AT Thru Hike

Why did you do it?

>>911104
For a variety of reasons. It had always been in the back of my mind, something I told myself I would do someday. In someways it was a form of escapism from drudgery. Needed time to myself. Wanted adventure.

>>911113
How did your family react to your decision of doing it?

How did they react when you came back?

Do you regret doing it?

How much did you spend on average per week?

If you had to do it again, which 3 items you did not bring the first time would you bring with you and which 3 items would you leave behind?

>make Appalachian safe again
Kek.

Did you fugged some qt? Also post photos.

>>911117
This OP

>>911117
>3 leave behind
Job, gf, future.

t. Not even him.

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>>911117
1. They were very supportive and proud.
2. ^
3. Not at all. Wish I were still out there. T
4. I think it was around 5 grand in all, but weed/booze/hostel stays/food affect this for everybody.
5. If you don't use it everyday, you don't need to carry it. (aside from a small first aid kit). Would probably bring a kindle instead of paperback next hike. I would also like a steel mesh sack for food safety from pesky rodents. I wish I had had my ultralight quilt with a liner the whole time instead of a heavy down bag in the beginning and end.

>>911133
>spending $200 a week on the AT

Why was your family proud?

Even the most lazy and out of shape mofo can do the trail with a $5000 budget.

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>>911127
No, if you're trying to get laid, then the trail is not the place to go. Not only are there not a lot of women out there, they are usually not cute. If there were a slightly cute girl, they would have their guards up because they were used to constant pink blazing. A lot of guys missed out on cool shit because of some shred of hope to hook up with a solid 4.5. All the cute girls I saw were going in the opposite direction.

>>911143
Damn anon not even a lame head from some 5/10 muh independent wyman?

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>>911141

I never asked them, they just said they were.

lazy= walking over 2,000 miles. k

>>911151
>lazy= walking over 2,000 miles. k

Anyone can walk 2000 miles over 7 months (10 miles per day) if they can stay in hotels anytime they want, buy all the food their want and get wasted with alcohol and weed when they want.

>>911161
>>911141
>>911130
Not him but you sound jealous, bitter and retarded as fuck caring that much about what someone on internet did with their time and money.

>Anon creates a cool thread and immediately starts to get hate for it
/out/ sucks sometimes

>>911165
>idol worship

How quaint.

>>911165
Walking 10 miles per day isnt an amazing feat or anything.

He thinks he acomplished something because he took 7 months to walk 2000 miles when in reality he did it with all the luxiries money could afford spending over $200 a week.

He didnt challenge his body and spirit, he just took an extended vacation getting wasted and smoking weed while walking a bit every day.

How much drug use is on the trail and did you notice a sense of entitlement with the thru hikers?

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>>911161

Suck mah toes.

It was 6 months. mid april to mid october.

How about you try it and see how much you spend? Prove some stranger that you can do it for less.

JK, it's better without you.

Hike your own hike is the expression out there.

>>911180
Already did it years ago.

Took me 4 and half months and spent less than $2000.

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>>911176

Pretty much everyone smokes weed. Lucy will help you stretch out your food bag in a pinch. I was pretty surprised at the cigarette usage and the amount these smokers could hike.

Some people were really entitled. I heard stories from Sobos that said a lot of the nobos they encountered in the hundred mile wilderness were assholes, shit like it was pouring rain and the sobos were in a full shelter and a nobo walks up and says that they should have the decency to vacate the shelter to make room for the nobos out of respect. I couldnt believe it. Most of the assholes were at the front of the pack, trying to outdo one another. I had a blast taking my time towards then end.

>>911173
And there's nothing wrong with any of that, why do you care?

>>911186
>Sobo
>Novo
Explain

>>911183

Oh, 4 and half months. So you made it in time for the medal ceremony.

I enjoyed taking my time, cooking by fire, soaking up the views, did big days and small days. You were probably "khatarded" and only wanted to finish.

Less than 2000. Cool. You still sound like a poor envious fuck.

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>>911191

Sobo is southbound.
Nobo is northbound.

I have to say Nobo is the way to go. Finishing with vermont, the whites, and Maine just made the south (which is nice and all) seem like a shitty way to finish. Also the foliage in Maine when I finished was so nice (see pic)

>>911192
Sure thing buddy.

There is nothing impressive over doing the AT taking 7 months and spending a crapload of money, as I said before anyone can do that and its no reason to create AMA thread.

>>911195
Yeah I'm sure that a precious Mora, shtf or some other gear thread died because of it.

>>911193
>finishing with the whites

You racist fucking weasle.
I

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>>911195

I did it in 6 months.

5,000 is a crapload- christ your'e poor.

I love you, anon.

What was your favorite part? I really enjoyed southern Maine and the whites (despite the crowds).

>>911200
>5,000 is a crapload- christ your'e poor.
If you are hiking? Yeah, its A LOT of money.

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photo dump commencing.

Post something with a girl on it

>>911202
I smoked hella weed. Sue me.

>>911220
Don't have to, you are suing your own brain.

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>>911223
I have since stopped.

I love you, anon!

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>>911217
Stopped in willamstown, MA for some art

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One hike by the name of lumberjack always did cool drawings in the shelter logs.

i'm doing the AT next year. Nature is better high, my question is how is the weed situation out there? Thinking of starting with a few ounces, then resupplying with a pound or so when I hit DC (family grows a lot in the city). Do hikers share, are the prices reasonable, how easy is it to get in town?

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>>911254

Its pretty good for the most part, a lot of people are dry in the beginning from arriving via plane, so you may be able to help some folks out. Hikers are very happy to share, some straight up gave me nugs. Prices are expensive for the most part. You can resupply in town from restaurant cooks or hostels, but it can be a bother. Maine has dope weed.

Smoking weed is a safety meeting.
If you're on the trail just ask if people have safety supplies.

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Did you run into any hostile people on the trail? Anyone that made you feel uncomfortable and want to move on to the next shelter etc.?

How did you do food? Mail drops? In town resupply? Both?

Any bear encounters? Boar? Stray dogs?

Congrats OP, hope to someday make the trek myself.

How did you get food while on the trail? I've read that a lot of people hitchhike to town and back. Did you find this was the best way of getting stuff for the trail? How did you find your knees held up?

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>>911266

One severe alcoholic from jersey made me feel very uneasy. That was about it on the trail.

Beware the rednecks in Bland County, VA.

The interactions I had restored much of the faith I had lost in humanity. I have never experienced so much good will from strangers in my life. So much trail magic. One guy gave me and my friends a ride to a hotel, then paid for our room and drove off.

I looked up the worst places to do resupply in town, and that is where I did mail drops. (NOC, Fontana Dam, Harper's Ferry, Caratunk ME, and Monson). Caratunk and Monson had good supply options, I found. I liked the idea of eating what I wanted when I could get it rather than planning ahead and being wrong. You also don't really have much of an idea of how much food you will consume until you get out there. loads.

Hitchhiking into town is part of the fun. You're going to need to do it to get a food drop, so why not do some shopping instead? you will have cravings. Chug chocolate milk and eat a lot of ice cream while you do your resupply, then go get a full meal. An oldtimer told me that routine. I said that sounded like a lot of dairy, but never had a problem. I was one of the minority that didn't finish looking emaciated.

Keep in mind that so much of the trail is actually off the trail.

I saw 14 bears. They are mostly skittish. Heard boars scuttle off.

One dog that been separated from his day hiking group for more than a day and he had a legit "i have made a huge mistake" face. Don't take your dog on a thru hike unless you can carry it most of the way. They are not meant for it.

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>>911269

Yeah, youll have to hitch hike any way to pick up your package. Walking into a food store with thru-hiker hunger makes all the food you see fine art.

>>911277

Wow thanks, what made Bland County, VA so bad?

What did you do in Whites of NH? I know that the AMC huts are really expensive from my visits to them when I did a Presidential Traverse a few years ago. Did you just pony up and pay the big bucks to sleep there?

>>911269

And the knees will take a lot of abuse (a lot of this is improper technique) but they will build up over time. When you are going down hill, your legs should never be locked out to make your next step. You should bend at every joint possible to disperse the impact. If you bend at the ankle, knees, and hips--effectively crunching your body like a spring, then your whole body absorbs the impact, not just your knees.

It might feel a little strange doing it, but it is well worth it, everyone else will still be griping about their knees to the end.

After a guy taught me this I never again had pain in my knees unless it was more than a 25 mile day, even then it was slight.

Take glucosamine before, during, and after your hike. Go slow in the beginning to let your body heal, take zeros, and slow in the end because you earned NH and Maine and its time to really relax and soak up the scenery while the die hard fags blow past cause they need to get back to their boxes.

>>911287
>while the die hard fags blow past cause they need to get back to their boxes.

t. unemployed faggot mooching off his parents and spent 7 months and thousands of dollars smoking weed with his friends

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>>911283
Naw, dawg.

You can do work for stay at the huts as a thru hiker. Entitled bitches would complain about sweeping for an hour or organizing a fridge, but I ate like a king in the whites. Short ribs, pizza, roast turkey, fresh bread, pancakes, bacon, eggs (pic related). They'll likely you give you a bowl of soup for nothing, but always ask if they need a hand. The kroos at the huts are all too familiar with entitled thru hikers. They want you to eat their extra food, so they do not have to pack it out, but be grateful because they carried it there in the first place.

Met some crazy, unstable folks in Bland. I had taken a nap by the top of this waterfall there, I woke up and this drunk lady's first words were "I'm going to throw you over that fucking waterfall."

Also, if you're planning to do it like you say, do it as soon as you fucking can.

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>>911293

I worked so that I could get out there and do as I pleased. That was the whole point of it.

"need" was sarcasm. So many people just wanted to finish so they could get their photo on Katahdin and then go inside. This is a condition called "Katahrded."

I love you, anon. Even if you're fucking katahrded.

>>911301
>explaining made up words

Not working, anon.

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>>911307

It was a fairly common word on the trail, mostly used by sobos to describe desperate nobos they had passed who could no longer smell the roses.

still love ya.

>>911307
If this is the same anon shit posting in this thread. You sound like the lone wolf motherfucker who always had to have a marathon day. Didn't want to go into town to eat at a buffet. "Only for resupply" I caught up with him at Delaware Water Gap. The church hostel had a hiker feast and would get his food and then eat downstairs away from everyone else. Does this sound like you? Told me 6 times that I should cut the handle off my toothbrush. Told him I was ok with carrying an extra 10 grams. "ounces add up to pounds"

I've heard katahrded and that was in 2011

Some weird Katahrded vibes in here. Lets calm down bros and redirect some energy towards positive discussion.

What tips do you experienced thru hikers have for a new hiker who is planning a thru hike of any trail?
I've read that only a fraction of people who start thru hikes complete them.
If you're going solo, how did you get used to sleeping at night?

I'll be thru hiking the Colorado Trail next summer, is it just a cloud of pot smoke from beginning to end?..lol, j/k :)

>>911183
You're so hot anon

>>911096
I have only one question: why did you pick probably the most popular and well known long distant trail to do?

I mean, doesn't it bother you passing so many people on the trail?

>>911436
The social aspect is part of the AT, being around people is one of the best parts. If you want solitude do the cdt

>>911436
He went there to party with friends, thus why he spent thousands of dollars in pot and getting drunk.

Sad thing is he didnt even have sex in those 7 months.

Thanks for sharing your pics, looks fun.

Did you ever get lost/go the wrong way?

I was curious if you saw any families thru-hike the AT.

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>>911358

Try to eat at a caloric surplus to build muscle while on your trip. Fat is your friend for this because of the weight (9kcal per gram fat vs 4 kcal per gram carb/protein).

Not eating enough carbs and fat will have you sweating and pissing out your muscles and the protein you ate to rebuild them after you've consumed the max of body fat you can burn in a day. You'll reek of ammonia because of it.

A lot of hikers will scoff at this, but I usually carried an extra day of food in case I found a dope spot I wanted to chill at or a cool section of trail where I wanted to take my time. Also, some hiker will inevitably not bring enough food, and will be very grateful. The amount of good will I received out weighed anything I could do at give at the time. I still consider myself in debt to the trail.

Take enough resources (money and time) so that you can do what you want when you want. Allow yourself more time to finish than you think you will need. I originally thought I would do it in 4-5 months and be done, but I found that I enjoyed it much more when I took my time. But I guess that's not for everyone. Have the goal in mind to finish, but also realize that there is luck and patience involved. I know people who got fucked physically because they were in too much of a hurry and had a bad fall or crippling stress fractures, or were low on money and had to try to make do with a pair of shoes that had lost its tread a month before, only to slip down a steep piece and take them out of commission for months.

Take your time. I outright told myself I could quit, but if I wanted to quit, I had to wait until October. Don't get stressed by not meeting a goal for the day. Eventually I stopped setting daily goals and just stopped when I felt like it. Someone told me a phrase they had learned: "you'll get somewhere." Don't stress over progress because it can only ever be a step at a time. By the time October rolled around, I was dragging out the finish. Continued.

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>>911358
Do not compare yourself to others out there. I still forget about this. You are out there on your journey, so why compare yourself to someone whose name and history you do not know? People will brag about miles and shit. Let them. Don't chime in. I'm sure you've heard the phrase concerning driving--anyone who goes faster than you is a maniac/ asshole and anyone who goes slower is a dumbass. I remember scoffing at people doing 4-5 a day, but if they are enjoying it why not? I still forget that. Hike your own hike.

Drop out rates are on the decline because of the information available out there, making more people mentally prepared.

Don't bitch and moan about the trail or difficult sections. You don't have to be there. Distance yourself from people who complain, because it rubs off and detracts.

Regarding sleeping: I have never slept better than when I was on the trail. I stopped sleeping in hostels and shelters because of snoring (ear plugs do not stop the noise of the top snorers who will shake the floorboards in their sleep). If you're having difficulty sleeping, hike more.

Yeah, there is a lot of smoke. I can't vouch for CO, but i bet its even more prevalent there.

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>>911436

The social aspect was cool. The AT has its own culture, lingo, and legends. Floating in and out of groups, running into people you hadn't seen in months. Some areas are quite empty of people. Some are quite full of day hikers. At times I would be bothered by the presence of others (mainly because other people complained about it and put it in my head.) But it is not my trail. It is not my forest. It is not my mountain.

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>>911469

Only got off course once, but the blazes are so prevalent you'll notice them missing. Didn't go the wrong way for more than a minute before recognizing stuff.

There was a father-daughter group and a mother- son group I heard about.

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How many pairs of footwear did you go through?

Did you end up having to replace any gear along way due to wearing it out or breaking/ruining it?

>>911228
is that mothefucking degas?

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>>911705
4 pairs of shoes.

Smart water bottle got replaced. traded pump filter for sawyer.

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>>911729

Yeah, at the Clark in Williamstown less than 10 miles off the trail. Some friends and I befriended a guy who worked for the school. He let us crash at his place and got us into the museum for free.

Lot of good art at the Clark.

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>>911294
Was it a Heavier blonde lady? I've done all of the trail in Georgia and most of VA, WV, and PA. I think I know the waterfall in bland you're talking about, had to shoe away a lady like you described when I was camping there with my ex. I'm getting out of the Marines in July and am wanting to start in Maine and work my way south to finally do the whole trail, and I'm slightly worried about getting caught in snow in NC/VA. Did you have any trouble with more than say a foot of snow?
Also I usually carry a concealed firearm while hiking, did you ever get searched by anyone? I've yet to be stopped by a ranger, and have rarely seen them but am nervous about running out of luck in a less than forgiving environment like NY. Any advice?
Also did you meet anyone going for the Triple Crown?

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>>911740

Yeah, she was exploding around her bikini.

I did not encounter any snow at all. I think that's plenty of time to make it with good weather.
No, I never got searched. Never felt the need to have one, but other people run into different situations. Getting caught in NY would leave you fucked.

Met a guy by the name of Sunset from SC who finished up his third round of triple crowning.

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>>911776
Good to hear. I'll figure something out. Might be the same lady then. Found these two guys and they hiked with me for a few days while I was out.

>>911228
>loli feet
I knew there was something off about an outdoor board on a korean shadow puppet forum.

>>911786

>leading some ones lost dogs farther into the trail where they're sure to die

kys, faggot.

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>>911195
You're more than entitled to your own views of what anyone says, does, or posts. Nobody can ever stop you from that entitlement.

Please understand that each and every other human being is also afforded this exact same entitlement. Both have been exercised here in your posting as well as the responses you've received.

You come across like a narrow-minded judgmental type of human being though and that's fine, it really is. Just don't deceive yourself into thinking anyone but you gives a flying fuck about your views of OP or his journey.

I assure you, we don't. Have a great day chap.

>>911223

"Don't have to, you are suing your own brain."

>Anon typed angrily into his cheetos encrusted keyboard

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>>911195
Dude, this is my first time on /out/ and I jumped into this thread because I grew up around a few AT trailheads.

You are a monumental bowel movements, spackled with insoluble fibers. I assure you that any perceived importance you feel this whining projects, is entirely phantasmagorical.

Shut your cock washer, or leave the thread mate. Simple as that. You stated your opinion, we all know you are the camp champ, there is literally nothing more here for you. Just go Baby Huey.

FFS.

why would you decide to spend months and thousands to hike and then pick this piece of shit trail lol

>>913002
/out/ cringe thread

>>911740
I'm not sure if this applies to CC, but I know as far as transporting firearms, as long as you're in compliance with the laws of your destination state you're allowed to do whatevet. For example if you're driving through Colorado it's okay to have 30 round magazines as long as it's legal wherever you're going.