Preperation A to Z

[TickPicker]

:jump Hey folks. Would anyone be willing to tell how they prepared for thier first hike. What I'm looking for is a "plan" of attack. Like a list of things to do. This may be covered somewhere else and if it is I'll look there. I know that there are "planners" available also. We're talking the Georgia section of the AT in mid-September of this year.

PS......the WhiteBlaze net has already saved me at least a hundred dollars in equipment. This really is a great place.

Steve (the land of the dimpled chad)

[hikerjohnd]

PS......the WhiteBlaze net has already saved me at least a hundred dollars in equipment.
We accept 20% gratuity on all your savings - just send a blank check and we'll fill in how much we think that is... :D

[Stoker53]

Practicing zymurgy on the trial is NOT recommended.:welcome

[The Hog]

Step One: Get in good shape. Walk. Jog. Climb up and down stairs with weight in your pack. The better shape you're in, the more you'll enjoy your hike.

Step Two: Mental preparation. Many hikes involve hardships as well as peak moments. Cold rain, snow, sleet, pain, hunger, thirst, bugs, loneliness, etc. You need to accept this in a big way. Do your physical training in bad weather, and find ways to deal with it.

[peter_pan]

Go on a local hike every day that the weather is miserable...hike a couple miles...set up your camp....fix a coffee or hot chocolate....break camp and hike back....do this and you and your gear, as well as, your confidence and techniques will be ready for almost anything....eliminating worry goes a long way toward peace of mind...hiking in rain,mud and or snow helps the physical conditioning as well.

Used this approach before a huge section in 2003 and it was great prep for the rainiest year in a long time ( 2003).

Pan

[chris]

A couple of things:

1) Decide where you are going to resupply and how. I think buying as you go is the right plan. Jack Tarlin's article on this site will help. The ALDHA Companion will help. Don't form a definite plan, as your pace and desires might change as time goes on. Rather, get an idea of where you can resupply. Also, remember that you need to resupply with stove fuel (unless you are using a zip stove or something like that).

2) Work on dropping pack weight. Unless you are planning on starting early (as in Jan and Feb) or with the pack (March to mid April), you can get away with a 12 lb. baseweight with a little work (baseweight=weight minus food, water, and fuel). Without much work you can get down to 20 lbs, which should be fine.

3) Get in shape. You don't have to do anything too extreme here. Walk as many hills as you can. Go for as many overnight trips as you can. There is some nonsense that goes something like, "You can only get in shape for hiking the AT by hiking the AT." Don't believe it. The better shape you are in, the more likely you are to make it past the Smokys. The more you will enjoy your hike. Read some accounts on www.trailjournals.com about the horrendously difficult 10 mile days some people put in at the start and about how much suffering they go through. Get in shape, don't suffer, and enjoy your hike more.

4) Get to know your gear. If you are bringing a tarp, know how to set it up and how to rig it for a storm. Know where to pitch to avoid getting soaked. This means you should do plenty of overnight (or multi night) trips. Besides getting comfortable living in the outofdoors, you'll gain experience and some measure of toughness. I can't stress this point enough. The more experience you gain beforehand, the more problems you can avoid on the AT itself.

5) Always, always, always remember the two following items:
5a) If you are not enjoying your hike, you are doing something wrong.
5b) Never make a decision about ending a hike until you are well fed, showered, wearing clean clothes, laying on something soft, and are warm.

[neo]

experince is a great teacher,good and bad,go lite,get in shape,keep plenty of vitamin I on hand.stay away from 60 lb combat packs.:cool: neo