Long-distance hikers dream of "thruhiking," walking the entire Appalachian Trail, which stretches more than 2,150 miles through the mountains from Georgia to Maine. Each year more than 2,000 hikers begin the trek; only 10% succeed. Curran, a retired Army colonel who thruhiked in 1986/87, offers common-sense, experienced advice on physical preparation, gear, food and water, sanitation, animals, and injury, as well as insights on Trail life and what it takes to complete the trek. "Ask yourself," he writes, "am I comfortable being by myself for six months under trying physical conditions with little human contact?" He reminds hikers that bad weather, injuries, loneliness, and sheer exhaustion are inevitable, but can be tempered by adaptability, commitment, and positive attitude.
Appendices provide addresses of volunteer Trail maintainance groups, post offices within six miles of the Trail (useful for maildrops of food and supplies), a bibliography of Trail-related books, and addresses of gear manufacturers.
Curiously, Curran does not mention the sense of community and camaraderie that develops among hikers on the Trail. Through gossip, hiker logbooks in shelters, and chance meetings, hikers develop a strong sense of kinship with their fellow wanderers. In addition, townspeople or short-distance hikers often provide unexpected kindness and encouragement that can help a thruhiker to persevere during this transforming six-month journey.
As Curran writes, the trek will, for many, "fundamentally change the perspective through which they view the world and their place in it," and his book is a useful companion for anyone planning the trip.
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