[Dharma]

If you're not backpackers, talk to people who are, maybe at an outfitter like REI. Also the folks on whiteblaze.net are awesome.

Pack as light as you can.

One set of clothes for day time, one set of clothes for night. Two pair of socks. Bring a lightweight shell and pants... if you're not from the east coast... it WILL rain. There are gear lists on whiteblaze.

What section are you doing? If you've never backpacked, do something easy in the mid-atlantic states. Start at about 8 miles a day and work your way up. Don't try to keep up with the thru hikers, they are olympic level pack-mules by now, you'll hurt yourself and you hike will suck.

Most hikers's diets (calorie consumption) didn't change for about 2 weeks. You may tend to over-do your food in the beginning of your hike. You can always give it away to the thrus if you don't want to carry it to the next resupply.

You will never get sick of Snicker's Bars.

As far as what to eat, that's all personal preference. You want high calorie, low weight food. Always have a protein source, I recommend a few pieces of beef jerky everyday. Your peanut butter consumption will also add to that.

For breakfast I had two of those prepackaged danishes you can get at the supermarket or a gas station. They're about 500 cal. each and loaded with fat, carbs, and sugar. Oh, god, yum. For the weight, they're a delicious way to start the day and give the body tons for fuel to move with.

Have something for snacks like gorp, snickers bars, etc. You'll need little boosts along your way between meals.

For lunch I had bagels and peanut butter and/or nutella. Bagels can be crushed down small and will expand when you take them out. I would have two bagels for lunch every day. This is AFTER my diet changed. I could only eat one for lunch when I started. YMMV.

I cooked my dinner every night so I don't know exactly what non-cooked stuff people enjoy. Search whiteblaze. It will be there.

Multi-vitamin is a must. Everything you eat is going to come down to calories and bulk. After a while (might be more than a month) your body will crave fat. It's not a sedentary diet, but it's the diet that propels the body 15 miles a day with 30 lbs on it's back. Follow your cravings, the body knows what it wants.

Have good fitting boots/trail shoes. Duct tape (you should bring some) is the best holding blister-preventer out there. Most everything will not stick because feet sweat so much. Ask thrus for feet advice when you're out there. Check you feet when you stop for lunch/breaks. Head off problems before they start.

Don't party. It will burn through your money like wildfire and why're you in nature in the first place? To have the same experience as college with more trees around? No. Immerse yourself in the experience of the trail.

That was all stream of consciousness. Ask me any questions you wish.
Good luck and have a good hike.