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twoshoes06
11-27-2008, 15:36
I was just wondering what everyone wishes they could know or get help with before heading out for a thru-hike of the A.T..

I see gear questions, food questions, planning questions, etc.

If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

Jim Adams
11-27-2008, 15:56
DISTANCE!!!!!!!
I was 3 weeks into my first thru hike before I found out that the AT was longer than 1,000 miles....really......no, REALLY!!!!!!LOL

geek

Red Hat
11-27-2008, 15:59
Really cutting pack weight. I started with over 30 lbs and that was way too much. I'm now at 25-30 depending upon season, but I still want to get lighter.

Puppy
11-27-2008, 16:33
I would have visited Neels Gap BEFORE I started hiking. When I visited while on my hike, they went through my pack took some "duplicate use" items out, and repacked it for me in a very functional way. And set up a bounce box for some items. The pack carried so much better afterwards. It was 5 pounds lighter, but honestly it felt 15 pounds lighter.

ofthearth
11-27-2008, 17:23
I would have visited Neels Gap BEFORE I started hiking. When I visited while on my hike, they went through my pack took some "duplicate use" items out, and repacked it for me in a very functional way. And set up a bounce box for some items. The pack carried so much better afterwards. It was 5 pounds lighter, but honestly it felt 15 pounds lighter.

Or found a store that understood "long distance hiking" like Winton and folks. I've seen a lot of posts that talk about stores or sales people that try and sell you gear you don't need but I think most of the time they just don't know the difference. I'd been hiking and backpacking before but it still took SORCU (Sgt. Rock, Stumpknocker and others ) to get me to lighten up and I still ended up at Neels with way to much "stuff".

Spogatz
11-27-2008, 18:37
I have not made the long walk yet but I have spent a lot of time up at Neels Gap. I highly recommend it to anyone....Highly.....

Jeff
11-27-2008, 18:37
A week long training hike would have made me alot smarter at Springer.:)

Mrs Baggins
11-27-2008, 19:51
The mental challenge of it. Really really misjudged that.

sticks&stones
11-27-2008, 20:44
I wouldve brought more irish whiskey,

Lone Wolf
11-27-2008, 20:57
If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert

KG4FAM
11-27-2008, 21:00
Nothing. My first long hike was from Springer to Damascus and I was hiking because I was just killing time and had nothing better to do. I didn't know anything about gear except that it was expensive and I was pretty close to broke. I didn't know anything about the trail so when I came up on things like Max Patch I had no idea what I was about to see. Every hundred miles seemed like I walked from one part of the world to another. As they say, ignorance is bliss.

Bearpaw
11-27-2008, 21:01
How little a need there is for maildrops. I didn't use a ton (11 total) and they were mostly for slide film and contact lenses and maps rather than food. But I could have gotten by on maybe 3 or 4, mostly for changing out gear.

Serial 07
11-27-2008, 22:00
pack weight i would say...everyone's budget is different, so weight is going to vary just because of that...but it took a stop at wintons and several hundred miles more before i really had a bag i was proud of...but my comfort only came with experience...i would have thought hiking with one pair of pants crazy in the beginning...or going commando...for me, i learned what little things i didn't need and how i could shave ounces here and there...

but i think the phrase, "ignorance is bliss" best describes where i'm comin' from...nothing like learning along the way...that's why i like wolfs advice to people, go in cold and you'll be fine...

it is just walking...well...maybe it's a little more than that...

Jim Adams
11-27-2008, 22:02
nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert
LW,
Best response I've seen on WB yet!

geek

Sleepy the Arab
11-27-2008, 23:31
Take tons of pictures. Take pictures of just about anything you can think of. And everyone. And about every event you stumble upon. Views, animals, have at it. Digital film is cheap.

Yeah there's other stuff worth mentioning, and I could spew it 'til the cows come home but I won't.

Serial 07
11-27-2008, 23:36
oh...people you meet that you like...get their information early...don't wait 'til you haven't seen'em in weeks to wish you had done this...there are a bunch of people i wish i had info for right now...

twoshoes06
11-27-2008, 23:47
I guess I should have put in my 2 cents: I would have like to have been told to wear quick wet quick dry clothes rather than Gore-Tex, especially in the footwear department.

tenlots
11-27-2008, 23:55
I would have exercised and done way more stairmaster and just walked 10 miles at home one day a week.

Bare Bear
11-28-2008, 01:22
I wish someone had told me that those wooden spreaders for the canvas tent make good firewood and rope will tie up the tent just fine and a lot lighter. (OK so maybe I started long hiking a while ago).........Ah ignorance was bliss. In 71' no one told me that hand sewn straps on a canvas bag "pack" was too heavy to hike with.

hikergirl1120
11-28-2008, 07:50
How little a need there is for maildrops. I didn't use a ton (11 total) and they were mostly for slide film and contact lenses and maps rather than food. But I could have gotten by on maybe 3 or 4, mostly for changing out gear.

But wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying food along the way??

Jim Adams
11-28-2008, 08:19
But wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying food along the way??
Not really. When you add in the cost to ship the mail drop...local food isn't any more expensive and you vary your diet to what ever you feel like buying at the moment.
In 1990 I had 11 mail drops. In 2002 I had 7 maildrops. If I can pull off the time to thru again in 2010, I will probably only have 2 or 3.

geek

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 08:21
But wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying food along the way??

no. you'll spend more on postage and time in town waiting on mail drops. buying along the way is cheaper and stress free

Newb
11-28-2008, 08:28
Like a lot of others, the first lesson In learned hiking was that I needed far less equipment than I packed.

Kirby
11-28-2008, 08:39
Blue blaze as soon as possible, that way you can enjoy your hike.

Kirby

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 08:41
my first thru-hike i started just after hot springs

Kirby
11-28-2008, 08:56
my first thru-hike i started just after hot springs

Blue blazing?

Kirby

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 08:57
Blue blazing?

Kirby

yes

BumpJumper
11-28-2008, 09:13
Can someone point me in the right direction of the AT??? I keep getting on the FLORIDA TRAIL :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 09:34
florida trail is just a flat path

sherrill
11-28-2008, 10:32
Can someone point me in the right direction of the AT??? I keep getting on the FLORIDA TRAIL :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Head north. Turn slightly northwest at the Georgia border. :D

fehchet
11-28-2008, 10:49
florida trail is just a flat path

So there is more looking around time.

TwistedToad
11-28-2008, 10:54
Can someone point me in the right direction of the AT??? I keep getting on the FLORIDA TRAIL :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

:jumproflmao!!

Bigglesworth
11-28-2008, 11:25
oh...people you meet that you like...get their information early...don't wait 'til you haven't seen'em in weeks to wish you had done this...there are a bunch of people i wish i had info for right now...

That's I really good one, actually...you assume you'll run back into one another, but not always...taking pictures of everyone, too. Somehow I'm missing photos of a couple good friends from my hike, and I took a ton of photos!

My pick for what I'd know in advance though, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, is how to use the straps on my trekking poles correctly. I was new to them on my thru, and a random guy at Neels Gap showed me how to put my hands thru the straps in a way that they actually helped...it made a big difference, and now I swear by trekking poles (I've had 6 knee surgeries, a foot and an ankle surgery, so any strain I can take off my legs is huge!).

Bigglesworth
11-28-2008, 11:29
Not really. When you add in the cost to ship the mail drop...local food isn't any more expensive and you vary your diet to what ever you feel like buying at the moment.
In 1990 I had 11 mail drops. In 2002 I had 7 maildrops. If I can pull off the time to thru again in 2010, I will probably only have 2 or 3.

geek

I think if you plan, buy in bulk, have a good support person, are really organized with mail drops, etc., they can save you money and can be convenient. If you don't organize in advance, I agree they may not be the best help. Organization is what it comes down to for them to be worth it, in my opinion.

Lilred
11-28-2008, 14:52
nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert

LOLOLOLOL!!! Now THAT'S Funny!! :p:p

Mags
11-28-2008, 15:21
I wish I had known enough to go lighter with gear. In 1998, I hiked the AT with leather boots, a 5500 CI pick, a whisperlight, etc. (nearly 30 lbs BPW!)

When I did the Long Trail again the following year, I was perhaps 17 lbs BPW.

Made a difference.


One thing that did surprise me was how much my life radically changed from pre-AT to post-AT. I can honestly say that first step from Springer Mtn not only led to Katahdin, but to the life I have currently.

If I had not done the AT, my life would have continued on the course it was on then...and look much different than it does now.

Hooch
11-28-2008, 16:08
Can someone point me in the right direction of the AT??? Show up at Springer Mountain, GA. Find the white blaze on the rock, then look for the next one down the trail. Walk to it, repeat. :D

gaga
11-28-2008, 17:08
its necessary to know how to get in touch with LW when you pass through Damascus,so you can buy him a beer or two, and say- thank you sir for the best advice,i will do it ASAP next spring when i pass thru :D so i don`t wish i knew before...regrets

Serial 07
11-28-2008, 17:12
the man has a blue blaze on his garage...and a beard...just look for the bearded guy...

ChinMusic
11-28-2008, 17:36
the man has a blue blaze on his garage...
saWHEAT

smaaax
11-28-2008, 17:40
Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

WILLIAM HAYES
11-28-2008, 17:53
I wish I had known about whiteblaze and other websites like Backpackinglight I carried entirely to much weight way back then now I am around 30 LBS for a week. There are great resources on Whiteblaze that you can learn from . Most outfitters will try to sell you a bunch of crap you don't need my rule with a few exceptions (first aid kit) is that if you don't touch it once a day you don't need it

aaroniguana
11-28-2008, 18:00
If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

I wish I had carried the first time I stepped onto the AT the knowledge that long-distance hiking is NOT a dating opportunity. :(

Doctari
11-28-2008, 18:13
1. That I didn't / don't need as much stuff as I thought I did. (still learning that lesson :rolleyes: )
2. Yea, the mental aspect of long distance hiking. IMHO counts for 98% of hiking once you are past the first week or so.
3. Re-supply ON THE TRAIL (ie: no mail drops) isn't as hard as I thought.
4. Sometimes NOBO on the AT is actually compass SOUTH, & vice versa.
5. It is going to rain! It is going to rain alot. A cheap set of rain gear isn't good enough!! (took me 5 Long section hikes to learn that one :o )

Egads
11-28-2008, 19:50
I wish I knew how to make a living while on the trail

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 20:22
I wish I knew how to make a living while on the trail

easy.gigilo. worked for me

Egads
11-28-2008, 20:28
easy.gigilo. worked for me

No thanks considering the ratio of men to women hikers.:(

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 20:37
dude. there's lotsa lady hikers

Kirby
11-28-2008, 21:05
Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

I could not agree more.

Kirby

Spock
11-28-2008, 21:13
hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

Lone Wolf
11-28-2008, 21:19
hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.
that's it in a nutshell

Doctari
11-28-2008, 21:53
hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.

Yep, got to Hot springs 12:35 on Sat, couldn't leave till Monday AM. That trip I had another Mail drop in Erwin. Both were totally not needed, & cost me over 2 days wait as I got to Erwin 5 minutes after the PO closed. Unless it's a great emergency, Erwin was my last PO mail drop!

vtdrifter
11-28-2008, 22:14
The contents of your backpack affects your eventual success rate far less than most of the threads on this forum would leave you to believe. Don't worry so much about what you're carrying and how much it all weighs.

And I second Kirby as well.

Kirby
11-28-2008, 22:28
In the end, you will spend countless hours thinking of creative ways to drop weight from your pack. Even the light weight kids spends countless hours thinking about ways to go from carrying 15 pounds to carrying 14 pounds and 15 ounces.

Start out with **** until you get to Neel's Gap, where you are going to end up spending money on new gear because they catch you right when your thinking "I'll do anything to make my pack lighter" and end up spending a lot of money.

Also, you've hiked one mile in PA and you'v hiked them all.

Kirby

Slo-go'en
11-28-2008, 23:02
That doing X miles a day on the trail is a lot harder than it is sitting at home and thinking that you can do X miles a day on the trail.

Kirby
11-28-2008, 23:22
That doing X miles a day on the trail is a lot harder than it is sitting at home and thinking that you can do X miles a day on the trail.

Affirmed. I never did get a 30 mile day.

kanga
11-29-2008, 08:57
hg1120< Wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying...?>
No. * Mail is expensive. *POs are closed 1.5 days per week, not counting federal holidays. You can get stuck in town. That always costs $$. *It is devilishly hard to estimate your food needs after time on the trail. You may get sick of your mailed food, find it inadequate to your needs, or find yourself leaving a lot in hiker boxes. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.


that's it in a nutshell


absolute truth. i got sick to death of what i had sent myself to eat, even though i tried to have a good variety when i was planning. i bounced a ton of stuff way on because i didn't want to look at it for awhile. i still can't eat a snickers bar - don't even want to smell one, and chocolate is one of my food groups.
mail certain things that you know you will need like first aid or books or whatever, but there are plenty of cheap places in the towns you'll go into to get your groceries there. remember too, after hiking for some time, things you wouldn't have thought you would eat you get cravings for when your body gets into high gear.
also, about the mileage, go ahead and make your daily mileage plan, most do, but have in mind you're just going to have to let it go when you're 20 miles behind what you thought you were going to do at the end of the first week. as intimidating as it could be, "just go hike" is the way to go. it's hard enough without putting expectations on yourself that you might not meet at first. mentally, it's hard to do a long distance hike. if you're a social person, it can get very lonely in the beginning. also, exhaustion can do a number on your mentality too, so i think it's probably better not to be too strict with your planning. it's all going to change on you anyway.
enjoy your hike!

Lyle
11-29-2008, 10:29
Make good friends on the trail, because they are the only people who you can have good conversations about the trail with after the fact. People back home don't really care/listen/appreciate stories from the trail, and I find myself avoiding talking about it because it is often pointless. They just don't get it.

Hey smaaax,

I'm in Michigan too. Love talking about trails and hiking. Ever need a sympathetic ear (course you'll have to reciprocate and listen to some of my stories too :D) just holler.

There needs to be local support groups!

Bare Bear
11-30-2008, 01:25
Jelly Bean (06) said that "What we carry in our packs are a reflection of our fears."

I wish I had known that instead of carrying a second 'town' set of clothes that you can hit a thrift shop anywhere and find something for less than $5 to wear for a day or two while zeroing.

smaaax
11-30-2008, 10:22
Hey smaaax,

I'm in Michigan too. Love talking about trails and hiking. Ever need a sympathetic ear (course you'll have to reciprocate and listen to some of my stories too :D) just holler.

There needs to be local support groups!

I think you're onto something. The distinct lack of trails in Michigan doesn't help either. Oh well, I'll be moving to PA in a couple months.

Sailor (The other one)
11-30-2008, 13:02
nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert

True. But it's your modesty I admire most. :D

Datto
11-30-2008, 21:09
I was just wondering what everyone wishes they could know or get help with before heading out for a thru-hike of the A.T.

A very good friend of mine who had thru-hiked the AT in 1998 had told me that I should take photos of everyone that I met on my upcoming Year 2000 thru-hike. That the photos of people would be the most important to me later after my thru-hike was finished and the scenery photos would fade into the distance by comparison.

That was very true. The photos of people that I have from my AT thru-hiker are what must be photos of the happiest people I have ever seen in my life. Incredible now that I look back on it.

I have this group thru-hiker photo that I'd taken at Mountain Moma's just north of the Smoky Mountains -- you can not believe how happy these people in the photo look, including me since I'd put the camera on self-timer and jumped into the photo at the last second. Must have been close to a couple of dozen ecstatically happy thru-hikers in the photo.

And it was raining outside that afternoon too!

Datto

Blissful
11-30-2008, 21:21
How hard southern Maine would be...

(though we were warned by SOBOs but I didn't believe them)

Blissful
11-30-2008, 21:30
. *Grocery store resupply is usually quick and easy compared to hanging in town waiting for the PO to open on Monday AM.


On this note ...We did arrive on a Sunday only twice (we had 30 drops, BTW) and had to get a drop twice on a Monday at 9 AM but no big deal. You just head out a little bit later that morning. Enjoyed a nice breakfast.

And it's a misnomer that you can only use POS. Hostels and motels are accepting them too (and although some had problems, the only problem we had is when we sent them surface in ME). Mail Priority with confirmation if you send.

And I have also seen hikers taking lots of time trying to get to convenience stores for resupply in certain areas. So it can happen that way too.

superman
11-30-2008, 22:11
A very good friend of mine who had thru-hiked the AT in 1998 had told me that I should take photos of everyone that I met on my upcoming Year 2000 thru-hike. That the photos of people would be the most important to me later after my thru-hike was finished and the scenery photos would fade into the distance by comparison.

That was very true. The photos of people that I have from my AT thru-hiker are what must be photos of the happiest people I have ever seen in my life. Incredible now that I look back on it.

I have this group thru-hiker photo that I'd taken at Mountain Moma's just north of the Smoky Mountains -- you can not believe how happy these people in the photo look, including me since I'd put the camera on self-timer and jumped into the photo at the last second. Must have been close to a couple of dozen ecstatically happy thru-hikers in the photo.

And it was raining outside that afternoon too!

Datto

That's so true. It is also the collection of little events along the way. Like when someone has his fellow hikers line up as he goes down the line sharing his bacardi rum with them. Thanks again.:)

Bare Bear
12-01-2008, 10:15
I'm going to miss those cheeseburgers at Mtn Mommas. Dick Tracy hiked by there last month and said everything except the main store building had been bulldozed. At least I got to stay the night in the Honeymoon Shack once. No word on when they might reopen.

Johnny Swank
12-01-2008, 10:41
But wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying food along the way??

Probably the opposite. Postage rates eat up most/all of any savings you might have by buying at home these days. Assuming you have a fairly normal trail diet, buying as you go is the only way to fly. Far easier logistics on the trail, not to mention far less stress before the trail.

I hate to even mention this, but about 80% of all prospective thru-hikers drop out each year. Maildrops made ahead of time is alot of $ tied up in something that, chances are, most people will not finish.

Lone Wolf
12-01-2008, 10:46
I hate to even mention this, but about 80% of all prospective thru-hikers drop out each year. Maildrops made ahead of time is alot of $ tied up in something that, chances are, most people will not finish.

why? it's the plain truth

FaithWalker
12-01-2008, 14:36
I find it relevant and recommend, if there are any type of health related issues, past surgeries, immunizations, etc. to have a copy of those records on-hand, if not, on a jump drive. MinnesotaSmith has told me and have read many stories of injuries on the trail. I work in health care and therefore have worked with many patients and cared for many traumas and the like. Also, if you are bringing an animal along, I would recommend the same. The dog may become sick, hurt or inadvertantly attack someone, so it would be helpful to have those records as well. It is so very important and most people might not think about it, but is very helpful especially traveling/hiking/climbing, for any sport or recreation.

Plodderman
12-01-2008, 14:44
Wear quick dry clothes and bring along a rope to hang your bag.

Many Walks
12-01-2008, 20:11
Mail drops were more stress and trouble than they were worth. Next time it's buy along the way. Also, we had to laugh about believing PA had the monopoly on rocks. They're everywhere!

Over Yonder
12-02-2008, 00:37
I wish I would have known how freaking addicted one could become with a hiking trail. :) Who'da thought?

Johnny Thunder
12-02-2008, 05:36
I wish I'd planned less. Read less. And viewed no pictures. I wish I'd envisioned myself in places along the way less. And that I went out knowing fewer people and had more questions.

Stay away from all the journals (etc) with descriptions and pictures of the South. The AT is on the EAST COAST. No modern convenience is out of your immediate reach. No trivial worry can be settled by over planning. Also, there were time when the scenery was beautiful. More beautiful, in fact, than any picture (my own or otherwise) could do justice. But, again, we're talking about the EAST COAST which was sparred the proverbial "Purple Mountains Majesty". It's going to be nice but not that nice all the time. So, stay away from the pictures...they'll only mislead you. Besides, you want surprise and adventure and stuff, right?

Also, read Jack's resupply article and realize how easy the logistics really are...then promptly forget it. By the time I reached Hiawasee my town stops became a mantra...Franklin...Fontana...Gatlinburg...Standin g Bear...etc. Always looking forward for the wrong reasons. I found that I was most stressed when trying to match myself to some arbitrary schedule. Like, if a friend was coming in Virginia I could somehow sandwich them in between Glasgow and Beauna Vista so long as I made Glasgow by Friday 5pm. It doesn't work that way. Let things come. You walk.

Finally, by growing up in/around the Northern stretch of the trail I felt like a "host" to my fellow hikers. This happened most in Duncannon. But, after PA every state felt like a homecoming. I joked that I got to towns and made them "work for me". It was fun to feel at home places as I'm sure other hikers felt ostracized in certain places/situations. I just went to the other end of the spectrum.

If I was to argue for one thing in preparing oneself for a long hike it would be to exercise virtue.

TrippinBTM
12-07-2008, 22:14
True, the planning was pointless. I spent hours with Jack's article, the handbook, the maps, trying to figure out and write up a little "cheat sheet" for town stops and such, and planning maildrops. Never used the sheet once. The people you talk to on the trail, and your own needs dictate when you stop, and how feasable it is. I fell into a group and we'd sort of plan from one stop to the next, never beyond that. And that's easy enough to figure out without planning. Like the hike: one step at a time, anyone can do that. No one can hike 2000 miles all at once.

also, I wish I'd have had better gear. I went with cheap, thus heavy, bulky, and in the end, more prone to breaking. External frame pack, cheap shoes, cheap tarp (walmart), etc... I could have saved myself a lot of effort, and probably a few weeks straight of constant ankle and foot pain, had I done better on that front.

Pictures are important, in their way, but I'd have taken less. Sometimes I was so busy trying to get a shot of something that I'd miss the experience of it, which is more important than a material memory of it. At least take less photos of mountain scenes and sunsets; as someone said, photograph the people, they're what make the trail what it is, in the end.

I agree with what Johnny Thunder said about schedules. Trying to meet up with a friend/family member, or even a fellow hiker who's ahead of you, can really take away from a good walk. I believe schedules are the antithesis of the AT.

mail drops are a PAIN, especially when the folks back home just don't get it and know little about a hiker's needs, even though you've told them exactly what you need. Glad I only had 5 to deal with; doing it again, I'd have zero.

Also, don't believe what other hikers tell you; their distance calculations are always off. That's because it's a subjective thing, how you're feeling that day and covering miles. If they say 2 miles, and it's 4, you get real frustrated after an hour. If they say 4 miles and it's 2, you can get depressed right away, which can ruin those 2 miles for you. Basically, don't ask their opinion on what's ahead, either. Let it come by your own walking.

One more thing. I wish I'd known NY was as rugged as it was. Everyone talks about how flat VA is (ha!), how rocky PA is, how hard the whites/southern Maine is, but NY is ignored; really took me by surprise, all those very steep, if short, climbs, like going up little cliffs and rock faces.

twoshoes06
12-08-2008, 14:08
Thank you everyone for the responses.. I think that a lot of people will find all of this information very useful :-)

DavidNH
12-08-2008, 14:40
I wish I knew..

A wilderness trail the AT is not. It is mostly a party trail and only in the northern sections does it become a real hikers trail

David

Plodderman
12-08-2008, 16:27
I am a section hiker and enjoy the different scenery. Many of the things I wish I new before I did some long hiking on the trail I have picked up from other hikers on the trail. I think this is the way you are supposed to learn about hiking. Watching someone else show you an easier way.

Pony
12-09-2008, 14:11
I wish I'd planned less. Read less. And viewed no pictures. I wish I'd envisioned myself in places along the way less. And that I went out knowing fewer people and had more questions.


So true. Many people, myself included, have this preconcieved notion about what the trail will be like, only to find out that it isn't the same as all the photos or the journals that you've read.

I've been thinking about how far I want to go on my section hike next spring, and yesterday made my decision. Last night I was looking at my guidebook and the resupply article and decided to just put it away. I will save up some money and start in Damascus then walk until I feel like coming home, whether that's in Pa, or Maine.

Overplanning takes some of the fun out of it. Just start walking and have fun.

Jack Tarlin
12-09-2008, 20:05
Oh, please. It is not "mostly a party Trail."

Are there partiers out there?

Sure there are.

And they're easily avoided.

The Trail is as social as you want it to be. If you want to be around people, then stay at or near shelters, or spend a lot of time in towns and hostels. If this isn't your thing, then spend most of your time on the Trail, hiking.

And it's only a "real hiker's Trail" up North?

Please.

There's some pretty cool hiking down south, bub. FGeorgia is pretty great. So is North Carolina. Carver's Gap to 19E is some of the finest hiking anywhere. Damascus to Mt. Rogers HQ is fantastic. Great sections of Virginia are gorgeous.

But therse aren't real hiker trails, and it only gets real when you're up North?

What a silly, and ultimately, what a sad complaint. The poster must have missed something along the way.

emerald
12-09-2008, 20:41
Many people, myself included, have this preconcieved notion about what the trail will be like, only to find out that it isn't the same as all the photos or the journals that you've read.

Everyone has a different experience, even those who have hiked the A.T. more than once. The weather, people encountered and one's own body and mind contribute to the differences experienced.


Overplanning takes some of the fun out of it. Just start walking and have fun.

Overplanning is like overstudying. There's enough and more than enough, but it's hard to know beforehand when enough is reached.

Planning helps build enthusiasm, expectations and the commitment necessary to carry on. Hiking unprepared is not good either.

Powder River
01-10-2009, 03:43
I would have slowed down. I would have taken more time to be with friends and enjoy the hike, and worried less about whether I was going to be in town X by such and such day. I would have done far less mail drops, as I ended up 'racing the p.o.' on more than one occasion, which is not very fun. I would have had less meetings with friends or family while on the trail, or places to be. Most of all I would not have scheduled myself to be back at work by September 29!

I would have stayed at shelters less, and beautiful viewpoints more. I cowboy'd on top of the platform of the Lookout in Vermont, and I wish every night on the AT were like that.

I would have taken more pictures of people, of everyday life, of shelter life, of hostels with gear and dirty hikers everywhere, of smiling faces. Far too many times I was more excited about the beautiful panoramic view I had captured from a ridgetop, or some flower or interesting tree. I would gladly trade these shots now for pictures of my friends eating lunch, or trying to hang a bear bag.

Finally, and this is an idea I really struggle with, is the journaling. I spent prodigous amounts of time writing at the end of each day, in my tent. It would usually take me an hour to write a good journal entry, which I was trying to keep up one per day. I finally gave up in Vermont, and it definitely freed a lot of time and energy each day. However, this is a double edged sword, as I am now very, very thankful for all of the writing I did. I will have this journal to read forever, and my grandkids can read it. I just wish there was a way to accomplish this without all the time and stress it takes from the hike.

Sly
01-10-2009, 04:11
Probably the opposite. Postage rates eat up most/all of any savings you might have by buying at home these days. Assuming you have a fairly normal trail diet, buying as you go is the only way to fly. Far easier logistics on the trail, not to mention far less stress before the trail.

I hate to even mention this, but about 80% of all prospective thru-hikers drop out each year. Maildrops made ahead of time is alot of $ tied up in something that, chances are, most people will not finish.

(for a tight budget)


There's two ways to think of this. If you can buy all your food ahead of time, remembering to change your diet from week to week, have someone mail them as you go and figure in the cost of mailing, unless you get injured, you have no excuse to quit the trail. (usually someone runs out of money) You'll have enough food to finish. If you don't succeed, you can always eat the food at home.

So what if the PO's are closed on weekends, and holidays. Either take an extra day or send to facilities like hostels or motels that will have your package waiting.

Plodderman
01-10-2009, 10:58
That I enjoyed it so much that I would of done it sooner

sticks&stones
01-10-2009, 12:07
that there are dry countys in and around the southern terminus

JAK
01-10-2009, 12:16
Excellent thread. I really liked Johny Swanks comment about virtue, and LW's as always,
and even Jack's. I hope to hike the AT someday. Not sure what I will learn, but I hope to learn to blue blaze.

"LW went forth seeking virtue; he found blue blazes instead."

Spirit Walker
01-10-2009, 13:55
Finally, and this is an idea I really struggle with, is the journaling. I spent prodigous amounts of time writing at the end of each day, in my tent. It would usually take me an hour to write a good journal entry, which I was trying to keep up one per day. I finally gave up in Vermont, and it definitely freed a lot of time and energy each day. However, this is a double edged sword, as I am now very, very thankful for all of the writing I did. I will have this journal to read forever, and my grandkids can read it. I just wish there was a way to accomplish this without all the time and stress it takes from the hike.

One of the things I learned to do was write during the day. I'd take half an hour or more at lunch to write about the morning. Sometimes when I take a late afternoon break I'll write a bit. You remember more when the memories are fresh and generally I'm more upbeat in the late morning than I am at the end of a long day. I'll write a bit more while dinner is cooking. My journals have never been a burden. And as you note, they are a lot of fun to read afterwards.

emerald
01-10-2009, 14:08
The best online journals are written by hikers who write about their experiences as they are happening, immediately afterwards or by referring to their own unpublished journal entries to aid in recalling their sensory experiences and emotions. Photos can serve to transport one back into time too.

In the summer months, it's a good idea to take a long break at the middle of the day when the sun and temperature are at their highest and one's own water requirements are greatest. Hiking will take the most out of you then often at a time when water is harder to come by. Why not sit in the shade and write, saving batteries for the unanticipated when they're needed?

TrippinBTM
01-10-2009, 18:29
I always enjoyed writing at night. It would allow me to review my day right before bed, which is very satisfying.

But I can see the benefit of midday writing, so you don't forget anything. Plus a lot of people, myself included, tend to do their best thinking in the morning.

windex
01-10-2009, 21:33
I will admit I haven't read all the replies, but here is what I wish I would have known/ paid attention to:
1. Slowed the heck down. I really don't remember much of New England and I know that I had to get back to get a teaching job, but I should have started sooner.
2. I overplanned everything. I had packages with food, medicines, contacts, etc... all ready to go before I went. I should have just bought food as I went and had the contacts and meds sent.
3. One thing that I did that I have never met another hiker who did this was to schedule people from churches in the areas where I thought I would be near on Sundays to take me to church. I met some incredible families and it made the trail communities more personal for me.
4. Tents are over-rated. I hardly ever used mine.
5. I wish I would have been open-minded enough to go out with the other hikers to a bar in town now and then. I didn't drink alcohol and was super straight-edge and now I realize that I missed some of those amazing trail conversations and perhaps some magic.
6. No amount of training will prepare you for Georgia (or nobo Maine). I worked my butt off in the gym with a heavy backpack for about 4 hours a day for three months. I was still huffing up some of those darn hills. You condition as you go. I do know that all that work did allow me to be an endurance monster... so it was worth it.
7. Finally, I wish I would have known how much my life would change because of the thru-hike. The AT opened my heart and mind in ways that I would have never imagined. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to do what I did and my life is far better for the experience.

johnnybgood
01-10-2009, 22:42
Excellent post and reflection windex. #3 is unique and being a christian myself I wondered if Sundays were used as a zero day for you? And #4 "no tent" , so you stayed in shelters or had tarp,etc. #7 is good to hear 'cause I would think that a persons soul if often under nournished and in need of a spiritual awakening. I hope the trail does just that for me. GOD BLESS

emerald
01-11-2009, 01:13
3. One thing that I did that I have never met another hiker who did this was to schedule people from churches in the areas where I thought I would be near on Sundays to take me to church. I met some incredible families and it made the trail communities more personal for me.

The year I through hiked, I travelled at roughly the same pace as another hiker through much of the South. Every Sunday, he went to church. It didn't matter where or what denomination. He met some of the most remarkable people, had some of the best stories to tell afterwards and may have enjoyed himself more than anyone.

catfishrivers
01-11-2009, 01:20
Some excellent tips in this thread. Thank You everyone. I hope to have my own contribution to this thread this time next year. :)

Spirit Walker
01-11-2009, 13:03
I visited a lot of different churches on my thruhikes. It was quite eye opening. I saw some where I felt right at home (i.e. DWG) and some where I really couldn't fathom worshiping there (i.e Damascus and Monson). As others have said, you meet some really nice local people who don't normally have much to do with hikers. I always felt that if you were staying at a church hostel on a weekend, it was only polite to attend the church that was hosting us. But there were a lot of others too - from a holy roller church in Virginia to Catholic churches in Hot Springs and Front Royal to Episcopal and Methodist.

Grampie
01-11-2009, 20:39
Quite a few things I wish I had known. Learning them is what the adventure is all about. If I knew how hard it was for a 65 year old guy, I probably wouldn't have done it and stayed home. :)

tom_alan
01-11-2009, 23:08
Quite a few things I wish I had known. Learning them is what the adventure is all about. If I knew how hard it was for a 65 year old guy, I probably wouldn't have done it and stayed home. :)

Wow ~ I'm 50 and was wondering if maybe I could do it in my lifetime. Seeing all the 60 and over people do it makes me feel like I will do it someday. Maybe I can get my son to do it with me.
https://home.comcast.net/~smith_brothers/images/Max First Pack.jpg

ChinMusic
01-12-2009, 00:10
Holy Cow. What did that load weigh?

tom_alan
01-12-2009, 00:42
Holy Cow. What did that load weigh?

Between 55 & 65. The tent is a four-man tent that weighs 4.3 lbs. I was carrying a lot of gear for him and some of the gear for Grandpa. My son had a change of clothes (I had his jacket and long pants and his Mom thought he needed more clothes and I couldn’t convince her otherwise and he had to have his special blanket) and I carried everything else but his North Face sleeping bag ~ he wanted to carry that. I carried all the food and group gear. We all three had a ball. Here is another picture from that day.

https://home.comcast.net/~smith_brothers/images/Best-Tom-Max.jpg

BTW - I think my gear weighed around 20lps and another four for the tent. Most of the weight was theirs. Grandpa did carry the fishing gear

tom_alan
01-12-2009, 00:50
Holy Cow. What did that load weigh?

BTW ~ The pack is an expidition Gregory pack (Palisade). I usually use one of my North Face rope bags when I go out. I can get all my gear inside them and keep it down to around 20 to 22 pounds. The packs are also balanced well so they are nice to ski with.

Yes, I was carrying a heavy load when we went out.

Ramble~On
01-12-2009, 01:03
I wish I knew..

A wilderness trail the AT is not. It is mostly a party trail and only in the northern sections does it become a real hikers trail

David

Really ? Please feel free to elaborate on your opinion.

- Woulda - Shoulda - Coulda
Much better camera than in 96, better journal, lighter gear/less gear/better gear, few if any mail drops - More money, more photos. Much lighter footwear. Less concern for the destination and more emphasis on the journey.

kilroy
01-14-2009, 19:36
Hiking the AT is something that I'd wanted to do for some time, but like so many other things I kept saying "I'll get to it..."

Well, I'm not getting any younger, and I realized that if I want to do something, I'd better do it, because like the CCR song says "someday never comes". So now I've been to Europe, got my SCUBA certification and started section hiking the AT.

The ONE thing I wish I'd known was that it was going to re-ignite my passion for the outdoors like nothing else has. Sitting at my desk at work is pure torture now. If this job didn't pay for my (too many) hobbies I'd chuck it in a second to spend more time on the trail.

I think the one thing I'd tell someone just starting is even the most hellish day on the trail is fun looking back on.

dradius
01-15-2009, 09:56
A wilderness trail the AT is not. It is mostly a party trail and only in the northern sections does it become a real hikers trail


From everything I've read and people I have talked to, I can see where you are coming from with this. The more I learn about the AT, the less desire I have to ever hike it.

superman
01-15-2009, 11:38
From everything I've read and people I have talked to, I can see where you are coming from with this. The more I learn about the AT, the less desire I have to ever hike it.

Yeah, the AT is over rated. It's not nearly as much fun as the brochure says it is. I hiked the AT because there was a picture of a smiling young woman in great shape hiking the AT in nice weather on the companion. I was sooo disappointed that not all the girls look like that, it rains, it's cold, there are lots of azz holes and the food sucks. I'm thinking of doing it again in 2010 just to see if my impression of it is right.:-?

dradius
01-16-2009, 10:37
there are lots of azz holes

I think this was DavidNH's point. Not necessarily the people being "azz holes" but just there being a lot of people. Nonetheless your post was humorous.

Kanati
01-16-2009, 18:27
The question was, What do you wish you had know before you began you A.T. hike. For me,

1. I wish I had know just how much I would miss a good breakfast. I
hate eating pop-tarts and honey buns. I love fried eggs,
bacon/sausage/ham, gravy, grits, biscuits, and fresh fruit.
2. I wish I had know that the "great adventure" would not be near death
experiences which I was hoping for. Don't ask me to explain. Some
just can't be tapped into. But in the end, I would like it more that it
wasn't.
3. I wish I had known that, what I would really get from the experience
would be restoration of my faith in humanity. Prior to my hike I had
about given up on this modern word we live in. I had resigned myself
to the opinion that our once great nation was in a irreversible,
downward spiral of greed, and selfishness. But what I discovered was
that most people are basically good and will help you when you need it.
It's unfortunate that the media attention is given to the bad issues,
because that's how my malformed opinion came about. I don't watch
the news much anymore.
4. I wish I had know that, I would have been this addicted to the trail,
it's hikers, it's trail angels, it's views, streams, waterfalls, it's pain at
the end of the day, it's desire to see what's over the next mountain. If
had, I wouldn't have waited so long to hike it.

That's it.

Happy hiking. :sun

Serial 07
01-16-2009, 18:30
that you can take a tea bag and brew some sun tea to flavor the water when it gets kinda boring come month 4...has this already been said? i haven't read them all...

Jack Tarlin
01-16-2009, 18:46
Some good stuff here.

For those interested in the subject, go to the "Articles" section of this website and look at the "Hiker Advice" section. There's a good thread called "What I'd do differently." Some of the comments are almost five years old, but there's some interesting stuff here.

TrippinBTM
01-16-2009, 19:49
3. I wish I had known that, what I would really get from the experience
would be restoration of my faith in humanity. Prior to my hike I had
about given up on this modern word we live in. I had resigned myself
to the opinion that our once great nation was in a irreversible,
downward spiral of greed, and selfishness. But what I discovered was
that most people are basically good and will help you when you need it.
It's unfortunate that the media attention is given to the bad issues,
because that's how my malformed opinion came about. I don't watch
the news much anymore.


Man, me too. I became a lot less cynical as I hiked. Not only did I by and large encounter warm, open people who were friendly and helpful, but I think being away from the stress, noise, and overcrowding of the cities and in nature so fully really helped.

But I also had my first experience with discrimination, so I became a bit less naive too. I'm a white male from a middle class household. To be suddenly (for all intents and purposes) a smelly homeless drifter, and the attitudes I'd occasionally get, was a bit of an eye opener, even though it was a pretty mild case (being near the AT where hikers are "common" means it could have been a lot worse).