[dianna]

I'm planning on hiking the long trail end to end, from the southern trail head up to Canada. This will be my first long distance hike.

I've got most of my basic gear ready.

Anything a newbie might not know to bring?
any tips?

thanks!

[fishmonger]

Two things I think are essential:

-GET IN SHAPE (if you're not already)! Will make your trip much more enjoyable. That includes doing some longer day hikes. There is nothing you can do at the gym that will substitute for actual hiking.

-Take a few weekenders to get used to your gear. I also find it to be a good exercise to find out if you really want to do this. It's one thing to go on a 2 day trip knowing that a home cooked meal and a hot shower are awaiting you at the end of it. But try to envision yourself going 6,7 days in a row being cold, tired, etc.

Most of all, have fun! The LT is gnarly

[dianna]

thanks, fishmonger. I stay pretty active at home, but I know it's essential to really get ready to be pushing myself with a heavy pack. I'm going out to part of the AT this weekend to get myself ready (and loading up my pack as I do so) I would like to eventually take on the AT and the PCT. I think the Long Trail is a good place to start and I'm really excited about it!

[Tomcat]

I never end to ended the LT but have thru hiked other long trails, AT, Cohos Trail, and hiked most of the LT. The LT is a great trail. If you can wait until later July at the earliest to start. Most of the bugs should be gone even at higher elevations. Be familiar with your gear if you haven't used it. Tent set up, stove use, etc. Get a shoe that you are comfortable with before hand. You don't want a new shoe that takes 150 miles to break in on a 280 mile trip. I would try a couple pack load configurations with 5 days of food and water to figure that out before hand. you don't want to start hiking and realize it's not working the way you have it loaded. The LT is pretty rugged and old trail which means no switch backs. Have you hiked other areas in NH, ME, or Mansfield/Camels Hump area? If not do a day hike up a 4k to get an idea of what the steep, unswitchbacked trails are like. Go at your own pace so you enjoy it. YOu may get stuck in rain with a river running down the trail. That's part of lond distance backpacking in the east though. Tough it on the bad days and enjoy the views and sights on the clear days. Go to Green mountain club website and learn more of the trail and get the LT guide. There is also an LT specific forum that you can find through google pretty easily. The LT is very easy to follow and usually you will see someone everyday although north of Smugglers Notch it can be pretty quiet. The hardest part of longer trips is the mind in my opinion. You can overcome most physical discomfort. Trudging through three days of rain while cold and having to look forward to setting up tent in rain. That can be tough. A miserable day on the trail beats work.