Appalachian Trail 2003 Hiker Survey

The majority of survey responses we received were from northbound thru-hikers, so these results are therefore representative of their experiences. To date we have received 49 replies to our Appalachian Trail survey. According to the ATC, there were 503 hikers that reported finishing the AT in 2003.

Backpacking Gear

For an inexperienced hiker, gear decisions when preparing for an Appalachian Trail hike can be almost overwhelming. There is a kind of desire to fill every corner of the backpack with something that might come in handy at one point or another. Once on the trail, however, hikers quickly learn they can do without almost everything except the bare necessities. Even so, the amount of gear hikers carry varies widely. Some barely had 12 items to list on our survey, and some make it to Katahdin with almost 60 pounds on their backs.

Top Twelve of Appalachian Trail Gear

On our survey, we asked people what they considered to be the 12 most important gear items on their Appalachian Trail hike. The results are fairly obvious, but practical nonetheless.

• Backpack
• Sleeping Bag
• Shelter (Tent, Tarp or Hammock)
• Stove
• Hiking Boots or Shoes
• Hiking Poles
• Water Bottle / Platypus / Camelback
• Water Treatment
• Sleeping Pad
• Cooking Pot
• Rain Gear / Poncho
• Headlamp

More gear items that hikers considered essential:

Clothing - extra socks, long underwear, fleece jacket, warm pants, camp shoes, hat, gloves

Other Gear - food, advil, pack cover, maps, guides, fuel, journal, ground cloth, backpack liner, knife, first aid, camera, stuff sacks, bandannas, spoon or spork, lighter, multitool, duct tape, Ziplocs, radio, toilet paper, book or magazines, knee brace, bug net, umbrella, pocketmail, bug repellent, soap, guitar

Sent Home - Unnecessary Gear

What kind of things did hikers decide they could live without on the Appalachian Trail? Many of the items people didn't feel they needed were listed on other hikers' top twelve, and some were simply replaced for a smaller, lighter, or more convenient piece of gear.

The top gear items sent home were:

• extra clothes
• compass
• books
• water filter
• detachable pack parts, top of pack
• extra first aid items
• large knife
• extra fuel bottle

Other gear sent home included:

fleece pants, fleece vest, silk bag liner, leatherman, can opener, baby wipes, heavy jacket, journal and art supplies, bear spray or mace, fork, bowl, games, binoculars, deodorant and soaps, towel, rain gear, maps and guides, bowl or extra cook pot, walkman, camp saw, chair, spices, headlamp, candle lantern, GPS