation as you and did the same. Be warned though, it will be of no use once you hit the trail. Your daily mileage will gradually increase from the time you start and if you can start at 15 mph you'll probably be doing 20 mph within a few weeks.

Once you hit town you'll be thinking about your next resupply point and how many days you expect it to take to reach it. Then you'll let weather, people you meet along the trail and the places you come across determine how long it takes you to get there.

[shelb]

You have the important planning done. Get AWOL's guide to use as you go. Do not plan your days out - as we all know that "The best laid plans of Mice and Men oft go astray..."