[at-l] Need AT advice

[gbenkert at fuse.net (Greg Benkert)]

Donna,

> we are planning a late April start for a thru-hike of the AT.  Any
places 
>tha we MUST see??  MUST avoid??

I'm assuming by this question that you mean either side trails off the
AT or towns near the AT since you will see and can't avoid anything
right on the trail.  I can't think of any "must avoids."  "Must sees"
are probably personal preferences.  I, for instance, enjoy waterfalls
and fire towers, so I would take side trails to those.  You will see
plenty of towns along the way, but I wouldn't rank any of them as must
sees.

> I have a new ultralight 3 season free standing tent but now I'm
thinking >we would be better off with one of the lighter tents tht use
your walking 
>sticks for poles and don't have a seperate rai-fly.  Any thoughts?

I'm sure that whatever tent you have will work.  If your interest is in
reducing the weight of your pack, I would suggest that you consider more
alternatives.  For instance, a new tent might cost, say, $200, and be a
pound lighter.  But a new sleeping bag or backpack might cost $100 and
be a pound lighter.  Resources are usually limited, so figure out your
options and spend your money where you get the most bang for the buck.

> What "evening" footwear works best?  Teva?  Crocks?

Many hike in sneakers and do not carry separate evening footwear.  If
that doesn't work for you (it didn't for me), almost anything will
suffice for evening footwear -- even a cheap pair of slippers will do.

Big Red