Ask crash about hiking the Appalachian Trail

crash · #1 05-19-2007, 11:37 AM

I hiked the entire AT about five years ago. Georgia to Maine, around 2150 miles.

I highly recommend it. Most people I know who finished the whole thing say it was one of the best things they ever did. I know a lot of you guys are in your 20s; now is the perfect time to do it, before you have a wife and a job.

You don't have to be in great shape when you start. I wasn't in good shape at all. I had never been hiking before this (not since a couple Boy Scout trips anyway). I wasn't overweight, but I didn't exercise much. I smoked. You can take it easy at first, and you'll get in shape as you go along. It took me almost 6 months to finish. Obviously, by the time I finished I was in great shape.

The one thing I did have going for me was that I was prepared. I read a lot of books and magazines.

Cost: this varies a lot. I spent maybe $1,300-1,500 bucks on gear before I started. Boots $100, Tent $250-300, pack $400 or so, plus some misc. stuff. I borrowed as many things as I could. Gear is getting better--there's a lot of high-tech lightweight stuff out there now, but you'll pay for it. If you want to go high-end you can easily spend $3,000+ on gore-tex, super lightweight tents and packs, titanium pots, etc.

I spent a lot along the way. It was nice to get a hotel room when I got in town, so I could get cleaned up. I drank a lot of beer and fought a losing battle with cigarettes ([censored] those things are expensive in New York and New Jersey)--these things add up. I didn't really keep track, but I probably spent another three or four thousand along the way.

So go ahead and do it. What else are you going to do with the summer of 2008? Take a year off from college. Spend some of that poker dough. I promise you it'll be one of the coolest things you ever did.

Just a warning, I won't be able to recommend much in the way of specific products. For one thing, I only know about the tent and the backpack and the sleeping bag I used. I won't know anything about other tents, packs, etc. Plus, you really do have to go out and try out the gear. The pack that fit me might not feel good on you, etc. This is especially true about boots. I wore a pair of Vasque boots (one pair lasted the whole trip, which is pretty rare), but I can't really make a blanket recommendation of Vasque boots. You have to try on lots of pairs and find one that feels good.

Questions? Fire away

crash

Senor Cardgage · #2 05-19-2007, 11:45 AM

I live in northeast Tennessee, so on a couple of local hiking trips, I've gotten a chance to meet a few people hiking the entire trail.

Seems like an awesome experience.

crash · #3 05-19-2007, 11:53 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I live in northeast Tennessee, so on a couple of local hiking trips, I've gotten a chance to meet a few people hiking the entire trail.

Seems like an awesome experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was. Where do you live? I used to live in Oak Ridge, and I have relatives in Kingsport. The trail goes right over "Rocky Top". Not sure if it was the mountain that inspired the song, but it was cool to be standing on Rocky Top. It made me think of UT-Alabama at Neyland.

Kyle · #4 05-19-2007, 11:56 AM

[ QUOTE ]
It made me think of UT-Alabama at Neyland.

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] you Rocky Top go to hell Tennesee. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

How many miles a day did you hike? What problems did you encounter along the way?

crash · #5 05-19-2007, 12:12 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It made me think of UT-Alabama at Neyland.

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] you Rocky Top go to hell Tennesee. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

How many miles a day did you hike? What problems did you encounter along the way?

[/ QUOTE ]

I started out doing around 10 or 12 miles a day, or even less (not in good shape). Toward the end I could do 18 or 20 a day.

My biggest problem early was my knees, I got tendonitis under my kneecaps. very painful, I just had to pop Advil and keep walking.

Other than that, it can get mentally tough--three weeks of rain can wear you down, for example.

Go Big Orange

Senor Cardgage · #6 05-19-2007, 12:09 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I live in northeast Tennessee, so on a couple of local hiking trips, I've gotten a chance to meet a few people hiking the entire trail.

Seems like an awesome experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was. Where do you live? I used to live in Oak Ridge, and I have relatives in Kingsport. The trail goes right over "Rocky Top". Not sure if it was the mountain that inspired the song, but it was cool to be standing on Rocky Top. It made me think of UT-Alabama at Neyland.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in Johnson City, and my father lives in Kingsport. Not a huge fan of the culture around here, but you could hardly ask for a more beautiful place to live.

Did you ever meet people kind enough to feed you for free along the way? Those campsites must've been a great relief.

crash · #7 05-19-2007, 12:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I live in northeast Tennessee, so on a couple of local hiking trips, I've gotten a chance to meet a few people hiking the entire trail.

Seems like an awesome experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was. Where do you live? I used to live in Oak Ridge, and I have relatives in Kingsport. The trail goes right over "Rocky Top". Not sure if it was the mountain that inspired the song, but it was cool to be standing on Rocky Top. It made me think of UT-Alabama at Neyland.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in Johnson City, and my father lives in Kingsport. Not a huge fan of the culture around here, but you could hardly ask for a more beautiful place to live.

Did you ever meet people kind enough to feed you for free along the way? Those campsites must've been a great relief.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh yeah, lots of day campers love to hear stories and give you food. It's called "yogi-ing", as in trying to get in someone's pic-a-nic basket, although in this case they give willingly. You burst out of the woods looking like you're on the Bataan death march, the day campers take pity on you and shower you with food.

Best people to bum cigs from: bikers (motorcyclists). they're good people.

ya the tri-cities can be a little... let's just say red-necky.

DarkForceRising · #8 05-19-2007, 11:50 AM

I've always wondered why people go from south to north. Cold weather is more likely to make the last leg of the trip tougher doing it that way.

TIEdup14 · #9 05-19-2007, 11:53 AM

Do people leave care packages at spots along the way, or something like that?

crash · #10 05-19-2007, 12:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Do people leave care packages at spots along the way, or something like that?

[/ QUOTE ]

The AT is never too far from a road. You rarely have to carry more than 5 days worth of food (some exceptions to this), then you can hitch a ride to a town and load up. Also you can mail yourself boxes of food to local post offices.