What were the physical requirements? How long would it take? How much would it cost? What equipment would I need? How would I get to the trail and how would I get back home from the trail? What would a typical day be like? Would I want to come back? What time of year should I start?
Magazines
For two decades I’ve read through the pages of Men’s Journal, Adventure and Maxim, following the colorful expeditions and exploits of others. National Geographic’s Adventure magazine introduced me to the Appalachian Trail, and Backpacker introduced me to the fundamentals of modern backpacking.
Books
Soon after exhausting the newsstand, I began ordering books about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. If magazine articles provided the skeleton or framework, then these books put meat on the bone. Four books I read are worth noting.
Long Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail (Mueser) provided an excellent analysis of what it takes to hike the AT and why people do it. Based on surveys of successful thru-hikers, rather than project the experience of one hiker, you get the benefit of many.
White Blaze Fever (Schuette) provided a journal style account of Mountain Slayer, a successful thru-hiker. It’s an entertaining illustration of the day to day encounters with the trail and the people along the trail.
Walking the Appalachian Trail (Luxenberg, Warren) and The Appalachian Trail Backpacker (Logue, Logue) were also very interesting depictions of AT history, lore and what it takes to hike it.
Any thru-hiker or AT expert has noticed a title missing; Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Online Community
I probably could have saved myself a great deal of reading and some money had I simply prowled the infinite pages of the WhiteBlaze.net website. The site is a community of Appalachian Trail enthusiasts. Everything you might want to know about the AT is eagerly provided by people who have a great affection for hiking and the AT. I use this website almost everyday to get answers to questions and opinions on equipment. It’s also a great source of amusement at times.
Online Catalogs & Equipment Manufacturers
Once I figured out what equipment I needed, I spent a great deal of time on the web deciding which brands I’d ultimately purchase. REI was a great source of product information, while sites like Nike and pRana were also excellent resources.
My curiosity afforded me plenty of direction. All of the questions I had about the Appalachian Trail, the people who hike the entirety, and the equipment they used fascinated me. I needed to know what to expect, what equipment was needed, how to do things I’d need to do. Many questions needed answers.
