Your clothing for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike doesn’t have to be overly complicated—in fact, simpler is better because you don’t want to carry anything you’re not going to use. What you do want is clothing that is durable, doesn’t chafe or rub you the wrong way, and that is easy …
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Permethrin Soak Method Guide
Permethrin is an insect repellant and insecticide that bonds to fabric and can be used on your clothes, tent, or hammock to prevent Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, or the Zika Virus by killing ticks, mosquitos, and insects that land on your stuff. The liquid Permethrin application techniques discussed below …
Read More »Do You Need a Tent to Hike the Appalachian Trail?
When hiking the Appalachian Trail, you always want to bring some kind of camping shelter, be it a tent, floorless tarp, or hammock, because there’s a very real chance that the shelter will be full when you arrive. Shelter occupancy is first come, first serve. Next, there are plenty of …
Read More »AT Section Hike: The Mahoosucs and Old Speck Mountain
“Pull on my ankles!”, I shouted to Ken, from under a house-sized rock in Mahoosuc Notch. I’d dropped a water bottle as I scrambled between the giant boulders in what is often referred to as “the hardest mile on the Appalachian Trail” and didn’t want to leave it behind. Situated …
Read More »New Hampshire Appalachian Trail Section Hike: Rattle River to Lost Pond
The first backpacking trip I ever took in New Hampshire’s White Mountains started at the Rattle River Trailhead on Rt 2 outside of Gorham. We met at the shelter that first evening, 2 miles up from the highway, and then climbed Mts Moriah, Middle Carter, South Carter, Hight, and Carter …
Read More »New Hampshire Appalachian Trail Section Hike: Hanover to Wentworth
The New Hampshire Appalachian Trail begins at the bridge over the Connecticut River that separates Vermont and New Hampshire. That’s where I had my shuttle driver drop me off, before I headed up the hill thru Hanover Center, which was bustling with Dartmouth students. A few turns along some side …
Read More »Pennsylvania AT Section Hike: Fayetteville to Boiling Springs
Like a moth to the flame…my cabin fever gets so bad each April that I schedule Appalachian Trail section hikes for this time of year. Unfortunately, some unexpected family and domestic issues forced me to cut my trip short and return to New England after just a few days on the …
Read More »Appalachian Trail Shuttle Guide
Appalachian Trail Shuttles are hiker taxis that will ferry you to and from the trail when you need to leap-frog to the end of a section or need a ride to a nearby town, hostel, train or bus station. They’re part of the unregulated network of hiker services that you …
Read More »Do You Need Maps to Hike the Appalachian Trail?
You do (still) need maps to hike the Appalachian Trail, but they’re probably not the kind that you expect. There are two halves to every Appalachian Trail experience: backpacking the trail itself and navigating the communities that border the trail. While you don’t need to carry paper maps anymore to follow …
Read More »How to Section Hike the Appalachian Trail: FAQ
People who section hike the Appalachian Trail, hike it a segment at a time, on weekends or whenever it’s convenient for them to get away for a few days. There’s no need to quit your job or school. While it’s not as glamorous or social as a thru-hike, you can …
Read More »What is it Like to Sleep in an Appalachian Trail Shelter?
What is an Appalachian Trail Shelter? Appalachian Trail Shelters come in many different styles and sizes. Most are built-in a lean-to style with one wall open to the elements, but here are many different shelter designs in use up and down the trail. Some have covered porches where hikers can …
Read More »The A.T. Guide
If you’re thinking about thru-hiking or section hiking the Appalachian Trail, make sure you take a buy the latest A.T. Guide, written and compiled by David Miller (trail name AWOL). The Guide has town maps, GPS coordinates to trail heads, mail drop instructions, sections on town and trail etiquette, elevation profile …
Read More »Backpacking Old Speck Mtn and the West Grafton Loop
Grafton Notch is a magnificent mountain pass in Southwestern Maine, a short drive from Gorham, NH, the last major trail town that Appalachian Trail thru-hikers visit before leaving New Hampshire. Crowned by towering Old Speck Mountain, which has a viewing tower at its peak, Grafton Notch rivals Franconia Notch, Crawford …
Read More »How to Hike the 100 Mile Wilderness
The 100 mile Wilderness is a bucket list hike if there ever was one. The route is arduous but extremely beautiful, running over mountain ranges and past beautiful Maine lakes along the northern most section of the Appalachian Trail. However, it’s quite a remote and unforgiving hike if you haven’t …
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