15 year Anniversary of a Northbound Completion - Fun Facts!

Mt Washington fun fact - I have climbed this peak four times.

Celebrating 15 Years!

It's hard to believe that we began this adventure on an early spring day on March 5th and finished on September 18, 2007. To commemorate the event, Blissful shares fun facts and tidbits from the journey.

Northbound Georgia to Maine

Average Miles per Day	10.30
Average Miles per Hiking Day	12.19
Average Miles per Week	72.09
Number of days in Trail Towns	33
Number of nights in a Shelter	50
Number of nights in a Tent	72
Number of nights in a Hotel	26
Number of nights in a Hostel	30
Number of nights in a House	23
Number of Day Hikes	12
Longest Day	22.90
Shortest Day	1.5
Number of Days over 20 Miles	8
Number of Days between 15-20	41
Number of Days between 10-15	85
Number of Days between 5-10	32
Number of Days between .1-5	14

"What was the Toughest Day on the AT?" For me, the day after I was sick with norovirus all night at Lakes of the Clouds hut in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. That ten-mile trek over the Presidential Range did me in. At Osgood tentsite, I collapsed and didn't move. My teen dude did it all -set up the tent, cooked, everything. 

"Did You See any Animals?"  A big 300-pounder bear in PA, and snakes galore. Not much, surprisingly. 

"Did We Ever Get Lost?" Yup. One day Paul Bunyan was lost for over five miles in Maine. He finally got a ride back to the real Appalachian Trail after realizing he was on a logging road going nowhere. He did not get into camp until 9 PM. Talk about one worried Mom!

"Did We Ever Want to Quit?" Sure. Me, in the Smokies. Paul Bunyan in PA. Paul Bunyan’s motivation was food. Pizza and a milkshake helped in PA. As did a kind caretaker who opened the concession stand in a park on a very hot day and got us cold sodas. For me, it was the friendly face of a fellow hiker with a Georgia twang who befriended me in the Smokies and kept me going.

"What Was our Favorite Trail Town?" I loved Gorham. After the rigors of the White Mountains going north and before the challenging Mahoosuc region, Gorham falls right at the place where one needs some rest and food. A bus out to the store made it easy to resupply. And friendly folks were there for transportation. Paun Bunyan even got a lift to visit an amusement park. 

Paul Bunyan Enters Hot Springs, NC

For Paul Bunyan, his favorite place was Hot Springs. Why? – “The people, the cool hostel we stayed at, and just the idea of walking into town, smelling like funk, but being welcomed as friends,” he says. That and I gave him spending money, and he loved it. 

My Favorite Food? On my northbound hike, I loved the pizza we got at the Mohican Trail Center and the turkey dinner with all the trimmings in Gorham.  

You can check out the Trail Journal Online

2007 northbound http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=1416

2010-2011 southbound http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=10306

                                    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=6655


OR better yet - Discover it all in the Book where you can read about north AND south adventures in one easy place!

  

In Print - Amazon and Barnes and Noble

E-book - Kindle  (only $4.99!) 

Holiday Hiking Challenge

The Blissful Hiking Fall/Holiday newsletter is out! 

Looking for a challenge? 

Tremper fire tower

In this edition we share some unique challenges - like the Catskill fire tower challenge and the challenge of a new wander in a different type of climate and terrain - the Florida Trail! 

Hunting safety issues for the hiker are reviewed. And we can’t forget a good Thanksgiving dinner trailside. 

Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail

After all – we should give thanks every day for our great trails and the people who give so much to maintain them. 

Read all about this and more as well as catch up on past issues. 

The sun sets on the Florida Trail

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Hiker Food Kinds of Stuff

Food! Probably one of the most important things a hiker thinks about. And hikers get HUNGRY. It's the nature of the high level of activity. Your body is using lots of calories, and in colder weather, calories to stay warm too. Muscles are getting torn to shreds by constant abuse and the need of good protein to heal. Food is a necessity, and good food is a requirement to keep the hike going.

But sad to say, a lot of hikers seem to think that they can hike huge miles subsisting on potato packs and ramen. Have you ever read the back of those packages and the nutrition they contain?
Zip, zero, zilch. Nothing. No protein. No vitamins and minerals. No bone and muscle preserving calcium.

And this is what your body is saying when all you eat is that stuff. "HEY!! How do you expect me to move for you if you don't feed me right?"

Good nutrition is a must on a long arduous hike in the wilds. A good balance of proteins, carbs and fats to make everything work in sync.

Okay, so how does one accomplish that on a hike? After all, you must carry what you eat. And thankfully its a lot easier then it was some 30 to 40 years ago. Reading Ed Garvey's book when he hiked in 1975, he had to carry little cans of tuna and chicken. Now we have foil packets that are light and easy to use. Canned chicken dried in a dehydrator makes a good addition to rice and couscous mixes. Ever been to any of those Mennonite or Amish farmer's markets? Especially if you plan to have some mail drops - they have fantastic dried foods for hiking - everything from well balanced trail mixes (salty, sweet and spicy) to dehydrated veggie flakes, couscous in various flavors, to soup bases, and even these highly concentrated tiny squares that when I eat one, boy it can keep me going for a good long while. Trader Joes and Whole Foods have a great selection of dried fruits (I have become partial to dried cherries of late). Target has Simply Balanced fruit strips with no added sugar, made of fruit puree (check the labels on the strips to make sure they are fruit based). Of course there are old standbys like PB and Nutella which give good protein and fats. Some hikers even carry olive oil when the weather is really cold to add fat to a diet. And of course bars are everywhere, from the Luna bars (which are actually pretty good and last a while; even my hubby liked it though they say nutrition for women which means nothing) to Cliff bars, Power Bars, and I like Nature Valley granola bars for crunch and also the Sunbelt bars pack a good carb punch for the weight. But all the bars tend to be heavy, so watch how many you carry.

These are typical foods stuffs I have had for my meals on the trail -

Breakfasts - Cliff bar, Pop Tarts (if I carry them I take Annies), oatmeal (when cold out, add dried fruit and nuts to fortify it), trail mix, granola bars, granola cereal, small bagel and PB, and usually I eat a piece of fruit like a the all natural fruit sticks from Target or simply dried fruit, granola

Snacks - trail mix (both salty variety and sweet, though I much prefer salty like sesame sticks, flax seed chips, cheese crackers), mixed nuts, mini candy bars, Snickers, sometimes a Power bar or Luna bar if I have a tough hike that day

Lunch - the small whole wheat bagels; I found the thin round sandwich bread then have now to be very packable, tortillas, pepperoni (put in a ziploc if hot out as it can get greasy), cheddar cheese, beef sausage, jerky (I make my own), PB, raisins

Dinner - I dehydrate beef mixtures and canned chicken to add to mixes. I dehydrate peas and green beans also to add to rice mixes. I use tuna packets. I used to use Knorr mixes that have FINALLY cutout the msg. I also make my own using good noodles, non MSG broth bases (look for them in health food stores), a little cornstarch as thickener, some spices to taste, and add in dehydrated veggies, chicken or beef. There is also couscous, a turkey dinner recipe, Annie's mac and cheese (much better than Kraft and you get more in the package. Bring some dried milk to add to it and noddle mixes.). I've gotten a pesto mix (watch for MSG though or dehydrate some bottled pesto) and added it to a bag of dried tortellini for dinner. If I eat Ramen, I discard the flavor packet and bring my own seasoning in a snack size Ziploc bag, and fortify it with dried peas and green beans and dried meat. I sometimes use the Mountain House / Backpacker Pantry meals, but they are pricey for long distance hikes. Dessert - Rice Krispy bar, Little Debbies oatmeal pie, packets of Oreos, snack size candy bars, etc

For more ideas and recipes on eating healthy while backpacking, check out my article at Mother Earth Living magazine.

Extra - take a good multi vitamin with iron if you're out for a long time. Some hikers use the kiddie gumdrop ones. I use ones I know are good from a Vitamin shop and are in my maildrops.

Trail Magic rocks! Especially fresh fruit.

Good wholesome food will keep you going and will help you enjoy the hike a whole lot more.

Gear List from an Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker

Other hiker gear lists 

You never can have too many to compare! Sharing this post from our files of an alternate gear list for an Appalachian Trail thru hike.

This hiker's start was in February, but keep in mind that winter conditions can persist on the trail all throughout the spring. So far its been wet out there for 2019, so prepare mentally as well.

A couple of people have asked for a gear list from my Thru Hike Feb 1^st.  The first couple of weeks were very pleasant. Then we had several days of snow and ice with temperatures below zero long

Triumphant finish.

about the Smokies.

Here is a summary:

I am using a well worn ULA Catalyst back pack. When I no longer need winter cloths I would switch to the smaller ULA Circuit pack. I bought a new ULA Catalyst when I got to Damascus. The old one served me well for thousands of miles. I never did use it this hike since I switched to my ULA Circuit pack for the rest of the trip to Katahdin

Western Mountaineering 20* ultra light down bag less than two pounds

Xped Neo Air regular sleep pad 16 oz - this pad worked out great. At twice the insulation value of a Z Rest. In the past I have carried a Neo and a Z Rest in winter or a Ridgerest and a z rest. This pad did the job at half the weight. A generous seat pad offers some backup protection.

Ready to go for the 2105 thru hike

Mont Bell bivi 9 oz
Jet Boil titanium SOL stove, I think its’ about 11 oz long handled Sea to Summit aluminum spoon
Flash hoody down jacket
Flash down pants
Mont bell 6 oz down jacket
Fleece jacket 200 weight
Golight tights
Patagonia silk weight top and bottom
EMS zippered v neck top
2 pair Darn Tough socks I will be wearing one pair of these socks and some other items depending on daytime weather
Running shorts, worn over tights or capilene as needed...rain pants are the only pants I carry
2 stocking hats one much thicker than the other
wind bloc pro balaclava
a couple of buff hats
touch screen light gloves, fingerless army wool gloves, thick thinsulate gloves
Rain wear: Marmot Super Mica jacket, REI elements rain pants, Rocky Goretex socks, Mountain Laurel rain mittens
Water: Sawyer filter, a couple of Gatorade bottles and a couple of Smart Water bottles, one pint size Nalgene serves as coffee cup or emergency hot water bottle. I did not use my Sawyer filter until the Smokies at a shelter with mostly ground water and no privy. Next time I plan to use Aquamaira during weather where the Sawyer filter might freeze and ruin. It’s a pain to try and keep the Sawyer from freezing so it just makes since to carry Aquamira until the weather warms up then switch to a Sawyer original not the mini.

Leki hiking poles, three folds of a Zrest pad for a generous sit pad. 
Suunto altimeter watch, whistle.

ELECTRONICS

Galaxy S5 phone amazing battery life in black and white mode, Anker 16000 mah E5 brick battery at 10 oz its as heavy as a brick but this is a luxury cruise, 5.5 volt 2 amp charger, headlight. I sent the Anker battery brick home with its fast charger. Instead I just carried 3 extra batteries for my phone @ about 1 ounce each. I found that I didn't care to play with my phone as much as I expected as it distracted from my immersion in nature. The spare batteries were more than enough for pictures, Guthook trail maps and an occasional movie the day before town.

Guthooks AT Hiker apps, I love electronic gadgets, 2015 Data Book this is what I hike with when I take a break I jot the time down next to my position in the Data Book this makes it easy to judge location, travel time/miles. For town planning and additional water spots I use both AWOL and ALDHA Companion and I have both in pdf format also. 

FOOD

I have packed 6.5 ‪#‎s food for 4 days the last day being mostly Ramen. Mostly I am eating Mountain House freeze dried food and Lipton sides that has been repackaged into ziplock freezer bags. I do not care for the Liptons by themselves without doctoring them up. Last year I got to liking 1/2 a freeze dried meal and 1/2 a lipton noodle and rice side mixed together. Boiling water is poured into the ziplock bag with the food after about 15 min I eat from the bag, no cleanup and little trash and no food smell in my stove. No stirring while cooking KISS keep it simple stupid makes for a happy Thru hiker.

This year I did not care much for the Liptons mixed with Mountain House. They are so so if you have a can of meat to add and maybe a handful of raisins. I gradually moved to not having a hot breakfast, just coffee and a honey bun or something similar. Just in the last month I finally started liking oatmeal, well Quaker super grains blend with at least a quarter cup of nuts and berries. So I expect I’ll eat that some for breakfast next trip.

I do not like Starbucks very much but I often use the Via's on trail for a good dose of caffeine. Lunch is about a pound of candy bars, peanut butter crackers, nuts, beef sticks, cheese, cookies that sort of stuff. Mostly I eat one of those items every hour and sit down for a few minutes. This trip I abandoned my Jardean method of eating every hour with a 5 min break. Instead we did a more conventional longer break every couple of hours.

WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS

While in town I evaluate expected weather etc for the next section hike to the next town. At NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center)  with -10* below zero weather approaching, I purchased a second pint Nalgene and an extra 7 oz can of fuel beyond what I expected to use. The extra Nalgene and fuel where great luxury items and I enjoyed many hot beverages and hot water bottles.

My brother and I held up at Fontana Resort a few days for the worst of the below zero weather and precipitation. The Smokies was officially closed, all trails and roads. Luckily they lifted the ban on hiking trails and we were able to cautiously continue our hike. Sure its only 35 miles to Newfound Gap and I have made that in two days of good weather. But if Newfound Gap road is still closed then its another 15 miles to Gatlinburg for resupply. On my 2012 SOBO I narrowly missed 6 foot of snow around Newfound/ Cingmans Dome from a predicted major storm, sometimes referred to as the Sandy Hook storm. There were lots of unprepared sobo hikers with no gloves, warm clothes or rain gear braving windy temperatures in the teens. They foolishly listened to Thru hikers from 2011 a very warm dry year. Luckily I have never had one of those years where there is a cold rain for six weeks straight but it happens. So we headed into the Smokies with a few days extra supplies and about twice the fuel that we expected to need. Moving shelter to shelter with additional snow each day. Yea Newfound Gap road was open.

Weather can be expected to be anywhere form 65* to - 10* day or night, rain, snow, ice, packed snow can all happen. Oh yea I have a pair of Yaktrax Pro for additional traction if needed. The Yaktrak Pro's have served me ok in the past and are definitely better than nothing. With hard ice (daytime highs in single digits) and off camber trail they offered only a little grip. We switched to Hillsounds brand light crampon and wore them for 90 miles including the Smokies. They worked great. You can pretty much count on the Smoky mountains to be a sheet of ice until spring. April before last it warmed up to 4* before I reached Newfound gap it was awesomely beautiful. I walked the road down from Clingmans Dome because the road was closed and I knew the views were much better than from the trail.

All that and 20 oz of water leaves me with a 30# pack.

Remember take all advice with a grain of salt or maybe a shot of whiskey 

Chase Davidson is a long time distance hiker starting in 1982 with over 19,000 lifetime miles including: IMT-87, AT-99, GG-99, ALT-00, HATT-00, LT-01, TT-01, ART-02, BMT-04, AT-06, JMT-11,
AT-12, FHT-13, Big-O-13. FT-14, AT-2015.

Related Blogs:

Top 5 Worries About Thru Hiking

Thru Hiking the AT on a Budget

Letter of a $1000 Thru Hiker

A Thanksgiving Recipe Trailside

When you are out hiking for days, weeks, even months on end, thoughts of food occupy your mind day and night. So it was on our adventure on the Appalachian Trail. Knowing you are burning upwards of 4-6,000 calories per day hiking, it's nearly impossible to carry that much food to satisfy your need for nutrition. And eating meals trailside, day after day, one looks for creative ways to get the calories you need and still eat a good meal. Check out this blog also for hiker food kinds of stuff.

Here is a typical day on the trail. We cooked over a tiny stove called a pocket rocket that ran on a canister. We made one pot meals to share. Since our pot came with a lid, I gave Paul Bunyan food in the lid and I ate out of the pot. The pot it made out of titanium, a great lightweight option for cooking. We liked the pocket rocket canister stove to cook our meals. A simple lexan spoon or a titanium spork ( a combo spoon with fork tines, my fav) works great as a utensil. 

Lobster trailside? Not quite, but I was invited to a hiker's home for the evening while I hiked the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The invite came as a total surprise, hence the name "trail magic." The hiker (or in this case, trail angel) rolled out the red carpet for me, including a dinner of lobster and wine. Wow, I was really living it up on the trail! Towns are a great place to resupply food needs and to get a good meal, especially if a hiker can nail an AYCE restaurant (all-you-can-eat).



Ready for a THANKSGIVING recipe? Yes, you can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner on the trail with this which Paul Bunyan and I enjoyed many times on the trail. It feeds two.

(This recipe is adapted from the The Appalachian Trail Food Planner by Lu Adsmond, published by the ATC)

1 can chicken, dehydrated (canned chicken dehydrates really well, believe it or not. Don't use real chicken, it's too tough to rehydrate).
1/2 packet chicken gravy mix (I like the organic variety without msg)
1/4 tsp salt (carry more for taste)
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
(put these ingredients in one snack size ziploc bag)

1 cup stuffing mix (I like Pepperidge Farm)
1 cup unseasoned potato flakes
(put these ingredients into another Ziploc bag)

When you get to camp, let pkg 1 sit in your pot filled with approx 3 cups of water to rehydrate as you make camp. Let it come to a boil, boil for 10 minutes. Put the pot in a pot cozy to keep warm. Add package number 2. Let stand a few minutes. Adjust seasoning and liquid to taste and consistency,
Wa la, Thanksgiving dinner on the trail!


Check out my 4,000 mile Appalachian Trail Adventure on Kindle and in paperback! Find out what a teen thinks about hiking with Mom and what it's like to be a solo adventurer! Makes a GREAT gift, too.  

   

Lightening that Backpacking Load

One of the things I love to do as a hiker advocate, educator, and ridgerunner is helping hikers eliminate unnecessary weight from their packs in what's called a pack shakedown. I had the opportunity to do this many times, and with good results. In one shakedown, the young hiker was dead tired after only four miles and ready to quit. Not only was that hiker carrying heavy items like a seven pound tent and a chair, but the backpack did not fit correctly either, and the hiker carried all the weight on the shoulders.

Make the right choices to lighten the load

Definitely a painful ordeal.

So what can you take out of your pack?

Most hikers tend to overkill in the area of food, toiletries, first aid,

etc. They take every part of a cook set rather than just the tools they need. Sometimes half the medicine chest is in the first aid kit. This hiker I helped had two 8 oz. fuel canisters for three days. Also many lightweight items can quickly add up to pounds. Eliminating these in rapid fashion decreases the weight and makes a hike more comfortable.

So let’s take a few of the above.

Food. A good rule of thumb is approx. 1 ½ lbs. of food per day. No need for cans. Check my blog on hiker food ideas to give you nutritious meals without the weight. Most hikers tend to take too much thinking they will be hungry with the exercise and fresh air. Many times the exact opposite happens. Unless one has been out long distance hiking, it takes time for the appetite to really kick in. Plan accordingly.

Toiletries. No need for deodorant, brush, shampoo. Ladies – you don't need makeup. If you are hiking long distance, chances are very good that hostels and motels have shampoo and soap. A few baby wipes can make you feel refreshed in camp (but pack them out!!). I have never felt the need to take a brush or comb.

Take only what you need for trail first aid. No need for splints, lots of big bandages, etc. 

Cooking. Many hikers take an overabundance of cooking gear to make simple meals. Honestly, all one needs for most meals is one pot and one Spork. No need for a plate, frying pan, or extra pots. And don’t forget a simple stove, like a pocket rocket version (there’s a cheap one on Amazon some have said works good) or a jetboil to cook. I’ve seen hikers struggle to cook meals over a fire with wet wood and go hungry. Substitute Smartwater or Lifewater bottles for a Nalgene bottle which saves some good ounces.  

Lifewater bottles have some cool designs

Lots of heavy bags, stuff sacks etc. can add extra ounces that add up to pounds. Simple, good quality Ziplocs make organization easy and you can see through the bags to help determine what you have. Cuben fiber is a great option for lightening the load. But do carry a good waterproof food bag for bear bagging. And make sure your clothing and sleeping bag are in good waterproof bags.

Electronics can get heavy. Bring only what you need. A phone in many instances can serve as a camera, music player, etc.  

Check your pack. Do you REALLY need that huge book? That chair?  Try cutting an old blue foam pad or ridgerest and plop it next to a tree. Or I use the Thermarest seat lite pad. Leave out the heavy knife, ax, and egg container. If you don’t think you will use it, don’t bring it.

Lastly, make sure your pack fits you right and you have packed it correctly. Make sure also you are using the waistbelt correctly.

Some links for each:

Packing a backpack along with a video

Fitting a backpack

Just few ideas to lighten the load and make for a happier, less painful trip.  

Review – Gomacro Bars

As a former nurse and now avid hiker, I am more conscious about what goes into my hiker food bag and into my body. Especially as I see hikers consuming empty calories and nutrition on their hikes. When they arrive home, their health deteriorates and more issues arise. Thus I am always on the look-out for nutritious ways to eat healthy on the trail.

I was given the chance to review the Gomacro bars. The company began with the family enduring what many do these days, the devastation of cancer, and their decision to eat healthier as a way of conquering this disease. After having good results with dietary changes, the company was born. They strive to create bars that are made of 100% plant based ingredients sourced from organic and non GMO farms. The bars are soy, gluten, and dairy free. They come in two sizes the Gomacro Macrobar and the Thrive and come in a variety of unique flavors, like blueberry lavender to chocolate peanut butter cup for the Thrive bars and cherries and berries and sesame butter and dates for the Macrobars.

I tried both the Thrive bars and the regular Macrobar on my recent backpacking trip. I ate a Thrive blueberry and lavender for a snack and instantly realized there was a big punch in a small sized bar. You can see the superfood ingredients jam-packed into the bar. Right off I tasted blueberry which was nice. But after eating a whole bar, I realized a half bar was plenty for me to feel satisfied. The bar provides decent energy and satisfied hunger for several hours. The next time I tried the Thrive, I only ate half a bar and that was plenty. So this bar goes a long way, and they only weigh 1.4 oz.

The Macrobars I used for breakfast. I noticed the outside of the bar was fairly oily, presumably so it doesn’t stick to the packaging, but I found it rather detracted from eating the bar. I could eat a whole bar and didn’t feel the fullness I did with a Thrive. The flavor was ok. It satisfied me for about two hours which is at least an hour better than I get from breakfast bars like Belvita. And I liked the idea I was eating something good for me instead of empty sugar-based calories.

All in all I like the Gomacro concept. I feel the Thrive bar is definitely worth putting into your hiker food bag. A little in that bar goes a long way, and at a mere 1.4 oz. a bar. I also like the idea I was putting wholesome nutritious food in my body so it could perform better on a hike and after the hike is done.

For more information, go to Gomacro

Our other product reviews

Possible Maildrop List for the Appalachian Trail

Possible places where you might send a maildrop for a northbound Thru Hike of the Appalachian Trail where good resupply for adequate nutrition is challenging, very limited or can be pricey. Or if it's real easy to get a drop too (some POs are right on the trail). See below for some Southbound options.



Neels Gap, Ga - Outfitter at Mountain Crossings but there is some resupply here

Outfitter at Natahala Outdoor Center - NOC (there is a small store but resupply is meager)

Fontana Village before the Smokies (or if staying at the Hike Inn, there - have offered shuttles to town). Watch PO open times, they can vary and frustrates hikers.

Possibly Standing Bear Farm out of the Smokies but there is also resupply there

Kincora Hostel

Bland, VA (will need a hitch)

Glasgow, VA (store here, but unsure of what they have. rather long haul from Daleville to Waynesboro if you skip it)

ATC at Harper's Ferry - opened seven days a week, but until 5 PM

Delaware Water Gap, PA - PO right near the trail

Fort Montgomery NY

Salisbury, CT ( I sent here, there is a store but it was pretty pricey)

Dalton, MA - just a convenience store, and PO is convenient

Inn at Long Trail unless you take the bus into Rutland, VT

Hanover, NH  (may be sending cold weather gear here to for the Whites. There is the food co-op but it is pricey. PO is convenient)

Glencliff, NH (cold weather gear for sure and send some food too)

Crawford Notch  (I sent mine to Highland Lodge, need a hitch though)

AMC center at Pinkham Notch

Andover, ME has a small store but you might send.

Stratton, ME - motel there or the PO

Caratunk, ME  - friendly PO

Monson, ME - store closed, send a box

Southbounders can do it the opposite direction but the store at NOC will likely be closed or very limited stock, so need a drop there. Also there is usually no transportation to Fontana Village for the PO. Might consider instead resupplying in Gatlinburg in the middle of the Smokies to get you to NOC. Also, your colder weather gear will need to be picked up by early October - possibly somewhere in VA.

Check out these other Blogs on Mail Drops and Advice

Postal Advice for Mail Drops
What Goes Into Mail Drops
AT Grocery Listing of Good Stores 

Guest Blog: Letter of a $1000 AT Thru Hike

Enjoy this guest blog from "Sleepwalker" on how he did his AT (Appalachian Trail) thru hike for $1000!

Greetings from the ether. 

My trail name is Sleepwalker, for obvious reasons. I’m a trail Legacy as my father thru hiked also.

This also means I grew up knowing about the AT and backpacking in general. I didn’t like it much as a kid, but I think that was because I was being forced, because as soon as I went out a few times on my own or with friends, I discovered a thorough joy for it. I was getting bored of college or maybe I was just lazy. Either way, I decided I wanted a reason my parents could appreciate to take time off and hiking sounded reasonable to me. Since I had money saved up, I was fortunate enough to be able to decide to do a thru hike the December before I left. I’m 20 at this point in time so money saved up means I had around $1000 to spare. Now most people would say this isn’t enough, but I did a lot of math (which I’m not horrible at) and I kept coming up with the same answer: this IS possible.

I already had a lot of the gear I needed from growing up in a hiking family so my expenses pre-trail were low. In fact the only things I had to get were a sawyer squeeze ($50), a tent ($100) and a cook kit ($10). Living in Pennsylvania, having family in Harrisburg, and going to school at Shippensburg (yeah, you missed it if you thru hiked) gave me great confidence that even if I didn’t finish, I’d at least be able to hike home and be alright. Of course this is a hilarious joke, because I wasn’t going to fail. I’m not the type of person who could tell all their friends and family that I was going to do something epic and then fall short. 

When I got dropped of at Springer Mountain I was super confident. When I reached the NOC, I started to get worried. I was eating too much money and my mile-droppings weren’t large enough. Financially and temporally (oh, yeah I started on May 15th) I was not going to succeed. Well, for better or for worse, my hiking partners dwindled to none by Fontana Dam. I decided the day Gandalf left me there that I was just going to blast up that damn hill and run to Katahdin and make it anyway. Turns out that’s a mighty climb and for someone who had only slept in a bed once since starting, my 20 year old bod got pretty worn out. Luckily there were two more things that kept me going: Ramen noodles and Argo. Since I only had $1000 to do the hike on, Ramen was pretty much what I ate, day in and day out. I must say, going in for a resupply and having to budget really isn’t easy. I wish I could lay out a solid plan as to what you can really afford to eat with that little money, but that solid plan will come out the other end anything but solid. 

Ramen, pepperoni, mashed potatoes, raisins, granola bars, oatmeal, crackers, cheese, tortillas, knock off pop tarts, the occasional live chicken and before you do the shopping, take a half gallon of chocolate milk to pound town. Now even with that you must be wondering how to make the rounds. Well I may or may not have shoplifted two whole pizzas from a pizza buffet in Pearisburg, Virginia after eating my fill. Some other less than elegant things I had to do include: raiding the hiker boxes for hopefully not so expired food, working for stay… everywhere, carrying someone else’s pack on top of mine in exchange for food, and smiling a lot. I’m a food whore, I admit it. Naturally you have the startup energy that just living uses up so ideally you also need to make a thru hike take less time because you’ll need to eat more the longer you take. This is where Argo comes into play! It turns out when you’re a 20 year old, rarely seeing women, and you’re horny as hell, the promise of a “fine lookin’ thru hiker lady up ahead” can really get you moving. Who would have known? I eventually caught up to her and some other May starters who were also moving fast and I must admit, their companionship was a great motivator for me. I never felt like quitting but my fast pace was certainly not easy, even for me and great hikers were what kept me trucking. If I were to summarize the keys to doing a thru hike cheap, they would be:

1.    Hike fast

2.    Eat cheap food aka hiker box food

3.    Make friends

4.    Work for stay everywhere

5.    Become someones trail slave

6.    Become a breatharian

I hope this can help someone who doesn’t think they have the funds for the funs on the AT change their mind. I ended up paying for some hostels and I used some money on gear that broke. Your gear might not. I could see someone totaling $700. It’s also crucial to keep your mind in the right place. The beginning is very discouraging, but trust me, if you really want Katahdin, you will get there!

Much love,

Sleepwalker

Related Bog:

Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail on a Budget 

Guest Blog Gives Reasons to Try Freeze Dried Food on your next Hike

Guest Blog: 5 Reasons Why Freeze-Dried Food Is Perfect For Hiking

By Chett Wright, Food Storage Expert

           For all the avid hikers out there looking for a food solution for those long hikes, this article is for you. These top 5 reasons will help you to think ahead before your next hike and realize what type of food best fits your needs for hiking.

Hiker Nutrition: Dehydrating Foods to Add to Meals

I must admit I get alarmed sometimes by what hikers choose to eat while on long distance hiking trips. From plain noodles to Ramen to mashed potatoes, it's the same old, carb loading meals with little nutritional value. Backpacking meals don't have to be nutritionless, boring or expensive. With just a little time and a food dehydrator, you can dry meats and veggies to add to your ho hum rice and noodle dishes and make them not only yummy but good for you when you are out hiking those long miles.

It begins with a good dehydrator. I use the Nesco Snackmaster that has various temperature settings for the foods you wish to dehydrate. It comes with several trays and the noise level is minimal. Plus dehydrating is quick and easy.

Dehydrating meats is simple. Want to add chicken to your dishes? You can! Canned chicken, that is.  It dehydrates and best of all, rehydrates well. Open the can, pour off the broth, and break up the chunks. They will resemble thread-like pieces. Spread them out on the trays. When crisp, package into Ziploc snack bags to add to your favorite Knorr Rice dishes, couscous, etc.

To dehydrate beef for meals, buy a good lean cut. To make a beef puree to fortify your dishes or to make trailside beef stroganoff, add 1/2 cup soy sauce to 1/2 lb trimmed beef, cut up. Marinate for 15 minutes, add 2 1/2 cups of water and boil until tender. Puree in a blender with 1/2 cup of liquid. Spread on a jelly roll pan and dry in a 150 degree oven for 4 hours, stirring at times. It is done when crisp. Package in snack size Ziplocs and store in the fridge or in freezer until you need them. (Recipe obtained from "The Appalachian Trail Food Planner" by Lou Adsmond).

To add veggies to your dishes - 

   Start with frozen bags of vegetables from the grocery store. Peas and green beans dehydrate and rehydrate well.

 You can thaw them ahead of time or just place frozen on the trays (they will dry anyway). Spread the veggies on trays, make sure they are separated. When veggies are crinkly and not soft, they are dry.

 Package up your meats and veggies into Ziploc bags to add to dinners on the trail. I put these in my mail drops.

When you arrive at camp for the night, a good trick is to let your dehydrated food sit in water for about half an hour in the pot while you set up your camp. Then when it comes time to cook, the meat and veggies are already partially rehydrated and the cook time for the rice and noodles makes it ready to go without wasting fuel.

Now you have a good way to add needed protein and vitamins to otherwise starchy rice and noodle mixes. And it sure beats the cost of those pricey dehydrated backpacker meals.


Previous blogs on the topic:  Maildrops  Hiker Foods  Dehydrator Food Recipes

Good Grocery Stores Appalachian Trailside

To supplement the mail drop list I decided to include this listing of towns with larger grocery stores where you can buy food that might fit your different needs on a long distance backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. 


Hiawasee, NC

Franklin, NC

Robbinsville, NC (Before the Smokies. They will shuttle from the Hike Inn)

Erwin, TN

Pearisburg, VA

Daleville, VA

Waynesboro, VA

Front Royal, VA

Take a bus to Charles Towne Wal Mart from Harper's Ferry (schedules at the ATC center)

Waynesboro, PA (need hitch)

Duncannon, PA (usually they offer rides from the Hotel as the walk there is dangerous)

Port Clinton (new Wal Mart there as well as a Chinese Buffet)

Palmerton, PA

Vernon, NJ (try to get a ride from the Farmer's Market, hitching is illegal in NJ)

Kent, CT

Salisbury, CT is ok (but expensive)

North Adams, MA

Bennington, VT if you can get a hitch, but it's a haul. 


Manchester Center, VT (need a hitch)


Rutland, VT (take a bus)

Hanover, NH (the co op is there right on the trail, real cool but pricey)

Lincoln, NH (need a hitch)

Gorham, NH (can hitch from Pinkham Notch and  where the AT crosses out of the Carter / Moriah Range)

If you can find what you need at Dollar General type stores then there is no need for drops or extra food at Hot Springs, Damascus and Bland.

Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail on a Budget

Blissful Hiking welcomes a guest blog post by "Biscuits" who just completed his thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2012. He offers advice on how to have a cheap but memorable thru hike.

I completed the trail this year 2012 northbound from 3/22-7/23 (4 months 1 day with 10 zeros). Yes, I went kind of fast. Not because I had to, but because that was my pace. I spent under $2600. This $2600 includes everything from getting off the plane in Atlanta to stepping off the plane in Dallas. This was done with zero maildrops. I purchased all my food on the trail. I recommend starting the trail with $4000+ but that does not mean you have to spend it all.
Hiker hostel in Georgia ($80), includes dinner, breakfast, pickup from airport, drop of at Amicalola State Park

First, What the $2600 does not include: starting gear, plane ticket to Atlanta, first 4 days of food.

What $2600 bought me:
$150 spent on 2 pairs of new shoes, $50 on 3 new pairs of socks, $40 for superfeet, $35 raft at NOC, other on trail gear purchases (aqua mira, etc.), and around $300 for bus/plane ticket home from Boston.
~$575 on gear/trip home

I stayed in hostels all the time and a few hotels which I always shared (all prices subject to change for 2013): Bold - likely to be around in 2013 Non-bold - unlikely to be available in 2013 ? - unsure of price

Green Mountain Hostel in Vermont

1. Ron Haven's Budget Inn Hiawassee (split 4 ways, my share $16), a cheap rundown hotel
2. Elmers in Hot Springs ($36), beautiful 1800's Victorian Mansion, $20 bed 2x per room, $10 dinner, $6 breakfast
3. Uncle Johnnys Erwin ($8), $8 to tent, Not worth it in my opinion. Included shower and towel. Should have swam in the river 10 feet outside of the hostel and tented out of town
4. Kincora x3 ($15 total), Donation based, lots of AT heritage, bed, shower, laundry
5. The Place Damascus, VA x2 ($12 total), Donation based, bed/shower
6. Vicar's House (free)
7. Holy Family Church Hostel Pearisburg, VA ($5?), Donation based, bed (note - this will be closing in September)
8. 4 Pines Hostel ($5), Donation based
9. Trail Angel's house in Daleville, VA (free)
10. friends house Waynesboro VA (free)
11. Trail Days tent city Damascus x2 ($5 total)
12. Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel ($20?) bed, shower, laundry
13. Trail Angels House D.C. from Harpers Ferry x2 (free)
14. Ironmasters Mansion Hostel Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA ($20?) bed, shower, dinner
15. Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse Boiling Springs, PA (split 2 ways, my share $20) $40 room is thru hiker rate includes bed and shower. Is a ritzy upscale penthouse for the retired rich. Food is extra but sooooo worth it. AYCE seafood was amazing for $13. Breakfast was also AYCE.
16. Jail House Hostel Palmerton, PA (free) Bed
17. Red Carpet Inn Wind Gap, PA (split 3 ways, my share $20) bed/shower
18. Church of the Mountain Delware Water Gap x2 ($10 total) Bed/shower, donation based
19. High Point Country Inn (split 2 ways, my share $20) Nice hotel. bed/shower. $7 laundry.
20. Clarence Fahnestock State Park, NY (tented free with showers etc.)
21. Bearded Woods hostel Falls Village, CT ($50) $50 includes bed, shower, dinner with first beer on house, Breakfast. Nicest place I stayed on the trail. New for 2012.
22. Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA (free for thrus) bed
23. Toms house in Dalton, MA (free)
24. Green Mountain Hostel Manchester Center, VT ($20) bed, shower, laundry, free Ben & Jerrys
25. AMC Huts in the White Mountains, NH x3 (work for stay) bed, leftovers
26. White Mountain Lodge and Hostel Gorham, NH ($20?) bed, shower, laundry, breakfast
27. Trail Angel House Rangely, ME (free)
28. Northern Outdoors Caratunk, ME (split 4 ways, my share $20) bed, shower, hot tub, game room, coin laundry
29. Tented at Hiker Haven (free)
30. Abol Bridge Campground, ME ($10)
31. Appalachian Trail Lodge and Cafe Millinocket, ME ($25) bed, shower, laundry

~$437 for hostels and hotels, I stayed at a few more campgrounds that I can not remember that were around $5 each (showers/elec). A total of 32 stays some double and triple nights with 124 days on the trail, so roughly a bed/shower/laundry every 4 days. The biggest reason however for staying at a hostel was they typically included rides into town for groceries when stores were outside of reasonable walking distance.

$2600-$575-$437= $1588
~$1588 is how much I spent on food/fuel/consumables.
On the trail I typically carried around 4 days of food. Through the Smokies I carried 5 days of food. From NJ to Mass I carried around 2 days of food. The deli's from NJ to Mass are amazing other than paying $1 for fruit!
This averages to ~$13 a day, or better ~$40 for 4 days of food from the grocery + ~$10 at a restaurant. This is actually really close to receipt purchases. In the south before the appetite hit I was spending around $30 at the grocery stores. In the northern sections I was eating more and the price of food went up, so I was spending around $50.

Trail Food: Breakfast consisted mostly of pop tarts. In the earlier colder sections I had oatmeal and cream cheese + bagels too. Cream cheese did not survive in the summer. Cereal bars were amazing but more expensive compared to pop tarts.
Lunch consisted of salami/cheese, or peanut butter/chocolate, or tuna on sandwich thins/tortillas.
Dinner consisted of tuna, chicken pouches, lipton sides, mac n cheese, peanut butter sandwich thins, cheese, salami, couscous, instant mashed potatos, stuffing etc. I ate ramen a max of 5 times.
Snacks: bars, M&Ms, raisins, mixed nuts, peanuts, almonds, fruit, chocolate, cookies, little debbies (not often), mixed fruit, gummies

Some further break downs. Out of that ~$1588 food budget I ate ~$500 (120 days x 4 per day x ~$1 each) in bars (power bars, cliff bars, luna bars, kind bars, etc.). I ate somewhere around $150 in pop tarts.

In my opinion I splurged often and enjoyed myself. Plenty of comfortable nights and good food. Sometimes even at nicer sit down restaurants and an occasional AYCE (all you can eat). I enjoyed my hike and I have no regrets not spending more money. I got to see Washington D.C. (on Memorial Day btw), and everything else the trail had to offer. Admittedly I would have liked to see NYC, but the opportunity was not logistically simple enough. AT train only runs on weekends 

So what does this all mean or "some tips for spending less"?

• If I did the average 6 month completion date I would have spent around $3400 if everything went perfect (no broken gear). I saved myself $800 spending 2 less months on the trail. Walk faster or walk longer (get up early or walk later into the day, spend less time eating lunch, maybe even eat lunch on the go)
• If I varied my diet less and consumed cheaper food (peanuts instead of bars, off brand pop tarts, more ramen) I could have easily saved a lot of food money. ~$100 saved eating only ramen, ~$300 saved eating peanuts instead of bars, etc.
• If I only went to donation based hostels and did not donate I could have saved $437.
• Don't pay to set up your tent. You can save that money by walking out of town and setting up your tent.
• Do not splurge on activities if money is tight. Rafting was incredibly fun, but I would not have gone if it would break the bank.
• If money is an issue avoid tourist traps (Gatlinburg, D.C., NYC etc.)
• Don't buy new gear until you have properly worn out your current gear. I bought 2 pairs of shoes at the same time to save on shipping when my first pair died. I never needed the third pair because the second made it barely to Katahdin.
• Maildrops have their pros and cons. They may save you money.
• Some towns cater to hikers. I got free food, free lunch, free drinks etc. The guide book has most of these, but sometimes trail rumors and registries can hold some gems.
• People are nice. They may offer you some serious trail magic if they notice you are thru hiking and live close by. Be courteous and people will open their doors for you.
• Hiker boxes can contain just what you were looking for. Hit them before going shopping.
• If you hike with others and they receive maildrops hit them up before they drop any extras in the hiker box.
• Double nero instead of taking a zero. Short walk into town, sleep in town, leave town late next day and don't walk far out of town. Spend money for 1 night in hostel/hotel instead of 2 nights for a zero.
• Take your zeros at cheap hostels instead of expensive ones.
• Share hotels with other hikers
• Don't pay for slackpacking.

I personally don't think you can hike the trail under $1500 anymore. It might be possible with some serious frugal tendencies (dumpster diving), starting overweight to consume less while still hiking fast, and luck. Even if you did I think at some point you need to consider if doing so will be detrimental to the experience. If not, all the power to you. In the end, you need to hike your own hike. Use every tip I have and hike as cheap as possible, hike similar to me and splurge now and than, or don't and hike like a king. Just enjoy yourself and hike safe.

Related Blogs:
Northbound vs Southbound - the Beginning
Northbound vs Southbound - the Social Aspects
Northbound vs Southbound - Resupply
Observations of a Two Week AT Start