6 Things to Know Before Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Many of my past posts have revealed how I pack for backpacking trips and little tricks I follow. As I started hiking more, some of those have changed significantly. How I pack for overnighters or even 3 day trips in the Midwest differ from how I pack for a 7 day section hike or even future thru hikes. My section hike of the A.T. revealed to me that many of the things I've done in the past aren't feasible or convenient on long distance hikes. This article will be more geared toward those who are looking to do a section hike or even a thru hike on the Appalachian Trail. I have yet to do a "long distance" thru hike (Peru was only 4 days) so I cannot say this will be 100% for thru hikers, but most of this will apply to thru hiking as well.

As I started this article, I tried to decide how I would write it. I was going to title it "Things I learned on the AT", then thought I would make it a post on things that would be easier on a long hike, or possibly "What I would do different". I decided to try to combine all of these into one post. These are some of the things I've learned to make long distance hiking easier that I would do differently next time and would make the hike a lot easier if you follow. Enjoy!

1. Packing

Some of the ways you pack for an overnighter change when you decide to hike long distances for multiple days. I used to religiously follow the rule to not hang anything on the outside of the pack and rightfully so. Things that "flop around" on your pack can throw you off balance, not to mention it's annoying being hit by things hanging on your pack and eventually snagging on things. That being said, on long distance hikes, this just isn't always possible. When you are hiking a ways, there are lots of bigger things you will be taking that make it hard to pack everything (primarily food). 

Being our first section hike of the A.T., we took a little more than needed, but not all that much and still had troubles packing things. With everything packed, I still had to carry my tent, camp shoes, jacket, and chair on the outside, not to mention our trash bag and wet clothes and socks. The trick is to keep everything as tight to your pack as possible. If you have a pack with compression straps, that is ideal. You can traps things tightly to the outside without them moving around loosely. Try to secure larger items that don't matter so much if they get wet (tent, rain jacket, etc.).

While we are on the subject of packing, remember to PACK LIGHT. You will have to carry everything and when you are just starting and don't have your hiking legs yet, it can be a bear. After a few days, you start to gain your "mountain legs", but still have to carry all that weight. Granted, as you eat food, your pack gets lighter, but you will have to eventually restock. Ryne and I had our packs between 45 and 50 pounds to start. Jim's was around 35 pounds, but many of the thru hikers we met had theirs near 25 pounds. We packed 8 days worth of food which was excessive. If you hike more than 10 miles a day, you really only need about 4 days worth of food because you will eventually come to a town or road where you can restock. In addition, there are many things that can be left at home. As you hike, each day, you find what works best for packing and where you want each item in your pack.

2. Water

Since this was our first trip, we didn't know what to expect as far as the water situation. We learned quite fast that on the A.T., you won't run short of water. We brought several bottles and always had them full, which added A LOT of weight to our packs. Realistically, you only need 1 full bottle of water each day (maybe 2 on a hot day). I had a Lifestraw bottle which is a filter bottle that weighs about the same as a Nalgene. This isn't really necessary unless your pack is under 25 pounds, then you can afford to carry the extra weight.

We also carried multiple Smart Water bottles. I think these are ideal and most people carried the same. They come in 2 different sizes, which is useful, and are rugged but lightweight. I had one of these along with my Platypus. To do it over, I would carry one of these bottles to collect water to cook with and my Platypus bottle as a backup. It's not a bad idea to have a designated "dirty" water bottle and marked somehow. I used my Smart Water bottle for dirty water that I filtered into other bottles.

I would also bring my Camelback next time. Yes, it is extra weight, but after cutting weight in other areas, it would definitely be worth it's weight, not to mention it holds the water closer to your back which makes the pack lighter and more balanced. I would carry this for drinking water and the Smart Water bottle for dirty water.

It is also essential to have a good filter. We used the Sawyer Mini, as did most people we met. Platypus also makes a good filter system, but is heavy. Lifestraw is a great one as well. The Sawyers can by screwed onto the top of a water bottle and drink from it directly or filter into another bottle. These filters can also be placed in-line on your Camelback hose so you can fill your Camelback with dirty water and not have to mess with filtering it. I highly encourage to buy a good, lightweight filter. 

Tip: One of the things we discovered would have been handy is a short 1-foot section of PVC. Each shelter and campsite had its own water source (some good enough to shower under) that was easy to fill water off of. We ran into many other spots on the trail with running water, but difficult to fill our bottles. With a short section of PVC, we could essentially make our own "faucet" to use for filling our bottles.


3. Shelters

We overestimated how much shelter we really needed on the trail! We had shelters or campsites each night, but could have easily had a shelter each night if we would have reserved early enough or registered as a thru hiker. Some places along the A.T. require you to reserve shelters and campsites and obtain a permit if you are a section hikers. Thru hikers can pretty well stay where they want, but if shelters fill up, section hikers get precedence over the shelters. 

Jim and I brought tents and Ryne brought a hammock, all of which added unnecessary weight. To do it over, we would have registered as thru hikers and would have stayed at each shelter and bring a lightweight bivy for when shelters fill up. you really don't have to worry about storing your pack because there's the option of storing it in the shelter, even if you're not staying in the shelter. If sleeping primarily in a tent and you are in a group, it's best to have a larger tent for everyone, then split the load. One person carry the tent while another carries food, while another carries cook set and stove, or some variation. We found splitting loads and sharing loads helped immensely.

Remember to bring a good sleeping pad. Most shelters have wooden floors which can be uncomfortable. I saw many people who used foam sleeping pads and others who used air sleeping pads. I prefer the air sleeping pads because they are more comfortable and pack down smaller and don't add much weight. Your sleeping pad can then, be used for your bivy or in the shelter.

Most shelters also have bear cable systems for hanging your food, but be sure to also bring some sort of cord. All of our shelters had cable systems, but we talked to people who stayed at other shelters that did not. Paracord is also useful (as we found) for hanging your backpack in an overcrowded shelter. Most shelters have nails or hooks to hang your pack to keep mice out of them, but in an overcrowded shelter, those get used up fast. (BTW, be sure not to have ANY food in your pack or the mice WILL get to it). 

To hang our food, we used dry bags from Wal Mart. These work great for keeping things dry in your pack, but don't work as well for hanging food. We kept our food in these and hung them on the cables but when storms hit, the bags leaked a little and soaked our food. You're better off using a good dry bag of container such as a bear canister or Ursack. 

4. Conditioning

One of the most important things to do before a long distance hike is to condition yourself. This would include loading your pack and going for multiple hikes involving lots of hills. If you don't live around hills (such as in the Midwest), use a stair stepper with your pack on. I also use and elevation mask to train. We found that it is essential to condition if you aren't used to hiking to this capacity. After about 4 days, Ryne and I got our mountain legs, but Jim struggled on the ascents. Be sure you are in condition for the hike. The ascents can "wind" you and the descents are hard on the legs and knees, not to mention with a heavy pack on. And trekking poles are essential on the descents. 


5. Leave Stuff Behind
There are quite a few things that we brought that we could have left behind and wish we would have. The A.T. isn't true wilderness and many of the survival items you would need in the wilderness, you don't really need on the A.T. Here is a list of things we brought, but never used or needed:

1. Tree saw
2. Multiple lighters (only need 1)
3. Sunscreen
4. Rain pants
5. Compass
6. Large knife
7. Water purifying tabs (unless you don't have a filter)

The following are things we brought that we didn't need but were glad we brought them:

1. Camping chair (Alite, Helinox, etc.)
2. Camp shoes (sandals, Crocs, etc.)
3. iPod, radio

4. Gloves

6. Cooking

We had a couple options for cooking and next time, depending on how we are hiking, we may do things differently. If you are soloing or cooking for yourself, make sure to have a small cook set and small stove. I brought my MSR Whisperlite which was too much stove for myself. Something like a Jetboil or the MSR Pocket Rocket would be good choices of stoves. Canister stoves would be better than white gas stoves because the fuel lasts longer and canisters are pretty universal with any stove. The GSI soloist or microduelist or some similar cook set would be best. 

However, If cooking for the group, it's probably best to bring maybe 2 stoves and 1 larger cook set such as an MSR stowaway pot. Our initial plan was cook our own meals, then decided as a group, it was easier to fix one large meal for all of us. If we would have followed this, one of us could have carried the food, while another carried the stoves and fuel and the other carry the cook sets.

These are some tips we found would have been useful to us before our section hike. All of these suggestions are based on a 7 day section hike in the Smoky Mountains and not a thru hike of the whole A.T., though I believe these would be just as valid for a thru hike. And these tips are for just the A.T. Other guidelines would be different for say the PCT or Superior Hiking Trail. Thanks for reading and I hope this has been a help to you.

Gear review: Platypus water bottle

I've used many methods of carrying water and as you saw in one of my previous posts, there's more than one way to carry it. I recently started using platypus water bottles. I have grown to love these things. I was a little skeptical at first, though. I assumed that being how it's flexible, it would spring leaks or tear easily, but I was mistaken. 

Platypus has many products from water bottles, to water bladders, to filters, to wine containers. The advantage to Platypus is how flexible and collapsible their products are. Today, I will just review one of the water bottles. Platypus actually makes a few different water bottles. They have their more flexible ones that come in multiple sizes and colors. They also have flexible water tanks that hold 2, 4, and 6 liters. The 2 bottles they have that I would recommend for backpacking are the Platybottle and the Platyplus. The Platybottle holds 2 liters which can get a little bulky when hiking, but has higher volume if you need to carry more water (although I would rather have a water bladder to carry that much water). The Playplus is what I recently started using. It holds 1 liter and has the option of a closure cap (twist cap) or a pull open cap. It also has a looped handle in one corner that is durable and can be hooked to a pack with a carabiner or simply make it easier to carry. 

It is made of a thin food grade plastic and is BPA free. The bottle is very flexible and can be rolled up to about the size of a roll of quarters (excluding the cap). Initially, when you pick up the empty bottle, it feels flimsy and as if it can be ripped easily. But when you actually handle it, you can tell that it is very durable, despite how thin and light it is. When filled, it's about the size of a 1 liter pop bottle. It is clearly marked how much water you have in it. The handle and opening are made of a thicker, rigid plastic. Overall, a great water bottle. 

Platypus, I believe, makes exceptional products. I actually prefer their water bladders over Camelback. I'm impressed with how well Platypus makes their stuff. I high recommend this product. For backpacking, it is ideal because of its collapsibility and it takes almost no space in your pack (not to mention that it's really fun to drink from). Comment below what you think and if you have had any experience with Platypus. 

Finding and traveling with water

The most important thing you can bring on a trek is what will keep you alive: water. The ways to find water on the trail are well numbered as well as methods of carrying it. Questions arise such as how much do I take, how should I carry it, how do I make sure it's pure, and so on. In my opinion, you can't overdo water. However, it does get heavy and adds most of the weight to your pack. If your on a long trek, your not going to carry all the water you need, your going to collect water along the way. 

Methods of carrying it

The methods of carrying water vary greatly depending on how long your trip is, personal preference, climate, etc. If I'm only going on an overnight trek, I may bring a camelback and 2 Nalgene bottles and not even have to worry about finding water. 

I swear by camelbacks and water bladders. They take up very little room in your pack, they hold high volumes of water, and not to mention they are convenient. Most packs have a sleeve on the inside to put a water bladder in with some kind of hook to hold it in place and an access port for the tubing. I almost always use a camelback, even on day hikes. What I really like about them is I can have one in my pack for a long trek and after setting up camp, I can take the bladder out of the pack and put it in its own carrier for a day hike. If you get a brand like Camelback or Colman, you can find ones that have a fairly large carrier that work great for day hikes. 

The downside to water bladders is their susceptibility to freeze. When your bladder is in the pack, you can wrap some sort of insulation around it to keep it warm. There are also insulated sleeves that slide over the tubing. You can really insulate a water bladder for winter, but you always still have the risk of freezing. When temperatures drop below 0, it gets even harder to keep the water from freezing. The tubing is hard to insulate, even with an insulator. You can always blow the water back into he bladder after drinking, but still have some water in there that can freeze. I personally forgo the water bladder altogether in winter, but won't leave home without it in 3 seasons. 

When I hike, I like to also carry 2 Nalgene bottles and an aluminum bottle. When it comes to water bottles, there are several options to choose from. Camelback, Coleman, and Nalgene are some great brands to go with. You can also get collapsible water bottles like a Platypus. These are great; they are lightweight, roll up to small, packable size, and are great to carry when you plan to collect your own water. I am biased to Nalgene because they are durable and hold a lot of water. However, they are bulky and weighty. If you want to go on an ultralight trip or want to lighten your load, take Gatorade or Fiji bottles. They are light and more durable than a standard disposable water bottle. 

When you're hiking in winter, you want to make sure the water doesn't freeze. If it freezes, you obviously can't drink it and when it's cold, it takes more energy for your body to warm it when you drink it. When I trek in winter, I carry 2 Nalgene bottles only. I have a Nalgene bottle insulator that I have one bottle in and I wrap the other bottle in my pillow and stuff it in my pack to keep it warm. I also carry the bottles upside down. This is a nice little trick for when it's really cold out. If your water does begin to freeze, it will do so on the surface first then work it's way down. When the bottle is upside down, the ice will start to accumulate in the bottom of the bottle and you don't have to worry about messing with the ice when you go to take a drink. 

The reason I use Nalgene, especially for winter, is because of its durability. When pressure drops inside the bottle because of the cold temperature change, the bottle naturally collapses. Try putting some water in a disposable bottle and put it in the freezer. You will see what I mean. Even a Gatorade bottle will collapse. Aluminum bottles are great and lightweight, but in winter, they have the risk of collapsing and the cold metal has potential to freeze to your lips in sub-zero weather. You don't have to use Nalgene, but will want something thick and durable. 

Finding your water

Water is very important, especially in winter and summer. Winter months are dry and when you breath, you exhale water droplets that will eventually dehydrate you, not to mention if you sweat while hiking. In hot months, you will sweat a whole lot more and will require gallons of water. The amount that you initially carry largely depends on how much you regularly drink and how many water sources there are along the trail. You aren't going to carry all your water, adding 7-10 pounds to your pack, if there will be plenty of water sources on the trail. You may carry a couple empty bottles and a full, 2 liter water bladder. Likewise, you are going to carry more water if there are few water sources. For example: Yellow River State Forest. It's a 25 mile backpacking trail and if you decide to span it out 2-3 days, you will want plenty of water being how there's very few small water sources. It's vitals that you preplan your trip so you know how much to carry. 

The way you find your water will vary with climate. Obviously, if you're hiking in snow, you will be melting and boiling snow for your water. But what about the dry seasons? How do I find water? Most trails will have some form of water source such as a stream, lake, or pond. If that is the case, you want some way to filter the water. I have a Cohglan water filter that I take. Lifestraw is a great, small, lightweight brand that I highly recommend. The way your filter works largely depends on the type of filter so make sure you read the directions and know how it works. I even keep instructions for my filter in the stuff sack that the filter is stored in. The downside is most filters will freeze, so I leave it at home for my winter trips. 

You can also carry water furification tablets. However, these tablets add that awful iodine taste. You can get tablets that you use after purifying it to take away the taste, but it does get pricey, so I only have tablets as a backup. The most efficient way to purify water is boiling for about 10 minutes. Even if you filter it, you may want to boil it. I even boil snow after I melt it. However, boiling water without filtering it will leave moss and bugs that you will have to sift out. 

If you are in worst case scenario and need a homemade filter, it can be done relatively easy. Take a CLEAN sock and fill it about 1/3 full with sand. If it's available, put ground charcoal in to about 2/3 full. Lastly, fill the rest with dirt. You can then hang it in a tree and pour water in it (just make sure to have a water bottle underneat). This will effectively filter the water even though it won't taste the best. 

In desert and in hot climates, it can become hard to find water. The trick is to find an oasis or area with healthy plants and dig near a tree, cactus, etc. You can also dig into the trunk or cactus and get water from there, however, some liquids that come from cactus can be harmful. Your best bet is to set up to collect water overnight. That's why I carry zip lock bags and trash bags. Zip lock bags work great for carrying additional water to camp from the water source.

Here's a great way to collect water. You can dig a hole in the ground (In a grassy or silty area) and put your water bottle in the center and the rim should be a little lower than the ground level. Put the trash bag over the hole and anchor it down all the way around the hole. It's best to weigh it down with dirt. Poke a small hole in the middle of the bag over the bottle and put a small rock there to weigh down the center of the bag. As dew and moisture collects around the outside of the bag, it will drain to the center and into the bottle. If you're in an area with tall grass, you can wrap towels or bandannas around your ankles and walk through the grass early in the morning and dew will collect in the cloth. You can then wring it out into the bottle.

There's always the option of collecting rain (and it doesn't work to just hold your bottle up, hoping to fill it). It's uncomfortable to hike in rain and best to plan a trip when it's not going to rain. But if a spontaneous rain comes, you can have an abundance of water. If you have a spare poncho, tarp, or ground cloth, you can set it up multiple ways. You can make it parallel to the ground and let the water collect in the center. You can angle it a little and let the rain drain into a bottle. Ideally, use the method of digging a hole in the ground as I mentioned earlier. The rain will collect in the bottle and additional water in the dirt will make its way out and onto the trash bag. There are unlimited ways to collect rain and you can experiment with it to find what works for you. If it had just recently rained, many leaves and branches retain rain that you can collect. 

A great way of finding water is the power of...wait for it...condensation. This will work best in hotter, humid climates. If you carry a zip lock bag or clear tarp, stake it down over healthy plants or grass early in the morning after the dew has settled. You can also pull up live, healthy plants and put them in the zip lock bag in the sun. When it warms up, the plastic will trap heat, causing the greenhouse effect. The dew and moisture will evaporate and collect on the plastic. If you can weigh the center of the plastic down a little, you can put a water bottle under it and the water that accumulates on the plastic will drain into the bottle. If you are in a pinch, try to follow animal tracks or animals and birds themselves. If there's animals, there's water and they will eventually lead you to water. 

There are dozens of methods for finding and collecting water. The methods I presented are what I have found work best in my area. If you have some genius, innovative ways for finding water, please share. 

My gear list for backpacking

If you search the internet, you can find hundreds of gear lists and videos on gear lists. I recommend eventually making your own gear list and as you gain experience, you will learn what you will and won't use. This list is to get you started and I will give you the essentials that you should absolutely have. Your gear list will vary depending on the type of hike your doing, how long the hike is, the climate and weather. This post will be in conjunction with my next post on how to pack your backpack. 

Shelter

It's pretty important to have some sort of shelter. Whether it be a tent, tarp, hammock, or simply a large poncho. It's always nice to sometimes sleep under the stars with no shelter or sleep in a snow hut, but you should always have some sort of shelter to fall back on. I even carry something that can double as a backup shelter such as tarp or poncho. 

Sleep system

You always need some sort of sleeping bag or blanket. Even summer nights can get cold and it's always nice to have a little extra under you. It is vital that your sleep system is appropriate to the weather. You aren't going to use a 40 degree sleeping bag in freezing temperatures and probably don't want to use a -20 bag for summer. One of my previous posts will help you in determining your sleeping bag. 

Water

Water is the most important thing in any hike. It's always better to have too much than not enough. I personally carry 2 Nalgene bottles. In the warm weather I also carry a camelback and a smaller aluminum bottle. Water does add a lot of weight, so it's important to also have some form to purify water if you go on any extended trip. I have a Cohglan water filter and purification tablets. In winter you can melt snow and don't really need a filter. Plan your trip well. If you know there's going to be plenty of water sources, carry less water and have a filter. If water will be scarce on the trail, carry more. I will post a bit later on how to find and carry water. 

Food

Food is next to water in importance. Your food is all up to you. Your preference in food choices and the length of trip will determine how much and what kinds of food you will bring. There are dehydrated foods out there that you can just add water to. You can always get MREs or carry something like rice or noodles. Just remember that the more you bring, the heavier your pack will be. If you don't pack your food right, you will take up valuable space in your pack. I have been taking ramen noodles and rice in zip lock bags. I carry my food in a stuff sack, but a lot of people prefer to put each meal in its own zip lock bag. I like everything in the stuff sack because when I go to hang my bear bag, I just need to hang my one stuff sack. I will post some recipes for over the fire in a later post. If you bring things that need cooked, you need some type of stove, whether it be an alcohol, gas, or wood. You also need a cook set. I have a larger one for hiking with multiple people and for winter, and a smaller one for hiking alone. Bear in mind, you need something to melt snow in if you're hiking in winter. 

Clothing

You should bring some kind of jacket along, no matter how warm it is outside. The nights may get chilly and you may get an unexpected rain. It's essential to bring extra socks. Depending on how hard you hike, the temperature, and weather, you may have to change socks during the day. When hiking hard in wet or hot weather, you should change your socks 1-2 times a day. Factor in additional clothing that has a potential to get wet or sweaty. It's also vital that you bring some type of hat. In the warm months, you need to keep the sun off your face and neck. In cold, you need to keep your head warm. Your head is very vascular, making most of your heat escaping through your head. When protecting from the rain, I recommend a small, spare poncho because you can keep the rain off as well as have a spare shelter. 

Navigation

I prefer to use maps, I'm a little old fashioned but whether you use maps or GPS, you need something. You never know when you might lose track of where you are and may need to regain your bearings and get back on the trail. I carry a map in a waterproof map case, protractor, pencil, and orienteering compass. Not only should you have them, you should know how to use it. Take a small course or stay tuned for a later post I will put up on how to navigate. GPS is becoming very popular. If you bring GPS, make sure to have spare batteries or a way of charging it like a solar charger. In fact, you should have spare batteries for all electronics. You should also know how to use your GPS before setting out. If you do bring GPS, bring a map as well. You never know when the GPS will quit working or die and it's always good to have a map. 

Pack

In my opinion, a backpack is important. I have never seen someone hike several days without one. The type and brand of pack you get 100% depends on what you like. I have a Teton sport explorer 4000. It's the right size for me and has plenty of room for all my gear. Every pack is different: some have lots of external pockets, some have none. There are several different sizes and styles. Do you want external or internal frame? Do you need some way to hold a water bladder? Do you want a built in pack cover or liner? Before spending a lot of money, determine what you need. 

Tools

I highly recommend a multi tool like a letherman. These can be used for just about anything. I also like to carry a pocket knife. You should consider a small shovel to dig a latrine. I also have a folding saw to cut firewood and a collapsible snow shovel if I'm hiking in deep snow. 

Light

I carry just a small LED flashlight. It fits into small places in my pack and is bright. I highly HIGHlY recommend a headlamp. If you end up setting up in the dark, it's nice to have a headlamp so you can work with both hands. 

First aid

First aid kit is essential on the trail. Being how I'm a paramedic, I tend to go overboard with medical supplies. I recently condensed it down to the essentials: gauze pads, gauze rolls, alcohol pads, bandaids, moleskin, medical gloves, and antibiotic ointment. I also carry ibuprofen and Benadryl. Benadryl is great for allergic reactions. I carry my first aid supplies in a zip lock bag because it can compress more that way. 

Everything else 

Everything else you carry is based on your preference and type of hike. I will, later on, give you a guide on packing for winter trips, desert trips, and ultralight. The following are things you may want to also bring:

Lighter or fire striker

Some kind of tinder

Cord or rope (needed for bear bag)

Duct tape

Repair kits

Sleeping pad or air matress

Camera

Pillow

Space blanket

Survival kit

Gloves 

Hand sanitizer

Backup stove

Bandanna

Carabiner

Fishing kit

Trekking poles

This will be a good start, but alter it to fit you. You may not use some stuff and you may have some stuff that you will use that I didn't mention. Feel free to comment about other things you carry.