Appalachian Guide National Scenic Trail Travel

Every spring, some 2,000 people from all walks of life converge at Springer Mountain, the Appalachian Trail's southern terminus in northwest Georgia. A couple of hundred more start later in the season, going southbound from Mt. Katahdin, the Appalachian Trail's northern terminus in Maine.

Historically, the drop-out rate has been enormous, with some 90 percent of those who start failing to finish. More recently, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the completion rate has been higher - as much as 25 or 30 percent - perhaps due to the amount of information now available.

How to Prepare for Hiking the Appalachian Trail

• Get some hiking experience! Unbelievably, some people show up at the trail having never backpacked before. Perhaps they were inspired by a slide show or a book, but it takes more than a dream to hike 2,200 miles Long-distance backpacking involves aches and pains, smelly socks, smellier tent mates, foul weather (including mud, rain, snow, heat, and humidity), insects, rodents, roots, rocks, and sheer exhaustion. There are plenty of wonderful rewards - but not everyone is cut out to be a long-distance hiker. It's better to find out first, before quitting a job and taking six months off!
• Read about it. Couples, old men, young women, a blind hiker, a family: it seems that everyone has penned his or her story of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. What's especially interesting is that these books and Internet accounts have so much in common. Everyone, it seems, starts with a too-heavy pack.
• Fitness. It's certainly true that the only way to truly get ready to put on a pack and walk up a mountain is to put on a pack and walk up a mountain. But hikers who are fit at the start are going to be a whole lot happier than hikers who aren't. Anything aerobic will help.
• Equipment: One rule is constant. Packs should be as light as possible. Most experienced long-distance backpackers use the lightest gear available. Or modify gear to cut weight.
• Foot preparation: Be sure shoes fit properly. Thru-hikers use either trekking shoe or hiking boots; the decision depends on pack-weight, ankle strength, and fitness.

Appalachian Trail Planning Resources for Itineraries and Resupply

• Travel Channel Vacation Challenge

• St Petersburg Florida Travel Agents

• Panama Travel Guide

• Travel Nursing Maryland

• Sainsbury Travel Insurance Uk