What is the toughest part for you about planning a backpacking trip?

[DownEaster]

You could just leave the phone at home. Folks been walking long distances since the dawn of time and only in the last 20 yrs has the phone become a problem .

The phone is actually the key to saving a lot of weight. I used to carry maps and guide books (now digital on the phone), camera gear, and a paperback or two to read. These days it's great that so much functionality packs into a single device. So much functionality also means that one device becomes the toughest part of the prep, instead of prepping camera gear, guidebooks, maps, and entertainment all separately.

[DuneElliot]

You're bad. If you do that you may as well start a CDT thru.
My toughest part?
Worrying that my old tired body can't keep up with brutal pace of the leader of the expedition.
And trying to decide where to go in addition to The Expedition.
Wayne


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Yup, I'll be bringing my cattle prod and I know how to use it!!!

Where else are you thinking about?

[Mags]

Getting that magic hiking window to line up with family, work, and household responsibilities.

Yes.

To quote a book I've quoted before...

“Be independent, but not impudent. See all you can, and make the most of your time; “time is money;” and, when you grow older, you may find it even more difficult to command time than money.”

[nascarmikeb]

For me, I hate the anxiety build up of a big hike. You fret over paying bills, time off, pets, etc. Then when you get to the hike, you fret over if you planned the mileage too big, too small, how high are these mountains vs the others you have climbed, etc etc.

...EXACTLY what #25 said!!!!!!...... I'm experiencing this right now as I leave for my first section hike from New Found Gap to Hot springs in 1 week.

[Venchka]

Yup, I'll be bringing my cattle prod and I know how to use it!!!

Where else are you thinking about?

I'm thinking Colorado. Meeting a friend probably in the Weminuche.
Wayne


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[JumpMaster Blaster]

My biggest hurdle is choosing an easily accessible infil and exfil trailhead. Many are anywhere between 3.75 & 6 hours away from where I live, so planning park/start/stop/shuttle points is critical. The other hard part is having to plan my stops. If I'm on a tight 2-3 day timeline 4 hours away, I can't just "wing it" and say "oh well, I'll just pitch a tent wherever an hour before sunset"--I like to know that I'll have a spot somewhere and not relying on trying to find a flat spot on a knife edge ridgeline.

When I was in the military and had 30 days paid vacay every year, I could afford a little (A LOT OF) wiggle room, but now? Trips need to be planned to a "T" as much as possible with specified bailout points.

I guess it boils down to hiking being a mini-military operation after all. Old habits and such...

[LittleRock]

From the time you decide you want to plan a backpacking trip, to the time you actually make it to the trail head, what is the hardest part for you?

Waiting my departure date to finally arrive

[DuneElliot]

Waiting my departure date to finally arrive

Yup. I have a week left. I love Wyoming but not having backpacking year round is kinda sucky

[Ashepabst]

Yup. I have a week left. I love Wyoming but not having backpacking year round is kinda sucky

you should winter in Tennessee --it's the best time to backpack around here

[DuneElliot]

you should winter in Tennessee --it's the best time to backpack around here

I'm actually starting to snowbird this year and moving into my RV full-time, just so I can avoid winters and backpack year round.

[Nodust]

Deciding where to go. So many spots I want to explore. Only so much vacation time.

[doingtime]

** Coming up with a decent TRIP GOAL whereby I either explore a new route or form a Quest to reach a certain objective--

This is mine

[jefals]

I hate planning period! I just like to grab stuff and go. I'm sure I'd never have the discipline or inclination to plan for a thru-hike.

[lonehiker]

I hate planning period! I just like to grab stuff and go. I'm sure I'd never have the discipline or inclination to plan for a thru-hike.

Mr. Tarlin's re-supply articles, a guidebook, a plan for colder/warmer gear swap (see Tarlin articles), 3 days of food, done.

[DownEaster]

Mr. Tarlin's re-supply articles, a guidebook, a plan for colder/warmer gear swap (see Tarlin articles), 3 days of food, done.

A little less hand-waving, please. You're responding to a point about through-hike planning, not general backpacking trip planning. If it's a SoBo AT through-hike (not covered in Jack Tarlin's dated resupply notes), starting with 3 days of food is insufficient unless your name is "Anish". If it's the AT you might get by with one water bottle, but if it's the PCT that would be a planning failure. A single random guidebook might give you enough information to gauge distances between water sources, or might not; a lot depends on the current weather as opposed to the weather the guidebook author experienced.

Planning for really long hikes isn't simple, because long trails aren't homogeneous. I'm sure you wouldn't want someone to take your 1-sentence planning advice to heart and then come to misadventure.

[BuckeyeBill]

I never had the privilege to have met "Baltimore Jack" Tarlin, but if he offered advice, I would listen. Having hiked the AT eight times, many said he was a walking encyclopedia of information. His articles may be "dated" but the basic information they contain is still holds true. Jack may be gone, but he lives on through the information he left behind.

[MtDoraDave]

Like others have said, the hardest part for me is trying to determine where to "safely" park my truck for a week, and lining up the shuttle. The drive is what it is (boring, stressful, exhausting)... The rest is a walk in the woods

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[double d]

I mainly worry about Lyme disease and ticks-I know a guy who is in very good shape who got Lyme (I worked with him) and it just took him out physically and emotionally-very stressful experience for him and his health. So...........for me the one thing I really think about is how to prevent Lyme Disease (just like everyone else I guess).

[Gambit McCrae]

Over 6 months ago i planned a trip to finish PA that i would have left to start this thursday. From the years of of hearing all the bad things of rocks and such needless to say i was not the most excited about doing this trip. Decided to drive instead of fly. Had a buddy lined up that is a strong hiker, had a dog sitter. Had my vacation approved thru the 4th of june. Then in the last week my partner had to drop out, my dog sitter had unexpected plans come up and I was put on 10 hour days at work which results in quite a pretty OT check at the end of every week. Today i just kinda throu my hands up, my gut told me to call off the trip as the cards just werent lining up and so i did. There is money to be had, no friend to hike with, no dog sitter, season has gotten hotter faster this year, and I felt like I was having to force way too many things to fall into place where the past 47 trips or so have mostly fallen right in place. I thought of this thread as my ego and pride have taken a beating from myself today and realized THIS is one of the hardest parts of the trips I plan, is knowing when to call it, before I get in too deep. Gotta be able to take the blinders off, remove the romantics of the trail and stay realistic before Im 9 hours from home and find out it just wasnt meant to be this time.

[bamboo bob]

Logistics for getting too and from the trail. Any trail. The CDT is difficult logistics especially not knowing the end date. At 68 I always overestimate how far I'll go every day and every trip. The AT is great because I can just grab my gear and go and figure it out later.