I am now trying to plan and pack my meals for this trip. This is one of the more difficult preparation steps. Understandably, I want to conserve mass, yet eat well. I do not want to pack too much food such that I carry the extra weight the entire trip, but I also do not want to skimp on supplies and run the risk of involuntarily becoming the AT’s version of the Donner Party. My planned hike is around 130 miles. If I bet myself that I can cover 10 miles a day, then I need meals for 13 days. However, if I up the ante to 15 miles a day, then I would only need to pack 9 days worth of sustenance. And, if I cover 130 miles a day, then you know that I simply drove a car to the end and am now at home eating pizza. I’m going to hedge my bets and plan for 12 days.
After splaying my planned meals for 12 days across the floor of my dining room, I realized it will be difficult to get all of this into my pack and impossible to hike with it. So I’m doing what every strategic thru-hiker does; I’m planning a food resupply drop. I’ll start out with the first three days’ worth of food stuff, then pick up a nine day supply at Neel Gap (that I will leave at the Mountain Crossing store prior to starting the hike. I’m smart like that!). The 9 day supply will still be heavy, but by the time I get drop, I’ll have expended some stove fuel, toothpaste, and toilet paper.
For reference, I’ve included some photos of my 3 day food supply (see photo on this entry) and my 9 day food supply (see photo on next entry). So I like oatmeal. I may eat nothing but Little Debbie Star Crunch cookies for a day. Don’t judge me.
14 days until I start the climb to Springer Mountain.
The Professor