itsnotacoup

Let me see if I can rattle off a few. Let me say first that the people you find on the AT are often not backpacking aficionados or even enthusiasts. They may become them post-AT, but many start the trail because they are looking substance and significance in life -- usually after a major life change (divorce, job change, graduation). Here are a few tips that I think might help:

1) Treat it like a fucking vacation. It is, after all. There are some out there who are bogged down in the physical and mental difficulty of the day-to-day battles. Think how lucky you are. Your job each day is to wake up (whenever you want), walk through the woods over mountains (for as long as you want), eat whatever you want and spend times with some of the most amazing characters you'll ever meet. Don't get upset about the seemingly never-ending line of dirt in front of you; much like college, it's over before you know it.

2) Save money and time. Before you hike, make sure you have at least three or four grand saved (more, if you want to kick back and relax in hotels in town all the time) and no real stringent time restrictions. I met amazing people who I could not spend as much time with as they had serious financial and/or time issues. This also adds stress to the journey. Be free! Frolic amongst the bees! Do a 30+ mile day! Do whatever! No need to think about cash/time.

3) Make lots of adjustments. I changed my entire setup several times while on the trail. I moved from boots to trail runners to running shoes; I went from a two-person tent, to a one-person tent to a plastic tarp to nothing; i carried a propane stove, then no stove then a solo stove. You get the idea. A good plan is to do a lot of research beforehand, determine what you think you'll really want/need, and keep extra things you don't think you absolutely need in a "bounce box." A bounce box is a package you mail ahead a couple hundred miles down the trail, which can be picked up a local post office.

4) Stay away from the competitive hikers. Humans are humans, after all, and on the trail there are often competitive battles over miles hiked, mountains climbed, calories consumed, etc. etc. If you want to partake in this (and you should, from time to time), make sure you do it for fun. The amazing person to douchebag ratio on the trail tips heavily in favor of cool people, but you'll inevitably find the douches in the relentlessly competitive gang.

5) Be generous. And I mean this in the whole sense. Share food and drink if you can, share rides if you have them and share space in shelters or campsites. But more importantly, share yourself. Be a part of the conversations going on around you. Introduce yourself to everyone. It's kind of like camp where normal social norms are suspended, so it's easier - if you're introverted - to fall into conversation and friendships. But actively engage yourself. You will be SO happy you did. The most amazing people on earth are out there.

I'd be happy to share more if you'd like. But this is a good primer.

EDIT: a few more tips in response to HippityLongEars below. Hope it's helpful!

HA! YOU DAMN NOBO! I'LL FIND YOU AND SLAUGHTER YOU WITH MY LEKI POLES!

I hiked with a buddy of mine and it was the first decision we make. 90 percent of those who attempt the AT go NOBO. 10 percent go SOBO. (Let me just double-check the math on that ...). Also, only around 10 percent of those headed SOBO complete. So we were like, OK, SOBO it is. Harder. Less traveled. What's really funny about SOBO v. NOBO is the faux battle that exists on the trail between the hikers. They pass each other on the trail usually in the New Hampshire area, and smack-talk ensued. God damn NOBOs.

Ha! This was a fun story for the thru-hiking community. Really anyone with any connection to the trail. I did have sex on the AT, though. So. Story holds.

Before the hike, I'd been working at a bank - many hrs a week, stress, but pretty good money. I needed a break and I'd often gone traveling with a good friend of mine. We wanted something long. The AT worked well. I hiked the AT in 2007-2008. After I finished, I traveled through Southern California for about 6 months then moved to Portland, OR, where I was a freelance writer and editor. Moved to Kathmandu, Nepal for a stretch, then on to Cairo, Egypt, where I reside today.

We started July 3 2007 and finished January 12 2008. So six months and change, which is on the longer end of things, haha. We went slow at first, took many zero days (no miles), took trips to NYC and Philly and basically had a blast with it. Hiking in Dec. and Jan., even in the South, is still quite cold. We had some brutal days with snow and ice and cold.

SOBO was great, yeah. Some believe it's harder because you start with the real rigorous stuff in Maine and NH. Plus, you immediately begin with the 100-mile wilderness, which is a stretch of 100 miles of trail with very few resupply spots. Those 100 miles took us 17 days. Again, this is unusual, but we prepared for it (took 20 days of food) because we knew our physical limitations in the early stages.

The hardest moment for me was when I got injured. I rolled my ankle badly in Fontana Dam, NC and had to lay up in a hotel for about 10 days on my own. This was through New Years. It was sad because I thought I was going to have to get off the trail. And I had hiked 2,000 miles already. After these days, still injured, I just got back out there and continued. I was slow and careful and I made it.