Is 100 miles the longest distance between towns/resupplies?

[George]

my take: lets say 135 days - on the quicker side but my no means exceptional speed (assume luckier than average weather)

30 full resupplies + 10 times that you will obtain 1-3 meals

15 nights off trail (average every other resupply)

2 zero's (assume no injuries/ health issues)

full resupply days average 10 miles - the remaining (full trail days) would need to average 18 miles

not at all leisurely, requires some luck, and a strong start - but still realistic

[Deacon]

In the study of NOBO thru-hike completers that I've done, hikers take 169 days to complete the trail and 53 nights are spent in hostels, motels or private homes -- that's 31% of nights spent in these places out of all the nights of a thru-hike. So 30 nights in town on a 120 day hike is not abnormal. In fact, only 9% of hikers in the study spent less than 30 nights in a dwelling. The other 91% spent 30 nights or more in dwellings (and the large majority of dwelling nights are spent in a town, not out in the country). Think about it -- a single zero day in a town involves two nights spent in that town (and NOBOs take a mean 21 zeroes). And that's not counting the overnight town stays that don't involve a zero day.

For those wondering about these numbers here is the thread addressing the topic:

https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthr...hts?highlight=

As for the question about 100 miles between resupplies, most thru-hikers try to avoid carrying more than three or four days of food in their packs (though there are exceptions, of course) and are willing to hitch or shuttle a fair distance away from the trail, if necessary, to resupply with a frequency that will let them avoid having to carry too much food.

And as others have mentioned, there are multiple businesses you can pay to do a food drop for you in the middle of the 100 Mile Wilderness.

Wow, those numbers are right on the mark when I look st my own hike. 167 trail days and 53 Hostel/motel stays


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[colorado_rob]

In the study of NOBO thru-hike completers that I've done, hikers take 169 days to complete the trail and 53 nights are spent in hostels, motels or private homes -- that's 31% of nights spent in these places out of all the nights of a thru-hike. So 30 nights in town on a 120 day hike is not abnormal. In fact, only 9% of hikers in the study spent less than 30 nights in a dwelling. The other 91% spent 30 nights or more in dwellings (and the large majority of dwelling nights are spent in a town, not out in the country). Think about it -- a single zero day in a town involves two nights spent in that town (and NOBOs take a mean 21 zeroes). And that's not counting the overnight town stays that don't involve a zero day.

For those wondering about these numbers here is the thread addressing the topic:

https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthr...hts?highlight=

As for the question about 100 miles between resupplies, most thru-hikers try to avoid carrying more than three or four days of food in their packs (though there are exceptions, of course) and are willing to hitch or shuttle a fair distance away from the trail, if necessary, to resupply with a frequency that will let them avoid having to carry too much food.

And as others have mentioned, there are multiple businesses you can pay to do a food drop for you in the middle of the 100 Mile Wilderness.

Mapman come through again! Good stuff. I would have thought less nights off trail, but that I wast a wild guess based on the folks I hiked the AT with.

Thanks for post real Stats MM. Sounds like our friend from across the pond is spot on.

[garlic08]

For an experienced hiker, I think the OP's plan is right on the mark. My stats show 33 nights in civilization (inns, houses, hostels) over a 106 day hike, with three zero days at friends' houses (two nights in the same place).

My longest distance between resupplies was just over 100 miles somewhere in VA, just because I didn't feel like hitching. In fact, I only hitched thrice, once in New Hampshire, twice in Maine (one of those leaving the terminus). I'm comfortable with 100 mile food loads, since that's the norm out West where I did most of my prior hiking. I often skipped common resupply towns where they were numerous.

A couple of times I walked a mile or two off trail for a restaurant, especially in the more populous mid-Atlantic states. I called that stretch the "diner-a-day" tour--ten days in a row with restaurant meals, mostly very convenient, but usually camping in the woods.

I went stoveless and it was a fine strategy on the AT, I thought. One attraction was not having to resupply fuel, making town stops just a little easier with one less chore.

I also made very good use of the cheap lunches and free breakfast leftovers at the huts in the Whites, though it's not wise to count on that.

[Elaikases]

That is interesting. It is exactly the same ratio my wife has decided on after several section hikes -- what she needs to feel recharged rather than beat down.

Thank you for the data.

[garlic08]

And I think it's interesting I never thought of that as a ratio, nor heard about it before. And I'm a numbers kind of guy (though not nearly as much so as Mapman).