How should i train for the appalachian trail

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benchmadebob

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May 12, 2008
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I want to start in ct but i dont know how far im going to go. I want get atleast into mass but not any farther for now. Also is it rely crowded? And how long do you think it would take?
 
just start walking...

the more hiking you do the better, try to train with slowly increasing weight amounts, to get up close to your actual pack weight at the start of the trail.

do some walks that you know the distance and time yourself with your full pack on and get a good idea of what your average mile per hour speed is, then you can figure out about how many miles you should be able to cover in a day. then factor in how many miles that adds up to and how tired you will be...

just practice alot to get a good idea...everyone is different so it really depends on your abilities and training.
 
Walk. Maybe carry a day pack of 10 pounds or so.

Walk in the sun. Walk in the rain. Walk in the sleet and snow. Don't overlook walking up steep hills...in the rain, sleet and snow.

When you are not walking, ride a bicycle.
 
Fraser, I too used to ride to train for long trails. It does help. You could also use the walks to break in new boots if needed. Don't want to break in new boots on the trail for days. Can make a hike miserable!
 
siguy said:
just start walking...

the more hiking you do the better, try to train with slowly increasing weight amounts, to get up close to your actual pack weight at the start of the trail.

do some walks that you know the distance and time yourself with your full pack on and get a good idea of what your average mile per hour speed is, then you can figure out about how many miles you should be able to cover in a day. then factor in how many miles that adds up to and how tired you will be...

just practice alot to get a good idea...everyone is different so it really depends on your abilities and training.
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I think im going to use wood in a backpack so i dont have to unpack gear. Also i have been riding my bike about 8 miles a day and wal 2 miles. And im going to hike with a loaded pack now.
 
If you haven't already - read Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods its very good non hikers account of Bill's attempt at the trail.

good luck
 
well one of the best things you can do, is look into what snacks and food you are going to be eating. go to a sports store and buy some power bars and fruit snacks. try them before you pack them out. there is nothing worse than carrying snack you don't want to eat. see how much food it takes to get you full enough. before I went on my last seven day trip, I bought a vaccum sealer. I then made sealed bags (MRE style)with one days worth of food. it was breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner. that way you only eat what is in that bag that day. you then can't over eat or under eat.
weigh everything you are going to carry....rule out things like heavy books, wool blankets(dead weight)
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rule out things like heavy books, wool blankets(dead weight)
figure out how much you pack is going to weigh. you can then fill up zip lock bags with sand and practice hiking.
where do I get sand you ask?
play grounds have enough to spare some for you...lol you can put it back later.
there also is a great book, long distance hiking lessons from the appalachian trail, by Roland Mueser.
rolandmueser.jpg

and one from cody lunden 98.6 degrees the art of keeping your ass alive.
codylunden.jpg
 
I believe the latest issue of Backpacker magazine has a few training points for the AP. Strengthening exercises and such.
 
siguy said:
just start walking...

the more hiking you do the better, try to train with slowly increasing weight amounts, to get up close to your actual pack weight at the start of the trail.

do some walks that you know the distance and time yourself with your full pack on and get a good idea of what your average mile per hour speed is, then you can figure out about how many miles you should be able to cover in a day. then factor in how many miles that adds up to and how tired you will be...

just practice alot to get a good idea...everyone is different so it really depends on your abilities and training.
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+1 to this.

A good side effect of this is that it can make you reconsider some items in case your pack is on the heavy side.

Good boots and pack are the most important items for long term hiking.

With training, and a great pack, you can get used to carrying quite a bit without it hampering you too much. I carried a pack weighing between 20 and 120 pounds. Anything below 50 pounds is pretty comfortable even in the long run. Over 70 it starts to be a real burden. Over 100 is only for as short as possible since it will wear pretty heavily on your joints.

I'm a field biologist and used to hike in the mountains about 100 days each year.

Hope you have a great trip!

Sverre
 
What they said.

and.

Don't push it, but don't neglect it. Daily is better than occasional. Can also carry water in pack...give you an appreciation of how heavy it really is. :)

Shoes/boots/socks/boot liners....pay attention. Can't do much hiking with bad feet.

Be well and safe.


Kis
 
Enlist in USMC infantry. You will become well versed in the art of long distance walking.:D
 
Make sure you have good shoes and socks and wear them when you follow all of the above good advice.
 
Maquahuitl said:
Enlist in USMC infantry. You will become well versed in the art of long distance walking.:D
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I too learned the fine art of Force marches in the USMC. We worked up to long marches. If I was going to hike a trail I would work my way up to 10miles a day with pack fully loaded. Starting from that fitness level you can expand that some during the hike without too much additional effort.
 
In addition to what has been said I would suggest that you break in all your gear on a bunch of weekend camping/hiking/testing trips. This way you will know what works and doesn't so you don't carry unnecessary or sub-par gear resulting in a lighter load and easier hike. When working out I have read that your goal is endurance and steady pace rather then brute strength, while the latter is also helpful it is not required.

I think it would be good to form a schedule of milestones or goals to help ensure you stick with it and prevent yourself from reaching to far to fast.
 
I have hiked this part of the trail and the good news is that it is not that challenging. I would say just hike, hike, hike. Try and make your excursions as close to what you are training for as possible. So, if you're going to carry a heavy backpack, practice carrying a heavy backpack. If you want to know what you're in for, go out and hike some sections of the Appalacian trail.

Also, just go out and do some over night camping trips. If you plan to hike the trail alone you should definitetly do an overnighter alone as the mind-set is much different and some people find that they don't actually enjoy it. Even if going with people, it can become more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge to stay on the trail. I usually start to miss civilization after being in the woods for a week or so. So you should mentally prepare by reading other people's accounts or maybe practicing going without checking your email every five minutes and stuff like that.

Good luck. It should be tons of fun. Bring lots of knives and take lots of pictures!
 
Dannyboy Leather said:
I (we) have completed the "Triple Crown" here in the U.S. That includes more than 3,000-miles on the Continental Divide Trail, about 2600-miles on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and over 2000-miles on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). We currently live (almost on top of) the PCT and this is where we do most of our training.
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3000 miles??? Wow!

And I thought doing the Pennines in the UK was good (250 ish miles give or take getting lost). I have done it twice though.

I would love to have the time (and fitness level) to tackle something like that. Must be an amazing 'ride'.
 
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