Questions from Wesley
May 17, 2026
- I see so many different types of packs, is there a right or wrong style? And should I put all my stuff in individual dry bags within my pack?
I’ve been pretty happy with putting a trash compactor bag inside my pack as a general liner. I also put the one set of clothes I want to keep dry at all times (leggings, wool sweater, one pair of socks, maybe one synthetic shirt) in their own ziploc bag. Consider which things need to absolutely stay dry (phone charger, phone, notebook, what else?) and put them in bags.
As for pack choice, I was pretty happy going to REI and spending a couple of hours with a staff person who said she was a “pack fitter”. I chose the pack they had that felt best. I have used several packs myself. I even bought one, used it for a two-day walk, then returned it. Although that one wasn’t an REI pack, they do have their generous return policy. After walking the AT with my first pack, an REI Valhalla (with the top “brain” removed) for about half of the trail, my new hiking partner gave me a smaller, lighter pack which I used for the rest of the trail – then took back my larger pack for the winter months at the end. While planning for the PCT, I thought I wanted an ultralight pack and bought a Granite Gear pack. I loaded it up with my familiar gear and carried it around. I concluded that it was only comfortable with weights up to 20 lbs, which I knew I would exceed because we had to carry water on that trail. I took it back and have now stayed with the lightest weight packs with full suspension – nice padded hipbelts. My REI session yielded me a Gregorgy Jade 60, which I wore out! Now, they don’t make it, so I chose to buy BOTH the Gregory Maverick 55 and the Gregory Jade 65.
In short, try out loaded packs and feel them! My hiking partner loves his ultralight packs and I love my well-suspended ones. Consider REI for both shopping and testing. REI does not have all the types of packs, though, so don’t be afraid to try them and buy brands with a return policy.
- About how many days in between are there for major rest areas or refueling stations to resupply? I guess how much should I be planning to pack for food and water on my initial ascent?
Each trail has unique resupply patterns. Be sure to get at least one current guidebook for any trail you’re planning to walk. The guidebook will give you information on distances between resupply and what type of resupply is available. I’ve developed various resupply strategies depending on how long I’m away from home. On the AT, we were pretty happy with 3-5 day sections and a combination of shopping at stores and mailing food items we couldn’t get along the trail from home. A lot depends on what you want to eat and what you’re willing to eat! I’ve had success with maildrops as long as I used Flat Rate boxes with the Postal Service. Although I haven’t used them yet, I have seen sites for companies that ship their specialty foods for resupply. In general, once you know what you want to eat, you can design your way to get it!
On one of my early section hikes on the AT, we met a hiker in VA who was getting off the trail at a road crossing. He said that he was walking down the road to get a hamburger. “I’ve found that just about any day, I can get off the trail for a while and get something to eat.” That was working for him!
One notable resupply was on the PCT. In Oregon, the trail has no convenient towns. The prevailing strategy was to ship resupply boxes to five camping resorts, one every 100 miles (that was five days on that trail – bigger miles!). We got a hotel for a night, walked to the co-op and the grocery store and bought all our food for a month. We packed it up in Flat Rate boxes and mailed them all out from the Ashland, Oregon post office. To our delight, all of the boxes were successfully waiting at each of the stops.
- On the trail when nature calls are there specific areas or I guess how does that work?
On the AT, there is usually a privy at each shelter. Otherwise, follow the Leave No Trace guidelines for pooping and peeing in nature.
Start here: https://lnt.org/how-to-poop-outside/
My preference is to use no toilet paper because I don’t like carrying it out! On the AT, I use safe green or brown leaves to wipe, then clean with a small sponge wet with a little water. I carry a little bar or bottle of soap and my sponge in a lidded, 4 oz. bowl. I can take that into my tent or away from a water source. Some hikers swear by wet wipes for cleaning themselves. I don’t like carrying that much trash. Packing out all toileting materials is essential to avoid litter. Even buried toilet paper can be dug up by animals. I’ve tried burning toilet paper, without success!
- Tents, I see a lot of options for them too but they all look like the big bulky traditional ones, are there specific tents for hiking?
There are many choices of backpacking tents!!!! REI has a limited supply of backpacking tents, although maybe they have more now. The choices are far and wide and there are many good choices. You get to choose what works for you based on all of your preferences. If you haven’t slept in a tent ever, or for a while, you might want to rent one at REI and try it out on a few overnights, even in the backyard. Freestanding tents can be tested inside the house, even!
As for me, I have not shopped for a tent for a long time, and have returned a couple of tents. After using an REI tent for a few sections, I learned about the RayWay tarp. Are you familiar with Ray Jardine, the hiker who popularized lightweight backpacking? He designed a tarp. I made one in 2005 and have used it, and another one I made in 2009 since then!
Here are a few videos about my tarps. https://forgivenesswalks.com/reginas-tarps/
I can talk more about them. In my opinion, the tarp is my lightest and most versatile four-season shelter for one or two hikers. If you can sew a straight seam, a RayWay tarp could be a good choice. There was one trail on which my partner and I chose his free-standing Big Agnes Fly Creek instead of the tarp. That was on the Oregon Coast Trail where we needed a free-standing shelter to use on the beach. The tarp requires tying up to at least one tree or pole and works great on the AT, even on the sleeping platforms. We also used the tarp during our winter section to wall off the front or a portion of the shelters to keep out the wind. The tarp is quick to set up on the trail for a rain shelter, and it can fit into odd-shaped sleeping sites between trees or over vegetation. Once, we had a 2-ft high pine sapling under the tarp. I have been impressed with how well the tarp has worked, even in snow and wind. One thing I like about it is that I can cook under it.
Here’s the link for the RayWay tarp kits:
https://rayjardine.com/ray-way/Tarp-Kit/index.php
- Overall, are there any websites that I should stay away from because they are known to be scams and/or websites that have good deals?
I don’t have experience with a range of websites for hikers! Having settled on my gear and hiking style before I did a lot of web-surfing, this question informs me that I haven’t checked out very many websites on the subject!
- Right now I have been trying to walk with my regular gym backpack on and some weight in it (probably about 10lbs right now) on relatively flat trails (kinda rolling if anything), doing between 4 and 6 miles at a 20 min/mile pace. Should I incorporate more weight to the flatter walks before I start going on a hike up the mountain that is nearby (scrambling across rock faces and about 700 ft of elevation gain) or what is your advice?
Do any and all kinds of walks you can think of!!! My biggest advice for AT walkers is to have a method for easily climbing hills or mountains. I developed what I call Regina’s Meet the Mountains Technique that balances one’s walking rhythm with a breathing rhythm that’s easy to maintain without stopping. After many miles of struggling up mountains, I found that paying attention to making each step easy and finding a rhythm that’s easier to keep going than starting, stopping, huffing, and puffing has been my happiest discovery!
Here’s that link: https://forgivenesswalks.com/welcomereginameetsmountains/
I’m pretty happy with the “training” that I did to walk the AT. It unfolded gradually! I lived in Atlanta and decided one day to go check out the Appalachian Trail. We drove to the nearest trailhead, two hours away, and walked a mile up a mountain. On that walk, I saw that the AT was a narrow, unremarkable path! Yet, THIS was the place of all the Appalachian Trail stories! “If I just keep walking, I could get to Maine!” I thought. We went home and I started learning more about the trail and shopped at REI. Next, we drove back to the same area. I dropped my husband off at one end of a 7- mile stretch and I drove to the other end. We met in the middle and traded the car keys and continued to opposite ends.
Next, we bought gear at REI and did a one-night walk.
Over the next couple of years, we added two and three-night walks, driving two cars.
The next two years, we did two 100-mile sections (through the Smokies and NC), including doing a resupply half-way through. Each time, we evaluated our gear and food and adjusted things.
Our fifth year, we arranged a 4-week section in Virginia, with resupply and shuttles for each week. This is the trip that inaugurated the RayWay tarp which worked well.
After this trip, my husband lost interest in the project because driving to our next sections was getting to be further than he wanted to go! The next year we did no hiking!
I wasn’t finished though, so the following year, in October 2006, I declared that I was going to finish the trail. We had walked almost 700 miles and I couldn’t focus on choosing my next career after being homemaker/childraiser/home remodeler for 20 years! I had to finish the AT! I researched dehydrating food, bought all the trail maps (paper maps then!) and a guidebook. I studied it and made my plans. I carried my pack most days to my part-time job 4 miles from home. I finished homeschooling our youngest son in his high school courses and completed a coaching training I had started the previous year. After much scrutiny, I decided to travel to Maine and do the trail southbound!
I summited Mt. Katahdin on June 27, 2007 and kept walking south. I learned lots of new ways to relate to the trail, myself, my husband, gear, and food and reached Springer Mountain with a new hiking partner at the end of January, 2008. Mine was a 7-month long nature walk from summer to winter. I had thought I was walking to “get hiking out of my system”. Instead, that walk showed me that walking IS my system and I haven’t stopped yet!
After more trails, years, and conversations I now share my concise list of five essential areas for crafting a fulfilling walk. There’s plenty more to explore – and you are making a perfect start!!!
Here are my five essentials in an article you can review = and ask more questions!!
Regina’s Five Essentials for Crafting a Fulfilling Walk
- Know your trail
- Consider your timing
- Love your gear
- Attract your Trail Angels
- Nourish your Inner Journey
There’s plenty more to explore – and you are making a perfect start!!!
Walk on – and let each step be easy!