AWOL on the Appalachian Trail

by David Miller

What gear did you use? A complete list of my gear is on the Web site www.AwolOnTheTrail.com. The list should be considered notional because new and better choices are now available, although I still hike some every year and take essentially the same gear. At the time of my thru-hike, having a cell phone on the trail was anathema. I carried one at the start of my hike, hardly got any use from it, and sent it home after a few weeks. Cell phones are becoming standard gear because reception is increasing and pay phones are dwindling. Smart phones have become multipurpose tools that can also serve as a GPS, compass, and journal. Learn to use your gear before leaving, because you won’t want to carry manuals. Or make more use of your smart phone by loading it with manuals. Electronic devices, such as your camera, phone, and watch, are worthy of special attention. If your watch or phone has an alarm, be sure it is off before settling into a shelter or other common sleeping area. Take the best camera that you can afford and are willing to carry. Learn how to shoot the types of pictures that you will take on the trail: close-ups of flowers; wildlife in dense, low-light woods where a flash will have a spotlight effect; hikers sitting around a campfire. Know how to use the camera’s timer or remote to take a photo of yourself alone at a scenic overlook. Take a minitripod and learn techniques for propping and stabilizing your camera.

What does it cost? In 2003, five thousand dollars would be a good baseline. Most hikers will spend more on the gear and town stops to make the trip comfortable, and some frugal hikers will get by on less. Opportunity cost—the income that you won’t earn while hiking—is the largest expense of thru-hiking. Hiking is as cheap as any vacation that you can take. Virtually every night’s stay can be free, and there’s enough food left in hiker boxes to eat for free. No one does this, though, as the pull of a hot shower, soft bed, and “real” food is strong. A reasonable plan might be to factor in the cost of a hotel or hostel stay and a few restaurant meals every week. A thru-hike will last fifteen to thirty weeks. The big three gear items—pack, tent, and sleeping bag— can all be had for less than two hundre...

Where you ever bored? Yes. In part, that is the purpose of doing a hike. I keep myself too busy. As I said in chapter 5, hiking was a “forced simplification of my life.” We are in an era when the demand for our attention is exploding. TV, e-mail, and the Internet had blossomed before my hike, and in the short time since I’ve finished, smart phones, Facebook, and Twitter have been added to the roster. There is a danger that we can confuse being busy with being entertained and being relaxed with being bored. When hiking, we don’t just leave behind the customary distractions; we have to escape from our addiction to them. It can be a challenge to form new habits and to draw from within.

What would you do differently? Take more pictures. Experiment more with different hiking patterns and foods. See new spots, be more attentive. Take better care of my feet. I’d like to plan less and let every day take shape on a whim.

How did the experience change you? My thoughts on this are unchanged from the epilogue, in which I cited patience, less concern over money, and a greater inclination to do things. I’ll add that I did not seek these changes. Change is inevitable on such unique and prolonged endeavors, with one caveat: the journey is no cure-all. Loading it with expectations will increase the odds of a premature end. Issues festering at home will follow hikers onto the trail. If you are broke to begin with, you will be more broke upon your return. When setting out, I wanted a break from my routine; I wanted adventure. I received that, and more.