over thinking

[dropsofskywater]

Hello all, I'm 14 days and counting to GA. and I think I may be freaking out. I was only a little concerned up until a couple of days ago when I went to an EMS store and the sales man did the AT last years... he crushed everything I have in my pack including my pack. I talked myself down a little by saying A) he's a sales man B) he's a gear-head (no judgment to gear-heads) So I'm sitting here with my back to all my gear and my car full of food that has to be measured and packed in maildrops thinking to myself "what did you get yourself into" I have been working 60-80 weeks mostly overnights for the past 4 months, and have put on weight because of... well because I lack self control in times of minor panic I have not cracked yet but this is my moment of weakness. I have NEVER hiked. I have wandered around the Adirondacks for small day "hikes" but nothing like THIS. my family and friends are crazy suportive and I have 97% of my ducks in a row... those damn 3%, I tell ya. All in all I think I maybe over thinking...anyone in this same boat?

[TheChop]

If you're really looking for reassurance put up a gear list.

[grayfox]

OK. Sit down and take a deep breath. This is probably normal even for very experienced hikers. Don't get all worried because some sales guy didn't like your old external frame pack, it will be fine and so will you. Go ahead and fix up your food drops but don't over do them and leave the box open for your support team to make changes.

I did not see a gear list in your posts but just go as light as you can for the first few days and plan to pick up your luxury items in mail drops as you find you need them.

A few days food, good shoes, shelter, and a warm sleeping bag will get you going and the rest you will figure out along the way. Don't sweat the small stuff, there will be lots of people out there willing to help you learn what you need to know.

Lots of inexperienced hikers do just fine once they get on the trail--oh, and we were all inexperienced at some time.

This is just like stage fright--it will go away most likely.

[TFOS]

What works for him won't necessarily work for you. Just get out there and hike. Springer is only a couple of days away from Neel's, so if you discover that your gear really isn't working for you (and if it isn't, you"ll figure that out pretty quickly) just swap out what you need to swap out when you get there.

[Trailweaver]

Really. . . calm down and take a deep breath. It's just walkin.

If you have shelter (tent or tarp), sleeping bag, food (go as light weight as you can), first aid kit, headlamp, some warm clothes, and a backpack to get your stuff up the trail a ways, you can do this. As the others have said, if you can make it to Neel Gap, by then you'll have some idea of what you really need.

Don't go by what others have said so much as testing out to see what you need. Each person is different in what it takes to make him/her comfortable.

[frank c]

I hear ya drops. I'm starting my hike on April 12th and I feel overwhelmed at times also. (My current indecision is over water treatment). I think Trailweaver hit it on the head. As long as you have your initial gear, take it slow to start. Get to Neel Gap and adjust as necessary. I've never hiked the AT (nor more than a 3 day trip in my life) but my impression is that I will be the one who hikes my trail. Not my gear. Not the EMS sales guy. Not anyone else on WB. Just as it would be overwhelming if you started at springer and thought "holy crap, i have 2200 miles to go", I think it can feel overwhelming with all the opinions out there. I def rely on the great folks of this forum for insight and wisdom, but I also realize that if I took everyone's opinion, I'd get nowhere. If you think back to why you wanted to do this hike in the first place, that might be helpful to get your psyche back on track.

Best of luck to you out there amigo.

[berkshirebirder]

You're almost at the starting line, Drops, so clench your teeth and your nerves and continue. You can do this. Are you supplied for the cold of the mountains? Have you practiced setting up your tent/hammock a number of times?

[TheCheek]

I barely hiked but for a couple over nighters before heading to Springer in 05 and I completed thru to Katahdin.

Dont bother posting a gear list, you'll get too many opinions and it's not worth getting upset about. The key is to realize it's not about gear it's about getting out there and enjoying your time and distance, whatever it ends up being. I had a heavy external frame pack for the first 500 miles and the last 300 that fit well and was comfortable. Gear is something to change around and experiment with as you go, it's a learning process and the best way to learn is by doing.

[Del Q]

I am about 5 years into this and am a section hiker, I have spent a lot of time in the outdoors, DEFINTELY GO LIGHT WEIGHT. When I think back of all the crap I brought with me on the AT years ago I was just foolish, the answers are right in front of us, on WhiteBlaze.

Heading out Sunday for a 2 week section hike, pack all in with water & food will be at about 30 lbs. What you absolutely need is pretty obvious, leave most of the rest behind, you wont need it, miss it and you certainly DON'T want to be carrying it.

Maybe start the list of what you dont absolutely need, like a compass, maps (?), too many clothes, food too heavy, full 1st aid kit (a hiker told me all you need is duct tape and antiobiotic ointment), etc. Start that pile and feel great about it.

Nervous, you will forget about that on about the 3rd tough up..............have fun, good luck, take it step by step.

[Stearman]

I'm not crazy about some of the advice here on Whiteblaze, but only because you will find people from all points of view. Let's talk about the basics: feet, food/water, shelter. If you cover these three basics, you would be able to walk anywhere. My boots weigh just under 3 pounds. While that makes some people's eyes jump out of their skull, it is an absolute necessity because of my ankle and knee history. 3 pair of wool socks and 2 pair of sock liners and you are set. We could talk about clothing for a while, but simply put, who cares? Everything is going to be wet and beat up- frequently. Wear what is comfortable for you. I have some nice patagonia H2NO pants (which gave me sticker shock when I bought them ~2 years ago), and then I have a 100% silk sweater that I picked up from goodwill for <$10. As for food: that is really personal, especially when you start off, but after awhile, you will eat just about anything. The first week of any crazy stress change can be rough on the gut. You will probably be too tired to eat like you should. I am bringing a loaf of fresh pecan pumpkin bread, a block of hard cheese, a jar of PB, and protein bars. That is lighter than my normal fare and will help me make it through my first 1-2 weeks of adjustment. A lot of people are stressing disposable bottles, but until it gets warmer, I am keeping 2 nalgen Lt bottles with me. Hot fluids do not do well in thin disposable plastic bottles. And finally shelter. I would recommend you pick your preference. The first couple of weeks are going to be crowded in the shelters and there is also the mice to consider. If you are okay with this, then just bring a cheap bivy tent for nights you cannot get into a shelter. Once the crowds thin out you can dump the tent. If you prefer to sleep in a tent, be smart about your space 'requirements' and the weight. You can get a really decent tent for less than $200. Get it from a good outfitter who will let you return it if needs be. The rest of the stuff you will carry is really just personal choice. Hike naked if you don't want to bother with clothing. If you do not know how to use a first aid kit, go to an outfitter and have someone talk you thru it. Dump the extra packaging at home. Bring only what you consider essential (if you are not going to blue blaze or go back-country hiking then you can leave the maps and compass at home).

No matter what I, or anyone else says; this is your hike. You WILL figure it out as you go along. You WILL personalize your style. You WILL be okay. Just remember what the Yoda says: "Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try."

[skooch]

Stearman that was awesome. best advice and encouragement ever on this site. You should be a trainer for all the sales staff in very outfitter. Why don't they encourage us more?
Drops we all get butterflies. That's healthy. good luck and have a wonderful experience.

[Spokes]

Look at it this way......

When you start on Springer you're only 3 days out from Neels Gap. Have Winton or his crew do a no pressure pack shakedown, adjust your gear, and ship unwanted stuff home.

You'll likely continue to tweak your pack at Hot Springs, NC. Then by Damascus you're golden!

YEEHAW!!!!!!! Hike on!!!!!!

[HiKen2011]

Look at it this way......

When you start on Springer you're only 3 days out from Neels Gap. Have Winton or his crew do a no pressure pack shakedown, adjust your gear, and ship unwanted stuff home.

You'll likely continue to tweak your pack at Hot Springs, NC. Then by Damascus you're golden!

YEEHAW!!!!!!! Hike on!!!!!!

Spokes,

Thats a nice looking torso you have

[Turtle Feet]

Stearman's hiking with pecan pumpkin bread?!? I'm walking with you!

[Spokes]

Spokes,

Thats a nice looking torso you have

Thanks HiKen2011. Who needs P90X or the Insanity Workout? Just thru hike the AT!

[blackbird04217]

I had never day hiked with a waterbottle, and certainly never hiked overnight before my thru. I knew I liked camping, and being outdoors - but had no idea what I was getting myself into. Of course I had the same butterfly thoughts as well. First when I up and left my 'career' and moved my stuff 'home'. And then they disappeared. I am sure they came because it was a big change, and that was the top of the rollercoaster ride - the final moment of, it's too late to turn around.

I visited with a friend in FL for the weekend before starting. And got absolutely no sleep at all. I went through my pack 5 times to make sure I didn't forget anything, I hadn't even tested the gear out myself - besides tossing it all on my back for a 1 mile road walk...

From Springer to Neels Gap taught me I need to send a lot of items home. And I needed a new plan for raingear. I'm extremely annoyed with myself for not knowing who, at the Neels Gap Outfitter, spent an hour with me doing a pack shake down, ultimately helping me decide to send 15lbs home - but I can't thank them enough. Also, would like to tell them that the coffee can woodstove/windscreen made it all the way to the top of Katahdin. I had promised a picture with it, but didn't take one since I was overjoyed and didn't think of it.

Just look back at how far you've come with those 60-80 hour work weeks, and look forward to what will come.

[icemanat95]

You are waaaay overthinking this. As long as you've got the basics put together, you can do it. Remember that Earl Shaffer and many others did this trail with only a fraction of the resources available to all of us. No gear shops along the way, etc. The first couple of weeks will be a shakedown. Getting body and mind aligned with the spirit that moved you to the trail. You will also be adjusting your gear as you go. That's part of the process.

[sbhikes]

What do you mean the salesman crushed your gear? Did he actually try to destroy it? That's pretty rude.

[Spirit Walker]

It's not what's on your back that will get you to Katahdin, it's what's in your head.

When I did my first thruhike, I had all the wrong gear - huge pack, heavy gear, too much food, cotton clothes, mountaineering boots, etc. The weight made it harder, but it didn't stop me. I really wanted to be on the trail, so I kept going. I was a low budget hiker, so buying new gear midway wasn't an option for me. I just learned to live with what I had. My second hike wasn't all that much better, in terms of weight, but again, I really wanted to be out there, so I hiked in my cotton clothes and leather boots and did fine.

That said, it is easier to hike with less weight on your back. As others have remarked, there are a lot of places on the AT to change your gear if you want to. At Neels Gap they have people who will go through your gear with you piece by piece. A lot of people mail home unnecessary gear there. Alternately, you can go through your pack after you have been on the trail for a few weeks and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" Since you've never backpacked, you don't know what is necessary and what isn't. And what is necessary in July in Pennsylvania is not the same as what you need in March in Georgia. Staying warm and dry in the beginning may keep you on the trail longer. Later on, you'll probably find that you need less clothes and different food, but that is easily fixed when you are on the trail.

[zombiegrad]

Many of us have that "omg omg" pre-hike stress; I know I do! I'm touching trail on March 15 and up until yesterday, I didn't have any camping experience. After putting up my hammock and tarp, after cooking my first meal with my new stove system, after almost burning myself and definitely burning my bandana from said stove system, after using all the contents in my backpack, after spending a night in the woods at a state park, after hearing night wildlife sounds, after having to go out and pee in cold weather, and after hiking for almost 3 hours with a fully loaded pack on, I personally feel that much more at ease about my upcoming thru hike. This is not to say that I'm fully prepared, but I think there is really something to getting well acquainted with the gear that is going to keep you dry, warm, rested, safe, fed, and walking. If you are concerned about your gear, test it! See how it performs for you. Also, I think sharing your gear list with us could help. I've received a lot of valuable feedback from members here. Use what you need, bookmark or ignore the rest.