Date: 2012-02-29
To: Basic AT thru-hiker info
Miles today: 0.0

When I read my first online AT trail journal it was an eye-opening experience. I soaked in the stories about trail names, shelters, hostels, trail magic, blazes, and so much more. As the years went on and I learned more and more about what the AT was all about, I started gravitating towards those people who wrote trail journals about mileage, weight loss, gear, and other technical details. And then last year, as I ramped up my plans for this year¢s hike, my attentions shifted to journals that focused on the human struggles of physical injury, mental stress, and societal and familial pressures that affect thru-hikers. This week I attended a district meeting for the bank where I work, and to my surprise, my District Manager announced my thru-hike. For the next twenty minutes I answered question after question about the AT and my hike. And then it hit me, all of the questions centered on the same kind of information I was soaking up in those first blushes of reading trail journals. Since many of the people who will be following my journey this year will have about the same level of knowledge about the AT as those people in that meeting, I thought it would beneficial to share some basic information about my hike and what I¢ll be experiencing. So here goes¢¦The first question I always get is, ¢Are you going alone?¢ Yes and no. Yes, in relation to people I know, but there are 2000-3000 people who try to thru-hike every year. While there are only 400-500 people who complete a full thru-hike in a single year, with that many people on the trail at the same time there will be very few days I won¢t be around other people. The second question I usually get is, ¢Are you taking a gun?¢ No. There are a lot of statistics who say over a million people set foot on the AT every year, and it¢s safe to say many of those people have guns. But to a thru-hiker, a gun is absolutely silly when pack weight is so important and there is so little danger on the trail. Speaking of pack weight... there¢s no real average to report here because every person is different in what they throw in their backpack. For me, my pack weight is around 20 pounds without food or water. A basic list of what I¢ll be carrying is as follows: 2 pairs of wool socks, convertibles (pants that zip off at the legs into shorts), a base layer merino wool shirt, one hiking tee, crocs for camp shoes, down jacket, rain shell, hiking boots, 2 pairs wicking underwear, canister camp stove, solo cook set, water pump, tent, 20 degree sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp pillow, digital camera, first aid kit, trail guide, food bag, three water bottles, camp towel, headlamp, pocket knife, and my travel pipe bag. Check out my gear page for more details.When it comes to food, questions I often get are, ¢What will you eat on the trail?¢ and, ¢Where will you get supplies?¢ Most hikers cook only one or two one-pot meals each day on the trail; things like oatmeal, rice, noodles, mac-n-cheese, and assorted freeze dried meals. Trail mix, jerky, Snickers, granola bars, fruit, bagels, peanut butter, etc., round out usual pack food. Supplies can be found in towns which the AT is close to every 4-8 days. Those towns are also the only times you¢ll have a chance to shower, wash clothes, get mail, and is often the only place there is decent cell phone coverage. Hostels, places for hikers to bunk up, get maildrops, use an actual bathroom, and party with fellow hikers. As for where you stay every night, most thru-hikers stay in 3-sided primitive shelters spaced between 5-15 miles along the trail. Some people choose to tent at these shelter sites, and a growing number of people are using hammocks. The AT goes from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and is marked by 2 inch by 6 inch white blazes painted on trees, rocks, fences, roads, and buildings. Some people use maps, but most people use trail guides that show water sources, shelters, towns, outfitters, and post offices. The total trail is around 2200 miles and usually takes 5-7 months to complete.If you have any other questions, please let me know and I¢ll do my best to answer them.