View Full Version : Getting Ready
Ok so I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for the days to tick on by. What are you guys doing to get ready for this hike or just to kill the time until the hike?
Lots of shakedown hikes. Watch movies about the AT. Read books about the AT. Lots of good ones in both categories. Hit the gatherings. The southern ruck is MLK weekend, save money and make plans to attend that.
phenimore
07-03-2008, 10:44
Hanging out on white blaze, getting more books and info together... working on food lists and mileage estimates. I am really thinking about making some of my own gear too... Also trying to get the rest of my life in a decent order to be able to do this! I just wish I was in the woods!
A few days ago I called in sick to work, and I almost told my boss "I'm going to take a zero today." :rolleyes:
Yesterday I was walking home and saw a bag of dinner rolls someone had dropped on the sidewalk and instantly thought "Trail Magic!" ;)
working 75 hours a week for some extra lute
RadioFreq
07-03-2008, 11:07
Lurking on WB.
Counting the days.
2nd guessing gear choices.
Answering incessant questions from co-workers. ("You're going to be gone how long?!?!")
Working out at the gym.
Lurking on PB.
Reading books about the AT.
Answering incessant questions from relatives. ("What about bears?!?!")
Long hikes on the city trail system.
Trying to give my employer fair value for what they pay me....while lurking on WB.
:) T-minus 8 months.....and counting :)
Chance09
07-03-2008, 12:50
Ok so I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for the days to tick on by. What are you guys doing to get ready for this hike or just to kill the time until the hike?
What are you planning on eating on the trail? Have you tried cooking it? experimenting with recipes ect? adjusting them to your tastes? That is something that i plan to do before I start.
Other than that i've just been trying to get in overall better shape.
I also spend WAYYYYYYYYYYYY to much time on here at work. The last few days were hell, i didn't have anything to do while the site was down. :eek:
Route 66
07-03-2008, 21:27
Cooking a variety of breakfasts on our deck with my AT gear most mornings.
Planning three gear shakedown hikes.
Pondering the many electronic journaling, bounce box, and re-supply options.
Reading Trail Journals voraciously as the current class battles Mother Nature's many challenges.
Hiking daily so I'll be in shape to go 10-15 miles per day come April 1st, and so I'll start with toughened soles having a lower chance of blisters.
After the first of the year, I'll start toughing up even more by regularly sleeping on the floor on my AT mattresses, and with my window open wide all night.
fiddlehead
07-03-2008, 21:54
I wouldn't go for the overkill. I wouldn't hike, eat trail food, sleep in the rain, or go without showers.
I'd do the opposite, take lots of showers, get laid, (a lot), eat lots of bacon and eggs and stuff like that, read a book about sailing around the world, and try not to have to much anxiety about the hike.
Once the 1st step is taken, it's all good.
KarenM982
07-04-2008, 10:31
Ive been dehydrating food....one meal (4 servings) a week.
What are you planning on eating on the trail? Have you tried cooking it? experimenting with recipes ect? adjusting them to your tastes? That is something that i plan to do before I start.
Other than that i've just been trying to get in overall better shape.
I also spend WAYYYYYYYYYYYY to much time on here at work. The last few days were hell, i didn't have anything to do while the site was down. :eek:
Very, very important. It helped out so much on my hike this year having done test cooks. The instructions on food packages don't apply when backpacking. Almost always they ask for too much water, the times are different, and stuff like that. Knowing how to prepare a few meals before hand prevents a lot of disgusting meals that you have to choke down.
If you've truly got nothing better to do, go hiking. Shake down your gear, get your hiking/camping routine down, get your body in shape. If possible, do some multi-day (ie., multi-night) trips and get a feeling for that routine.
Wise Old Owl
07-05-2008, 08:01
:)Attach laptop to the treadmill - type on WB while walking......
This applies to both my wife (Tag-along) and me (Tagless)...
Working out at the Y, walking and biking
Weekend section hikes and day hikes at nearby Pigeon Mountain
Testing out freeze bag recipes and making note of recipes that we like
Being proactive about house maintenance needs
Identifying substitute house sitters for our primary house sitter (a successful '99 thru hiker)
Completing our efforts to be completely debt free - just six weeks to go - Yea!
Planning to pay utilities six months in advance
Learning to use Pocketmail (soon)
Building Trail Journals website
Contemplating a very limited list of food/hygiene items we might consider buying in bulk and bouncing up the trail
Counting days!!!!!!
whitefoot_hp
07-07-2008, 09:46
my concerns include: having enough money (this is my principle concern)
being in the best shape possible
jessicacomp
07-08-2008, 08:27
my concerns include: having enough money (this is my principle concern)
being in the best shape possible
I personally believe that to be in the best shape for the trail, if you are able, you ought to schedule an appt with your doctor. Tell him/her what exactly you plan on doing, and let them know your chief concerns are feet (arches specifically), ankles, knees, nutrition, and anything else you personally are concerned with.
I didnt even know what bursitis was when I left for the trail, let alone how to prevent it. I had to get off the trail in VA though because of it and am now planning to thru in 2010. I wont thru though until I know how to better support my arches and prevent bursitis from flaring up. Taking care of that stuff before it becomes a serious problem will have a big impact on you finishing the trail.
whitefoot_hp
07-08-2008, 13:49
thanks for the advice jessica. that makes sense.
Ok so I feel like I'm just sitting around waiting for the days to tick on by. What are you guys doing to get ready for this hike or just to kill the time until the hike?
Been keepin busy with school and planning an out of state move right before the trail. It keeps us busy, but wow, it's been pretty hard not to go nuts waiting for our '09 hike. At this point I'm starting to agree with fiddlehead - take it easy and do what you want and what you can't do on the trail. Other than that, we've just been taking things one step at a time - making sure our gear's all good, planning an itinerary, etc. Plan, plan, plan, but try not to go crazy overplanning. And we try to go on shakedown hikes whenever we can. It takes time and effort just to plan and do a shakedown.
whitefoot_hp
07-08-2008, 18:18
how exactly can you plan an itinerary for a 2000 mile hike?
how exactly can you plan an itinerary for a 2000 mile hike?
I call that a good question -- but I know folks who have done exactly that.
Bare Bear
07-08-2008, 19:32
Thinking how easy it is once you realize that planning works for just a day or two then nature tears your plan all to heck and you relax. No food/mail drops this time, they were just a pain last time. Looking forward to seeing my old trail friends again.
phenimore
07-09-2008, 12:06
how exactly can you plan an itinerary for a 2000 mile hike?
It's more of a rough draft...
You just have to consider what you want and how to get it.
I have a pretty intense schedule set up for myself. (average 15 mpd/13 trail mpd) but I want to hike the whole trail, hit all the white blazes, take a few side trips, and I have limited the time because I want to finish by Thanksgiving. (SOBO start mid-june)
I also enjoy pushing myself to see what I can do, which is part of my goal. So I've included trying to get in two 30 mile days and trying to work it out so I can take a zero a week, (which brings my daily hiking avg to 17.5 mpd) and giving myself about two weeks of extra time, planning out 2,495m of hiking, ETC ETC
So to gauge all of that I have set up weekly and monthly goals to try to meet.
It's all very ambitious for a newbie like me.
A lot of people will tell you to ignore the miles per day because you will lose a lot of the trail enjoyment, but I'm the type of person that blue blazes life to begin with, so I'm not worried about it. I put it this way: Right now I'm planning on taking the trail. As soon as I set foot on big K I will let the trail take me, heck, I might end up hiking east to Europe or something ... ;)
Well said phenimore. I know that having a day-by-day or even any kind of rigid schedule or itinerary is not going to work out, but I think it's goog to have one.
I just keep on dreaming and doing the daily work thing. Weekends I hike,and shake out my gear, I have eliminated many of my first choices. Getting the weight down all the time.
Blissful
07-09-2008, 22:27
Itineraries for the trail don't work. I had one set for just a few days of the trail and had to throw it out. Too many unknowns (weather, health, friends you want to hang out with, etc). Take it from those who have been there...
But have fun planning gear, food, work outs for the trail, looking over maps and the guidebook and thinking about it all. It's a grand adventure.
Thanks for the advice Blissful, I'll keep that in mind and try not to waste too much time figuring out where we're going to stop and when. Getting gear, food, etc. ready, shakedown hikes and dreaming about the trail definately keep me busy!
I just keep on dreaming and doing the daily work thing. Weekends I hike,and shake out my gear, I have eliminated many of my first choices. Getting the weight down all the time.
Just curious...What's your weight at? We hiked the Knobstone in Indiana a few weeks back and we were a little over 35 lbs each. Since then I've re-thought quite a few items.
BlindMoose
07-13-2008, 13:04
Yeah, i am doing all those things people mention - but damn, i am still itching to hit the AT - March 1 ish 09, and counting down.
Dazzy001
08-10-2008, 19:20
I'm with Freeleo, Working 100 hour weeks and saving money! unless your welthy...
sheeptoast
08-10-2008, 22:40
I'm with Freeleo, Working 100 hour weeks and saving money! unless your welthy...
Only 3 more 80 hour weeks left until vacation!!!! (aka first semester of school) It will be nice to not have to split wood and wash dishes for a couple months and actually get some hiking in.
knoxvilnattacks
08-11-2008, 14:29
I am entering my Sophomore year in college, 19yrs old, and plan to hike at least 3 months of the AT this comming summer...do I have enough time to plan? I dont have much holding me back at this point and time to think so I believe it is the perfect time to go big or go home.
beerandpizza
08-11-2008, 14:56
The preparation I am doing is all mental. I figure that most everything else is immaterial.
minnesotasmith
08-11-2008, 15:10
I've been on an oil rig 7 hours from home, making money for my hike. GF is working 3 jobs (and running the house) while I'm gone. I'll likely have about 3 or 4 days off, then go back at it again. I'll remember all of this well, when next year someone (who works 8-5 and sleeps at home every night) asks me how I can afford to thruhike... ;)
beerandpizza
08-11-2008, 15:38
I've been on an oil rig 7 hours from home, making money for my hike. GF is working 3 jobs (and running the house) while I'm gone. I'll likely have about 3 or 4 days off, then go back at it again. I'll remember all of this well, when next year someone (who works 8-5 and sleeps at home every night) asks me how I can afford to thruhike... ;)
Ditto on that. Did that for 8 years in a power plant while the wife was working back home. We quite our jobs, bought an rv and been working (together) on the road.
sheeptoast
08-11-2008, 18:39
I am entering my Sophomore year in college, 19yrs old, and plan to hike at least 3 months of the AT this comming summer...do I have enough time to plan? I dont have much holding me back at this point and time to think so I believe it is the perfect time to go big or go home.
I'm also going to be a sophomore and will be hiking next year. Personally I have been planning this since last year, and have arranged my housing and class schedule to reflect a semester off. If 3 months is all that you have then just hike as far as you can.
tucker0104
08-13-2008, 18:00
I have been working shift work in the navy (7days a week 12 hours a day) and working a second job and taking 3 college classes to save up more money for my thru-hike. Sleep is something I can do when I hike.