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View Full Version : Where would you like to see a new outfitter on the Appalachian Trail.



NCMedic
11-04-2012, 12:43
Calling all day hikers, section hikers and thru hikers.

I thought I would put this out for the board. I am in a position to do something I have always wanted to do and that is open a hiking and fly fishing outfitter. I am trying to decide where I would like to focus opening this endevour and have targeted somewhere around the AT as one of the areas I would like to resettle in. So, my question to you is where on the AT is there a true need for a good outfitter. My thought is to carry the general supplies but also try to carry a strong selection of gear for the lightweight and ultralight hiker as well. Part of this selection process would be a town that is close to the trail and hiker friendly if possible, availability of fairly inexpensive rent/utilities and a generally good community to live in. The location would be a retail location with a large internet mail order side as well and close to the AT so I can provide mail drops with times more convienent than the local post office.

A couple of places that I am looking at are in Southern VA....Somewhere between Pearisburg and Charlottesville, Harpers Ferry, or somewhere in the North East. The farther north I would go, I would want to look at areas where there is a strong sense of hiker community as well.

I really would like your thought on where a new outfitter would be usefull for the AT hiker in general for the hikers, but would prefer to have a fairly good population and/or outdoor tourist type area. Your thoughts as AT hikers are greatly appreciated.

NCmedic

johnnybgood
11-04-2012, 13:00
Front Royal, Va. There's a need for one beween Waynesboro and Harper's Ferry.

lemon b
11-04-2012, 14:03
Dalton, Ma.

WingedMonkey
11-04-2012, 14:11
Dalton, Ma.

Second that. I'd settle for one to reopen in Great Barrington, but the trail goes right through Dalton. Maybe enough fly fishing on the Housatonic River towards Pittsfield.

HermesUL
11-04-2012, 16:56
It's off the AT and on the Long Trail, but Jonesville VT could use an outfitter--there are none on the Long Trail (unless you hitch way off into town), and it goes right through the town. LT would do steady business through most of the year, as opposed to the AT thru-hiker bubble.


That's the only place I know of...but thru hikers will answer.

10-K
11-04-2012, 17:38
Good luck!

The best place to put an outfitter is where I need one when I need it. :)

Buy the general store (if it is still for sale) in Monson and put one there... You could catch SOBO's coming out of the hundred mile wilderness.

Slo-go'en
11-04-2012, 17:40
Difficult question to answer. There are already a goodly number of outfitters along the trail. Most thru-hikers who make it past Damascus are pretty well set gear wise and only need the occasional piece of replacement gear from then on. Places where you might get well healed tourists who suddenly decide to gear up for a few days in the woods are already taken care of.

If the bulk of your buisness is done on-line (which is also quite competative), where you locate will not be as important as if you were trying to make it solely on walk in buisness. I would think the first thing to do is pin-point all the towns with well established outfitters, and that will narrow down your choices quite a bit. And if you can operate out of the same building you live in, that helps a lot too.