Planning on hiking the appalachian trail this spring.

[Stephiejeansmile]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any information on getting a sponser to hike the whole trail and if so, if anyone wanted to come with. I plan on starting in Georgia, and going on up to Maine. Then ride the amtrak to come back home inside of Houston, Texas. Any advice or information?!

 

[Cheetahplasticity]

I was hoping to do that trail this spring as well though I don't know anything about sponsors for it. I was just gonna bring enough money to cover food expenses and a bus back.

 

[Stephiejeansmile]

Yeah.. when are you planning on heading out?

 

[Cheetahplasticity]

Prolly mid april

 

[birdsonthebat]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any information on getting a sponser to hike the whole trail and if so, if anyone wanted to come with. I plan on starting in Georgia, and going on up to Maine. Then ride the amtrak to come back home inside of Houston, Texas. Any advice or information?!

When you get to sams gap you could come into Johnson city. The area of the trail in and around east TN has a dedicated group of supporters that'll really lend you a helping hand. The easiest way is goto kincorra and meet bob peoples. Bob is a real legend and he'll get you here. I know a guy here that gives hikers rides back to Trailheads. Everything but the hiking is easy in east TN. I'll def feed you and put you up and if you're so inclined I'll have plenty of cool buds. this particular area of the trail is my favorite and the reason why I live in little Chicago

 

[birdsonthebat]

Prolly mid april

Same thing I said to her. Dude I wouldn't bet on you making it to Katahdin starting in mid April. Katahdin is usually closed well before mid sept. You're young so maybe but it's gonna be tough

 

[birdsonthebat]

Just my opinion but in mid April you should be North of pearisburg. That's approaching the 750 mile. You're gonna experience the vortex of Trailheads and it's easy to get stuck in everyone you pass. What? You don't like hiking in waist deep snow or something?

 

[MFB]

In regards to sponsers; I had the same idea to fund my 2012 PCT trek. I sent out about 100 emails and letters to various outdoor manufacturers and distributers. I may have recieved 3 replies, saying thanks but no thanks.

The hiker/climber community is very close knit, everyone knows what everyone else is doing.
For the most part the sponsorships will go to the hikers with bigger names (IE-Scott Williamson). The guys that are thru-hiking in 60 days, or yo-yo-ing, or doing something bigger than just a 100 day thru hike. With that being said dont let that stop you from trying! It might behoove you to try to find a local sponsor that you can sit down with an owner face to face.

I can gaurentee that if you are a NBer starting mid April there will be plenty of help on the trail. Trail angels are an awesome breed of ppl, and will have food caches, beds, and other trail magic (BBQs at the trailheads!) waiting for all the hikers. They love what they do. Find a AT message board and start making friends with the Angels around the trail towns.

Steph, If youre in TX, the CDT would be closer to you, and perhaps save you some moneys on travel expenses. In my opinion the CDT is far prettier than the AT.

One last tip-Buy a dehydrator and start your stockpile now.

 

[birdsonthebat]

Using dehydrators and getting mail-drops and using bounce boxes just seems (b/c it is) prohibitively expensive for a young person with little money. Don't worry about food. There's someone like me you'll meet six times a day and they'll give you food. Hiker boxes along the way will have food. I know how Fucking touchy some hikers are about the dehydrator and mail drops and what not but it's just a huuuuge waste of time and money. IMO. Happy hiking.

 

[MFB]

^^^ Hikers are touchy about EVERYTHING. Thier way is always right.

I always say hike your own hike.

On the well travelled trails there is always food; however there is something to be said about enjoying your meals after a ten hour day. Dehydraded fruit can taste like heaven after a few days of trail mix and add-water-meals., not to mention the nutrition.

It cost 9 bucks to ship out a flat rate box with roughly 2 weeks of food.
To me, enjoying meals I packed for myself that I know I'll like is worth the 100 or so bucks you'll spend for food drops for a thru-hike. I've also like going into the small trail towns to pick up food boxes at the PO, get a chance to explore, meet ppl, get kick downs, etc.

But yea, there's no right way, it all depends on what you like.

 

[Deleted member 7149]

I am planning on hiking the AT starting in March. GA to ME. I've done section hikes before. Looking forward to a thru hike this time. Maybe we'll meet up!

 

[birdsonthebat]

We agree completely. Frankly,I find that with rigorous prolonged exercise I always lose my appetite and it doesn't matter to me b/c I'm basically only eating to have calories. I get used to the hunger thing pretty quickly and everyone has to deal with hunger. Some just don't deal well and others are good.

Hikers are very picky.

These days I don't worry about shelter and rarely carry food at all b/c I know I'm gonna be fine. I don't even carry anything to cook with. Stopped that years ago. It's best to hike your hike like you said.

It's prolly worth mentioning that the trail is mostly a smelly sausage festival and should a hiker be a young female her odds of an easier hike are guaranteed and everyone will know who she is 200 miles South as well as they know her 200 miles North of where she's at at that moment. Word travels quick on the trail.

 

[birdsonthebat]

Any advice or information?!

Here are two recommendations: give yourself a trail name before sign in at amicoala and maybe you choose to start at springer since amicoala is just the approach trail and it's 8.3 miles I think. You're prolly gonna think it's hard and surely it'll get easier soon but it won't.

You're taking a risk on someone hanging ya with a trail name that might stick if you don't brand yourself first.

Always always always always sign in at every register even if you just sign your trail name and about the time of day you passed. Always sign those registers.

 

[MFB]

^^Your last bit is good to mention. The triple crown (PCT, CDT, AT) have all become soooo blown up. It's more like a summer camp than hiking. There's almost always ppl to ruin the serene moments between you and nature that are the reason most hike. I did the PCT right as that book Wild came out. It was packed.

I've taken to stringing smaller, less popular hike together to avoid the mess of people. Last year I did Sheltowee in KY (stop and see Mammoth Cave) and the Superior Hiking Trail in MN. Both beautiful hikes with way less traffic on the trail. Both highly recommended.

 

[birdsonthebat]

I don't recommend anyone does this one little trick of mine but I've never filtered/treated water and I've met maybe five or six others the whole time that didn't.

I've never been sick. Yet. I've drank some rancid shit too tho I always boil that stuff and mix it with coffee. I've met a few old timers that have lived alot of years without getting sick drinking untreated water. In the southern portion you'll easily get water and I only carry what I can drink in a few hours and I've been pretty thirsty a few times but I always knew water was just ahead. Over the long haul the less weight you carry the more miles you'll do.

I'm one of the few that doesn't use walking sticks so I'm telling you it's possible you too can hike without them. If you're a stick person save your money b/c people are forever walking off without their sticks. You'll get to pick from a nice assortment of Lexan drinking bottles so you can be picky about the ones you want to keep. clothes according to the weather are plentiful along the way.

Don't believe the hype about the work for stay you'll here plenty about. Maybe. I doubt it. Can't hurt to ask. None of the trail Towns are as friendly as they were. Some are Fucking hostile. Hot springs NC is a good example. It's just outside of Asheville. Trail Days, I live near Damascus, isn't what it was and I Skip it. Damascus doesn't really even want it to continue b/c it's gotten soooo far out of hand. I stopped going in 10 and it got it pretty out of hand that year. This past year some old dude plowed into a crowd of hikers and a whole bunch had their hikes ruined and it left a bad taste in the city fathers of Damascus. They'd be wise to just discontinue b/c for years they kept saying someone was gonna get hurt and they were right.

 

[Cheetahplasticity]

A vid on YouTube said that average ppl spend 3k on the trail and that some people do it with only 1 k. I don't expect to stay at any shelters that require payment, and I don't really plan on going to many diners. What should expect trying at this with 1k and an edibles book

 

[birdsonthebat]

Anonymous set the record for doing it on zero money and no cents and often this record has been replicated but never duplicated.

Or a dollar a mile.

 

[birdsonthebat]

You asked what you could expect tho...Hmmmm...I would expect to be almost broke after I walked out of the liquor store in Harpers ferry if I began with a grand.
You can do it on less and live well tho. You'll get alot of assistance along your route to Katahdin. Alot of people want you to get there so it's not really money that gets you to Katahdin but you're gonna want to hang out some too.

 

[birdsonthebat]

Geez guy you ain't gotta go paleo on the eats. It's a good thing to know but it's a choice. You'll get plenty of food along the trail.

 

[Cheetahplasticity]

I plan on having food in my pack I'd just like to extend it in case I need that money for a broken backpack strap I or something. Also it's just something I like to do.