Some tips on planning for a thru-hike

Geological marker on top of Mt Katahdin

I recently had a reader ask me for suggestions on preparing for the Appalachian Trail. After I wrote him a response, I realized that other people might like reading it, too. There are a lot of good books on getting ready for the trail, so these are the things that made the most difference for me.

Without further ado, here are my suggestions.

• It’s ok to be cheap. Don’t feel like you have to buy top of the line gear. My friends were a little worried about me because I have lower to middle of the road gear, but once I saw several people with pepsi can stoves and 10 $ ponchos, I realized that hiking the trail is more about determination and persistence. If you don’t have much money, you can still make it work.
• Bring hiking poles. Your statistical chance of finishing goes way up when you use them. My poles and I have a strong emotional bond because on several occasions they kept me out of the bogs in Maine. I love you guys!
• Go slow at first. It’s tempting to put in big miles right away, but if you give your body ample time to prepare, you’re more likely to avoid injury.
• Eat well. I’m currently doing experiments with trailcooking.com to help me raise my standards for on the trail meals. Hiking every day for 5-7 months is hard on your body and the more health and flavor you can add in, the happier you’ll be. Also, if you eat the same thing everyday you run the risk of ruining your favorite food. Mac’n Cheese and I are finally back together, but it took several months of being back in town for that to happen. I’m not sure when instant pudding and I will reconcile. If I could do it again, I would make my own meals ahead of time to supplement the things I bought in town. I would recommend the book by NOLS called “Backcountry Nutrition.”
• Make sure you do several multi-day trips before your start the AT. I tried to carry my backpack everyday even if only on a short in town walk, so that my body could get used to it.

• Make your pack as light as possible. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but it’s incredibly important. Ray Jardine is a great resource for ultra light backpacking. The ultralight people can be a little intense, but they’re a great place to start. Some key areas to lighten up:
  • Your sleeping bag. I met several people who switched bags when they went through warmer/cooler weather.
  • Your tent. I love my tent so much that I sometimes sleep in it at home, but the next time I do a long hike I’m going to use a backpacking tarp. You may have seen them, the ones that are held up by your hiking poles are great. Parts of the trail are really buggy, so I would recommend adding some netting to to your tarp.
  • Find multi-use items. For example: anti-bacterial gel can clean your hands, start a fire, or help stop the oils from poison ivy from spreading. If you do use it on your hands, make sure your rinse the area afterwards to clean off the dead bacteria. (I just learned that in my Wilderness First Responder Class class.)
  • A lot of people go for very light backpacks, but I’m a little divided on the subject. A pack w/o a internal frame will only work if you aren’t carrying very much weight to start with, and some people find them very uncomfortable. I’m planning on making one to try it out. For my trip, I used Arc’teryx Bora, which is bulky and I got ribbed about it a little (no one can understand our love), but holds the weight really well and is always comfortable.
  • Don’t lighten up on your first aid kit too much. I just completed a class to get my Wilderness First Responder certification, and after running several scenarios about injuries in the woods, I’m convinced that cutting down on your first aid kit is one of the last places to lighten your load with. You won’t need multi-day doses for anti-allergens or constipation pills (among other things), if you experience those problems, you can deal with them in town. But make sure that you bring plenty of things for wound management and emergencies. This doesn’t have to be excessive, but make sure you have gauze, bandaids, anti-bacterial ointment (never pour anti-bacterial gel on a wound, use soap or water), mole skin (or duct tape), pain medications and anti-diarrhea meds (so that you can make it out if you get giardia). A cut up t-shirt can double as an ace bandage if you have a serious wound, otherwise think about bringing some tape if you don’t want to sacrifice your clothes. A lot of people skimp their first aid kits, but your mother and I both think that is really dangerous.
  • Consider using trail running shoes or light hikers. Boots are very sturdy, but also heavy, and you can probably get away with a lighter option.
  • While you do want to carry as few clothing items as possible, always keep one pair of sacred-never-wet-socks in the bottom of your sleeping bag, and dry your feet out before putting them on at night. This will seriously cut down your risk of getting a foot fungal infection and prevent trench foot (not to mention the quality of life points.)

  This list lays out the things that were most important to me, but I’d love to read other peoples advice, too. It’s fun to hear what works for other people.

Related posts:

1. Planning food
2. Backpacking basics: socks, fungus, and blisters
3. Why you should hike in a skirt (or at least think about it)
4. Backpacking basics: Footwear
5. The Great Hiking Pole Debate

Tagged as: Appalachian Trail, backpacking, Boots, Gear Advice, Maine, Mt Katahdin, Training