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View Full Version : Can I just ramble aimlessly and ask a few questions about the AT for a few minutes.



bishbash
10-25-2013, 07:34
I am an englander, new to white blaze. I read the book "Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson in about 1998, it was his attempt at the AT. He is a yank, but always presumed he wasn't famous in America? he is somewhat anglicised and has spent much of his adult life in UK, he is very very funny, I’ve read most of his books. Well I think he did about 800 miles of it with his mate before finally packing it in, fair play to him. Anyway I like the countryside, I like America and I like walking (have done the 260mile pennine way once and the 190 mile coast to coast walk 4 times) so it has always been a dream of mine to do the whole proper AT in one big go. I genuinely believe I will do it rather than it being a pipe dream, or excessive bevvy talk down the pub - I've had a lot of travelling based dreams and I have acheived many of them.

This however is a bit more of a logistical task, not a 3 week christmas jolly to watch England retain the Ashes down under. 6 months off work and 5 grand english ($8000) I have pencilled in. This doesn't mean a sabbatical from work it means quitting my job, I'm 35 now, have pencilled in age 40 to sack it in. Upon return there is a fair bit of contract work in my game and so long as the economy is going half decent I'd be well happy returning to that instead of my permanent work presently, but I do want to wait a bit to allow me to make major inroads into my mortgage debt and put a bit away. So lets say March the First 2018 will be my start date, having quit the job on my 40th birthday, bonza mate.

So, travel. London to Atlanta, and then Boston to London, say £600. $950

So, gear. I've never spent much on fancy gear and don't intend to for this, in fact I am very tight with money generally. However US is somewhat harsher than UK extreme weather wise. So I may have to get a fancy sleeping bag that will keep me warm in the mountains in March and April, (£150) then any old thing will do. Some thermals? (£50). Is there any real need for any fancy clothing after that, One way or another I will have a pair of walking boots then anyway so wouldn’t even consider them an expense, and I quite like to do a lot of walking in trainers. If I need to buy a new pair so be it. £200 $320

So, the walking. I did the coast to coast 190 miles in 8 days (24miles per day) carrying everything and camping or hostelling, that was hard work. North England can be rugged, but how rugged is the AT. I don’t for one minute think I can maintain 24mpd, but 16mpd on a walking day, = 135 days that leaves me a massive 45 days spare for rest days and travelling to the start, getting home at the end, bit of sight seeing, blister recovery time, walking in new boots with short days etc. I really fancy having a few rest days at the trail towns, get stuck into those whopping great big 16oz steaks you yanks love and buckets of bud then vodka and cokes and a good old laugh with the locals, maybe get lucky.

So, the accommodation. Camping and lean tos are free. That’s the majority, say 120 days. Then 30 in bunk houses($20?) and 30 in cheapo motels($50), twenni won hundred bucks, blimey this is getting expensive.

So, the food. When you’re on the trail, thinking noodles, peanuts, beef jerky, chocolate, crisps(chips to you yankee doodleites), basically junk food, but you get a lot of calories for your gram with junk food, I shall just have to make up for it by having a side salad with my steak and orange juice with my vodka in the trail towns. Oh yeah, is it acceptable to drink spirits around the shelters, not gonna go hauling a 24 case of beers up there so thought a bottle of vodka, help me sleep at night, take the edge off etc. Not gonna go terrorising the neighbourhood, and if there are kids and that around I would of course be subtle. 120 days on the trail, food and drink @ $8/day = $1000. 60 days in towns and what not = $40/day = $2400. Total Food = $3400

Total costs = about 7000 bucks, 1000 contingency fund, job’s a goodun. How could it possibly go wrong, see you there March 1st 2018, it’s a date.

I would be very interested to hear anyone's thoughts on anything I've said, I'm not easily offended so give me both barrels if you think I may have said anything daft. Ta in advance.

jburgasser
10-25-2013, 08:10
So, gear. I've never spent much on fancy gear and don't intend to for this, in fact I am very tight with money generally
So, the walking. 16mpd on a walking day

Total costs = about 7000 bucks, 1000 contingency fund, job’s a goodun. How could it possibly go wrong, see you there March 1st 2018, it’s a date.

I would be very interested to hear anyone's thoughts on anything I've said, I'm not easily offended so give me both barrels if you think I may have said anything daft. Ta in advance.

First off: Welcome to Whiteblaze!
You don't need to spend a ton on gear. If you limit yourself to sources like Backpacker magazine gear issues, you would think you need to spend $300 plus for each of the big 3 (tent, bag, pack). You can find great deals on the internet with just a little bit of research.
I think you will find 16 miles a day very doable after the first couple weeks. You may want to plan on 10-12 for the first week or two to give your body time to adjust. But I think many of us Yanks get up to 20 miles a day regularly after the first few weeks when our bodies get stronger and used to the hiking.
I think a little bottle to take a nip from at night is not too uncommon. Just don't get too liberal with it; and when in town you probably want to find a shower somewhere if you're hoping to 'get lucky'!:)

Ickybod

bfayer
10-25-2013, 08:15
I have never thru hiked the AT. I am just a weekend section hiker.

You do not need expensive gear to hike the AT. Yes expensive gear is lighter and lasts longer, but it is not needed at all.

If you do spend money, spend it on a good sleeping bag.

Other than that hike with what you can afford.

Welcome to WB!




Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Venchka
10-25-2013, 08:25
You forgot beer. What is your Pub budget? Grinning.
I'm not sure how you figure that the AT weather will be harsher than the UK? In my brief, and very limited experience, summer holiday picnic weather in the UK = winter weather on the southern end of the trail. Be prepared for single digit C temps and rain. Lots of rain. Days & days of rain. Just like the UK.
As for ruggedness...lots of ups and downs. Then more ups and downs. Followed by downs and ups. Much of the AT follows ridges at 5,000 feet. That's the good part. However, there are lots Gaps (usually road crossings) at less than 3,000 feet. Than back to 5,000 feet. No worries. After a month of that you will be fit. You won't mind. Besides, the road crossings usually mean towns. And good food. And good beer. Not sure if you like it, but Newcastle is quite common here in the colonies. Many other brews from the Old Country as well. Fine Belgian ales can be found. As well as a plethora of Colonial craft brews. Bangers and mash might be hard to find. We have much tastier substitutes.
Cheers! Good luck!

Wayne

aficion
10-25-2013, 08:41
I am an englander, new to white blaze. I read the book "Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson in about 1998, it was his attempt at the AT. He is a yank, but always presumed he wasn't famous in America? he is somewhat anglicised and has spent much of his adult life in UK, he is very very funny, I’ve read most of his books. Well I think he did about 800 miles of it with his mate before finally packing it in, fair play to him. Anyway I like the countryside, I like America and I like walking (have done the 260mile pennine way once and the 190 mile coast to coast walk 4 times) so it has always been a dream of mine to do the whole proper AT in one big go. I genuinely believe I will do it rather than it being a pipe dream, or excessive bevvy talk down the pub - I've had a lot of travelling based dreams and I have acheived many of them.

This however is a bit more of a logistical task, not a 3 week christmas jolly to watch England retain the Ashes down under. 6 months off work and 5 grand english ($8000) I have pencilled in. This doesn't mean a sabbatical from work it means quitting my job, I'm 35 now, have pencilled in age 40 to sack it in. Upon return there is a fair bit of contract work in my game and so long as the economy is going half decent I'd be well happy returning to that instead of my permanent work presently, but I do want to wait a bit to allow me to make major inroads into my mortgage debt and put a bit away. So lets say March the First 2018 will be my start date, having quit the job on my 40th birthday, bonza mate.

So, travel. London to Atlanta, and then Boston to London, say £600. $950

So, gear. I've never spent much on fancy gear and don't intend to for this, in fact I am very tight with money generally. However US is somewhat harsher than UK extreme weather wise. So I may have to get a fancy sleeping bag that will keep me warm in the mountains in March and April, (£150) then any old thing will do. Some thermals? (£50). Is there any real need for any fancy clothing after that, One way or another I will have a pair of walking boots then anyway so wouldn’t even consider them an expense, and I quite like to do a lot of walking in trainers. If I need to buy a new pair so be it. £200 $320

So, the walking. I did the coast to coast 190 miles in 8 days (24miles per day) carrying everything and camping or hostelling, that was hard work. North England can be rugged, but how rugged is the AT. I don’t for one minute think I can maintain 24mpd, but 16mpd on a walking day, = 135 days that leaves me a massive 45 days spare for rest days and travelling to the start, getting home at the end, bit of sight seeing, blister recovery time, walking in new boots with short days etc. I really fancy having a few rest days at the trail towns, get stuck into those whopping great big 16oz steaks you yanks love and buckets of bud then vodka and cokes and a good old laugh with the locals, maybe get lucky.

So, the accommodation. Camping and lean tos are free. That’s the majority, say 120 days. Then 30 in bunk houses($20?) and 30 in cheapo motels($50), twenni won hundred bucks, blimey this is getting expensive.

So, the food. When you’re on the trail, thinking noodles, peanuts, beef jerky, chocolate, crisps(chips to you yankee doodleites), basically junk food, but you get a lot of calories for your gram with junk food, I shall just have to make up for it by having a side salad with my steak and orange juice with my vodka in the trail towns. Oh yeah, is it acceptable to drink spirits around the shelters, not gonna go hauling a 24 case of beers up there so thought a bottle of vodka, help me sleep at night, take the edge off etc. Not gonna go terrorising the neighbourhood, and if there are kids and that around I would of course be subtle. 120 days on the trail, food and drink @ $8/day = $1000. 60 days in towns and what not = $40/day = $2400. Total Food = $3400

Total costs = about 7000 bucks, 1000 contingency fund, job’s a goodun. How could it possibly go wrong, see you there March 1st 2018, it’s a date.

I would be very interested to hear anyone's thoughts on anything I've said, I'm not easily offended so give me both barrels if you think I may have said anything daft. Ta in advance.

Make it April15th. You'll be glad you did.

bishbash
10-25-2013, 09:16
You forgot beer. What is your Pub budget? Grinning.
I'm not sure how you figure that the AT weather will be harsher than the UK? In my brief, and very limited experience, summer holiday picnic weather in the UK = winter weather on the southern end of the trail. Be prepared for single digit C temps and rain. Lots of rain. Days & days of rain. Just like the UK.
As for ruggedness...lots of ups and downs. Then more ups and downs. Followed by downs and ups. Much of the AT follows ridges at 5,000 feet. That's the good part. However, there are lots Gaps (usually road crossings) at less than 3,000 feet. Than back to 5,000 feet. No worries. After a month of that you will be fit. You won't mind. Besides, the road crossings usually mean towns. And good food. And good beer. Not sure if you like it, but Newcastle is quite common here in the colonies. Many other brews from the Old Country as well. Fine Belgian ales can be found. As well as a plethora of Colonial craft brews. Bangers and mash might be hard to find. We have much tastier substitutes.
Cheers! Good luck!

Wayne

single figure celsius is a walk in the park in my opinion. $80 sleeping bag, no worries. I did the coast to coast in 2009 and got some unseasonal weather in late march, was -10c iirc (14f), that was cold and i wasn't prepared. I put every single item of clothing on, in a cheapo sleeping bag and i was still freezing and didn't get much sleep, got up at 6amish and packed up and started walking, was sweating buckets 5 minutes later even though it was still cold weather, the layers got peeled off quite rapidly, I wouldn't want that situation again so a decent sleeping bag is a must. I thought when I used to read journals and stuff that they were talking about single figure farenheit on a cold night in March in Georgia. that requires a proper sleeping bag in my opinion. Rain is a doddle, cold, proper cold, when you are sleeping is seriously problematic.

By the way the highest point in england is only 3200ft, oh and English weather is great, I love England. And US.

moldy
10-25-2013, 09:17
Welcome to whiteblaze Br Bish. You are wrong about Mr. Bryson. He is rather famous here especially with people who read. He is frequently mentioned here on whiteblaze where he is sometimes scorned for his failed thru-hike. Although his experience is much the same as 60 to 70 percent of all thru-hikers. They get a good dose of the AT, go home for a while then return to bounce around to various sweet spots then quit with about half the trail completed. He is a great writer, very funny and oh-by-the way, you can't have him. He is a corn fed Iowa boy no matter where his hat is. Now, your plan for 2018. Check out how long you can stay you your tourist visa. If it's 180 days you should let that end date drive your hiking schedule. After about 2 or 3 weeks of slogging you will gain your trail legs and your daily miles will go up just as you depart the Smokies. In the end a 16 mile day average is common. You can save a few quid with a cheap round trip ticket to New York then take a bus to Georgia. $8,000 only sounds like a large amount of money. The truth is that by 2018 it may be a bit light for a UK hiker on the AT. Those $50 dollar hotels are getting harder to find. Everything along the trail has gone up. My advice is to add about 2K for reserve. I kid you not.

bishbash
10-25-2013, 09:24
Make it April15th. You'll be glad you did.
Actually I forgot a whole paragraph I was supposed to post, so shall post now:

So, Potential problems. Temperature, the main reason I want to start early is I have always struggled with the heat, being English and all. Humidity even more so. I will never forget the few days I spent in Washington July 2003, it was stifling, now imagine walking with a backpack in that. If I could finish in May I would, but that would mean some proper winter cold walking and I'm not quite keen on that. So March 1st seems a steady compromise. Seriously the heat is my major worry. Other potential problems is insects. Mosquitoes are addicted to my blood, some people seem to get away with it but not me, they massacre me. I would have to go at it with reinforcements and get proper medieval on these sods or they could make it very unenjoyable. So, my question is, is this possible? Is there any product that will properly keep these blighters away from you? Heat and mossies are my main obstacles.

bishbash
10-25-2013, 09:34
Cheers all, and thank you for the welcome. So is Bill Bryson famous in USA? He is head of some kind of countryside commission over here and is a brilliant author. He has a wicked sense of humour that is (perhaps unfairly) not always associated with the yanks. I lived and worked in US, allbeit briefly, in 2000 and 2003 and met numerous people who I would describe as "funny as ****"

Pedaling Fool
10-25-2013, 09:51
So is Bill Bryson famous in USA? He is head of some kind of countryside commission over here and is a brilliant author. He has a wicked sense of humour that is (perhaps unfairly) not always associated with the yanks. I lived and worked in US, allbeit briefly, in 2000 and 2003 and met numerous people who I would describe as "funny as ****"He's not all that famous here in the states; although everyone knows him here on WB only because he wrote a book about the AT. Very controversial topic here, many threads on that book and him.

Odd Man Out
10-25-2013, 09:59
As for gear, an often cited reference is this article about the recommendations from the people at Mountain Crossings. They know a lot about AT Gear Lists. The bottom line is the cheapest and lightest gear is the gear you don't buy and carry.
http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

As for schedules (days on trail, days in town, when to start, etc), this is the best resource for a NOBO is here:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?44

The ATC also has this page about schedules, including a number of alternate itineraries:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/thru-section-hiking/when-where-to-start

The cost question comes up often. There is no easy answer as everyone's situation is different. There are a lot of dreamers who think they can hike the AT on a shoestring budget. They usually run out of funds and go home early. It is good to see you are being more realistic. Most reasonable recommendations for the cost of a thru hike come in at "a few thousand dollars", which is intentionally vague. But these estimates are just for the cost incurred during hiking and don''t include the cost of gear, transatlantic air fare, domestic transportation, visa, and health insurance, so your $7000 estimate is probably not too far off (depending on the beer budget).

Also, have you read any books by successful thru hikers. "A Walk in the Woods" is funny, well written and entertaining, but it is more of a dissertation on how NOT to hike the AT. Perhaps reading something more accurate would be in order.

Best of Luck!

bishbash
10-25-2013, 10:00
Why controversial? he is a top bloke in my opinion. That book was good, but other books of his are even better, proper funny guy.

illabelle
10-25-2013, 10:10
Actually I forgot a whole paragraph I was supposed to post, so shall post now:

So, Potential problems. Temperature, the main reason I want to start early is I have always struggled with the heat, being English and all. Humidity even more so. I will never forget the few days I spent in Washington July 2003, it was stifling, now imagine walking with a backpack in that. If I could finish in May I would, but that would mean some proper winter cold walking and I'm not quite keen on that. So March 1st seems a steady compromise. Seriously the heat is my major worry. Other potential problems is insects. Mosquitoes are addicted to my blood, some people seem to get away with it but not me, they massacre me. I would have to go at it with reinforcements and get proper medieval on these sods or they could make it very unenjoyable. So, my question is, is this possible? Is there any product that will properly keep these blighters away from you? Heat and mossies are my main obstacles.

You might consider doing a flip-flop to avoid the worst of the heat. As I understand it, you start at Springer and walk until it's too hot - maybe Harper's Ferry, then run up to Katahdin and hike southward back to HF or wherever you got off. There are several variations. I'll let people who have done it help with details.

bishbash
10-25-2013, 10:11
to oddmanout.

regards bryson not knowing how to hike the AT, I couldn't possibly comment. My plan (for instance if I was starting tomorrow) would be little training, I know how to walk and have walking boots that don't give me blisters. Any acclimatisation regards the physical effort would be covered by perhaps going easy for the first week or so. Bryson is/was a rich man and had stuff to get back to and that, doesn't give him quite the same desire, this has been a dream of mine for 15 years. Why do 75pc not finish it?

MOney: I'm not a rich man but one way or another it shouldn't be a problem, I mean I have a credit card if worst comes to worst.
Injury: A proper injury, well that is bad luck, could happen to anyone. A niggling injury like a proper knee or ankle problem could be an issue.
Ability: I just don't see how 16 mpd with regular rest days is a problem, In the summer I was walking 10mpd whilst doing a full time job, obviously a bit more tougher up and down with backpack, but still, idleness aside should be easy, notwithstanding proper injury.
Boredom: Does it just get a bit boring, I have done those long distance walks in England, 1 or 2 weeks, didn't get bored, loved it, but this is perhaps 26 weeks another kettle of fish.
Heat and MOsquitoes: This is my main worry as mentioned above.

bishbash
10-25-2013, 10:12
illabelle: I don't fancy flipflopping, want to do the whole thing in one go. though your plan does seem sound.

Pedaling Fool
10-25-2013, 10:12
Why controversial? he is a top bloke in my opinion. That book was good, but other books of his are even better, proper funny guy.I don't have a problem with him, but I'm sure someone will explain to you how he "ruined the AT"; I'm too burnt out on the topic. The box has been opened:D

jeffmeh
10-25-2013, 10:46
I don't have a problem with him, but I'm sure someone will explain to you how he "ruined the AT"; I'm too burnt out on the topic. The box has been opened:D
Please re-close the box. :)

bishbash
10-25-2013, 10:48
I just searched for him on here and didn't find much.

hikerboy57
10-25-2013, 11:10
I just searched for him on here and didn't find much.search for a walk in the woods

AT_Walker
10-25-2013, 11:18
Please be aware that you will need to apply for and be granted a B1/B/2 visa with an allowance for a 6 month stay. A normal tourist visa stamp would not give you enough time to complete the trail.

Venchka
10-25-2013, 12:03
single figure celsius is a walk in the park in my opinion. $80 sleeping bag, no worries. I did the coast to coast in 2009 and got some unseasonal weather in late march, was -10c iirc (14f), that was cold and i wasn't prepared. I put every single item of clothing on, in a cheapo sleeping bag and i was still freezing and didn't get much sleep, got up at 6amish and packed up and started walking, was sweating buckets 5 minutes later even though it was still cold weather, the layers got peeled off quite rapidly, I wouldn't want that situation again so a decent sleeping bag is a must. I thought when I used to read journals and stuff that they were talking about single figure farenheit on a cold night in March in Georgia. that requires a proper sleeping bag in my opinion. Rain is a doddle, cold, proper cold, when you are sleeping is seriously problematic.

By the way the highest point in england is only 3200ft, oh and English weather is great, I love England. And US.

My shorthand wasn't clear. Daytime-hiking time. Temperatures just above freezing on either scale. Raining. For days. After dark it gets cold. All that rain freezes. You will need traction aids on your boots.
Search this forum for the reports from March-April-May 2013. It snowed a lot in March. The heaviest amounts were north of Asheville, NC. It snowed some in April. May: It rained. All of May.
Worst scenario: A foot of new snow. Followed by freezing rain. The surface of the snow is now the consistency of cement. Several inches thick. We encountered snow like this above 4,000 feet on the NC-TN border near Boone, NC the day after Christmas, 2009.
However, every year is different. Just trying to give you some examples of the worst that the southern mountains have to offer.

Wayne

bfayer
10-25-2013, 12:32
Why controversial? he is a top bloke in my opinion. That book was good, but other books of his are even better, proper funny guy.

Without going into detail and taking the thread off course too much, it is because his actions, attitudes, and sense of humor do not sit well with many folks that live south of I64.

Just remember when you get to GA, you are a guest in someone else's backyard. Many believe Bryson forgot that when he did his hike and wrote his book.

1234
10-25-2013, 17:37
Several years ago I started out with a fellow from Ireland. He way over packed food and fuel. Keep it light, simple it is a walk in the woods. you can fuel up and get food most every 3 to 5 days. What you will find surprising is Georgia is mostly dry counties, dry means no alcohol and when they do sell alcohol (Helen Georgia) no Sunday sales. This was shocking to the Ireland fellow, he had no idea such backward places still existed. Sounds like you have it all together, Mar 1 is a good start date to beat the heat so speak, but getting to far north to early means black fly season. I wear a head net and it offers some relief. You will have snow in the smokies and you will see several snow storms but they are gone is a couple days.

Feral Bill
10-25-2013, 18:37
Perhaps you would prefer southbound? Start after the worst of the bugs in Maine. Finish in late fall/early winter. Beat the heat.

fiddlehead
10-25-2013, 18:44
I am an englander, new to white blaze. I read the book "Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson in about 1998, it was his attempt at the AT. He is a yank, but always presumed he wasn't famous in America? he is somewhat anglicised and has spent much of his adult life in UK, he is very very funny, I’ve read most of his books. Well I think he did about 800 miles of it with his mate before finally packing it in, fair play to him. Anyway I like the countryside, I like America and I like walking (have done the 260mile pennine way once and the 190 mile coast to coast walk 4 times) so it has always been a dream of mine to do the whole proper AT in one big go. I genuinely believe I will do it rather than it being a pipe dream, or excessive bevvy talk down the pub - I've had a lot of travelling based dreams and I have acheived many of them.

This however is a bit more of a logistical task, not a 3 week christmas jolly to watch England retain the Ashes down under. 6 months off work and 5 grand english ($8000) I have pencilled in. This doesn't mean a sabbatical from work it means quitting my job, I'm 35 now, have pencilled in age 40 to sack it in. Upon return there is a fair bit of contract work in my game and so long as the economy is going half decent I'd be well happy returning to that instead of my permanent work presently, but I do want to wait a bit to allow me to make major inroads into my mortgage debt and put a bit away. So lets say March the First 2018 will be my start date, having quit the job on my 40th birthday, bonza mate.

So, travel. London to Atlanta, and then Boston to London, say £600. $950

So, gear. I've never spent much on fancy gear and don't intend to for this, in fact I am very tight with money generally. However US is somewhat harsher than UK extreme weather wise. So I may have to get a fancy sleeping bag that will keep me warm in the mountains in March and April, (£150) then any old thing will do. Some thermals? (£50). Is there any real need for any fancy clothing after that, One way or another I will have a pair of walking boots then anyway so wouldn’t even consider them an expense, and I quite like to do a lot of walking in trainers. If I need to buy a new pair so be it. £200 $320

So, the walking. I did the coast to coast 190 miles in 8 days (24miles per day) carrying everything and camping or hostelling, that was hard work. North England can be rugged, but how rugged is the AT. I don’t for one minute think I can maintain 24mpd, but 16mpd on a walking day, = 135 days that leaves me a massive 45 days spare for rest days and travelling to the start, getting home at the end, bit of sight seeing, blister recovery time, walking in new boots with short days etc. I really fancy having a few rest days at the trail towns, get stuck into those whopping great big 16oz steaks you yanks love and buckets of bud then vodka and cokes and a good old laugh with the locals, maybe get lucky.

So, the accommodation. Camping and lean tos are free. That’s the majority, say 120 days. Then 30 in bunk houses($20?) and 30 in cheapo motels($50), twenni won hundred bucks, blimey this is getting expensive.

So, the food. When you’re on the trail, thinking noodles, peanuts, beef jerky, chocolate, crisps(chips to you yankee doodleites), basically junk food, but you get a lot of calories for your gram with junk food, I shall just have to make up for it by having a side salad with my steak and orange juice with my vodka in the trail towns. Oh yeah, is it acceptable to drink spirits around the shelters, not gonna go hauling a 24 case of beers up there so thought a bottle of vodka, help me sleep at night, take the edge off etc. Not gonna go terrorising the neighbourhood, and if there are kids and that around I would of course be subtle. 120 days on the trail, food and drink @ $8/day = $1000. 60 days in towns and what not = $40/day = $2400. Total Food = $3400

Total costs = about 7000 bucks, 1000 contingency fund, job’s a goodun. How could it possibly go wrong, see you there March 1st 2018, it’s a date.

I would be very interested to hear anyone's thoughts on anything I've said, I'm not easily offended so give me both barrels if you think I may have said anything daft. Ta in advance.

Looks like you have it figured about right. (on just about everything)
I agree with whoever said that's a bit early to start.
15-30 days later would be ideal. (it's going to be hot sometime, somewhere but the Smokies can be a bitch in March.
Good luck and have fun. (I think you will)

kayak karl
10-25-2013, 18:51
OP is so polite :) they asked permission to ramble. is this a WB first? and Welcome, if it wasn't already said. :welcome

hikerboy57
10-25-2013, 18:53
OP is so polite :) they asked permission to ramble. is this a WB first? and Welcome, if it wasn't already said. :welcome
im pretty sure ive never asked permission

bigcranky
10-25-2013, 21:52
Your plan is sound, your budget estimate is decent, and you should be fine. +1 on getting the 6 month visa; I understand (but have no personal experience) that it can be difficult. There are some threads on Whiteblaze about this topic.

Plan to start at way less than 16 miles per day. If you plan for 8 mpd (yeah, I know, but bear with me) then you'll need enough food for 3+ days to get to Neels Gap, the first resupply point. If you make it there in two days, great, but if you have two days of food and find the trail much steeper than you expected, well.... you'll be hungry, anyway. I've hiked the Georgia section three times now, twice in early thru-hiker season, and many hikers find it more difficult than they expected, even those with hiking experience elsewhere.

bishbash
10-26-2013, 20:15
Thanks for all responses, sorry I cannot reply to each one individually. Can anyone compare the general going to walking the AT as compared to north england, or specifically the lake district. i mean everything is bigger and (allegedly) better stateside aye, sorry not a cheeky aside I love you yankaloids, done a bit of travelling over the pond and I always found the natives good as gold a terrible myth that they dont have a sense of humour. LD is the toughest part of the C2C (seriously if any of you come to England and have a bit of spare time then it is well worth a go, the prettiest part of england imo, proper beautiful) but I still managed 24 mpd up and down dale. One other thing, 8mpd, even taking it easy that will take me 4 hours, I mean that is a lot of time to use up, I mean doing the C2C you normally ended up in some sort of conurbation with pubs and stuff, but the AT is largely wilderness, a proper walk in the woods, so I imagine I would walk a fair bit as I would go mental finishing up at 4pm and then just hanging around camp all day.

FlyPaper
10-26-2013, 20:40
Thanks for all responses, sorry I cannot reply to each one individually. Can anyone compare the general going to walking the AT as compared to north england, or specifically the lake district. i mean everything is bigger and (allegedly) better stateside aye, sorry not a cheeky aside I love you yankaloids, done a bit of travelling over the pond and I always found the natives good as gold a terrible myth that they dont have a sense of humour. LD is the toughest part of the C2C (seriously if any of you come to England and have a bit of spare time then it is well worth a go, the prettiest part of england imo, proper beautiful) but I still managed 24 mpd up and down dale. One other thing, 8mpd, even taking it easy that will take me 4 hours, I mean that is a lot of time to use up, I mean doing the C2C you normally ended up in some sort of conurbation with pubs and stuff, but the AT is largely wilderness, a proper walk in the woods, so I imagine I would walk a fair bit as I would go mental finishing up at 4pm and then just hanging around camp all day.

I think I can speak for all yanks on white blaze in saying that we're quite honored that you're interested in hiking the AT. In my hiking, I've met a number of thru-hikers from abroad, and they've always been good company. As someone said, there is lots of up and down and much of it is over ground covered with rocks and roots. My first hike was so hard I seriously thought about faking an injury and calling my wife to come get me.

But with your hiking experience, you'll be fine. Someone suggested planning for 8mpd. The cool thing about thru-hiking is that you have close to 6 months. You don't really have to "plan" how far you'll get your first few days. Just set your expectations so that you won't be disappointed if you get fewer miles than it seems like you should. In Georgia, there are plenty of places to camp. You can walk until you're ready to stop, and most likely you'll find a camping spot about the time you're ready to stop.

Good luck. Perhaps I'll see you out there.

bishbash
10-26-2013, 20:46
Cheers FP. Work is a bind, if only I didnt have to and money wasnt an issue I would be out there fighting off the grizzly bears now, or at least March 1 2014.

bigcranky
10-27-2013, 11:15
To be clear, I didn't say you should hike 8mpd to start. I suggested that you carry enough food so that you could hike 8mpd if necessary. Given your experience, hiking 16 mpd is much more likely, but as I mentioned, I've met plenty of experienced hikers in Georgia beginning a thru-hike who find the terrain challenging compared to their home mountains.

Starting at the top of Springer (i.e., skipping the Approach Trail), 8 mpd puts you at Hawk, then Gooch, Lance Creek, and Neels Gap. Springer to Hawk is really quite easy and mostly level, so plenty of hikers just keep going. But the next stretch has a lot of vertical, and coming at the end of the day, it can be a challenge. I remember meeting a couple of older hikers at Gooch Mountain Shelter who had started at Springer that morning. They were not happy, and one of them had a pretty wrecked knee (ITB syndrome, I think), but both claimed extensive hiking experience. A couple of years later I met some hikers at The Hiker Hostel who claimed lots of experience hiking in California -- they were starting at Springer and my partner and I were continuing south, so we met them again two days later as they hiked over Sassafras and Justus with their giant packs. Singing a different tune, they were.

So go hike, and enjoy yourself, and plan on 16mpd to start. But be flexible and listen to your body (and your knees.) :)

Pedaling Fool
10-28-2013, 16:23
Fair warning to the OP. There are a lot more spiders in the U.S. than in the U.K., especially on the AT :D


http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/you-are-within-3-feet-of-a-spider-right-now/


You Are Within 6 Feet of a Spider Right Now



By Gwen Pearson (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/author/gwenpearson/)
10.23.13
2:30 PM


If you don’t follow UK news, you might have missed the entire island going completely bonkers over an invasive spider species. The False Widow Spider, Steatoda nobilis (http://www.nhm.ac.uk//about-us/news/2012/february/noble-false-widow-spider-marches-north-in-the-uk105179.html), was introduced to England about 100 years ago from the Canary Islands.

I’m not entirely sure why, but the British media suddenly decided that these little cobweb spiders are terrifying. After a month of frenzied headlines, a school was actually closed due to spiders (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-24623652) this week.

Really. Dean Academy completely shut down because of suspected False Widow spiders found in an IT classroom. The entire school will be fumigated (http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/False-Widow-spider-invasion-shuts-Dean-Academy/story-19969979-detail/story.html), and all athletic events are cancelled.

It’s difficult to convey why this is so incredibly silly without using a lot of four letter words, arm waving, and spittle. These spiders are NOT that dangerous (http://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-%26-habitats/spider-bites). Headlines have used words like “rampaging (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bug_girl/10429727556/in/photostream/) killer spiders (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bug_girl/10429773516/in/photostream/)” and “flesh-eating (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bug_girl/10429773516/in/photostream/),” but those claims are ridiculous and false.

These little spiders are related to black widows, but other than genetics and web structure, that’s about the end of the resemblance. They do not have venom that dissolves your flesh. They are not “flesh eating,” unless you are a fly or a cricket. They can’t “kill humans with a single bite! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bug_girl/10429727556/)“; and there is NO record of their ever having killed anyone in the UK (or elsewhere, best as I can tell).

The headline above claiming there were “50 spiders racing” towards a mom is bogus. I don’t doubt that the woman in the headline above felt like there were 50 spiders charging at her, but that isn’t how these spiders work. This species is described as “notably sluggish, ponderous, solitary and non-aggressive (http://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-%26-habitats/spider-bites).” They don’t live in groups or nests, they don’t hunt communally, and if you tried to make them charge someone, they would collapse. Spiders simply don’t have a respiratory system built for racing around after prey, much less terrified humans.

Why is there so much hype about these spiders?


This “Attack of the Spiders!” graph suggests spiders are practically storming the beaches from Normandy. Perhaps that is tiny Spider General Rommel in the photo?

Compare that map with this graph from a UK Natural History survey project (http://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Summary/s/Steatoda+nobilis), and it becomes clear this graphic has no connection to real, biological data.

It’s not just me that thinks the UK media coverage is over the top; the British Arachnological Society said (http://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/False+Widow+Spiders):

The media hype about ‘false widows’ (by which presumably Steatoda nobilis is meant) is beyond reason and irresponsible….Everybody in the coastal counties of Southern England has had lots of them in their house and garden for many years, whether they have been aware of this or not. They are now one of our commonest southern house and garden spiders. The fact that harm caused by them is very rare should tell you something about how dangerous they really are.

So, there are lots of people and the media freaking out about spiders. And there are Arachnologists and people like me (insect pundits?) that are trying to get people to calm down and tell them a bunch of facts.

Guess which side is winning.


Hey, Ms. Pot Kettle. This article’s headline is pretty alarmist too!

It’s easy to write a story about spiders that will make lots of people share it. Many folks are afraid of spiders. Spiders regularly lead top 10 lists of human fears. But that doesn’t mean it’s ethical to play on those fears for page views. And that is why I hesitate to tell you that yes, you ARE probably near a spider, right now.

The “6 feet from a spider” saying is a bit of folk wisdom (http://www.burkemuseum.org/spidermyth/myths/3feet.html) that actually has some truth to it. Want to fumigate an entire school for spiders? Great, go ahead. Within a week you will have plenty of spiders again. You can try to kill them, but they will come back. There is no such thing as “spider-proof” in a living, biological world.

Spiders aren’t invading our space because they like seeing us scream and freak out. They are just trying to make a living, and our homes happen to be places that are nice to live in. Heck, that’s why WE live there. It’s warm, it’s sheltered from extreme weather, and lots of other little animals are there for spiders to eat.

All those stories you see of “ZOMG it bit me and my leg fell off!11!“? Yeah. Highly unlikely. Spiders just take the fall (http://arthropodecology.com/2012/02/15/spiders-do-not-bite/) for a whole host of other things that cause skin and circulatory problems (http://spiders.ucr.edu/expert.html) because humans love to hate spiders. There just isn’t any data that backs up rampaging spiders attacking humans in either Europe or North America. Only about 4% of people seeking treatment for spider bites….actually have confirmed spider bites (http://spiders.ucr.edu/necrotic.html).

Six Feet? From a Spider? Right now? REALLY?

Yes. Really. A classic review of spiders from 1973 (http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.en.18.010173.001513) begins with this sentence:
“Where any form of terrestrial life exists it is safe to assume there will be spiders living close by.”

Spiders are common and all around you. In a survey of 33 different spider density estimates in that paper, ranges from 3 to 384 spiders per square meter was common. (I’d tell you the high estimates (http://arthropodecology.com/2012/06/05/you-are-always-within-three-feet-of-a-spider-fact-or-fiction/), but some of you might pass out.)

The UK freak-out over spiders is especially ironic since much early research on spider population density came from Britain. In classic work from 1958, Bristow estimated (http://books.google.com/books/about/The_world_of_spiders.html?id=6ZoOAQAAMAAJ) that there were about 2 million spiders/acre in a Sussex meadow, or a quite modest 49 spiders per square meter.

Now, about half of the readers of this article are going to need a little lie down after reading this. For those of you that are still with me, spider density varies widely depending on habitat. For example, estimated spider density in the Pacific northwest forest (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/esa/envent/1992/00000021/00000001/art00010) ranged from 6 to 10 spiders per square meter; that is about 40,461 spiders per acre.

Certainly, there is a difference between indoors and outdoors; and cultivated and wild habitats. One thing is quite clear, though: Spiders are here to stay, despite our best efforts. So there probably is a spider near you, right now. And you can’t see it, and it’s avoiding you.

If you’re afraid of spiders, my telling you all of this isn’t going to change much, and that’s ok. But do know that stories of death and dismemberment due to spider bites are not based on facts, and usually media hype along the lines of this bad reporting from the UK. If you are going to worry, worry about driving in a car, guns, or accidental poisoning (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm), all of which are statistically more dangerous and real threats to your health and welfare.

Think you killed all your spiders? It’s unlikely, but you might have. Temporarily. We know that sheetweb spiders can travel kilometers (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2004.01244.x/abstract) for a new home, and you might have seen the news that Houston was covered with spiders this year (http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/09/25/spider-migration-sailing-through-north-texas-skies/). Spiders travel by ballooning on the wind in beautiful ways (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/budding-scientist/2012/05/08/catch-a-scene-from-charlottes-web-in-your-backyard/).

I’ll let E.B White, author of Charlotte’s Web (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte's_Web), have the final say here in a lovely letter (http://www.lettersofnote.com/2013/08/a-book-is-sneeze.html) describing how he came to write his book about a heroic spider mother. Spiders are part of nature:

Once you begin watching spiders, you haven’t time for much else—the world is really loaded with them. I do not find them repulsive or revolting, any more than I find anything in nature repulsive or revolting, and I think it is too bad that children are often corrupted by their elders in this hate campaign. Spiders are skillful, amusing and useful. And only in rare instances has anybody ever come to grief because of a spider.

rocketsocks
10-28-2013, 22:15
I don't mind Spiders...It's those damn killer Tomatoes that bug me.

MuddyWaters
10-28-2013, 22:38
Start slow, build mileage slowly, or you increase your chances of overuse injuries, stress fractures, ITB syndrome, etc.
Section hikers can get injured, limp off the trail, go home and recover.

Not a good fallback plan for thru hike, or a trip you spent a lot of money on.

Pedaling Fool
10-29-2013, 07:21
I don't mind Spiders...It's those damn killer Tomatoes that bug me.Don't worry, the U.S. Navy is on it http://tvblogs.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/08/the-u-s-navy-vs-the-killer-tomato/ ;)

slbirdnerd
10-29-2013, 12:06
Why controversial? he is a top bloke in my opinion. That book was good, but other books of his are even better, proper funny guy.

Welcome to WB! :welcome

I did like Bryson, but there are lots of other more "real" AT thru-hike books to read. Lots of threads here too on which ones to read. I suggest Skywalker, The Things you Find on the Appalachian Trail, Becoming Odyssa, both books by The Barefoot Sisters, Three Hundred Zeroes... The list goes on.

Read some more and hang around here for a while, you'll have a lot of info to add to your planning. Good luck with your hike when the time comes!

Whack-a-mole
10-31-2013, 22:56
Hope your hike here goes great! My biggest piece of advice--learn to drink your beer cold! People will think you are weird if you insist on warm beer. Other than that it sounds like your head is screwed on straight, enjoy our country, it's beautiful countryside and awesome people!

Tri-Pod Bob
10-31-2013, 23:47
Welcome to WB, bishbash..........from "the wilds of western Mass"! And on that subject, western Mass. that is, when you hike through here, be sure to check out Bash Bish Falls in the SW part of the state.

English Stu
11-01-2013, 11:49
Welcome to Whiteblaze. If considering a Thru I should not try and get by with a tourist visa and there is hassle to visit the American Embassy to get a full visa, so start that early.Your schedule will quickly go out of the window. Look to get return flights that can be changed economically as your plans will change and if you cannot change you can be kicking you heels for days in a motel waiting for your flight or if changing for other reasons.
Plans for handling money need to be well thought through. I found bank staff smile at our foreign credit cards and our driving licences for ID. Mine were viewed with suspicion as if I had just found/made them, which indeed I could have; and again you are a long way from home with no supplemental ID, other than you passport, or anybody to vouch for you. So make sure you have an good photograph in the passport and it looks like you. Carry spare photocopies separately of important documents like insurance,passport. Mine got very wet in Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Clearly within reason, but I have a message about me that my insurance company need to be informed prior to agreeing medical treatment (as it says in their blurb) tell Physicians this information.You may have an injury/sickness and not able to make the call yourself.
Do not get very low on cash, that is just the time you will hit problems and not being able to pay you way will halt your hike or leave you hanging about sorting things out.There are plenty of ATMs but small stores again will look askance at foreign cards and ID.
Enjoy your hike.

xrayextra
11-01-2013, 13:07
Hi bishbash,

I did a thru-hike this year from April 1st through October 9th.
So, the accommodation. Camping and lean tos are free. That’s the majority, say 120 days. Then 30 in bunk houses($20?) and 30 in cheapo motels($50), twenni won hundred bucks, blimey this is getting expensive.I think 60 paid stays is a bit excessive. I spent 30 in hostels and 15 in hotels (and I thought that was way too many). Plan to split hotel rooms with other hikers. You will meet and end up hiking with lots of other hikers. Also, the hotel rooms are cheaper in the south than in the north. Hostels run from $10-$35, but typically $20 is about right, but again more expensive the further north you go.
Oh yeah, is it acceptable to drink spirits around the shelters, not gonna go hauling a 24 case of beers up there so thought a bottle of vodka, help me sleep at night, take the edge off etc.Not only is it acceptable, but it's very common. I never saw anyone with vodka though (most drank whiskey or rum).
Total costs = about 7000 bucks, 1000 contingency fund, job’s a goodun. How could it possibly go wrong, see you there March 1st 2018, it’s a date.I'd keep an eye on the weather. It might be better to shoot for a mid-March start date. This year the weather was wacky and very cold with a late spring. Many people who started early ended up sitting out a lot of the weather for a week or two. If you're concerned about the heat, what some people did was to get up extra early and start hiking before dawn, find a good cool, shady spot around 11:00 or 12:00 and take a break for a few hours out of the high point of the heat, then hike on after the sun begins its decline in the sky.

Pressure D
11-01-2013, 13:45
Good advice Flatfoot!!

bishbash
03-05-2014, 18:05
Back again, hope you are all wintering well. I look in here every now and then when i fancy a bit of daydreaming, always cheers me up. less than 4 years to go now.

If you're concerned about the heat, what some people did was to get up extra early and start hiking before dawn, find a good cool, shady spot around 11:00 or 12:00 and take a break for a few hours out of the high point of the heat, then hike on after the sun begins its decline in the sky.

That does sound like a cool plan, have done some night hiking in england before and it works well. Might have to look into the visa issue as a few people have mentioned it.

bishbash
03-05-2014, 18:08
Have to say speaking to the immigration people at the border when entering USA is not a nice experience, normally dont let anyone talk to me like that but this is one occasion when there is really nothing you can do about it, you just have to take it.

peakbagger
03-05-2014, 18:09
One down side to a late start is that the days get extra long in Northern new England in late June. 16 hours of daylight. The farther north you are the longer they get.