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