Who's the expert in planning a hike?

imported
#1

I am looking for some advice for a last minute thru-hike. Who is the best person to talk to for advice about gear, food, mail drops, etc.? Does anyone do this for hire?
DCW in Savannah, GA

Don Watford

#2

YOU should be the ‘expert’ in planning your hike.

What works for somebody else will probably not work for you. Trial and error is the best way to backpack.

There are thousands of backpackers and each one is theirown expert, no two hikers are alike.

Happy Trails :cheers

southpaw

#3

Do your homework. I spent a year in reading countless journals of past hikers. It’s your hike and what works for others may not be what works for you. Some can hike without a stove while others need that cup of coffee or tea in the AM. The key ingredient is pack light. The lighter the pack the easier the hike. NedtheFed

Ned

#4

Don - Email me and I’d be happy to answer any questions I can. I should be able to get you off on a good start.

Matt

#5

…i assume you’re thinking of a SOBO thru? (since it’s so late in the season?)…‘last minute’ can be a little sketchy (though we actually know some folks who have done it)…but paw and i needed a year to plan and ‘train’ for our thruhike, and couldn’t have even thought about doing it without the ‘expert’ advice of our friends, hatman and happy feet…

ned is right…if you can outfit yourself lightly, you will have won half the battle…there’s some great info out there and you’d probably benefit by checking it out and not rushing into a hike you’re ill-prepared for…a thruhike is a chance of a lifetime!..a great blessing/adventure!..it’s worth the amount of time and effort you put into it to give it your BEST shot!

we ALL learn as we go, and most of us get better and better after learning from hundreds of miles of ‘mistakes’…and though i think you’ll find most hikers unwilling to call themselves ‘experts’, i think you’ll also find the majority willing to share all the help they can with folks like you who are anxious who to get started…

if you can wait till next year (which i realize might be a tall order), i would recommend attending the ALDHA gathering in october (workshops, hikers, gear, etc)…you’ll learn alot and meet some great people!..

maw-ee

#6

It is so encouraging to see so many people willing to share knowledge! I recently found out that I would be laid off in a couple of weeks. My wife and I have been married for 4 years, and we’re ready to start a family. This is likely my last chance to thru hike until I retire. I have been hiking and researching NOBO hikes for many years, so SOBO is throwing me for a loop.
I am planning to fly into Bangor on Monday, August 2nd. Does anyone know of other hikers starting this late?

Don Watford

#7

It is late for a NOBO hike (most NOBO’s start in March) not “late” for a SOBO hike ~ you are right about on time for that. I only know this from reading lots of journals and transcribing a few. Are you keeping a trail journal? do you need a transcriber? :smiley:

Wild Hare

#8

I am walking with a phone that allows me to post straight to my journal. Thank you for the offer.

Don Watford

#9

Deer Don, There are alot of books written by thru hikers as well as the guide books & journals. Just don’t read the Bill bryson one unless you want to celebrate failure & criticism of “fat Kat” by an arrogant pompous a$$ of a jerk!!! The best trick is shopping supermarkets & health food shops in the big towns & forwarding measured amounts of it to the smaller towns… priority is better for sending boxes short distance to yourself (called drift or bounce boxes) along with gear/maps/books you dont need right now. I call it “Hop Scotch” because you usually send it 2 trail towns ahead, or about 100-200 miles depending on how fast you hike, so it has time to get there. I’ve found if you wear trail running shoes, you only wear 1 pair of liner sox, or you will get blisters!!! (Ironic, when you need 2 pairs of sox with boots or get B’s!!!
Usually when I start a long hike, I only eat about a pound a day which increases to more than 2 lbs/ day after afew months!!! Vive la grande randonee!!

gingerbreadman

#10

Since you’re writing from Savannah, I’d try and get out to Neel’s Gap (in Blairsville GA) and talk to the proprietor, Winton Porter. He’ll answer all your gear questions; he’s been been helping prospective hikers for many years. As far as questions re. food, supplies, mail drops, Re-Supply, etc., there’s plenty of information here on Trailjournals. Other useful sites would be www.whiteblaze.net (especially the “Articles” section of the website) and www.appalachiantrail.org, where a good section of the site is devoted to thru-hiking and thru-hike planning. Good luck!

Jack