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Jalumibnkrayal posted:So I've gotten a really stupid inclination to thru-hike the AT this year. I've never really had an adventure, and I love (day)hiking and walking in general. In April or May I'll be closing down the family jewelry store and have a transitional opportunity I may never have again: no debt, low bills, no job, no kids. I'm in my early thirties and have no real medical issues. I don't know that I'll ever be able to be selfish for 5-6 months like this again. I'm starting my thru-hike on March 15th, and I've spent a bit of time talking to friends who have done it. Here is what they had to say: Smartphone: Mixed bag. Some folks like it for the fact that it gets them weather reports, internet, music, camera, and comms all in one. Others don't like the intrusion on their thru-hike. Personally, I am planning on just taking a dumb phone with a prepaid card so I'm not on the hook for a cell bill on the trail. Kindle: I have a paperwhite as well, and (personally) am still waffling on whether to take it. A lot of it depends on your hiking style. Are you going balls-out 30-miles-a-day? Probably not gonna want to read when you get done, just cook dinner and pass out. Personally, I am taking my time (6.5 months is my plan) so I am taking mine for zero/town/slow days. Camera Yes. I had been debating just relying on my iPod Touch as my camera, internet access, and music. The issue with this is that if it breaks, I probably won't get my photos back. A camera means even if it dies a horrible death you still have the photos on your SD Card. Solar Charger Skip it. There is a lot of cover on the AT, so it's going to be minimally effective. I'd take something like the Brunton power packs that have a USB port to charge devices and can be wall charged. My plan is to take an iPod Touch (music, internet access at hostels for e-mail and ordering things from Amazon to be sent ahead to the next town) and my Kindle because I am taking my time on my hike and like the idea of taking a zero day with a nice view to just sit down and read. Also, it sounds like you are still on the fence about your hike. Get off it. Do it. You only go around once.
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Jan 6, 2013 00:29
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 17:39 |
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Welp! I'm less than a month out for starting my AT Thru Hike (March 15). Looking for a decent compression sack for my tent (Fly Creek UL2). I'm finding with my current pack list that weight isn't an issue as much as space. :\ Currently hovering at 23-25lb before Food, depending on what options I go with for water filtration.
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Feb 18, 2013 17:17
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Right now I have the following: MSR Microworks Sawyer Squeeze Steripen with Solar charger Aquamira I'm looking at AM + one other option. I like the weight of the Sawyer, but I like the MSR cause I've got the most experience with it. The Steripen is sweet, but keeping it charged is debatable on the AT. Yes, I am a gear-whore. I downsized when I moved to Europe last year, and I still have a lot of stuff.
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Feb 18, 2013 18:12
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Canna Happy posted:You should post a gear list. I'll definitely post a gear list and journal link once I solidify my gear. I've got a few new items coming in, and I may be removing a few as well.
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Feb 19, 2013 04:29
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First pair of shoes for the AT came in today. North Face Hedgehog GTX XCR Talls. I have the normal profile ones as my everyday shoe and they are awesome. Expecting these to last me 500 to 1000 miles, so I'll probably go through another pair or three on my hike. 
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Feb 20, 2013 23:12
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MyPlate posted:I have never gone on more than a day hike, but I don't understand why people go through the trouble of bringing a cooker/pans/cutlery on 3-4 day treks. Is it so bad to just take nuts and jerky and granola bars and save all that space for other things? Because at the end of a lovely, cold, rainy hike the only thing you want is a hot meal or warm drink.  It's a huge morale booster.
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Mar 5, 2013 13:11
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i_heart_ponies posted:Hell, if conditions call for it I bring my stove on cold enough hikes. Sitting on a frozen lake drinking tea in the wind and spindrift is wonderful. Exactly. When I was in Colorado, I almost always packed my Jetboil and some tea when I did 14ers. Tea and/or breakfast on top of a 14er as the sun comes up is pretty much the best thing ever. AT Update: Finalized gear list. Pics/list/weight this afternoon. Starting the hike next Friday. Stoked. Here are two pics of Springer. First one is me on 2/23, second is from the shelter on the morning of 3/5. Both are within ~.5 miles of eachother.  
Akion fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 17:12
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Final AT Pack List. Total weight is ~26lb. Carried is around 20-21 before Food/Water depending on what I wear. Some stuff I already had and listed a $0, some stuff I already had and listed a price. I'd imagine my total outlay specifically for this trip is in the $1500 range. You can definitely do it cheaper, and you can definitely do it lighter. I settled on gear options that I preferred rather than just going for straight ounces or bells/whistles. Some items will be traded out for lighter stuff once I hit Grayson Highlands, and some may just get sent back if I don't use them.  Time Cowboy posted:If I had six months to spare (and insane amounts of money for equipment and supplies), I'd probably pick the PCT over the AT, but after discovering some AT books in my library, the AT has been edging up in the rankings. Unfortunately, I'll have to live vicariously through people like you, Akion. Maybe in a few years I'll have enough money and spare time to do month long segments, but I probably won't have six months free until I'm 45, at the very youngest. I just managed to land in a point in my life where I am able to make the trip financially, and career-wise. I turn 30 around the time I finish the trail, so it's a good time for me to make a change in my career if that's what I decide to do. I'm very fortunate in that my company will allow me to return if I choose to do so after my hike, as well. I chose the AT as it's closer to home (family lives in GA) so training and logistics are much easier, and I have several friends that have done it before so I have access to their knowledge. Akion fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 22:10
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Mercury Ballistic posted:I did the at with my wife in 2011 and have no regrets, just that we cant do it again any time soon. I have had the thru hike fever bad since we finished and we are now making plans to move away from the DC area to live closer to the mountains. :hi5: Yeah, I am super super excited. My two big concerns are my knees and weight loss. I've been training pretty hard and the knee pain seems to have subsided, and I've preemptively put on a few extra pounds since I got back to Georgia thanks to Mom's home cooking. I'm shooting for about 25lb of weightloss on the trail, but I know my metabolism well enough that I think it will probably be higher (currently 6'2 and 195). Weighed the pack at the gym today with about 4-5 days of food in it, and it came to 26lb. Did 3 miles in an hour on a 15% grade on the treadmill and felt pretty good, as well. That's way faster than I plan on going on the trail (I budgeted myself 6 months just to be safe, though I expect to finish in 4-5). My start days are showing on extended forecasts now, and it's looking like 50's and 60's and overcast/partly cloudy. Wish it was the sunny/60's we are getting later this week, but I'll take it over the stuff the poor bastards I was camping on Springer with Saturday night are dealing with right now. I do hope the hikers I did some trail magic for (ride back into Dahlonega for warmer gear, got em a good breakfast, and walked them to three forks) are doing well. I liked them, they were so hopeful. 
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Mar 6, 2013 02:39
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BeefofAges posted:Start slow! Try to keep it under 8 miles a day for a week or two. There's no rush. I'm still kinda in the mood to futz with stuff (may ditch a few of the layers, but after that 16* night on springer I'm not sure. I was wearing all I had to stay warm. Electronics I am in the air on. The reason I separated that phone+camera+iPod is so that if I feel like listening to music I'm not stressing about whether I am going to gently caress myself out of being able to call. I may yet ditch the Camera since the battery pack leaves me confident that I'll have the juice to not worry about not being able to snap a pic if I see something cool. Battery pack is because I am a music fiend. I was just going to combine all of it by using my Smartphone, but my smartphone is a giant piece of poo poo and I don't trust it. I'm contemplating taking it skeet shooting and using it in place of a clay pigeon, to be honest. FAK does not have scissors, I use a Gerber Crucial right now but may trade it for one with scissors instead of pliers. I absolutely need to trim my toe nails about every 4-5 days, though. Failure to do so results in immense pain.  Definitely carrying hand sanitizer, but I can't use that to wash my hair in hostels and clean my pots in camp. Groundcloth is on the "maybe" list still, along with the Mug. I'm actually off the trail 4 days in at Blood Mountain to go back to Dahlonega for Trailfest for a day (organizer is a friend) so I'm using that as my opportunity for a shakedown. I figure 4 days gives me a good opportunity to go through everything in detail and nail my daily routine down pretty well. My family lives ~30 minutes from Dahlonega, so gear I don't need can be gotten home cheap/free. I figure even if I keep it all, folks used to do the AT with 70lb packs so I've got it pretty easy at 26-30lb.
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Mar 6, 2013 03:40
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Had a good hike this weekend from Springer Mtn to the Hawk Mtn Shelter (~16 miles round trip). Got a good chance to test out all my gear some more, and I'm pretty happy with my Pack as-is. I've gone back to using my Android phone instead of iPod/Dumbphone. We'll see if it survives the whole trail. Next weekend, it begins!
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Mar 10, 2013 22:37
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amenenema posted:Any suggestions for a 2 person backpacking tent? Leaning toward the Tarptent Double Rainbow but am open to suggestions. Lot of folks on the AT using Tarptents. I use a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2. Weight isn't really that much different from the Tarptent, and it doesn't leave you hosed if you break a trekking pole.
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Mar 11, 2013 22:25
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Mercury Ballistic posted:The wife and used the same on our AT thru in 2011. We were very happy with it, but are short people at 5'2" and 5'7" I'm 6'2 and it's working for me so far. I really treat it like a 1 man with space for my gear, though. It'd probably be cozy for two people my height.
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Mar 11, 2013 23:53
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Welp! Today is the day. I leave for Springer in about 6 hours. Sunny, 50's-70's for my first few days. This is gonne be good!
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Mar 15, 2013 15:25
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Posting from Franklin, NC to say that my AT thru hike is going well. Cleared 100 miles today and taking a zero in Franklin, NC tonight. Just joined six other thru-hikers in attacking an AYCE pizza place and settling in for the night. Tomorrow is AYCE country buffet for lunch and an AYCE steak and seafood joint for dinner. Did I mention how awesome it is to burn 6k calories a day? Happy with all my gear so far. Loving the trail.
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Mar 30, 2013 02:02
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Yeah. Weather has been pretty cold and lots of rain/snow. I had a forced zero at Neels Gap due to -8* temps and 40+ winds. A lot of folks got stuck in Hiawassee for a few days due to weather and the Smokies are a bit of a bear right now. I ended up hiking through most of the "bad stuff", and it was doable, if a bit unpleasant. Word on the vine is the dropout rate is already 60%. I feel good so far and very confident that I will make it, but I came into this expecting the weather to do this. I think the last two weeks were a reality-check for a lot of folks that aren't use to hiking in averse weather.
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Mar 30, 2013 15:59
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Checking in to say that hiking the AT is the best decision I have ever made. Spent the morning watching the sun come up at Fontana Dam. Headed into the GSMNP today.
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Apr 7, 2013 12:40
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Thru-Hike progress: Laid up in Hot Springs, NC for a few days with a Sprained foot. Fortunately there is a ready supply of ice at the bar...
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Apr 19, 2013 00:27
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 17:39 |
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Jalumibnkrayal posted:Any sign of this stomach virus that's going around, or is it just keyboard hikers getting bent out of shape for nothing? Its definitely A Thing. I have avoided it so far, and most thru hikers are avoiding shelters like the plague. There tends to be an outbreak of something every year. It's a byproduct of the nature of the hiker culture being very communal, I think. Foot is way better today. Another day or two and I am back on the trail.
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Apr 19, 2013 21:54
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