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100 Tips for Prospective 2017 AT Thru-hikers

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    • Datto wrote:

      One of the things most notable about my AT thru-hike was that I had met people who's character was exemplary. These were people, individually, who were true and real. I had just loved that about them. There was just no BS about them at all on the AT. And I had recently come from an environment where BS was highly valued prior to me having arrived on the AT. That past experience for years on-end had made me suspicious of everything. The AT had become a relished breath of fresh air. When you see people under duress day-after-day and how they could still keep a positive attitude, keep going northward, just keep going. That is when you have encountered people who are as dedicated as you. They are your kind even though they may not appear as you.

      Later on, you find out more about them and they open up about who they are.

      It was then I had realized I'd run into truly great people. I suppose some would have considered themselves normal. To me they were what Society was intrinsically striving to achieve. Each was nobody and somebody at the same time. People who I'd admired (and I do not admire many people, even today).

      In the entire scheme of things they were also funny. Absolutely hilarious. Some of these people could have made a living as comedians. Instead they were history teachers or hair stylists or FBI agents or carpenters or firefighters.

      Somewhere in North Carolina I had met up with a woman from whom I had read past shelter register entries. Sometimes it's amazing to see the actual person who had written shelter register entries ahead of you on the Trail -- they're not who you expect them to be. During an extended break she had asked me what I had done prior to coming to the AT and I'd explained truthfully (rather than the usual "I'd escaped from an asylum"). I had asked her cordially what she had done prior to coming to the AT and she had responded that she had previously been a cube farmer. Eventually I'd surmised she was into space planning for some furniture company. We would hit it off and when I had velcroed my camera to nearby tree to jump into a timed photo op, I'd told her on the camera countdown to act crazy. That had ended up being one of the best pics from my AT thru-hike.

      The people just kept getting even better the further north I went on my AT thru-hike.

      Just plain good people.


      Datto
      One of the most real no BS people I met on my LASH's was a guy in Damascus that goes by Lone Wolf!

    • Da Klinkenwolfen

      1st time thru-hikers need not read any of this crap

      ---------------------
      Here's something else The Crap Kommandant said is verboten for first time AT thru-hikers and could result in you being sent to the cooler. So if you're a prospective AT thru-hiker -- Achtung! Don't read this.

      The Time Churn Gap. This is the difference between the limited relaxed mind-time you have available when you're back in Society (when you're multi-tasking every moment) versus the considerable available relaxed mind-time you have to fill when you're thru-hiking the AT.

      The Seinfeld video above made me think again about the subject. It didn't make it into Datto's Tips v2.0 because I don't really have a solution that would work across the board. But it is an issue because one of the common reasons people give for quitting their AT thru-hike is boredom.

      An observation I'd had early-on during my AT thru-hike was the considerable number of people who were rushing their thru-hikes in order to reach a motel, as a group, in order to watch live a particular popular television program. I remember having thought how odd that was -- for people to have come all the way out to the Appalachian Trail and start a 2000+ mile thru-hike only to be so highly focused on a television show.

      Then that same situation had happened to me and I hadn't realized it. In my case, I'd started trading stocks from the Trail like I had been frequently doing back in Society before starting my AT thru-hike. My trail side memories on my AT thru-hike are quite vivid -- except for the period of time between Hot Springs, NC and southern Virginia. That's the time period when I was trading stocks on my AT thru-hike. I wrote my daily trail journal entries on those days but what I probably should have talked about in my daily trail journal were the stock trades and related thoughts crossing my mind during that period.

      Fortunately for me (very) I ran into one of those great people you meet on your AT thru-hike. His trailname was Excellent Good Half Moon. I was sitting with him at a restaurant in southern Virginia and we were talking about all the different things going on with our hikes when I'd mentioned in passing I was doing pretty well trading stocks from the Trail.

      EGHM was just the most humorous fun guy to be around as were most of the AT thru-hikers I'd met up to that time. He'd taken a terrible fall at Plum Orchard Shelter near the GA/NC line and had a most hellacious injury to his leg. He'd been recuperating for weeks at The Blueberry Patch in northern Georgia when I'd first met him.

      At the restaurant after I'd mentioned I was trading stocks from the Trail. EGHM got very serious and told me what a terrible idea that was. I was curious and had a lot of respect for him so I'd asked him why he thought that way. His comment back to me was, "That will mess with your mind and is gonna screw up your hike." I found out he'd worked at one of the big financial services companies before starting his AT thru-hike

      When I'd hiked out of town heading northward again I began to think he was right and my thoughts had been so highly focused on my stock trades and related issues that I'd missed out on experiencing some of the beauty and wonder of the Appalachian Trail. So I'd stopped trading stocks and wow did that make such a sizeable positive difference. The calm and peacefulness that I'd experienced early in my AT thru-hike had then returned. Those people who were rushing as a group to reach a motel in order to watch a television show? Some quit their hikes and most of the rest stopped focusing on television during their AT thru-hikes.

      Up the Trail in New Jersey, one of the past AT thru-hikers who had helped me so much pre-hike had sent me a maildrop containing a few very small books. They'd already known, and had mentioned it to me pre-hike, that boredom can set in on some days.

      I was sitting at the front of a shelter one morning reading that last small book from the maildrop when a bear walked right up to me. I'd thought it was another thru-hiker returning for something forgotten so I hadn't paid much attention.

      You could say that was certainly a most memorable morning with the bear.

      A few AT thru-hikers around me were reading books too or were doing crossword puzzles. Most weren't though -- their envelopment into Trail Life was at such a depth they didn't need those types of things. I just happened to enjoy the diversion those few small books had provided. I still have them someplace -- in my Lucky Box I think down at the stuff gulag.

      Off to see if any southbounders have arrived yet needing rides into town.


      Datto

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

    • Da Wolf wrote:

      i only finished 5

      I don't believe your number simply because the number keeps varying up and down so frequently and I haven't believed anything you've said since the last time you and I met in-person years ago.

      Nevertheless, battling with you and the me-too minions isn't my goal -- it's certainly entertaining and I truly enjoy the spark from that activity. Rather, my goal is to quickly have a higher percentage of prospective AT thru-hikers legitimately finish the AT thru-hikes they start (not necessarily greater numbers finishing). Datto's Tips v2.0 is just one of the avenues I have underway pushing toward that goal.

      I'd like you and your minions to deliberately begin to take a much more gentle approach when responding to prospective AT thru-hikers and responding to AT issues, particularly with people who don't have a military background. Reason: You and your minions always being so harsh with others is simply no help to the masses and that harsh attitude creates a very bad impression with prospective AT thru-hikers. If you and your minions will take a recognizable gentler approach then I'll begin to ignore your claims and we can each go our different directions doing our own things separately without battle. If you'd rather continue to do battle here and elsewhere, new and existing, that'd be okay too and I'll gear up and continue to enjoy it when I get the time available soon. Since we're now supposed to be older and wiser I thought I'd give you the choice.

      Respond here this week and no legit response means you want to continue doing battle.


      Datto

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      Rasty wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      The Cafe isn't going to be a battle ground.
      Might be fun to watch as long as it's civil
      Good point. Pass the popcorn and pour the wine.
      What wine should I drink with popcorn?
      a quality Pinot Noir or Pinot Grigio.

      Beer bottles are tough to uncap with buttery fingers.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Datto wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      i only finished 5
      I don't believe your number simply because the number keeps varying up and down so frequently and I haven't believed anything you've said since the last time you and I met in-person years ago.

      Nevertheless, battling with you and the me-too minions isn't my goal -- it's certainly entertaining and I truly enjoy the spark from that activity. Rather, my goal is to quickly have a higher percentage of prospective AT thru-hikers legitimately finish the AT thru-hikes they start (not necessarily greater numbers finishing). Datto's Tips v2.0 is just one of the avenues I have underway pushing toward that goal.

      I'd like you and your minions to deliberately begin to take a much more gentle approach when responding to prospective AT thru-hikers and responding to AT issues, particularly with people who don't have a military background. Reason: You and your minions always being so harsh with others is simply no help to the masses and that harsh attitude creates a very bad impression with prospective AT thru-hikers. If you and your minions will take a recognizable gentler approach then I'll begin to ignore your claims and we can each go our different directions doing our own things separately without battle. If you'd rather continue to do battle here and elsewhere, new and existing, that'd be okay too and I'll gear up and continue to enjoy it when I get the time available soon. Since we're now supposed to be older and wiser I thought I'd give you the choice.

      Respond here this week and no legit response means you want to continue doing battle.


      Datto
      yes dear. it's just walkin' 8)

    • Datto wrote:

      Da Wolf wrote:

      i only finished 5
      I don't believe your number simply because the number keeps varying up and down so frequently and I haven't believed anything you've said since the last time you and I met in-person years ago.

      Nevertheless, battling with you and the me-too minions isn't my goal -- it's certainly entertaining and I truly enjoy the spark from that activity. Rather, my goal is to quickly have a higher percentage of prospective AT thru-hikers legitimately finish the AT thru-hikes they start (not necessarily greater numbers finishing). Datto's Tips v2.0 is just one of the avenues I have underway pushing toward that goal.

      I'd like you and your minions to deliberately begin to take a much more gentle approach when responding to prospective AT thru-hikers and responding to AT issues, particularly with people who don't have a military background. Reason: You and your minions always being so harsh with others is simply no help to the masses and that harsh attitude creates a very bad impression with prospective AT thru-hikers. If you and your minions will take a recognizable gentler approach then I'll begin to ignore your claims and we can each go our different directions doing our own things separately without battle. If you'd rather continue to do battle here and elsewhere, new and existing, that'd be okay too and I'll gear up and continue to enjoy it when I get the time available soon. Since we're now supposed to be older and wiser I thought I'd give you the choice.

      Respond here this week and no legit response means you want to continue doing battle.


      Datto
      by the way, what's a minion? kinda like you and your ilk? ya tryin' to be the new tarlin?

    • mental note wrote:

      What has always amazed me is the people that hiked the trail prior to all the internet minutiae...what nerve!

      when i thru'd, pre internet, i gave my 2 week notice and did all my "planning" and gear purchases at night and on the weekends over that 2 week period.

      today i woulda started my planning with stoves, and 2 weeks later i still wouldn't have figgered out which one to use.

      it's really not necessary, but i understand why people do it.

      whoever said that using the internet was like trying to get a drink outta a fire hydrant was spot on.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 2 times, last by max.patch ().

    • The great thing about section hiking is you can start out like I did with boy scout/car camping stuff and evolve over every trip you take (base weight from 35 to 15 lbs).

      Similar to the difference in agile and waterfall in software development.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General