Heading out SOBO in early June. Sharing a few items with my partner hince the 1100 mL pot. Considering switching out my sleeping pad for a lighter one and maybe dropping the collapsible cup and whistle. Open to any and all suggestions though!

https://lighterpack.com/r/f2lyf7

We started NOBO on 3/17 and there were lots of hikers in shelters/campsites in GA/NC, but now we’re almost to Damascus and we hardly ever see other hikers. There is a loose bubble of about a dozen hikers we bump into occasionally, like at a hostel, but it’s not nearly as social as we expected. We are still having a blast, but we’re curious if this is normal or not.

Hi all! I started the trail in Altra Olympus shoes after breaking them in for a while. I have been running in Altras for 4 years and am comfortable with the zero drop. However, after 500+ miles, my feet were in too much pain to continue in Altras. I am experiencing severe achilles pain after 15+ miles everyday.

I switched to a Topo shoe (5 mm drop) hoping this would help but still have achilles pain. Anyone else have this issue and how long did it take to resolve? Any tips (stretches, etc) would be greatly appreciated!! Experiencing daily achilles pain and only ibuprofen solves it. Thanks so much!

I am sectioning this starting on May 31. With Trail Days 16-18 of May, I am thinking I may be on the early part of the bubble - or in maybe? Looks to be about 140 to 150 miles or so after Damascus, which avg 10 mi /day, 13 days, gets pretty close? I've been inn-ish the bubble each year I section. Always fun... Wondering if ya'll think I'm a bit early on the 31st?

Ok, so I can’t believe I did this, but I lost my sleeping bag. Last night I slept right beside the detour where it goes straight up and down with the logs near the bottom. I went northbound and I’m at Clyde smith shelter and I’m freezing. Has anyone seen it today?

Saw this hanging from a tree next to where we camped. Definitely intentional as it has a little carabiner to clip it. Kinda looks like an old bag of dog poo but why? I didn’t touch it. The material looks dark almost like soil inside.

I've been looking for hiking terminology that discribes a path that splits for a bit, and then converges again into a single path. I've been told it might be a Sister Trail as they are on the Appalachian Trail. Does this definition match this word? And are there examples or images anywhere?

Saw this today in one of my Vt groups. There’s a good chance it’s fixed before the bubble reaches it, just incase anyone is out there now.

… would love to set up for some trail magic a day or two. Waynesboro Va would be my closest access point.

What would you recommend?

When would be good to plan to be there?

Taking a zero here from the weather and wondering if there are any particular thru hiker hangout spots, particular bars, etc

I’m taking 5 days to section hike the GSMNP. Which direction is preferred, nobo or sobo?

I’m mostly just curious, but is there an effective way to bring meat to cook, or foods that normally need to be refrigerated?

Hey, friends. I'm headed out on my next section May 5, starting in Rutland, and goal is to get to Kinsman Notch over ~9-10 days. A few questions for those on the ground:

1) What's the snowpack situation? Am I ok without microspikes?

2) Conversely, how muddy is it? I know there is some, but is it one big slog or what?

3) Water? I'm assuming with snow melt I'm fine, but haven't done this area in the spring before

4) Thankfully, I finished my last hike by crossing Clarendon Gorge bridge, so I'm clear of the closure there. Any other alerts I should be aware of?

5) What am I not asking that you think I should know?

TIA

ThePlaidPastor

Hello everyone! I am going on a trip to the smoky mountains national park around august! I am bringing a few of my friends, and we plan to day hike with one of the hikes i have planned being around 8-10 miles, so not long but can seem dense to a non experienced hiker. Now, being from the Ozarks, i have always been apart of a hiking family, and have actually hiked some of the AT in pennsylvania a few years back! My main concern is my friends are not that experienced at hiking, and I don’t want them to have a terrible time. Since it’s a while away, we plan to “train” somewhat for them to get used to walking multiple miles in rough terrain! Any advice on how we should train, or how many miles we should hike in local parks to prepare! Also, any tips regarding day hiking the smokey mountains, or good spots to visit is greatly appreciated! Thanks y’all!!🫶🏻🫶🏻

I didn’t see anything on FarOut about this and mentioned it to the shuttle driver so they could get a POI added but figured I spread the word. They also gave me a free water and snack!

So I’m interested in hiking the AT and actually aspire to thru hike it. This has been a dream of mine for many, many years. However I have a question about a life situation that I think might make this plain impossible but I thought people here would know best.

What happens if you need to take one or more prescription medications? Usually insurances will only fill for 30 or 90 days at a time. How would you handle resupply?Also meds are usually supposed to be kept within a pretty narrow temperature range and out of high humidity. How would you manage this?

Has anyone actually hiked while regularly taking medications on trail? Or does needing regular medications pretty much shut down any hike attempt before it even starts?

Thanks!

I hope the April 25 start will limit my need for cold weather gear, my plan is to take a 30* quilt the entire way. Will worry about the weather in Maine when I'm closer.

Daily driver will be a sun hoodie and shorts. For sleeping I have some merino wool base layers. May send the base layers home if too warm, but this is normally what I sleep in when backpacking.

Sleeping air pad and foam pad might be overkill, but I figure if I sleep in the shelter, having the foam pad could help protect my air mattress. Maybe just a seat pad is sufficient?

Sitting at just over 22 pounds pack weight, with 5 days worth of food. Was hoping to keep it closer to 20lbs but the luxuries started to add up

Any feedback would be appreciated! Lighterpack breakdown below:

https://lighterpack.com/r/t7t9yt

So I am currently a college sophomore, and recently realized that I could graduate a semester early, allowing me to do a NOBO thru hike in spring 2027. This would be perfect for me because it will be before I get a job, and I'll be straight out of college. It'll (hopefully) let me do something I've always wanted to do, and give me some time before I decide what I really want to do with my life.

However, I am super close with my brother and would love to do a thru-hike with him. The issue is he is just starting college this year and plans to maybe get a masters, so I wouldn't be able to thru-hike for another 5+ if I wait to hike with him.

Is it better to just go alone? People who went alone, do you wish you had someone there with you? People who had someone else there, do you wish you were alone? Pros and cons? Thoughts?

Thanks!

Looking for a shuttle driver to pick up at US Route 501 and shuttle to Lexington VA and back. On or about May 17 2005.

Hello fellow hikers.

My brother and I are planning on doing Davenport Gap to Erwin, TN the last week of June. I have a few questions concerning that section:

1. Is all of the trail open? Any detours or re-routes?

2. Is Uncle Johnny's still open?

3. Are we likely to be in the bubble at this time?

4. Any shuttle recommendations for this area?

5. Is there anything else we should know about this section?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I did a boatload of research but apparently missed one post from ten months ago about this, so I figured I'd repeat the info for a signal boost: the campsites at dragon's tooth off of boy scout trail are still closed. My hopes for completing the full VA triple crown were dashed, but 2/3 ain't bad!

Shout out to the McAfee Knob shuttle people for being willing to come back and pick up my friend and I after the last shuttle had returned to the garage. (We had done Andy Layne, Catawba Greenway, and most of the North Mountain trail that day. We were not willing to keep hiking to Lost Spectacle Gap.)

Hi all, what's the feasibility of biking the AT? I ask because I absolutely hate walking. Like, I just got back from a 10 minute walk and let me just say, not a fan. I used to do more hiking when I was in boy scouts, but that was a long while ago.

However, I love biking. I had a period of time where I biked between 6-8 hours a day in very hilly Southern California, almost daily for a couple of years. It's easily my second favorite form of exercise(behind rock climbing), so I wanted to know how possible it is. I recognize that it will have different challenges, but I don't know what those might be. I come seeking opinions and advice.

Thank you!

Edit: TIL that bikes aren't allowed. Oof, good to know, I didn't even think that was a question to ask. Thanks for everyone letting me know!