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.

My travel art instagram: @ali.white.illustration
Songs (in order of appearance): Leave by Eric Nakassa; Hold On (Rae & Christian re-edit) by Mark Rae

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