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WanderingOak · 05-09-2009, 02:32 PM

First of all, be prepared for this trip! If you have never been hiking before, make sure that you can physically do the task. Break your hiking boots in before you leave. Be sure to pack a first aid kit, including benadryl. If you can, find a more experienced group to team up with. If you are going to school near the trail, check out the local trail club and see if they offer classes first. I used to live near a trailhead for the AT, and that far out in the boonies, cell phone coverage is extremely unreliable.

One thing that I would suggest is that if you are going to change your diet for the hike, it would be a good idea to do so a few weeks before the hike. That way, if there is any digestive unpleasantness, it will start to manifest BEFORE you are on the trail.

You are pretty much going to be working out every day while you are on the trail, so you will probably need to eat more than you would otherwise. Will you be packing all of your food for the trip, or picking food up along the way? A month's worth of food is rather heavy (esp. if you are going to be eating raw). Some hikers actually mail themselves food to be picked up at mail drops along the trail. A portable bottle filter would be a good idea, so you could collect water on the trail if necessary. You will not be able to carry more than a few days worth of water (less than 2 Liters per day and you risk dehydration), so you will need to plan your trip out in advance to ensure that you are able to get enough water.

Is there a reason why you would be hiking without a stove? I know the fuel could be heavy, but you won't even be able to boil water in an emergency. After a day of soaking rain, when it's fifty degrees at night, and half of what you are carrying is drenched, then any heat source would be welcome. If you don't have a stove, then you couldn't even brew a cup of hot tea. If weight or cost is your primary reason for traveling stove-less, then consider a solid fuel stove. The stove itself cheap (you can make one out of a can), and the fuel doesn't weigh much.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want you to understand what you are getting into here...

05-09-2009, 02:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
WanderingOak Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 845	First of all, be prepared for this trip! If you have never been hiking before, make sure that you can physically do the task. Break your hiking boots in before you leave. Be sure to pack a first aid kit, including benadryl. If you can, find a more experienced group to team up with. If you are going to school near the trail, check out the local trail club and see if they offer classes first. I used to live near a trailhead for the AT, and that far out in the boonies, cell phone coverage is extremely unreliable. One thing that I would suggest is that if you are going to change your diet for the hike, it would be a good idea to do so a few weeks before the hike. That way, if there is any digestive unpleasantness, it will start to manifest BEFORE you are on the trail. You are pretty much going to be working out every day while you are on the trail, so you will probably need to eat more than you would otherwise. Will you be packing all of your food for the trip, or picking food up along the way? A month's worth of food is rather heavy (esp. if you are going to be eating raw). Some hikers actually mail themselves food to be picked up at mail drops along the trail. A portable bottle filter would be a good idea, so you could collect water on the trail if necessary. You will not be able to carry more than a few days worth of water (less than 2 Liters per day and you risk dehydration), so you will need to plan your trip out in advance to ensure that you are able to get enough water. Is there a reason why you would be hiking without a stove? I know the fuel could be heavy, but you won't even be able to boil water in an emergency. After a day of soaking rain, when it's fifty degrees at night, and half of what you are carrying is drenched, then any heat source would be welcome. If you don't have a stove, then you couldn't even brew a cup of hot tea. If weight or cost is your primary reason for traveling stove-less, then consider a solid fuel stove. The stove itself cheap (you can make one out of a can), and the fuel doesn't weigh much. I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want you to understand what you are getting into here...