Date: 2006-09-11
To: Final gear/mail drops etc. comments
Miles today: 0.0

I have gotten several requests for advice or help from those preparing for a thru hike. My gear is listed with weights on my Florida Trail journal. I will try to get it updated asap. I started at 33 pounds but got it down to 25 plus food and water by Harper's Ferry. I had a Gregory Shasta pack with a lid that weighed over 5 pounds by itself, empty. I switched to my Go-lite Jam 30(about a pound) at Harper's Ferry. I had not taken it originally because I thought (erroneously) that it would not hold what I needed and would not stand up to the Trail. I had it sent to Harpers Ferry and switched it out and it was great the rest of the way. It showed little use/abuse but I was more careful of it. A lighter pack is light because it is constructed with lesser materials. I believe the GoLite would have made the whole AT with a little extra care. Once you get on the Trail you find you really can do without a lot of things you thought essential. I have a lot of backpacking experience but was still able to ditch nearly 5 pounds of stuff I found was unnecessary, plus save the five pounds of the pack itself. Due to my foot injury I do not think I would have been able to continue without the lesser weight. Weight is everything. That will be the title of the book if I write one. 'Jelly Bean' said that "What we carry in our packs are a reflection of our fears." Absolutely correct. The less fear we carry the less stuff we carry. Next: Guidebooks. I had the ATC thru Hiker data book and Companion. I carried it in three sections (mailed to me when I needed them) to save weight. I picked up a discarded Wingfoot at a hiker box and carried it as I discarded the used pages. I found the ATC to be more accurate, the Wingfoot more informative and gives many more data points. Next: footwear. I had North Face trail boots broken in that I loved. Few blisters at the start but then the toe end began peeling off, reglued twice to no avail. At Franklin I changed them for another pair of North Face. (different model) The outfitter gave me a $70 discount on the $130 pair. Exact same problem within 75 miles. At VA the Outfitter wouldn't even give me a discount so I threw the new but worn out North Face away after getting an old pair of broken in Columbias from home. I wore those but found my size had changed so much that they hurt too! Too narrow now. I got a new pair of Merrills at Kent,CT and they were super. A few break in blisters but not bad. Terrific shoe, good support. I will never buy a North Face product again. Poor product, very poor service and the outfitter in VA tried to tell me they were not designed for AT trail use! HUH? Next: Food. I used 22 mail drops for food and tried a bounce box. The postal service between towns on the AT is very poor. It took a Priority package over three weeks to go between Duncannon,PA to Bear Mountain, NY. It is a major hassle getting into towns to get a mail drop at times. You find out that some post offices have very strange hours. At some places the postal employees could not have been nicer but the system still sucks. I would not use any mail drops if I were to do the AT again. You can buy what you need when you need it, easier. Unless you are Vegan, or some special diet. I was impressed by 'Bright Eyes', 'Shasta' and others who stuck to their convictions about diet when it was so difficult for them to get what they needed food wise. Most Importantly: It is about the people not the Trail. Take lots of photos, then take more. Take people photos and record who they are and get their real names and email addresses and phones etc. even though you will be a pain. You would be amazed how many you will not see again. Many of the 2006 Class have contacted me for others info! I will be doing Trail Magic on the AT at the NC143 Crossing at Stecoah Gap, NC from April 1 thru April 15 th. I hope to see all of the Class of 2007 succeed.That's all the advice I have to offer. Go do it. You will be glad you did. Barry Smith Bare Bear, the Class of 2006. Thank you for reading my journal.PLEASE LEAVE ME A NOTE IN THE GUEST BOOK AND AN EMAIL CONTACT FOR YOU.