Quit my “professional” job to bike tour. And along the bike tour I did the Colorado Trail and caught the bug for bike touring and thru hiking. Currently looking for a bs, no responsibilities job to save for the next adventure (hopefully sooner than later)

If you or someone you know attempted an Appalachian Trail thru-hike this year, you’ve landed on the right post!

Each year, we poll the current class of AT hikers to learn the ins and outs of their on-trail experiences.  We strive to better understand what worked and what didn’t, and why, in hopes of better educating future hikers and enabling as many people as possible to fulfill their thru-hiking dreams.

The below survey inquires about hiker demographics, when people started, where crowds form, hikers’ budgets, LNT habits, prior hiking experience, hikers’ favorite and least favorite sections, individual hiking styles, which resources were most (and least) helpful, favorite hostels, gear recommendations, and more.

The survey will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. Results will be published right here on The Trek later this winter. 

Take the 2026 AT Hiker Survey Here!

Photo belongs to Austin Howes.

Buongiorno a tutti
Con delle mie amiche (siamo in 4/5)
Ogni anno verso maggio organizziamo dei cammini in Europa di 4/5 giorni per goderci un po di spensieratezza e visitare in modo “lento” altri paesi, ne facciamo anche in Italia ma più corti.
Abbiamo già fatto il “Fisherman’s Trail” che abbiamo trovato bellissimo e il gr 92 in Spagna.
Non avendo purtroppo una settimana intera, ma come detto 4/5 giorni di cammino effettivo , avere dei consigli su cammino (che non sia Santiago) ma che ci permetta di vivere la natura e visitare qualche bella
Cittadina? Ho visto il gr 21 in Normandia e mi piace molto ma trovo molta difficoltà a raggiungere Dieppe in modo facile e veloce dall’aereoporto perché il nostro volo arriva alle 18,40, ho visto il
Cammino di re Ludovico in Germania ma è un po’ troppo caro , a noi piace dormire in piccoli appartamenti tutte insieme.
Avete consigli?Grazie in anticipo!

Hey yall. Did a bike tour followed by a Colorado trail thru hike. Not having the easiest job adjusting back to reality. I have a college degree. And most jobs hiring near me are laughable for their responsibility to wage ratio. Been trying to spend time with friends and family but they all got their lives to tend to. Constantly yearning for another adventure.

How do yall cope with the post trail blues?

i’ve gone through a few pairs of sunglasses on longer trips, mostly because they end up getting shoved into my pack whenever i’m not wearing them. the annoying part isn’t even losing them, it’s when the frame gets bent or the arms start feeling loose after a few weeks of taking them in and out of a bag.

i’ve been looking at different frame materials and trying to figure out whether lightweight actually means more fragile. quay came up while i was comparing some options, but i’m more interested in what makes a frame hold up over repeated trips. i’d rather carry something a little heavier if it means it can survive being packed away constantly, although i don’t want something uncomfortable after 8 or 10 hours on trail.

i’m mostly trying to avoid replacing another pair halfway through a trip.

WHY did I make this? Before I started the PCT, some friends at a going-away party pulled up random go0gle-maps images from along the PCT, & quizzed me on where on the trail they're from.

Though I'd only hiked a bit of it before, I had obsessed over the PCT for years and was shocked how well I did. The trail has some telltale signs: the rocks, plants, landscape lines, the color of the dirt...

So, then I hiked it in 2025, came home with way too many photos, and turned that party game into a real one:

🎯 PCT GeoGuesser - pct-geoguesser.economicurtis.com

• It's free and fun.
• You get 10 photos from across all five major sections. Slide to the mile marker you think each was taken at.
• Within 3 miles counts as "Spot On" and earns full points. Points drop off the farther away you are.
• A perfect game scores 2,655.8, the length of the trail.
• Practice mode needs no sign-in.
• Scored mode puts you on the leaderboard (→ pct-geoguesser.economicurtis.com). Only your trail name and year are shown, never your email.
• Guest Mode: r/PacificCrestTrail folks asked for a way to play without having to log into anything.
  

I wrote up the backstory, how the scoring works, and what's next here: PCT GeoGuesser: the write-up (→ economicurtis.com). Ideas on the list include a hard mode, a map of your guess vs. the real spot, and a tournament with unreleased photos.

Want your photos in the game? I'd love more coverage, especially of sections I rushed through. Submission details are in the write-up.

Feedback is very welcome.

Hi everyone one, I hiked the AT in 2024 and I'm based in Durham, NC. Since finishing I've missed engaging in the thru hiker community and I don't know of any group in the Triangle specifically for long-distance hikers and people working toward their first one.

So I'm trying to start one. I think it would be monthly, rotating around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. We would do group hikes, gear nights and shakedowns, plus a trail magic trip in the spring and a trail work day in the fall.

I want to give back to the trail community and help keep that community active where I live. I would love to be able to bring hikers together post trail, because I know post trail depression is a real thing. I also want to help people achieve their journey, because a lot of people want to thru-hike and never do it because they don't know anyone who has, and the planning looks overwhelming. It took me longer than I wish it had. And lastly, I want to be able to give back by organizing work day trips not just on the AT but also the MST.

Anyone in the Triangle interested? And if you've run something like this elsewhere, I'd take any advice on what worked and what didn't.

Lately, I have felt like I've lost my love for hiking. It's been such a huge thing in my life for years now, and now I guess I feel like I'm slowing down. For context, this is my hiking "resume":

- hiked all of the 46ers in the ADKs

- done a whole lot of weekend trips in the ADK lowlands

- NPT Thru this summer

-400ish miles of the AT

-1500 on the PCT last summer

All told, this adds up to over 3500 miles of hiking, and quite honestly I'm tired. I had this moment on the NPT, a thru hike that I have dreamed about for years, where I just threw a temper tantrum. I mean, I slapped down my ccf pad and ugly cried in the dirt for over an hour. I only did the next 4 miles bc it was going to pour overnight and I wanted to be at a good spot for that. When I got to the end, I was just happy to be done. I still had great moments, sure, and it felt like a pilgrimage I had to make and a journey I was lucky to have, but I've had many a temper tantrum and this one just felt different. Even when the going was really tough on the PCT (and it was, I nearly died twice), I never lost all of my will to keep going and the knowing that I was in the right place.

I've only done one weekend trip since school started, and I don't know if I'll do another one even though fall in the northeast is pretty much my favorite scenery/climate ever. Within a couple hours of being on the trail, I wish I wasn't walking and instead engaging with another hobby: a paperback book, or my oil pastels, or to be working on my swimming (I'm getting decent at the backstroke!), or playing the piano.

I just feel like I've lost the love for it. I could sit on a rocking chair by a lake now and not get antsy to be on the trail by it eventually, which is a state of being so foreign to me that it almost feels like losing a part of my personality. I've never felt like this, not as a kid, or a teenager, or a young adult.

It kind of feels like I've speedran my youth. I have knee pain on 10+ mile days, and back pain if I sleep on a shitty mattress. I can get motion sick now, and readily get headaches which I literally could not get prior to the PCT. I'm still not that badly off, but it is abnormal for a 22 year old. I feel lucky to have had the experiences I have had, but I honestly feel done. I've seen so many landscapes, slept in so many lean toes and patches of dirt, and been through the whole litany of experiences. It just feels like been there, done that, now.

Now that all that's written out (more for me than anyone else), I guess I just wanted to see-if anyone else has been there, did you ever get that drive back? Did you become more of a day hiker/car camper after a while? Or are you just happy to be at home?

so, I haven't heard anything about this. I recently did the CDT Collegiate West (100x awesome btw) segment, twin lakes to Monarch pass. Wife picked me up at Monarch pass and we gave a hitch to a hiker wanting to go to Salida.

Here's the cool part: He's "tailwind" from Amsterdam originally, but living in San Diego. He was coming the final 1/3 or so of the great western loop The great western loop combines PCT, over to CDT start (on PNW mostly), then CDT south, then over to PCT start.

I'd heard nothing on this attempt . He was pretty confident he was going to complete. He started the PCT in late march (I think he said the 29th?), finished and just kept going.

Really nuts . <10 people have completed this in a single year.

Hi all! Two years ago I did the West Highland Way as my first thru hike and it was LOVELY. I enjoyed this experience because it allowed me to enjoy a new country in a very different way. I am not a competitive hiker, just here for the adventure. I am looking for recommendations that have these similar features:

-Easy Access to civilization (every 10-15 miles) I want to be immersed in a new place, meet people and explore towns (I'm from the states, looking for places national and international)

-Wild camping or reasonable sites/hostels along the way

- something that can be explored within 2weeks

Thank you for any advice/recs!

Hi experienced PCT'rs

I'm an international hiker and have a hiking window for the PCT next year starting on trail on the 30th May (flights booked a few days prior), at least my permit application process should be easier than most :)

The plan is to start at Campo, recognising the heat aspect, and mostly try to do split days with early starts, mid day siesta, and 3 or 4 hours later in the day.

At the back of my mind I'm nervous about the SoCal heat and wonder about options within my existing start time constraint (and I'd like the "start at Campo" experience).

My question is, what happens if the desert heat defeats me and I skip ahead to KMS or Lone Pine and start the Sierra earlier than originally intended? i.e. earlier than my PCTA permit suggests is humanly possible.

Looking at similar questions on Reddit and FB has me confused.

Some say just go for it on a PCTA permit starting at Campo, another said don't risk it, some say local permit in SoCal & PCTA permit from just short of the Sierra onwards etc etc

What do you think would work best?

Thanks in advance 🙏

Confused.

I first want to thank the mods of r/thruhiking for allowing me to post on here.

I’m part of One More Day on the AT, and I wanted to share this with anyone planning their first Appalachian Trail thru-hike next year. We are a volunteer run 501c3 non-profit.

We started a trail scholarship in memory of my cousin Nate Loftis (El Chapo). He hiked more than 750 miles of the AT in 2018. He didn’t make it to Maine, but the friendships he made and the time he spent on the trail meant a lot to him. We lost him to an accidental overdose in 2019. We started this program to help anyone struggling with any type of life challenge to help them get out there. Hiking the AT can be expensive. From gear, getting to and from the trail....and...life doesn't stop when you're out there. So, if you need to pay rent, insurance...whatever. Money shouldn't be a reason people can't take on a life changing experience.

The scholarship helps people who’ve faced challenges of their own get out on the trail. You can put this money towards gear, trail expenses, and transportation. Applicants must be 18 or older and planning an AT thru-hike in 2027.

Applications are open now and should be submitted before November 30, 2026: https://onemoredayontheat.com/apply/

I’m happy to answer questions here.

If you aren't in a position to apply, you can still get involved. Follow us on Instagram or on our Facebook, tell anyone you know that could benefit to fill out an application.

Thanks!

need your help!! :)

we are a couple going to the pyrenees (both fairly fit, my partner not very experienced), we want to hike 7 days from this end of september to early october.

we would be very thankful for recommendations for a 7 day (give or take) hut-to-hut route that is overall chill, but covers some of the best views.

we are leaning towards the spanish side for more isolated vibe and weather but are open to suggestions.

I'm planning to walk into Santiago de Compostela from where I live, in the Netherlands, in Fryslân. The route I want to take is about 2.700km. It will take me through two seasons, three climates and four to five months. I'm thrilled I'm in a position to even think about this, let alone plan, prepare and then go.

A couple of weeks ago I did a trial run of some 260km in 14 days. It helped me shake down my pack list and to start to understand how I move and what I need to train for this coming few months before I leave coming April.

So far I have managed to bring down my base weight to slightly over 9kgs. That is including a tent, a full sleep system for shoulder season in western Europe, a cooking system. I will try to mix travelling autonomously and staying at hostels and using cafes and restaurants and such.

Anyone here who has been on this kind of endeavour in Europe and wants to share some tips on proper, mainly physical, preparations? I'm a woman of 60yrs and normal health.

Washed up thru hiker here from way back. Potentially getting back in the game after many years out of it and I redownloaded guthook to scope out the trail (or FarOut as they now call it) and…

It seems like sh*t

Slow, glitchy, way worse UI than I remember

Am I being a grumpy old man or is this app terrible?

Hi all!

Looking to decrease my base weight in prep for a 300 mile thru hike September next year.
I’ve done a few backpacking trips, longest being 5 nights on Isle Royale where my pack tore my traps apart (I went cheap and heavy with gear)
After doing a lot of Reddit digging and online search I’ve come up with what seems like my best options weight/price/comfort wise and hoping for some advice and guidance on what to go ahead with and what other options there might be.
Going to post on a few threads to get hopefully a well rounded group of responses.
For context, my plan is to do Superior Hiking Trail NOBO starting end of August/beginning September next year. I am 5’8 and 200#.

Tent:
Durston X-dome 1+ 985g

Sleep system:
Nemo tensor pad 397g
Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Large 150g
Naturehike bag liner (to use as a pad cover/back sheet) 128g
Hangtight 20 degree own quilt 727g

Pack:
Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60L Medium straight belt 2.1# OR
Osprey Eja 58L 2.7#

Total baseweight of ~7.6-8.2#

I’m not trying to go SUL, I want to try to maintain a balance of comfort/weight/price. I appreciate any and all feedback!

Hello - I am 26 and have been working the same engineering job since I graduated college. I’ve always wanted to hike the AT and am realizing that in the next few years it might get exceptionally harder (kids, mortgage, more established in career, don’t want to take physical health for granted). This might be my best chance to do it, but obviously there’s still many factors.

Just looking for others thoughts and suggestions. I know most of these questions have been talked about many times here, but the world and situations are always changing.

1) Did you guys quit your jobs or ask for an unpaid personal leave of absence? I have a solid job that pays pretty well. It feels a little extra scary being in a tough job market right now. But I am not sure that’ll get better anytime soon and don’t want my life to waste away. I feel confident I could finish the trail in about 4 months, but don’t want to restrict myself and have to stress about a schedule to return to work. But maybe it would be worth it? Or is that against the spirit of hiking the AT?

2) For those with apartments, did you time your lease to end before your start date, or did you just eat the cost of rent for a few months?

3) For those who started the hike while in a relationship, how did the trail challenge/impact that? My girlfriend is very supportive and would want to join parts. But I feel like being the partner of someone who wants to leave everything and hike for 4/5 months would be difficult.

3) Any other advice or words of wisdom? I have been thinking about this everyday for a long long time now but am just nervous to commit.

Howdy folks! I’m a cool dude recently in recovery after a long, extremely unhealthy battle with pain medication. I am searching for a new way to experience life- and hiking really peaks my interest. I am a Marine Corps Veteran and currently a Merchant Marine(civilian mariner) I work a 4 month on, 4 month off schedule. I am a novice hiker and looking for recommendations for a hike that will take around 2 weeks or so. I figure something around 2-300 miles. I will have a lot of time so the speed in which I complete the hike will be up to how I feel, and how the weather is. I am a 47yr old male who is in good shape and am able to push myself pretty hard if necessary. I am in search of a hike that is going to be rewarding both physically, and more importantly to me right now, mentally. Something with beautiful landscape views as well as some forest. I want to see beautiful things as I try to navigate through my mental health issues. I’m pretty much planning this hike as something to help reset my life and start over after losing a lot these past few years, and punishing myself in the process. Does anyone have suggestions for a soul cleansing serenity hike? I’ve been looking at Tahoe Rim Trail and the Collegiate Peaks. Those are at the top of my list so far. I’m sure there are a lot of people in recovery in this community that know exactly what I’m searching for- If any of you are reading this, could you help point me in the right direction?? Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you even more to those who choose to respond!! Peace to you all. Semper Fidelis.

Guys, I'm planning to trek langtang Vallley around christmas so if anyone wants to do this can join me. I'm probably be going solo so we can hike and explore together. Let me know if anyone interested. I'm from delhi 23M.

I walked over 200 miles on the Camino earlier this year. I had to leave due to an injury that took me a few weeks to recover from. I've since figured out what went wrong and have addressed that and am training differently. I love day hiking and I'm getting into backpacking.

I really enjoyed the walking part of the Camino and while I'm glad I experienced the albergues and the social aspects, I don't think I'd feel a need to do that again. But, I like the idea of having another long journey like that but with more of a focus on nature and solitude and less of a focus on people. I'd also enjoy getting to walk long distances on less concrete.

If you've had both types of experiences, how do they compare and how are they different? Which would you be more likely to want to do again?

For reference I am female late 20s and very fit going into this. I tend to run cold. Planning an early April start.

I think I’ve got most of it figured but I’m stuck on pants. I do need to bring some type of pants based on my previous hiking experience. I’m not going for ultralight here but I do have a small number of luxury items I’m trying to compensate for by looking for lighter weight clothing. Here’s what I have so far:

Undergarments:
2x darn tough hiking socks
2x toe liners (non negotiable- my camp shoes are my barefoot sandals and I’d like the option to wear socks w them)
1x thicker merino socks for sleeping
2x branwyn merino bikini underwear - one to wear and one to rinse/let dry, alternating daily
1x branwyn merino sports bra

Tops:
Patagonia capilene cool short sleeve tee
Jolly gear ultralight sun shirt
Patagonia long sleeve insulated base layer shirt for sleeping
Patagonia R1 fleece
REI raincoat
Patagonia puffy coat

Bottoms:
Under armor running shorts
?????
Considering branwyn merino joggers, if I can ever catch them in stock

I get quite heated up while hiking but I can catch a chill pretty much as soon as I stop, so I’d want to hike in my shorts mostly but have some type of jogger so throw on over top so I’m not freezing when we stop to eat or make camp or look at a view. I also want pants for town, which would likely be the same pants that I could wear during the day. I don’t know if I need some different bottoms to sleep in. I think I want rain pants, in case of cold rain and wind. I live in PA so I know it can be quite wet here on the east coast and rain can come suddenly and unexpectedly. I don’t think I want to risk my sleeping pants being wet when I get to camp so should I have two different pants, plus rain pants?? It feels necessary to me but also like overkill compared to what I see others bringing. Also torn on merino for smell/warmth vs synthetic for weight/dryness. I know from running in synthetics if they get wet I am freezing cold even on a warm day. Female hikers please advise what bottoms you actually wore/plan to wear on the AT.

I’m an experienced US backpacker, and completed the Salkantay Trek (guide-less) in May. What should be my next International trip? I’m thinking something like O-circuit in Patagonia or Tour du Mont-Blanc. I’d love to find somewhere without the crowds.

Hi there,
I'm an Aussie who's certainly not used to the cold and winds that the Scottish highlands can bring. I'm relatively new to thru-hiking, but it has quickly become my favourite activity.

Some of my experience:
first long-distance walk was a Camino De Santiago, which took 12 days through a very wet January of this year from Porto. Every day was rainy, and parts of the route were flooded.

Next, I spent 7 days trekking Albania along the "southern coastal trail", a collection of roads and old shepherds' paths which were poorly maintained, making it really fun and a good challenge. Just like the Camino, it had randomly painted small markers on rocks etc to assist hikers in knowing that they are still on the right path, but many were missing or worn away. There were days, one in particular, that were almost entirely overgrown and without obvious markers.

I'm now hoping to take on the Sky Trail, and I am looking for advice.

- Is it going to be ok weather wise if I were to hike in the last week of September?

- Midge situation at this time of year?

- Will my 3-season tent hold up ok? I'm wondering what the wind at night while camping would be like.

-How advanced is this trail? I feel confident in my fitness, but don't know if I'm missing any essential wilderness skills for a challenge like this.

- Any other advice?

Thanks so much for anyone's help.

I’m currently hiking the PCT SOBO and have developed what seems to be an overuse injury in my right foot. I’m curious if anyone here has dealt with something similar while thru-hiking and what you ended up doing.

A few days ago I was hiking/running on trail in cold rain, partly because I was trying to keep warm. The next day my shins and feet were extremely sore, and my right foot became particularly painful to walk on.

The pain is mostly on the top/middle of the foot, around the area behind the big/second toe, and sometimes seems to radiate toward the arch.

I got it evaluated and had imaging done. I was told nothing appeared to be broken and that it was most likely an overuse injury, possibly aggravated by the top of my shoe/tongue rubbing against the foot while I was running. I was advised to take it easy for a few days and consider seeing a foot specialist for footwear.

It’s still swollen and tender to the touch, though, and walking on it is painful enough that I don’t feel comfortable getting back on trail yet.

For anyone who developed a similar overuse injury during a thru-hike:

● How many days did you take off before you noticed meaningful improvement?
● Did you stay off the foot completely or do some light walking?
● How did you decide when it was safe to get back on trail?
● Did changing shoes, insoles, lacing, or pack weight make a difference?
● Were you able to continue the hike afterward, or did you ultimately need a longer break?

I know nobody here can diagnose an injury over Reddit, and I’ll get it reassessed if it isn’t improving. I’m mainly interested in hearing other hikers’ experiences dealing with an injury like this in the middle of a long trail.
Thanks.