Appalachian Trail 2010 anyone?

Thats one of my goals but for now I simply don't have the time too dedicate too it, i've done alot of research though and I can't wait for my chance!

 

i actually went on a hike today! i love hiking.

i'm not in the position to do that kind of hike right now but i hope you go! and i hope you have a kick ass time

hiking is good for the soul

 

You prolly won't find another thru hiker this late but if any Blades live close to the trail, you might be able to meet up for a day or weekend hike. I noticed you posted in the fishing thread - if you're not too overloaded, take a cheap little telescoping fishing rod with a mini spinning reel and a small jar of salmon eggs. I found a lot of places to catch dinner along the way, especially in the southern App's. Remember to pick up a little stone at the top of Springer and carry it with you to add to the rock cairn on top of Kahtadin - it's your thru hike legacy. And keep a journal. You'll be glad you did in years to come. If there's anything I can help you with, post here and I'll see what I can do. It's a life changing experience brudda. Enjoy.

 

BTW another Blade by the name of xxGEORGExx PM'd me about this the other day. He's planning a trip too but didn't say when. Maybe he'll see this and contact you.

 

My thru hike was almost 20 years ago although I've done most portions of the Trail many times before and since then. I don't remember which rod I had but it was a cheap super ultralight telescoping job with a miniature spinning reel. It was about a foot long and telescoped out to about 5 or 5 1/2' and couldn't have weighed more than 4 ounces. I prolly got it at Cabela's or someplace similar. It was my one luxury item since I also travel light. My pack weight was a little over 40 pounds after re-stocking trips to town. I kinda missed not having a little fillet knife since my tiny swiss army knife didn't work real well for cleaning fish. I usually wound up gutting the fish, scraping off the scales, impaling it on a forked stick and cooking it like a hot dog over a little fire. Good stuff.

You sound like you know what you're doing but here's a couple tips anyways:

Do not hitch into Hiawassee Georgia to restock. You'll have company so it won't be so bad but I was alone and the only time I really got scared was hitching in and out of that town. The backwoods hilljacks that live around there are straight out of Deliverance.

Critters - Try like hell to make it to shelters for the night in Shenandoah and the Smokies south of Newfound Gap. Those 2 places have tons of bears, they have absolutely no fear of people, and they know hikers = food. Shouldn't be a problem because the shelters are plentiful in those two parks.

Watch out for rattlers in PA. I dunno why but I saw more in PA than on the rest of the trail combined, at least a few every day.

Watch out for the porcupines in the northeast. They come out at night and chew the shit out of anything salty like boots and pack straps.

I never figured out how to defeat the shelter mice. Some of the shelters have enormous numbers of mice and they're smart as hell. Hanging your pack doesn't work. They climb down the cord or jump out of the rafters to get on your pack. It's crazy! I just learned to live with chew holes in my food bags

Don't take a propane or butane stove. They're temperamental when it's cold and wet. they don't seem to burn real hot, and fuel is a lot harder to find than Coleman fuel (white gas) which you can get everywhere.

If you take a swiss army knife or mini leatherman, make sure they have scissors, it came in handy a lot for me.

Scrape up some melted candle wax in the shelters and carry it with you. It's the best thing I found to help start small campfires when everything is soaking wet, which is pretty often.

Make sure you sign in at every shelter logbook. It's a lot of fun to keep track of other hikers you meet as you pass each other back and forth along the way and it's great for leaving messages about good places to eat, campgrounds that let you stop in for a shower and to do laundry, flooded portions of the trail, mean farm dogs, etc.

Prepare yourself mentally for the spring rains. You will get soaked and covered with mud for days on end. So will everything you're carrying despite your best efforts at waterproofing. Your highest priority is to keep at least one pair of dry socks at all times and to keep your boots waxed. It was by far the most mentally challenging part of my trip.

And here's my favorite #1 tip for you. I don't remember where I got mine but find or make yourself a t-shirt that says "FEED THE THRU HIKER" in big block letters on the front. I can't begin to tell you how many awesome handouts and free meals I got traveling through campgrounds and picnic areas wearing that shirt

EDIT - One more thing. As tempting as it will be to hike shirtless when it's hot, don't do it. Your pack straps will start to reek like BO and nothing gets the smell out except time. It happened to me and I'm not a smelly guy. I heard others bitch about it too.

 

You don't need to do anything, just be aware. On the trail or in a shelter it's fine but if you go off bushwacking for firewood or to go potty or get water, just keep your eyes peeled. They rattle for a reason - to warn you and that's exactly what they do. They're surprisingly easy to spot if you're looking for them. It's not worth worrying about,

LOL it's not gonna suck. It's one of those endearing qualities of trail life. After I got past the initial frustration of trying to stop them, it was no big deal at all. You're in their home so if you lose an M&M out of your trail mix once in awhile just look at as paying rent. Wait till you pull into a shelter one night, get settled in, and a skunk or two wander into your shelter and start winding around and rubbing against your legs like a cat, begging for a handout. Now that's a trip! (but still awesome). BTW, I didn't carry a tent, bivy, or tarp. I just stayed in the shelters and the few times I misjudged time and distance and couldn't make it to one, I just slept under the stars. Which reminds me - take a little bottle of strong bug dope with DEET. You'll need it from time to time.

I like lightweight leather hikers so I meant regular boot waterproofing wax. I know a lot of people prefer fabric hikers so if that's what you're using you obviously don't want to wax them. If you don't have boots yet and want fabric, get the Gore-Tex ones (expensive) or at least some Gore-Tex socks and make damn sure your boots are well broken in before you go or you'll suffer. Also take some moleskin for the inevitable blister, especially when your feet are wet. The key to combating blisters is to stop and put moleskin on as soon as you feel a hot spot developing, not after you get a blister. I saw a lot of people cut their hike short or pull out for a week because of bad blisters. Take good care of your feet, it's your only transportation.

You're on your own for the t-shirt but it's worth pursuing. Everyone says not to wear cotton because it doesn't retain heat when it gets wet but I love it, especially when it's hot and sweaty. I almost always wore cotton t-shirts. You just need something else when it's cold and wet. And unless you already have one, don't get a down sleeping bag. Sooner or later it will get wet and down is the pits when it's wet. And it takes forever to dry out. I still have my Marmot qualofill bag from 20 years ago

I'll have to check out that jetboil stove. I'm not familiar with that.

 

Dude, I checked out the Jetboil stove. It is a propane/butane stove. The three worst problems with that type are that you can't tell how much fuel you have left, they're temperamental, and fuel is harder to find along the AT compared to white gas. I'm sure these things have logged thousands of miles of trail and mountaineering time, but I still wouldn't take one. I'll stick with my tried and true MSR white gas stoves, but that's just me. After a 25 mile day you're tired, hungry, and worn out and the last thing in the world you want to do is tinker with your stove. Been there done that. Hopefully you have a good unit and it will serve you well. Reviews are kinda sketchy:

Jetboil Helios Stove System at REI.com

Having said all that, if your stove works well and you're comfortable and confident in it, then stick with it. I have preferences but I'ts not like I'm a stove expert LoL.

 

Great thread guys. I'd really like to jump on the AT for a week this year before I leave the area for school again. It's nice to have a place to learn stuff or maybe even meet up with blades to share this journey with.

 

Sorry I didn't reply quicker man. Nah, you'll be allright. It's not as easy to find as white gas which you can get just about anywhere along the trail but it's available. Honestly it's been a while since I've done town trips to re-supply so it's possible that tanks are even more available than they used to be. Most of the ones I used to see were pretty good sized, like for a lantern and were heavy but the shorter ones were out there too. Back in the day, not too many hikers were using propane because of the problems I mentioned before so assuming the technology has advanced and more people are carrying them, they're probably more available now. Just remember that a lot of campers frequent the same parks the trail runs through and a lot of them carry the larger two burner propane camping stoves so stores in those areas will almost for sure have propane tanks for sale.

 

I'm not that picky about socks, any good wool or wool blend works for me. Most of mine are the classic grey with red heel and toe patch.

 

Damn, I meant to get back to this sooner. Are you still leaving on the 14th (tomorrow)? If I missed you, happy hiking brudda! Check in if you get a chance along the way or at least let me know how it went when you get back. Sure wish I was going with you.

 

Bump! Anyone interested in getting on the AT sometime soon or later this summer? My buddy and I have been talking about it and it's going to happen.

 

man this is something ive always wanted to do...ive been camping in shennandoah natnl park in VA since i was a kid and have always been inspired by the trail. Ive done all of NJ but i always wanted to thru hike it. its such a challenge tho and a commitment, im not sure if i would get sick of it too quickly its one of those things that sounds good but once you start you realize what your in for. ive done plently of backpacking, but usually 3 days at a time..4-6 mo is a lot...