Customer Reviews

Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a frequent visitor to the USA I have for a long time had an interest in the Appalacian Trail and perhaps hiking it end-to-end (or "through hiking" as it is called) one day. Once I saw the cover "blurb" for Roland's book I just had to purchase it.

You realise upon opening this book for the first time that Roland has a very insightful and engaging writing style. This is a book that you can open up at any section and commence reading without feeling disconnected.

If you want a book that follows a through hiker's day-to-day experiences when walking the trail or one that details historic, geographic or topographic information discovered along Appalacian trail, then this is NOT the book for you.

However, if you want a book that thoughtfully covers all of the things one would want to know about when preparing for through hike of the Appalacian Trail or any other very long distance hike then this could be just what you are after.

The book is based upon the things Roland gleaned from his experience through hiking the trail, and from the information gained from interviews with some 100 plus people who also through hiked the trail.

For instance, I was fascinated on the discussion as to how many pairs of boots one can expect to wear out and the advantages that lightweight boots can provide over the more expensive leather ones.

Also, one would never expect anyone to take on such a monumental task as through hiking the trail in sneakers or without a tent, yet some did and succeeded. This book brings out many things specifically relevant to very long distance hiking that the average hiker wouldn't necessarily think about. That in itself is reason enough to buy this book.

Roland Muesser takes us along on a trip that quantifies aspects of the trail important to trail hikers and interesting to those who are new to the sport of hiking. Indeed, this book may be of even greater value to the novice hiker than the seasoned trailblazer in that it addresses critical issues for hikers such as gear and trail etiquette questions. Roland Muesser shows his respect for the trail and hiking in general and writes an inciteful and real account of what to expect and what the trail hiker comes to expect from day to day life with nothing but what you carry on your back. From mosquito protection to an amusing deerfly experiment to more serious matters of equipment and safety this book is a great one and should not be overlooked.

This book covers just about everything possible concerning long distance hiking. The author relies on dozens of surveys he took from thru-hikers of America's long distance trails, and combines the information into easy reading. The book is a little outdated now, but still a good read.

Roland Mueser has written a terrific book that contains the results of interviewing dozens of hikers. He chose to tackle the subjects of why thru-hike?, footwear, food, equipment, and much more. He also did some scientific testing of his own when it comes to fighting insects. Mueser did a 4-mile run in the woods with DEET and re-did the run without insect repellant so he could tally the bug bites and report his fingings.

Mueser has put together the results of over 100 surveys so that he could bring you some great information that pertains to the long distance hiker.

If you only read one book before hiking the Appalachian Trail, this is the book. The book is very informative and really helping me prepare for my thru hike.

This book, based on a number of surveys, provides a broad understanding of what hiking the AT is all about. It explores the motivations of thru-hikers along with answering lots of questions most of us have when planning to hike all or sections of the AT. Easy reading, well organized and lots of facts.

For someone planning a thru-hike in 2003, this book is a blessing. With specific gear reviews, wonderful surveys of past thru-hikers and statistics that give you a real sense of what it takes to prepare for this incredible journey, I can say this has been the most welcomed addition of the 6 AT books that I've recently purchased on Amazon. Enjoy!

This book provides an interesting look at many varied aspects of a long distance hike. Insight is based upon a survey of long distance hikers on the AT and covers many subjects from equipment, clothing, personalities, women's issues, food, distance travelled, thoughts of the hikers themselves and more. Anyone interested in long distance hiking would enjoy this book!

This is a I've done it (+) survey of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Roland Mueser covers questions on what is the best equipment and how much of it carry (keep it light) to what percentage of the hikers wear (ugh) underware. If you've ever dreamed about hiking the AT, this is a book you will love.

This is an interesting and easy to ready analysis of thru-hiking experiences on the Appalachian Trail. While some of the information (especially regarding equipment) is a little dated now (almost 20 years later), the lessons learned and the knowledge shared is incredible.

If you are planning or even just dreaming of thru-hiking the AT, you MUST read this book. First, once you start it, you will want to finish it. Unlike most non-fiction, where you may skip to only the interesting sections, this entire book is interesting. For one thing, it is well organized, and each section and chapter addresses an area of concern for thru-hikers. By leveraging the experiences of so many survey respondents, the author paints a broad picture of what life is like on the trail.

While the equipment recommendations are a little dated, it is useful to read what others used and found to helpful or not so much. While technology has advanced, many of the equipment questions that he addresses are still relevant (tent or not, stove, rain gear, water purification). The concepts that the book misses, such as the "ultralight backpacking" trend or the use of trekking poles, can be picked up by reviewing other interesting guides The Ultralight Backpacker : The Complete Guide to Simplicity and Comfort on the Trail.

While it may be years before I have the time to hike the AT from end-to-end, I felt that I was there while reading this book. It answered many of my questions when thinking about the complexity of a 6-month walk in the woods, and even provided some interesting information that I had not considered. For example, according to his survey responses, 60% of the hikers hiked alone (although never really alone, as it turns out). This was a concept I had not considered.

Read it. It will only take you a few days even at a leisurely pace, and you will not be disappointed!