No hiking experience?

[VictoriaM]

How many of us '07s are total newbs? I'm a city girl. My idea of roughing it is a three star hotel. But I've known I wanted to thru hike for as long as I've known what the AT is, and next year I'm doing it, experienced or not.

Anyone else here completely new to backpacking? I've done a few day hikes here and there, but that's about it. I'm hoping I can get out on some training hikes, but I'm not sure how possible that is. If there are any others here like me, I'd love to chat through e-mail or YIM. Maybe we can help each other prepare.

I'm [email protected], YIM tsjuster.

[Singe03]

I dont really qualify but I'm hoping to be out again in 2007 and I was pretty much an educated newbie in 2003. Keep reading these forums and you will know all you need to know, after that it just a matter of getting up every morning and walking north.

[the_iceman]

Victoria -

Desire is the key ingredient to success.

Do you research and get good gear. Focus on the big three, Pack, bag, tent. See if you rent any of this stuff for a trial run from a local outfitter. Get you pack last so you get the right size. Get a bag warm enough for your start date.

See if you can try before you buy. I have spent money on some stupid stuff. Read what everyone has to say, then find something you like. Post back here with brand and model to see if anyone has any experience with that product. This has saved me from buying rain pants I liked but found out here that they are not so waterproof.

What part of the country do you live in? You need to get out there for at least a few days. There is no substitute for experience. I have section hiked 700 miles or so and plan to thru-hike 2007. Here is what I find when I hit the trail.

Day 1 - feel great - too much excitement
Day 2 – wake up sore but excited. Draggin butt by the end of the day
Day 3 – Man am I sore and stiff to start but feel good by the end of the day.
Day 4 – The hurt is almost gone.

[maxNcathy]

Hi VictoriaM,

I am a novice hiker with only 4 days on the AT as experience.Before Cathy and I went to Va this April to hike near Mt Rogers and Damascus I read alot from trailjournals.com and chose equipment suggested by veteran hikers.Things went mostly very well for us.We both loved it and had a variety of weather.But my waterproof /breathable coat was a joke in the rain! I got very wet.It seems a poncho or Frog Toggs is the way to go...and I saw hikers with umbrellas that would have been good to have perhaps.
I go north March 19th 2007.How about you?

Sandalwood

[Blissful]

I'll tell you - for me, there is nothing like at least getting your feet wet in the backpacking arena. Like going out a few weekends. Trying out your stuff ahead of time to see if it works or not. Finding out what it's like to be cold, hot, wet, smelly, hungry, etc. I am really thankful for those experiences so hopefully very little will take me by surprise on a thru (I hope!).

[B.Woods]

VictoriaM,

A person can walk themself into shape on the AT, if they have the disapline to take it easy until they are into better shape. What is hard to learn, is how you and your equipment work together. That is what takes time.

Find a good state park near you that you can hike in. When you buy new equipment, go on a overnight to try it out. The more you are in the woods, the more situations you will be presented with were you will have to make decisions that could be serious.

I use the same amount of equipment no mater what my mileage. You still have to have a stove, something to sleep in, something to keep you warm. The mileage will take care of itself, Your equipment and your knowledge on how to use it will take care of you.

Bobby Woods

[brotheral]

Good luck Victoria !! Alot of good advice here. Get some experience !!
My girlfriend & I just came back from a camping weekend in Linville Falls, NC. I did my 1st backpacking trip in that area abt 10 years ago. I hauled 60+ lbs 2 miles down into the gorge. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry on my way out in the 90 degree heat, literally crawling at times..I had a Good laugh over it & learned from the "experience"....
Happy Trails

[VictoriaM]

Thanks for the tips. It's not so much my physical condition I'm worried about, since I'm in pretty good shape. It's learning my equipment (as B.Woods said). I'll probably start spending some nights out in the backyard once I get a footprint for my tent, just to start. My backyard is 5 acres of woods, so at least it'll be a bit of practice.

Sandalwood, I have to start back at college in September and want to take it slow, so I'll be leaving a bit before you. Probably 3/9. I'll bet you'll pass me soon after, so keep an eye out for the girly-girl all in pink!

[max patch]

Victoria, the year I thru'd I met a girl whose first night of backpacking was the day she started on Springer. She weighed about 90 pounds and started off with a 40 pound pack and did just fine. You'll figure stuff out as you go along -- have a great hike.

[Wohelo]

Hi Victoria,

I'm also very much a newbie. I did my first overnight over memorial day weekend this year in Shenandoah NP. I learned so much about what worked and what didn't in those few days. I highly recommend it. Here is my top ten things I learned on my first overnight:
1. Just because you can use Dr. Bronner's soap as toothpaste doesn't mean that you should. Also, it really sucks if it accidentally gets in your eyes.
2. Hiking in your trusty boots that don't blister your feet can indeed blister your feet when you strap on 35 pounds of weight.
3. Thru-hikers are neat and welcoming people. I met a whole cluster of them in my short trek on the A.T.
4. Velveeta shells and cheese isn't as good as it used to be when I was a kid, but snickers are awesome.
5. I need to get in better shape before I go backpacking.
6. When I sing bears will run away. I do not take this very personally.
7. I need to learn more songs to sing.
8. Hiking poles are wonderful things and saved me from falling down often.
9. If you start to worry that you've taken a wrong turn, you probably have.
10. After 7.5 miles in 90 degree heat, there is NOTHING better than a cold drink.

I will probably learn more in my next hike in another month. I am aiming for a 7 day adventure this time. Anybody have any suggestions for a good weeklong hike in New England for the end of August?

-Jennifer

[Cookerhiker]

Victoria, everyone here is giving you good advice. In case you hadn't concluded this yourself, WhiteBlaze is an excellent resource.

I notice that you live in NJ. I highly recommend Campmoor for your gear. It's well-worth a trip. Unlike any REI I've ever patronized, Campmoor has every style of tent fully erected so you can see what they actually look like. I'm a native of Northern NJ (Ridgewood) and until recently, made frequent trips to visit family during which I always stopped at Campmoor. Keep in mind they're closed Sundays.

[VictoriaM]

I was just over at Campmor the other day after Gander Mountain turned out to be a huge disappoinment. There's an EMS right next door to Campmor now, so I visited both. Loved Campmor, not so much EMS. My husband's family is in Glen Rock, so we're down that way all the time.

My gear right now:
Kelty Trekker 4300 (new, lighter pack coming soon)
Whisperlite International
MSR Miniworks
Marmot Pounder Plus women's
Eureka Spitfire
Many other bits and pieces

I haven't used any of it yet, but I no how to research and I'm pretty confident that I made good choices. Now I need to work on getting out there!

Thanks to everyone who has given such good advice.

[Singe03]

Gander Mountian is an excellent store for hunters and car campers, but sadly lacking in backpacking gear.

For clothing, honestly, dont forget Wal-Mart, they have sports clothing that wicks as good as anything else I've found for alot less than major backpacking brands. I also have to put a plug in for REI Outlet, I picked up a few things from there from time to time.

Get a hammock, dont worry about a tent footprint :-)

Seriously, I do not use a tent footprint with my tent, I had one, it went home before the Smokies. The tent was replaced by a hammock later on, but it does have 50+ nights in it with no tears in the floor and I've never had a problem even in fierce storms.

If you are not used to sleeping in the woods, the noises on the first few nights can be really distracting, or even distressing. Earplugs or even a small radio with headphones can make the first few nights go easier for you, in fact earplugs are near manditory if you plan to shelter alot. Hikers snore, hikers who claim not to snore, snore louder...

[mtnbums2000]

Backpacking for more than a few days is more mental than physical. Something that you will figure out when you are out their for a while.

[Almost There]

I would say don't go spending alot of money on gear. Instead use what you have and make sure you have money for gear when you hit Mountain Crossings at Neel's Gap. The guys there are great and you would benefit from their experience in getting some new gear after a few days on the trail. Many people end up switching out all their gear here. It's a common thing for many people to be carrying completely different gear by Va then the gear they had on Springer.

[hammock engineer]

I would say don't go spending alot of money on gear. Instead use what you have and make sure you have money for gear when you hit Mountain Crossings at Neel's Gap. The guys there are great and you would benefit from their experience in getting some new gear after a few days on the trail. Many people end up switching out all their gear here. It's a common thing for many people to be carrying completely different gear by Va then the gear they had on Springer.

I agree with this in terms of getting experience than going to a good outfitter. You will get conflecting answers from WB, but not all outfitters are equal. Locally I buy only footwear and small odds and ends at the outfitter. A good question to ask them would be what size pack you need, how much weight you should be carrying, and what type of footwear do they recommend. If they DO NOT recommend a smaller pack under 4000 ci (mine could not believe I was going to use the Granite Gear VP as my pack), give you options to keep your base weight well under 30 lbs, and suggest you consider trail runners or other non-hiking boats; then you need to try elsewhere. All of these things do not work for everyone, but they work for enough people that they should be presented as options to you.

Also shop around online, plenty of good websites. A great review website that a few here on WB write for is www.backpackgeartest.org . It has reviews on almost everything by people who are not trying to sell you anything.

Hope this helps.

[Singe03]

I remember shopping at a place called Whole Earth in Houston when I was planning my thru attempt and the guy there telling me that knowing what he knew after his thru, he could do the AT with "this" pack (pointing to what I thought then was an impossibly small pack). Now, having done what I did (GA-NH, damned flu) I think I could use that pack or even go a hair smaller.

The people saying you will replace gear, send gear home, decide you can do without XYZ are absolutely right... The first weeks, in fact the entire trip are a learning process and some of the things you will learn are rather unexpected. I think part of the mental process successful hikers go through (I do consider my partial to be successful BTW, just not a thru) is learning how little they really need, and learning to need less. I think having some things at the beginning that are not really necessary provide a bit of a mental security blanket, and as you hike the need for that security blanket diminishes, so you can mentally pare down your kit still feel that all bases are covered. Permit yourself a luxory or two regardless of what anyone says about it, the experience is your's and no one elses. Just keep it reasonable, an extra 5 lbs may be a security blanket and a couple luxory items, an extra 20 may cause you to decide the whole idea sucks and go home.

[Smile]

You guys all have the right attitude and great suggestions!

Go for it!

Anybody have any suggestions for a good weeklong hike in New England for the end of August?

CT along the river somewhere is a nice start....or keep going up to Sages Ravine and up and over Bear mtn and beyond for a week or so. Very pretty, and good practice for the legs.

[the_iceman]

Kent to Cornwall Bridge is supposed to be one of the nicest and easiest sections of the trail. It is fairly flat as it runs along the river. From there to Lime Rock I am unsure of since it was rerouted to the Sharon side of the river since I last hiked it. I grew up in Cornwall so I know the area.

I just hiked from Salisbury Route 41 to Jug End road. This goes through Sage’s Ravine. This is the busiest section of the trail so bring a tent. Also no open fires in CT so bring a stove. We did it in early spring in the rain and still shared a lean-to Saturday night that was filled to the max. There are sweeping vistas and great views from the ledges.

CT is 58 miles from Bull’s Bridge to Jug End road. If you have time do the whole thing. Your first day will be sweet and you will end up with some climbing and views.

[MOWGLI]

Kent to Cornwall Bridge is supposed to be one of the nicest and easiest sections of the trail.

Easiest? Perhaps. Nicest? I don't think so. Not even close. It could still offer a nice walk for the beginner however.