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The Well
12-07-2010, 02:24
Hello Everyone,
I'm obviously new on the scene here and could not find a better place to post this introduction than here in the general discussion forum. :welcome(Mods if there is/was a better place I'm sorry in advance and feel free to move it to where it belongs :-)
I have recently decided that I want to embark on the the journey of thru-hiking the AT. I have little to no experience in long distance hiking and I was wondering where I should begin. I am currently perusing these forums and their wonderful advice as well as the official AT information website. I am allowing myself plenty of preparation time, my current plan has me in the 2012 class.
Please don't flame as I am trying not to be a troll but rather be engaged in the conversations on this forum and would like helpful advice rather than simple replies of L2Search. Thank you! And I hope to join you all on the trail soon.

Ryan

MisplacedMainer
12-07-2010, 03:05
I think most people would say just educate yourself thoroughly. Make sure you really have the itch under the skin that won't go away till you've completed the AT; not just a fleeting fancy from reading an article in a backpacking magazine. I would say have fun, be safe, and good luck!

Johnny Thunder
12-07-2010, 03:29
welcome. i would first caution you to take any information you read on/learn from an internet message board with a grain of salt. there are many resources local to you who can help broaden your knowledge about our little hobby.

i'd suggest making a trip to the PA Ruck, traditionally held at Ironmaster's hostel near gettysburg. It should be in the late winter. also, billville gets together every spring for it's winter warmer just outside of harrisburg (sometime in mid-march). and that's just the early spring events. think about making the trip to trail days...or even just over to harper's ferry, wv when the weather warms. there is another gathering for "aldha" in mass this fall. anyway, lots of places to go meet real hikers, look them in the eye, and ask for some advice.

I started researching my 2008 hike in November '06 (which is pretty much exactly the same amount of time you have). I did have some scouting experience (and other HS-vintage trips) but that's about it.

you'd do fine just unraveling the information on this site as it comes to you. take a few minutes to look over the articles section here on whiteblaze. (thru hiking info tab). that'll get you a little ways along in understanding. then, start contributing...if something needs explanation, ask. otherwise, go back through the older posts....yes, learn to search. annoying, i know, but you have a lot of time. also, you'll be able to see 2011 hikers come here for last minute information as well.

just remember that highly specific information is going to be highly specific to the person giving it. i can tell you all day what works for me. you and either trust me at face value or try to find someone more similar to yourself. i do recommend meeting successful hikers. that's a big one.

anyway, here are my three bits of advice. i'll offer you more if you have specific questions (see above) but i think these are just general goodies for all comers:

start saving now. start analyzing the things you spend money. get rid of the stuff you don't need.

try not to spend too much money up front...or lay out too much until you know what you're buying, how you'll use it, and how it fits into your total kit.

don't sweat it. don't over-plan. don't spend too much time looking at trail journals or photo albums. it ruins it a little.

Johnny tT

berkshirebirder
12-07-2010, 07:47
Check out Tuts' series of short videos covering gear, food, mental preparation, etc:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Tuts999#p/c/33479D1FBB94C9AB

Marta
12-07-2010, 08:23
I think one of the biggest sources of problems for would-be thru-hikers is the clash between reality and fantasy. The more prep time that is spent building fantasies, the worse that problem is. So...while reading WB and whatnot can be informative--and fun--I think your time is better spent in actual hiking.

Take a one-hour walk around your neighborhood every day. Get used to be outside in the rain/cold/heat/wind.

Every day off from work, take at least a four-hour dayhike at someplace close to you that has steep terrain.

Set your gear budget and start shopping. (Check out the gear challenge threads on here for ideas on reducing cost.) Make a day trip to a big outfitter, such as REI, and make notes...but don't buy one single thing. For instance, you might be led into buying some really sexy leather boots, then find out that most people wear running shoes these days. So shop, but don't buy yet. Once you've got a short list of big-ticket items (sleeping bag, pack, and tent), you can look for deals. My winter pack, for instance, was an end-of-season closeout on a discontinued model, saving me mucho bucks.

After you get the basic gear (or you can rent it for the weekend!), you can start making forays in local parks. Start with easy bailout options and increase the challenge as you learn.

In Maryland there is a very active AT maintaining club. (Look on the ATC website for links.) You could join that and get some great experience working on the trail, and coincidentally meet lots of experienced long-distance hikers.

bigcranky
12-07-2010, 08:32
+1 on what Marta said. You are close to a lot of great hiking. The best way to prepare for a long distance hike is to get out there and hike. Day hikes this winter, an overnight or two in the spring, and then next summer see if you can plan a week in Shenandoah. Perfecting your gear and technique is an iterative process. You'll learn far more about what gear you need, and the "how to" of hiking by getting out there.

peakbagger
12-07-2010, 08:49
A real great resource are the Articles on the home page of this site, they are somewhat "peer" reviewed and distill a lot of information into a small space.

One comment, is that the only way you will know if you like long distance backpacking is to actually backpack and camp overnight. Reading about the process helps, but is no subsitute for doing it. Initially you may want to pick warm sunny conditions to get the basics down, but soon you need to see how you can cope with cold rainy conditions. If you are not near the trail, camp in the backyard.

Sure some people use the "sink or swim" approach, where they have never backpacked in their lives when they hit the approach trail, but they usually have a tough first few weeks and end up making a big contribution to outfitters in Georgia as they swap out their gear, or they drop off the trail. If you have the basic camping skills down, its one less thing to deal with.

Have fun on your "journey" deciding to do it is the frst step!

Cookerhiker
12-07-2010, 08:55
Welcome to WB and the world of hiking! :welcomeSeeing that you live in Laurel (I lived in Silver Spring for 30 years), there are 2 resources you can take advantage of: the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (http://www.patc.net/PublicView/) and Shenandoah National Park (http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm).

PATC maintains over 1,400 of trails including the AT from Rockfish Gap, VA - the southernmost point of SNP to Pine Grove Furnace SP in PA. They also publish excellent maps & guides and have organized hikes. While PATC is not oriented to thruhiking per se, you'll learn alot and meet some nice people who share your love of the outdoors. You could also join one of their maintenance crews - the Club always welcomes new blood. Until I moved too far away, I maintained a section of AT in Shenandoah and as I recall, my co-maintainer also lived in Laurel.

Shenandoah NP is IMO your best place to "practice" for your thruhike. In addition to the 100 miles of AT through the Park, the vast network of side trails enable you to do loop hikes or out-and-back hikes down to waterfalls. SNP is considered "easy" compared to much of the AT because the trail treadway and grading are forgiving but it's challenging enough for a first-timer. And if you want more challenging i.e. steeper up-and-down, simply hike down some of those side trails.

A very good example of a "practice hike" is Jeremy's Run in the Park's North District. From Elk Wallow Picnic Grounds, hike down a side trail to Jeremy's Run which you follow crossing the stream about a dozen times before taking the Knob Mountain or Neighbor Mountain back to the AT and the AT back to Elk Wallow.

Contact the PATC, pick up their AT maps and Circuit Hikes in SNP guidebook, and venture out.

For gear, you have REI in College Park available. The staff is knowledgable - I bought my backpack there (Kelty Red Cloud) and they were helpful in fitting me with the right pack. REI can be expensive so check their prices and compare with Campmor (http://www.campmor.com/) - IMO the best outfitter in the world.

Good luck, check in here on WB often, and hope to see you on the Trail in '05.

Spokes
12-07-2010, 10:52
Welcome.

Here's a 10 page article (http://www.backpacker.com/november_2008_american_classic_hiking_the_appalach ian_trail/destinations/12530) about hiking the AT that appeared in Backpacker Magazine a while ago. It's a great introduction, gives you a sense of what to expect in each section, and offers tips on how to prepare. (ignore the pop-up screen if you get one).

Gathering gear without getting ripped off is whole 'nother topic.....

Cheers!

DapperD
12-07-2010, 12:35
One thing to do is plenty of reading about what you want to accomplish and you can start by checking out the Spirit Eagle "Thru-Hiking Papers" for a wealth of great information:http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/THP_top.html I think you really need to have a burning desire to do a thru-hike, it really is a lot tougher than most can imagine, mentally as well as physically. It would be very wise to hike regularly, not necessarily long distances, but to be in decent overall shape and health, and enjoy hiking and being outdoors on a regular basis. You will experience lousy weather, and that is going to be another factor that you will have to accept if you plan to thru-hike. But just keep on reading and educating yourself, here on Whiteblaze, by reading books, Trailjournals, etc...And then just be willing to accept the discomforts along with the comforts and joys of doing a long distance hike. If it turns out it wasn't what you thought it would be, at least you will have done your homework beforehand and gave it a great attempt and you will walk away hopefully happy and a lot wiser for what you did accomplish. Good Luck:welcome

skooch
12-07-2010, 13:17
Spokes what a great share! true for anyone out for more than a weekend. peace

cbeaves
12-07-2010, 17:10
I spent a lot of time on WhiteBlaze and TrailJournals before my thru. I found some good and informative gear lists through trailjournals. As far as purchasing gear goes, sometimes a small, local outfitter is better than a corporate place like REI. But still, always good to go and talk with the employees first and get a good idea of what you'll need and once you have a list, look online for deals.

But, nothing is a substitute for getting out there and hiking. I wish I would've done a shakedown before my thru, with the gear I started with. I may have started with 5-10 lbs less!

The Well
12-08-2010, 17:03
thanks for all the awesome suggestions! I'm planning on starting with day hikes and ramping up to over nighters once spring and summer come around.