Spreadsheets

[Kelleelynn]

I am interested in seeing past, present, and future thru-hikers planning spreadsheets!! I am in the process of making my own and would love to compare and get some ideas to improve mine!

Thank you!

My email is [email protected]

[Stir Fry]

Don't plain, just hike. You pain for a week or a weekend. a Thru hike is something that you just can not plain for. I have done 3 week hike and after the first week plain was out the window.

[Nean]

I've never used one and not sure I know what one is.

If you are talking about scheduling your hike I wouldn't recommend it.

[Kerosene]

Hey, if you have an engineer-type personality, then you have to plan! In fact, as a section hiker at least, planning is half the fun. However, if I was going to do a thru-hike, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't bother to plan anything but how to get to the trailhead, the approximate number of days to my first re-supply, and maybe what I'd put in a bounce-box.

[10-K]

Hey, if you have an engineer-type personality, then you have to plan! In fact, as a section hiker at least, planning is half the fun. However, if I was going to do a thru-hike, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't bother to plan anything but how to get to the trailhead, the approximate number of days to my first re-supply, and maybe what I'd put in a bounce-box.

I completely agree.

As a section hiker I've done a lot of planning but now that I've hiked the whole trail and knowing what I know now I'd be just fine starting anywhere with enough food to get to my first resupply.

The AT just isn't remote enough to worry about running out of supplies. Money, yes. supplies, no.

[10-K]

I am interested in seeing past, present, and future thru-hikers planning spreadsheets!! I am in the process of making my own and would love to compare and get some ideas to improve mine!

Thank you!

My email is [email protected]

Here's an older thread that had a pretty good mail drop spreadsheet link in it.... http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ight=mail+drop

[Kelleelynn]

I know its not possible to plan every moment, but I came across a past hiker's spreadsheets and it was amazing. He had how much he spent for each thing, how many miles he hiked, his menus, how much everything weighed, shopping list ect... I guess im just curious in other people's spreadsheets whether it worked out that way or not, just for the viewing pleasure! Im sure there are other's out there like me that make spreadsheets for everything lol

[Kelleelynn]

Here's an older thread that had a pretty good mail drop spreadsheet link in it.... http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ight=mail+drop

Thank you! Thats exactly the kind of thing I am looking for!

[Megapixel]

I"m a planner too, just for the fun of it more than anything else it helps pass the time until our thru next year!


Here is a link to several really cool ones:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...t_winners.html

[Lone Wolf]

I am interested in seeing past, present, and future thru-hikers planning spreadsheets!! I am in the process of making my own and would love to compare and get some ideas to improve mine!

Thank you!

My email is [email protected]

whoa. foreign territory for me. sounds like a recipe for disaster. wing it

[freefall]

Just remember that after the first couple of days, the schedule is out the window!

[Nean]

I know its not possible to plan every moment, but I came across a past hiker's spreadsheets and it was amazing. He had how much he spent for each thing, how many miles he hiked, his menus, how much everything weighed, shopping list ect... I guess im just curious in other people's spreadsheets whether it worked out that way or not, just for the viewing pleasure! Im sure there are other's out there like me that make spreadsheets for everything lol

If it makes you happy to plan you should.

Plan on not following the plan.

The best advice I could you or anyone is to stay flexible.

Most folks who get out there and don't bend - soon break.

Enjoy the freedom the trail offers, listen to your body and go with your young ones flow. (thats my other best advice)

[Mags]

Give me 5 days of food, some good maps and the rest works itself out at this point.

(Real world example: I was laid off. That day I decided to do the BMT. In less than a week I was on my way to do this trail! )

[Toolshed]

kelleeLynn,
when I first started backpacking I planned everything. I loved lists, spreadsheets, and analytical mumbo jumbo. One of the first joy to me was the independence of being able to go where I want for as long as I want as long as I could handle the logistics and logistics can be very fun for some (me) and a nightmare for others.(not me).
I still plan for longer hikes, but not as much, other than figuring food and checking for water spots along the sections I will be in.
But you go and have fun. Some of us know what it's like!!!!!

[Dogwood]

I heard a good presentation by a CT thru-hiker trailnamed SPOT(after the locating device). Because he was an organizational planning business owner type guy off the trail he had carefully planned for how everything on his hike would proceed. He had all these plans for when he would stop to eat snacks, how fast he would go, where he would camp, where and when he would contact his wife, chartered resupply pts, etc etc etc. On THE FIRST DAY he met another CT thru-hiker named Lint. Spot got talking to Lint, they struck up a hiker friendship, and Lint got Spot to easily hike many more miles that first day than Spot had originally done so much to plan for. Spot had to throw out his entire hiking plan/agenda on that first day! He had to go more with the flow and adapt.

Make plans BUT be flexible. Even though it intimidates, frightens, and deeply concerns some hikers one of the most desirable aspects of a thru-hike to me is that you CAN NOT plan for every contigency. Unexpected spontaneous events will occur! Understand that up front! On a thru-hike you will learn to adapt or you will go home!

[Powder River]

Had a friend who had put a tiny sticker on the map(s) next to every shelter she planned to stay at for every single night on the trail, complete with mileage that day etc. The first night she stayed at a different shelter, and for the rest of the trip had reminders every time she looked at a map of how futile planning really is.

[Pedaling Fool]

I had a very detailed military-style plan laid out -- I kept to it for about 4 hours.

They're fun to play with while dreaming about your hike, but that's about it. I shake my head and cringe a little everytime I look at it

[Miner]

I personally liked my PCT resupply spreadsheet and will likely do one for the AT. It had all the possible resupply points in it and what date I'd arrive based on what I thought my daily mileage would be at that point. Sure it was useless planning out where I would be in more than a month latter. But that wasn't the point of it. It gave me a ballpark description of my hike that wasn't that far off from reality and was fun to look at while I sat at home waiting to start.

Having access to it on the trail made my short-term resupply planning easier. With a single keystroke, I could add or remove a resupply point and see how it affected how many days I needed to carry and what day I'd arrive. By keeping it updated with my progress every week or two with my current progress, I could see when I'd arrive in town over the next 3 weeks with a half day accuracy. So I knew what places I had to avoid sending my bounce box or stuff from home due to PO being closed. As a result I never had any issues being able to pick up a box or mail one out. I used it to plan my zero days out while on the trail and how that would affect me over the course of the next month.

Sure I didn't NEED it, but it made things easier. That said, trying to use one to go beyond resupply planning and using it to plan specific camping spots on a given day would be completely useless.

[Appalachian Tater]

Some people have the urge to do spreadsheets and schedules and mail drops but on a thru-hike all that goes right out the window. If it makes you happy, do it, but realize it is futile.

[Appalachian Tater]

For me, one of the best things about thru-hiking is not having a schedule and not planning past the next re-supply and having no real purpose except walking and just enjoying the freedom but that's not for everyone. Some people even try to set speed records or arrange to have someone in a van meet them at a road crossing every evening!