Woah, that's a lot of questions. Let me suggest that you'll get really good information by reading the articles on the main page of this site. For specific information about what has worked for other people in your target areas, I suggest you read some trail journals and/or watch their YouTube videos. For the AT, there should be more of these than you could possibly consume.

Some of your questions are about things I have limited or no experience with, so I can't answer them with any authority (bears, really cold weather, etc), but I'll do what I can. Here goes...


This is really individual. It depends not just on what you pack (how calorie and nutrient dense it is), but also on how many calories you burn. The latest recommendations I've read seem to center around 1.5 lbs/day, but I know at least one member of this forum takes closer to 1 lb/day. Since you're just figuring this all out, it's probably better to err on the side of too much and home in on the right amount as you go, so 2 lbs may be a good recommendation. Also, it will change as your body adjusts to your new lifestyle (unless you're already hiking 20 miles a day*).

* Do NOT start with 20 miles/day! Not unless you're already doing high miles with a fully loaded pack often and are very confident in your ability to do so without injury. Start slow, and your mileage will naturally increase as your body adjusts.


Eh, I don't know about this one. I guess it depends what you're comfortable with?


I would definitely recommend NO hatchet. They're very heavy! And unnecessary. Most people don't end up building a fire that often anyway, for various reasons. It fits better with LNT practices not to build fires, in some locations it's illegal, it's not worth the hassle at the end of a long hiking day when you're tired, etc. Even if you do insist on having a campfire, you can almost always do so without using a hatchet. And, you probably already know this, but not everyone reading will, so I'll say it... please please please don't cut down or hack on live trees!


I would probably ditch the short sleeve t-shirts and only bring 1 of the long sleeve t-shirts, unless you're going to sleep in it, and even then, I'd only bring 1. I looked up the 3-in-1 rain jacket and noticed that it's fleece lined. That's fine if you're only going to use it hiking in very cool and cold weather, but in a warm rain, I think you're going to be very sweaty and uncomfortable. Plus, you already listed a separate fleece jacket. Why are you bringing separate shorts for camp, when you already listed zip-off pants? Unless you want something dry to sleep in on warm nights? Also, why 2 pair of long underwear instead of 1? Is 1 for hiking in cold weather, and the other for sleeping?

And, speaking of insulation, is the fleece jacket and rain jacket combination going to be enough to keep your torso warm on cold evenings when you're sitting around camp? Are you planning to drape your sleeping bag over you as well? It might be that you're warm natured and that it's plenty; I just don't know. For me personally, by the time I got into fall, I'd probably need a puffy jacket, or I'd have to use my sleeping bag. You don't necessarily have to start with the puffy jacket of course, when the weather is warm. You can have it mailed to you later.


No idea.


Again, the experience of other AT hikers' journals and video logs will help with this. In addition, there's a food section to this forum. There are various backpacking blogs with recipes, and if you haven't already, check out trailcooking.com.

And finally, let me say to take all of my advice with a grain of salt, as my experience is limited, especially where long distance hiking is concerned (I've done none - though I've done some research). I'm hoping one of the forum's long-distance trail hiking members will chime in.