First timer, read the home page, still have questions...

[Finn&Fionna]

Hey all,
Been loving all the info on this site and I have had a ton of my own questions answered and some things I didn't consider brought to my attention. Planning my thru hike for early March 2013 and need to get some planning done.

Some of the things I still haven't found a straight-forward answer to are the following:
1) As far as water consumption/forward planning goes, I don't see much on how often you can expect to resupply. Ideally I want to make as few trips to town as I can, with as few zero days as I can. Obviously I need to cut weight as much as possible, but one of my fears is not having a water source available for a few days at a time. To me, it makes sense there would be a stretch of 2 or 3 days without a shelter once in a while, so how much water would I need to leave camp with? I figure AT LEAST 1.5-2 gallons a day, for me and my wife each, which seems like a TON of weight. or is it something I don't have to worry about as creeks and shelters are usually close together.

2) I found a lot of good tips for good foods to bring on the trail, but no realistic estimates (IMO) on how much that would cost on a weekly/monthly/full trip basis. most estimates assume you're eating 3 meals in town 2-3 times a week, which I don't want to do at all. specific foods to last a good 7 days until resupply with approx cost (most estimates I see are 10 years old) would be INCREDIBLY helpful.

3) If possibly I want to get food from the land when available, off trail, from whatever sources. I can identify good plants to eat or fish. Preferably fishing because I enjoy it. The problem here is most replies assume someone is using the AT as a fishing trip, but I mean if a shelter or wherever I stop happens to be relatively close to a creek or pond, I can tie a length of fishing line to my pole, set a hook on it, dig up a worm and catch some small sunnies. At the end of my day when I'm relaxing this seems like a good way to end the day, but I want to know if its a feasible notion to entertain. plus the line can come in handy with other things. Keep in mind when I mean fishing for food, I wouldn't expect more than a handful of times during the whole hike. I would check each state I'm in for their regulations and get a license, but the reason I ask is if there are spots like this every few days, I might just pre-purchase a license in every state I'll be spending more than a couple weeks in. Obviously I'll be cautious with the wastes from what I catch and not just leave a stinking fish on the trail. I think having the occasional fish (especially trout!) would be a welcome feast on the trail.

4) Most estimates I see range from $4000-$5000. Is this per person? since me and my wife will be sharing certain things, is there a different number to consider? What does that number include? I have some of the equipment already (i.e. rain gear, trash bags, clothes, tents etc.), so I know I can cut cost there. What I'm getting at is basically how cheap can I make this thing and still be comfortable. I imagine I can outfit quite a bit from goodwill and such, while spending more money on things I cant skimp on like boots and sleeping bags. Does the bulk of that $5000 figure come from gear or food? We are budgeting for a $10,000 trip in case of emergencies, and some money to have when we get back home, but realistically are there places I can save some money and still get the gear I need? My family has always been pretty outdoors-y so we have a good amount of camping stuff. some things don't transfer to the hiking enviornment, so I would have to buy some things, but we do have a good amount, so if you were to guess, just assume we have a good bit of camping gear already.

5)there's a whole section in the forums for people looking for buddies. I don't see anyone (except that one redheadedgirl) looking for 2013 buddies, so is it just too soon to think about that or what's the deal? are there better sources for that? We welcome any and all company, and we're not newlyweds so you won't have to put up with that business haha. just throwin that out there if anyone is interested in joining us.

Its late and I'm tired so that's all I can think of right now. Any and all answers are tremendously appreciated. I'll even bring extra items you suggest just for helping me out! just name something extra I could bring that may help a forlorn traveler I might come across on my journey so I can pay your kindness forward. I can deal with a little extra weight if it means helping someone else finish their dream, just don't know what people are usually in need of.

Thanks again,
Finn&Fionna

[Stepinwolfe]

Re: Water

Water is plentiful over most of the trail and a good map will mark the streams, springs, etc. Make sure you have some kind of purification system. That said, during the hot months and periods of drought water can be a real issue. Suggest you talk to hikers coming from the opposite direction to learn the status of water sources that lie ahead. Also, you will have to master the art of carrying just enough water--not too much due to the extra weight-- and not too little given the temperature and status of streams in the direction you are traveling.

[Rocket Jones]

You're going to be hiking along a lot of ridgetops and, despite expectations, less-than-wilderness areas. Neither will allow much opportunity for fishing or foraging, not to mention the huge time-sink food gathering will be each day. Time you spend looking for food is time you could and should be advancing along the trail, especially if you're looking to minimize costs. Longer hike = more expenses.

[LDog]

Some of the things I still haven't found a straight-forward answer to are the following:
1) As far as water consumption/forward planning goes, I don't see much on how often you can expect to resupply.

Get a copy of the AT Guide and/ or the Thru-Hiker's Companion. It will show you how often water sources are available. You'll typically pass springs and streams several times each day. Most folks have the capacity to carry 2-3 liters, and many only actually carry a liter at a time. If there's a problem such as drought conditions, you'll hear about it in plenty of time to add additional capacity. You'll need a filter or some kind of water treatment.

Here's a currently ongoing thread on this topic: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?83676-Hydration-Bladder-or-Bottle-sucker-Which-one-do-you-choose


2) I found a lot of good tips for good foods to bring on the trail, but no realistic estimates (IMO) on how much that would cost on a weekly/monthly/full trip basis. most estimates assume you're eating 3 meals in town 2-3 times a week, which I don't want to do at all. specific foods to last a good 7 days until resupply with approx cost (most estimates I see are 10 years old) would be INCREDIBLY helpful.

I ate two meals every 5 days in town. Your milage may vary. There's a thread going on right now about this very topic. http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?83675-The-REAL-Cost-of-Hiking-the-AT


3) If possibly I want to get food from the land when available, off trail, from whatever sources. I can identify good plants to eat or fish. Preferably fishing because I enjoy it.

I would not plan on this making up any significant percentage of your food intake. I saw a few do some casual foraging along the way - mostly as stuff shows itself right along the trail, but few take time out of their hiking day to forage. There are lots of threads on fishing. I love to fish. I wouldn't add the extra weight to my pack, nor the expense of licenses. I'm out there to hike, and at the end of the day, I set up camp, eat something, hang my bear bag, maybe do a little journal writing and I go to sleep. Any time fishing is time I could spend hiking. In the end, this is one of those hike your own hike things. You need to figure out what the balance of hiking and camping works for you.


4) Most estimates I see range from $4000-$5000. Is this per person?

See thread mentioned above


My family has always been pretty outdoors-y so we have a good amount of camping stuff. some things don't transfer to the hiking enviornment, so I would have to buy some things, but we do have a good amount, so if you were to guess, just assume we have a good bit of camping gear already.

I would suggest not buying anything till you've spent some time in the gear forums, and I'd recommend getting Andrew Skurka's book "The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide" both for answers to your questions, and a little philosophy on hiking v camping.


5)there's a whole section in the forums for people looking for buddies. I don't see anyone (except that one redheadedgirl) looking for 2013 buddies, so is it just too soon to think about that or what's the deal? are there better sources for that?

There's a lot of stuff about hiking with others. I would not be looking for anyone else to hike with. I assume you two have a mature relationship, know each other's likes, dislikes, limitations, and you're used to making compromises. You'll meet folks along the way with whom you'll get along, only to find they hiker faster or slower than you, and you'll go your separate ways. You may find folks who hike your same relative pace, and you'll see each other at camp sites and shelters along the way. Enjoy that, but I wouldn't make commitments beyond "See you down the trail!" It complicates things, people hike faster than they're ready for to keep up, and end up getting injured. Others hike slower than they want and end up getting frustrated. Someone wants to go into a specific town, others don't, and disappointment occurs. I wouldn't make group dynamics any more complicated than they'll already be.


I can deal with a little extra weight if it means helping someone else finish their dream

Ruthlessly evaluate every single item you intend to carry, and carry nothing extra. Your body will thank you.

[flemdawg1]

Hey all,
Been loving all the info on this site and I have had a ton of my own questions answered and some things I didn't consider brought to my attention. Planning my thru hike for early March 2013 and need to get some planning done.

Some of the things I still haven't found a straight-forward answer to are the following:
1) As far as water consumption/forward planning goes, I don't see much on how often you can expect to resupply. Ideally I want to make as few trips to town as I can, with as few zero days as I can. Obviously I need to cut weight as much as possible, but one of my fears is not having a water source available for a few days at a time. To me, it makes sense there would be a stretch of 2 or 3 days without a shelter once in a while, so how much water would I need to leave camp with? I figure AT LEAST 1.5-2 gallons a day, for me and my wife each, which seems like a TON of weight. or is it something I don't have to worry about as creeks and shelters are usually close together.

Typically you'll only carry a liter or 2 at a time. You should use maps/guidebooks to help plot water resupplies.

2) I found a lot of good tips for good foods to bring on the trail, but no realistic estimates (IMO) on how much that would cost on a weekly/monthly/full trip basis. most estimates assume you're eating 3 meals in town 2-3 times a week, which I don't want to do at all. specific foods to last a good 7 days until resupply with approx cost (most estimates I see are 10 years old) would be INCREDIBLY helpful.

I would estitmate trail food to cost around $6/day, times 2 people x 7days = $82/week

3) If possibly I want to get food from the land when available, off trail, from whatever sources. I can identify good plants to eat or fish. Preferably fishing because I enjoy it. The problem here is most replies assume someone is using the AT as a fishing trip, but I mean if a shelter or wherever I stop happens to be relatively close to a creek or pond, I can tie a length of fishing line to my pole, set a hook on it, dig up a worm and catch some small sunnies. At the end of my day when I'm relaxing this seems like a good way to end the day, but I want to know if its a feasible notion to entertain. plus the line can come in handy with other things. Keep in mind when I mean fishing for food, I wouldn't expect more than a handful of times during the whole hike. I would check each state I'm in for their regulations and get a license, but the reason I ask is if there are spots like this every few days, I might just pre-purchase a license in every state I'll be spending more than a couple weeks in. Obviously I'll be cautious with the wastes from what I catch and not just leave a stinking fish on the trail. I think having the occasional fish (especially trout!) would be a welcome feast on the trail.

Fishing is both time consuming and getting the proper non resident liscenses is a pain and expensive. You'll end up costing yourself more in eating trail food while taking time to forage and fish than you'll make up in food most likely. But the occasional handful of berries or apples (3x in the fall I've came upon a ripe apple tree) is always a welcomed treat.

4) Most estimates I see range from $4000-$5000. Is this per person? since me and my wife will be sharing certain things, is there a different number to consider? What does that number include? I have some of the equipment already (i.e. rain gear, trash bags, clothes, tents etc.), so I know I can cut cost there. What I'm getting at is basically how cheap can I make this thing and still be comfortable. I imagine I can outfit quite a bit from goodwill and such, while spending more money on things I cant skimp on like boots and sleeping bags. Does the bulk of that $5000 figure come from gear or food? We are budgeting for a $10,000 trip in case of emergencies, and some money to have when we get back home, but realistically are there places I can save some money and still get the gear I need? My family has always been pretty outdoors-y so we have a good amount of camping stuff. some things don't transfer to the hiking enviornment, so I would have to buy some things, but we do have a good amount, so if you were to guess, just assume we have a good bit of camping gear already.

The bulk is food, lodging in town and dining. 10k should be enough, esp if you are only hitting town once/week. Check the used gear sections here and on BackpackingLight.com. And NEVER pay retail, the internet is chock full of good deals to find especially one year out.

5)there's a whole section in the forums for people looking for buddies. I don't see anyone (except that one redheadedgirl) looking for 2013 buddies, so is it just too soon to think about that or what's the deal? are there better sources for that? We welcome any and all company, and we're not newlyweds so you won't have to put up with that business haha. just throwin that out there if anyone is interested in joining us.

Like others have said, you'll easily find companions. But realistically your wife should be the only one you'll have to deal with daily. I'd concentrate on that relationship primarily.

Its late and I'm tired so that's all I can think of right now. Any and all answers are tremendously appreciated. I'll even bring extra items you suggest just for helping me out! just name something extra I could bring that may help a forlorn traveler I might come across on my journey so I can pay your kindness forward. I can deal with a little extra weight if it means helping someone else finish their dream, just don't know what people are usually in need of.

Thanks again,
Finn&Fionna

My advice is to find some trails and start doing some weekend backpacking trips now. You might not get the cold weather experience, but you'll learn how to walk with your wife, cook outside, and camp without others around.

[WIAPilot]

The $5000 estimate to do a thru does not include your gear. I think $9,000-$10,000 for the two of you should be good. You will share a lot of expenses like hostels and some foods. Just remember when everyone is going out to eat every 4 or 5 days - you don't want to be hikers stuck back at camp because you can't afford the meals out. But obviously, pizza places cost less than steak restaurants.

[Odd Man Out]

Most hikers report carrying about 2 liters of water at a time (+/-). Many will carry a bladder for a few liters of extra capacity in case you need to dry camp, or if you hit a dry patch in the summer. Unless you are talking about the southern PCT (much drier). I think all will assume that on this Thru-Hikers Forum you are asking about the AT.

There are lots of threads on costs. Here is a current on. It is quite variable based on your expectations, but "several thousand dollars" is the ballpark.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?83675-The-REAL-Cost-of-Hiking-the-AT

Again, assuming this is the AT, not a lot of foraging options for food (unless you count hiker boxes as foraging).

Usually the discussion of the cost of a thru hike does not include the cost of equipment you buy before the hike. That is budgeted separately. It may include the cost for replacement equipment you need when hiking (new shoes, socks, repairs). There may be some savings for a couple (one hotel room for two people). Note that camping gear does not necessarily make good hiking gear (too heavy). The good news is that going lightweight sometimes saves money. A very popular cooking stove on the AT cost $0.50 and weight a few grams.
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html

aloha

[bigcranky]

This is for the AT, right?

Water: You'll never need to carry more than a few liters at a time, and most hikers carry 1 or 2. There is generally plenty of water along the trail while you hike during the day, and one of the data books or guides will let you know exactly where it is.

Gathering Food: There's really very little to eat that you can gather along the trail. It's winter when you start, and you'll be along ridgelines much of the time. You might be able to catch a 6-inch trout in a couple of streams, but the calories consumed will be far outweighed by the time spent, plus as noted above it's illegal w/o a license. And the fishing tackle weighs something, which you have to carry.

Carrying Food: Everything you need on the trail can be bought in a regular grocery store. Like anything else in life, you will trade money for convenience. Knorr Rice and Sauce is easy and fast, and tasty with a pouch of chicken or tuna. A bag of white rice is a lot cheaper, but takes much more time and fuel to cook, plus it tastes pretty bad. Expect to need about 2 pounds of food per person per day. Lots of ideas out there -- start with freezerbagcooking.com. (http://www.trailcooking.com/)

Town Food: You'll need to eat in town. It's basically impossible to carry enough food on your back to keep up with the calories you are expending, so you make it up at the AYCE buffet at Pizza Hut in the next town. Your body will thank you.

Cost: The $5000 is for one hiker for a comfortable hike. A married couple can hike for much less than double that. You'll be sharing one tent, one stove, one water filter, one hotel room, etc. Also, that $5K figure assumes a fair number of nights in town, good meals, that sort of thing. Things that make the trip much more enjoyable for most people. Me, I'm on vacation when I'm on the trail -- you bet I'm getting a nice dinner and a beer when I'm in town. If my wife and I were thru-hiking this year, I would expect all of our on-trail expenses to add up to $8000 or so, maybe a little more. (It's much easier to stay in a $15 hostel when I'm solo hiking. When I'm hiking with my wife, that expensive hotel room looks a lot better.)

If you have $10K, and that has to include gear, airfare, all your hike expenses, and a startup fund for when you get home, then you should be able to do it, but it might be a little tight. There's really no telling from this distance how much you feel comfortable having in the bank when you get home, or whether you'll be employed when you get back, that sort of thing.

Good luck!

[Spokes]

Welcome to WhiteBlaze Finn&Fionna. Lots of good points given already. I'll share two online resources I used when planning my 2009 thru hike. It's really all I needed to get by.....

Here's a 10 page article (http://www.backpacker.com/november_2008_american_classic_hiking_the_appalach ian_trail/destinations/12530)from Backpacker magazine that gives a great summary of all the major sections on the AT. It includes trail etiquette tips and other useful tidbits. You may want to print it out for future reference. Ignore any pop-ups.

Next is a tried and true gear list (http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4)from pack guru Winton Porter (again, ignore any pop-ups you get). Its a cold weather pack that will yield a 16-18 lb. base weight pack. Tweak for summer to go even lighter. Gloves and fleece beanie are givens. Add a trash compactor bag for a liner and even a 100 weight fleece jacket if you're cold-natured. BTW, if you go NOBO you'll hit Mountain Crossings on the 3rd or 4th day. Be sure to let the folks there give you a free pack a shakedown.

Cheers!

[Finn&Fionna]

Wow quick response and a lot of good tips. Yeah sorry meant to say AT. I guess I missed a couple threads with more information, but I find the search bar hard to use since it scans every post within a thread for my keywords which is tedious. I'm thrilled to hear I'll only need 1-2 liters of water a day. This still seems low to me since right now I drink 2-3 liters of water a day with only a 1-2 hour workout. I plan to bring a water filter to sort of "top up" my supply when I am able, but my main plan is to removed the bladder and hose from my camelback and install it in a new hiking pack. I'll boil water nightly while I'm journaling or as an aside while I set up camp for the night and get most of my water that way, just because my understanding is that it really is the safest bet to avoid the viruses in the water.

for the fishing I'm still on the fence about ponying up for the licenses as I don't think it will take as much time as mentioned. If I'm already hunkered down for the night and don't plan to hike any more that day, just relaxing after a long day, I'm not really losing any time. plus 20 feet of line tied to a pole, tying off a hook and finding a worm or using a piece of cheese, and using a small chunk of dried out wood as a bobber will take no more than 20-30 mins. If I don't get a bite in that time, I just wind it all back up and put it away. it doesn't seem like a huge waste of time, but again, opinions vary I suppose.

The quotes still seem high to me. $8000 for the 2 of us to eat for 6 months doesn't make much sense. We won't be staying in hotels or hostels if we can avoid it (MAYBE once a month). the buffets and occasional beer, yeah, but even that is only $30 for the both of us once a week, so about $800. maybe I'm underestimating the cost of food and that's what I can't get my head around. Still, we are budgeting $10,000 for JUST the AT, but I'm saving up all my paychecks from now until then and we're living on my wife's job. So my own savings is for when we get back, and a separate $10,000 for the trail. I just want to come in as far under that $10,000 as possible. I'll be using those used gear ads as well.

Are hiking poles specific to hiking, or are they just ski poles? because I have some of those.

LDOG, thanks for your answers! I still intend to shed as much weight as possible, but I have a feeling I'll be carrying a good portion of my wife's pack as well. I see stories of people losing food to bears or ruining pants or other clothes, or forgetting bug spray or sunscreen a lot, so I would be willing to bring a couple extra items (no more than 2-3 lbs) to help out where its needed. Right now I'm in the military and I carry a large part of my life on my back so bumping a 25lb pack to 28lbs while noticeable, is still easily manageable. So if there's anything any of you wonderful people think might be useful, let me know.

Thanks again for all the answers. Hope to see some of you out there!

[ScottP]

1) As far as water consumption/forward planning goes, I don't see much on how often you can expect to resupply. Ideally I want to make as few trips to town as I can, with as few zero days as I can. Obviously I need to cut weight as much as possible, but one of my fears is not having a water source available for a few days at a time. To me, it makes sense there would be a stretch of 2 or 3 days without a shelter once in a while, so how much water would I need to leave camp with? I figure AT LEAST 1.5-2 gallons a day, for me and my wife each, which seems like a TON of weight. or is it something I don't have to worry about as creeks and shelters are usually close together.

You cross water every few miles on the trail. It's fine to just drink it if you're ok with a small risk. If you want less risk, treat with chemicals or a filter

2) I found a lot of good tips for good foods to bring on the trail, but no realistic estimates (IMO) on how much that would cost on a weekly/monthly/full trip basis. most estimates assume you're eating 3 meals in town 2-3 times a week, which I don't want to do at all. specific foods to last a good 7 days until resupply with approx cost (most estimates I see are 10 years old) would be INCREDIBLY helpful.

Too many factors--how much you eat, what you eat, where you shop, how much weight you lose during the trip, etc. I avoid MOST 'town food,' but I do plan rather expensive maildrops because I'm picky about what I eat. $6-10 a day per person is a good range to think in.

3) If possibly I want to get food from the land when available, off trail, from whatever sources. I can identify good plants to eat or fish. Preferably fishing because I enjoy it. The problem here is most replies assume someone is using the AT as a fishing trip, but I mean if a shelter or wherever I stop happens to be relatively close to a creek or pond, I can tie a length of fishing line to my pole, set a hook on it, dig up a worm and catch some small sunnies. At the end of my day when I'm relaxing this seems like a good way to end the day, but I want to know if its a feasible notion to entertain. plus the line can come in handy with other things. Keep in mind when I mean fishing for food, I wouldn't expect more than a handful of times during the whole hike. I would check each state I'm in for their regulations and get a license, but the reason I ask is if there are spots like this every few days, I might just pre-purchase a license in every state I'll be spending more than a couple weeks in. Obviously I'll be cautious with the wastes from what I catch and not just leave a stinking fish on the trail. I think having the occasional fish (especially trout!) would be a welcome feast on the trail.

No


4) Most estimates I see range from $4000-$5000. Is this per person? since me and my wife will be sharing certain things, is there a different number to consider? What does that number include? I have some of the equipment already (i.e. rain gear, trash bags, clothes, tents etc.), so I know I can cut cost there. What I'm getting at is basically how cheap can I make this thing and still be comfortable. I imagine I can outfit quite a bit from goodwill and such, while spending more money on things I cant skimp on like boots and sleeping bags. Does the bulk of that $5000 figure come from gear or food? We are budgeting for a $10,000 trip in case of emergencies, and some money to have when we get back home, but realistically are there places I can save some money and still get the gear I need? My family has always been pretty outdoors-y so we have a good amount of camping stuff. some things don't transfer to the hiking enviornment, so I would have to buy some things, but we do have a good amount, so if you were to guess, just assume we have a good bit of camping gear already.

per person. Probably more if you're flying from hawaii. And good camping gear is usually bad backpacing gear. Includes a lot of things, and it's an average. $10,000 for two people+gear+transit should be fine for a slightly frugal thru-hike unless you get bad luck or things go south

5)there's a whole section in the forums for people looking for buddies. I don't see anyone (except that one redheadedgirl) looking for 2013 buddies, so is it just too soon to think about that or what's the deal? are there better sources for that? We welcome any and all company, and we're not newlyweds so you won't have to put up with that business haha. just throwin that out there if anyone is interested in joining us.

You'll meet plenty of folks on the trail

Its late and I'm tired so that's all I can think of right now. Any and all answers are tremendously appreciated. I'll even bring extra items you suggest just for helping me out! just name something extra I could bring that may help a forlorn traveler I might come across on my journey so I can pay your kindness forward. I can deal with a little extra weight if it means helping someone else finish their dream, just don't know what people are usually in need of.

[bigcranky]

You'll need to drink many more than 2 liters per day, especially in hot weather. You just don't need to *carry* more than that. You'll stop for breaks several times during the day - just make sure you stop near a creek or spring and refill. Not a big deal.

I bring a 6-liter Platypus bag for collecting and treating water in camp. Sometimes the spring is a long way downhill from the shelter or campsite, and it's nice to go only once.

This is not meant as a criticism at all, but just note that you are the latest in a long line of folks who come on Whiteblaze and announce that they won't stay in hostels, or eat town food, or whatever, and want to thru-hike on the change in their pocket. While it is certainly possible to walk into town, spend 50 bucks on groceries, and walk back out, thus ensuring a very inexpensive hike, it's difficult to maintain that sort of discipline when walking past the local pizza joint. Plus you'll smell like a dead cow, and your wife might appreciate it if you took a shower every once in a while :). Given that you have a decent bankroll for the hike, you'll be fine -- you have a *choice* on when to splurge, and the means to do so. Hope you have a great hike.

[Blissful]

Take a map and use a guidebook like the Companion or AWOl to find your water sources. No big deal. And use the trail "grapevine" to help too. There is absolutely no reason on earth on the AT to carry over a gallon of water (out in the desert yeah)!

You're not going to get average on food $$ - everyone's consumption is different. Plan on $4000 for a thru per person (not including gear) and go from there. Sometimes you can't have data and figures spelled out for you, you have to learn it as you go.

Its much easier to say you wont take a zero or go into town sitting cozy at home all dry and comfy, much different out there after a week of rain and sleet and your stuff is wet and you're starving for a good meal and your tent is soaked and you and your wife want time together and a wet tent and sleeping bags just don't cut it....

As far as getting food from land, it won't happen. Forget it.

This is your time together, Why not save up for it and go have a good time?

[Blissful]

This is not meant as a criticism at all, but just note that you are the latest in a long line of folks who come on Whiteblaze and announce that they won't stay in hostels, or eat town food, or whatever, and want to thru-hike on the change in their pocket. While it is certainly possible to walk into town, spend 50 bucks on groceries, and walk back out, thus ensuring a very inexpensive hike, it's difficult to maintain that sort of discipline when walking past the local pizza joint. Plus you'll smell like a dead cow, and your wife might appreciate it if you took a shower every once in a while :). Given that you have a decent bankroll for the hike, you'll be fine -- you have a *choice* on when to splurge, and the means to do so. Hope you have a great hike.

Wisdom prevails... well said.

[Finn&Fionna]

haha sorry I think I was unclear. My reasoning for not staying in town isn't so much that I don't want to spend the money (although that is a small factor) its more that to me, because I'm stubborn and pigheaded, if I stay in a hotel every week it'll feel like 30 1 week hiking trips rather than 1 hike of the whole trail. I know there will be a few times when I will buckle and stay in a hostel or something, but for the most part I want to stick to my guns and keep on the trail. that doesn't mean no zero days, I'll just be taking them in my tent, rather than a hotel room. As for showers and stuff, I am trying to work out a plan to stay as clean as a 6 month hiking trip will allow, and this could mean offering a fellow hiker a couple bucks to use their shower, or going off-trail to find a water source to rinse off in regularly, or packing a few (I know extra weight) handi-wipes.

Which brings me to one of my wife's concerns. She uses a form of birth control which is supposed to stop her "lady times" but its not 100% effective. my guess would be to pack enough tampons n such for 7-10 days, and resupply as needed, and just bag the bejeesus out of them and pack them out with the rest of the trash. Or is there another method I'm not aware of? I'm asking here but I'll seek advice elsewhere as well as this is somewhat specific (due to her birth control method). Similarly, can women expect any sort of change in schedule, full stop normally, whathaveyou. I ask because when I went through basic training the stress to both my body and mind (which will be similar to what she'll experience on the AT to start) caused my bodily functions to be irregular. plainly speaking, out of 60 people in my flight, 55 didn't poop for the first 2 weeks.

I apologize for seeming stubborn in some aspects. I truly am taking your advice and weighing my options, and BigCranky, criticism is welcome. Without it I won't learn anything. People like me need to be told to shut up and listen once in a while, as I am the novice and you all are the experts.

Thanks again,
Finn&Fionna

[Spokes]

As B.F. Skinner once said "All learning is a series of successive approximations".

Consider completing a thru-hike the same. A series of 4-7 day hikes between resupplies. Plus when the hiker hunger kicks in that "not stopping in town" mentality will quickly pass.

Trust me on this one......

[Pro Se]

Hate to be a buzzkill about the fishing thing but I can only remember seing a handful of water sources near the trail that would be big enough to hope to get a fish from. The shelters and campsites are near "springs" but those are generally just enough water flow to filter from. With the exception of the rare true creek/stream or a river like the Natahala, Little Pigeon, or Fontana Lake (roughly 50-75 miles apart) you aren't going to be able to fish without walking miles off trail to find a pond or something. Mind you, I've only done the first 300 miles of the trail because I'm a lowly section hiker...but I definitely wouldn't count on fresh fish as a meal plan.
Also, as far as your wife's menstration issues, there is a female forum where I'd be willing to bet that every conceivable variation on birth control and feminine hygiene issues have been discussed. It's a great resource. Not that anyone has a problem with discussing them here but, I'm guessing you/she may get some more thorough answers there on that type subject.

[booney_1]

[QUOTE=Finn&Fionna;1283947]Wow quick response and a lot of good tips. Yeah sorry meant to say AT. I guess I missed a couple threads with more information, but I find the search bar hard to use since it scans every post within a thread for my keywords which is tedious. I'm thrilled to hear I'll only need 1-2 liters of water a day. This still seems low to me since right now I drink 2-3 liters of water a day with only a 1-2 hour workout. I plan to bring a water filter to sort of "top up" my supply when I am able, but my main plan is to removed the bladder and hose from my camelback and install it in a new hiking pack. I'll boil water nightly while I'm journaling or as an aside while I set up camp for the night and get most of my water that way, just because my understanding is that it really is the safest bet to avoid the viruses in the water.

You are misunderstanding a lot of the replies about water. People will drink more than 1-2 liters, but that is the most they will carry. Drink up before you leave camp. When stopped for a break at a water source drink up. Boiling water...I have never seen anybody boil water to purify it. It would take massive amounts of fuel and time. Most of the water on the AT is coming from springs...it's cleaner than coming out of your faucets. If you are extremely concerned use a filter plus chemicals. I personally use bleach +30 minutes, and I only use clear water.
If I was really worried I would use Aqua-Mira Chlorine Dioxide tablets...unfortunately to be fully effective it takes 4 hours. But most people use 30 minutes and are okay. I think more people get sick from not washing their hands than drinking dirty water....

Also get a guide book and ask questions where you are leaving. In NC in the mid-summer (worse time), you can probably get away with carrying 1 liter, just ask because during drought conditions there are some sections that dry up.

[oldbear]

Finn
Although none of us knows your wife personally everything that you've told us about her so far says that she's beautiful woman ,that demands that you be her Sherpa and that you've spoiled rotten
If that is indeed the case then it's impossible for me to believe that she would be happy with idea of sleeping in a good bed only two or three nights a month.
Btw
We want Fiona to start asking questions soon

[Finn&Fionna]

oldbear,
Well I think she's pretty darn cute, but she's by no means spoiled. The only reason I say I'll be picking up some of her slack is because I'm in better shape than she is (because it's part of my job description). All said and done I'm shooting for a total 30lb pack weight after everything, each. So because I'm actually used to walking long distances (not AT long, but a few miles) with a heavy pack on, I suspect for the first week or so I'll be taking a little bit of weight from hers (5-10 lbs) until she gets her trail legs. She may surprise me though and we'll be able to split evenly from the get-go. And as for the comforts and things, yeah I mean even I would be happy to sleep in a nice warm bed every other night, but we've talked at great length about how to handle that part. She came to the conclusion that the less time we spend in hostels/motels the better because it may deter her from wanting to finish. It will end up being a play-by-ear type thing though, which is why I'm working out a budget for what I WANT to do it in, then bringing a few thousand extra. We'll see.

I'll see if she wants to ask some questions. She's been leaving it in my hands and doing her own research on gear and food options, but she does come on here once in a while and read the threads. I'll up date my profile with some pictures of us here in the next couple minutes. Don't tell her though, I might get in trouble.

[booney_1]

I have the best suggestion offered for you yet....take 2 or 3 weekend hikes where you cover 20 to 30 miles. Too many of your questions show a complete lack of experience that it's hard to know where to begin. I don't mean to be harsh, but too often people plan things too much, without getting experience. Consider some simple weekend trips a trial or "pilot" trip. As an engineer I know there's a world of difference between making plans to build something and actually building it. During the first time you do anything you really climb the learning curve.

On food...some people love commerical freeze dried food Others live on Ramen and vienna sausge. There are cost differences. It's actually a little hard to tell what you will eat or want to eat in the woods without trying it. For someone without a lot of experience (any?) backpacking, I'd suggest cooking in the kitchen on a backpacking stove meals you might like. Try some simple recipies, different brands, etc...Without buying commerical backpacking food, you can come up with some really good easy to make dishes...But you need to try it yourself. For example...in the morning I"m always good with oatmeal,breakfast bar and coffee. It's all I want or need. Others won't eat oatmeal every day, and more variety. Some people insist on a hot lunch, others refuse to cook a midday meal. You need to know more about what your preferences are before doing more planning. Nobody can give you a cost estimate for food, but yourself.



For example on fishing. You talk about fishing after dinner being relaxing and not taking very long....sorry...you don't have enough time...when the sun goes down you go to sleep. You will be using most of the daylight walking and eating. Other people have mentioned it, but most shelters are not near fishing streams.

On showers...once the weather warms up...you can stay clean by washing up (please don't do this in the spring where I get my water!!) in streams. Before then...it's COLD OUT THERE. You'll probably have 6-8 weeks where it will be too cold to shower or anything. After 10 days of hiking in the cold carolina rain...you will trade your lovely wife for a 5 minute hot shower!!!....just saying.....and seriously...your clothes will need to be laundered. You can buy the best ex-officio briefs and under armour, but after a couple of weeks of hiking,(sweating all day), the clothes will stand by themselves and walk away....just saying...

Again...my main point is to get a little experience before you make the time and spend the $$$ to do this, you'll have a much nicer trip.

[Finn&Fionna]

yeah I totally agree with you. Hawaii is alright to practice in since there's some good elevation changes and really pretty trails, but its difficult because you can't really get ideal hikes for AT practice out here. by that I mean the weather is almost always perfect, the trails aren't very long (hell the whole island is only 30 miles across), and the best you can do is a day trip with no camping if you intend to backpack for very long. So I know we need to do a few practice trips, but we kind of have to make due with questions and small day trips for now. We're going back home in January so we should have plenty of time to get some cold-weather camping in as well as some hilly distance hikes for a few months prior to taking off. The other reason I ask all these questions beforehand is because I don't want to buy a whole bunch of crap only to find out it's not at all good for LDH. If I can get a good idea of what gear and things to bring now, by the time I get home and buy it all up I should be able to minimize how much I need to throw out and re-buy. I'll also have the advantage of being in PA where I can actually get LDH specific gear, instead of hawaii where all packs have surfboard racks.

As to the food things, I know it looks like very general "well I want food but want to save too" and that's kind of hard to be specific about. I'm in the same boat as you though. I'm not specific because I'm not picky. I'd rather plan for what I need to take in than what I'm willing to eat, because there's no limit to what I would eat every single day. I can already hear the "you say that now! wait til you're on the trail for 3 months!", but I promise its not a big concern of mine. I love oatmeal and can eat it every morning for breakfast. I love nuts and tunas and ramen and can eat them every day. and I have. there's been stretches of months where I didn't get paid right and had bills to pay and ran short on food so I live on ramen for a looong time. it works. obviously i would prefer lobster every day, but then again wouldn't we all?

[WIAPilot]

4) Most estimates I see range from $4000-$5000. Is this per person? since me and my wife will be sharing certain things, is there a different number to consider? What does that number include? I have some of the equipment already (i.e. rain gear, trash bags, clothes, tents etc.), so I know I can cut cost there. What I'm getting at is basically how cheap can I make this thing and still be comfortable.

There are many things I don't know, but I do know this: For the next year your mindset needs to be on how cheap you can make this and still have your wife comfortable. Otherwise, it is going to cost you a heck of a lot more than $10,000. When she wants to go to a hostel or into town - start walking..."