Maps, guide books, online resources, retail reps etcetera how does one plan a journey greater than a weekend in length? This is not a definitive guide. This will be how have I done it, what I've done differently over time, and how I think I can improve on it.
Some of my starting points is why or how come, why do it. I know many who turn a nose up on sleeping on the floor yet alone on the grass in a park so would they be interested in spending a month or even a night on the ground, in the dirt, far away from any man made structure? Yeah, let's not go there. Rather enter my world, I was introduced to it at a young age. (Mom if you can find one of those first camping trip photos please add it to the comments.) I first entered backpacking as a Weblos Scout (image hidden in May 2014 postings) young, lacking experience, with only 11 miles to hike, down hill over 2 nights. It sucked. The before and after photos show why, also buried in another post. Though it sucked when offered to do it again, I jumped in. A neighbor/Scout Dad offered to take a few of us up into the Wasatch and Uinta's years later. Every trip, every hike, a learning experience. Even carrying a wet sleeping bag for 2 days because of poor tent placement was fun, after the fact. That trip I also decided never to share a tent again as my buddy had the tent and I got to camp first, found a spot, placed my pack there, went fishing, came back, and another tent was set where I'd wanted to be, <insert frustration comments>. Now poor placement is my own fault, no one elses.
I did some weekend backcountry overnighters when working in Yellowstone NP with borrowed gear. I did a few sleep under the trees in Shenandoah NP. Shenny holds a special place as that's where the seeds of thru-hiking was planted, even though I heard about the AT while in the Everglades. Do you see about theme yet? Even when serving with Mercy Ships I got out hiking, maybe not camping but once on Cheju Island, Korea.
About 15 year ago, with plenty of weekend available and mountains near by I resumed hiking which lead to backpacking which lead to saving money/spending money for gear. The seeds planted in Shenny grew into a thru-hike. What started out as a day dream became a plan which gathered Internet searches and books.
The AT, honestly, does not need a map. I didn't carry one. I left the wall maps with parents and friends for them to follow. I did carry the Appalachian Guide Book by David "AWOL" Miller so I knew when and where the next shelter, town, and water sources were. Knowing I could cover up to 15 miles a day in the Uinta's, I placed my logical day at 15 miles a day. I looked at resupply as being 3 to 5 days apart with an extra day in the food bag. Truth is, on many resupply days, I walked into town with 2 or more days of food remaining. I held this as a constant for the majority of the way since Rodeo, another hiker, had run herself short on food even before hitting the NC stateline. I carried her worry with me as a fear I'd run out too. Mentally, I approached the AT as a series of weekends strung back to back. Knowing the completion rate, I didn't even plan the New England section or how to get home. Food planning, I didn't learn the gallon bag trick until after hitting Virgina. I learned this from CT another hiker who failed the AT the year before, yet had the PCT already under his feet. CT said he put all his rations in one bag for each day this way when he got to town he knew exactly what he needed to get. Once I started doing this, I got a handle on how much of each product I got. Previously there were times, I had way to much oatmeal or way to many not power bars (of which I'd overload again) or a few to many pasta sides while vine bags of instant spud mix. When I set up my meals, today for weekends, I do the same, everything for a day in one bag. On the TRT last year I ran out of coffee because I robbed the next day's rations for coffee once or twice. Now I have a separate bag for the daily drinks, spices, and wet one wipes.
So far I've covered how I got into it, what I think I can hike in a day, and how to get a handle on my daily food. I haven't hit which foods or how do I chose the next journey.
There are vast opinions on food, hiker nutrion, etc online. I know being out of shape my body will consume more calories out of inefficiency. Once in shape my body will consume less. Initially, I'll burn 6000 calories per day, efficiency of calorie burning will hit about week 4 and at that time will drop to around 4500 per day. With a weight budget of 2 pounds of food per day, I try to pack as much punch as possible, not only in calorie count but in nutrion and a few extra salts, not sodium. Insert disclaimer, I AM NOT A NUTRITIONIST, I have no dietary training background. I've found nuts and nut butters to pack a punch for me. Peanut butter packs the most calories per ounce than any other food. I carry sport recovery drink mixes, first to add the unusual salts back into my system, cramps suck but in hail most drastically in the backcountry, second to add flavor to pond scum water like Spooner Summit Lake on the TRT.
The problem of 2 lbs per day is I max out my calories around 2000. I count each snack, I have 5 per day, at 2 to 300. Dinner I look for 450 up to 600. Breakfast is around 300. I personally don't carry olive oil, bad experiences with that on the ships going bad in a hot cargo hold, I've never gotten over the rancid smell of it. Also carrying oil is begging for a messy impossible mess to happen in the ruck. If you look at my AT prep entries one will find an entry with a resupply lain out. That entry still holds solid, even before the gallon bag trick. The gallon bag trick helps so that come resupply day, I don't have to lay everything out before deciding what I need. This journey, I've chosen to repackage Mountain House meals from the big cans as I purchased them on sale over the last year. I scooped 2 cups into vacuum seal/boil in bags. Meal prep is easy, add water, hot or cold, and wait, longer if cold. Stirring is essential to avoid dry clumps which tend to be more prevalent with hot water soaks.
Coffee in the mornings is either hot or chug (cold). The difference is whether I have enough fuel and or time. With the alcohol stoves, I plan 10 minutes to boil 16 ounces of water at 2 ounces of fuel used. For a weekend trip, that's a no brainer, I carry 8 ounces. The canister stoves the time to boil is around 6 minutes or less depending on my flame setting. I typically get 10 per can, I however have not pushed that limit and have and stack of partials and home. Reading Backpacking magazine highlights fresh coffee via drip or French press, not my style. I also don't want to know the weight of the packs carried by the BM's writers. I tried the Folger coffee like tea bags in the past and would rather suffer without. Starbucks instant is my go to. I do carry an 8 oz sized bottle which makes good for chug and tend to drink mixes. Call that a luxury item if you will. I had a 500 ml Nalgene on the AT, weight wise way to heavy now.
Town stops, or for the PCT, camp stores are where the calorie deficits get balanced out. I can devastate an AYCE (all you can eat restaurant) I'm surprised they don't charge thru-hikers double. The convenience stores (c-stores) offer calorie filling ice cream, candy bars, and nutritional supplements known as fruit at elevated prices.
Funny, the first leg of the TRT and the AT, I hardly ate. The second leg of the TRT I ate and ate big, I guess 'cuz I was already in shape for the hike. I ponder will the lack of hunger effect me this time?
The more one reads, the better. Even better than reading is getting face to face with someone who is experienced, even if they hiked a different trail than the one being planned. I met a LASH (long @$$ section hiker) for coffee and picked his brain for tips, tricks, etc before leaving for the AT. However, his hiking style was not mine and on the trail I found myself reverting back to my known comfort. Some of his advice held true on nuances of that trail: don't pet dogs (if like dogs but don't have one of my own) as they run through poison ivy; every other person is hiking for a cause, this got old fast (Puzzle, yes this is a dig on you but, some how I found another reason to befriend you; GAMER get back on the trail and hike not for Wounded Warriors but for you); shelters are for the social and for the sharing of germs (if someone gets the abundance of brown blazing avoid them and the privy, move on); finally, don't over plan it, let the trail flow.
Maps and spread sheets; there are several good resources like Craig's PCT Planner and PostHoler's websites that will provide estimated resupply points per one's variable hiking time over the terrain of several different hiking trails. PostHoler offers the PCT, the AT, and a few others. Craig's is only the PCT. Most PCT planners base themselves off of HalfMile Maps. Each trail has a different preferred set of maps,. My two cents, include finding out who the standard is and commit to that standard supplementing into it with additional info. One of my TRT mistakes was I cross referenced one work into another of which each work had different milage between the same points, Arugh! All my PCT miles are from HalfMile.
My miles per day are based on 15 miles per day with 3000 ft elevation gain/loss. Over such terrain I average 2 miles per hour with a 40lb pack. Note average, not dedicated, no min or max. The AT threw some curve balls. Pennsylvania is flat even in the North however, the flat was map flat, not realistically flat. The rocks in PA all stand at pointy side up for everyone to dance upon. The rocks of PA ate my time. Yet, in Virginia's roller coater region which is 13 miles plus up and down, none over 500 ft change, was side walk hiking, easy to move. I think I cleared a 20 mile day with an hour at the Bear's Den Hostel that day.
The PCT is not the AT. The PCT is not the AT. The PCT is not the AT. That repeat is intentional. The guide books, forums, and other thru-hikers make it clear. Anything therefore is fair game, even mileage. Many say if you did 15's on the AT 20's won't be an issue. I'm game.
For me, knowing my hiking style is my plan. I know by the second or thrid day the trail is already off plan. The plan is mainly for the ground crew at home. For me it helps to see the miles beyond the map as to figure out the resources, mail drop resupply, etc. In the Uinta's, many fish, I dont. Side excursions play into the plan. What's cool near by? What's a gota see? What's a detour for a resource that might not be in the next block of trail miles? Not planned, for this year's hike until late June after my vacation time was approved, is the Solar Eclipse. I picked Oregon for August last year after meeting PCT'rs on the TRT. Their advice helped me choose, easy, beautiful, kind weather.
Kind weather, I'll have rain gear mainly for the chilly times and wind. Oregon is said to be dry (ish) in August. The tent is is a shelter from the crawlies. Beatles, not the band, are weird, ants a nuance, and mosquitoes, blood sucking, they are the only sound I know that penetrate ear plugs which add to their blood suck. The hiking sticks for the arm stretches, my hands swell while hiking, this helps alleviate that.
Get back on tack, TRAIN.
What would I do differently? Get a gym membership and stick to a healthy plan, put a limit on much processed food. I'll get a better food dehydration unit so I can create my own meals, or even ask friends if they want to help prepare meals for drying. Though I cooked for years on the ships, I've lost that signature touch. I'll explore other places for camping/backcountry when the Uinta's fill with snow. Differently, may be throw in with a Meet Up group or two (against my will, also I like the solitude) to meet and see how others do what I do too. Differently, schedule my panic day for a week before take off day to avoid last minute grabs... disable auto complete so that im responsible for my errors and not that he vice for very rating what I write.
Hike on, hike wise.
