only did 1200 miles, but it wasn't my feet. it was my knees. many areas its like going up and down steps two at a time.
only did 1200 miles, but it wasn't my feet. it was my knees. many areas its like going up and down steps two at a time.
"Tenting is equivalent to a bum crawling into a cardboard box, hammocking is an art" KK
There is no train from bangor. Hasn't been as far as I can remember. The farthest train along the.way is to Portland Maine or Freeport Maine with the latest Brunswick extension. Best to get to Portland and then take greyhound to bangor.
I think there is a bus to Medway and then another from Medway to Millinocket and the rest the guy from the hostel will pick you up.
DOS can give the freshest hiking advice as she finished this year but in general I like the advice of thinking about it as a string of 3 day hikes.
Swinging in the air with a flair.
Staying reasonably clean really isn't that hard, and there's no reason for your gear to stink. It seems that some hikers just revel in developing that hiker funk and wear it like a badge of honor.
If the weather isn't absolutely horrible I bathe every evening while hiking. I strip to the waist, go to the water source, dip my quart water bottle in and pour it over my head. Refill the bottle and walk away from the water source to where I have left my little bottle of Dr Bronners and a bandanna. Put a few drops of Dr Bronners in my hand and wash my hair. A few more drops and I can wash my body. Use the bandanna to scrub a little, then use the water bottle to rinse off. Keeping my hair really short makes this a lot easier.
I also do a bit of laundry every night. Take a gallon size zip-loc bag and fill it half way with water. Add a few drops of Dr Bronners. In the summer I hike in a pair of running shorts and a light-weight synthetic shirt. One or the other of these goes into the zip-loc bag and gets smushed around to agitate. Remove the shirt or shorts and put on a rock or hang on a tree limb. Now put one dirty pair of socks in the bag and repeat. Dump out the now amazingly dirty water and refill the bag with fresh water. Rinse the shirt or shorts, then rinse the socks. The shirt or shorts will still be damp in the morning put once I put them on they will dry quickly. The socks will finish drying hanging on the back of my pack tomorrow.
Even in summer I sleep in a very lightweight set of silk long johns. They are very cool and help keep my sleeping bag or quilt clean and non-funky.
This system worked for me on my 6-month AT thru-hike and I could walk into town and stop at the diner for a meal without feeling like I was offending the sensibilities of the locals, though that first shower during a town stop was still a heavenly experience.
~
"Home is where I hang my food bag."
Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
[email protected]
www.allenf.com
blog.allenf.com
Start at Katahdin and go south, only south....if you only plan on hiking the AT once in your life, make it a REAL THRU HIKE and hike it in one direction hitting all the blazes. (not the blue or yellow ones, like many seem to do).
1.5 years is a lot of training...you will definitely have a good chance of finishing. Most of the people I met didn't do any training. (but then again, I never saw those people after Gorham)
kinda depends on the water supply/etc. Ask oncoming traffic about conditions.
this is one of those HYOH things IMO...... I always start off the day carrying 2.5L (unless I'm starting off the day with a big climb, with a confirmed water source at top/not far from top). Some will say that it's stupid to carry that much.... some may carry more.
on and off.....can't remember, but, if you "correctly" plan your camping or water stops you won't need to off trail by much to fill up.
AWOL guide is good, but, like others have said-there are some "flaws"
slim to none......
another one of those HYOH things..... training and saving $ / etc. and the last thing I'd want is to go home with a broken toe/foot injury because I wanted to hike barefoot. I hiked with a person wearing the five fingers--stubbed toes, hurt feet, etc. He didn't make it past Gorham. Even people with "minimalist" shoes were having foot issues.
I'd recommend a pair of trail runners at the least... maybe try a wide size if you feel they are restricting your feet.
do laundry whenever possible.
if you go with a beard, keep it clean (somehow)
don't sleep in your hiking clothes is one way of keeping your sleeping gear clean.
I'd take out my alum stays in my pack and throw it in a front loader every couple weeks
I found that drying your socks with your clothes(in a dryer), gives your clothes a foot smell....especially when using the hiker hostel dryers.
baby wiping works well.
try not to sweat ..........especially right after laundry/shower.
thanks for posting.i started a year and a half ago at near 250,now im 210.ive gone down two pant sizes,i could go down 1 more ,but i cant get my legs into them.my pack started around 36 pounds ,now its 27 with water and 4 days of food.thats 49 pounds i shed from skin out.im a stubborn one track mind person,maybe it will pay off
ok another question,in controling guald i use compression shorts,this works but i hate the squeeze.are there any other options here.i use body glide and gold bond.i tried comando ,but the patch of skin between my legs rubs.
ok guys you can pull this thread to make way for others thanks for all you do,also thank you to all that replied.
~
"Home is where I hang my food bag."
Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
[email protected]
www.allenf.com
blog.allenf.com
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