Going to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in about 75 days time, October-December

Neither. I did really well financially way back when. I retired on my 30th birthday and have lived off that money ever since (most of it is still invested and growing). Now I do a lot of traveling and spend most my time outdoors hiking or running. I usually spend the Thanksgiving-Christmas season with my family on the east coast.

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No one else calling BS? Seriously?!

Mr. Brock

Please keep us posted, this is going to be fun either way!

Look, I'm sorry, but your plan is so unrealistic that I still don't know whether you're trolling us.

You don't indicate that you've done any substantial backpacking, in which case keeping your pack weight under 25 lb will be very difficult. That's not ultralight, but it's pretty damn light when you're carrying a week of food.

If you've done any sort of serious backpacking before, you'd know that 35 miles/day is completely, outrageously unrealistic for all but the hardest-core hikers. That's pretty much a trail run, dude.

From Wikipedia: "The current speed record for a self-supported (meaning no vehicle or crew support) thru-hike was set by Matthew Kirk in 2013, at 58 days, 9 hours, and 40 minutes. Kirk's hike was completed in a southbound direction from mid June to early August." You're a first-time backpacker and are only giving yourself a few weeks more than this guy, and in worse weather at that.

The AT in New England can get incredibly rough. Even distance-crazy through hikers find themselves doing just 10 miles/day in New Hampshire and Vermont - and by then they've been hardened by the trail and are in amazing trail shape.

Plus, with your late start, you'll have bad weather and short days to contend with.

You don't have a ton to lose, so you may as well go for it, but I'd suggest waiting until you have a chance of success.

Are you expecting to head to the local pub and expect free drinks because you did it in 75 days? I have done AT twice and 99.9% of the population have no idea what the AT is and if 75 days is good, you are not going to get laid by bringing up your feat in conversation. The real world has no idea the distance and effort put into the AT. The AT is not like Everest and only .2% know the distance and effort to summit, and that is due to TV.

The AT is VERY mental and VERY boring. You will be begging to run into someone to converse with and share your misery. I once went 4 days of non stop rain, mud, slippery rocks and frigid temps, I was hating life so bad and could not even find a place to get off the trail and call it quits. Countless ankle rolls, bugs and hunger. Are you master of your domain? planning on rubbing one off on the trail or hooking up with another hiker? that isn't going to happen, you both will smell so bad.

And what if you do fail? more fail than succeed at the AT. Start easy, drive to the middle of nowhere and try to camp, eat, poop, find water, no bathing and zero interaction with the outside world (cell phone, internet etc) for 21 days. If you get thru it and can claim that it was a blast and want more that go for the AT.

I don't know who currently has the unsupported AT record, but Jennifer Pharr Davis has the overall supported record of 46 days+.

Here's her facebook page link (Ask her some questions):

https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.p.davis.3?fref=ts

Here's a National Geographic story about her:

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/jennifer-pharr-davis/

OP, obviously your plan is incredibly hard to damn near impossible, but you don't need to do a whole lot of practice. I thru hiked having never backpacked a day in my life. I think practice would have actually taken my mental edge off. I needed the newness and excitement in the beginning. You are a runner, so you are not a fat slob (I'm assuming). I did have the advantage of reverence to the ordeal I was undertaking. Your plans are brazen, but screw it, maybe it requires a cavalier attitude to even go for it. I agree with doneattwice that non hikers will not be too impressed or care about your accomplishments, but if you are doing it for others' affection, I doubt you'll succeed. If you want this more than anything, and you're prepared to suffer for this goal - it could be yours. Good luck.

Hike yer own hike

p.s. I noticed a lot of hikers are worried about your sex life... I got laid out there, but I hiked north in the peak season!

All the points made against not doing SOBO starting in October are very valid. I would like to reiterate that daylight, extended loneliness (possibly days not seeing anyone), and weight due to heavier warmer clothing will be some of your biggest concerns...Also, having a tent would be unnecessary with proper planning between shelters which you will likely have for yourself during the majority of the trip.

Listen - Everyone's ragging on you, including me. But, at the end of the day, this is still a fantastic, possibly life-changing undertaking. Why not? If you make to NC ( If... ) I'll send a free resupply your way in Dec.

so what's the deal. sticking with that Oct 5th start date?

glacier freeze since you just finished a south to north trip do you have any advice for the OP.

congratulations

well, considering it snowed on top of Katahdin the day before I summited, all I have to say is good luck and enjoy. as we said on the trail ... no pain, no rain, no Maine.

don't underestimate Maine. Mahoosuc Notch (a 1 mile stretch of trail) took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete. otherwise, the Whites were easy. loved NH. got to stay with some Dartmouth guys. Massachusetts is beautiful. Connecticut is full of PUDS (pointless ups and downs). and oh ... good luck hitching into town in CT. NY water was bad. NJ was surprisingly beautiful. only one rough section in PA (Palmerton area - the superfund site). south of there is a cake walk. Virginia got boring after a while. And it didn't help that I got injured. TN was gorgeous. loved Roan Mtn. GA had the best water.

Sorry I'm late to this thread. Good luck if you're still going to try it. Re: hiking the last bit with your GF, you might not want to read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Heart-Appalachian-Trail-Novel/dp/1439175616

I'm saying the guy lasts less than 10 days out there. We should start a pool.

If the guy sticks with it I predict his death from exposure on Nov. 12th. That could be a separate pool.

He'll definitely make it past Monson. So that is Katahdin (5 mi), BSP (10 mi), and the 100 mile wilderness. Going south ... getting to Caratunk is easy. I did Caratunk to Monson in 1 day. So, I guess I'll give him til Stratton, because the Bigelows won't be fun when it's 40*F and raining during the day. But, I definitely don't see him making it past Gorham.

If this is really the guy who did 100/100/100, I think you're underestimating him. What's a walk in the woods when you're a centurion?

Well ,how's it going ?

Obama's NPS thugs kicked him off the trail due to the government shutdown. He'll try again next year.