if you were going to do the AT over what would you do differently.
luke kaim
Doing it over - Appalachian Trail
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#2
1)Slow my hiking pace a little so I wouldn’t get shin splints. 2)Take more photos of my hiking buddies.
3) Stop and smell the roses more often (I thought I was doing just that until I got home and realised I should have stopped and appreciated that view, rocky outcrop, wildflower etc)a whole lot more.
4) Lighten the load in my backpack.
Downunda
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#3
Repeat all of the things downunda said plus
1)Written my shelter register entries in my personal journal
2)Talked to hikers that were the most unlike myself more
3)Checked for deer ticks more often
4)give more respect to the mountains of Georgia
Homey
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#4
For the AT - definitely pack lighter. Even on my second hike I had too much heavy gear. I’m still not at optimum lightness - but I’m okay with what I carry now - no more 45 pound packs unless I’m carrying a gallon and a half of water. There were differences between my first and second AT thruhikes, such as not doing maildrops the second time around, more photos of other hikers, slower hike – the biggest difference was that I stopped sleeping in the shelters on my second hike. If we do the AT again, we will probably go south, just because it is different (northbound you get all the spring flowers, which I loved, but southbound we would get more autumn color, which I also love). Otherwise, I was happy with my hikes. I took my time, took side trips, enjoyed spontaneous diversions, got to know a lot of good people - I have no regrets for how I did it.
Ginny
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#5
I would go slower… have more money available… go to all the side views… less mail drops, but tell friends to please send me more things randomly along the trail, like cookies from grandma… more photos… more time for deep conversations… taken the time to go ahead and sit with the pot smokers instead of avoiding them like the plague… gone to a bar with hikers and bought a coke to drink… hung out with the older hikers more (I did that the first time… and they are still my buddies)… and finally: I would bring my husband with me.
windex
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#6
I said I would never thru-hike the AT again, but I find myself getting “Springer Fever” every spring. I would go north again… First, I would swap out some gear and try to go even lighter yet still be comfy. Pack an MP3 player. Break in shoes well before starting. Bring better earplugs! Start a little earlier (maybe mid March). I would try to really get to know every hiker I see & meet & take their pic. Take more videos too. Definitely try to hike with many diff people every week. Put in more big mile days so when I take a zero I wont fall behind pace. Keep a voice journal. I took 1,200+ digital pics and it WAS NOT ENOUGH! And hope it doesn’t rain 60% of the trip.
JimboTrek
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#8
I would definitely take more pictures of the people I hiked with, and at least gotten email addresses, there are several I hiked with a long time and don’t have one single picture of or know how to contact. I would have stayed in fewer hotels and more hostels and done fewer mail drops. Warmer sleeping bag, too, I was cold a lot! But even with everything it was all wonderful!
Grassy Ridge
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#9
My serious plan for next time is to take over a year to do it. Since my first time I keep getting slower and slower even though I am in the best shape now then I’ve ever been.
Gypsy Steve
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#10
Well, I am trying it again this year, so here goes…
Go lighter–I’ve dropped over 20 pounds of gear from last trip.
Take more pictures–especialy of the ordinary, like people, shelters and rain. Those have also been the most interesting pictures for non-hikers, because it seems they’d rather know what hiking is like than what it looks like.
Start later–avoids both cold and crowd, assuming one can wait even longer to hike.
Never again look in Wingfoot’s book during breakfast to figure out where I’d like to stop that night.
Less Snickers, more broccoli.
Sleep at the shelters for the good company, but in a tent nearby.
Take pictures of some register pages.
Write down names and email addresses.
Do my best to treat each day as if I will be breaking my leg tomorrow.
0101
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#11
I wouldn’t change a thing about my hike, but if I had another shot to thru-hike I would most likely: (this is based on the fact that I’ve already hiked the AT)
Camp more and use my tent a lot more. I was married to the shelters. Great for meeting friends and good laughs, but there are awesome spots to camp, particularly on southern balds and all thru Maine (specially the 100 mile W).
I’d do less maildrops and spend less nights in town. I’d camp close to roads the night before town or go out late after a town stop. I’d buy pretty much all my food along the way and resupply every 2-4 days.
I would have started in better shape and with a lighter pack. I will never wear boots again!
I would eat better.
I would take more pictures and get the names of more trail friends and better contact info.
I would take more zero days on trail and spend more time in the woods.
I would abandon schedules and timetables and places to be and people to meet and not have a finishing date.
I would hike later, starting in May in Georgia or in July in Maine.
Jack Tarlin has an excellent article on what he’d do differenly after 8 hikes of the AT, on Whiteblaze.net in the information section.
A-Train
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#12
Its funny, I always hear people say they will take more time after, but if you talk with some during their hike its ‘gotta go gotta go gotta go!!!’, it seems to some that the 6 months is forever, but then BAM! Its over baby…and that is a strange feeling.
No matter your style or method of hiking, enjoy it, do it for you, if you misplace your hiking buddy by one shelter, dont sweat it you’ll see each other at a view, a waterfall, a pond, or in town, dont fear your ‘I have to be done by this date’…work, school, ANYTHING, can wait an extra week or two…and if you rush the trip, it will not be the same, unless of course you are doing it to prove ‘how fast’ you can do it, which is pointless as it is mainly a mental adventure with strong doses of Spirituality, and humanity, and kinships that are irreplacable, even if you never see those people again.
I do it my way everytime I choose to hike any portion or distance on the AT.
Hiking aint about pleasing all others who try to assume command of your hike, its about learning about yourself, and connecting with things forgotten.
The time you spend out here is worth more then the time it takes, so take your time.
lionking
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#13
If I were to hike again, I would finish the trail. I loved being out there, but came up with too many reasons (I’m spending money when I could be making it was a big one) not to hike by the time I reached Pearisburg. I should have persevered and caught up with my friends (who all finished the trail) who got ahead of me when I spent time off the trail to visit with family. I had the time and resources to hike back in '98 and should not have abandoned what to this day remains a dream.
Ozone
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#14
Well, since I did all the white blazes the first time, I’d just use the AT as kind of a spine but take lots of side trips the second time–where possible these would be loops that begin and end back on the AT, further north. I wouldn’t worry about doing all the white blazes the second time, tho I’m glad I did them all the first time.
And no, I wouldn’t apply to ATC for a second certificate 
Skyline
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#16
I completely agree with the LIONKING… it is funny to see people with that I gotta hike mentality…
ASWAH
Aswah
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#17
I’d ditch the boots and wear shoes the whole time, I’d not carry a 4 lb tent for just myself, get a smaller pack, take more pictures of people, the landscapes are nice but after awhile I began to realize that the people made the hike and whne the 6 months was over I couldn’t just drive to a spot and find them again, like I could the mountains. I’d bring some music for occasional distraction when going up a monster like Roan. And I’d do everything else the same.
Pippi