smoke?

[Old Spice]

I am going to keep the town drinking to a minimum due to lack of funds... Yet a little airplane spirit bottle every know and then after a long day sounds like the perfect anwser. I wonder if there are places that sell them where I will be doing re-supply?

BTW, I am still smoking about 1/2 a pack per day and will be leaving in about 45 days. As I up my physical preparation over the next few weeks, I am going to try and reduce this to about five per day. From here it will be pretty easy to only smoke a few or quit altogether once I get out on the trail.

[Nokia]

From here it will be pretty easy to only smoke a few or quit altogether once I get out on the trail.

That's what you say now. Shelter boredom can be a killa'!

[Twofiddy]

bring ciggs or quit?im a light smoker.not before noon and 5 a day max.i dont bring ciggs and i never miss em.wondering what you do.

To me, this is a no brainer!!

QUIT!!

It's the worst habbit going!!

It drains your wallet
It drains your lungs
It drains your life

You choice though?

Saw my grandfather die after smoking for 65 years. I was there the last few hours, as well as the last few weeks, months, and years. The cancer, the pain, the oxygen hose that had to travel with him to the front and back porch just to go outside... None of that is for me.

I'm not claiming that the air long the AT and I81 is much cleaner these days, but at least you are not contributing to the pollution.


QUIT QUIT QUIT!!

[corduroy]

Before I began my thru hike I was an avid non smoker- participating regularly in major protests of big tobacco, training cigarette sniffing dogs at a semi-secret facility in Northern Ontario, openly criticizing smokers and warning them of their imminent demise- as soon as I started hiking however things began to change.
Within a week of beginning my hike I was up to a pack a day, chain smoking my lungs into torn paper bags at every shelter I could find, bumming smokes off of shuttle drivers, and robbing other hikers cold-blind of their Marlboro Lights.
I attempted to fight the battle against the great evil of nicotine on maybe two occasions but alas it was all in vein- within a month I had degraded into a hollow shell of a hiker- skipping sections and backtracking to Mtn. Mama's two or three times a week for their great deal's on American Spirit Organics.
At one point I had the habit under control- I'd set up a pretty systematic mail drop schedule with my brother, and was on my way to Katahdin- not smoke free, but in higher spirits then my prior days. But it all went downhill when I met a shadowy figure by the name of Baltimore Jack Tarlin.
Tarlin introduced me to the hard stuff, Marlboro something or others in fancy cases. On my first drag I knew all the glory and rapture of love and addiction, and within minutes was swimming in a sea of ecstacy, a tobacco fueled LSD like trance.
Long story short bring alot of tobacco.

[sleepwalker]

On my first thru attempt in '03 I started off from amicalola with 1 pack of cigs determined to quit. By the time I reached woody gap I would've sold my grandma for a butt. So after my 12 mile day, I left my pack at the shelter, asked the others there if they wanted anything and walked the 9 miles into Suches for some smokes.

Man I'll tell ya...by the time I got to the paved road I was limping and literally crying with pain. Luckily a caddilac happened by driven by a baptist minister who drove me into town and back to the trail. That was my first trail magic experience.

Now I don't bother fighting it....5 packs in the pack at all times...although I only have one every couple of hours.

[DLANOIE]

I had no idea how many hikers smoked either. Im three days with out a cig now and taking the patch. But I smoked drum, samson or balishag, no filter to pack out(guilt free)

P.S. does anyone know if you can buy these brands along the trail or will my options be limited to regular cigs and "backwoods" handrolling tobacco?

[Adom]

I'll probably skip the town drinking all together, if anything I'll pack a pint of Jim Beam, it'll be a lot cheaper in the long run and I won't end up blowing 20$ at the bars in towns.

[Ridge]

Isn't Smoking just simply "Slow Suicide"???

[saimyoji]

I had no idea how many hikers smoked either. Im three days with out a cig now and taking the patch. But I smoked drum, samson or balishag, no filter to pack out(guilt free)

P.S. does anyone know if you can buy these brands along the trail or will my options be limited to regular cigs and "backwoods" handrolling tobacco?

Why ask about availability of tabacco on the trail if you are trying to quit? Did I miss something?

[saimyoji]

I smoked off and on for about 10 years. I quit cold turkey one day: the birth of my daughter. Haven't smoked or even thought about it since. Nearly 4 years.

[Adom]

Any unhealthy habit could be considered slow suicide.

My great-grandmother smoked non-filter lucky strikes for nearly 70 years and her doctor told her she was in good health when she died. It was the walk to the store for more smokes that got her, some reckless ******* ran her over.

[Rain Man]

bring ciggs or quit?....

Is this even a legitimate question, or just trolling?

Of course, QUIT!!!

DUH!!!!!!

RainMan

.

[Old Spice]

I'll probably skip the town drinking all together, if anything I'll pack a pint of Jim Beam, it'll be a lot cheaper in the long run and I won't end up blowing 20$ at the bars in towns.

When are you leaving? This is my idea too.

[general]

I had no idea how many hikers smoked either. Im three days with out a cig now and taking the patch. But I smoked drum, samson or balishag, no filter to pack out(guilt free)

P.S. does anyone know if you can buy these brands along the trail or will my options be limited to regular cigs and "backwoods" handrolling tobacco?

most ingles supermarkets have drum and sampson. to my knowledge, in the south, aside from the renegade convenience store, that's the only place you're gonna get quality roll your own. there is a place north of neel's gap, on hwy 129, called sunshine grocery, that sells american spirit. it's pretty damn good too, and grown organically.

[Ross]

I quit at Springer....until i hit Mountain Mama's. It felt better to quit but I still like the feeling of taking a break, taking in the view and smoking a roll-up.

Where you you in 04 L.Wolfe? I may have been a paying customer.

Ross aka Cheers

[Adom]

I fly into Atlanta March 25 and will hopefully be on the trail the 26th but it may end up the 27th.

[the goat]

I had no idea how many hikers smoked either. Im three days with out a cig now and taking the patch. But I smoked drum, samson or balishag, no filter to pack out(guilt free)

P.S. does anyone know if you can buy these brands along the trail or will my options be limited to regular cigs and "backwoods" handrolling tobacco?

balishag & drum are usually available, just gotta look around sometimes.

beware of getting stuck w/ nothin' but the "bugler", i hate that crap!

[Old Spice]

bugler sucks! i have only had like 2 cigs in the last three days. this is amazing considering i have been smoking nearly apack a day for the last five years.

[DLANOIE]

I finally kicked the habit in 2008 and haven't looked back since. I never had a prob smoking while hiking. I kept pace just fine even on long steep uphills. It was hard to quit too because roll your owns were much cheaper to buy then. Just after I quit, Maine nearly doubled the price of cigs. So glad I quit when I did. I have two boys that love the outdoors and smoking is a nasty habit!

[DavidNH]

There are way way too many thru hikers and section hikers who smoke. Its really smelly and disgusting. Bad for your health as well as those around you too.

You are finally in the outdoors for an extended period of time, drinking clear cool and treated water and breathing wonderful fresh air. Why mess that up by putting nicotine pollutants in you? PLEASE leave the ciggs at home. It will be so much nicer for you and your shelter mates. Coming to an otherwise very nice shelter after a long day of hiking, and finding some shmuck sitting in the shelter puffing away was always a real downer for me and often times I moved on. Smoking is likely the most disgusting and revolting habit I have ever witnessed among hikers, though the very heavy drinking I so frequently witnessed brings up a close second.