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I have thought about hiking on the AT for about two or so years now. I have the time and to a point the money, so why not. Not sure about a thru hike, so for now I'm planning to do a week, maybe more or maybe less. I'll start at Amicalola Falls with no plan on distance. Like I said, I plan to hike for a week or seven days, maybe more, maybe less. Currently, my start date is 30 April 2016. I live in Pensacola, Florida with my wife and we are both retired. I'm 53 years old. We only have one car, so I plan to take a bus from Mobile to Atlanta where I have family. They don't know it yet, but one of them will take me to Amicalola Falls to start. I have never been much of a hiker or a camper, but what little I have done is more hiking than camping, and have never carried a backpack. My longest hike has been nine miles. Today, I plan to go to the UWF trails and do a 10 mile hike just to see how I feel afterwards. I do not have any equipment yet for my planned AT hike. I do have a tent and a sleeping bag, but both of them weigh to much. For equipment, I plan to keep the cost down by buying used off of ebay. I just can't see going and paying $300-$500 for a tent, $200-$300 for a backpack, and $200-$300 for a sleeping bag. Concerning food on the trail, I believe I am going to consume a lot of Larabars and Clif Bars. I don't think i'm going to carry a stove, and will make up for not having hot food by taking advantage of every possible stop in towns to satisfy that need. I believe that by doing that, it will be something to look forward to when I arrive at these stops, and it will also save weight in my pack.

On with the show, this is it!