How to Thru‐Hike the Appalachian Trail
Do your research., Commit to the thru-hike., Determine why you want to hike and write it down., Tell the world about your thru-hike., Start getting your gear together., Attend to the details., Exercise., Depart for your thru-hike., Immerse yourself...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Do your research.
The most important factor in successfully completing an AT thru-hike is fully understanding what you are attempting to do.
Read more than one firsthand account of those who have completed the journey in the past.
Really consider if you could or would want to be in the conditions described.
Think about your odds of being able to take 6 months off from work or other commitments.
Decide what modern conveniences you are willing to give up, and whether or not the amount of money involved is feasible.
This is a huge undertaking, and half a year is a long time. -
Step 2: Commit to the thru-hike.
Once you have decided to hike the AT and have picked a date, it is now up to you to hold yourself accountable for doing what you intend to.
This is where the daydreaming gives way to action.
Read Appalachian Trials, this is a must.
Once you've made the decision, make a conscious decision not to second guess yourself, and get on your way. , One thing to do would be to make a pro/con list with four columns.
One: pros to completing your thru-hike; two: cons to completing your thru-hike; three: pros to not completing the hike; and four: cons to not completing the hike.
These categories may seem very similar, but once you write you will notice that they approach the scenario each a little differently.
Your pros to hiking and cons to not completing the hike should be your longest items on the list by far.
Keep this and any other writing with you about why you are doing this with you before and on the trail.
It will keep you motivated to continue. , This can be one of the scariest parts of preparation for some people.
You can be positive that not everyone will understand your desire and decision to take on this mission.
For all intents and purposes, you look crazy.
That's because you are.
Let them know that.
In whatever way you must, convince them that you are going and you will succeed.
In fact, the more opposition you receive the better, in some cases, because you're going to want to prove the naysayers wrong.
You may also consider starting a blog, signing up to raise money for a charity as you hike, or challenging critics to place bets on your likelihood of succeeding.
All these will make it much harder to quit when the going gets tough. , Depending on the amount of hiking and/or backpacking experience you may already have, this step could be easy and enjoyable or challenging and enjoyable.
Either way, shopping for gear is one of a thru-hikers favorite preparatory experiences.
Provided money isn't a serious concern, you get to spend a few months picking and choosing the right equipment, food, supplies, and gear for your journey.
This is where more research is invaluable.
The AT is a very specific trip that requires certain items different from anywhere else.
It is impossible to experience it without doing it, so rely on as many successful thru-hikers' opinions as possible.
But give yourself enough time to test and revise their theories.
Each hiker is as unique as the gear they carry on their back. , For lack of a better term, now is the time to put your affairs in order.
This means making sure you have or will have the money set aside when you'll need it, determining how your bills will get paid when you are gone, that you have the appropriate leave of absence, and any other number of small, but crucial, tasks.
This is a good time to figure out any mail drops you want to coordinate, how you are going to communicate with others, get to the trail, etc.
Know how much food you should have on you at given time, and how often you will need to resupply. , It is probably a good idea to get moving as much as possible before leaving.
Take overnight trips and hike with your full backpack on.
See if you are traveling too heavy or light.
Try to find out how many miles you can comfortably walk (not on pavement) in a day or successive days.
Do cardio to get your heart strong for those steep ascents up the mountains.
If you need to exercise your mind, take up meditation or yoga.
Mindfulness will help you enjoy and experience everything more while you are out there. , If you are hiking northbound (the most common type of thru-hike) you will travel to the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia to begin the hike.
You can also travel south from Katahdin Mountain in Maine, begin at the halfway point of Harper's Ferry West Virginia, or jump on wherever you please.
Just know that the season begins officially in March and the majority of attempting thru-hikers will set off from Springer then. # , You'll find a very different lifestyle on the trail than anything you've probably seen before.
Enjoy the novelty of sleeping outdoors, submitting scenic peaks, meeting other people on the trail, and living without constant connection to the outside world.
Everything will seem very exciting and new, so have a blast. , Every week or two on the trail you will reach an AT outfitter.
This is the best time to replace any gear that isn't working out, send back what you don't need home, or lighten your pack any way you can. , While on the trail the only markers you will find are white blazes that indicate which direction to go.
You will need to know what distance you will have to cover to reach the next shelter or town.
If you have mail drops, you should coordinate trips into town on days that the post office is open.
Planning ahead is important at all stages of the hike. , Although there are shelters fairly frequently on the trail, they are not always big enough to fit every hiker.
You will end up camping in a separate area at times.
You will have to know which parks you hike through require permits for camping.
Some areas of the trail even provide hunting grounds, so it is a good idea to be aware.
There are also more common sense, unwritten rules, such as not washing items too close to a water source, or burying human waste with a stick or trowel.
Don't forget about learning proper safety precautions concerning wildlife on the trail and protection from getting your food eaten by a bear or contracting a disease from a tick or mosquito. , You will not be able to continuously hike the trail every day, 15-25 miles (24-40 kilometers), day in and out without sustaining injury, unless you are some sort of a superhuman.
You will need to take a day or two off at trail towns when you need to restock, sleep in a bed, and take a shower.
These simple comforts will take on a world of significance when you are on the trail.
Zero days (when you don't hike any miles on the trail) are essential to psychological and physical well being.
You'll get a chance to communicate with loved ones and relax.
Don't forget to be economical when it comes to town visits and zero days, though.
They are enjoyable, but costly, and best savored when you really need them. , This will be a unique experience that you will never forget.
Attempting a thru-hike is good, completing a thru-hike is better, and doing so while enjoying it is the best.
The trail will make you more miserable than you can imagine, yet more alive and happy than you think is possible.
It is a journey of deprivation, pain, and burden, but also a life changing accomplishment.
If you can hike the AT, you can do anything at all.
No journey will be too large for you to undertake.
And you will emerge with a new understanding of yourself, nature, and society.
Enjoy all of it, not just the end and beginning. -
Step 3: Determine why you want to hike and write it down.
-
Step 4: Tell the world about your thru-hike.
-
Step 5: Start getting your gear together.
-
Step 6: Attend to the details.
-
Step 7: Exercise.
-
Step 8: Depart for your thru-hike.
-
Step 9: Immerse yourself in the experience.
-
Step 10: Reevaluate gear choices.
-
Step 11: Follow a trail map and/or guide.
-
Step 12: Know the rules of the trail.
-
Step 13: Take a zero day.
-
Step 14: Enjoy your hike.
Detailed Guide
The most important factor in successfully completing an AT thru-hike is fully understanding what you are attempting to do.
Read more than one firsthand account of those who have completed the journey in the past.
Really consider if you could or would want to be in the conditions described.
Think about your odds of being able to take 6 months off from work or other commitments.
Decide what modern conveniences you are willing to give up, and whether or not the amount of money involved is feasible.
This is a huge undertaking, and half a year is a long time.
Once you have decided to hike the AT and have picked a date, it is now up to you to hold yourself accountable for doing what you intend to.
This is where the daydreaming gives way to action.
Read Appalachian Trials, this is a must.
Once you've made the decision, make a conscious decision not to second guess yourself, and get on your way. , One thing to do would be to make a pro/con list with four columns.
One: pros to completing your thru-hike; two: cons to completing your thru-hike; three: pros to not completing the hike; and four: cons to not completing the hike.
These categories may seem very similar, but once you write you will notice that they approach the scenario each a little differently.
Your pros to hiking and cons to not completing the hike should be your longest items on the list by far.
Keep this and any other writing with you about why you are doing this with you before and on the trail.
It will keep you motivated to continue. , This can be one of the scariest parts of preparation for some people.
You can be positive that not everyone will understand your desire and decision to take on this mission.
For all intents and purposes, you look crazy.
That's because you are.
Let them know that.
In whatever way you must, convince them that you are going and you will succeed.
In fact, the more opposition you receive the better, in some cases, because you're going to want to prove the naysayers wrong.
You may also consider starting a blog, signing up to raise money for a charity as you hike, or challenging critics to place bets on your likelihood of succeeding.
All these will make it much harder to quit when the going gets tough. , Depending on the amount of hiking and/or backpacking experience you may already have, this step could be easy and enjoyable or challenging and enjoyable.
Either way, shopping for gear is one of a thru-hikers favorite preparatory experiences.
Provided money isn't a serious concern, you get to spend a few months picking and choosing the right equipment, food, supplies, and gear for your journey.
This is where more research is invaluable.
The AT is a very specific trip that requires certain items different from anywhere else.
It is impossible to experience it without doing it, so rely on as many successful thru-hikers' opinions as possible.
But give yourself enough time to test and revise their theories.
Each hiker is as unique as the gear they carry on their back. , For lack of a better term, now is the time to put your affairs in order.
This means making sure you have or will have the money set aside when you'll need it, determining how your bills will get paid when you are gone, that you have the appropriate leave of absence, and any other number of small, but crucial, tasks.
This is a good time to figure out any mail drops you want to coordinate, how you are going to communicate with others, get to the trail, etc.
Know how much food you should have on you at given time, and how often you will need to resupply. , It is probably a good idea to get moving as much as possible before leaving.
Take overnight trips and hike with your full backpack on.
See if you are traveling too heavy or light.
Try to find out how many miles you can comfortably walk (not on pavement) in a day or successive days.
Do cardio to get your heart strong for those steep ascents up the mountains.
If you need to exercise your mind, take up meditation or yoga.
Mindfulness will help you enjoy and experience everything more while you are out there. , If you are hiking northbound (the most common type of thru-hike) you will travel to the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia to begin the hike.
You can also travel south from Katahdin Mountain in Maine, begin at the halfway point of Harper's Ferry West Virginia, or jump on wherever you please.
Just know that the season begins officially in March and the majority of attempting thru-hikers will set off from Springer then. # , You'll find a very different lifestyle on the trail than anything you've probably seen before.
Enjoy the novelty of sleeping outdoors, submitting scenic peaks, meeting other people on the trail, and living without constant connection to the outside world.
Everything will seem very exciting and new, so have a blast. , Every week or two on the trail you will reach an AT outfitter.
This is the best time to replace any gear that isn't working out, send back what you don't need home, or lighten your pack any way you can. , While on the trail the only markers you will find are white blazes that indicate which direction to go.
You will need to know what distance you will have to cover to reach the next shelter or town.
If you have mail drops, you should coordinate trips into town on days that the post office is open.
Planning ahead is important at all stages of the hike. , Although there are shelters fairly frequently on the trail, they are not always big enough to fit every hiker.
You will end up camping in a separate area at times.
You will have to know which parks you hike through require permits for camping.
Some areas of the trail even provide hunting grounds, so it is a good idea to be aware.
There are also more common sense, unwritten rules, such as not washing items too close to a water source, or burying human waste with a stick or trowel.
Don't forget about learning proper safety precautions concerning wildlife on the trail and protection from getting your food eaten by a bear or contracting a disease from a tick or mosquito. , You will not be able to continuously hike the trail every day, 15-25 miles (24-40 kilometers), day in and out without sustaining injury, unless you are some sort of a superhuman.
You will need to take a day or two off at trail towns when you need to restock, sleep in a bed, and take a shower.
These simple comforts will take on a world of significance when you are on the trail.
Zero days (when you don't hike any miles on the trail) are essential to psychological and physical well being.
You'll get a chance to communicate with loved ones and relax.
Don't forget to be economical when it comes to town visits and zero days, though.
They are enjoyable, but costly, and best savored when you really need them. , This will be a unique experience that you will never forget.
Attempting a thru-hike is good, completing a thru-hike is better, and doing so while enjoying it is the best.
The trail will make you more miserable than you can imagine, yet more alive and happy than you think is possible.
It is a journey of deprivation, pain, and burden, but also a life changing accomplishment.
If you can hike the AT, you can do anything at all.
No journey will be too large for you to undertake.
And you will emerge with a new understanding of yourself, nature, and society.
Enjoy all of it, not just the end and beginning.
About the Author
Douglas Harvey
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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