“which we may never have again”
Never say never, unless you’re planning to become prison inmates for a living lol.
What isn’t out of the question is trying. If you have enough resolve, and the good fortune to avoid injury, then of course you can do it! Buy the books and maps today, go to EMS tomorrow, get the lightest stuff you can afford without compromising safety (and the least amount of stuff possible; you don’t need at that much for the Long Trail at this time of year). Keep your base packweight (not including food and water) down below 15 pounds (incl the pack itself) (and tell the staff that this is your criteria - you want to go light bordering on ultralight but not super-ultralight). Get lightweight, breathable shoes or boots - hopefully what you’re already accustomed to wearing on your day hikes. Don’t get heavy boots. Lastly, figure out which towns have enough in the way of groceries so you can resupply as you go. For the towns that lack adequate supplies, send a postal maildrop with food and any other items you’d like to reprovision along the way. Plan to resupply as often as possible in order to keep food weight down - every 3-5 days preferably. Choose your town stops accordingly.
A Long Trail thru-hike is easy-peasy compared to putting yourself through college, job searching, moving, etc. You’ll see. The only real obstacle is in your mind. The hike is just a series of short trips all strung together via the town stops. If you can hike 12-15 miles a day with a daypack, then you can do it with a lightweight thru-hiking pack if you’re in shape. Just start with some warm-up hikes to break your legs in while you’re in the planning stage. Then go…
hoch
