re: Anybody here ever hiked the appalachian trail before?

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Bring a pistol

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And Bear Spray

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The pistol is extra weight you really don't need and bear attacks are almost non-existent on the AT.

I know a retired LEO that did the whole thing a few years ago and mailed his pistol back home after a few weeks because of the weight alone.

There are also some good YT channels of reviews and general info from thru hikes. YT: Dixie is one I watch regularly.

There are a lot of killers on there so be careful

I’m hooked on watching the thru hiking videos. Most of the hikers seem to be young people who haven’t started a serious career yet or folks who retired from the military, law enforcement, etc at a relatively young age.

Of the three major trails in the US, the AT is the most established and has the most towns, hostels, private citizens, etc that support hikers. You’ll have a more social experience, too.

I am not in a position to take off 6-8 months for a thru hike so I’ve been looking at options closer to home. I bought Tim Ernst’s book “Ozark Highlands Trail Guide” and the trail has some sections that look interesting. If you decide to try an AT thru hike, much respect to you and good luck!

I had a college buddy complete it after graduation. Used 9 months to complete the trail. He went alone, but it was easy to find groups that would take him in and go together. He was able to spend time in the towns along the way (and the fact that he was alone made it easier to see and do what interested him the most without impacting someone else's adventure).

Ask yourself if the adventure is in the destination or in the journey. And then, be like water. Do what you want to do that day.

(And start north to head south)

Grew up hiking the AT. Piecemeal, I've done every stretch in GA and NC.
-MRE's or freeze dried meals are your options for food. I suggest buying some in advance and taste-test them; some of them taste like straight arse and you don't want a pack loaded down with straight arse for 8+ days.
-Iodine and neutralizer tabs are a necessity for drinking water.
-Depending on the time of year, use a tube tent because it's lightweight and easy to put up/break down; if you're not careful sealing the ends at night, you can get soaking wet if a storm rolls in.
-For extended hikes, you can resupply at some places along the trail that exist solely for hikers. The selections may be limited, but you can also mail a package to those places and pick it up as you pass through.
-You will need rope. String your pack up every night in a tree. You don't want a bear ripping your tent apart to get to the food inside your pack.
-Take a lot of moleskin if you're not an avid hiker. Take a lot of moleskin if you are an avid hiker. Just one inopportune blister can really ruin a good trip.

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Had a good friend who literally quit his job and spent 6 months on the trail, hiking the entire thing.

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What’s the percentage of hikers that don’t have health insurance? I find it highly unlikely that they’ve saved up enough to be able to pay private insurance costs for half a year.

Hell, how do these people pay their mortgages, car notes, and other such things? Or are they all homeless, carless, bums crossing their fingers that they won’t get injured and need to pay a hospital bill while hiking a couple of thousand miles across mountainous terrain?

I’d love to be able to take half a year off and hike the CDT... but my employer sure as hell isn’t going to carry me during that time.

There was a guy some years ago that killed a man and then tortured, raped, and killed the man's wife on the trail. I know it's an outlier, but that's some scary stuff.

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bear attacks are almost non-existent

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Do you even Revenant Bro?

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Anybody here ever hiked the appalachian trail before?

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That is a goal of mine!