Back in 2013 I took the plunge; I quit my job, packed up my belongings, and bought a flight to Atlanta, Georgia. Why Atlanta, you ask? It is the closest international airport to Springer Mountain...the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (AT).
After a rough day at work I decided that I would embark on a solo journey and hike the AT. Throughout the months of planning I found myself with so many questions...where will I stop each night? Is it easy to access food on the Appalachian Trail? What hostels are hiker friendly? Is it better to make my own food and ship it?
I scoured the internet for information, read blogs, and wrote to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. In the end I did make my own food. In fact I dehydrated 6 months of food and packaged it into individual portion sizes. Now 3 years later, I receive random e-mails from people who are willing to take the risk, quit their job, pack up their stuff, and hike the trail.
To give back to this amazingly supportive community I wanted to post some advice and information.
After a rough day at work I decided that I would embark on a solo journey and hike the AT. Throughout the months of planning I found myself with so many questions...where will I stop each night? Is it easy to access food on the Appalachian Trail? What hostels are hiker friendly? Is it better to make my own food and ship it?
I scoured the internet for information, read blogs, and wrote to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. In the end I did make my own food. In fact I dehydrated 6 months of food and packaged it into individual portion sizes. Now 3 years later, I receive random e-mails from people who are willing to take the risk, quit their job, pack up their stuff, and hike the trail.
To give back to this amazingly supportive community I wanted to post some advice and information.
Water sources: The year I hiked, water was not an issue. I started off using pristine drops and later switched to bleach. I would however, recommend the sawyer squeeze. It is lightweight and didn't require a large amount of time waiting for chemical reactions to occur. And no...I have not noticed any long term consequences of drinking straight bleach :)
Food: I did in fact ship my own food, 12 drop boxes in total. I wanted the experience of preparing for such a long trip. In retrospect, I don't feel this was necessary. On average, one is able to access a town with a good grocery store every four days. With regards to shipping the food across the border I did not have any issues. I stated that the contents of my boxes were dehydrated food. Only two of my boxes were opened and inspected, but none of the items were removed.
Recipes: If you are keen on making your own meals here is the spreadsheet I used to plan out the 14 different meals I made. The recipes were taken from Lip Smackin' Backpackin'
Food: I did in fact ship my own food, 12 drop boxes in total. I wanted the experience of preparing for such a long trip. In retrospect, I don't feel this was necessary. On average, one is able to access a town with a good grocery store every four days. With regards to shipping the food across the border I did not have any issues. I stated that the contents of my boxes were dehydrated food. Only two of my boxes were opened and inspected, but none of the items were removed.
Recipes: If you are keen on making your own meals here is the spreadsheet I used to plan out the 14 different meals I made. The recipes were taken from Lip Smackin' Backpackin'
| Recipes and food planning for the Appalachian Trail | ||
Schedule: My only advice, is try not to have a schedule. It is true what they say..."Hike your own hike." This is an opportunity that most people won't have the chance to experience again (and by the end of the trail, I didn't think I would even consider hiking this length again!). However, that being said, planning is second nature for humans. So, here is the spreadsheet I used to plan out where to ship my drop boxes and I modified it to show what my actual mileage was in the end.
| My planned and actual mileage for hiking the Appalachian Trail | ||
Guide book: I bought both the AT conservancies books and AWOLs book. I HIGHLY recommend the latter of the two options. Luckily, I was able to purchase mine at the Hiker Hostel.
Where to stay: Having the first night planned was key for me. Originally, I had arranged to have someone pick me up at the Atlanta airport and drive me to Springer Mountain. The night before I left Calgary the Hiker Hostel called saying they had a cancellation (I was on their waitlist). This was the best thing that could have happened. The hostel has an amazing service. They pick you up at the end of the MARTA rail line, drive you to Walmart so that you can pick up supplies, feed you this amazingly delicious breakfast, and then drop you off at the trailhead. I really can't say enough positive things about this establishment. They truly were wonderful! They even mailed one of my drop boxes for me!!!!
Shoes: By the end of the trail I went through 3 pairs of trail runners. I preferred the trail runners instead of proper hiking boots because of the weight and comfort.
Gear: Here is a list of the majority of the items I carried in my pack. With one liter of water and two weeks of food my pack weighed 30lbs! Keeping my bag light was a priority for me so I invested in newer gear. To help me decide what items to replace I looked at the cost to oz saved ratio.
Where to stay: Having the first night planned was key for me. Originally, I had arranged to have someone pick me up at the Atlanta airport and drive me to Springer Mountain. The night before I left Calgary the Hiker Hostel called saying they had a cancellation (I was on their waitlist). This was the best thing that could have happened. The hostel has an amazing service. They pick you up at the end of the MARTA rail line, drive you to Walmart so that you can pick up supplies, feed you this amazingly delicious breakfast, and then drop you off at the trailhead. I really can't say enough positive things about this establishment. They truly were wonderful! They even mailed one of my drop boxes for me!!!!
Shoes: By the end of the trail I went through 3 pairs of trail runners. I preferred the trail runners instead of proper hiking boots because of the weight and comfort.
Gear: Here is a list of the majority of the items I carried in my pack. With one liter of water and two weeks of food my pack weighed 30lbs! Keeping my bag light was a priority for me so I invested in newer gear. To help me decide what items to replace I looked at the cost to oz saved ratio.
| Gear List for my 2013 Thru Hike of the Appalachian Trail | ||
Camping vs. Shelters: My view on this topic was simply to avoid shelters at all costs. A lot of people got sick the year I hiked the AT. Poor hygiene was a leading cause of this. The shelters get a lot of use and are not very clean (this improves the further north you go) therefore, I tired my best to camp in the surrounding area or 'stealth camp' a km out from the shelters, or close to a water source. I believe this helped me stay healthy for the entire trip.
Are you a Thru hiker? Do you have any other advice? Feel free to post advice in the comments!
Are you a Thru hiker? Do you have any other advice? Feel free to post advice in the comments!