New to Hiking, but doing a THRU-HIKE

imported
#1

Hello, I am bringing my two sons with me for a thru-hike this year on the AT. We have never hiked nor camped, so I would like some advice if possible on things that we should watch out for out there in terms of safety. We believe this will be an educational experience that will last us the rest of our lives and we appreciate the opportunity to do so. Also, I was curious to know if people ever do the thru-hike without hotels or eating out. I was hoping to tent the entire time AND depend on food drops only. Any advice? We are a month away from this and I am slightly nervous AND excited at the same time. I am 32, and out of shape. I need this for my own health. I am tryin to lose about 80lbs and quit smoking. Is it possible to lose that much weight through this? I am 6’0 265. I am just basically looking for a little advice if possible. I expect this to be the journey of a lifetime.

KING GATOR

#2

It’s all safe out there on the trail. The community will take you in. You will think of food, talk of food, dream of food, you will eat M&M’s off the ground . I don’t know how one would approach not eating out, especially when so much good food is available right along the trail. I know that I could not just walk by.
I think that you could do it without hotel rooms, but everyone needs a break, at least at a hostel. The hostels and towns are just as much a part of the community of the AT as the trail itself.

farsang

#3

Though there is a lot of information here, you can find additional info at other sites like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy site and whiteblaze.net

whatnot

#4

King Gator,

Many people have hiked the AT without any experience. Also, many have started the trail overweight. My dad struggled with an addiction to cigarettes for 50 years. He wasn’t able to quit until he earnestly prayed about it. At once point he lost all desire so smoke & has never been tempted to smoke again.

Here’s a few thoughts:

(1)The AT can be hiked without staying in motels/hotels, but there are times when its VERY wet on the AT - it could rain for days on end. If/when that happens, bailing out to a warm room with a shower is a very attractive option. There are also a number of great hostels/trail angels along the route.

(2) Food drops: If you don’t have any special diet needs, then it might be easier to just “buy as you go” & pick up food @ stores along the route. This way you can vary your diet more - many people get sick & tired of the same food in their drops. I’ve never sent myself food on my AT thru-hikes.

(3) Do your homework online & try to keep your backpack wright down for you & your boys. This will make a huge difference in your hike.

(4) START OUT SLOW: This is probably the MOST important piece of advice for new thru-hikers - especially one’s struggling with being overweight. MANY hikers calculate the average miles per day they need to achieve in order to make it to Katahdin, and then kill themselves trying to maintain this average from the get-go. My advice is to listen to your body - if its time to quit for the day, find a nice spot & camp. Your body will eventually toughen up & get in shape & you’ll be able to do plenty of higher mileage days in the mid-Atlantic states.

(5) Finally, enjoy each and every day on the Trail. Too many hikers are obsessed with making it to Katahdin & they virtually kill themselves trying to get there. It is the journey that is important - all the wonderful days BETWEEN Springer & Katahdin. Take each day as it comes & don’t even worry about Katahdin. If you take your hike day by day - appreciating all the wonderful things on your journey (especially during the rough times) - you’ll have a much better chance of completing your hike.

(6) Plans & thru-hikes, like oil & water don’t mix. Try to plan as little as possible. Thru-hikes are so dynamic with so many factors that can change your course @ any given moment, its best to be as flexible as possible.

(7) People will help you on the AT. You might be surprised how supportive the trail angels & fellow thru-hikers are. It’s the way life should be.

Have a great hike! Happy Trails!

freebird

#5

In all honesty; take a year & lose weight; do some practice hikes ; & get yourself in better shape. I don’t wish to be mean but think of your children please. Cant fathom the effect on them seeing a parent drop dead of a heart attack. (I’m assuming they’re around 10 or less). Please give this a 2nd thought. A Friend

jerry

#6

Now, I am in the process of writing up a response to the first four comments, but this latest comment has me ready to come with a response to him immediately.

Now, let me say this the best way I can because I TRULY believe that you are trying to look out for me and my boys. My boys are 11 and 13 by the way. Now, my weight is NOT to the point where a heart attack is a problem. I train in mixed martial arts and can handle a little physical stress.

I am 265lbs, but a very thick boned 6’0 tall man. My weight is large, but not too large to walk. I walk at amusement parks each and every week, sometimes 2-3 times per week. I know that amusement parks do not have mountains, but that’s not the point. Walking is something I can handle.

I appreciate your attempted help, but I do question you as to why you think 6’0 265 is “heart attack” type of size? I understand that being in shape is important, but you made a rather sizable leap with my death in front of my children…lol.

To me, that was just a little harsh. With all of this said, I will continue towards my journey and I do APPRECIATE all advice, including your’s Jerry.

KING GATOR

#7

First off, I would like to thank each of you that responded and I hope to continue reading replies with good solid advice. I truly appreciate your help. First on my responses is FARSANG, Thank you for your post and I admit that I am excited about joining the community you speak of. Me and my boys will hopefully have enough self-control to do this without hotels or eating out. I get food-stamps at home, so I am going to honestly have my wife mail us food throughout the trip. Also, I will have around $100 a week to spend IF necessary. I do not want to blow that on things that are not necessary for our survival. With kids, I want to focus on neccessity rather than luxury. I think the occassional hostel may be a good idea. I am going to be doing a REAL TIME DOCUMENTARY as we go for you tube and a website. Hopefully throughout the trip, the occassional family member or friend will help out when necessary. Thank you very much for your comment.

Whatnot, thank you for your post and I have definitely noted those sites.

Freebird, I would like to TRULY thank you for your detailed and amazing response. I truly hope that you follow this journey with me throughout. I think you would be a great person to speak with off and on for advice. The fact that many people have hiked with no experience definitely makes me a little less nervous. I know the ages have differed from 16 to 83. In terms of smoking, I am gonna just HAVE to quit. I cannot be stressing about cigarettes during this trip. I cannot do that to myself, my kids, nor my family back home. I MUST QUIT. This trip is also about health for me, so my motivation is strong. I will find the strength to quit.

Now to your other comments, Freebird…

  1. I do think that at somepoint we will stay at a hostel. However, that all depends on whether we are charged by the person or family. With their being three of us, all of my costs are now X three. I am budgeting about $100 per week that my wife will put on my card. I do not want to spend more than that. Hell, that is an average of over $10 per day. I do not think that we will need more than that unless we are over-indulgent. We are not wealthy people at ALL. Like I said before, we get food-stamps actually.

  2. Due to the food-stamp idea, that is why food drops are essential. We definitely need to have our food mailed to us as I am leaving my EBT card with my wife and daugther for the period after we leave. I am sure that a lot of these stores do NOT accept EBT, so I am not even going to bother taking it. Id rather leave it for my wife. I am sure that we will STILL spend cash on food along the way…I am trying to keep most money for shuttles, permits, or supplies.

  3. I seem to be obsessed these days with doing my homework. My wife thinks that is all I do. I am definitely looking to keep pack weight down. My 11 year old can probably handle 15lbs. My 13 year old can probably do 20 and I can do 20-30.

  4. I’ve read this a lot. I am definitley gonna take it slow at first. My goal is 100 miles per week, but I know that the beginning might be much tougher than that. I know that I will walk myself into the right shape and tolerance to handle more miles as we go. Do you recommend 5-10 miles per day at first? For how long? I will try to listen to my body as much as possible. Do you know what warning signs I should pay attention to in order to prevent serious injury?

  5. We are as excited as it gets. I do like to stop and “smell the roses”. I will be recording a documentary of our trip, so I definitely will be trying to enjoy the trip BETWEEN GA and Maine. I appreciate that advice. I will not worry too much about milage at first. I will only worry about it towards the end as the Summer gets ready to come to a close. I am hoping that it will be March 9-August 3. I recognize that may not be possible. That is 100 miles per week.

  6. I have OCD when it comes to planning. I will try my hardest to take that advice. I am sure that 90% of my plans will fall apart. Hell, plans fall apart in REAL LIFE, so I know they will on the trail.

  7. I can’t wait to be part of this community.

You were great with your comments (ALL OF YOU) and I thank you all very much. I am still interested in any advice any of you can give. If YOU have any questions, I would love to answer them. I have yet to find ANY DOCUMENTARY on You Tube of CHILDREN on THRU-HIKES. It inspires me that my children could be the first on film to document it. I am sure film exists, but I can’t seem to find it.

GATOR

KING GATOR

#8

Gator - Like I said earlier, just take it slow at first, making sure that you’re are not pushing too many miles. There’s a cliche in the hiking community “Smiles not miles” that makes a lot of sense. People who walk too fast & far before they have their ‘trail legs’ often have foot and/or knee issues related to physical stress. It may take weeks before everyone is in good shape, so don’t worry about the miles. 100 miles per week is a good average when your in top shape. Your pack weight sounds good for you & your boys.

Your finish date is fairly early. If you have more time to spend on the trail, Maine is spectacular in September with great Fall foliage, no bugs, and few people. September is my favorite month to hike on the AT. If you give yourself more time, you won’t have to worry about mileage & you can stop in some beautiful places (like Damascus Virginia) and spend a few days in town (there’s a hostel called ‘The Place’ there that’s inexpensive). All the families hiking the AT that I’ve run into over the years were having a blast. Kids love the woods! I look forward to seeing the You Tube videos.

freebird

#9

Thank you once again for your knowledge. I WILL take your advice and gladly add some time to my hike. I do want to take my time and truly enjoy this. I do not have a career as of today, so I really am in no hurry. I would like to get the kids back before next school year, but either way, it will be o.k.

I definitely wanna get our trail legs the right way. I do not want to risk injury for us at all. Your advice is definitely well noted. Im glad our pack weight sounds good.

I am working things out so September is more possible. I do want to enjoy all of this. Thank you very much. I really appreciate your support with the Youtube Videos and hope that they are entertaining…Im kind of a clown though…I hope no one is offended…I just am not very politically correct.

KING GATOR

#10

Hey bubblegum, I got an email saying that you commented but for some reason it has NOT shown up yet on here. I definitely appreciate your comment. Did you erase it?

KING GATOR

#11

Even if f you were to try this hike by yourself I would suggest you do a little more research about the trail. Take a few practice overnight hikes on a trail to personally find out what you are getting yourself in to. Try to walk ten miles with your gear and see how you feel in the morning. Have you loaded up your pack yet and gone for a walk? You may have to carry some extra weight to help your boys. Do you want this to be an epic struggle or a walk in the park?
Your fitness level often dictates the difference between the two. Many people who start out in poor condition often develop planters facetious or some other stress related injury. Please do not deceive yourself into thinking you are in hiking shape. I entered your height and weight into a BMI index calculator and here are your results…Body Mass Index (BMI) 36.0 kg / m2. You are currently overweight by 37.2 kilograms (81.8 pounds). A 36 BMI is considered on the border line between Obesity and Morbid Obesity. A BMI of 22 is considered normal. No offense, but Jerry may have a point regarding the dangerous levels of stress you may be placing your body in. For comparison, I am also 6 feet tall and weigh 165 pounds with a BMI of 22.4 and I am currently training daily for an upcoming PCT Thru hike. I have hiked over 8000 miles including three thru hikes and have started in various states of physical fitness for all of them. I can personally attest that the fitter you are at the start the smoother the transition to trail life will become.
And do not forget about hygiene. Bathing in streams when it is cold out takes some effort as the water may be even colder than your cold water at home. If you do not at least clean your pit areas (underarms/crotch) every couple of days some funky rashes may start to develop.
One last item I would like to mention would be that there is nothing wrong with accepting food stamps when times are tough for you and your family, but to use them to plan a vacation? In all reality, many hikers will offer you support when they lean of your dire needs. But once again, pan handling via the US Government (using food stamps for vacation expenses) and local hiking community to supplement your needs comes across as a questionable way to address your family’s needs at this point in time.
Anyway with all that said, most people follow the school of hard knocks. If you do go on this journey, Please listen to the advice of Freebird and forget about daily mileage and instead just focus on the lovely woods and the company you keep. I wish you well and do not take pleasure in this harsh advice. I just truly believe you might want to consider saving and planning for another year before you start. The trail will be there waiting whenever you and the boys head out. Good luck this year in whatever you decide.

Pleae feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions regaring this post or any other questions regarding the AT. :cheers

stealthblew

#12

King Gator–Guess Im not politically correct either. Perhaps you should use the next 6 months working several jobs and getting off food stamps.That will mean a lot more for your kids than a hike. The trail will always be waiting after you get off the dole

floater

#13

Do not use my hike to insert your conservative political beliefs…Trust me, in terms of HOME BILL finances, everything is 100% ok…we have two different cultural ideas of life. You may be against government assistance, but I am not…Trust me, as much money as government uses towards killing civilians, I do not in ANY WAY feel bad about getting what I can from them as well…I am a full-time student as well as a man that is running a business.

I apppreciate some of the advice, but some of it is just ridiculous…

Floater, I take my kids to DISNEY WORLD EVERY WEEK, so your idea that “getting off of food stamps” would be more important for them than a hike is insane.

KING GATOR

#14

If you got such a big problem with people getting money from the government, then stop paying taxes and MOVE. I have never seen a bigger group of cry babies in my life (conservatives). You seem to have a problem with government assistance, but are ok with all of the defense budget that your government uses to create FALSE FLAG events to pass agendas…

Don’t you think that your taxes are wasted on a lot WORSE things in the world than my vacation? (BTW: Your taxes are not supporting my vacation any more than they would be if I used those stamps at home)

I have had mostly good vibes from the hiking community, but hearing this from you two are my first bad ones. Now, in terms of the weight, I understand…that is legitimate advice.

However, judging how I plan to FUND the eating portion of this trip is truly political. Bush is GONE! Get over it! He is not coming back!

Focus on your country’s false flag operations to take your guns, not on my funding of my hike since you wanna get so political…

In closing…PAY YOUR TAXES :wink:

KING GATOR

#15

Also, I know your opinion now of what you call “entitlements”, but you never told me on whether it was a slick idea or not?

The QUESTION is whether it will WORK…not whether you like it…Do you believe the drops will work? I can EASILY get $150 in food dropped to me a week.

KING GATOR

#16

I have decided to get some training in. I live in South Florida, so I have no mountains. However, I am gonna walk and camp the length of the Florida Everglades and back.

KING GATOR

#17

King Gator, your journal is one I will definitely follow. I wish you well, but frankly, I don’t think you will get far. There’s some good advice above. Hope you take it.

swamp fox

#18

I appreciate your support without a doubt. I personally know of people that are blind or with cancer that have hiked the trail…Ive also seen other “fat” people do it. I am not discouraged by people “thinking” I cant for no reason other than the fact that I am 265lbs.

KING GATOR

#19

Sounds like you have quite the summer planned. Just remember you are only as strong or fast as your weakest link. I am 52 years old, in very good shape.(Ran the Mt. Washington Road Race 7.2 miles) in under 2 hrs last year and I’m not sure I could do it in that time frame and still have fun.
When there is 3 people that have to stay togeather its just so tough to get the miles in. When one of the boys or you gets the flu, sore knees, twisted ankle, snow in the Smokies… (you get the idea). Haven’t seen anybody do the trail without a few zeros and your all going to want to or need to take those at different times. Then all 3 of you have to stop for the day, or a couple of days. That is why a couple usually takes a little longer on a thru because of the times 2 factor. Don’t mean to be a downer, just a realist. Count on Sept 3rd or later and you will have a much better time. Good Luck,Dan.

Dan Paradise

#20

Thank you VERY MUCH for that advice. I will plan on September 3rd now. Once again, thank you.

KING GATOR