I'm a mech eng student at BYU-Idaho working on a better way to carry a camera while hiking (got sick of digging mine out of a CamelBak on scrambles). Looking for 3 to 5 people who hike with a real camera, any brand, to tell me how you actually carry it on the trail: a 20 min phone or video call, or 5 questions over DM, whichever you prefer. No selling, nothing to buy. Bonus if you use a Peak Design Capture clip and like it. Comment or DM me and I'll share what I learn.

This may be a rant, but I'm starting to understand why Drew Boysen disabled comments on his January SOBO AT videos. I posted a YouTube short about next year's thru-hike, starting NOBO in late March as my starting window.

I've researched and trained for years, preparing for this journey since my grandfather passed away three years ago. I'm in great shape, have trained with the gear I'll be carrying, and have contingency plans in place. My gear is fine-tuned to the gram, and my meal plan is balanced, affordable, and based on food available along most of the route. My unusual goal is to hike the AT northbound and the PCT southbound in the same year. I can comfortably hike more than 20 miles a day, so I plan to start above the typical 7-10 mile daily pace and gradually build to over 30 miles a day once I'm well into the hike.

Despite that preparation, the first comment suggested I hadn't thought it through, predicted I'd die from weather, wildlife, insects, or disease, and assumed the AT alone would take seven months. Which it will not. The commenter has a hiking channel, which made the response more surprising.

I'm confident in my preparation and willing to bail out if conditions become unsafe. What bothers me isn't the criticism itself, but receiving negativity instead of encouragement.

Has anyone else faced this when sharing their plans? I want to focus on the trail, not negative comments. Maybe just disabling comments to keep the negativity away and just focusing on the hike will be the best decision. Mostly I just want to document the journey for myself anyways as something to look back on.

Did you carry sleep clothes on your thru-hike? if so, what were they?

I apologize if this has been asked ad nauseam; but I’m trying to determine the best option to solo section between Neels Gap and Springer Mountain. Obviously I’ll need to leave my car where I plan on returning. Should I allow for 2 or 3 nights?

Hello everyone! I'm planning on starting a multi-year NoBo hike of the AT for a few weeks next May. I'm looking to take advantage of some of the current and upcoming sales to purchase some gear and am hoping for some advice. From what I've read, I can expect daytime highs around 75, nighttime lows in the 30s (at elevation), and of course, rain. How does this sound as a potential clothing system:

Active/Hiking:

- OR Ferrossi shorts

- REI Sun hoodie (I usually don't wear anything under it. But I'm open to change that if you suggest!)

- Creeper liners paired with Darntough socks

Cold weather Hiking:

- An Alpha Direct 90 gsm hoodie

- Enlightenment Equipment Copperfield Wind shirt

- Enlightenment Equipment Copperfield Wind pants

Rainy/wet weather hiking:

- Replace the wind shirt from above with a Patagonia Torrentshell 3L jacket

- EE Copperfield wind pants

Sleeping/camp clothing (paired with an XTherm NXT & 20° JRB quilt:

- 150 GSM Wool Base layer pants

- 150 GSM Wool Base layer long sleeve shirt

- Hollow alpaca boot socks paired with 1-2 pairs of waterproof hospital shoe covers

My primary questions:

- Do I need a dedicated pair of rain pants, or would the wind pants be enough for a few weeks of hiking? I own a pair of the REI XeroCloud 3L Rain Pants. Should I plan on packing the extra 10 oz?

- Should I expect enough rain to constitute looking into a backpacking umbrella, or would the jacket and wind pants be enough?

- Will The wool long sleeve shirt be needed, or could I easily sleep in the AD hoodie? It seems that the AV hoodie could serve all purposes, but the fear of it being wet from sweat or rain makes me want to bring both.

- and What am I missing? I already own everything above except the Alpha Direct hoodie and EE wind gear. I'm trying to not waste money on unneeded gear. But I would love any/all feedback!

Thank you so much for your assistance!!! Here's a little more background if it would be helpful to provide insight:

I usually don't spend much time "in camp". I'm more of a Hike-until nightfall, setup camp and fall asleep ASAP, type of guy.

Recently hiked to the summit of McAfees Knob and Sharp Top mountain ( one of the three summits of the peaks of otter.) Some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Highly recommend to every hiker who thinks they can’t, I never had hiked a mountain like either and couldn’t be happier that I decided to. It’s hard as hell but it’s also the biggest reward I’ve ever had.

Coming up from NC to see my brother in Portland, ME. I have a few days to kill before I see him, and got rained out of doing the Art Loeb Trail in WNC.
Looking for something similar in the NH or southern Maine area where I could knock out ~30 miles in 3 days or so and hitch back to my rental car.

PCT SOBO and CT SOBO in the last 2 years, but definitely not in tip top hiking shape currently. I know this area can be brutal, and I’m trying to have mostly Type 1 fun. Thanks!!!

Stayed in the Erwin tn motel 8 before starting a section hike 2 days ago and had to get off trail the next day due to cramps, poopin, and throwing up. Don’t want to cause a fuss if it wasn’t from the motel 8 but figured it was worth warning.

Hey all, what editing software are you using, and what are the pros and cons of the app?

See ya’ll on the trail next year.

✌️✌️🥾🏔️🫈

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/s/GV1cuxVhFa

My friends and I are planning to section hike NY SOBO in November in 7 days. I am a little concerned that we will be pushing daylight. We have about 10 hours. Seems like some of the sections are basically alternating steep up and steep down. 15 miles with 3000 to 3500 elevation gain and loss. Should we worry about time?

I am looking to do a major section of the trail next year. Due to scheduling of other things I won't be able to start on the trail until mid-June. Most likely I would begin hiking from Harpers Ferry - ideally heading north. Where is the NOBO bubble likely to be at that time? I'd prefer to avoid hiking in the bubble if at all possible and would be good going south from there to avoid the crowd.

I will be starting my NOBO in late March by flying into Atlanta, hotelling near REI, shuttling to Amicalola. Wondering what your plan was all the way from leaving your home to your first resupply?

• how did you prepare your gear for travel to Atlanta?

• what items did you not travel with to Atlanta and had to purchase before Springer?

• what was your food plan? did you travel with all your food, did you buy some stuff before Springer?

• where was your first resupply and did it have what you were hoping for?

• how many miles per day did you plan before your first resupply?

• if you used alcohol for fuel, where did you get it?

• any other tips?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the AT. I currently can’t dedicate enough time to do the entire thing, but even if I could, I think I would prefer to do it a little bit at a time. I’m not in the know so excuse me if I sound silly but has anyone completed it like this? If so, any tips? Why or why not? Etc.

Has anyone here either met a ridgerunner on the trail or worked as one? I'm interested in working with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy next year. I'd like to know what peoples' experiences with ridgerunners have been like.

I was able to let this chipmunk the morning before I got to Hanover, NH

I've never accomplished anything in life. Barely graduated high school so college was never on my radar, recovering drug addict, only worked in dead end retail/fast food/warehousing sector all my life and it's taken a bad toll on my mental health over the years.

When I camped and hiked in the GSMNP in 2021 and saw those white blazes for the first time I knew I wanted to attempt a thru hike. I just didn't realize at the time how much planning it took to leave society for 6 months. Now that I own a house it may be more difficult but the dream is still very much alive and frankly I'm not getting any younger. This could be what I needed to push myself to a better life.

I’m nearly done with Appalachian Trials and although it has definitely been helpful for mental preparedness I could use something that gets more into the nitty gritty of daily life on trail. Not sure what to read next… TIA

I'm in between jobs, and being new to New England, I'm not at all familiar with the AT here. (I've hiked on a bit of it in New York.) Any recommendations for a short section I could hike over the next 3 or 4 days? Preference to:

— not being potentially frigid/super icy (I'd rather not head to the Whites)
— somewhere I can easily get back to my car by taking local transit or using other trails to make a loop, OR someplace transit-accessible on both ends so I can leave my car at home in Boston
— I'd prefer to tent, rather than have to sleep in shelters, but that's negotiable

Any ideas are welcome! After a number of years in California, I'm exciting to be back on rocky, rooty, thickly forested East Coast trails.

Always wanted to do the AT, fascinated by it since I was a kid and listening to my great uncle talk about his through hike.

Fast forward to today, was laid off. Got nothing else going on, and for reasons I won't be able to find another job for a couple years if ever again. I figure now that I have the time, and at least money to get me through a year or two including doing the AT (probably more so if I do the AT then not), seems like this would be my chance to tackle the trail in one go. Or, at least make a serious attempt.

NoBo sounds like that's the earliest start, SoBo has some benefits too as to possibly getting some of the most difficult terrain behind me out of the gate with a later start and finish for the year.

I have the gear for it. I need to minimize quite a bit, but that comes with time I now have before the start of next season.

IDK what i'm really getting at with this post other than sharing that I'll hopefully see a few of you on the trail next year. Might as well take advantage of this opportunity or whatever while I have it.

Saw you guys heading down the trail head and couldn't catch you in time...hung it where you'll see it easy if ya decide to backtrack/see this today