Hi there from Virginia! I’ve definitely put some intentional thought behind our nutrition. I want to give us the best chance of successfully completing this trail. 😊
I have been following you from another account, but just got my new account up and running. I'm so excited for you two. What an adventure it will be for you both. I did resupply boxes on my last two attempts and will do it this time, also...so I'm a big fan of resupply boxes. Sounds like you have a good plan in place! I hope to see you two out there!
Hi there! Thank you for following us! We’re learning as we go and feel ready! Sounds like the third time is the charm for you! How exciting! I’d love to hear some lessons learned and best practices from your first two attempts. Hope to see you out there! 😊
Looks great. One piece of advise I’ve seen is don’t seal the boxes before leaving. You may like to last min have something added (food, snack, batteries, shoes) or take something your sick of out (certain snacks or prepackaged meals).
Aww, darn! That is such good advice….wish I would’ve taken it! 🤣 I already sealed up all 10 boxes. 😫 Well….ill leave my family a roll of tape in case they have to break it open to add or take something out! Good advice for sure!
@@julainenelson4204 Hi there! 😊 I hadn’t planned on sending hygiene or other things. There’s an opportunity to go to town on average about every 4 days, so I think we’ll be able to get whatever we need in terms of those things. My husband and family will also come visit us several times while we’re on trail, so he could always bring us stuff we might need and can’t find on trail.
Thank you for sharing this video. You gave me some great ideas as I prepare for the AT Thru hike. I was thinking about my supplements and Green. I was wondering if folks actually took them. I will be researching to see what supplements I should take as a 61 year old male. Again thank you!
@ivanjosiervjourney4920 My pleasure! I’ve learned so much from others posting videos for years now, I’m happy to share what we are planning to do. When do you plan to attempt your thru hike?
When I hiked the foothills trail last month, I absolutely experienced the same overpacking of food! I’m so glad I did that shakedown because it wasn’t until day 5 where I started to get really hungry too!
My boyfriend and I sent resupply boxes for the entirety of his thru-hike (I joined for the summer). It worked out very well for us. Never sent them to post offices. Never had to spend the energy of a town day going to the store! Rest days were true rest days.
Brilliant! That’s exactly what I’m thinking too. We have 9 boxes to send to hostels, and if we really enjoy getting them, our family/support team can easily put more together for us. Thanks for the feedback! 🤗
I'm doing resupply boxes as well for better nutrition. It may not work for everyone, but I think the better nutrition is well worth trying to make it work. I hope to see you on the trail!
100% agree with you on that. I know there’s so much controversy, hahaha, but I think it’s worth giving it a try. It’s enough to get our supplements to us and I know that will help with keeping our bodies healthy. And hey, if we decide we don’t like it, then we don’t ship any more. It’s easy to adapt. 😊 I hope to see you, too! March will be here sooooon! 🎉
@appalachianwanderseeker I know, right?! I remember when it was “in about 2 years!” You’re starting quite a bit before us, so we will probably not see you. We plan to take the first 2-3 weeks slowly at 10 miles or less per day…gradually preparing our bodies for the long haul. We’ll be cheering you on! 💙
I'm looking forward to following your hike. It will be a great mother-daughter bonding moment. I hiked the AT last year and did resupply boxes also. I got to the point with backpacking meals that if they entire bag didn't have at least 800 calories, I wasn't going to carry it. Peak Refuel meals are pretty good for that. Mountain House, not so much. It won't take too long before you won't be splitting meals, Hiker hunger hit me early on in NC. I also added things like toothbrushes (bulk purchase from Costco), bug repellant, ziploc bags (you'll go through a lot), and toothpaste. I did find that I got burned out on certain foods, like tuna, and had my wife take those out of my boxes. Also, multivitamins are a great supplement to add to your list. You will have several times where your resupply options are really bad...like a gas station. We all try to eat healthy but unfortunately that is not possible every time on the AT. Also, I'd recommend sending a box to Hot Springs, NC and Delaware Water Gap, if you haven't already set those up. If you would like, I have a video on my channel about the boxes if you want to check it out. There are links for mailing addresses and an article from The Trek, too.
Hey there! Congrats on your thru hike! I hope it was as amazing as you thought it would be! I think we’ll appreciate the resupply boxes, especially if we make it easy to receive them by sending to hostels. Thanks for the 2 locations you recommended! I added them to our list. I think our favorite is Peak Refuel. They taste high quality and use less water. The others are ok, and taste good after any long day of hiking. We’re being super conscious of our calorie, protein and fat intake. And trying to offset the trashy food we’ll consume monumental amounts of by our daily vitamins, greens and supplements. 😂 I added ziplock bags, but may consider some of the other things you’ve mentioned. Thanks again for your advice! We appreciate it so much!
Starting my 6 or 7 resupply boxes too. Woo hoo! I know I need more food but I plan on eating in towns and resupply in town too. 😊 I might shovel my food in a box. Hahaha 🤣.
This is sooo exciting, right?! Ahhh! It’s getting so real! 🤩 Yeah, at first, I was trying to be so careful as to not forget anything, but then I just had to chill and remind myself that we’ll come across a town about every 4 days. 🤣 Plus, this is only roughly 40 days of food out of approximately 180 days we’re planning to be on trail. We’ll have plenty of opportunity to get what we need. Hope to see ya out there!
@@wildflowersadventures put a return address on your boxes by a certain date. Or you can bounce them forward if you don’t open them (post offices I don’t know about hostels ?) then you don’t have to pay extra. I was talking to my post office lady. I’m going to have my daughter mail box 3 and up that way she can put in anything else I need. New shoes, clothes, etc. Do you have anyone that can mail boxes to you? I’ll text my daughter with address keeps her informed too. Then she’s not all worried. Hahaha 🤣 she’s going to worry. It’s their job. Hahaha 🤣
@roberttrough6439 That’s a very good idea if you’re sending to post offices. Our current plan (with the full understanding it could change at any time) is to only send to hostels. But I’ll take your advice and add the return address just in case we decide to send to a post office and need to bounce it. Thank you! We have a whole support team at home with my husband and 3 other children! We are so grateful. They can send us anything we need at any time. Plus, they will visit us a few times while we’re on trail. I’m glad you have your daughter! I bet she’s excited for you and will love being able to keep up with your whereabouts. 😊 This is all so exciting!
It really has been fun. We’re enjoying every part of this process. But, it’s definitely a labor of love. 😂I think if I were rolling solo, and wasn’t taking my daughter along, I’d plan a bit less. But I want to make sure I do my best by her in every way.
I'm really excited for the two of you almost makes me want to pack up and thru hike again LOL. Looks like you're making some real good food choices. I would pick up the Peak meals whenever I could. They had the best choices in my opinion and the most calories. I loved having the Honey Stinger Waffles they worked really well for breakfasts and snacks. I found chocolate insta breakfasts to be great for breakfast as well mixed with water. Tasted good, good calories and started the day hydrated. I carried a lot of dark chocolate when I could but just know that when the warm/hot weather hits most chocolate products melt except for M&Ms so I had to find something else until cooler weather hit. That was sour patch kids. A good sugar hit and treat! Good that you're sending your boxes to the hostels instead of post offices. Good choice. Just be aware that the hostels book really fast especially in the south with colder/rainy weather. Watch the weather, plan to book ahead whenever possible. It was so frustrating at times. I started my hike in the middle of the bubble so that added to the problem. OK here's my most important bonus tip LOL. When you hit Neel Gap on or about day 4 make sure to arrive early enough to get the pizza at Mountain Crossings. You're going to be craving it guaranteed. It tasted great after 31/2 days on trail!!!
Thanks!! We’re sooo excited! It has been fun preparing! I can imagine you wanting to thru hike again! I hope you have another adventure planned soon! Peak is my favorite, too! So good, high calorie content and they take less water! Worth the extra few bucks! And we love all the snacks! Peach rings for me! And dark chocolate! I’m definitely going to do my best to book hostels ahead of time. I can only imagine the disappointment of really wanting to sleep in a bed and have a warm shower only to find out everything is booked. I just have to balance the booking ahead of time with not rushing us and making it feel chaotic. When does the bubble start to thin out? We’ll beeline it to MC once we hit Neel Gap. We’ve walked from the Arch to Low Gap already, so that will be familiar territory. From Amicalola to Neel Gap, it took us 4 days last time. Hopefully we’ll score a pizza this time!
You are so organized! I might do a few boxes because of my very strict diet (I eat mostly veggies/fruits/nuts at home) but I’m experimenting with what dried foods I can cold soak from the grocery store. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works and that I don’t mind it. I’ve even been using it for my day hikes 😂 Lazy cook here.
Hahaha, thanks! Yeah, I’m a mama of 4 very active athletic children, so being organized has been a survival skill I’ve acquired over the years. 😂 I really wish I could get with cold soaking, but I really (really!) enjoy warm meals and hot coffee or tea. It would be nice not to have to take the stove and cook!
Just found your channel. I completed my 2023 AT thru hike on 18 July, starting 16 Feb. I had six resupply boxes solely to get new shoes. I also had friends send a few boxes and I have to say it’s not as easy as it may be suggested in other videos, First, I do not recommend using Post Offices. Operating hours, closures, etc, I would recommend hostels or other places you plan to stay at. I would NOT ship food. What I thought I would want and like I didn’t by the time I got the box. Your appetite and craving for food will change, so save your money and just get food along the trail. That said, if you get a great deal of Mountain House or Peak meals, by all means ship them but otherwise buy it on the trail. I briefly watched your gear review and my only comment there (and this is all personal) is base weight needs to be 15 or less (before food and water). As I said I launched in mid-Feb and experienced freezing rain and snow. I hiked with a mid-weight wool long sleeve tee shirt, men’s style yoga pants, hiking shorts, wool socks, Buffy jacket, rain jacket and poncho, lightweight gloves, wool cap. The best advice I got while on the trail was Don’t pack your fears”. Best of luck
Congratulations on your thru hike! I hope it was amazing! 🤩 Did you vlog? If so, I’d love to check it out! Thanks for the advice. I sincerely appreciate the time you took to respond. 🙏🏼 I believe the subject of resupply boxes is a personal preference as I have heard many successful thru hikers report to being very glad they sent their resupply boxes. As such, we made the decision to have them based on all the reasons I explained in this video. The food is bought and packed, and ready to ship. There’s only 9 boxes to send, and our plan is not to send to post offices…only the hostels we plan to stay at. We will have plenty of opportunity to satisfy our cravings by buying food on trail. And if we hate it after sending a few boxes forward? Then we won’t send the rest. 😂 We are flexible in finding what works best for us,but I can assure you, over the past 2 years, a lot of thought and research has gone into my decisions. I have a responsibility to look out for the best interest of my little one and the supplements and vitamins being sent in these boxes are a good choice for us. As far as base weight, that is also a very personal decision as I have talked to many successful thru hikers whose base weight was much heavier than 15lbs. That being said, for me….I completely agree with you. Trying to get it down to as close to 15lbs as possible is a smart choice for me. I have found the lighter my pack is, the less wear and tear on my body. I’m no spring chicken. 🤣 As such, I’m hovering right around 16lbs. Remember, I’m carrying a 3P tent and a few other items for my daughter. She is small and I am being very cautious as to how much weight she is carrying. So with all that considered, I’m thrilled with my base weight! I’ve worked hard to get us the best and lightest gear as possible. We feel well prepared and ready. Soon, time will tell! Just about 3 months now!! Can’t wait! Thank you again for your feedback! I hope you follow us on our journey and keep commenting as we go through each day. I’m sure you have invaluable things to advise as we push north!
@@wildflowersadventures I have and subscribed. Yep, base weight and resupply boxes are all personal decisions. Had I do to do it again, my boxes would contain just new shoes/shocks and resupply of vitamins/medication. I was surprised by my food choices as I walked the trail. Constantly changing and resupplies were at times just whatever was available. I mentioned the base weight because I was 66 when I started, turned 67 at Harper's Ferry, and by Baxter/summit I had lost 65lbs. I'm also a 90% disabled veteran, so I was really focused on base weight because I wanted to finish. I wish you both the best of luck and look forward to seeing your summit video. Oh, I did not vlog. I wanted to enjoy the trail and to me having to video content daily would have been a distraction. I admire anyone who does the AT and vlogs about it.
I'm sending half a dozen boxes to towns known for minimal resupply options, but otherwise I'm relying on resupplying off the local economy. One of my hikers will have a back up resupply box to send me on request if I find a reason to ask them to send it.
Wow, applaud , applaud. You have really thought carefully & purposely your thru hike food needs. If I don’t see you out on trail I’ll be at least be following you & Baby Bear. Why have you decided to do the approach trail versus take the dirt road to the start at Springer Mountain. I heard some of the approach trail may be closed off?😊
Thank you! I try to be very thoughtful and intentional in life, in general, so it felt normal to extend those practices to trail prep. Having 4 children has given me lots of practice trying to make sure everyone’s needs are met. 😊 Please remind me when you’re starting again? Do you have a trail name yet? We’re setting off mid March, so hopefully we see ya! We chose to start at the arch, for 2 reasons. The main one is nostalgia. We’ve spent a lot of time at Amicalola over the past few years, and we’ve just always envisioned ourselves beginning there. We have already done the approach trail (via East Ridge), so we are familiar with it. That familiarity for the first 4 days will be comforting, I think. I also think it will be easier for my family to drop us off there and not have to drive down the FS road. They have a long drive back to Florida and I’d hate to risk any damage to our van on the FS road. And we’ll save a bit of money not having to get a shuttle straight away. I’ve read some of the approach is currently closed, but the east ridge will remain open. We’ve done the stair so many times already, so we will probably take the easy ridge anyway. We’ll see when the time comes! 😊
@@wildflowersadventures we are doing the approach trail as well. We will be driving a rental to Amicalola Falls and it is easier for us to have it picked up there. We will then be without transportation so we will walk the approach trail. Are the steps difficult??
@@julainenelson4204Understood. Sounds like a good plan. Well, there’s 604 steps, plus your full pack….it’s not easy. It’s also not that difficult if you take it slow. There are benches to take a rest at several times up the stairs, so that’s nice. You can also avoid the stairs all together and take the East Ridge trail to the top of the falls, then continue on the approach trail. It’s the OG trail that predates the stairs. We have done both and haven’t decided which route we’ll take. We like both, so we’ll just decide once we get there.
There is a brand called Enertia Trail Foods that has Chili called “El Captain three bean chili”. I used to buy it at outfitters but don’t see it anymore except online. But with it and a bag of Frito’s was the best. I’d eat it at least once a week. I need to order some more. $8 + per meal.
I'm thinking if yous start getting burned out from alot of the same stuff, you can get creative and cut up some slim Jim's or a cheese bar or add tuna. Or squeeze some cheese like a zigzag over the top, maybe even just the day you resupply. For me garnish goes a long way. I think I sometimes eat with my eyes 😂
Yes! Me too! I think a lot of us eat with our eyes…that’s why I can’t go to the grocery store hungry! I spend way too much! 🤣🤣🤣 Great idea about garnishes. I think you’re right in that we’ll get tired of some food. Gotta get creative! I’m glad you’re following along because you can give us ideas! Thank you! 🙏🏼 😊
Hi there! We ended up with 10 boxes. So that’s about 40 days of food, plus the first 4 days! We’re fortunate to have a whole support team at home with my 3 other children and husband. If we need anything, they can send it to us. 😊
@@julainenelson4204 I think 10 is a good number, but what do I really know? 🤣🤷🏻♀️ I think being flexible is key and not stressing too much if our plan doesn’t go how I’m envisioning it to. 😊 How excited are you guys getting? Are you planning a March start, too?
@@wildflowersadventures I am an over planner but trying to be flexible with the AT hike. We are leaving Texas April 14. Two day drive and starting the trail April 16. It is a little late but we have a prior commitment so it is the earliest we can leave.
@@wildflowersadventures we are really getting excited!! I counted the days the other day and it is only 145 days! I still have so much to do! I am 70 and hiking with my 33 year old daughter. We will also have her service dog with us.
❤keep this in mind regarding the post office Many of the small rural town post offices are only open half a day some in the morning some in afternoon some close for lunch. Have your pkgs sent priority mail so you can track it. Their tracking system is no where like UPS that shows where it is every min. I recently had a pkg sent to me I tracked it the whole way until it got to the post office where all the mail is picked up to come to the other post offices. It showed it arrived there but had no departure scan from there or arrival scan at my post office. I ask why oh when it gets to that facility it is scanned and thrown in bag for here i dont scan it anynore until u pick it up.UPS scans everytime its touched
Thank you! Good advice! We are planning to only send our boxes to the hostels we’re planning to stay at. I think we’ll skip the post offices all together.
Hi there! Yes, I have a list of hostels and addresses. I mostly use FarOut for that info. We have a handful that we’re really hoping to stay at! We will be flexible though because plans can definitely change. Although we plan to mostly send our boxes to hostels we’ll stay at, most hostels do accept packages whether you’re staying there or not. They usually charge a small fee of $5 or $10.
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Suggestion: Write scripture along the side of those boxes. Never know who may see it 😊
❤️❤️❤️💛💛💛💚💚💚💙💙💙
Glad to see you are prepared
You are coming across as a smart and prepared hiker that will succeed. So happy for you and your daughter for a great adventure together.
- Praiser 🙌🏻
Hey Praiser!
Thanks! I try! 🤣 I’m doing my best to sound coherent. We’ve done a lot of homework and hope it pays off! We’re ready! 🙏🏼
Awesome, I am sure it is a lot to think about. Hello from Virginia
Hi there from Virginia! I’ve definitely put some intentional thought behind our nutrition. I want to give us the best chance of successfully completing this trail. 😊
I will certainly be following your progress. @@wildflowersadventures
Thanks so much! We appreciate the support!
Have a great day @@wildflowersadventures
You are so organized! 😊
Most of the time! 🤣
I’m a mama of 4, so being organized is kinda a survival tool for me!
I have been following you from another account, but just got my new account up and running. I'm so excited for you two. What an adventure it will be for you both. I did resupply boxes on my last two attempts and will do it this time, also...so I'm a big fan of resupply boxes. Sounds like you have a good plan in place! I hope to see you two out there!
Hi there! Thank you for following us! We’re learning as we go and feel ready!
Sounds like the third time is the charm for you! How exciting! I’d love to hear some lessons learned and best practices from your first two attempts. Hope to see you out there! 😊
Looks great. One piece of advise I’ve seen is don’t seal the boxes before leaving. You may like to last min have something added (food, snack, batteries, shoes) or take something your sick of out (certain snacks or prepackaged meals).
Aww, darn! That is such good advice….wish I would’ve taken it! 🤣 I already sealed up all 10 boxes. 😫 Well….ill leave my family a roll of tape in case they have to break it open to add or take something out! Good advice for sure!
Yes do not seal boxes until ready to ship ! Will you be sending any thing like hygiene products or batteries or such ?
@@julainenelson4204 Hi there! 😊
I hadn’t planned on sending hygiene or other things. There’s an opportunity to go to town on average about every 4 days, so I think we’ll be able to get whatever we need in terms of those things. My husband and family will also come visit us several times while we’re on trail, so he could always bring us stuff we might need and can’t find on trail.
Thank you for sharing this video. You gave me some great ideas as I prepare for the AT Thru hike. I was thinking about my supplements and Green. I was wondering if folks actually took them. I will be researching to see what supplements I should take as a 61 year old male. Again thank you!
@ivanjosiervjourney4920 My pleasure! I’ve learned so much from others posting videos for years now, I’m happy to share what we are planning to do. When do you plan to attempt your thru hike?
Idk how I stumbled onto your page but I cannot wait for March! ❤
Thank you so much! We’re so glad you’re here. We can’t wait to share our journey with you! 🙏🏼
When I hiked the foothills trail last month, I absolutely experienced the same overpacking of food! I’m so glad I did that shakedown because it wasn’t until day 5 where I started to get really hungry too!
Yes!!! Definitely feel this! 🤣 Carrying food you don’t want to eat is painful! Lessons learned for best practices out on the AT! Let’s goooo! 😊
Will be here to root you on!
Thank you!! Can’t wait to share our journey!
My boyfriend and I sent resupply boxes for the entirety of his thru-hike (I joined for the summer). It worked out very well for us. Never sent them to post offices. Never had to spend the energy of a town day going to the store! Rest days were true rest days.
Brilliant! That’s exactly what I’m thinking too. We have 9 boxes to send to hostels, and if we really enjoy getting them, our family/support team can easily put more together for us. Thanks for the feedback! 🤗
Good for you for being well planned.
We’re trying! 🤣😊
I'm doing resupply boxes as well for better nutrition. It may not work for everyone, but I think the better nutrition is well worth trying to make it work. I hope to see you on the trail!
100% agree with you on that. I know there’s so much controversy, hahaha, but I think it’s worth giving it a try. It’s enough to get our supplements to us and I know that will help with keeping our bodies healthy.
And hey, if we decide we don’t like it, then we don’t ship any more. It’s easy to adapt. 😊
I hope to see you, too! March will be here sooooon! 🎉
@@wildflowersadventures time is going scary fast! 57 days for me until I set off for Amicalola.
@appalachianwanderseeker I know, right?! I remember when it was “in about 2 years!” You’re starting quite a bit before us, so we will probably not see you. We plan to take the first 2-3 weeks slowly at 10 miles or less per day…gradually preparing our bodies for the long haul.
We’ll be cheering you on! 💙
@@wildflowersadventures I will be slow as well, so you never know.
I'm looking forward to following your hike. It will be a great mother-daughter bonding moment. I hiked the AT last year and did resupply boxes also. I got to the point with backpacking meals that if they entire bag didn't have at least 800 calories, I wasn't going to carry it. Peak Refuel meals are pretty good for that. Mountain House, not so much. It won't take too long before you won't be splitting meals, Hiker hunger hit me early on in NC.
I also added things like toothbrushes (bulk purchase from Costco), bug repellant, ziploc bags (you'll go through a lot), and toothpaste. I did find that I got burned out on certain foods, like tuna, and had my wife take those out of my boxes. Also, multivitamins are a great supplement to add to your list.
You will have several times where your resupply options are really bad...like a gas station. We all try to eat healthy but unfortunately that is not possible every time on the AT.
Also, I'd recommend sending a box to Hot Springs, NC and Delaware Water Gap, if you haven't already set those up. If you would like, I have a video on my channel about the boxes if you want to check it out. There are links for mailing addresses and an article from The Trek, too.
Hey there! Congrats on your thru hike! I hope it was as amazing as you thought it would be!
I think we’ll appreciate the resupply boxes, especially if we make it easy to receive them by sending to hostels. Thanks for the 2 locations you recommended! I added them to our list. I think our favorite is Peak Refuel. They taste high quality and use less water. The others are ok, and taste good after any long day of hiking.
We’re being super conscious of our calorie, protein and fat intake. And trying to offset the trashy food we’ll consume monumental amounts of by our daily vitamins, greens and supplements. 😂
I added ziplock bags, but may consider some of the other things you’ve mentioned.
Thanks again for your advice! We appreciate it so much!
Starting my 6 or 7 resupply boxes too. Woo hoo! I know I need more food but I plan on eating in towns and resupply in town too. 😊 I might shovel my food in a box. Hahaha 🤣.
This is sooo exciting, right?! Ahhh! It’s getting so real! 🤩
Yeah, at first, I was trying to be so careful as to not forget anything, but then I just had to chill and remind myself that we’ll come across a town about every 4 days. 🤣 Plus, this is only roughly 40 days of food out of approximately 180 days we’re planning to be on trail. We’ll have plenty of opportunity to get what we need.
Hope to see ya out there!
@@wildflowersadventures put a return address on your boxes by a certain date. Or you can bounce them forward if you don’t open them (post offices I don’t know about hostels ?) then you don’t have to pay extra. I was talking to my post office lady. I’m going to have my daughter mail box 3 and up that way she can put in anything else I need. New shoes, clothes, etc. Do you have anyone that can mail boxes to you? I’ll text my daughter with address keeps her informed too. Then she’s not all worried. Hahaha 🤣 she’s going to worry. It’s their job. Hahaha 🤣
@roberttrough6439 That’s a very good idea if you’re sending to post offices. Our current plan (with the full understanding it could change at any time) is to only send to hostels. But I’ll take your advice and add the return address just in case we decide to send to a post office and need to bounce it. Thank you!
We have a whole support team at home with my husband and 3 other children! We are so grateful. They can send us anything we need at any time. Plus, they will visit us a few times while we’re on trail.
I’m glad you have your daughter! I bet she’s excited for you and will love being able to keep up with your whereabouts. 😊
This is all so exciting!
@@wildflowersadventures great your all set! I bet their excited for you both too. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁!
Yes, they really are. We’re blessed to have their support! Happy Thanksgiving to you! 🍁🙏🏼
That's a lot of planning, but as you said you're making it fun.
It really has been fun. We’re enjoying every part of this process. But, it’s definitely a labor of love. 😂I think if I were rolling solo, and wasn’t taking my daughter along, I’d plan a bit less. But I want to make sure I do my best by her in every way.
I'm really excited for the two of you almost makes me want to pack up and thru hike again LOL. Looks like you're making some real good food choices. I would pick up the Peak meals whenever I could. They had the best choices in my opinion and the most calories. I loved having the Honey Stinger Waffles they worked really well for breakfasts and snacks. I found chocolate insta breakfasts to be great for breakfast as well mixed with water. Tasted good, good calories and started the day hydrated. I carried a lot of dark chocolate when I could but just know that when the warm/hot weather hits most chocolate products melt except for M&Ms so I had to find something else until cooler weather hit. That was sour patch kids. A good sugar hit and treat! Good that you're sending your boxes to the hostels instead of post offices. Good choice. Just be aware that the hostels book really fast especially in the south with colder/rainy weather. Watch the weather, plan to book ahead whenever possible. It was so frustrating at times. I started my hike in the middle of the bubble so that added to the problem.
OK here's my most important bonus tip LOL. When you hit Neel Gap on or about day 4 make sure to arrive early enough to get the pizza at Mountain Crossings. You're going to be craving it guaranteed. It tasted great after 31/2 days on trail!!!
Thanks!! We’re sooo excited! It has been fun preparing! I can imagine you wanting to thru hike again! I hope you have another adventure planned soon!
Peak is my favorite, too! So good, high calorie content and they take less water! Worth the extra few bucks! And we love all the snacks! Peach rings for me! And dark chocolate!
I’m definitely going to do my best to book hostels ahead of time. I can only imagine the disappointment of really wanting to sleep in a bed and have a warm shower only to find out everything is booked. I just have to balance the booking ahead of time with not rushing us and making it feel chaotic. When does the bubble start to thin out?
We’ll beeline it to MC once we hit Neel Gap. We’ve walked from the Arch to Low Gap already, so that will be familiar territory. From Amicalola to Neel Gap, it took us 4 days last time. Hopefully we’ll score a pizza this time!
You are so organized! I might do a few boxes because of my very strict diet (I eat mostly veggies/fruits/nuts at home) but I’m experimenting with what dried foods I can cold soak from the grocery store. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works and that I don’t mind it. I’ve even been using it for my day hikes 😂 Lazy cook here.
Hahaha, thanks! Yeah, I’m a mama of 4 very active athletic children, so being organized has been a survival skill I’ve acquired over the years. 😂
I really wish I could get with cold soaking, but I really (really!) enjoy warm meals and hot coffee or tea. It would be nice not to have to take the stove and cook!
Just found your channel. I completed my 2023 AT thru hike on 18 July, starting 16 Feb. I had six resupply boxes solely to get new shoes. I also had friends send a few boxes and I have to say it’s not as easy as it may be suggested in other videos, First, I do not recommend using Post Offices. Operating hours, closures, etc, I would recommend hostels or other places you plan to stay at. I would NOT ship food. What I thought I would want and like I didn’t by the time I got the box. Your appetite and craving for food will change, so save your money and just get food along the trail. That said, if you get a great deal of Mountain House or Peak meals, by all means ship them but otherwise buy it on the trail. I briefly watched your gear review and my only comment there (and this is all personal) is base weight needs to be 15 or less (before food and water). As I said I launched in mid-Feb and experienced freezing rain and snow. I hiked with a mid-weight wool long sleeve tee shirt, men’s style yoga pants, hiking shorts, wool socks, Buffy jacket, rain jacket and poncho, lightweight gloves, wool cap. The best advice I got while on the trail was Don’t pack your fears”. Best of luck
Congratulations on your thru hike! I hope it was amazing! 🤩 Did you vlog? If so, I’d love to check it out!
Thanks for the advice. I sincerely appreciate the time you took to respond. 🙏🏼
I believe the subject of resupply boxes is a personal preference as I have heard many successful thru hikers report to being very glad they sent their resupply boxes. As such, we made the decision to have them based on all the reasons I explained in this video. The food is bought and packed, and ready to ship. There’s only 9 boxes to send, and our plan is not to send to post offices…only the hostels we plan to stay at. We will have plenty of opportunity to satisfy our cravings by buying food on trail. And if we hate it after sending a few boxes forward? Then we won’t send the rest. 😂 We are flexible in finding what works best for us,but I can assure you, over the past 2 years, a lot of thought and research has gone into my decisions. I have a responsibility to look out for the best interest of my little one and the supplements and vitamins being sent in these boxes are a good choice for us.
As far as base weight, that is also a very personal decision as I have talked to many successful thru hikers whose base weight was much heavier than 15lbs. That being said, for me….I completely agree with you. Trying to get it down to as close to 15lbs as possible is a smart choice for me. I have found the lighter my pack is, the less wear and tear on my body. I’m no spring chicken. 🤣 As such, I’m hovering right around 16lbs. Remember, I’m carrying a 3P tent and a few other items for my daughter. She is small and I am being very cautious as to how much weight she is carrying. So with all that considered, I’m thrilled with my base weight! I’ve worked hard to get us the best and lightest gear as possible.
We feel well prepared and ready. Soon, time will tell! Just about 3 months now!! Can’t wait!
Thank you again for your feedback! I hope you follow us on our journey and keep commenting as we go through each day. I’m sure you have invaluable things to advise as we push north!
@@wildflowersadventures I have and subscribed. Yep, base weight and resupply boxes are all personal decisions. Had I do to do it again, my boxes would contain just new shoes/shocks and resupply of vitamins/medication. I was surprised by my food choices as I walked the trail. Constantly changing and resupplies were at times just whatever was available. I mentioned the base weight because I was 66 when I started, turned 67 at Harper's Ferry, and by Baxter/summit I had lost 65lbs. I'm also a 90% disabled veteran, so I was really focused on base weight because I wanted to finish. I wish you both the best of luck and look forward to seeing your summit video. Oh, I did not vlog. I wanted to enjoy the trail and to me having to video content daily would have been a distraction. I admire anyone who does the AT and vlogs about it.
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Awesome!
Thanks! We’re excited! We’re ready!
I'm sending half a dozen boxes to towns known for minimal resupply options, but otherwise I'm relying on resupplying off the local economy. One of my hikers will have a back up resupply box to send me on request if I find a reason to ask them to send it.
Great idea! Yeah, we only have 10 boxes to send ourselves and we’ll do the same. I definitely want to support the local economy as well.
see you out there be blessed
Thank you! Blessings to you! See ya out there! 😊
Wow, applaud , applaud. You have really thought carefully & purposely your thru hike food needs. If I don’t see you out on trail I’ll be at least be following you & Baby Bear. Why have you decided to do the approach trail versus take the dirt road to the start at Springer Mountain. I heard some of the approach trail may be closed off?😊
Thank you! I try to be very thoughtful and intentional in life, in general, so it felt normal to extend those practices to trail prep. Having 4 children has given me lots of practice trying to make sure everyone’s needs are met. 😊
Please remind me when you’re starting again? Do you have a trail name yet? We’re setting off mid March, so hopefully we see ya!
We chose to start at the arch, for 2 reasons. The main one is nostalgia. We’ve spent a lot of time at Amicalola over the past few years, and we’ve just always envisioned ourselves beginning there. We have already done the approach trail (via East Ridge), so we are familiar with it. That familiarity for the first 4 days will be comforting, I think. I also think it will be easier for my family to drop us off there and not have to drive down the FS road. They have a long drive back to Florida and I’d hate to risk any damage to our van on the FS road. And we’ll save a bit of money not having to get a shuttle straight away.
I’ve read some of the approach is currently closed, but the east ridge will remain open. We’ve done the stair so many times already, so we will probably take the easy ridge anyway. We’ll see when the time comes! 😊
@@wildflowersadventures we are doing the approach trail as well. We will be driving a rental to Amicalola Falls and it is easier for us to have it picked up there. We will then be without transportation so we will walk the approach trail. Are the steps difficult??
@@julainenelson4204Understood. Sounds like a good plan. Well, there’s 604 steps, plus your full pack….it’s not easy. It’s also not that difficult if you take it slow. There are benches to take a rest at several times up the stairs, so that’s nice. You can also avoid the stairs all together and take the East Ridge trail to the top of the falls, then continue on the approach trail. It’s the OG trail that predates the stairs. We have done both and haven’t decided which route we’ll take. We like both, so we’ll just decide once we get there.
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There is a brand called Enertia Trail Foods that has Chili called “El Captain three bean chili”.
I used to buy it at outfitters but don’t see it anymore except online.
But with it and a bag of Frito’s was the best. I’d eat it at least once a week.
I need to order some more.
$8 + per meal.
I haven’t heard of that one! We’ll have to try it. It sounds so good! And cost effective!
I'm thinking if yous start getting burned out from alot of the same stuff, you can get creative and cut up some slim Jim's or a cheese bar or add tuna. Or squeeze some cheese like a zigzag over the top, maybe even just the day you resupply. For me garnish goes a long way. I think I sometimes eat with my eyes 😂
Yes! Me too! I think a lot of us eat with our eyes…that’s why I can’t go to the grocery store hungry! I spend way too much! 🤣🤣🤣
Great idea about garnishes. I think you’re right in that we’ll get tired of some food. Gotta get creative! I’m glad you’re following along because you can give us ideas! Thank you! 🙏🏼 😊
I might have missed it but how many resupply boxes are you sending yourself?
Hi there! We ended up with 10 boxes. So that’s about 40 days of food, plus the first 4 days! We’re fortunate to have a whole support team at home with my 3 other children and husband. If we need anything, they can send it to us. 😊
@@wildflowersadventures that is the amount of boxes we are having shipped to us - 10. That may change as we get closer to leaving time
@@julainenelson4204 I think 10 is a good number, but what do I really know? 🤣🤷🏻♀️ I think being flexible is key and not stressing too much if our plan doesn’t go how I’m envisioning it to. 😊
How excited are you guys getting? Are you planning a March start, too?
@@wildflowersadventures I am an over planner but trying to be flexible with the AT hike. We are leaving Texas April 14. Two day drive and starting the trail April 16. It is a little late but we have a prior commitment so it is the earliest we can leave.
@@wildflowersadventures we are really getting excited!! I counted the days the other day and it is only 145 days! I still have so much to do! I am 70 and hiking with my 33 year old daughter. We will also have her service dog with us.
❤keep this in mind regarding the post office Many of the small rural town post offices are only open half a day some in the morning some in afternoon some close for lunch. Have your pkgs sent priority mail so you can track it. Their tracking system is no where like UPS that shows where it is every min. I recently had a pkg sent to me I tracked it the whole way until it got to the post office where all the mail is picked up to come to the other post offices. It showed it arrived there but had no departure scan from there or arrival scan at my post office. I ask why oh when it gets to that facility it is scanned and thrown in bag for here i dont scan it anynore until u pick it up.UPS scans everytime its touched
Thank you! Good advice! We are planning to only send our boxes to the hostels we’re planning to stay at. I think we’ll skip the post offices all together.
Do you have a list of hostels along the way complete with mailing addresses? Do you have to stay at the hostel in order to have a resupply box sent?
Hi there! Yes, I have a list of hostels and addresses. I mostly use FarOut for that info. We have a handful that we’re really hoping to stay at! We will be flexible though because plans can definitely change.
Although we plan to mostly send our boxes to hostels we’ll stay at, most hostels do accept packages whether you’re staying there or not. They usually charge a small fee of $5 or $10.
Suggestion: Write scripture along the side of those boxes. Never know who may see it 😊
That’s a great idea! Thank you! 💙🙏🏼