Ask crash about hiking the Appalachian Trail

[crash]

a couple essential items IMO:

1. http://www.trailplace.com/

get "Thru-Hiker's handbook"
by Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce

tells you where to get food, water, mail, etc.


2. Water treatment: AquaMira
http://www.aquamira.com/preparedness...reatment-drops

This stuff kills pretty much every thing, and is lighter than most filtration systems. Many people who had filter pumps (that I knew anyway) had problems with them.


3. a headlamp


4. a thermarest (self-inflatable pad you put under your sleeping bag). Not the lightest of the sleeping pads, but a good night's sleep is key IMO.