Hiking the Appalachian Trail

1 Introduction

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order to things.

– Niccolo Machiavelli

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The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, normally just called the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States that goes from Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Being from Washington State and the West Coast, I never heard about this storied hiking path until much later in life. My introduction to the AT came in the form of a library CD that I picked up to help pass the time when we went on a family road trip. The book was A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It is a humorous account of one man’s attempt to traverse the trail. This sparked my interest and when we returned home, I started some research both online and in the library.

Although the last time I overnight hiked was a haphazard solo attempt in the Olympic National Forest about 30 years ago, I decided that attempting to hike the entire length of the 2,189.2 miles of trail in 2015 would be a worthwhile endeavor. Remembering that I ran out of Sterno fuel to boil my drinking water and caught giardia on my last trip. I knew I would need to do some research and make sure I had the right equipment.

Most of the people who attempt to hike the entire AT are either people who recently graduated high school or college and are looking for adventure before committing to a regular working life or they are people who are retired and finally have the time and resources for such a grand adventure. In my case, I had recently retired from the military and had several months where all my belongings would be stored free of charge before having to decide on a final location to live. Not having to pay rent during the AT would help to offset some of the expenses. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that it costs the average hiker about $1,000 per month to hike the AT. With an average of about six months of hiking, that would average about $6,000 for the entire trip. This cost does not include the cost of all the necessary equipment.

When explaining my idea to my wife Sheila, she found it an interesting proposition and stated she would be willing to support my travels from afar. After a little time passed, she eventually agreed to hike the AT with me. I was enthusiastic that she was coming along because that way we could encourage each other and divide the workload. That encouragement was critical as when we made it to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, the unofficial halfway point of the AT, I had run out of patience with the trail and probably would have quit if she was not along for the ride.

The term thru-hiker means someone who hikes the entire length of the AT in one season. We decided to start thru-hiking the AT with the traditional north-bound route starting in Georgia and eventually finishing at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Some hikers complete the entire trail by traveling southbound going from Maine to Georgia and some even hike the trail in sections (section hikers) creating a puzzle of routes that eventually may result in hiking the entire length in one season.

After we had movers place all our downsized belongings into storage and leaving our vehicle with our daughter, we boarded a bus in Union Station, DC to Atlanta, Georgia and were picked up by a shuttle from the Hiker Hostel which is now named the Barefoot Hills Hotel. We enjoyed our stay in a converted shipping container or eco-cabin and got shuttled to the start of the trail on top of Springer Mountain the next morning. What an adventure that was waiting for us.

2 History

A single event can shape our lives or change the course of history.

– Deepak Chopra

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The genesis for the AT began in October 1921 when Benton MacKaye, a regional planner, proposed An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning. In 1925 MacKaye, along with several other people, organized the Appalachian Trail Conference. The dream of a complete trail on the Eastern coast of the United States moved quite slowly. The initial progress consisted of linking some established trails and creating some new trails in New York. Retired Connecticut Judge Arthur Perkins of the Appalachian Mountain Club took over from MacKaye who in turn gave the reins to Myron H. Avery who had formed the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) in the Washington D.C. area. By August 1937 a footpath was created between Georgia and Maine. The next plans were to create shelters along the trail and obtain federal protections for the AT. Two events conspired to challenge the continuation of the AT. The first was a massive hurricane that severely damaged the trail, and the second was the onset of World War II, which limited volunteers and resources. Nevertheless, Earl V. Shaffer was able to complete the first thru-hike of the AT in 1948 with very limited equipment. This accomplishment generated much attention for the trail and changed the opinions of those who did not think it could be completed.

In 1968 the Nationals Trails System Act became law making the AT a national scenic trail with federal protection. In 1984 the National Parks Service gave the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) the responsibility to manage the lands on the AT. The ATC worked endlessly to acquire land to ensure that the entire length of the AT would be protected. In 2014 the last major portions of the AT were permanently protected. Although the majority of the trail is protected, there are some very minor portions that still go through private land and public roads. Although we did not experience it, some years there may be natural disasters like wildfires that require thru-hikers to take alternate routes other than the primary trail.

The ATC headquarters is located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Although not the exact halfway point on the trail, most thru-hikers consider this the unofficial halfway point. The actual official length of the AT can change year to year as minor modifications are made to the trail. Most hikers will visit the headquarters and get their picture taken to be included in an official thru-hiker book. Hikers will also be assigned a number depending on when they arrived at the headquarters. When visiting the ATC headquarters the year after we completed the trail, it was fun to look through the photo book and see pictures of all the people we interacted with on the trail.

3 Equipment

Equipment has heart, human heart, inside it. – Ichiro Suzuki

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Your equipment is critical to both your comfort and ability to complete the AT. It will also be one of your most expensive parts of the endeavor. If you make a mistake with your original equipment purchase, do not worry as you will have several opportunities to replace or make additional purchases while on the trail. Once you begin the AT from Springer Mountain, Georgia, after just 32 miles you will find yourself at Neels Gap and the Mountain Crossing hostel and have the opportunity to make any necessary modifications. There will be several outfitters along the trail where you can replace socks or boots or any other piece of equipment. A couple of times we actually made purchases online and had the item mailed to an upcoming hostel. A critical lesson learned was not to go cheap. Originally, we purchased inexpensive backpacks and hiking poles that both needed to be replaced. Luckily for us, we replaced our backpack just days before we got on the trail and the hiking poles malfunctioned early on the trail and were replaced soon afterward. Some equipment will need to be replaced regardless like hiking shoes. We both replaced three pairs of shoes during our travels.

One key point is to actually use your equipment before going on the trail. That means putting on the clothes, shoes and fully loaded backpack (do not forget water) and going for a local hike. Better yet is to go on some overnight camping trips to ensure you use all of your equipment and find out what works and what does not. What we did was go to a KOA campground in November and actually use our equipment. It was fairly humorous as we attempted to light our stove for the first time in freezing cold temperatures. Freezing inside the tent also helped us to modify our start time on when we would begin the AT. Originally, we were going to start in February but after the preparation camping experience, we postponed our start time until the beginning of April. We spoke with people who started in January and February and they told us how cold their start was trudging along in snow-covered paths. After a couple of months, some people will mail home their cold-weather equipment that is no longer necessary.  The following is a list of our gear for the trail.

Osprey Aura 65 AG Backpack.

Originally, we purchased two Bear Grylls backpacks from Walmart but that would have been a disaster as they were too small, uncomfortable, and would not have lasted. We went to a local outfitter that had Osprey backpacks and not only were they much larger, but the frame was also so much more comfortable. You will be wearing your backpack each day for 10 plus hours; make sure you get a backpack that can comfortably hold all your gear. Eventually, you will learn the best way to pack your backpack based on your needs. Your weight should be distributed evenly and you should pack in such a way that the items you need during the day are readily accessible. This includes having snacks readily available and other items like sleeping bags and tents that will not be needed until the end of the day can be placed lower inside the backpack.

Kelty Ignite DriDown 20F Sleeping Bag.

Most people will only need a three-season sleeping bag. That is a sleeping bag designed for Fall, Spring, and Summer. Since we started in April, we only experienced two days where there was ice on our tent when we woke up. Being in a tent and sleeping on a sleeping pad helps to provide insulation from the elements. The big discussion with sleeping bags is whether to get a sleeping bag with goose down or to purchase one with synthetic fills. We liked the Kelty sleeping bag because it contained the characteristic of being lightweight and compressible like down yet also had the all-weather reliability associated with synthetic fills. We liked the fact that we were able to roll up the bag into a small footprint and the few times it got wet, it was still comfortable. We had two important sleeping bag accessory items. The first was a compression dry sack that would make the sleeping bag really small and easy to place inside the backpack. The second was an inflatable pillow. Some hikers just use their jackets or other item to tuck under their sleeping bag. But I found that having a pillow was helpful in having a comfortable sleep and the weight was negligible. Sheila made due by creating a pillow with her clothing.

Kelty Salida 2 Person 3 Season Camping Tent.

Rather than carrying individual shelters, we elected to use a two-person tent. We decided on the Kelty Salida as it was relatively inexpensive, quick to set-up, waterproof, and not too heavy. The three options most people chose are either tents, hammocks, or tarps. There are pros and cons to each choice. Some people even forgo those choices and stay at a shelter whenever possible. Shelters are typically wooden structures along the AT where people can sleep. Although wood shelters are easy to use and quick to leave, some of the associated issues like snoring, smells, occasional spiders or mice, and different sleep schedules made that a choice we normally did not use. Although tarps are very lightweight and quick to set-up and tear down, they did not offer the privacy and bug protection that was important to us. We saw several people with hammocks on the trail and they all seemed to really like that arrangement. Hammocks might be a great choice for a solo traveler. Note that there are generally plenty of trees to accommodate hanging a hammock. Cuben fiber is a very durable lightweight material that is used in tents and even backpacks. The primary reason we did not choose cuben fiber is simply the high cost. We also purchased a waterproof tent tarp footprint for our Kelty tent. It provided protection to the tent floor from twigs and rocks and also offered a moisture barrier. Some hikers simply used a typical blue poly tarp or a sheet of Tyvek which is made of high-density polyethylene fiber.

Trekker 1.75 Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad.

We originally bought a Therm-A-Rest sleeping pad that was fairly lightweight, a bit bulky but made from durable polyethylene foam. Several hikers were using such sleeping pads to place under their sleeping bags to provide a level of insulation between the ground and the bag. We determined that the foam pads were just not that comfortable so we switched out our sleeping pad with an inflatable version that provided much greater comfort. Having a good night's sleep is so important after hiking all day and helping your body recover and prepare for the next day. The self-inflating feature helps to speed up the inflating process where you only have to finish inflating the pad with a few breaths to ensure adequate firmness.

Leki Quantum Trekking Poles.

Originally, we were not going to purchase any hiking poles as we never used them before and did not think they would be necessary. But after some research we decided that they would be beneficial and if we did not need them, we could always give them to someone who could use them. There is a tradition on the trail where hiker boxes are placed in hostels and even some shelters and hotels. If you have extra food or equipment that you do not want or need you can simply place the item in the box. Those items are available for any hiker on the trail that may want them. Some hikers that are low on funds make ample use of hiker boxes for food. We made the mistake of purchasing inexpensive poles online and they broke after only a month’s use. While on the trail we noticed several brands used by hikers to include Leki. Not only did we find Leki poles an excellent product that lasted the entire trail, but we also found out that the outfitters on the trail would support the product with repairs and replacement parts. We really felt that a good pair of poles helped us to hike with our weighted backpack and also had other benefits like traversing small creeks and mud puddles, helping with stabilization, and moving aside branches.

MSR PocketRocket Backpacking Stove.

There are many options when it comes to choosing a cooking system. We decided on the MSR PocketRocket due to the safety, weight, and small size. The stove simply screws on to a fuel canister, gets lit with a lighter or match and allows for the placement of a pot on the stove. It quickly boils water, the primary way of cooking on the trail. We were able to purchase fuel canisters at every outfitter and other stores such as Walmart. The canisters also come in different sizes so we could purchase what we needed until the next resupply. The stove worked for us the entire trip. When it got very windy, we would have to create some barrier to keep the stove from going out but otherwise, we had no issues. A very similar choice is a Jetboil system which some people on the trail used and is a bit faster in heating water or food. Another option is an alcohol stove but it requires carrying a separate fuel source that can leak. One hiker would actually start a little fire inside a small metal box he carried with him. Some hikers even decided that they would only eat cold foods that did not require cooking and avoided a cooking system altogether. We felt that having a hot coffee or cocoa to start the day with hot oatmeal was a real morale booster. It was also nice to look forward to having something hot to eat at night in camp after a long, wet day.

GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper Cookset.

Although it was relatively expensive, we decided on the GSI cook set as it was very compact and versatile. All of the items neatly fit into the main cooking