First Hike Ever - AT?

[NiceGuy]

I have never hiked in my life. Some time ago I decided i want to spend some time in nature, get away from the city and everything else. Then I came across the AT website and got interested. I decide to make a thru-hike and I want to achieve this goal, no matter what, i plan to do it next year, probably NOBO.

Of course it takes a lot of preparation, I am willing to do whatever it takes, but then I started to read the forum and now I am a little anxious. Hundreds of choices of gear and clothing, physical demands, well, basically everything, and the more I read the more complicated it all seems and I am starting to think whether I really can do it as unexperienced as I am. Am I being too far out and irrational thinking ?
I really think I have the spiritual power, but is it enough?

The AT trail seems so magical for me, I got really excited about the decision of hiking thru. I guess material/physical boundaries are probably better than mental ones, but it would be still disappointing if I found out it is too much for me.

I really would appreciate honest responses from (un)experienced hikers.

P.S. Please excuse if my english is poor, it is not my native tongue.

niceguy

[elray]

It's a very noble and possible dream and even if you are in average physical condition and strength and have the desire, you can make it happen. The last European I hiked with was from Germany and he like you had only recently just heard about the Trail. He saved the the air fare and expense money all the while collecting gear and studying this and other web sites. There are also many good books and videos available through the ATC and even the library. He was only allowed a three month visa which meant he had to finish the hike in two different years, but maybe that has changed by now. Good luck with your quest and remember, it's just walking

[Snake Farm]

Hey NiceGuy, its awesome to hear that international hikers want to hike the AT.

I am also like you. I have done day and weekend hikes but nothing of this magnitude. If you have NEVER hiked before I would suggest you find the nearest mountain (preferably at least 2,000 ft), climb it, and see how you feel about it. If you're like me you might curse and claim how much it sucks on the way up but at the top you'll realize it was all worth it.

As far as gear goes, dont let it intimidate you too much. It all boils down to a few categories (shelter, sleep system, cooking, clothing, pack, first aid and miscellaneous). Look around the Thru Hiking Info tab on this site, it has a wealth of information. People have done thru hikes with stuff just lying around the house.

Since you have a year before you start you will have plenty of time to prepare, dont let it overwhelme you all at once. The most inportant decision you have to make is if you really want to do it. For me, the hardest breakthrough was to actually call the Hiker Hostel and make a reservation. Once that was done I felt really relieved and excited! If you're not in shape dont worry too much, the trail will kick your behind but you'll adapt. Just try getting down to a good weight and conditioning and you'll be fine. If you start late March/early April there will be many people around to help you.

I wish you the best in your planning and congratulations on your decision!

Just remember, if you take it one day at a time, thats all it'll be. Start subtracting the miles from 2,000 and its gonna be a gueling journey.

P.S. Your English is very good!

[Graywolf]

There has been many hikers who have never hiked before that has made it. There has been many experianced hikers that never made it. It is all up to you. If you want it bad enough, you'll make it..

Graywolf

[moonshine2010]

All it takes is the desire to do it. You don't want to go into it unprepared, but don't let the logistics overwhelm you. Get your basic gear together that will keep you alive, and the rest will fall into place on the trail. It will be a constant learning process whether you are a novice or "expert". Be financially responsible and make sure that you have the means to do it once you get there, and you will learn as you go. With one of the many guide books you can break the hike up into many small sections and only plan a short time ahead. The key is to be open to and ready for unexpected changes. Go with the flow and take it day by day. If you think to far ahead it can be intimidating. Get out there and live for each day because before you know it you will be back in the "real world". Good Luck!

-Moonshine NOBO '10

[hobbs]

Hey Niceguy
I helped a young Germen about your age who is comeing here this spring to do the AT..He by chance. Is first going to a city that I lived in to stay with his Aunt...We pointed him to The ATC website for the Maps and Companion as well as questions about the trail..I believe you can do it..there's been many international hikers who were in the same place as yourself who have done it. You have a whole year to plan and get into some shape to come here and do it! Dont think any of us didn't think the same way when we thought about doing it..You can do it and it can be done.I truly hope you do..The young German student wanted to know about outfitters here to get gear.Thats where it was handy for me to answer what was available for him to shop at..I think it would be the same for you as a question later on when you start planning and figure what city. You will fly into and stay before your hike or ship your equiptement over..You can do this honestly many have...I hope you come and experiance it...

[fiddlehead]

There is an old saying that is a famous quote by a famous older woman hiker named Grandma Gatewood: "It's more head than heel"
Meaning, although you would think the hard part is the physical hardship of walking all day, everyday, it is actually harder to maintain the mental desire to keep going.

A good read (i'm halfway through it right now) is: "Then the Hail Came" available free online here: http://www.skwc.com/exile/Hail-nf.html

[LDog]

I have never hiked in my life. Some time ago I decided i want to spend some time in nature, get away from the city and everything else. Then I came across the AT website and got interested. I decide to make a thru-hike and I want to achieve this goal, no matter what, i plan to do it next year, probably NOBO.

If you plan to hike next year, you should have some time this summer and fall to get a few miles in with your gear on your back. Do some weekends where you hike, camp, hike. Use all your gear, use whatever system you intend to use for water. Develop a routine for setting up your shelter, cooking dinner, cleaning up, hanging your food, sleeping, and then getting up eating, packing up and hitting the trail. Figure out what you don't need and leave it at home when you head for Springer.

When you get to Springer, plan on low mileage days at first to get used to hiking up and down hills with a load on your back - to toughen up your feet.

Hope to see you out there!

[Yahtzee]

Apart from my military service, I had never spent a night in the woods before my hike. I decided to do my first hike 1 month before I started. While this wasn't ideal, I didn't have too many problems. Only a few gear issues a little reading wouldn't have taken care of. Anyway, I made it from PA to the Canadian border on the Long Trail, no problem.

Don't psych yourself out. It really is only walking.

Enjoy!

[NiceGuy]

Thank you all for your words of encouragement ! I guess this is exactly what I needed.
I will take every word of advice to the heart !

@elray
Thanks for reminding me about visa. With my german passport i can travel to America and stay there without a visa for 3 months, this because of the Visa Waiver Program. With my polish passport they wouldn't even let me in. But I will have to ask the US Embassy in Berlin for a visa if I want to hike thru. I hope they won't make me trouble !

@fiddlehead
I started reading "Then the hail came", the story drags you in, i will finish it definitely, thank you !

[DavidNH]

Nice Guy,


Since you say this would be your first hike ever, may I suggest you don't try to make it a thru hike. Just go say Springer to Damascus. A few hundred miles. get a taste for the AT. Or in the alternative, do a 2-3 week hike somewhere else to get a sense of whether you like hiking.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail is NOT like hiking in Europe. The AT is rugged, with rocks and mud and some times it goes straight up. you are at times days from a town, though rarely more than a day from a road. You have to carry all your gear--food, shelter, clothes etc, stove, on your back. You won't have luxury of huts for the most part. It can rain a lot.

Know what you are getting into. AT hiking lore is full of stories of folks who had grandiose plans but ended up quitting in the first week or two.

I am not questioning your physical capacity to hike this trail. It's more mental. Do you really want to? Will you still want to after it rains on you for a few days and you are sloppin through mud?

David

[NiceGuy]

David,

I will definitely hike somewhere in Germany first to get the taste of it.
By now I have read a lot about the trail, the difficulties one can encounter, and strangely, the more I read, the more I question whether I can do it and the more I want to do it.
It seems like all the hardships are drawing me towards them, and even if I probably won't know what I am getting into (no matter how much I read), I guess the challenge is one of the most important things for me. When I look back at my life so far I have to say that I didn't accomplish anything, sadly. If I gave up after two weeks beacuse of rain, mud, bugs or whatever, that would only convince me that I am hot headed and that i brew more beer than I could drink.
I don't know why the people you are writing about quit.
Even if it sounds strange, I hope they quit because of any other reason than mental weakness.

Basically there are 2 important things for me, one of them is already done - SETTING A GOAL (which isn't a partial hike but the thru-hike). The second one is ACHIEVING IT !

I probably sound like a crazy romantic, but maybe that's who I am, a crazy romantic looking for some contact with nature, away from cars, cell phones, work and "civilization".
I am definitely not a hiker.