Hiker from UK

[HockeyGirl]

Hello all!

I'm hoping to hike the trail in 2011 and am already starting the research into equipment etc and while the forum is great for help, one thing I'm noticing is 99.9% of people seem to already be in the states and I'm in the UK!
So my question is, are there any hikers attempting or who have hiked the trail from my part of the world?
I'm just thinking logistically about whether to get equipment here or over there (need to test it!), mail drop feasibility etc....

Anyone in my situation who is free to chat and alley fears?

[warraghiyagey]

I've hiked with two folks from england who had no problem bringing their prepared packs on the plane, train, bus. . . just a matter of getting the visa for long enough to do the trail. They didn't have any problem with that either.
One of them was even back this past year hiking the PCT after two AT thrus.
Have fun:sun

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

But from the Colonies ! I travelled from Australia to the US to hike the AT. It's not a big problem. Here's some info, feel free to contact me directly by email or PM if you have more questions. (or just post them here)

Gear - I bought some gear from the US. Purchased on-line & had it shipped over. Did this due to the bigger range & better prices in the US compared to Australia. Things that I needed to try out or fit correctly eg. shoes, pack, clothes etc. I bought in Australia.

Mail Drops - hard to do from outside the US due to BIG cost. Anyway you would be spending lots of money shipping things that you could buy locally anyway. It is not difficult to buy food as you hike. Maybe do mail drops at a few places where re-supply is difficult or limited, you can make these up while on the trail & mail them ahead. Look at the excellent re-supply article here on WB in the Articles section for some good advice. I did use a bounce box to store things that I didn't need with me eg. maps for later on the trail, cold weather gear after Pearisburg, spare jar of Vegemite ! I picked it up about every 2-3 weeks, got out what I needed & then mailed it ahead.

Visa - You will need to get a visa. Not difficult (unless you have a shady past !) but a bit of an annoying process, you have to fill out a few forms & then go to the US Consulate for an interview. The visa is valid for either 1 or 5 years. BUT, the length of time you can actually stay in the US on any one visit is determined by the immigration official at the port of entry. SO you can turn up in the US & the guy might decide he only wants to give you 3 months. This is very unlikely though & I have never heard of it happening. The will ask you the reason for your visit, & give you plenty of time. I was given 6 months, which was more than enough for my hike.
Here's the link to the visa info http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/b2.html

Hiking in a foreign Country - -Don't worry about it..... You will experience incredible generosity & kindness from the locals. This was the best part of my thru-hike experience. I could not believe how much people were willing to do for me. It will really change you view of the world and the people in it !

Cheers,

Kaptain Kangaroo

[futureatwalker]

Hello HockeyGirl -

I've done some sections of the AT, including the start in Georgia, so I might be able to help with some logistics questions. I haven't thru-hiked yet, so I'm certainly don't know the whole trail.

My advice: Contact Josh and Leigh at the Hiker Hostel in Georgia. They'll pick you up on the outskirts of Atlanta (at the end of the train line), and take you to the trail. There's an outfitter (REI) there, so you can stock up with food and last minute stuff.

All the best...

[garlic08]

I've hiked with several Brits, a couple Germans, one Swiss, one Japanese, one Korean, one Chinese....

The 6-month visa is a big issue.

The Brits seem to usually buy thru-hike-specific US gear on-line before the hike, the other nationalities do not, in my experience. Whether it's a language barrier, favorable exchange rate, availability of suitable gear locally, I don't know.

There's no real need to do food maildrops ahead of time on the AT. Lots of grocery stores to get started, and if you feel the need to send some ahead, you can do it from here. Other equipment like shoes, warm-weather gear, pharmaceuticals or other expendables, it's your choice, I've seen them sent from abroad and purchased over here. Some use a large "bounce box", some don't.

Is there some kind of slang dictionary you can buy? American slang, especially the southern variety, might throw you for a loop. Y'all know what they say, the US and GB are two countries divided by a common language!

[DTG]

im heading over from the uk in a week or so.
cant say at the moment what im missing out on planning for (hope nothing too important!!) but all the equipment that comes up in gear list critiques is easily available in the uk - ive got a seedhouse tent, golite pack etc.
in terms of planning; its been mentioned already but you need a 6 month visa which is a bit of a pain.
coming from overseas makes it bit harder and a bit scarier but also more exciting. good luck!

[JJJ]

Welcome, Hockeygirl.
Hope you have a wonderful experience.
Family and I were car campinging in the Grayson Highlands about 15 years and met a Swede and a Dane section hiking.
It's always a pleasure to meet the world in one's backyard.
Have fun.

[Blissful]

Sure we met several from the UK on the trail in '07. I thought one was named Spoons. Anyway, come on over!

[Ox97GaMe]

HockeyGirl,
The most hassle will be in regards to your visa and how it is prepared. A lot of international folks have flown into Atlanta to hike the trail. I have only heard of one instance where a hiker had a problem (there may have been more). He was 19 and had filled out a student visa (he was a student at a university in England) instead of a tourist type visa. When he got to the US, the custom agents wouldnt let him through because he couldnt tell them which university he was going to be attending during his 6 month stay. He was held up in customs for several hours while they sorted all that out.

They may (Im not sure about this..) ask you for a point of contact in the US. That is what ultimately got the above mentioned young man cleared. Ask the consolate if this will be an issue. If so, I would suggest you contact ATC in Harpers Ferry and ask if you can put them down as a reference. If you do that, they might ask you to update them occassionally along your hike.

As for your gear. Most items will be able to be put on a plane. I suggest putting your pack in some sort of duffle so that it doesnt get snagged when being transported through baggage services at the various airports. The two items that will be questioned at airport screenings are
a) fuel bottles - if possible, get these in US. They typically cost about $15-20 USD, depending on the size/type of fuel you use.
b) stoves - dont use the stove for approx a month prior to shipping it. Otherwise, there may still be traces of fuel fumes which might be picked up by explosive detection devices at the airport.

Also, DO NOT put hiking poles in with your carry on items. Some airlines consider these potential weapons and will take them from you before boarding the plane. I disassemble the poles and stick them with my tent poles in the pack.

[HockeyGirl]

Thanks for all of your replies, has started to put my mind at ease.
I hope to try and buy most stuff over here, but was worried about putting it on the plane and having someone snatch stuff, so some good tips here, thanks!

I'm very lucky on the visa front, don't need one as I'm dual national :-)

Bounce box sounds like it might help me a bit, so thanks for the idea, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to have to buy food as I go.

Can't wait to get out there, just have to brush up on my hiking skills over here first - cheers to you all :-)

[Doctari]

It may be nothing, but may be a consideration. I just thought of this after seeing my MSR dragonfly on top of one of my gear cabinets:

What type of stove are you planning on using?
I suspect my Dragonfly would look much like a bomb in an X-Ray machine. Likely, a few others would also.
If it's a problem, mail it ahead of you.


I some day hope to hike in your area, I'll just make a stove out of a handy can & burn alcohol, so no stove on a plane problems for me. Then again, my pot has a heat sink on it, maybe a problem. :confused:

[Blue Jay]

Thanks for all of your replies, has started to put my mind at ease.
I hope to try and buy most stuff over here, but was worried about putting it on the plane and having someone snatch stuff, so some good tips here, thanks!

Buy an old duffle bag from a thrift store. Make sure it is stained and has a few small holes. When you get here throw it away. No one will touch your stuff. Plenty of great Limeys show up every year. Many of you know London Len, who came over with crap gear and had a great time. Don't worry about anything as we love you guys.:welcome

[Old Hillwalker]

Welcome to Whiteblaze Hockeygirl. I'm coming over to walk the Cape Wrath trail during the upcoming month of May and will be using my UL AT gear. I am only a section hiker, but have been walking parts of the AT since roughly 1967. If you would like to chat about it, come up to Western Scotland and hike a bit of the 215 miles with me.

All the best, ThomasW

[jb-]

Greetings, I travel quite a bit and there has been some great advice already offered. If you're only bringing the essentials then you should be able to keep most of your valuable gear in your carry on. I bring my pack on planes and leave anything questionable in a cheap check-in bag. If you go that route, I'd recommend insuring your luggage with the airlines. It's not too much money to pick up insurance for ~$1k worth of items, and well worth it if your bag arrives late or is stolen/lost.

Mailing some of your gear and picking it up near the trail could probably be done too. I figure the hassle of doing that is greater than waiting for bags at the airport, others probably disagree.

[Downunda]

As an Aussie who has also hiked the AT I recommend that you buy most of your gear in the USA as it is much cheaper and the range of products to select from is huge. I joined REI which also proved beneficial as besides getting a member discount I also got to share in profit distribution later on (REI stores everywhere). The only thing you may want to bring with you are hiking boots if you have already broken them in.

[stranger]

I agree with Downunda, generally, buying in the US will be cheaper. I'm an American who has lived in New Zealand for the past 6 years, now in Australia. I also have an extensive background in the US outdoor industry and would recommend researching gear extensively before making any choices.

But if you are in the UK, the pound is probably kicking the greenbacks ass right now, so you might have a good exchange rate at the moment. I have ordered gear from the US and had it shipped to NZ, it's still much cheaper than buying oveseas in my experience. Plus, NZ is much further away than the UK, so the shipping would be cheaper.

Check out Terra Nova tents if you haven't already heard about them, cause god knows the English can't build packs! JK

[HockeyGirl]

God there's a million and one ways to do things aren't there?

I'm starting to research gear now and think I might buy before I fly, only because I don't want to be turning up and purchasing untested kit.
But thanks for the tips and hope to meet some folks on the trail :-)