Questions about a thruhike

[trailfoot]

I am working on getting a leave of absence from my work to fulfill a longtime dream of hiking the A.T. I have a very short window of opportunity to complete this hike so I will be staying on the trail as much as possible and staying away from trail towns. I have 4 months in which to complete my thruhike.

In preparation for my hike I was wondering how much planning is truly needed for a successful thruhike? I have read many journals over the years and it seems there are two types of hikers. Those that have everything planned out and those that wing it. There are some people that have elaborate spread sheets with data a mile long. Once people get on the trail it seems few (if any) keep their itinerary that they have so carefully planned out for the last yr.

So how does one plan their mail drops? Is it best to play it by ear on the trail and phone home when you will need your next package? Do you stick w/ your plan if you had one?

I am not planning on purchasing a lot of food before my hike and having it shipped in. I do understand there are some locations that you really should have a package shipped in. Does anyone have any suggestions on those locations?

To all the 08ers I hope to see you on the trail.

[peanuts]

trailfoot, go to the articles section on this site and look up baltimores jack resuply article. it will give you all the info you will need regarding resuply points.

[stickman]

After D Day, General Eisenhour said "Planning is everything. Plans are worthless." In other words, think about the possibilities and contingencies and have a plan, then be prepared to adapt as circumstances dictate. I haven't done a thru (yet), but much experience with section hikes tells me that circumstances will require you to adapt from your first moments on the trail.

Stickman

[peanuts]

also i forgot to add, look also at the companion or data book, or wingfoot's.

[Boat Drinks]

After D Day, General Eisenhour said "Planning is everything. Plans are worthless." In other words, think about the possibilities and contingencies and have a plan, then be prepared to adapt as circumstances dictate. I haven't done a thru (yet), but much experience with section hikes tells me that circumstances will require you to adapt from your first moments on the trail.

Stickman

That's a cool way to put it, I hadn't seen that! Thanks!

[Ronin]

I agree with all the posts above. However, if you have only four months to do the entire Trail, you may need to do a more-than-average amount of planning as I imagine you will need to be on a tight schedule to make the necessary miles in your time frame.

[MrHappy]

Personally, I like to have a plan to deviate from rather than just winging it. I never stick to my plans, but making them helps me research all of my options so that when I am in that area in a certain situation, I can adapt.

[hammock engineer]

I planned and tested out all of my gear. After that I am going to take my ATC guide and make sure I have enough food at each resupply to get me to the next.

The only real trip planning comes from me leaving gear and map sections with my parents. They are going to be labeled and I am going to call and tell them where to mail them.

I am planning on leaving them about 30 days worth of food. I figure if I need to pick up the map sections or gear, I may as well pick up some food. My mom likes this because it makes her feel more involved with my hike.

[Marta]

I had a great and very detailed plan. Making it gave me something to do while I counted down the months and years to take-off. (An '05 hike was delayed until '06.) Was the plan followed? No. But the research involved in coming up with the plan did make things easier for me. I had maps and guidebooks and had contacted friends and family along the route, and all that stuff.

I hiked with a few kids who had no guidebooks and had done no advance planning. They basically had no idea where they were and what was going on around them. (One fellow arranged mail shipments in both Williamstown and North Adams--or was it Cheshire and Dalton?--and then hit them at Labor Day weekend.)

Whatever is comfortable for you will work. The AT is very forgiving that way.

Yeah, I like the Eisenhower quote.

OTOH, as someone wrote on Whiteblaze recently, if I were to hike the AT again, I could pretty much just pick up my pack and walk out the door.

Marta/Five-Leaf

[Ender]

Honestly, if you're the type to wing it, there's no reason to have to do any differently on the AT. You don't have to use maildrops at all if you don't want to... there will be plenty of resupply options along the length of the trail.

The main thing you have to plan is your speed, which is pretty easy to figure. 2200 miles (about) divided by 120 days (about) = 18.3 miles per day that you have to keep up. Your main thing should be preparing physically so you can more quickly get up to that hiking pace. That, and getting as much lightweight gear to make it easier to hike at that pace.

Resupply is easy. The data book and companion/wingfoot guide gives you all the info you need to plan while on the trail. What I did during my hike was, the night before a resupply, look at the data book and figure out what the next town about a week away was (depending on my pace at that time) and how much food I would need to get there exactly. The nice thing is that even the small "limited supply" stores still have more than enough food to supply a hiker for one week. It may be mac n cheese five nights straight, but the next town will most likely have greater options, so it's no big deal.

If you want to plan, feel free, but you won't stick to your plan on the trail (I haven't met a single hiker who has) and you won't remember all the little details anyway, so you might as well just take it as it comes and plan as need be.

That's just my method though... yours may vary.

[waffles]

Ender's is extremely accurate on the matter that it's not your food planning and such that should worry you, it's your health. Remember that the Trail is always willing to happily injur you. 18.3 miles a day with a backpack is just a strain on your body. So use this year to pump up the miles.
There are places that you will most likely need some maildrops though (at least in Maine). I've hiked a lot here, and town are few and far apart. Every book will tell ya this, but Monson, ME is a definate drop off spot. The hundred mile wilderness is not so forgiving. And extra bug spray is a must (especially in june & july).* Although, there is Rangley and Kingsfield near Sugarloaf Mt. & Saddleback, I still suggest some extra food. Because the Bigalows, Sugar, and Saddle have such rapid elevation changes that the stomach is just plain starving no matter what (at least in my experience). lol, I do tend to eat a lot.
Good Luck it sounds like you are on the right track!
Maybe ill see ya on the way!

*lol, there's a reason why Maine jokes about the black fly & sqiters being the state bird.

[trailfoot]

Ender, you took the words right out of my mouth. I like the winging it method since you can't possible follow your game plan day in and day out. I also agree that getting into shape is a great idea. I am slowly working on that piece of the trail preparations. You see I have been struggling w/ a 2nd degree ankle sprain for almost a yr now (March 17, 06). On April 22 of 06 I was hiking in the mts of KY with a big boot on my foot. Hiking is something I love to do and I couldn't allow being hurt slow me down. I did get quite a few odd looks from other hikers when they saw me wearing the boot while hiking in the mountains.

I am still in physical therapy so I am not sure what kind of shape my ankle will be in by 08. I have an option to have surgery to fix my tendon. If I decide to go that route I need to make up my mind now so that I have plenty of time to heal and start therapy all over again : ( I will be on Springer at the end of March!! One way or another.

[hopefulhiker]

Sometimes people would have to wait over the weekend for a maildrop and lose a couple of days.

For a four month trip it would be good to try to hit some deadlines for some maildrops.

[tha]

Ender, you took the words right out of my mouth. I like the winging it method since you can't possible follow your game plan day in and day out. I also agree that getting into shape is a great idea. I am slowly working on that piece of the trail preparations. You see I have been struggling w/ a 2nd degree ankle sprain for almost a yr now (March 17, 06). On April 22 of 06 I was hiking in the mts of KY with a big boot on my foot. Hiking is something I love to do and I couldn't allow being hurt slow me down. I did get quite a few odd looks from other hikers when they saw me wearing the boot while hiking in the mountains.

I am still in physical therapy so I am not sure what kind of shape my ankle will be in by 08. I have an option to have surgery to fix my tendon. If I decide to go that route I need to make up my mind now so that I have plenty of time to heal and start therapy all over again : ( I will be on Springer at the end of March!! One way or another.

TF,
Good luck with the tendon. If it is the posttibial (or tibial), you are cutting it close to the rehab deadline, as I am sure you know. I leave Amicalola March 12, '08, and have decided to roll the dice on rehab. I passed on the surgery and am betting on PT and time.
Best of luck to you, and I bet we'll meet again within about 13-14 months. I know more about that %$#@& boot than I care to remember.

[trailfoot]

tha,

Unfortunately it sounds like you and I have way too much in common. I've decided to pass on the surgery and just rehab the ankle. I'm sure we will meet on the trail.

[tha]

tha,

Unfortunately it sounds like you and I have way too much in common. I've decided to pass on the surgery and just rehab the ankle. I'm sure we will meet on the trail.

I look forward to it. Now, get to the therapist! (I just got back) Also, keep a positive attitude, maybe above all else.

Best.
Tim

[whykickamoocow]

I love to wing it myself, there is no way of telling what mileage the hiking gods will take or give on any particular day. Plans are good for peace of mind, but my experience tells me that plans tend to be unecessary. On a 5 day hike you are usually locked into certain mileage and concrete destinations, the great thing about long distance hikes is the flexibility and being able to go with the flow.

[rafe]

So how does one plan their mail drops? Is it best to play it by ear on the trail and phone home when you will need your next package? Do you stick w/ your plan if you had one?

Maildrops aren't necessary; they're mostly optional, unless you have "special needs" -- ie., items you just can't live without, and won't be able to find at local stores while you're on the trail. These days lots of hikers are going without mail drops. They can be a royal pain.

An alternative to mail drops is a "bounce box" where (small, light) items that need occasional resupply travel via US post. You pick it up at the PO, take what you need, re-seal it, re-send it to yourself. A bit like a mail drop, only you don't need a support crew to mail it to you; you are the sender.

As to planning maildrops... telephones and cell phones are handy. There's no harm having them arrive a few days or even a couple of weeks early. Figure some average daily mileage. Figure arrival time at a given location. Arrange shipment accordingly.