View Full Version : Succesfull thru-hikers did you have prior hiking experience?
Slo-go'en
08-27-2008, 18:50
Of those who succesfully completed a thru-hike, or at least made it a goodly ways up the trail, how many had prior backpacking experiance and how many had never done anything like this before?
I suspect that many, if not most, of those who make it all the way have had at least some backpacking experiance before starting on a thru-hike so had a good idea what to expect and the ones with no experiance are more likely to bail after a few days or a week. It would be interesting to see what the numbers show.
Blissful
08-27-2008, 19:13
It's all walks, really. Some who made it had a ton of experience, some a little, some none at all. As one hiker told me when I was planning, doing the trail is 90% mental and 10% physical.
I had almost no experience at all, I just got up off the couch and did it.
Most of my outdoor time is spent in a kayak or canoe.
I had about 15 years of backpacking experience prior to trying a thru-hike in '90. I'd hiked a good deal in the Whites and the Adirdondacks. I made it to Catawba or thereabouts.
Although prior hiking experience certainly helps in planning a long hike, I don't think that it ultimately is the determining factor of who will complete their hike. I had little long distance hiking experience when I successfully completed my AT thru-hike in 06. Since that time, I have completed several hikes(JMT07, LT07, at least 6 national parks, Hawaii, currently thru-hiking PCT, entering WA now) of at least 150 miles or more. This may sound mushy but, ultimately it is what's in a person's heart, mind, and spirit that ultimately decides who will make it! That's the bottom line! No excuses allowed here! If anyone needs inspiration consider Bill Erwin, a blind man, who estimated he fell nearly 3000 times, successfully completed a thru-hike. He could have quit the first time or the 2999 time he fell, but HE DIDN'T!
Wolf - 23000
08-27-2008, 20:02
Looking back at my start, I cannot believe how many mistakes I made. If I could do something wrong, I did it. I never read a book on the AT, had a 10-year-old data book that I bought at the library for .50, never knew or even thought about resupplying so often. To give everyone an idea how bad I was, I started off with 5 sets of jeans, cotton sweaters, 2 full size backpacks a Jansport and a all rubber backpack - I carryed them one on top of the other, glass jars of honey, jelly.
I had a hard time starting off but it also helped bring out the best in me, help build a never quit attitude. Some of the things I learn just from being out there – I could not have learned from a book. Sometimes you just have to just go out there and do it.
Wolf
I hiked some in HS, tried thru-hiking some 30 years latter, ran out of money twice (AT/PCT, finished the following years), before I hiked the CDT in one season.
What's that tell me? Bring lots of money and allow enough time.
papa john
08-27-2008, 20:12
Looking back at my start, I cannot believe how many mistakes I made. If I could do something wrong, I did it. I never read a book on the AT, had a 10-year-old data book that I bought at the library for .50, never knew or even thought about resupplying so often. To give everyone an idea how bad I was, I started off with 5 sets of jeans, cotton sweaters, 2 full size backpacks a Jansport and a all rubber backpack - I carryed them one on top of the other, glass jars of honey, jelly.
I had a hard time starting off but it also helped bring out the best in me, help build a never quit attitude. Some of the things I learn just from being out there – I could not have learned from a book. Sometimes you just have to just go out there and do it.
Wolf
Wow, that kind of reminds me of the 3 college kids who were out when I started back in 2000. One of them had a food bag that weighed 30 lbs. Another one had so much stuff in his pack, the buckle broke by the time he got to Stover Creek Shelter. He later injured a leg real bad right before Woody Gap and had to be taken off the trail.
How far did you get with all that before you realized that you didn't need most of it?
superman
08-27-2008, 20:50
I hiked in the scouts and the service but it was all wrong for the AT. Winter and I end to ended the LT in 99 to prepare for the AT but then I changed all my gear in a bad way. The good thing is that what I lack in knowledge I make up for in tenacity.:)
Jim Adams
08-27-2008, 22:45
I had alot of wilderness time but mostly in a canoe. I had done a handful of overnighters backpacking prior to my thru in 1990......hell, I was on the AT, 2 weeks into my thru hike before I found out that the AT was longer than 1000 miles!LOL
geek
fiddlehead
08-27-2008, 23:09
Boy Scouts for me. I was lucky to be in a troop that did a lot of cool stuff: winter camping, lots of hiking, cooking, firebuilding, canoeing, etc.
Did a 50 mile hike when i was about 14 in the scouts on the AT.
But still never really understood that it (thru-hiking) would change my life so drastically
Though people have done the AT without prior backpacking experience, I always strongly suggest to people to get in at least a week long backpacking trip (more if you can) prior to doing a thru-hike.
Day-hiking is different from backpacking of course.
Backpacking a weekend at a time, while helpful, does not really get you out in all the weather for an extended period of time. Plus, by hiking a lengthy time, you'll know the answer to the simple question: Do you enjoy walking?
Sounds silly, but many backpackers do not.
Most people who backpack are typically camping more so than hiking. Backpacking is a way to get into the woods, find a nice spot and relax in beautiful scenery. Nothing wrong with that; I did two trips like that this summer.
A thru-hike, however, is about WALKING and less about camping. You can camp more and hike less on the AT (as opposed to other trails like the PCT or CDT), but you still gotta walk to complete the trail.
By taking an extended backpacking trip, you'll have the answer to the question: Do you like to walk?
If you can, doing an end to end hike on Vermont's Long Trail is an awesome prep for the AT. Besides being a nice trail in its own right, you learn to manage resupply, tweak your gear and get a feel for a hiking trip vs. a camping trip. It helps give you the right mental frame to do a longer trip.
Many people who attempt the long trails love the outdoors. They just prefer to enjoy it at a different pace than what a thru-hike requires. They quickly find out there is a world of a difference between hiking in 5 miles, making camp and going home Sunday vs. Hiking 10-15 miles, repeat for 5 days and in all conditions. A longer hike will help determine if you are more of a camper or more of a hiker. Nothing wrong with either; just a different mind set and strategy being a camper vs what is required on a thru-hike.
As for me, I did a fair amount of backpacks prior to the AT (mainly in the Whites) in addition to an "end to end" hike on the Long Trail the year before I did the AT. As mentioned, I found doing the LT VERY helpful.
Good post, Mags. I'm always amazed at folks who decide to thru-hike the AT and show up at Springer in March -- with essentially no backpacking experience, or without ever having climbed a big hill.
I understand there's no foolproof, sure-fire preparation for a "succesful" thru hike, but to my anal, conservative way of thinking... I just can't imagine attempting such a thing with so many unknowns.
I recall watching in awe a father and his two sons at Stover Creek Shelter in April 1990... un-boxing their MSR Whisperlite stoves and lighting them for the very first time. I didn't see much of them on the trail after that -- though they did make it to Trail Days.
Footslogger
08-28-2008, 12:08
I had a lot of hiking experience but truthfully I couldn't say that it was as much responsible for my completion of a thru as my determination and bull headedness.
'Slogger
Many Walks
08-28-2008, 15:45
We hiked and camped a lot, increasing the duration as we neared our thru. We read AT books, watched videos and gleaned a lot of information from WB (have a lot of respect for everyone here!). We thought we were pretty smart with or gear, but had too much time to plan so we got into the "what if" syndrome and added too many little things for camping comfort. It amazing how we lulled ourselves into thinking we could carry all that crap over mountains. With food and water we hit the approach trail at #57 for me and #45 for Promise Keeper. We made adjustments and shipped back gear at Suches, Neels, and Franklin getting down to #26 for me and #24 for PK with 2 litres of water and 6 days of food each. We added a bit for winter clothes up north. Lessons learned: 1) pack for the hike and not for the camp. 2) think in terms of several short outings in a particular season rather than a 5 month journey. I know, it's all been said here before, but it's difficult to grasp exactly what it's like until you're actually on the trail. I think with tenacity and paying attention to the lessons the trail has to offer anyone can get through if they really want to. We met "30 pack" along the way who was named for all the batteries he carried. "First Timer" started with over #70 including his folding shovel and a 50 pack of Bic pens. He dumped/replaced a lot of gear at Neels and last saw him at the NOC.
Jim Adams
08-28-2008, 16:53
In 1990 Mule got his name by showing up on Springer with a 100lb pack. He had never camped out a night in his life...which explained the machette, Rambo knife, LARGE cannister bear spray, gun and tazer. He would stop and wait on the other side of trees as other hikers passed because he just knew that "everyone was going to mug and rob him". He was convinced to send 35lbs home at Neel's Gap and eventually got his pack down to 45lbs. He completed his thru.
Dead Ahead hiked with 40 Grateful Dead CD's and WOODEN boxed speakers mounted to the upper corners of his external frame. He completed his thru.
I had never gone 2 nights out backpacking and I took a cat. I completed my thru.
I think that attitude and will power have far more to do with a successful completion than any amount of experience, if fact IMO experience could concievebly hurt your chances. If you are used to hiking trails out west, you are already used to the isolation and having to be alittle more self-sufficient but most western trails are not steep. I can imagine a PCT hiker attempting the AT and after hitting a few of the more straight up climbs having the feeling that they will never make it and then go home. Just my opinion.
geek
You can do it either way. I had a decent amount, but a friend I finished with never spent a night outside before hitting the trail. I would say that someone is much more likely to finish if they have experience, and you should test out your gear before the trail
Did a shakedown in the 100 mile wilderness, that was it for solo backpacking.
Kirby