I know it isn’t fesable but has anyone eaten things along the trail in order to get them by? Like fruit or a dead animal along the trail?
Holsten
Living off the land on the AT
system
#3
I joked in my journal about eating enough red raspberries to pay for the trip (at $3 a half pint it was close.) There were some days in Maine that I ate lots of blueberries too…but never enough take the place of my pack food.
I never met or heard of anyone who claimed they “lived off the land.”
Maybe we sould pose the question, “Would you kill another hiker before you would starve to death?”…I saw that on TV once.
:eek:
Skeemer
system
#4
Yes, I’ve eaten some things on my thru hike to get by. Some of the things that I ate, I still haven’t told my parents about. Instead of going into those details I’m attaching an excerpt from my journal when I came into Damascas. Please take into account that I was a 19 year old kid writing this.
June 19, 1972
I’m finally in Damascus. I hiked 10.6 miles today in 4 1/2 hr. To get here. I got here at 11:00 am. The two women I met last night went about 2 or 3 miles down the trail and camped last night. I caught up with them at 9:00 am and passed them just before the Virginia border. When I got to the border I waited for them to get there so they could take a picture of Springer and me next to the border sign. After they took my picture and we rested I walked for about 5 min. With the faster one then she had to stop and wait for the other. I went on. Later today I met them all over town. They were at the laundamat and the custard stand. I even met them just walking down the street. They’re going to Cloverdale Va. They had gotten distances for the relocated part of the trail so I copied them. The new part was officially part of the A.T. June 1 1972. It’s 18 mi. Longer than the old trail. It only has 2 shelters on it and the first is 22.6 mi second is 20 mi.
There’s a hurricane coming up the coast and I’ll be getting plenty of rain. I don’t think I’ll get to the shelter tomorrow.
I saw 4 deer today and a box turtle with the initials C. G. On the bottom the letters were old and I could hardly make them out.
I hadn’t eaten but one meal a day for a week except when people would offer me some food so I was pretty starved for sweets when I got here. I went to the post office and got my package then went outside and read the letter while I ate a 1/2 lb. bar of chocolate. From there I went to the restaurant and had a T-bone steak, large plate of french fries, crackers, salad and coke. Then on the way to the laundramat I had two 15 cent cherry pies and a chocolate milkshake (16 oz.) At the laundramat I had a fig bar. I came back to my room and took a shower then went to wash my sleeping bag on the way I had a large hot fudge sundae & another milkshake. I came back to my room and had some cashews and a 5 oz. chocolate icecream. Then layed there for a while then went next door & got a pizza & coke. I just went to the restauraunt that goes with the motel. I ordered another 8 inch pizza & Dr. Pepper. The ladie who worked there when I first got here also is part owner of the restaurant and motel. After I was done with my steak I wanted to take the bone for Springer but figured they’d know I had a dog in my room so I left it. When I just went back the lady that works night turn asked me if I had a dog in my room. I said ya real slow. I figured they’d make her stay outside or kick me out or something like that. It turned out the owner knew I had a dog and saved the left overs of the steak and gave it to the other lady to give to me when I came back. I ate the pizza and doctor Pepper then went to the store next door and got a pint of butter pecaun icecream & another cherry pie. I think that’s all I’ll eat today. I’ve got to walk the dog then I think I’ll take another shower.
JHC
system
#5
One of the joys of hiking is late summer is blueberries. However, at most, it’s a snack.
Dispite all the chatter, I don’t know of anyone who was able to live off the land and complete a thru-hike. Food hunting and gathering is going to slow progress considerably.
However, there are those who do fish along the way. But I don’t know how successful they were.
Peaks
system
#7
OMG, JHC, you hiked during Hurricane Agnes! I will never forget that one. Wiped out a large area where I was living up north at the time. I can only hope it wasn’t as bad for you in Southwest Virginia. If you waited out the storm in Damascus it sounds as if you did quite well tho, at least you ate well. 
“Skyline”
system
#8
Years ago I read a small excerpt from I believe “Backpacking the At” that stated a Native American thru hiked the AT back in the eartly 70’s living off the land as he went. I thanks it is possible. Probably depends how adventerous you are. I hiked portions of the Ozark Trail living off the land and loved it. Any one want to give this kind of life a try should check this site out.
Teachingdrum.org. It is all about living off the land.
Spacewalker
system
#9
Lots of claims but no one says they did it for less than a 1000 that ive seen.Daniel Boone and Davy crocket tales are just that,while im sure they hunted I bet they had lots of flour,lard and beans on there pack animals.Remember that when hiking in National parks that its illeagle to disturb the wildlife this includes hunting AND Gathering.Some parks out west dont even let you build fires.Also to hunt on private land you need permision,a permit and to do it in season(same for fishing).I think you might be able gather some fruit,berries and mushrooms but these really dont offer the clories you need.I question how many fish a day you would need to catch to thru hike.Im guessing you would probably have to catch at least 5x 1#pound fish.How many fish like that have you caught in one day and how long did it take you?On the previous thread I offered a $2000 dollar wager to anyone that could document a thru hike for 100 dollars and no one even considerd doing it.Most people reasonably estimate a dollar a mile.
newb
system
#10
I ate some blueberries and blackberries. I also had a hotdog at a stand that was real close to the AT(couple 100yrds)I almost boiled an old sock I found but really wasnt that hungry
Virginian