<p>I’m thinking of hiking part of the Appalachian Trail this coming year. (Not this summer, but starting next spring)</p>
<p>Have any of you done any or all of the trail?</p>
<p>No, but I always think of “A walk in the woods” (Bill Bryson) parts of which made me laugh so hard that driving became ill advised (listened to it on tape on a long road trip) - book describes his adventures on the A trail.</p>
<p>I think the idea of carrying a heavy backpack is the thing I’m really questioning. At least for me.</p>
<p>I’ve done a small portion in pieces. Are you starting from Maine?</p>
<p>I’m thinking the first time I do it, I would do it in North Carolina.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this is the case with the Appalachian trail, but in other countries with similar long trails there are companies that will take your bags from B&B to B&B or campsite to campsite so you can just do a series of day hikes without having to worry about hefting heavy backpacks. I’m sure if this does exist for the AT it would limit the stretches you could walk but might be something to look into.</p>
<p>I did an itsy bit in Massachusetts years ago. It was tiring.</p>
<p>Back in Girl Scout Camp we did the section between Harper’s Ferry, WV and Frederick, MD. Did it again with college boyfriend. I don’t remember that section being too difficult as backpacking goes.</p>
<p>Have you backpacked previously? If not, would suggest going to REI or a similar store, and getting fitted for a backpack, and really researching gear. Do a few smaller backpacking trips. </p>
<p>Prep is a big part of it, especially at this age. I hiked a lot years ago, climb multiple flights of stairs regularly, and still really notice my age hiking up hill. </p>
<p>If you want to read of the pitfalls of inexperienced backpacking, read “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, about hiking the Pacific Crest trail.</p>
<p>My brother did the whole trail from Georgia to Maine–about 25 years ago. Logistically, it requires careful planning. You need to plot locations where you can go off trail to replenish your supplies. Sometimes this involved hitch-hiking. Other times, he could walk to a grocery store. On a couple of occasions, our parents met him. I met him at the Maine terminus, Katahdin, to give him a ride home to Boston.</p>
<p>In other words, you need a support team to smooth your way. And be prepared to eat mostly dried food. Doing it on the cheap, he mostly went for generic stuff like dried beans, or powdered eggs (yum!) rather than the pricier option of prepackaged meals. </p>
<p>When when he went off the trail for supplies, he’d be sure to load up on burgers, fries, and ice cream. And he’d also take something like a steak he could prepare the first day back on the trail. When you get that much exercise, your primary nutritional concern is quantity of calories. </p>
<p>He did it in one shot over several months, but some do it bit by bit over many years. </p>
<p>Google, and you will find many resources to help you prepare. When my bother did it, he had to rely on archaic things like books, magazines, and libraries</p>
<p>
You might contact a recently elected South Carolinian (or maybe not) :)</p>
<p>My H is prepping to do the NJ portion this fall. He has researched well, talked to others who have done it, scoped out the trail and where he can stop for the nights, where to replenish or where I can bring him supplies. A big question is where to get water. He has a water purifier, but there are parts that are not close to running water at all apparently.</p>
<p>I am most worried about where he will sleep. We do have bears, fox, bobcats, raccoons, etc and that concerns me. He knows he has to store any food supplies in a tree (I think he said), but I still worry. But it is what he wants to do, so he has my blessing.</p>
<p>Bovertine, you are a troublemaker, but I love you anyway. </p>
<p>greatlakesmom-- I have done trekking, like to the bottom of Everest. That kind of thing, but long ago and I’m ashamed to admit with others carrying the majority of my gear.</p>
<p>Do you think nearly a year is long enough to get prepared at our age? I’m fit and healthy.</p>
<p>@kitty56: I believe that many of the shelters, where you are supposed to sleep, have barriers against the bears. </p>
<p>@poetgirl: walking the trail itself will make you fitter, of course. Why don’t you go for a shorter trip to gauge your level of fitness? If you can go for a week with a back pack, or even just a few days, you could get a sense of whether you are ready for more.</p>
<p>There are also van supported, and group expeditions.</p>
<p>I found a reference to “Geezer Hike,” for 2010, which was van supported, but couldn’t find a current link.</p>
<p>But here’s a group expedition planned for 2015–140 days.</p>
<p><a href=“http://warrendoyle.com/2015%20AT%20Expedition%20Expectations.pdf[/url]”>http://warrendoyle.com/2015%20AT%20Expedition%20Expectations.pdf</a></p>
<p>We have a cabin just a few miles from the trail. One year, my husband and I took our two small boys with us to hike part of it. We started out, and the trail got a little rougher. Then a little more and more, until my husband had to carry our younger one on his shoulders because the grass was so high. We FINALLY realized we’d gotten off the trail, somehow. It took us awhile to get back on it! And my husband is experienced in the woods - he lived in Alaska for four years and hiked a lot. So just be careful that you know where you’re going!</p>
<p>kitty56, the freshman class at St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark) does the “The Trail” from High Point to the Delaware Water Gap each spring to culminate their freshman year. These are mostly city boys who are not familiar with the woods (Newark, Irvington, E. Orange, with a smattering of suburban kids), and they make it. If your husband has any questions, perhaps someone involved with the backpacking project at SBP could help him out.</p>
<p>thank ML. I understand that the trail is wilder up in Maine. I wouldn’t start with that part. I’m glad you made it back safely.</p>
<p>latichever, what you suggest makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the suggestions.</p>
<p>RE: getting gear. Every year Backpacker Magazine publishes a guide to new and innovative gear. It’s a wonderful resource and great place to start educating yourself about equipment. The right gear can make any backpacking trip a much better experience.</p>
<p>(There’s new sleeping bag available this year with waterproofed down–each feather is individually waterproofed. Brilliant!. I love down bags but the downside has always been that if they get wet, they’re useless.) </p>
<p>Your most important piece of gear will be your boots. Make sure they fit correctly and are well broken in before you start any backpacking trip.</p>
<p>Food is the biggest issue for any long trip. (DH used to say for any trip food was the rate-determining step. How much you could carry vs. how long the trip was.) Try various freeze-dried entrees ahead of time. Some are just plain vile! We generally prepare our own meals using recipes created over the years from stuff you can find at the grocery store. </p>
<p>poetgrl–a year is plenty of time to get ready. Backpacking is more about good planning and knowing your limits than training.</p>
<p>Depending how long of a backpack you’re planning to do (one segment or the whole trail), trips can be planned in as little as a couple of weeks. D2 and her friend planned and organized a 221-mile 22-day hike in about 3 months. DH and I used to throw together a 3-4 day backpack in under 1 day. (Of course we had all necessary gear and were experienced hikers who knew the area where we were heading.)</p>
<p>Another important thing about planning is checking to see if any permits are required. Some trails/areas are getting loved to death by hikers and the Forest Service/Park Service has place restrictions on the number of people permitted in an area at any one time. Some popular routes require applying for a permit up to a year in advance.</p>
<p>RE the NJ section–my D worked a summer at a semi-wilderness camp in west NJ. In charge of a bunch of 4th graders from inner city NYC. They did several days on that part of the trail and were fine–though any camping in that area (I’ve camped along the Delaware several times) requires bear bags.</p>
<p>If you listen to “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson make sure you get the one narrated by Bryson himself (there is more than one version). Too funny.</p>