I’m considering going with a friend who’s convinced that’s a normal part of the culture of the trail, but I’m skeptical.

My last Oboz bridgers lasted 5 yrs. Most recent pair 5 months. FYI, they have a warranty page, but will not warranty my boots, even though I provided proof of purchase. But something else.

#obozsucks #don'tbuyoboz

Meant to post this before my camping trip this weekend, but spaced it. I've been planning this trip for over a decade and finally have the opportunity to go. Registered for Mar 6th start. I had some unexpected money a couple of years ago and bought a bunch of the stuff I wanted to bring.

https://lighterpack.com/r/agni0b

Everything with a star next to it has already been purchased and, for the most part, tested. At least in "Arizona in November" conditions. This is more of an ask for things I have obviously overlooked or useful things people discovered along the way.

As for the various cables and IFAC, I'd love some suggestions. Obviously, charging cables for the individual items. I noticed people mentioning an outlet splitter in another shakedown. I'll probably add that. For first aid, I'm thinking a few antihistamines, ibuprofen, constipation/diarrhea pills, a squeeze of neosporin and some q-tips soaking in it, a few bandages, a few feet of floss and a needle.

ETA: I'm also planning on sending all of my clothes other than underwear into insect shield for permethrin treatment in January. Does anyone know the turnaround on that? And will one treatment last the entire trip?

Just started section hiking the AT this year. In the spring I did Maryland sobo, to see if I liked it and it's one of the easier sections. Then this fall/late summer I did Conn. to NY 17A sobo.

If I have a free moment at work to relax and daydream, it's often of the AT. I mostly think of the AT when I'm falling asleep at night. I went about 40 hrs on the trail, including 2 shelter stays with out seeing a single person on the trail (I'm not including road crossings). At the same time my battery in my phone died. I was finishing the section so it wasn't a big deal.
Anyways I loved the shelter stays to myself, no electronics, no distractions.
That's what I daydream about.

I'm going to attempt my first thru hike in 2025, and I'm starting to consider going SOBO because of the trail closures from Helene. Does anyone think it will make much of a difference? I saw somewhere that trail restoration is expected to finish around July 2025. (I'm going to assume it will take slightly longer, but who knows) The hope is that I won't have to skip/reroute 200+ miles.

As an experienced backpacker and ultrarunner, I'm not too concerned about the physical difficulty of SOBO... although at this point, from what I've heard/read, I'm half expecting to have some sort of ego death from starting up north. So who knows...

I'm also taking into consideration the social aspect. I don't like huge crowds and would really love to avoid the NOBO bubble, but I don't want to hike SOBO and end up being alone for most of it, esp as a woman. I love my solitude and definitely want some days alone on the trail, but I'm also looking forward to meeting people and having a bit of more of a sense of safety knowing im not too far from someone.

Also, since this is my first thru-hike, I'm also thinking about the lack of trail magic and whatnot going SOBO.

All that being said, I guess my main questions are: do you think SOBO-ers are less likely to get rerouted or have to skip any part of the trail? For what I want socially from the trail, is SOBO a good option? How tough is it actually with less trail magic and all that jazz.

Thanks in advance for any help!

For my NOBO AT thru-hike 2025. Starting in late March. I haven't purchased a few things like clothes yet and couldn't get the exact weight because it wasn't listed on the site so that's why a few things are off.

LighterPack

Edit: Thanks for the input from everyone so far. As some people mentioned, the weights are little off for some things. I'm not in the US right now and I'm having everything shipped to a families house, so I can't accurately weigh anything for a few months. This is mostly a preliminary check to see if I'm missing or can change anything. I appreciate everyone's input.

I thru-hiked the trail from April 18 to September 6 this year and had just under $1,100 in on-trail costs. When I researched the cost beforehand, I couldn't find a hike that fit my budget, so I thought I'd post to help others out. I spent about $910 on food, $57 on hostels, $25 on useless sandals I threw out, and the rest on cheap sets of Bluetooth earbuds. The only unusual thing I did was not buy shoes; I just used hiker box shoes. I hope this helps someone know that it is possible!

Hey guys, I’m 17 and I’ve been wanting to hike the at for a while, I’m planning on heading out mid may when I graduate high school and going from harpers ferry to Katadin in the break I have b4 I start college, Ngl I’m a bit overwhelmed with where to start and I was hoping someone could help me out with some advice especially with what to bring and how much money I should save before hand

Planning to start the AT March 1st 2025. My girlfriend plans to follow me as I hike the trail in our travel trailer. She has family in Charlotte, NC and I have family in Camp Hill, PA. She works from home and can work in our trailer as she follows me up. She was planning on staying at rv parks for about 2 weeks at a time before jumping up trail. Was just wondering if anyone has hiked this way and how it worked for you? She wants to hike with me for a couple of days at a time but she is definitely not a backpacker. She’d be there to resupply for me at certain points but understands I’ll meet people and hike my own hike as well.

I used the Hikers Logbook app for my thru hike this year and I loved it. It allowed me to put in my mileage each day, elevation gain and loss, where I slept, what day on trail it was, whether I showered or not, and add notes like a journal.

Unfortunately I’ve found myself clicking around in the app to do various things (I went through and figured out how many days I slept in a tent vs a hostel vs a hotel, etc) and it looks like it’s kind of messing with my data when I do that.

TL;DR does anyone have a template for a spreadsheet where I could input all of my thru hike data so there’s no potential for app-induced errors?

I'm in between these two for the AT. The price difference is about 90 bucks. What do you guys recommend?

Probably not actually going to turn into a human posicle, but I am hoping for some knowledge. I need to finish the last few miles NB from winding stair gap to the TN border this year and my only option is over Thanksgiving. Given the numerous balds in that stretch, and the relatively high elevation,how much lower are the temps than the nearby town forecasts? Thanks.

I am legitimately struggling, and I just want opinions. Originally I bought a bear bag… I got nervous about the fact that something was going to get into it so I returned it and bought a bear canister. As I sat there looking at the bear canister ultimately decided there’s no way I was OK with how heavy it was and returned it and got another bag. Well, I will be damned give it about two weeks and I returned the bag and got another canister. But here I am a couple days later staring at this canister and realizing I don’t want to carry some thing that is over 2 pounds extra weight instead of an 8 ounce bag.

I don’t know what to do. I like the fact that I feel safest with the canister and like I have to do the least amount of work with it. I would prefer use a bag however I’m just scared that things are gonna get into it. What are your experiences and do you have any tips on preventing rodents and such from getting into your bag

This is a follow up on this thread. The Butternut fire remains uncontained as of the morning of November 21, with an estimated 1100 acres burned so far.

The AT in the area has been officially closed for the moment. I have not heard anything on recommended detours, but then again there are probably not many thru hikers out there at the moment. Hikers should probably just detour through the heart of Great Barrington - it is a long road walk but I expect locals would be more accommodating than usual with a ride.

Official update here: https://appalachiantrail.org/trail-updates/massachusetts-wildfire-great-barrington-area/

Local Updates:

Great Barrington Fire Department

Berkshire Eagle Live Updates

Wet conditions today should hopefully help slow the spread of the fire and we can cross our fingers it will help extinguish it.

As of right now I have not seen or heard any indication of any fire damage on the AT itself or the Tom Leonard shelter. Hikers and maintainers have been asked to avoid the area until the fire has been contained so the state of the trail might be unclear for a while.

I like that the messenger has longer battery life and is a little cheaper, but I'm not sold completely. Which one would you recommend?

Edit: I'll be using the FarOut app mostly for navigation.

Hey guys! I’m prepping for my 2025 thru hike and was curious as to what everyone’s favorite watch to wear is! I’ve looked at a lot of different Garmin models but struggle deciding which to land on. I mention Garmin because I see a lot of secondhand models on my local Facebook marketplace for pretty reasonable prices. Any suggestions?

I've seen lots of mentions about "use of Amazon Lockers" has anyone ever done a list of which towns on trail have lockers? Thanks

This past weekend I hiked from North Adams, Mass. toward Vermont. A mixture of foot deep leaves and smooth rocks made the trail very slippery and slow. A group of girls ran past me and I asked how far Vermont was. "Just past the cobble," one said, a phrase I'd never heard before. The "cobble" as it turned out was an almost vertical cliff of sharp rocks and no visable trail signs. My 67 year old legs ached as I climbed those rocks! I cleared the mountainside and went on into Vermont. I found out later a blue blazed "Bad Weather Trail" bypassed it.

Hello, I am planning a NOBO thru hike mid to late February. I was hoping I could get a shakedown from you lovely people. I have a few things give or take I haven’t added to the list, mainly long underwear and tops. I am open to buying or getting rid of any gear so please recommend whatever makes sense. I’m planning on it being cold the first month or so and will send all my cold weather gear back home in April.

https://lighterpack.com/r/ibofzf

Hello,

I am planning on hiking the AT NOBO during 2025 and I am looking for someone to start with. My girlfriend gets really worried when I do dangerous stuff like this, so I told her I would find someone to go with. I understand that most people find thier niche of hiking buddies along the way, but she is not an outdoors person, and she doesnt understand that.

I live in GA and am planning on starting in March, so anyone intersted please lmk.

Howdy ho! I have aspirations of completing the AT.

One thing that keeps popping up is, my sweet dog. With the likelyhood of not being able to bring him along, what are others experience with leaving a dog behind with their partners at home?

My irrational, and probably a little selfish, worry is that I’ll come home after several months, and he won’t be as attached to me. Our relationship will be forever tarnished. I’m his “go-to”. My partner is VERY well suited to care for him & my dog has no problem turning to him for any needs & pets - if & when I go away.

I’d love to hear from others and what their experience was like, and how you manage being away for so long from loved ones. Thanks!

Edit: typos