Why People get off trail so soon?

[Appalachian Tater]

It's hard hauling a heavy backpack up and down mountains all day when you aren't used to it mentally or physically. A lot of people aren't used to doing anything difficult in the first place.

Some of them try to skimp on decent shoes or other necessary gear and that causes problems or injuries but they end up having to replace it anyway if they don't quit. It helps to have comfortable shoes, clothes that don't chafe, a warm sleeping bag, a light pack that doesn't rub your skin off, a shelter that will keep you dry, and a stove that works.

[dragoro]

Yep I definitely wasn't near physically in shape enough for it. Hated getting off but body couldn't handle it, I'd been sedentary for years. Not making that mistake this time. Working out big time.

[Vegemite]

I remember leading a group of 5 friends on a 5.5 days 50 mile hike.

Most have never spent more then 1-2 days back country camping.

So to prepare I did a couple of days hike with my friends, with fully loaded backpacks. I know that people overpack and the best way to get people to leave some stuff at home is to get them to carry there gear for awhile.

Anyway I had one friend that was always too busy to go on these days hikes.

So when it come to doing the 5.5 days hike, she had the heaviest backpack, even though she was the lightest person.

After the first day 7 miles, of easy hiking she was exhausted. Mainly because she refuse to walk through any mud. She would climb over trees, onto banks ect as long as her hiking boots did not get muddy.

I just assume that would get over this mud dodging after the first day.

But no. It lasted the whole trip. She spent so much time getting around the mud, we where averaging less then a mile an hour (Not including breaks). It did not matter, that the rest of us just walk throught the mud without any problems. The mud was never more the shoe high.

I had to send the others ahead each day.

Half way through the second day, we ended up carrying half her stuff, so she could complete the trip.

At the start of the third day, she cried because she had no clean clothes to wear that day.

I have a great photo on my friend sitting on a rock crying with this amazing sunset in the background.

At the end of the trip, she put her brand new rain 70$ pants in the trash because they where dirty.

Why do I bring this up. Because I know she 100% believe that she this great outdoors person. An if she had the time, and a friend of her suggest to do an Appalachien trail Thru-hike. She would sign up, 100% believing that she could complete it, without any problems.

This type of person is a small percentage of the people who get of the trail very early.

People just sometime have an unreal belief of what type of person they are.

Thanks


Vegemite

ps Still she did complete the 50 miles hike

[paradoxb3]

As many as I hear and read about, the stories of ill prepared hikers hitting springer mountain still surprise me. I could not imagine dedicating 6 months of my life to something that I hadnt done a lick of research into... especially considering in certain circumstances, the lack of preperation could be life threatening. Perhaps I give more credit to the general public than they really deserve.

Of course I'd agree with what many have already posted that the majority of early quitters do so because they realize how hard it actually is, or that they're too out of shape and for which ever reason, are unwilling to tough it out a while. Theres also early injuries from accidents and/or poor physical condition as well.

Personally when I thru hiked last year I was not terribly out of shape, however I wasn't in favorable condition either. I had some knee problems by Hiawassee which I dealt with until Fontana Dam, and I had the regular blisters, cold mornings, wet gear, and sore muscles that we all get on our way to Maine. I missed my family, and even received some troubling news regarding the health of 2 members of my family. (Everything turned out OK, if you were wondering...) But nothing that happend on or off trail even for an instance of my hike made me frustrated enough to consider just quitting. All my friends and family told me they never doubted I would finish, with the one exception of my Step-Mom, who told me before I left that she thought I'd never make it. (Screw you for not beliving in me Carolyn.)

I guess all I'm trying to say is its for some people and others its not, and the ones that are unsure generally figure it out pretty quickly.

[10-K]

The trick is to keep walking.

I can think whatever I want - the trail sucks, hiking sucks, life sucks, my tent sucks, my food sucks - whatever.

Just keep walking.

This past summer, about 500 miles into my 800 mile hike I took off my pack, laid down flat on my back in a pile of leaves and said to myself W-T-F ... this sucks so much...what was I thinking....

I got up, started hiking and about an hour later it started pouring down rain and didn't quit for 2 days.

Looking back on it, it wasn't as bad as I made it.

I didn't ever consider quitting though.

[4shot]

another thing..no matter how much you are hurting, how cold or sick you are, whatever...that is only a temporary thing. As my wife said to me when I was in a funk somewhere up in Conn. or Mass., quitting would nag at me forever and she's absolutely right. So if you truly want to complete the trail as a thru-hiker, do you really want to start over and do the 500 miles to Damascus or 1000 miles to HF again? Just tell yourself whatever state of uncomfort you are in is only temporary and will last no longer than 6 months at the absolute worst case.

[TheChop]

With apologies to Ronnie Coleman...

Everybody wanna thru hike but nobody wanna walk no heavy ass miles.

[4shot]

With apologies to Ronnie Coleman...

Everybody wanna thru hike but nobody wanna walk no heavy ass miles.

working in the corporate world...everybody loved the paychecks but not many really liked to work.

[Marta]

When I was tempted to quit (and there were quite a few times) I would picture myself back at home. People would ask me about my hike. I'd be trying to formulate a reason for why I quit. The mental video always stuttered at that point... I couldn't come up with a reason other than that it was harder than I thought and I just wasn't tough enough. The real deal-breaker, though, was that I knew I'd just have to go back and try again. So why not get 'er done while I was in place and ready to do it?

And, as everyone knows, if you just wait a day or two, whatever problems you've got passes (usually after a good meal), something fabulous happens, and the world is wonderful again. The months pass, the miles pass, and--presto--you've hiked the whole Trail!