Thru hiking AT Prep

Go do a section of it first, and see how you like it.

Read up on stoveless meals.

Read up on lightweight everything.

Get all the good guidebooks.

I know people will shit on it, but seriously look up Darwin onthetrail on youtube.

You don't need no advice, it's just walking wtf are you talking about? Be fit enough to endure it and you're set.
>prepping for the next year
Lmao, so it now you faggit.

>>1066530
The walking isn't the difficult part.

>>1066535
Thanks a ton. Checked out that channel and the dude seemed alright. Why the hate?

I tried this year and only make it to Franklin NC from Amicalola though. I lacked the mental strength to want to push anymore, I did have the physical strength, but that isn't enough. OP, the only thing you need to finish is pure unretreating stubbornness and grit.

Sometimes it's fun,sometimes it sucks, sometimes it really fucking sucks. You will meet the coolest people in your life, meet a few cunts, probably get laid a few times..You're all hiking the same trail, but nobody experiences it the same way, it's a pretty good time.

Keep that pack weight low, saw so many people dying at camp after lugging their 50 pounder up mountains all day. Go hike in terrible heat, snow, rain, whatever bad weather you can get. Get used to that suckass feeling, get used to feeling miserable. That's the worst part of the hike, and it's why people stop. If you can handle the suck, you will make it to the end of your choice

Oh, and do a flip flop! Going Northbound is traditional and how most still do it, but we need more sobos or flip flops

>>1066530
>Try to walk at least three hours daily to prep. Going to start doing ~50 mile weekend jaunts starting next weekend
Keep that going. There are so many people that think they can hit the trail with no experience or training, hell even no previous exercise or ANYTHING and then hike themselves into shape. 99% of these people quit before the first 50 miles

>>1066583
Would you say it's worth it? Ever gonna try to complete it?

>>1066530

Get a good sturdy backpack. If your pack weighs less than 3 lbs by itself, then it will break and break repeatedly.

>>1066535

This guy has terrible advice and you shouldn't listen to him. Going stoveless is one of the worst mistakes you can make on the trail. It may not seem like much, but a warm meal at the end of the day really recharges the spirit.

>>1066530
Just bring fishing gear and a .22 rifle and like 500 rounds of .22 and then youve got all of your food squared away so if you also have a water filter just go at your own pace, you wont have any issues

>>1066530
Why the AT? Seems like the PCT is way more awesome

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>>1066633
Yeah, the AT has always sounded pretty awful to me. Hiking next to major roads and towns, camping at sites where locals come to drink and get high, the retarded social aspect, "trail names", Lyme disease, etc.

The PCT sounds so much more chill and beautiful.

>>1066651
>wanting to walk in dry air
>wanting to walk in a desert
>wanting to walk in a place with sparse trees

Yeah, enjoy taking pictures of stuff 15 miles away from you.

It sure is unfortunate you can even see that far.

The west is crap and only for post cards.

>>1066669
I sure am glad people like different things, because otherwise everybody would want to go where I go, and that would be terrible.

your mindset is completely alien to me, but I'm happy that you have it all the same.

>>1066672
Good perspective. I sure love dense woods that are very humid and they make me feel at home and you're right, if everyone liked that I'd probably be upset about it.

Hike somewhere west of the rockies moron why would you take time off work to walk that piece of shit trail

>>1066607
>Get a good sturdy backpack. If your pack weighs less than 3 lbs by itself, then it will break and break repeatedly.

This isn't true if you have lightweight gear as well is it? Why are everyone's zpacks lasting entire thru-hikes then eh?

>>1066675
We have those on the west coast too, just don't think the PCT goes through them. The entire lower elevations of the Sierra Nevadas are largely like this. Even in many areas up to 8000 ft can be dense as hell.

>>1066607
>If your pack weighs less than 3 lbs by itself
let me stop you right there, an empty pack for thru hiking should never be more than 2 pounds.

>>1066607
I went stoveless and was just fine even starting in February.. You won't care what the food is you just inhale it then sleep, hot or cold didn't matter to me I just wanted fuel and fast, which meant no cooking

>>1067318
Not the guy you're responding to but when I thru hiked there was so many problems with zpacks gear. When you look at the packs they were designed to be light but no thoughts or concern about durability. The packs have this carbon fiber rod that you bend to keep the pack off your back. Those would break or punch through the top or bottom of the suspension. This one guy the left side would straighten out after 3 hours of hiking and he would have to adjust it over and over again. I don't know how they attached the nylon suspension or webbing to the cuben fiber buy sometimes it would separated. Don't set your pack down. If there is a rock it's going to make a hole in the bottom of the pack. The hipbelt pockets are not securely attached to the belt so they bounce up and down like the tits in the first DOA game and eventually fall off because the elastic band breaks and those things holding it down are not robust enough

Don't buy the cuben fiber liner sack. After one month this guy got holes in his. He got a contractor trash bag and said it lasted longer and was cheaper than I think the $40 sack. Their bear bag kit is bad too. The buckle for the sack is not strong enough and the carabiner that comes with it is shit. Zpacks sell carbon fiber tent stakes the shafts break in the middle or where the metal and carbon fiber meet. People told me that zpacks told them htat they only guarantee repairs or replacement for one thru hike. If I'm paying that much I would hope it would last longer. Glad I got HMG pack. Wished I got black because the white gets dingy and grimy like taylor swift's cunt. The hipbelt pockets are too small. I forgot the tents bring a ground sheet for your tent even though they don't recommend it. That or a lot of cuben fiber tape

>>1066565
He gives mediocre to shitty advice

>>1067419
Ultralight gear is a perfect metaphor for millennials.

>>1067319
Evergreen forests are distinctly different than decidous forests

>people cant be content eating dehyrated beans

Stovefags need to gtfo

>>1067453
Yeah, the entire sub 5000 ft of the sierras in the southern half are oak forests dude

>>1067419
If your advice is better, why don't you start a youtube channel?

He has multiple hikes under his belt, how does he not have good advice?

I get what you're saying but... it's not like it isn't useful.

About the zpacks, I had heart the same thing as well. I thought about getting one but I ended up buying a Gregory Baltoros because I want something that will last for 30+ years, not 1.

>>1066607
>If your backpack weighs less than 3 lbs it will break
I have been rocking an Osprey Exos for almost 5 years now. No problems. Just buy quality gear.

>>1067465
>dry air

You seem to have forgotten the other part of my woodland desires

>>1067483
>osprey
>quality

0/10

>>1067471
>He has multiple hikes under his belt, how does he not have good advice?
He has a video called thru hiking tips. Some of the tips were put duct tape on your hiking poles, use a food cozy, split the cost of a hotel room with multiple people, take the cardboard out of the tp. Real basic shit and not that useful. I want a video that would actually save me money and not clickbait like how the AT ruined my life.

Here are some tips that I think would help people out. I don't know if they still do this now but in 2015 Merrell and Oboz if you emailed them told them you're going on a thru hike and bought their shoes off their website would send you free replacements. Top tip before you email them go to a shoe shore and get your feet measured again mine got wider and a half size larger.
Go to whiteblaze and get a list of trail angels in all the towns. They give free shuttle rides to and from the trail, also to walmart. Some will let you camp in their yard or stay in their garage, let you do laundry and shower. Try to call 2-3 days out and not when you are right at the road crossing. Try to go to walmart because they're the cheapest. Most mom and pop stores, camp stores and outfitters on the trail sell food at 2.5x the price you could get at a grocery store. Look out for the expired food at the small local stores.
Sundays, down south the bible belt most local stores are closed or open later. Usually only fast food, hotels and walmart are open. Grocery stores would open at 10 or 11. Don't bother to call the trail angels on a sunday before 12 pm they're usually at church. Don't bother with mail drops unless resupply is difficult. The medium box shipping is $14 and large is $19 so you really have gotten a deal for the food. Try to send it to a hostel so you don't have to worry about the P O hours. Most people get tired of the food they send and always try to trade with you

>Gregory Baltoros
Some others packs to look at are gossamer gear or ULA

>>1067318

They don't last entire thru-hikes. Once they break the company replaces them with another shitty zpack until that one breaks. They aren't durable. Same with the Granite Gear Crown series. They're full of design flaws. Ultralight gear is garbage. If I'm going to buy something it better last without the guarantee of replacement. If a company guarantees that they'll replace their gear they know it's shit. Furthermore, ultralight gear is for weak little faggots.

>>1067332

You sound like an insufferable loser. Just like every stoveless dork on the trail.

OP, the best advice anyone gave me on thru hiking: smiles not miles, and the last one to Katahdin wins

>>1067529
Come in late fall, winter, and spring. It was wet as shit this year for months.

I get what you mean though - I grew up in the Ozarks. It just doesn't get like that here, that level of saturation. for weeks at a time. It dries out pretty fast here.

>>1067581
Yeah I keep seeing this time and time again. Every backpacking review site even says this. They don't even save that much weight over lightweight options like the gregory zulu or osprey atmos.

I did the whole thing last year in 5 months. No prior hiking experience. Decided to do it and two wks later was out there. The best advice I can give you is to go do it. Don't wait for the right time.. there ever is one. Also, don't quit on a bad day instead if it gets tough just take a zero. I could list off so many things to give you guidance but ultimately it's going to boil down to becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. It's really fucking difficult and really awesome at the same time. I'm excited for you. There is no other experience like it. It changed my life.

>>1067605
How come your first sentence makes you sound like an annoying neckbeard and your last sentence is actually good advice?

>>1067654

I just hate this ultralight fad. It has ruined long distance hiking. Made the whole AT into a race rather than an adventure.

>>1067631

I'm running a ULA Catalyst and has been the best pack I've spent money on.

>>1067782
Poorfag detected

>>1067782
>hates ultralight gear
>has a ULA Catalyst

oh boy

>>1067795

The Catalyst weighs 3 lbs which is one pound less than the 70 liter Osprey Æther. 3-4 lbs for a pack is standard weight for contemporary gear.

>>1067786

No I'm just not an idiot that wastes his money on trendy trash.