What if my dream does not come true?

   Is backpacking the entire Appalachian Trail your dream?  If you said yes, you are in for a grand adventure.  But there is one more serious issue to consider to be truly prepared for the journey.  What if you attempt the dream of thru-hiking the A.T., but are unable to complete it?  In 1990, I camped with two couples and one individual the night before they made the decision to cease their thru-hike, which was sad.  One couple from Texas had spent years preparing for their thru-hike.  And the wife had quit a good job in order to attempt her longtime dream.  But just before Harper’s Ferry, she damaged her knee.  Their dream came to a premature end.

   It hurts when a dream does not come true!  I know this from experience.  I have had some incredible dreams come true.  But I have had some lifelong dreams which have never come true, and serious pain results.

   Accepting the inherent risk of dreaming, know there can be fulfillment even if a dream is not completed as hoped.  First, there still can be so much goodness along the way.  Take any given week of my 164 day journey on the A.T., and if that was the only week I would have had, there were some blessings.  Second, sometimes dreams which end differently than expected still foster goodness down the road.  But it still hurts.  I give a personal conviction here: I believe God wants good dreams to come true for you, though often those dreams are a bit more unique than our expectations.

   I conclude by saying it is my conviction that whatever the nature of your dreams, what is needed all along is love.  There is nothing better than being loved.  And loving people is good.

   Here in my 30th year since backpacking the entire A.T., the best thing which remains: Loving friends.  Every year I still send Christmas letters to six thru-hikers from 1990.  And after 30 years, I still get Christmas cards from those same six friends:  The Journalist, the Green Mountain Trio, Mr. Beel, and Wild Bill & Calamity Jane.  And first and foremost is my true love Friend.  Loving friends remain when a dream is past.

Love all along.

Hunter Irvine, A.T. 1990

Logistical preparation – Get down to basics

   The best logistical preparation is to get down to basics.  Where is the water?  What will I eat?
   Regarding water, I purchased all of the maps from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  Those maps identified most springs, streams, and rivers.  Before hitting the trail every day, I would examine the pertinent map and learn where water sources were.  Then I would load up with water at the best quality water sources, and ration my water as needed.  On the A.T., I appreciated water more than I ever have.
   Purchasing the Appalachian Trail Data Book from the ATC, it was my most valuable resource!  I then spent three days in a library with the A.T. Data Book and maps. I calculated approximate distances I would hike every day in order to determine towns I would enter to go to a Post Office to get each supply box.  Looking back, spending those three days in that old library in Falls Church, Virginia, was stellar preparation.  My entire thru-hike, I never had any food pick-up problems.  (And I was blessed to have a reliable support person who faithfully mailed my boxes every week – my dad.)
   I ended up with 24 planned pickups.  That resulted in me buying 24 sturdy boxes of the same size.  Then I had to address those boxes with the 24 specific Post Offices, marked “General Delivery – Please hold for A.T. thru-hiker.”  Then I had to fill those 24 boxes.  I did.
   Regarding my food, like so much, I would take a different angle if I were to thru-hike again.  Yet I did a top-notch job with my meals implementing much that I learned in Scouting.  You burn so many calories backpacking all day.  You need a food plan!  Some buy at general stores as they go along.  I bought everything ahead of time, and would do that again.  Food choice is a personal preference.  Please know you will need to eat, eat, eat, as you hike, hike, hike.
   The A.T. journey is at the core a wilderness journey.  In my opinion, the more you embrace the wilderness journey, the more you will enjoy it.  Treat yourself to a healthy meal in a trail town.  Treat a trail friend to a lemonade or milkshake in a trail town.  Yet cherish the wilderness experience on this once in a lifetime journey.
   I will address one more logistical subject: shopping.  Take your time to learn what is out there, and then settle firmly on what you want.  Having so few things in your pack, you need quality over quantity.  I tell one fun story to illustrate.
   As the time was getting closer, I needed to purchase a stove.  (If I were to do it now, I would go without cooking, but that stove was great on cold mornings for hot oatmeal, which is what I had almost every morning.)  I had the stove picked out, and I called around and discovered that an outdoor store in a new mall there in 1990 called Tyson Corners 2 had the stove.  I went there one weekday, and there was hardly anyone in the new mall.  As I approached the store, I noted their cool window display.  As I looked at the display, I quickly saw a one quart container of great quality.  I had been looking for a one quart container!  I darted into the store, and the only person in the store was a gentleman who worked there.  I blurted out, “I’m hiking the entire Appalachian Trail and I need that one quart pot you have in the display case!  It is exactly what I have been looking for!”
   Fortunately the gentleman was not startled by my excitement.  He no longer had the cooking set which contained that cooking container, yet he was so nice and told me he would sell me that sole container from the display case.  As he was going into the display case to get it, I found the stove I had planned to buy.  When I purchased the stove, he gave me the one quart container for free.  I was grateful.  He would be the first of many who would give me a gift, which would make my journey from Georgia to Maine more enjoyable.
   I was given many little gifts along the A.T., and after my hike was all over, I wrote a list of the people who gave those gifts, and I attached it to my completion letter for the ATC.  So going full circle here, I interject that folks at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy over the years have treated me really well.  Though it is 30 years later, and you have so many resources on the Internet, I recommend relying on the ATC for resources first of all.
   Though water, food, and shopping are all standard parts of life, these basic needs require special attention by you as you plan your adventure on the Appalachian Trail.  And you might appreciate water and food more than you ever have.
Hunter

Physical preparation – go for what you enjoy

   Backpacking the entire Appalachian Trail is hard.  So I trained hard.  Through-out elementary school I was the person who was usually picked second to last when team captains chose team members in gym class, which was the way it was done in my public school back then.  In high school I weighed only about 110 pounds.  Yet in 1990, I befriended people of all sizes and shapes who completed a thru-hike.  Whatever your physique, you can get in top notch physical condition.  Commit to physical fitness preparation, and you greatly increase your opportunity to enjoy the adventure.
   All great athletes train in order to compete in their respective sport.  When you backpack you are not competing against anyone, yet you must train since you are carrying out an athletic challenge of great magnitude.  And looking back, all of the physical training I did was surely a contributing factor to the fact I had no injuries, even though my right leg is out of alignment.
   So what training should you do?  Do physical exercise you like!  What do you enjoy?  Tennis?  Then play a ton of tennis.  If aerobics are fun for you, go all out with that.  If you love ping pong like I do, then…  No, it has to be more physical than ping pong.  And adding some extra activities to your training will help, since backpacking involves a variety of muscles.  And whatever you like to do, do it harder than you ever have in your life.
   In January and February, I did four day rotations: Lift weights, swim, lift weights, and run (or ride a stationary bike). (I add that I did not do “recovery.”  Taking a day off at least once a week is best for your body.  It is a good thing I was young.)  I enjoyed these three activities.  Plus I exercised harder than I ever had because it was preparation for a dream of doing what I like most of all - hiking.  For example, before this training, I had swum laps for fun here and there.  Yet during my training, I swam up to two miles.  I had never swum more than half that amount.  I have not swum that far since.  I was training for a dream.
   Then in March as I got closer to departure time, I did more walking.  Once I purchased my boots, sometimes I would take walks for about five miles or more with my dog to break in the boots.  Those long walks prepared me.  And I continued the cross-training.
   Being the thinnest Scout in Troop 150 in Virginia, I learned a huge lesson early on since our Scout troop went backpacking every May.  The secret to successful backpacking for a smaller person: Have the lightest pack possible within reason.  The result of having a light pack: I enjoyed the backpacking!  But for a thru-hike, “light pack” is a relative term.  Carrying five to ten days’ worth of food, and more water than usual, is not light.  Whatever the nature of your body, and however “light” your pack is, physical conditioning is imperative.
   When I started at Springer Mountain in Georgia, I was in the best physical condition of my life.  Being in such good shape would only be topped by my physical condition on the last day of my thru-hike, minus the fact that my body was so worn out that I needed rest.
   Physically train by doing an athletic activity or activities which you like for months before you begin your thru-hike, and you will be prepared!
Hunter ‘90

Backpack – Your hipbelt must be super snug!

   My lesson learned as a thru-hiker regarding a backpack: Get a great hipbelt which fits your body!  You do not want slipping!  The hipbelt must grip your hips.
   Why?  The vast majority of the weight of your pack must ride on your hips.  The shoulder straps should simply stabilize the pack.  Even if you have big muscular shoulders, weight on your shoulders will wear on your back or hurt your back.  The hipbelt is the key to the benefit of any backpack for long distance hiking.
   Honestly, this was a lesson first learned in Scouts, and further learned on the A.T.  When trying on a backpack, insist on being given some weight to put in the pack.  I was at a store last summer trying on a pack, but they did not have weights to put in the backpacks.  I knew of weights since they were used at a great outdoor gear store I worked for years ago.  They were like giant heavy bean bags.  I nicely told a manager I needed weight in the pack to get a true feel.  She went and found some weights I could put in there.  I ended up buying that pack thanks to that special manager.  Only with weight in the pack are you able to test the hipbelt and learn if it really is going to cling to your waist.
   The hipbelt must be the correct circumference for your waist.  Do not rely on the specifications you read on the Internet.  Try it on!  Can you tighten the belt enough so it firmly rides on your waist?
   Second, you need to know your torso length, which is the distance between two of your bones in your spine.  A person at a quality outdoor gear store will be qualified to measure this.  Some packs are adjustable for a range of torso lengths.  An adjustable pack is necessary for a growing teenager, and may be the best pack for you.  Otherwise, the fit in the store is crucial.  The torso length will determine the pack size you need, since the shoulder straps will be at the correct level.  Torso length is crucial to make sure your shoulder straps are not too high or too low.  You should be able to put two fingers under the shoulder strap.  That is not where the weight should be.
   I have an extremely small waist, whereas I have an 18 & ½ inch torso.  If you barely have hips like me, or if you have larger hips, you may need to get creative.  Do not be concerned about the color or the name brand of your pack.  Get one that fits.
   I am on my third backpack since my thru-hike in 1990.  Even moreso than tents, you have a much better selection today.  What did I use in 1990?  You guessed it: My old backpack from my Scouting days, which is an external frame.  I was a rare bird out on the A.T. even in 1990.  Yet it worked, because the hipbelt was snug on my hips!!  Would I do that today?  No.
   Bottom line: You want a pack which does not slid down your waist and put pressure on your shoulders.  If the hipbelt fits you, and if the torso length is correct, you will be ready to triumph on the trail.
Hunter

Tent – Freestanding is the way to go

   My lesson learned as a thru-hiker regarding a tent: Freestanding is the way to go!
   On my thru-hike in 1990, I had a high quality tent and the most common tent used by thru-hikers on the A.T. that year.  But it was not freestanding, and I wish it was.  For starters, there were times during my thru-hike, especially in Pennsylvania, when I could not get a single stake two inches into the ground.  I had to sleep under the stars, or clouds, a dozen times for this reason.  Looking back 30 years later, I am still amazed I never got rained on.  (Once there was a little drizzle, and I covered my sleeping bag and ground cloth with the tent fly.)
   If you are new to backpacking, a freestanding tent is one which can be set up without putting in any stakes.  (However, you should always put stakes in if you can, because stakes make it more taunt which keeps rainwater from getting under the tent.  Also, wind can blow away an empty freestanding tent, which I know from experience.)
   A non-freestanding tent requires stakes to be put in the ground to hold the tent up.  Usually non-freestanding tents do not have the poles crossing over one another.
Here are my thru-hiking camping stats:
69 nights in a tent
65 nights in a wooden A.T. lean-to
14 nights on a ground cloth under the stars or clouds
10 nights in a hiker hostel
3 nights in a motel
2 nights in homes
163 nights total of my 164 day journey!
   The reason I spent all but two of those 14 nights under the stars: I could not get stakes into the ground.
   Now tenting was my preference!  I desired to camp in more remote places.  When hiking in the afternoon, I would always check my map, and if I foresaw I would be on a mountain or in an area without water sources nearby that evening, I would study my map and find a water source where I could load up before ascending a mountain or heading into the remote area.  Thus when camping that night away from any A.T. shelters or campgrounds, I would be stocked up with water.  I loved that!  I had many special wilderness experiences.
   But in more remote areas, primarily more in the northern half, there would be many rocks or roots which would make it hard or impossible to get tent stakes in the ground.
   I add that sleeping in the lean-tos was often a blessing.  First, lean-tos are usually by a water source.  Second, my times in lean-tos were often spent with fellow thru-hikers, a number of whom became friends.  Having the fellowship with those special people enriched my journey.  But even though there are many shelters along the A.T., I did not let them dictate my daily hiking mileage.  I really liked tenting, and with a freestanding tent, I would have tented more.
   And 30 years ago, fewer people backpacked on the A.T.  Tenting is far more necessary because of overcrowded camping areas and shelters.
   As an old geezer over fifty years old, I will slip in the fact there was not nearly the selection of tents in 1990 there are today.  Some great quality camping tents were available in 1990!  Yet backpacking tents were in a minority, and light solo backpacking tents were rare.  If you are planning a thru-hike in the near future, you are fortunate to have so many choices, and the prices are lower than they were 30 years ago.
   One year ago I found a tent for sale online from a cool store in Vermont, made by a company which has been making tents in America for countless years.  That freestanding solo tent is the ideal A.T. tent in my view.  Though I have a quality two-person tent, for one year I have had the desire to buy that solo tent since it is so great.  You have the opportunity to sleep in the tent I wished I had on the A.T. thirty years ago.
   With total conviction I repeat: A freestanding tent is the way to go!
Hunter, A.T. '90

Footwear – Give it your greatest attention

   My lesson learned as a thru-hiker regarding footwear: Give your footwear your greatest attention!  What is on your feet is your most important piece of gear.  Why?  Because footwear impacts your feet, knees, and back.  In my opinion, browsing through most other backpacking and camping gear is far more fun.  However, great footwear is imperative for a successful thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, or enjoyable hiking of any length.  If there is one piece of gear you should not worry about paying the retail price, it is footwear.  (I say this as a very frugal person.)  If there is one piece of gear you should visit several stores to try on, it is footwear.

   So if footwear is so important, the question becomes: “What is the best footwear I can get for a thru-hike?”  The answer is whatever footwear best fits both your foot and your body.  Everyone’s feet and body are different, and what is most important is for footwear to totally fit your foot.  Most often in my life, I have known a boot or shoe was right for me soon after I started walking around the store in it.  However, that came in the midst of putting on many other pairs of boots or shoes which were not the correct pair.  Shopping for the correct boots or shoes in past years has sometimes involved traveling to several stores throughout a day.  For me, it can be an ordeal.

   Many years ago I was trying on running shoes in a shoe store.  I found a pair which I thought was the right one, but I wanted to be sure.  I walked back and forth at the back of the store.  At one point, a saleswoman came by and joked with me that she was going to have to charge me for wearing out her carpet.  I took that as a compliment.  If I had been trying on footwear for backpacking, it would have been best to have a pack on my back with at least twenty pounds in it.  The salesperson would have been entertained by that.

Compensation for the extra weight on your back

   Though everyone has a different build, we all have one thing in common: Our feet were designed to support our body as created.  For example, I have a thin build, with thin bones, and I have extremely small feet.  Add on a backpack full of a week’s provisions, and my feet have pressure they were not designed to take.  A backpacker requires footwear which gives extra foot support.

   Thus you need different shoes for backpacking than you do for day hiking.  People like me, who are small boned and who supinate, which I will get into next, may be more prone to twisting an ankle.  Yet all backpackers should be concerned with having good ankle support.

   So in addition to having boots which are the correct fit for your feet and body, it is my opinion that boots which go above the ankle assist in preventing ankle injuries.  (Make sure they do not rub poorly on your ankle bones which stick out.)

   On my thru-hike in 1990, I had heavy boots, which I will also address in a bit.  Even with heavy boots, I twisted my ankle a few times.  Yet for me, one who has a leg slightly out of alignment, only a few twists in nearly 2,200 miles is incredible in my opinion.  My belief is I would have twisted my ankle more times without ankle support.  And I did not sprain my ankle.  In recent years I did sprain my ankle wearing sneakers in winter and stepping on an uneven surface hidden by a snow covering.  Not only was it painful, there was a long recovery process.

   Also, most thru-hikers need to be concerned about their knees.  I have been told by a footwear expert that footwear has an impact on your knees and your back.  This just gets more complicated.  The bottom line is footwear needs much attention.  So I continue on with an important issue.

Pronation vs. supination

   In getting the correct footwear, you need to know whether you pronate, are neutral, or supinate.  Note the degree of pronation or supination varies.  Pronation means more weight is distributed on the inside of the foot, thus you walk more on the inside of your foot.  Supination means more weight is distributed on the outside of the foot.  I supinate, and my shoes always wear down on the outside of the shoe, primarily near the heel.  A small percentage of people supinate.  Figures.  A small percentage of people walk with an even distribution.  Envy.  The vast majority pronate.  Most shoes are constructed to compensate for pronators.  If you are a pronator, buying shoes should be easier, as many shoes are built with reinforcement in the sole on the inside.  For people with an even distribution, “neutral” footwear is what you want.  And usually “neutral” footwear is the best us supinators can do.  Supinators will have the toughest time finding a quality boot.

   Engage in research on Internet sites where the author is an expert in this area, which I am not, and then shop at a quality outdoor recreation store or a quality running store where they employ salespeople who are knowledgeable about footwear, and not pushy.

   Yet what is most important is trying on many pairs of boots or trail shoes until you find what is best for you.

   Shoe shopping is challenging work for me since I supinate so much.  But not knowing about supination stuff in 1990, I was not completely prepared with my footwear, and it caused me much pain the second half of my journey.  And I will now confess what I did.

I admit my mistake

   Brace yourself: I backpacked the entire A.T. in one pair of boots, and that was a mistake.  Yes I came from the old Boy Scout school and bought extremely heavy leather boots.  I even told the person at the outdoor store I wanted boots which would last the entire A.T.  He looked at my skeptically, but he got me what I requested.  It was a great quality boot.

   The positive news: My boots were a great fit.  They were snug, with wool socks and wicking liners, without being too tight, and they had just the right amount of toe room.  This is the reason I could do the entire A.T. in one pair of boots.

   The negative news: Since I supinate, around halfway through the journey, I had worn down the soles enough that there was pressure on the outside of my foot, and my pinkie toe was in pain every morning when I put on my boots.  For the last month, I started exerting more effort to walk in a way which compensated for the boot sole being worn down on the outside.  But the worn down boots apparently even stressed my back.

   Thus in my opinion, once you find “the pair,” buy several pairs, and wear all of them on some long walks before you hit the A.T.

Try many boots and trail shoes on!

   If getting good footwear is more of a challenge for you than the average person, go to a store and try on a bunch of boots or trail shoes, and then go home and think it over.  Then go back to the store days later and give it a second try.  Or go to another store, and do the same thing.  Take your time buying this critical piece of gear for backpacking.  Do what is best for your body.  In the end, I hope you find the boots you deserve.

Hunter

Enjoy your dream!

   Backpacking the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 164 days from April 8th to September 18, 1990, was a dream come true for me.  The dream developed in two stages; once when I was a nine year old boy on a rare family vacation in the Shenandoah Mountains, and second as an Eagle Scout backpacking twelve miles on the A.T.  And the final spark for the dream happened the week before final exams at Virginia Tech my senior year when a dormant dream awoke.

   The result: I enjoyed hiking the Appalachian Trail!  It was challenging, and there were hardships and pain.  Yet overall, week by week, I enjoyed the journey.  The reasons: It was my dream, and I was prepared.  Now some people prepared for a thru-hike for years but still had something drastic go wrong.  However, the more prepared you are, the greater your opportunity for completion, and most importantly, the greater the opportunity for an enjoyable adventure.

   Many enjoy backpacking on the A.T. for various distances, and shorter outings are what I recommend for most.  Yet if your dream is to hike the whole puppy, I can relate.  Here in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic catastrophe, which has been a thru-hiking barrier for many people, I am sad people’s dreams have been delayed or derailed.  Wanting to encourage you to continue with your dream, I decided to start this blog to give a little insight as a person who has hiked countless miles and who has spent over 300 nights in a tent.

   Once I finalized my decision to not go to graduate school and to go for my A.T. dream in early June of 1989, I had about ten months to prepare.  That seemed way too long.  At the time I thought I only needed a few months to prepare, and I was ready to do it.  I felt frustrated realizing I had to wait ten months, but I knew I had no choice.  Fortunately I stayed engaged to my dream.  Ironically, looking back that long wait was a blessing.  Granted my situation at home was rough since my parents were going through a terrible separation, and being at home was uncomfortable.  Yet those ten months were valuable preparation time.

   So diving in on one aspect of preparation, in the next three blog pieces I talk about three big lessons learned about three major pieces of gear.  My sincere hope is that one day soon you can enjoy a journey on the Appalachian Trail.

   I hope your dreams come true!

Hunter