Date: 2015-03-10
To: FAQ
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Many of my friends and family have been asking a lot of questions about the AT and my hike, so I wanted to dedicate a post to some of the more common questions I receive. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it should help those who aren't as familiar with the AT and my specific goals. Of course, you are welcome to ask me anything not on this list in the guestbook or by reaching out to me personally. So without further ado, here goes:1. What is the Appalachian Trail?The Appalachian Trail, or AT for short, is a 2189 mile (this year) footpath that stretches most of the length of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. from Georgia to Maine. Each year thousands of people enjoy the beauty and serenity this long trail, first conceived by Benton Mackaye in 1921, provides. Of the many hikers who frequent this trail each year, about 2500 start out as thru hikers. That is a hiker who attempts to hike the entire trail in a single calendar year. Most thru hikers start in Georgia during the Spring and walk to Maine. This is called a North bound hike. About 10% start in Maine during the Summer and walk to Georgia. These are appropriately called South bound hikers. I will be a North bound thru hiker starting on March 26th.2. Why are you hiking the trail?There are many reasons why I am hiking, and most of them can be found in my earlier posts, but the main reasons, in no particular order include: I've decided to make adventuring a priority in my life. Thru hiking the AT has been a dream of mine since I was 12 years old and in the Boy Scouts. I want to accomplish something of the utmost difficulty that very few people have ever done. The heath benefits of living a daily mountain climbing life.3. How long does it take?Every hiker is different, but the average thru hike is anywhere from 5-7 months. There are many factors that determine overall trip length, but most Northbound hikers are on a time table because the Northern terminus of the AT, Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park closes October 15th. So if you want to finish your hike, you need to make sure you get there before that. Ideally you should give yourself a few week window.4. Where do you stay while hiking?Most nights will be spent in the woods. I have a great tent that will keep me protected from the elements. Every once in a while it is good to take what is called a zero day. This mean zero miles hiked in a single day. It is good to give your body a rest every once in a while to allow your muscles to repair themselves. It is also good for your morale. These zero days are often spent in towns where you can take advantage of many creature comforts including: showers, beds with sheets, TVs, restaurants, etc. This is also where you resupply on food, send and receive packages, and repair gear.5. What do you eat while in the woods?Backpacker food is not glamorous and ideally offers lots of calories and little weight. Some of the foods I prefer to eat while hiking include: Pop Tarts and oatmeal for breakfast. Cliff bars, beef jerky, and trail mix for snacks, peanut butter, honey, cured meats and mission burrito wraps for lunch, and Knorr Pasta sides, Ramen, instant mashed potatoes, with a packaged protein for dinner. I will no doubt go in to more detail during my hike about what I eat. Food tends to dominate the thoughts and conversations of thru hikers while on trail, so expect many more posts on this top to come.6. Are you going to take a gun?Absolutely NOT! For many reasons including:Weight, Hikers learn real quick what is important and what isn't. If you aren't using something in your pack at least once every few days, especially something that weighs as much as a firearm, it is getting sent home or "bounced" ahead on the trail. Also, I would likely be the only person out on trail that has one, and probably making the trail less safe for others by simply having it around. In general, the AT is very safe place to be and I am far more worried about ticks, rattlesnakes, and Norovirus than other hikers.7. How much does it cost?This is another one of those very personal things that is different for everyone. The majority of money spent by thru hikers tends to go towards, lodging, restaurant food, and entertainment while in town. Therefore, you can get away with a relatively inexpensive hike if you limit your time spent indulging in towns. This is a lot easier said than done. The craving for a juicy cheeseburger and your favorite adult beverage is dang near impossible to resist after 4-6 days in the woods eating dehydrated food and expending 4000-6000 calories per day of hiking. I've heard of the trail being done for $1,000 on the low end, and $10,000 on the upper end of the spectrum. I'm personally planning to budget about $1,000 per month. If I happen to come in a little above or below that number, so be it.8. What kinds of things will be in your backpack?I will be doing a separate video of the contents of my pack and linking it to my blog. Stay tuned for that in the next couple of weeks. In general, everything that I will need for the next 6 months not including food, water, and fuel for cooking will weigh about 15-16 pounds and will fit inside a 58 liter backpack. I've spent a lot of time testing gear, swapping items, and trimming as much weight as I can, while maintaining a certain level of comfort.9. What are you going to do when you finish?I have absolutely no idea. I might look for a job in the same career field I was in prior to my hike. I may look for work in a completely different industry. I may decide to complete another long trail. The one thing I know for sure, is that if I do complete my hike, I will not be the same person that I was prior to starting. Therefore, I don't want to presume to think what my outlook will be or how I will think at that time. One of the reasons I didn't list in question #2 as to why I'm hiking is that I want to wake up every day not knowing what experiences I'm going to have or where I'm going to end up at days end. Therefore, I can't know what I'll want to do after the trail until after the trail.10. How can I support your hike?Many friends and family members want to support me, but aren't sure how. The best way I can think of is offering me your positive energy and thoughts via my guestbook, texts, emails, and phone calls. I'm sure that once I am in the thick of my hike, I will be craving lots and lots of calories, and if you want to send a resupply package, that will be greatly appreciated. If you would like to help in this way, I will gladly work with you to coordinate what and where to send a mail drop.   Once again, these are just some of the more popular questions I've received, and if you have questions or concerns not on this list, please feel free to reach out to me. Until next time, take care all.-Andy