Date: 2016-07-20
From: camp

To: Camp
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

If this post interests anyone, it's probably just long distance hikers...Tomorrow I'll post on the hiker culture and Friday on my lessons learned from the last four months. I had no backpacking experience prior to my 2016 Through Hike and so anything I can offer here may not be of value to those who do. I just greatly benefitted last summer from reading the Trail Journals of other through hikers and wanted to give back something in return. So here are some points of view for those thinking of hiking the AT (or doing other long-distance hiking) in the future that are from my experience over the last four months.1. Get physically ready - I put beans and rice in my pack (uncooked of course!) and hiked up and down the stairwell in my 27 floor office building for months before hitting the trail. In addition to weight training for my legs and glutes, I also did interval training on a variety of cardio-machines. Until my first "Near-0" in Hiawassee I was averaging about 17 mpd. While that's not really the point, you don't want to get hurt or frustrated because you're not in shape. That said, of those suffering knee problems early in their hike, including me, most attributed it to downhill hiking which I had not adequately prepared my body for. 2. Get your personal life in order - As early as Hiawassee, GA, day 5 for me, I heard other hikers my age talk about issues back home that were left unresolved when they started their hike and left me convinced they were not going to finish their hike.3. Put your ear buds down while you are walking. It's not safe and you are missing nature's symphony. I live in Oakland, CA where street noise is rather prevalent, but to give up the cry of a loon, the drum of a woodpecker, the roar of a waterfall, or the sound of wind through the trees, is to give up a lot.   4. You are most likely to wander off the trail when their is an interruption or distraction. For me, the top two contributing factors were meeting and greeting other people at a junction in the trail, or getting tunnel vision on something that looked like the trail only to miss the more obvious marking or route. When that happens, retrace your path back to a white blaze, shake it off, and keep moving. 5. Don't hold on to your mistakes. The trail is tough enough without the added burden of self-induced negativity6. I broke 3 carbon hiking poles prior to buying metal. All were involved in falls where I went one way and the pole was jammed between rocks or roots and it went another way. I won't buy them again.7. I went through two pairs of Altra trail shoes and one pair of LaSportivia's in under 600 miles. Loved the look and feel...hated the cost, and while I may go back for day / short section hiking, I'd never buy them again for long distance longevity. 8. I tried to be guided by 3 rules - stay safe; stay dry (especially feet); and stay hydrated. These worked fairly well for me in terms of focusing on some critical success factors.9. I used a Jet Boil the entire trip which I'd do again. It did though, get just enough rust, to make it difficult to properly secure the main "pot" to the heating mechanism.10. My wife Kim coordinated maildrops for me that provided 3 - 5 days of food at a time. All but one was sent to a hostel I planned to stay at. This allowed my diet to be stable and minimized down time hitchhiking into and out of towns where I had no plans of staying. This approach fit my personality / preferences and is clearly not for everyone. 11. In terms of clothes, I had 2 pairs of underwear, 2 pairs of running shorts, 2 short sleeve shirts (fast-drying), 2 pairs of wool socks and a rain jacket. During the cooler months and through the Whites, I also had a down jacket,   Long underwear, a wool hat, and gloves, swopping out a short sleeve shirt for a long sleeve shirt. 12. I began the trip using a Sawyer Squeeze Filter and ended with Aqua-Mira. 3 of my filter bags developed leaks and I was tired of it. I think the larger size filter would have also remedied the problem.13. My medical kit includes prescriptions for poison ivy, giardia, Lyme disease, and a strong topical anti-biotic. I only had to use the anti-biotic but would carry the rest again except perhaps the poison ivy Creme. I also carried a small tube of sun-block and the strongest DEET available on the market. Would carry both again. 14. Mice / chipmunks may be a bigger threat to your food-bag then bears, but you should bring and hang a bear bag. 15. Snoring is a problem both in hostels and shelters. Ear plugs help but distance is probably your greatest weapon if you are a light sleeper.   For that reason, and others, consider tenting over sheltering. 16. Early on in your trip, eat even when you are not hungry. Your body is getting its energy from itself if you are not feeding the fire!17. Invest in a titanium spoon, fork, or spork - you run the risk of breaking with plastic.18. Break big challenges up into small, achievable steps. Sometimes that's just getting to the next blaze, or the tree or rock before the next bend. When you reach it, set your sights on the next small step and repeat. 19. Reward yourself at the end of a big day or a big climb. Lengthen the time between rewards as you get physically stronger and more emotionally resilient. 20. When you slack pack (which I highly recommend doing when feasible), take what you need for bad weather even if it means a little extra weight. 21. How nice the weather is at the bottom of a big mountain has nothing to do with the weather you'll be greeted with when you reach the top!22. If you leave the trail to go the bathroom, make sure you can easily see where you came from. Better to risk "getting caught in the act" than not being able to find your way back to the trail. Shxx does in fact happen. Above all else, know and trust yourself!