The One Thing I Wish I Knew Before Hiking the A.T.

[twoshoes06]

I was just wondering what everyone wishes they could know or get help with before heading out for a thru-hike of the A.T..

I see gear questions, food questions, planning questions, etc.

If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

[Jim Adams]

DISTANCE!!!!!!!
I was 3 weeks into my first thru hike before I found out that the AT was longer than 1,000 miles....really......no, REALLY!!!!!!LOL

geek

[Red Hat]

Really cutting pack weight. I started with over 30 lbs and that was way too much. I'm now at 25-30 depending upon season, but I still want to get lighter.

[Puppy]

I would have visited Neels Gap BEFORE I started hiking. When I visited while on my hike, they went through my pack took some "duplicate use" items out, and repacked it for me in a very functional way. And set up a bounce box for some items. The pack carried so much better afterwards. It was 5 pounds lighter, but honestly it felt 15 pounds lighter.

[ofthearth]

I would have visited Neels Gap BEFORE I started hiking. When I visited while on my hike, they went through my pack took some "duplicate use" items out, and repacked it for me in a very functional way. And set up a bounce box for some items. The pack carried so much better afterwards. It was 5 pounds lighter, but honestly it felt 15 pounds lighter.

Or found a store that understood "long distance hiking" like Winton and folks. I've seen a lot of posts that talk about stores or sales people that try and sell you gear you don't need but I think most of the time they just don't know the difference. I'd been hiking and backpacking before but it still took SORCU (Sgt. Rock, Stumpknocker and others ) to get me to lighten up and I still ended up at Neels with way to much "stuff".

[Spogatz]

I have not made the long walk yet but I have spent a lot of time up at Neels Gap. I highly recommend it to anyone....Highly.....

[Jeff]

A week long training hike would have made me alot smarter at Springer.

[Mrs Baggins]

The mental challenge of it. Really really misjudged that.

[sticks&stones]

I wouldve brought more irish whiskey,

[Lone Wolf]

If you had to boil it down to the ONE thing that you could get (have gotten) help with before your hike, what would it have been?

nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert

[KG4FAM]

Nothing. My first long hike was from Springer to Damascus and I was hiking because I was just killing time and had nothing better to do. I didn't know anything about gear except that it was expensive and I was pretty close to broke. I didn't know anything about the trail so when I came up on things like Max Patch I had no idea what I was about to see. Every hundred miles seemed like I walked from one part of the world to another. As they say, ignorance is bliss.

[Bearpaw]

How little a need there is for maildrops. I didn't use a ton (11 total) and they were mostly for slide film and contact lenses and maps rather than food. But I could have gotten by on maybe 3 or 4, mostly for changing out gear.

[Serial 07]

pack weight i would say...everyone's budget is different, so weight is going to vary just because of that...but it took a stop at wintons and several hundred miles more before i really had a bag i was proud of...but my comfort only came with experience...i would have thought hiking with one pair of pants crazy in the beginning...or going commando...for me, i learned what little things i didn't need and how i could shave ounces here and there...

but i think the phrase, "ignorance is bliss" best describes where i'm comin' from...nothing like learning along the way...that's why i like wolfs advice to people, go in cold and you'll be fine...

it is just walking...well...maybe it's a little more than that...

[Jim Adams]

nothing. i'm a know-it-all, hiking god if you will. expert

LW,
Best response I've seen on WB yet!

geek

[Sleepy the Arab]

Take tons of pictures. Take pictures of just about anything you can think of. And everyone. And about every event you stumble upon. Views, animals, have at it. Digital film is cheap.

Yeah there's other stuff worth mentioning, and I could spew it 'til the cows come home but I won't.

[Serial 07]

oh...people you meet that you like...get their information early...don't wait 'til you haven't seen'em in weeks to wish you had done this...there are a bunch of people i wish i had info for right now...

[twoshoes06]

I guess I should have put in my 2 cents: I would have like to have been told to wear quick wet quick dry clothes rather than Gore-Tex, especially in the footwear department.

[tenlots]

I would have exercised and done way more stairmaster and just walked 10 miles at home one day a week.

[Bare Bear]

I wish someone had told me that those wooden spreaders for the canvas tent make good firewood and rope will tie up the tent just fine and a lot lighter. (OK so maybe I started long hiking a while ago).........Ah ignorance was bliss. In 71' no one told me that hand sewn straps on a canvas bag "pack" was too heavy to hike with.

[hikergirl1120]

How little a need there is for maildrops. I didn't use a ton (11 total) and they were mostly for slide film and contact lenses and maps rather than food. But I could have gotten by on maybe 3 or 4, mostly for changing out gear.

But wouldn't you spend ALOT more resupplying food along the way??