What To Wear Hiking

You're going to need some durable clothes for your hike.  Clothes designed for athletics tend to be more pricey than normal clothes, but you'll be wearing the same stuff everyday.  Consider good clothes to be an investment.  Synthetic materials are the best because they're lightweight, and they dry quickly.  Cotton is the worst.  If it gets wet, it will be cold and take a long time to dry.  Also, remember to layer your clothes if it's cold.

Keep in mind that the first month or two will be colder than the rest of your hike.  It's likely that you'll run into snow in the Smokies.  Some of your clothes can be mailed home or ditched in a hiker box once the weather warms up for good.  These are just suggestions.  You'll probably have your own preferences.

-synthetic t-shirt: this is pretty much a staple, and you'll probably wear it everyday.
-rain jacket: this is great to have because it not only keeps you dry, but you can wear it when you're cold too.
-convertible pants: they zip off above the knee, so they can be shorts or pants.
-long-sleeved shirt: good for nighttime or cold weather.
-synthetic shorts: something loose and breathable.
-wool socks: bring 2 or 3 pairs; you'll probably have to replace them a few times during your hike.
-sports bra (if necessary)

Other options:
-running skirt: these are getting pretty popular on the trail because they're super comfortable and they look cute.
-hiking kilt (for men): most guys think these are for wussies, until they give them a try and see how comfortable they are; I thought they were nerdy until I ran into one hiker that looked like a Gladiator in his kilt.

Cold weather clothes (send home when weather warms up):
-beanie/cap: keep your ears warm.
-gloves: you can probably get by without them if you don't want to carry them, but they're nice to have.
-yoga pants/ long underwear
-fleece/ flannel/ long-sleeve shirt

Of course you'll need a comfortable pair of hiking boots or shoes.  A lot of hikers like to have a pair of sandals to wear around camp, as well.

Trail Literature

If you're thinking about hiking the Appalachian Trail, it might be helpful to read up on it.  There are a lot of books available, but these are the ones I find most helpful and interesting.

Memoirs:

Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis is an awesome read.  A 21-year-old girl tells her story of antics, stalkers, and friendship while she hikes from Georgia to Maine.  I liked this book because most trail memoirs are written by older men.  This might be the only book out right now by a young, female thru-hiker.

Hiking Through by Paul Stutzman is another good read.  It has a more religious tone to it.  We follow the author on his journey to Maine, while he recovers from his wife's death to cancer.  His message is to live life right now because you never know when your plans are going to fall through.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is another interesting memoir.  He doesn't actually hike the entire trail and many people will argue that he's not a good hiker.  However, this book is really, really funny!  You do get an idea of what trail life is like, and it demonstrates the hiker belief to "hike your own hike."

How-To Books:

Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backpackin' Book is an awesome instructional read.  It's not geared specifically toward the Appalachian Trail, but it's still incredibly helpful.  It's entertaining too.  They have tons of illustrations that demonstrate the correct way to do things.

Try How To Hike the A.T. by Michelle Ray for a book that's geared toward the AT and covers probably everything you were ever wondering about thru-hiking.

Data Books:
You want a good data book to bring on your trip with you.  They show landmarks, water sources, shelters, towns, elevations, and many other things.  Which data book you choose is all about personal preference, but none of them will leave you lost in the middle of the woods.  Get a current version because they update them every year.

The Appalachian Trail Data Book is a no frills, basic information guide.  It's significantly lighter than other books because it only gives you need to know information.  At the same time, it still marks shelters, landmarks, water sources, road crossings to towns and other things.  It doesn't map out the actual towns or elevations.

The A.T. Guide will give you everything that's in the Data Book, plus more.  It draws out the mountains with elevations and where everything is at in relation.  It also has helpful information about the towns, like prices of hostels and where you can find shuttles.

The Thru-Hiker's Companion will give you basically everything that's in the A.T. Guide, minus the drawings of elevations.  The elevations are written in.

Dehydrate Fruit and Vegetables in the Oven

It's difficult to get enough fruit and vegetables on the trail. They're very heavy to carry and bruise easily. However, if you dehydrate them ahead of time, they're awesome to have. You can snack on the fruit during the day. Veggies can be re-hydrated and cooked for dinner.

You can always buy dehydrated food in the store, but it will be expensive. There are also some great dehydrators that you can purchase. The cheapest method, however, is to dehydrate food in your oven.

Things you'll need:

• your fruit or veggies of choice (apples, bananas, papayas, onions, potatoes, peppers, etc.)
• lemon juice
• an oven
• baking sheet
• parchment or wax paper
• a large jar

Step 1: Preheat oven to anywhere from 130-180 degrees.  Rinse your fruit or veggies off in the sink.  Then peel the skin off, and cut off any bruises.  Slice into even sized pieces.





Step 2: Make a mixture of lemon juice and water.  It should be about 1 part lemon juice to every 5 parts water.  You're going to soak your fruit or veggies in this mixture for at least 5 minutes.  I find it easiest to toss my veggies in as I cut them.


Step 3: Dry fruit or veggies off with a clean towel.  Put a piece of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet.  Put the fruit or veggies on the baking sheet, but don't overlap.  If you oven doesn't go as low as 180 degrees, you can stick a towel in the door so some of the heat circulates out.

 Step 4:  The waiting game.  This process can take anywhere from 10-14 hours.  Be sure you're flipping the fruit or veggies every few hours.  Some pieces might dehydrate faster than others.  Just remove those pieces from the oven and add them to the jar.

Step 5: When your fruit or veggies are dehydrated, you want to put them in your jar.  Leave them in the jar for at least a week, and be sure to shake them up everyday.  After that, you can put them in Ziploc bags to bring hiking.

Gear Talk: Finding the Perfect Pack

Finding a pack that works for you is important.  Hiking with a pack that's uncomfortable or the wrong fit, is going to make you feel miserable.  If you're going to splurge on a piece of gear, this is it.
Other sources will tell you that you should purchase your pack at an outfitter, so you can try it on to make sure that it fits right and is comfortable.  However, unless you live in an outdoor mecca, it's going to be difficult to find an outfitter with a wide selection of packs available.  I would recommend going to an outfitter to find the right size and fit.  Then you can order online if you like.  At the very least, make sure you're ordering from a website that will allow you to make returns.
I'm pretty convinced that that I'll be purchasing the new Osprey Aura 65 for my thru-hike. In addition to the sleek look and pretty color options, this pack has some great features.  While it comes in sizes from small to large, you can also adjust the harness and hipbelt to make a perfect fit.  Osprey is also known for their extremely comfortable hipbelts.  The downsize is that there isn't a pocket for large water bottles, so you either have to get a hydration reservoir or use smaller water bottles.  Osprey packs are also more pricey, so you'll probably be spending between $200-$250.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/
Osprey has great customer service who know what they're talking about and seem to be real hikers.
Kelty is another reliable brand that has great packs.  My first pack was a Kelty, and after 250 miles of hiking and a trip to England, I haven't had any problems with it.  It's been comfortable, durable, and easily fits all of my gear.  Kelty has a new Agile Series of packs that have great ventilation and suspension systems.  You can easily store your hydration reservoir or use the large side pockets for your water bottles.  The downside is that the harness isn't adjustable, so be sure to measure your torso length and check out the size chart before you order.  Kelty is a bit more reasonably priced than the Osprey.  You'll probably be able to find a great pack for around $150.
http://www.kelty.com/default.aspx
Kelty is another brand with great customer service from real hikers.
Another well-known brand is North Face.  I've never actually met anyone who owned a North Face pack and was happy with it, but there are some great reviews online.  Most North Face packs seem to have an adjustable harness and good ventilation on the back panel, which are great features.  For the high price of these packs, I think they should be a little more lightweight.  Prices range from $140- $270, so you can still shop in your price range.
http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/index.html
Other notable brands are:
Gregory
Black Diamond
REI
If you're not set on a specific brand, and you just want to shop around and compare prices and styles, REI is also great for that along with Altrec and Backcountry.  These websites offer great discounts, so you can find a pack priced anywhere from $80- $500.

What To Pack for the Trail

Packing for the AT might seem daunting at first. You're not completely sure of what items you'll need. Maybe you go overboard and pack anything that might seem mildly useful. Maybe in your desperation to have a low pack weight, you forget a few key pieces of gear. Well not to worry hikers. Here is your gear list of everything you need (and don't need) to hit the AT.

Let's remember two rules while we're packing:
1. If you're not going to use something everyday, you really don't need it.
2. Start with your three basic pieces of gear: pack, sleeping bag, and shelter. Build on from that.
Be sure your sleeping bag and tent are designed for backpacking, otherwise they'll probably be really heavy.
 
Other necessary gear:
-boots or hiking shoes
-bag to keep food in (something durable; you have to hang in up every night)
-sleeping pad
-water bottles or water bladder
-something to purify water with like iodine tablets, Aqua Mura, or a Steripen
-clothes (we'll cover what kind of clothes in a later post)
-stuff sack for clothes
-small first aid kit (nothing too fancy; unless your a doctor you probably won't be able to treat much more than scrapes)
-flashlight or head lamp
-data book
-camp stove and cooking pot
-lighter
-thin, light rope (to hang your bear bag)

Optional items:
-sandals to wear around camp
-pocket knife
-tarp
-toothbrush, deodorant, etc.
-journal
-camera
-bear Mace
-trekking poles
-trail mascot
-sunscreen
-tent repair kit
-needle and thread

Things to leave at home:
-gun (you really won't need it)
-machete (the trail is not overgrown)
-GPS (the trail is clearly marked)
-boyfriend (just kidding)