Appalachian Trail
Hike Planning Workshop
Presenter: Andy “Captain Blue” Niekamp
My Appalachian Trail
Experience
9,500 Miles
Four End-To-End Completions
30+ Section Hikes
Length: 35 – 850 miles
The Buckeye Trail
1,444 Miles - 88 Days
The Ohio To Erie Trail
325 Miles - 21 Days
The Colorado Trail
485 Miles - 39 Days
Vermont’s
The Long Trail
272 Miles - 27 Days
270 Miles - 21 Days
Kentucky’s
Sheltowee Trace
305 Miles - 28 Days
Minnesota's
Superior Hiking Trail
270 Miles - 21 Days
Bartram Trail – 110 miles
Foothills Trail – 76 miles
Art Loeb Trail – 30 miles
Arkansas'
Ozark Highlands Trail
2,190.9 Miles Long
14 States
5 Million Footsteps
Longest “hiking-only” footpath
in the world
Appalachian Trail
What is Long
Distance Hiking?
100 miles of hiking?
2+ weeks of hiking?
A hike needing resupply?
It’s Your Definition!
Where To Start Planning?
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
www.appalachiantrail.org
Social Media
www.facebook.com
Online Discussion Boards
www.whiteblaze.net
Friends, Acquaintances &
Presentations
What To Look For
Trail Guides & Maps
When To Hike - Weather
Permits, Closures & Restrictions
Recommended Equipment
Shuttle Driver / Parking Lists
Trail Towns & Resupply Points
www.appalachiantrail.org
Explore / Multi Day Hiking
www.appalachiantrail.org
Shop
www.appalachiantrail.org
Explore / Trail Updates
www.appalachiantrail.org
Explore / Transportation Options
Gear
Gear Considerations
Think light, small & compressible
Buy quality gear
Think about what you don't need
just as much about what you need
Are you changing seasons?
Less on is good … More on is
moron
Clothing
Footwear
Low Cut
Mid Cut
High Top
Trail Running Shoe
Trail
Guides
The A. T. Guide
Thru Hiker Companion
Where To Buy
Available in print or PDF
PDF is cheaper and can be
downloaded immediately
Available in northbound and
southbound editions
www.theatguide.com
www.aldha.org
Data Book
Guide Books
Maps
Guthook Smartphone App
Guthook Smartphone App
Guthook App
Available in sections or whole AT
Operates in airplane mode
Gives real time information
www.atlasguides.com
Trail Guides
Have two sources of guides
Copy the pages that you need.
Carry only what you need.
Mail home when finished
Have a mileage chart for the
whole hike with you
Consider Smartphone app
Route
Selection
&
Mileage
Planning
Route Selection
Degree of difficulty
Number of miles
Scenery
Solitude
Availability of towns and resupply
State Difficulty Rating
Georgia: 6
North Carolina: 3-6
Tennessee: 5-6
Virginia: 2-6
West Virginia: 2-3
Maryland: 2-3
Pennsylvania: 2-4
Difficulty Ratings: On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the easiest/flattest
hike, and 10 having the most difficult/roughest terrain.
New Jersey: 2-5
New York: 2-5
Connecticut: 4-5
Massachusetts: 3-6
Vermont: 5-6
New Hampshire: 6-10
Maine: 3-10
Scenery
Georgia
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Roan Highlands
Grayson Highlands/
Mount Rogers
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
First 100 miles of VT
White Mountains
Anywhere in Maine
Mileage Planning
1. Pick my starting location & date
2. Determine my average number
of miles to hike each day
3. Calculate the number of hiking
days needed for a given distance
4. Factor in zero miles days
Now I can plan the details!
Mileage Considerations
Choose lower miles/day over higher
Your starting average mileage will
be lower than your ending
Steeper terrain = less miles/day
Northern 500 miles = 12.5 miles/day
Southern 500 miles = 14.0 miles/day
Planning Spreadsheet
Planning Sheet
Resist the urge to plan your campsite for every night
of your journey. Things don’t always go as planned.
Stay flexibility.
Planning Tip
Resupply
Resupply Methods
Resupply As You Go
Or
Resupply Boxes?
Resupply As You Go
Less upfront planning
Offers flexibility
Great choice for non-picky eaters
Limited to grocery offerings in town
Might have to purchase more food
than needed. Example: Box of 10
Resupply Boxes
Requires lots of upfront planning
Fixed resupply schedule
Great choice for picky eaters
Everything you need is in that box
Shipping can be expensive
Resupply Box Contents
Food
Water treatment chemicals
Maps, guides
Sunscreen, Bug Spray, TP, Fuel
First Aid & Toiletries
Sample Trail Daily Food
• Kaishi Cereal with NIDO and Protein Powder
• Instant Coffee – Starbucks VIA
• Protein Bar
• Trail Mix Bar
• Dried Fruit – figs – 2 oz
• Trail Mix – 2 oz
• Nuts – variety – 2 oz
• Turkey Jerky – 1 oz
• Triscuits, Pita Chips, Pretzels, Crackers
• Mountain House Entrée – Two Person
Resupply Box Tips
Vary your food selections
Pick the right sized box. Fill with
newspaper to reduce shifting
Tape securely
Drive them near their destination
General Delivery Mail
Andy Niekamp
General Delivery
Monson, ME 04464
Consider Flat Rate Boxes
Please Hold For A.T. Hiker
Estimated Arrival: 8/21/2017
Resupply Box Tips
Ship to post offices, motels, hostels,
outfitters, visitor centers
Check preferred shipping method
Post offices have limited hours
Put your name on all four sides of
box
Anything shipped to a post office
must go USPS
Carry a list of resupply points, estimated arrival and
box contents in your pack.
Planning Tip
Exhaustion suppresses appetite for the first few days.
You’ll eventually develop an insatiable hiker appetite.
Planning Tip
Shuttles
Arranging A Shuttle
Park your car at your destination.
Get a ride to the start of your hike
Get shuttle recommendations from
the trail association
Uber is getting more popular
Arranging A Shuttle
Call 2+ weeks in advance and ask
for a fixed rate for the shuttle
Call to confirm several days before
and on your way to the trail
Make sure your shuttle driver is
familiar with your pick up and drop
off location
Shuttle Costs
The best shuttles are retired people.
Many work for donation-only.
Expect to pay $1-$2 per mile
shuttled. Or more.
Expect to pay higher amounts for a
shuttle from a business. Examples:
hostel, outfitter, taxi, etc.
Shuttles
Make sure your shuttle driver is
familiar with your pick up and drop
off location.
Ask to make a stop along the way to
get fuel, coffee, restroom break,
drop off a resupply box.
When dropped off get pointed in the
correct direction.
Planning Tip
Keep the phone number of your shuttle driver and
other shuttle drivers with you during your hike.
Long Term Parking
Get parking recommendations from
the trail association, hostels,
outfitters and city officials.
Avoid parking at remote trailhead
dues to risk of vehicle theft or
vandalism.
Expect to pay a daily parking fee.
Expect to park several miles away
from where you end your hike.
Parking Locations
• Hotels, motels, B&Bs
• Hostels, Outfitters
• City parking lots
• Parking garages
Rate is $1-$5/day
Other Options
Planning Tip - Flying
Pack your gear in a sturdy cardboard and check it.
No carry-on with trekking poles, knives and stoves.
You can’t fly with fuel.
Hitchhiking
Almost all long distance hikers hitchhike.
It’s a common and acceptable practice.
Trail To Town. Town To Trail.
Hiker Hostels
Located all along the trail
Range in price from donation only
to $40/night
Bunk rooms, private rooms
Laundry, loaner clothes, TV,
shuttles, meals, slackpacking
Chance to interact with hikers
Bears Den Hostel
$30 Hiker Special
Bunk space for night, shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream, soda, internet access, free long distance calls.
ATC Hiker Safety
Leave your hiking plans with
someone at home and check in
frequently
Sharpen your situational awareness
Use extra caution if hiking alone
Be wary of strangers
Use the Trail registers
Eliminate opportunities for theft
Avoid hitchhiking or accepting rides
More Hiker Safety
Keep your phone charged
Don’t camp at or near road crossings
Use your intuition. If you someone
gives you bad vibes, move on
If a solo hiker, lie and say you are
with a group
Group
Hiking
Group Hiking
Define the goals of your hike in
advance with group members.
Miles? Scenery? Solitude?
Experience Nature? Exercise?
Group Gear: Share tent, stove, water
filter? Prepare meals as group or
individual?
People have different hiking styles/
Group Dynamics
Voluntary AT Hiker Registration
We now encourage all
overnight trail users to
participate in the volunteer
registration systems, and
have different categories
for individuals/small
groups, large groups (6-10
people), and thru-hikers.
www.atcamp.org
It takes more head
than heels to hike the
Appalachian Trail
General Eisenhower
Appalachian Trail Trip Planning
March 13, 2018 – 6:00 pm
Cox Arboretum MetroPark
Fee: $5
www.metroparks.org
Have you ever thought about a section or thru-hike on the Appalachian
Trail but aren’t sure where to start? Come to our planning session
where we'll walk through planning your long distance A.T. hike. You'll
receive a planning booklet (optional) and have an opportunity to talk
with past thru-hikers and local experts.
Upcoming Programs
March 9, 2018 – 7:00 pm
Thru-Hiking the Buckeye Trail:
Things That Will Change the Way
You See Ohio
C.I. Beaver Hall - Beavercreek
March 13, 2018 – 7:00 pm
9,500 Miles On A 2,200 Mile Trail.
Lessons Learned From An
Appalachian Trail Long Distance
Hiker
Springboro Public Library
Captain Blue on the Blue Blazes
$15.00
The End
www.OutdoorAdventureConnection.com
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