A preponderance of practical considerations go into the logistical planning of the Appalachian Trail. As I’ve been discussing my hike with friends and family, I’ve encountered many questions about gear, trail life, and safety. Here is a list of all the queries I can remember to satisfy your curiosity!
General
Why are you doing the trail?
See my “Why”.
What resources did you use to plan for the trail?
Mostly the internet. I have conversed with a few through-hikers, but my in-depth research came from websites. General searches are helpful, but these are a few particular sites I used most:
- The Trek: A site that through hikers apply to blog through. The site has accumulated answers to both general and specific questions. You will see many of their pages linked to on this site.
- Appalachian Trail Conservatory: While not as comprehensive or anecdotal as the Trek, this is the place for “official” and refined trail info.
- Clever Hiker: I’m always skeptical that internet reviews are bought-out by companies, but Clever Hiker’s gear reviews have been spot-on. When buying gear don’t ever let someone make the decision for you, but sites like this give a starting point and draw out the core attributes to compare.
- The A.T. Guide: Recommended by most as the best guide, I have a PDF of this downloaded to my phone. Great for on-trail maps, campsites, towns, tips, and relevant businesses with contact info.
- Campanarius.com: For the list of Catholic churches near the trail.
Can I share this blog with others?
Certainly, it’s a public URL that can be accessed by anyone. If you’ve landed at this site without having been directly invited by me, I probably was unable to reach you or we haven’t met before, but welcome nonetheless!
What’s your trail name?
Through-hikers pick out (or receive) a “trail name” signifying a unique characteristic of their personality or hiking experience. Perhaps the best one I’ve ever heard was a “Papa Grinch”. When I asked the retiree in his 70s about the moniker, his cryptic explanation was “No presents, no Christmas!” (even though he was a pleasant personality and eager to answer my other questions).
I started out as “Frassati”. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was an engineering student, devout Catholic, anti-Facist, servant of the poor, mountaineer, and skier. Though he died of polio before his prime, his body remains incorruptible. His funeral drew thousands of the poor and his example inspired the future Pope John Paul II. We share many hobbies and passions, and he is one of my chief patrons (though not yet officially a saint). Read more here.
That name was perfect in every aspect but one: it was too difficult to pronounce and remember for most people. Thus, I’m going by “Oatmeal” for here on out. Aside from the odes to this super food I’ve penned in previous entries, to me this name is a reminder that the mundane is just as important as the magnificent. The simple activities like preparing meals are as integral to the experience as the climactic summit of Katahdin.
Logistics & Planning
How long is the AT?
With Springer Mountain, GA as the southern terminus and Mt. Katahdin, ME in the north, the trail covers 2,190 miles. There’s 8.8 miles on the Springer Mountain approach trail and a double-back required from Katahdin, so I’ll easily be walking 2,200+.
How long will the hike take / how fast will you walk?
5-6 months. The recommended pace is 20 miles a day, though conditioning up to that point requires a few weeks. I’ll start out at 8.8 miles per day in the first week, then 10, then 15, and finally 20 per day during week 4.
How much does the trail cost?
$1000 per month, not including gear.
In which direction will you hike?
From Georgia to Maine, known as north-bounding or “NOBO”. Other options are a SOBO (Maine to Georgia) or a Flip-Flop (non-continuous hike with one or more leapfrogs).
What’s you’re timeline?
I am starting February 5th for two main reasons. First, I want to avoid the “hiker bubble”. NOBO is by far the most popular route, and as discussed in this article, Georgia gets staggeringly busy in March. The overcrowding poses many detriments to the hike’s enjoyability and the environment itself. Avoiding the bubble is a wise and responsible thing to do.
Second, my availability. I planned on finishing my Master’s by the end of January, and I’ve lined up my full-time job to start mid-August. My employers at Garmin were very generous to extend my start date to give me enough time to complete the trail at a comfortable pace with a bit of wiggle room. As long as I started nice and early, which I realized was feasible after researching the gear and techniques needed for winter camping (also thanks to Tiernan for the advice).
I’ve developed a schedule to evaluate my pace and expected completion date.
Starting in February! How will you deal with the cold?
Of all the ordeals on the AT, I feel most prepared for the cold. As a frigid sport, snowboarding trained me in winter layering and hydration. I’ll be hiking in layers that I’ve tested to keep me comfortable in –10 windchill. My winter sleeping bag is rated for 20 degrees, with a liner that claims to boost the rating by an extra 20. These ratings tend to be overly optimistic about human comfort levels, but I should be good down to 10 degrees. If I get into an unexpected, ridiculous, record-breaking cold snap that is dangerous to sleep through, I can keep hiking to keep myself warm as an emergency measure. But given that the lowest recorded temperature on Springer Mountain over the last 5 years is 17 degrees, I will be plenty fine. The season only gets warmer the farther I hike.
Aside from keeping water bottles and filters inside my sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing, the other main danger is blizzards. But that is a matter of checking the weather every morning and evening and planning the fastest emergency exit off-trail. My gear is good for light to moderate snow, but blizzards are best waited out in-town.
Will you take any breaks?
Yes. Projected to be near Virginia Tech around Easter, I’ll take the week off to revel in the Octave with friends. Also, my best friend is getting married in May, so there ain’t no way I’m missing that.
How do you resupply?
There are a variety of towns either on the trail or a short ride away. Those requiring transportation often have a shuttle service on-demand by call (the A.T. Guide maintains a list of these and where to get service to contact them if signal is patchy). If shuttles fail there may be Uber or Lyft. I will resort to hitchhiking as an absolute last-ditch option due to its inherent dangers (not to mention it’s illegal in some states).
My schedule defaults to spending two days a week on resupply, with more or less rest days factored in. Taking a “zero” day once a week is critical for preventing injury.
How will you get to mass on Sunday?
I intend for Sundays to be a regular resupply day. As I mentioned, Campanarius.com listed the contact info for the easily accessible parishes along the trail, and I’ve already done the work to figure out the best options around each Sunday. Every Sunday, in addition to resupply I’ll plan out the mileage and intended stop for the coming week to make sure I won’t be missing out on mass.
What will trail updates look like?
I imagine on Sundays going to a coffee shop or other public place after mass to relax, charge my batteries, and type up a blog post. So, I’m promising about once a week. Some weeks I may want to really disconnect, but I don’t plan on being quiet for more than two weeks. I will be keeping semi-regular phone contact with my parents and close friends. This website also provides access to my schedule and live tracking, which will be updated every week at a minimum. I’ll post pictures to Google Photos when I’m in-town and can spare the battery.
Are you hiking with a group or alone?
This is by far the most common question I receive, and yes I will be “alone”. It will not surprise you that few people are willing to spend the time and money to undertake this experience, even if they had the availability. Of the couple dozen through-hikers I’ve encountered, there was only one pair. As I alluded to earlier, a NOBO is not really a solitary experience. Once you get up to the 20 miles per day, the people who also hit that pace tend to become your trail family (or “Tramily”). Even if you don’t form close bonds, it’s rare to be all alone at a campsite.
Can I join you on the trail?
Possibly. If you’re interested, email me at [email protected]. I’d be absolutely thrilled to share a piece of the walk with you, but practical limitations that may prevent that. Know that you will need to provide your own gear and I will have mileage goals to hit, but because of the town layout some weeks I have more flexibility. You have access to my schedule to see roughly where I will be as the months go on, and I plan to keep it up-to-date.
What is your biggest worry for the trail?
Rain. Walking on wet feet is just… sad. Setting up a tent in the rain makes me sad. Getting everything muddy and wet is sad. I understand that rainfall will supply the majority of my drinking water, but that doesn’t change how it makes me feel.
Aside from emotional hazards, I think the biggest realistic threat of physical harm is snakes. They are an “unhappy” medium between danger level and frequency of incidents, not to mention potentially venomous. I will have trekking poles, so I hope those will bump into a camouflaged danger noodle instead of my feet. A snake bite doesn’t really have the potential to end my hike, but from what I’ve read it doesn’t sound like much fun.
Gear & Supplies
What do you do for food?
I have a propane stove, pot, bowl, and spork to boil water and prepare hot meals. Ideally, I have at least one meal a day I don’t need to cook, with more as backup for bad weather days. I’ll pack a variety of carbs, proteins, and fats to fuel the hike.
How do you get water?
I have a Sawyer Mini squeeze filter and 6 Liters of water storage. With the trail guide mapping out water sources by reliability, I should have no problem filtering what I need from streams and rivers.
Will you shower?
Whenever possible. I 3D-printed a shower head that screws onto my water bag when it’s warm enough. Otherwise, I have a washcloth and soap to manage daily grime.
What shelter are you using?
Selecting sleeping arrangements for the AT requires balancing a myriad of factors: weight, cost, ease-of-use, space, and storm-worthiness. I never seriously considered a hammock (too dependent on trees) or bivy sack (no protection for gear) over a tent. Engineer that I am, I composed a selection matrix and rated the top 20 backpacking tents I could find. The Sierra Designs High Route 1P came in second place, below a cheap Amazon pick that at one look I knew wouldn’t work out.
The main reason I chose the High Route was the pitching system. Instead of dedicated tent poles, it uses trekking poles (which I already bought for their own sake) to save weight. The fly of the tent pitches before the mesh body, providing a quick means to get my stuff to a dry place when the weather turns wet. It’s big enough to fit me and my bag within the mesh. It is a freestanding tent, meaning it is difficult to pitch on rocky soil, but this and the slightly above average weight are acceptable compromises in my book. This tent satisfies all of my criteria while not breaking the bank (looking at you, Zpacks).
Safety
What do you have for first-aid?
- Sterilized gauze with coagulant
- Rolled bandage
- Blister bandages
- Triangle bandages
- Medical tape
- Alcohol wipes for sterilization
- Tweezers for removing ticks
- Ibuprofen
- Benadryl to reduce swelling from allergic reactions
- Trekking poles usable as splints
- My multi tool has a knife and scissors
Will you have a satellite communicator (Garmin inReach)?
No. Given the number of people using the trail, fairly reliable cell service, close proximity to many towns with emergency services, and the kind of terrain I will experience, in my mind it doesn’t quite justify it. I would consider it for something like the PCT where resources are scarcer and dangers more abundant. I do have GPS navigation with my Garmin watch (and probably phone).
How will you stay safe from bears?
You have probably heard of bear bags to keep bears out of food’s way. I have an upgraded device called a bear canister. It is a really thick plastic container that requires the dexterity of human fingers to open. Using the ridges on the side and a bit of paracord, I can easily lash it to the side of a tree or rock. ALL of the smellables go in there every night: food, food trash, medication, toothpaste, detergent, cooking utensils, etc. There has been one bear to open this particular model of canister, but this was on the PCT where grizzlies are far bolder than your AT black bear. The canister gets stored at least 50 yards from the tent, and I’ll be cooking 10 yards away from the tent for good measure. If I encounter a bear, these are the rules of engagement:
- Wave my arms, clap, and shout. Black bears are pretty easy to scare off.
- If the bear holds its ground, back off slowly. Do not run or look it in the eyes, as these can trigger aggression.
- If the bear pursues, double check pockets and drop pack. The bear may be smelling something on me and be interested in that.
- If the bear charges or is an imminent threat, do everything possible to fight back. Throw rocks or strike the bear to dissuade it.
Through hikers who survived a close bear encounter
How will you manage ticks?
I do have a bug net in my tent, and I know to avoid grassy areas. When things warm up a bit I’ll pick up bug spray and possibly treat my clothes with peremethrin. I’ll check myself for ticks every night.
Is there crime on the trail?
Not a significant increase compared to everyday life.
What happens if you fall off a canyon and break your leg?
- Stop any immediate bleeding with coagulant gauze
- If cell reception, call 911
- Use reflective phone screen and/or whistle to signal nearby help
- Use triangle bandage, pins/tape, and trekking pole to make a splint for the broken bone
- Evaluate the easiest path off trail to where an ambulance can take me to the hospital
How will you deal with weather?
- Rain: I’ve got a rain jacket, hat, and pack cover to keep me dry while hiking. My tent sets up fly-first, helping me and my gear get to cover quicker. A shelter is a great place to keep dry if the shower is quick.
- Blizzards: Wait it out in town.
- Thunderstorms: Wait it out in town, or get to lower unexposed terrain if pop-up.
- Tornadoes: Really shouldn’t happen, but get to higher elevation and tie myself to a big rock.
More questions? Email me and I just may add them here!