Re supply Planning

[rhyolite]

Hello fellow hikers,
planning to streamline my hike as much as possible, passing unnecessary towns (more time and money). I'm fixing to pick it up to 22 to 25 mi/day after two weeks of warm up. Does anyone have an up to date re supply plan that optimizes this pace and highlights the best zero day destinations?
happy trails!
Mike

[evan_rolltide]

I just got the AWOL AT Guide. I haven't had a chance to really delve into it but from what I have seen I would recommend it.

[rhyolite]

I have both his 2012 and now 2013 AT Guide, but was hoping to not have to reinvent the wheel if some kind soul had done their planning in the form of a spread sheet. AWOL has a few sheets on his website, with the max miles per day at 18. I may plan to use this and modify by skipping re supply points to save time. Happy trails!
Mike

[10-K]

You will not be able to use anyone else's plan. The question you ask has a different answer for every person.

Suggestion: Leave Springer with 3 days worth of food and figure it out as you go.

[garlic08]

What 10K says. Do not plan beyond the first 100 miles. That's the beauty of the AT.

I had a similar mileage idea when I started my hike and it worked out fine. I started with enough groceries to get to Hiawassee, I think, about 75 miles in, but when I found out the store at Neels Gap had a few groceries, I bought a little more there and skipped Hiawassee and made it to Franklin, over 100 miles in, for my first town stop. After that, I just played it by ear the rest of the way.

I routinely skipped off-trail towns, avoiding difficult, time-consuming, or expensive stops. I never saw Gatlinburg TN or Kent CT, for example. But I never passed up the chance to walk into a diner or deli or ice cream shop within a mile of the trail. That was pretty fun, and I remember a 10-day stretch in the mid-Atlantic I called the "deli-a-day" tour.

Key to this strategy was not doing any mail drops. That means being pretty flexible with diet and gear. Not everyone can do that, like if you have special dietary needs, or medications, etc.

As far as zero days, play that by ear too. Weather may dictate that, as well as meeting people along the way. I took three zeros on my hike, mainly to meet friends and family in the area, some of it pretty much spur-of-the-moment. Same with nearos--if you find a comfortable place to sit down and relax most of the day, you need a break but don't want to spend the night, just take it as it comes. If you're feeling strong and healthy, keep hiking! And good luck.

[bert304]

The best advice I got is to plan everthing out on paper, then throw out the paper. There are too many varibles that can change you plan, such as hiking more miles for a couple days and missing your mail drop in a town. The big one I have been hearing is getting bored with the food you have sent in a mail drop.

[Odd Man Out]

The best advice I got is to plan everthing out on paper, then throw out the paper...

LNT - Use the plan as a fire starter - in a designated fire ring of course.

[rhyolite]

Thank you everyone for the wise advice. I figured that over planning was futile when there are so many variables that affect hiking pace and lots of options for re supply. I will plan for the first 100 mi and play it by ear from tthere peace
mike