Follow ATClarity on facebook. Maildrops are hard to wrap your mind around as you plan an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Rest assured, you will figure out your system after a couple of maildrops, but allow me to help you get started and offer a list of drop spots. Click here for a pdf version of this list: Maildrops list I … More Stamp of Approval on Maildrops
Pictures or words? Which is your navigational tool of choice? In the land of Mapquest, I always go immediately for the words. No, don’t print the maps please. My discomfort with maps stems from a lack of education and exposure as a youngster and from being more comfortable with words than visual symbolic representations. Testing the … More Review of National Geographic’s Handy Dandy Appalachian Trail Guides
The opportunity to take six months away from real life to attempt an Appalachian Trail thru-hike is a gift of which most people can only dream. Open your mind to gain a piece of wisdom or two from those who have successfully persevered through months on end of the good and the bad and trekked their … More Regret Nothing about your Appalachian Trail Thru-hike
*Please note, this article was written after my 2015 AT thru-hike. It has not been updated since 2017. If you know of changes, please let me know and I’ll make them as I learn of them. Thanks! <3, Clarity For a downloadable copy of this post, click here: Major resupply points on the AT. One … More Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Resupply Points
Before embarking on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, set yourself up for success by engaging in some pre-hike training. Though physical preparation is important, I’m going to start this article with the mental prep you should consider because frankly, it is the most crucial to your success. Hikers who begin their journey in the best physical shape often … More Start Your Thru-Hike Out Right with Pre-Hike Training
Flip-flops aren’t just for feet! Find out how a flip-flop thru-hike offers you the best weather and terrain at the right times during your 6 month journey. You may only get one shot at this, right? Make the most of it! … More Why a Flip-Flop Is More Comfortable
This is part two of an article that lists some points of interest you will encounter on your A.T. thru-hike. Part one takes you from Springer Mountain to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, the unofficial halfway point! Click here to access part 1. Part 2 picks up where that left off and takes you all the way to … More Cool Places to See on the Northern A.T.
This is part one of an article that lists some points of interest you will encounter on your A.T. thru-hike. Part one takes you from Springer Mountain to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, the unofficial halfway point! Part 2 is now available! Click here for Maryland through Maine’s Cool Places article. Some of these spots I … More Cool Places to Stumble Across on the Southern A.T.
Sitting here revisiting my trail notes two months after finishing my A.T. thru-hike, I stumbled across a 2-page journal entry describing all my “oopses” as a brand new hiker written after the first three days of my hike. Somehow, even with the humorously clumsy beginning, I learned how to survive in the woods on my own, laugh at … More I Name My Journey, “Oops”
Hey guys! I get asked these questions a LOT, and I think they could help others who are just getting started. My answers only reflect MY experience. There are multiple other ways to do things, but I will try to explain the most common ways I observed thru-hikers doing the following tasks. Frequently asked questions: … More FAQ About a Thru-Hike
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