First Timer - Thru Hike 2011 - Questions

[abbyflutterby]

I've decided I want to hike the entirety of the trail in 2011.
This forum is incredible, wealth of knowledge here...
so overwhelmed I hardly know where to go first.

Here's a few questions I have so far:

1. I've never used a stove while hiking or camping.
What am I going to want it for? :o
What's a decent, simple stove for a single hiker going to run me?
Any suggestions?

2. Which choice will give me less cold weather/snowy conditions - SOBO or NOBO?

3. My schedule's essentially open for my start date... although I'd like to get back before August. When should I start if I'd like to avoid cold weather?
(I really can handle the stuff, just would like to plan to avoid as much as I can. :p)

I may add more questions later. Once again this place is great and I can't wait to get going next year.

Thanks much!

-Abagayle

[Lone Wolf]

1. Pocket Rocket
2. either direction about the same
3. first week of april

[Nean]

There are no cook hikers out there- tryin to save weight. I likes my coffee and most times easily cooked meals. You can make an alcohol stove for nothing or buy one for next to nothing. I use canister stoves however as I find them easier to use.

If you want to be back by august you won't be going sobo so be prepared for cold weather into April.

[abbyflutterby]

If you want to be back by august you won't be going sobo
Do explain.

[grayfox]

I've decided I want to hike the entirety of the trail in 2011.
This forum is incredible, wealth of knowledge here...
so overwhelmed I hardly know where to go first.
-Abagayle

:welcome

Abby, you have much to learn Grasshopper!

Start with the archived articles here. They will tell you most of the answers you are seeking. Ask us when you find you need more specific advice about gear, logistics, and trail smarts.

Get a day pack and the ten essentials and get outdoors.

Cold weather is something you may come to like if, as in all things, you keep an open mind. No snakes, no bugs, no mud, no tourists--nice.

:sunIt is good to have young people interested in the trail--it gives us hope for the future of the AT and other trails.

grayfox

[Nean]

Do explain.


June is as early as you can start in Maine and aviod most snow (but not bugs and mud) and just a guess that you wont be hiking almost 300 miles per week.

[abbyflutterby]

June is as early as you can start in Maine and aviod most snow (but not bugs and mud) and just a guess that you wont be hiking almost 300 miles per week.

Ah, didn't know about the June thing.

And thanks grayfox!

I've been doing 4-5 days on my own when work permits, love it and want more.

Trying to get the time for a two weeker just to see.
My issue with experience, I find, is that I tend to set up camp and bike around more than I hike, camp, hike, camp. Gotta work on this. :rolleyes:

[Firefighter503]

Since you want to be done by August, I'd say shoot for a 03/01/11 start date. You are still going to need to pack the miles in to be done by August though. And expect snow early on in the trip.

[rhjanes]

You want to be back "before August"? NOBO is the only way. Most hikes are 4 to 5 months. You need to start 3/1 and be prepared for cold and snow. 2010 was a bit off-kilter, I forget when the big snow hit, but a LOT of hikers had to get off trail for a week because of it. In late March or April.

[Mountain Wildman]

If you started on April 1st, You would have 122 days to get to Katahdin, That's 17.8 miles per day with no days off. You would most likely avoid cold weather but you would have to hike hike hike, If you just want to do it and Enjoyment, Time in Trail Towns, Sightseeing and Zero Days don't matter, Then you could make it by the end of July.
As far as a stove, If you just want to boil water, then any one will work, Alcohol stoves are cheap and there are quite a few designs available. For Canister type stoves, The Pocket Rocket by MSR is popular but you have to carry the canister fuel and you are not supposed to just throw them away when empty, (Recycling item) , Liquid fuel stoves require the appropriate fuel container but it is reusable, No recycling involved, MSR is popular for liquid fuel stoves as well like the Simmerlite or Whisperlite, The MSR Dragonfly is one of the only truly adjustable and able to simmer liquid fuel stoves. PackaFeather makes alcohol stoves that have an adjustment, I have the PackaFeather XL, I wrote a review in the Gear Review Forum under cooking. Wood Stoves are another option but a little tricky to use and they do a good job at getting soot on your cooking pot.
You could go stoveless but if you want to make hot food, coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc... Then you will want at least a stove and pot, You could go with a Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium Pot/Mug for around 30 bucks and use it to boil water and as your drinking mug and it is just large enough for Ramen or Noodle side dishes. I use an Evernew Titanium Non-Stick Pot with Frypan lid but I eat larger meals and prefer to eat more than just noodles. It is really difficult to fry in a Mug. Anyway, Hope this helps more than confuses!!

[Kirby]

I started March 1st and finished July 23rd.

[DapperD]

If you started on April 1st, You would have 122 days to get to Katahdin, That's 17.8 miles per day with no days off. You would most likely avoid cold weather but you would have to hike hike hike, If you just want to do it and Enjoyment, Time in Trail Towns, Sightseeing and Zero Days don't matter, Then you could make it by the end of July.
As far as a stove, If you just want to boil water, then any one will work, Alcohol stoves are cheap and there are quite a few designs available. For Canister type stoves, The Pocket Rocket by MSR is popular but you have to carry the canister fuel and you are not supposed to just throw them away when empty, (Recycling item) , Liquid fuel stoves require the appropriate fuel container but it is reusable, No recycling involved, MSR is popular for liquid fuel stoves as well like the Simmerlite or Whisperlite, The MSR Dragonfly is one of the only truly adjustable and able to simmer liquid fuel stoves. PackaFeather makes alcohol stoves that have an adjustment, I have the PackaFeather XL, I wrote a review in the Gear Review Forum under cooking. Wood Stoves are another option but a little tricky to use and they do a good job at getting soot on your cooking pot.
You could go stoveless but if you want to make hot food, coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc... Then you will want at least a stove and pot, You could go with a Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium Pot/Mug for around 30 bucks and use it to boil water and as your drinking mug and it is just large enough for Ramen or Noodle side dishes. I use an Evernew Titanium Non-Stick Pot with Frypan lid but I eat larger meals and prefer to eat more than just noodles. It is really difficult to fry in a Mug. Anyway, Hope this helps more than confuses!!While going stoveless is certainly an option, I don't really think that it is smart to do it if it is still cold out. The ability to be able to heat drinks such as hot chocolate, etc...and for their warming effect could help play a role in preventing hypothermia at the end of a long, cold,wet day. This is something important to consider. As much as going stoveless almost seems desireable(to save weight, room in your pack, hassle, etc...) going stoveless in the winter at least for myself would not be an option.

[bigcranky]

If you really *need* to be back by August 1, then a northbound hike is the only reasonable option. If it were me I would budget six months for the hike, which means starting on February 1. That also means a lot of cold weather at the start, and carrying extra gear and food to deal with said cold weather. (At the very least you can count on some single-digit nights and some decent snow with an early February start.)

If you can be flexible on the end date, that opens up more options. A reasonable southbound hike will start in early June and end around Thanksgiving. The weather will be a lot more moderate for most of the hike -- pleasant summer weather in New England, then cooler fall weather in the mid-Atlantic, and late fall in the South, when temps will start to dip below freezing. You could also choose one of several hikes that start in the middle (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805565/k.67EA/Alternative_Itineraries.htm), hike to Maine, then flip back down to your start point and hike south to Springer. For example, start at Harper's Ferry on May 1 and hike north to Katahdin. Then get a ride back to HF and hike south to Springer, finishing around the end of October.

(Note that many hikers your age will complete a thru-hike in less than 6 months. Adjust accordingly.)

For a stove, any small butane canister stove will be the easiest to use -- go for one in the 3-ounce range. The Pocket Rocket is popular, but I didn't much like the pot supports. My personal preference is for the Coleman F1 Ultralight stove, but I also like the Brunton Raptor. These stoves aren't as good in cold weather, though, and you'll often need to carry an extra fuel canister.

Nowadays a lot of long distance hikers use alcohol stoves year-round. They are very light, very easy to use, cheap (free if you make your own), and fuel is available most everywhere. The only downside is they take longer to boil water.

[10-K]

My fuel of choice for over a year has been esbit. It doesn't spill, all you need for a container is a baggie and there's nothing to throw away when it's gone. And you can mail it without a hassle.

Combined with a caldera cone IMO it can't be beat. Boils water almost as fast as a canister too. Not quite - but almost.

The only downside is that you can't get it just anywhere but I was surprised at how many places it is available.

[Mango]

I started on 7 March and finished on 28 July. I didn't hike very fast (16.1 average mi/day), but I only took 9 zeros. The discipline to avoid the vortex in towns is the key to an early finish.
Have a great hike.
Mango