What I wish I knew: AT Thru Hike (Feb start)

Hello everyone, here's my take on an Appalachian Trail informational video! I hiked northbound (NOBO) from Feb 20 - July 26 2021 and THIS video is exactly what I would have wanted to see a year ago while prepping. I hope it can be helpful for some of you out there.

Timecodes below for easy navigation!

00:37 PART 1: INFO I HAD A HARD TIME FINDING
00:50 Do I need special gear for a February start?
01:05 How will the pandemic affect everything?
01:32 What kind of rain gear should I use? What is actually waterproof?
01:52 Lyme disease?
02:15 Cell service along the way?
02:33 Troubles with vegetarianism?
02:53 Bears??
03:03 Menstrual cup vs pads?
03:34 Do I need a sleeping bag liner?
03:47 Is a one-person tent too small for me?
03:56 First aid kit?
04:28 Is hitchhiking hard?
04:42 How do you book hostels?

05:10 PART 2: THINGS I WONDERED ABOUT
05:18 Smell sticks around after?
05:40 Do people really drop out in droves?
05:53 How will my body change?
07:05 When does the hiker hobble subside?
07:11 Is hiker hunger real? What will it be like?
07:28 What’s it like to walk 30 miles in a day?
08:06 Will you really get used to rain and muck?
08:13 Will I hike with my first friends the whole time? Is this normal?
08:34 Is it tough doing laundry with 1 set of clothes?
09:10 Post trail depression?
09:32 Will I get sick of food?

10:00 PART 3: WHAT NO ONE TOLD ME
10:17 You will probably poop yourself on the hike.
10:33 So much of success is luck + logistics.
11:20 Virginia isn't flat!!
11:40 "Waterproof" is a lie
12:03 Loaner clothes are so fun!
12:15 Hiking is a mental exercise.

12:40 PART 4: OVERVIEW OF EACH STATE
12:47 My experience with weather starting Feb 20
13:02 Start of state overviews

14:47 PART 5: GEAR THOUGHTS
19:35 Gear highlights

20:17 PART 6: TAKEAWAYS

BONUS INFO I DIDN'T MENTION!!
Mice in shelters? I had no direct encounters, but my friends did get harassed by a large rat creature in Tennessee one night.
Snakes? I saw ~3 rattlesnakes but black snakes are common. They will sometimes rattle their tails to imitate, which surprised me.
My gear weight? Base weight somewhere between 16lb-18lb; carrying weight usually 23lb-30lb, which felt comfortable for me.
Toiletries? I carried: Tiny Dr Bronner's camp soap, travel toothpaste, toothbrush, retainer, moisturizer, acne treatment, small travel sunscreen in summer (used only when not wearing shirt/hat), lip balm, a few Q tips and a little bit of deodorant in a plastic bag for after showering in town.

Songs (in order of appearance): Leave by Eric Nakassa; Hold On (Rae & Christian re-edit) by Mark Rae

[WALKITOFFDavidSmith]

This was seriously one of the most useful, concise and informative Thru hiking videos that I've ever seen (and I've seen a TON lol). I'm leaving on my first (attempt) Thru of the A.T. in late March so this was very timely and super helpful to me. Thank you very much for putting this together and CONGRATULATIONS on your successful Thru Hike!

[buckdoom]

After watching hundreds of thru hiking videos, this is by far one of the most helpful! Starting mid March and just went and added more wipes to my pack for the whole “crap your pants” experience no one talks about.😂

[zachwriston]

Thanks for sharing! Very useful and to the point!

[ervinslens]

Really some brilliant tips, appreciate effort you put to explain everything .🙌🏻🙌🏻

[jessicathompson]

Alot of nut/seed butters, trail mixes, dehydrated veggies, fruit, mushrooms, beans and rice. You can actually get alot of protein as a vegan.

[jeffesta]

Great information! Thanks for putting this up. Doing research for a 2023 AT thru hike. Currently at a million and one videos watched.

[isabellakathleen]

Your description of how your body was unable to dig deep after hiking so many miles was descriptive and insightful. As well as the analogy of being re-molded into a new form by the impact of hiking. Thank you for sharing.

[KevinRStrauss]

Absolutely love this recap and especially the rarely talked about topics. Great job and congrats on your accomplishment!

[wildflowersadventures]

Super helpful! Thank you so much! My daughter and I will set out in mid March to attempt our thru hike. We very much appreciate this video. 💙
-Mama Bear & Baby Bear

[jenniekrigbaum]

I'm a solo woman heading NOBO in early March and this was insanely helpful thank you!!

[rogerprado]

I like the way you handle the subjects. Quick, consise and clever . My short attention span can keep up! Thanks

[youflatscreentube]

Agreed. Proof that a video with a few thousand views can be far better, more informative and enjoyable than many of those with more.
Great job! Some real solid info here.
PS: it good to see when successful thru-hikers selected similar gear.

[llboucard]

Thank You for this. Am honest perspective is always needed.

[Mutiny]

MY GOD THIS WAS ACTUALLY HELPFUL!! Seen so many video that were just disguised "Sponsored Gear" advertisements. After probably 1000 watched video I never even HEARD of Hiker Hobble. Thanks for this! I am leaving in April and have been training since December. I'll be up to 15 miles/day 3 days/week starting next week. Haven't pooped my pants yet, but I am looking forward to it. That means I am a REAL HIKER :)

[chrislowe]

What an excellent video, the best gear and post trail video I have seen. Wonderful presentation, informative, thorough, genuine, honest, and from the heart. All the best in your future.

[graybags.outdoors]

great video, and by far and away the best - and most straight talking - summary of advice I've seen (and I've watched hundreds of thru hiking videos now). Not sure I am looking forward to crapping my pants but it's good to be forewarned!

[AnxiousGary]

Thank you! There were several things that I had never heard mentioned!

[atray]

4:37 had my crying “Ayeee personally got kidnapped zero times”. Omg dude so so so so funny

[jeff]

Great video! I'm planning an AT thru-hike in Feb '24. I would like to see a little more detail on each segment. I do appreciate your comments on pooping yourself. Even tho' I grew up in sports where you learn to poop in front of/beside people, I'm wondering how often you had to dig cat holes as opposed to using a privy. Good stuff on "nothing is 'waterproof'."

[tabithaherron]

Awesome video! Thank you so much for being real and informative. You also made me laugh out loud when you said people I need you to open your 3rd eye about this 😂 I need a t-shirt that says that. Best quote ever 😀