What concerns you most about your upcoming hike?

[bgood360]

Bgood...LOL! I USED to be very fearful until three different encounters that experienced with delight and fascination while viewing them feeding. I laid awake many nights on section hikes in the smokies listening to the leaves blowing thinking it was a bear approaching my tent without me being able to view it. I finally set up guy lines on each and every attachment point so I could hear or feel them passing nearby. Luckily these make shift booby traps let me know only when there was a huge racoon nearby or chipmunks...ha ha! It was not so entertaining to the bf. He was so tired of hearing ITS A BEAR! Its been 6 bear encouters now and I am alot less concerned after seeing how they are truly scared of us and only bother us if we are foolish in how we store our food or forget to hang out our bear bag. Needless to say I am very experienced at hanging my bag as a result of this fear that can be very useful. Using my fears to my advantage

Thank you, Medicine Woman. I like the guy wire idea!

Actually, for whatever reason, I simply decided I wasn't going to be afraid of bears. The moment came when -- of all things -- I was driving back from the grocery store and contemplating the deliciousness of the smoke pouring from Little Richard's Barbecue (perhaps it's a top-of-the-food-chain thing) and a little switch in my head flipped. All of a sudden and from out of nowhere the ongoing bear monolog popped to the front of my mind but this time it was, "Screw it. I'm just not going to be afraid."

There wasn't any rationalizations (actual bear attacks are few and far between, for instance) or acquiescence ("Well, as long as I hang my food correctly and don't slather myself in beef gravy or brush my teeth with beef jerky, then I've done all I can do") -- the whole bear fear thing was simply done and I don't know why.

Sometimes there's no figuring the human brain.

[bgood360]

Anyone wearing a Snickers costume on the AT probably has more to fear from the hordes of deranged, half-starved hikers than anything else.

Yes, I have rethought the Snickers costume. Sure, it's breathable and brings out my hazel eyes in late afternoon sun, but being chased down the trail by hunger-ravaged hikers is going to cut into several photo opportunities. ("Man!!! What the heck? Again I just get that vista framed perfectly and Mohair, Cricket, and Smells Bad come from nowhere and try to rip me to shreds. Well, maybe I'll have better luck on Blood Mountain...")

[SETX_Mason]

I have a issue with in grown toe nails,... and needles and doctors... thus why i still havent gotten my toes cut up and fixed....
my very first 60 mile hike in 2006 my left toe swelled up,..... and my second extended hike my right toe attacked.... so i know i will have days where i will be limping and keeping infection out so they dont take me off the trail....

good times ahead

[seasparrow]

had my right toe nail removed .It wasn't supposed to come back .i pull it of myself every so often.

[Nick&Bruce]

Money.

I'm also concerned that my dog might not make it, but not too concerned. If he has to quit then we're both going home with however many days/miles behind us as we were able to pull off.

I figure even if everything goes south it'll still be an amazing experience.

[Drybones]

My only concern has been re-supply but after reading a lot of postings I'm not concerned with it any longer.

[Zipper]

This is what i wrote about my fears before my '09 hike: http://carlasat.wordpress.com/2009/0...oing-about-it/
Best wishes to all the hikers this season - have a great hike!

[HiKen2011]

This is what i wrote about my fears before my '09 hike: http://carlasat.wordpress.com/2009/0...oing-about-it/
Best wishes to all the hikers this season - have a great hike!

Very good advice!

[Pages]

i am concerned that my dream of a lifetime will become less satisfying then I always hoped it would be once the reality of day to day hiking sets in. i'm afraid of wanting to quit when there is nothing wrong with my health or finances.

[takethisbread]

Keeping the desire. After 1000 miles of a trail you have already hiked , the mind, struggles and family can pull u away. In that respect I'm afraid of boredom. And dealing with the drunks and partiers

[SETX_Mason]

had my right toe nail removed .It wasn't supposed to come back .i pull it of myself every so often.

just took my knife to them since i got 8 days left before i leave,..... when the flesh around the toe swells it puts pressure and make the toe cut into more skins as it grows,... so... i did the logical thing and cut a grove thru the flesh around the toe for the edge of the nail to follow.... little bloody and i might have to cut the channel deeper later on but i feel a little relief already so i think it was worth the pain,... caked it and smeared Antibiotic cream(prescription strength to help it heal in time before the hike) on and under the nail and new cut.....

It just needed a little Love

[Mike2012]

i am concerned that my dream of a lifetime will become less satisfying then I always hoped it would be once the reality of day to day hiking sets in. i'm afraid of wanting to quit when there is nothing wrong with my health or finances.

You'll find it very satisfying and you'll find new dreams and challenges as well.

[Miner]

I'm concerned that there will be too many stalkers on the trail.

When I hiked the PCT, I was constantly followed and stalked by all these strangers from the first day on. People I never met would come up and call me by name and talked to me like they knew me. They'd ask me about things that had happened to me earlier in my hike. How'd they even know about that stuff!? When I would think I would finally loose them, 400 miles later they'd suddenly appear and sit down at my table at a resturant while chatting away like we were lost lost friends. They'd even try to get me to stay in their hotel room, but my mama didn't raise no fools. It was really creepy. I particularly remember these 2 guys who looked like serial killers, with these really long unkept beards and a really bad stench, followed me into town to the post office. I could have sworn I saw their faces on the wanted posters on the wall there and the postal workers didn't even care. This kind of thing happened over and over again all along the trail. I even started to camp out of sight of the trail at night so they couldn't find me. And yet somehow people that I thougth I left behind as I tried to escape them, would suddenly be at water source ahead of me the following day. I never saw them pass me so it was really scary. The trail is full of these sort of stalkers who just follow you for days, weeks, and even months appearing when you least expect them to. They always act like they are friendly but you can see something in their eyes that is different from normal folk. Thru-hiking is scary stuff.

[Trailjockey]

Well Mr. Miner or can I call you Tim? I once had a somewhat similar expirence but in my case I was the stalker

[Bazilnorthbound]

Well now as my start date draws nearer and nearer, Im starting to get worried about not packing enough!
Im a minimalist and I feel like I'll be going in "naked" compared to others.
But this is probably just some pre-hike paranoia setting in :P