Korean Job Discussion Forums

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Has anyone ever hiked this? I am thinking about taking this on when I return from Korea in a few years.

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

i hiked it in 04 and had a blast

www.trailjournals.com/crashbang

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

www.whiteblaze.net is the main forum for AT hikers. lots of thru-hikers (people who have done it all in one hike) hang out there. lots of pics, info, advice, and discussions about the AT

go to www.trailplace.com for the best guidebook to the trail. theres a new and updated edition every year. it's an invaluable source of info: shelters, major campsites, water sources, and where to find off-trail resources such as grocery stores, restaurants, post offices, outfitters, etc

vp1 · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

I hiked it for 30 days back in '99. It was an amazing adventure. Crazy weather, crazy locals, crazy fellow hikers, and a few bears. I'd planned to do the whole thing but got the most ridiculous injury and had to drop out. It wasn't a cool injury like a bear mauling or a shattered tibia-- it was shin splints. You get no sympathy from anyone for shin splints.

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

shin splints slowed me down a couple of times. vitamin i (ibuprofen) and stretching took care of it, tho

i think shin splints falls into the "typical AT injury" category: repetitive overuse. fracking up your knees, or maybe some kind of stress fracture might be more common (or at least more dramatic and therefore more mentioned), but shin splints doesnt surprise me. nothing to be embarrassed about

how far did you get?

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

I recommend it.

WoBW · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Location: HBC

After reading Bill Bryson's superb book A Walk in the Woods, I'd love to try it. But blimey! 2100-odd miles! Shocked

legalquestions · Joined: 25 Mar 2007

I did the southern half (Ga to Harpers Ferry; 1,000 miles) in 1996. Loads of fun; harder than anything I have ever attempted!

JustJohn · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen

How long is it supposed to take to hike the whole thing? (At decent but not overly ambitious pace.)

I kind of want to do it now, but it might have to wait till I retire.

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

How long is it supposed to take to hike the whole thing? (At decent but not overly ambitious pace.)

barring injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, a person of moderate fitness should be able to do it in 5-6 months. its more of a mental struggle than it is a physical struggle, although it is very much the latter, also. if you can do 10 miles now, with full pack, youre ready to start. typical starting time is march, typical finish is september

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

For those of you that did it, did you ship yourself food at post offices ahead of time? Also, what did you do for showering...water bags? How much stuff did you bring with you in general? I'd really like to do minimalist packing with the least amount of clothes as possible. How much time did you spend in town, if any? Did any of you bring a dog? How did your water purification go?

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

For those of you that did it, did you ship yourself food at post offices ahead of time?

its cheaper and more efficient to re-supply in town every 4-6 days. think about it. do you really want to package up 6 months of food and pay to have it shipped to you, or entrust someone to send you what you want and to send enough? its inevitable that stuff will get sent back and forth thru the mail: clothing and gear as the weather changes, maps, etc. i looked at maildrops as a nice supplement to my menu, but i could get what needed in town

Also, what did you do for showering...water bags?
haha. showering, she says. youre so cute ~pinches your cheek~

How much stuff did you bring with you in general?
too much
How much time did you spend in town, if any?
see above

Did any of you bring a dog?
a few did. not many. you cant take a dog into the smokies, or baxter state park in maine, as well as a lot of hostels and other off-trail places

How did your water purification go?
no issues. i wouldnt advise using a mechanical pump. too many moving parts to maintain. i used an iodine solution, but there are many different options. research your options and pick what sounds best for you

canuckistan · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 6:02 am Post subject:

Sounds like such a great adventure!

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

crash bang · Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Location: gwangju

i'm just teasing.

shower in town at the hostels, or if you splurge for a motel. forget about showering on the trail. youre gonna have to get used to the fact that youre probably only going to get a shower and do laundry about once a week (maybe less) , and that you and your clothes are going to smell worse than youve ever smelled in your life. when it gets warmer, you can strip down and jump in a river or pond, but it's going to be a long time before you can do that. take 2 sets of clothes. one to hike in, one to sleep in, so youre not going to bed in wet, sweaty clothes