I am starting my NOBO thru in a week, and am 5’10" and 235 pounds. To the guys who finished an AT thru hike, or a long distance section hike on the AT… What was your starting height & weight, and how much did you lose by the end of your hike? Also, what was your average day’s food? Thank you!
Richard
Starting a hike you may have to force yourself to eat much as your body adjusts to the new regime. You may eat as little as a pound a day at first, as your mileage may be only half of what you crank out after a few months & your caloric intake doubles or triples. Of course you will calo-load at every store & restaurant you pass, so have lots of cash, credit, &/or debit available. In '89, there was not good interstate banking so couldn’t even go to an ATM! Hopefully you’ve read as many AT blogs as you could.
The most hilarious books come from the Ice-cold class of '96 whose winter was extended until sometime in April.
Lynn Setzer’s “A Season on the Appalachian Trail” had me in stitches as I could commiserate with their hardships.
I don’t think she mentioned Bryson but his book can usually be found in the clearance bin at the used bookshop & is extremely hilarious in a dry humor sort of way… (most autobioauthors make themselves the hapless hero & most every one else are bumbling idiots & Bryson is no exception). So don’t load up on the food too much, but you might want some hot chow at nite & coffee in the morn if it’s a frozen one like '96! You might have your 1st box of food sent to Walasiyi & you will have an idea how much to carry & if you want to send some things ahead in a bounce box. If you pack ultralite, you can wear the trail runners & use ultralite walking sticks because you can fall alot on the roots/rocks/relos of the 1st part of the trail. I started in May 89 so rain not snow was my biggest problem, but it kept the springs running fullbore !
gingerbreadman
PS: You should be under 200 lbs by the end no matter how much you scarf down & your ribs will be showing & thus you will be able to carry alot more food as will be required up in Maine. Start lite, unlike me who always starts ridiculously heavy, & you will thank yourself!
gingerbreadman
I started at 6 foot 236 pounds. Ended 6 foot 165 pounds. I ate everything in sight in towns and never starved on the trail. Just hike and the pounds will melt away. First 30 days you will lose a pound a day. After that the weight loss tapers off, but continues.
It’s the only time in life you can eat all you want all the time never gain weight and never feel guilty doing it.
Ned
At 5’7" and 150 lbs., I typically lose about one pound per week on my hikes. Doesn’t seem to matter what or how much I eat.
bowlegs
I’m 6’-1" and lost 42 pounds on my AT thru-hike. I weighed 172 lbs when I returned back to Indiana. AsI remember, 17 of those pounds were lost in Maine.
Datto
Datto
What is being discussed here is know as The AT Diet. Eat anything you want, as much as you want, and lose weight. The only problem is when you return home your metabolism is sky high and your body is craving all those calories every day. It is difficult keeping the weight off once your hike is over.
Old Goat
6’0" Started at 210. Lost 40 pounds.
Re-supplied in towns and the type and amount of food varied over the trip. Not sure how to answer the ‘average’ question, your tastes will work that out as you go along.
'05 thru hiker