How to Hike the Appalachian Trail: A Comprehensive Guide to Plan and Prepare for a Successful Thru-Hike

This guide is meant for anyone planning a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. It argues that most of the challenge lies in preparation, and it offers the author's own tips, drawn from having walked the whole route. Readers will find advice on budgeting, saving money and setting aside roughly six months, plus planning when to start, which direction to walk and how to leave the trail. Gear gets a detailed treatment, from cookware to shelter, along with clothing and layering. Other chapters cover what daily life on the trail is like, a state-by-state overview, strategies for getting through the low days when quitting seems tempting, physical demands and injury prevention, food and meal ideas, and the real hazards. A section written by record-holder Heather 'Anish' Anderson addresses concerns specific to women.