[at-l] Suggestions for Year 2002 Thru-hikers

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark Wright)]

With the caveat of "hike yer own hike," I would add:

1)  Take advantage of the post office's "infinite bounces for free"
policy if you pay a little extra to send it priority mail; this can be a
real treat if, say, you are thinking of sending gear home from Hot
Springs and it might get cold again, you can bounce it to the next trail
town you're pretty sure you'll stop in, and then - as long as you don't
open the box, you can bounce it further north (or south) and then bounce
it on home, all at ZERO extra charge!  Maybe some enterprising
thru-hiker could try for a new record - bouncing a box with - say, a 10
pound boulder taken from the top of springer all the way north to the
last post office before katahdin????  (just kidding!)

2)  When someone gives you a ride, or does something else nice to you
[and it will happen by the scads], get their name and address, take the
time to learn a little about them if they're willing to talk, and then
send them a card or a note of thanks when you get home.

3)  Do something nice and totally un-deserved for some other hiker every
now and then - it's the best feeling in the world, and it's catching! :)

4)  Prepare for something I've rarely, if ever, seen mentioned in all
the hiker "how-to" books, etc. - namely, the mystery of the permanently
enlarged feet!  I have pretty small feet [no comments ladies!], but they
grew - permanently as best I can tell, from slightly under a size 9 to a
full size 10.  After almost 5 months off the trail, they are still at a
size 10.  About 500 miles in, I had to ditch my lightweight boots and
buy new ones simply because my feet had grown a full size.  One of my
trail buddies grew two full sizes and ended up hiking the last 1,000+
miles in sandals.  Luckily, if you are doing the standard NOBO thing,
starting in the spring, you can "break in on the go" a (new, larger)
pair of the trendy lightweight shoes without too much trouble . . . but
Lord help ya if your feet grow and you are trying to break in a pair of
heavier boots halfway through . . . some folks suggest breaking a second
pair in at the outset, and what I'm saying is that this will not do you
any good if your foot has grown a size or two by the time you need that
second pair!  What do others on the list have to say about the "legend
of the growing foot?"

5)  Last, but not least . . . A problem I had, and did not prepare for,
was getting too close to my newly made trail friends, and then suffering
from the inevitable "breakups!"  I started solo, made some great
friends, stayed with them for 30+ days, and then really bummed out when
our schedules diverged, or when they got off the Trail.  Don't know that
there is any real cure, but it is important to maintain your own core
values, and your own core thoughts as to your schedule, because - in the
end - it is an intensely personal thing.  Somehow, you have to figure
out how to walk the fine line between, say, slowing down for someone
else - or speeding up - versus staying within yourself, not only
physically, but also mentally.

Hike On!

Thru-Thinker

Datto wrote:
> 
> Here's the beginnings of a list of suggestions for
> Year 2002 thru-hikers -- listers...add to it if you
> have an idea or suggestion:
> 
> *) Don't buy an MSR Dragonfly Stove -- you'll end up
> being the scourge of the Trail because of the jet
> engine noise that sucker makes at the shelter
> (terribly inconsiderate toward other hikers to fire up
> a Dragonfly at a shelter -- ruins everyone else's
> peace and quiet). If you already have mistakenly
> bought a Dragonfly, sell it.
> 
> *) Consider writing a daily journal (public or
> private, paper or electronic). It'll be so valuable to
> you after your thru-hike! It's worth the effort, even
> if you only write two paragraphs per day. It's easier
> to be consistent when writing a journal on the Trail
> if you write at the same time of the day each day.
> 
> *) Carry a protein supplement with you and use it
> every day from the beginning of your thru-hike. It'll
> help you keep from losing so much muscle mass at the
> end of your thru-hike (and thus, keep you in better
> physical shape when you need it most -- in New
> Hampshire and Maine). A cheap protein supplement is
> dried milk (Carnation type) that you can put into hot
> chocolate every night. A more expensive (and
> effective) option is to carry ZipLocs of something
> like Weider's Whey Supplement (available at Wal-Marts
> -- chocolate or vanilla) which has three times the
> useable protein that dried milk has for the same drink
> quantity.
> 
> *) Budget your money such that you have half of your
> money available to you when you cross into Connecticut
> (for northbounders). This will keep you from running
> out of money and still being comfortable in the
> northern states.
> 
> *) If you haven't yet bought your trail gear, consider
> spending the money necessary to get the total sum of
> the weights of your a) empty backpack, b) sleeping bag
> and c) tent as far under 10 lbs as possible (mine was
> 7.75 lbs startup up Springer from the visitor's center
> at Amicalola Falls). If you're a northbounder, you'll
> thank me at about...oh...the climb up Sassafras
> Mountain in Georgia.
> 
> *) Don't rush! You'll make it fine. Geez, the whole
> idea here is to take it easy. Enjoy yourself (and
> being with yourself). There's plenty of time. Don't
> panic and start hiking 18 mile days in North Carolina.
> Hey...slow down and take a nap in the afternoon once
> in a while.
> 
> *) You'll likely encounter some of the best memories
> and closest future friends during the first two weeks
> of your thru-hike.
> 
> *) At your local Dollar store, see if you can find
> discounted Band-Aid Brand Compeed for your blisters.
> Get some smalls and medium sizes and carry those with
> you on your thru-hike. Compeed is probably the best
> blister treatment available for thru-hikers.
> 
> Datto
> 
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