To those of you about to undertake the AT this coming year… Good Luck and be warned… YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER YOU SET FOOT ON THAT TRAIL, NEVER.
You will love it, hate it, and then cherish it forever. Not very many of you will make it to the end, but all of you will think that you will. Remember that you are just taking a bunch of day hikes, back to back.
Feel free to ask those of us who have been there and made it what worked… 
Windex