Date: 2010-03-12
To: So I've Read...
Miles today: 0.0

Preparation for my A.T. hike has been a monumental undertaking and for rookies like myself everything about this trip represents the foreign and the new, holding simultaneously both the attraction and peril of this adventure. One of the first things most will read upon consideration is that only 15-20% of those who start actually make it the entire 2180 mile distance; the percentage is small and the rest are forced to leave the trail for a variety of reasons, both voluntary and involuntary. Taking personal stock, while I enjoy hiking and the outdoors, I'm aware that my last wilderness camping experience dates back to a Boy Scout outing in middle school and I would be sore pressed to recall any skill-set or insight from this time that might hold value now. Even the Swiss Army knife I still have from those days holds no value as I've determined that the lowly weight of this item measured in ounces is still too heavy to include among my gear. The learning curve is steep and hurdles are numerous including gear to acquire, how to pack and use it efficiently, what to eat, resupply, where to stay (on and off the trail), bears, rain, blisters, snow, pack weight and any number of physical and perhaps more importantly, mental barriers. With this knowledge I became a voracious reader of all things trail-related in effort to give myself the greatest possible chance of success; forewarned is forearmed. What I share here is the top 10 list of books, websites, and blogs that aided me in my preparation for the trail.DISCLAIMER!!This list is organized by my perceived value (with the first item being the most beneficial to me, and so on) and I will state emphatically that this list is absolutely subjective, organized by my own personal measure of the value provided to me, and by no means presupposes the same value to anyone else, or encompasses anywhere near the volume of material available and dedicated to the A.T.1. Whiteblaze.net forums. Whiteblaze is an online community dedicated to sharing their passion and knowledge of hiking, especially as it relates to the Appalachian Trail. I browsed through dozens of forums with pen and paper at hand, jotting notes when I came across an item or bit of information that I found helpful or hadn't thought of. Most of my menu items were gleaned from this site. I also submitted some questions to the community through this forum when I was unable to find a post addressing my immediate question or need.2. Whiteblaze.net Resupply Article by 'Baltimore Jack' Tarlin detailing food resupply along the trail. This article brought certain elements and areas of the trail into focus and was very influential in helping determine my food resupply strategy.3. The A.T. Guide (2010 Northbound) by David Miller. After his hike in 2003 it seems that David Miller decided to nurture his devotion and affection for the trail by writing a guide book detailing all of the minutia necessary to plan and execute a thru-hike. My resupply and off-trail overnight schedule is based in large part to long periods hunched over this guide. I will carry this with me as my guide book while on the trail.4. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller. I picked this book up when I read the summary and was struck by how closely his background parallels mine, including his age, work history, family life, and reasons for hiking. This isn't a how-to book so much as a firsthand account of Mr. Miller's time on the trail, his experiences, and interactions with other hikers. By the end of this book I almost felt as if I'd already hiked the trail.5. www.bucktrack.com/Thru-hiking_the_Appalachian_Trail. I stumbled across this site hosted by Bruce Nelson, a firefighter from Alaska, who hiked the trail in 2001. He offers good advice on the trail, his experience, and gear choices.6. Trailjournals.com. This site contains the personal journals of hundreds of hikers who have spent time on the trail dating back to 1998. I'd say that reading the journals of other hikers is meant to be taken more as entertainment than as a tool for preparation but reading enough journals will absolutely reveal some golden nuggets of wisdom.7. Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. I'd read enough stories and journals about foot problems (blisters, plantars, ankles) that I thought I should take a look at this book. It didn't have a huge impact on my preparations but I did pick up a few tips on foot care that I will absolutely use on the trail.8. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. From my best recollection this is the book that first introduced me to the A.T. when it debuted in 1998. It's laugh-out-loud humorous, well-written, and still as entertaining today as it was when I first picked it up those many years ago.9. Appalachian Odyssey by Steve Sherman and Julia Older. Steve and Julia hiked the trail in 1973 and capture their adventure in this book. I thought it would be interesting to get an account of the trail from 37 years ago.10 How to Hike the A.T. by Michelle Ray. I list this book last as it only came to my attention after I'd already done so much research through all of the above sources on this list. Through these prior readings I felt I was already aware of most of the content that Ms. Ray's book offered. That said, I would probably give this book and Awol on the Appalachian Trail as first reads to anyone considering an A.T. thru-hike.But "these go to 11!" So it does...11. I thought I'd throw in a catchall for youtube and general gear review sites too numerous to recall. I read online gear reviews for everything I purchased from any site I could find, and I reviewed youtube when I needed a demonstration for how to use various pieces of gear (seam sealing, pitching my particular tarp, using my water filter, etc.).