Average person on the 2012 trail will be:

[seasparrow]

Leaving from His Home on the East Coast,starting the AT from Georgia NOBO on or about March 7th,thinking he will only Spend around $2,300 , in HIS 20's, sleeping in a TENT, NOt Going COMMANDO!, Not shipping any boxes to the PO, using a Filter System, and using All of the Maps.

[HiKen2011]

Going home the first week!

[TOMP]

Going home the first week!

haha best response ever.

[Spokes]

Going home the first week!.....

.......with a dead smartphone battery.

[birchy]

Drinking all my Beer, thus getting a free Hostel stay...lol

[TroutknuT]

Looking for a Dunkin Dontuns in every town... Rethinking the 3# water proof high top boots..

[RWheeler]

Leaving from His Home on the East Coast,starting the AT from Georgia NOBO on or about March 7th,thinking he will only Spend around $2,300 , in HIS 20's, sleeping in a TENT, NOt Going COMMANDO!, Not shipping any boxes to the PO, using a Filter System, and using All of the Maps.

Well, I am currently from the East coast, I'll be going NOBO but not until late April, and I'm prepared to have to spend up to $3,700, but I'm hoping to keep it under $3,000. Definitely in my 20s and will be toting a tent and underwear. I'll resupply in town, but I may set up a few mail drops so friends and family can feel that they are contributing or something. AquaMira drops. No maps until NH, at which case I'll carry them until the end most likely.

Hopefully I make it past the first week

[Old Hiker]

Leaving from His Home on the East Coast,starting the AT from Georgia NOBO on or about March 7th,thinking he will only Spend around $2,300 , in HIS 20's, sleeping in a TENT, NOt Going COMMANDO!, Not shipping any boxes to the PO, using a Filter System, and using All of the Maps.

Wondering where that Starbucks is that the married, 50'ish, non-electronic toting, hammock sleeping, anti-social(-network), spending every dime of his kid's inheritance, old time waffle-stomper wearing, scruffy, more miles under his belt that the kid could think about, cheese toting, wooden staff using hiker told him was "giving thru-hikers free frappes and just up the Trail a ways. Honest."

[hikerboy57]

trying to find the trail magic app icon on his iphone

[HiKen2011]

trying to find the trail magic app icon on his iphone

Good one!!!!

[Tinker]

That would be the average aspiring thruhiker, (newbie thruhiker, or thrubie).

I'm a little confused about the intention of your post.

[bamboo bob]

I thought the intention was a compilation of the surveys. Non? Or do you think it was an intentional dump on all newbies like the one's we once were? Or perhaps a dump on all backpackers in general? Nah. Not on White Blaze. nah.

[lunchbx]

the intention is to burn newbs, haha

[Tinker]

I thought the intention was a compilation of the surveys. Non? Or do you think it was an intentional dump on all newbies like the one's we once were? Or perhaps a dump on all backpackers in general? Nah. Not on White Blaze. nah.

Shaking a tree to see what falls out ??

[hikerboy57]

yes, it really isnt fair to newbies, maybe move this to the humor forum.
On my first backpacking trip in 1976, I wore jeans, tshirt, sweatshirt, no raingerar, borrowed pack with broken strap, drank water wherever i found it , used sterno for fuel.

[kolokolo]

Average person on the 2012 trail will be:

Glad that they are finished filling out surveys...

[YohonPetro]

I'm an outlier, yay.

[kayak karl]

shaking a tree to see what falls out ??

.....nuts.....

[fiddlehead]

Average person on the 2012 trail will be: hoping for a wilderness experience only to find out there is no room in the shelters, (they'll be lucky to find tent space), they will have to wait in line to talk to an expert at Mtn Crossings, probably even wait in line to drop their filter hose into a water source,

Because: the average person starts in March rather than a month later when the weather is better, less people, and the stores are once again stocked with snickers bars.
But they'll do it anyway.

[Chuppacabra]

Average person on the 2012 trail will be: hoping for a wilderness experience only to find out there is no room in the shelters, (they'll be lucky to find tent space), they will have to wait in line to talk to an expert at Mtn Crossings, probably even wait in line to drop their filter hose into a water source,

Because: the average person starts in March rather than a month later when the weather is better, less people, and the stores are once again stocked with snickers bars.
But they'll do it anyway.

This made me chuckle out loud.....this is so true! April is the way to go for sure, saves weight as well as you don't have to pack as warmly