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Thru Hiking/Lashing 101

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    • Thru Hiking/Lashing 101

      It's my belief we have a lot of experience here. While Backpacker Magazine offers this for $300. we can do it for free! I think we need to start a straight forward catagory for it with minimal thread drift. While I enjoy this place for friendship my primary goal is to help potential hikers. We can post important stuff like how long cheese lasts! :S Yogie has her version of Awolls guides for many western trails. She uses a compilation of several hikers. I prepose we do the same. I know many here have never thru hiked, but your input is inportant to. One section could be trail towns. What was your experience ther, where did you stay, what did it cost & hw was it. Reataurants anothe categoery, etc. I'm willing to head it up. Other thoughts?

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      It's my belief we have a lot of experience here. While Backpacker Magazine offers this for $300. we can do it for free! I think we need to start a straight forward catagory for it with minimal thread drift. While I enjoy this place for friendship my primary goal is to help potential hikers. We can post important stuff like how long cheese lasts! :S Yogie has her version of Awolls guides for many western trails. She uses a compilation of several hikers. I prepose we do the same. I know many here have never thru hiked, but your input is inportant to. One section could be trail towns. What was your experience ther, where did you stay, what did it cost & hw was it. Reataurants anothe categoery, etc. I'm willing to head it up. Other thoughts?
      its a little superfluous to the cafe with many resources already in place, but it think it would be good to start either a separate forum more focused and specific to long distance hiking/thru hiking, or perhaps an article, which would minimize thread drift.
      its all good

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      It's my belief we have a lot of experience here. While Backpacker Magazine offers this for $300. we can do it for free! I think we need to start a straight forward catagory for it with minimal thread drift. While I enjoy this place for friendship my primary goal is to help potential hikers. We can post important stuff like how long cheese lasts! :S Yogie has her version of Awolls guides for many western trails. She uses a compilation of several hikers. I prepose we do the same. I know many here have never thru hiked, but your input is inportant to. One section could be trail towns. What was your experience ther, where did you stay, what did it cost & hw was it. Reataurants anothe categoery, etc. I'm willing to head it up. Other thoughts?
      Sounds great to me. If we color code the background or something it might help prevent the thread drift.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • part of the vision i had for the cafe was to grow this community to create a trail family that ran from maine to georgia.if we continue to grow the membership, based on the support we've all offered and been offered to and by members on trail the past few years, i think this community can offer much more than just a primer.
      i really do love this place(meaning all you guys/gals)
      its all good

    • hikerboy wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      It's my belief we have a lot of experience here. While Backpacker Magazine offers this for $300. we can do it for free! I think we need to start a straight forward catagory for it with minimal thread drift. While I enjoy this place for friendship my primary goal is to help potential hikers. We can post important stuff like how long cheese lasts! :S Yogie has her version of Awolls guides for many western trails. She uses a compilation of several hikers. I prepose we do the same. I know many here have never thru hiked, but your input is inportant to. One section could be trail towns. What was your experience ther, where did you stay, what did it cost & hw was it. Reataurants anothe categoery, etc. I'm willing to head it up. Other thoughts?
      its a little superfluous to the cafe with many resources already in place, but it think it would be good to start either a separate forum more focused and specific to long distance hiking/thru hiking, or perhaps an article, which would minimize thread drift.
      I thought about doing an article, but while I can point out differnt methods, others actually do them & I would like them to chime in. Same with town stops & hostels. One person can say it's great & another have a bad experience. My plan is to outline the trail & long distance hiking where everyone can comment on what or where they know. Give me a few days to prepose an outline. I think I have most of it in my book plan. "LSD" Long Slow Distance.

    • Perhaps a set of state by state threads.
      People who have good knowledge of a particular state can input and also be readily identified.
      Mind you we would have excellent coverage of NY but are there any Massholes in the cafe?
      :evil:
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • I think this is an excellent idea.

      Also, info on getting to the main trailheads and what kind of parking/motel is available there would help to.

      Mainly what I have been unable to locate about the AT/BMT trailheads are things like: parking, resupply ( in case people forget something at home and discover it when they get to the trailhead), are tents allowed if you get there close to dark ?, what/how much motel/inn/bed and breakfast is there, traditional things we should know about so we don't look too silly upon starting the trail, and anything else I haven't thought of as I've never been there.

      I think thats the most important; things people have learned when they went to the trailheads, the trail towns, the trails, that aren't mentioned in the guidebooks or 'not mentioned because everyone knows that' when most likely few know it unless they have been there.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • I know most of the info is out there on the net. Something I didn't have when I hiked. Problem is now there is so much to filter through.

      Most newbies ask where to start...we direct them to guidebooks Awoll, or ALDHA's

      Big 3, etc.

      As for trail towns & shelters: yes a lot of stuff is in the guides. I kinda liked Yogies CDT (She also has PCT & JMT GUides) where several hikers give ther input. What was great in this town, etc. personal stuff!

      As for gear: we could do links to articles or threads here already on the site, but thru-hiking/lashing is a little more specific. I have multitude of stoves, packs, sleeping bags & pads. I use all of them. just depends on hike & terrain. Kinda like solar power. No way I woud reccomend it on AT, but considering it for ICT.

      I feel there is a need for this here. A one stop option for newbies that we can add to.

      I forgot an important sub catogory in food: How long does cheese last! :D

    • i can see putting together an article for long sdistance or thru hiking with sections for gear choices, footwear, food planning,etc, with links to pertinent threads in the general forums, and using the article to flesh out the gaps in information. this would utilize a lot of whats already here in a kind of directory, more targeted to a specific type of hike. it would also invite the user to participate in the general forums for answers to specific questions. in addition, a state by state guide of support services including our own voluntary "services" would be useful .
      i just remember a lot of people at tos being told to "read the articles before you post, you idiot!!"
      its all good

    • hikerboy wrote:

      i can see putting together an article for long sdistance or thru hiking with sections for gear choices, footwear, food planning,etc, with links to pertinent threads in the general forums, and using the article to flesh out the gaps in information. this would utilize a lot of whats already here in a kind of directory, more targeted to a specific type of hike. it would also invite the user to participate in the general forums for answers to specific questions. in addition, a state by state guide of support services including our own voluntary "services" would be useful .
      i just remember a lot of people at tos being told to "read the articles before you post, you idiot!!"
      We already know men refuse to follow directions. How many women do? ?(

    • JimBlue wrote:

      I think this is an excellent idea.

      Also, info on getting to the main trailheads and what kind of parking/motel is available there would help to.

      Mainly what I have been unable to locate about the AT/BMT trailheads are things like: parking, resupply ( in case people forget something at home and discover it when they get to the trailhead), are tents allowed if you get there close to dark ?, what/how much motel/inn/bed and breakfast is there, traditional things we should know about so we don't look too silly upon starting the trail, and anything else I haven't thought of as I've never been there.

      I think thats the most important; things people have learned when they went to the trailheads, the trail towns, the trails, that aren't mentioned in the guidebooks or 'not mentioned because everyone knows that' when most likely few know it unless they have been there.
      jim, if you decide to hike a section of the AT next spring instead of the BMT - and there reasons why you should consider this - i can answer any question you have about the georgia section.
      2,000 miler

    • Of course, my problem is I'm incredibly out of shape again. I did buy a fitbit flex on sale on Black Friday. Counts my steps, distance walked, sleep pattern, etc. Gee, I toss and turn a lot. Holds 30 days of data, but details have to be uploaded every 7 days. Battery good for 5 days. Evidently they are coming out with a better model next year at twice the price. They have a nice watch, with GPS, and does the rest. I might get that instead.

      I bought some things from antigravity on their sale.

      DIY pot cozy, mosquito netting patch kit as mine one window in my tent is rough in one spot, loud whistle pair, AWOL's Northbound AT 2015 guide. The looseleaf version. And an air pillow. Got here 3 daysearlier than the USPS had originally said it would.

      At the moment I have to get signed up for part D of Medicare and get my A1C blood sugar tested... and see if the doctor thinks it okay for me to hike.

      As for the BMT and AT... I still feel confused about some parts of it, but don't understand enough of the trails, and the approach, to know what to ask.

      I did read part of AWOl's guide and noticed there are fees for entering the park at Amilacola Springs Park. Parking is possible for thrus, but is limited.

      Almost forgot. I have to pay off my root canal and crown... or get charged over 20% interest when the 'trial period' is over. Before I do any hiking. Darn thing was significantly higher up here than I am used to paying.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • The more I think about it it should be a whole seperate forum. This way each topic could be covered in it's own seperate thread. Even if we get thread drift it would be localized. Trying to put it all in an article would be to vague when it came to comments. Say for instance we go to the big 3... Say shelters. Other than obvious that you need one if only as a backup we can include redirects to links already on site. Same with stoves & backpacks, etc. I think this format would work best for newbies to get them interested in this site rather them having to sort through the entire site.

      Along with that each category in the section can deal will individual posts in uncluttered way as opposed to a bunch of them in one article. It would also allow other members to get involed say in a redirect to dehydrated food thread. & our lashers when it omes to certain area for current knowledge.

      We had a little bit of a ruff start here. I believe with all the knowledge & miles we have combined here this could be a great Forumn to pay back what we have learned from others along the way!

    • Ok, We start this forum in private area.

      Bad example: I write about realities of thru hiking. Others comment, Then I adjust before it goes public area. May help a little in a rewrite but may be better if comments/discussion is included

      Good example: I make a post on sleeping systems/shelters. Include all links I know are relevant but forget a few’ other members point them out so they can be included. Less confusing than multiple posts before it goes public. I guess others could add them & I could update when info was made aware to me. I just prefer it to be as accurate as can be before it goes public!

    • Or we just start it up as new forum to keep new members intrested. I see lots of people looking, some registering, but not many new poeple posting. I would prefer polished to perfection, but I guess it's like planning a hiking trip. Mone as well write it on TP because it goes to crap once boots hit the the ground. I JUST SEE THE NEED FOR THIS NOW! I want to help newbies. I feel this is a good idea!

    • I like the idea to. I'll check my links page and see if I link back to here. And I have some other sites I can link back to here as well. d&d and ham radio.

      edit:

      My apologies. my hiking site didn't, but does now, have a link and mention of this site.

      edit 2: I looked at the wrong page, I do have a link/mention of here.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by JimBlue ().