Early differences observed between people aged 20 and 60 that should be considered when preparing for the walk

I am a 64 year old man. In general, I have observed that all age groups get along well on the AT. So far it has been a kind and loving place for me on this side of the arc.

I have noticed some differences in general behaviors that you may want to consider during hike planning and preparation. You should also carefully evaluate the source of information guiding your hike planning, including these comments, which only reflect my observations. There is a clear difference between different sources of guidance and how to apply that guidance to your hike.

The pleasures of good credit

The biggest difference I consistently see is the financial support available to an individual. Older hikers, including me, can probably solve problems more easily or make the hike more comfortable for them due to the likely higher level of financial resources available. This may not really be an age issue, as there are 20-year-olds with huge bank accounts and 60-year-olds living on very little money. The bottom line is that hikers who can will probably solve problems with a credit card. One hostel owner mentioned that sometimes the most useful gear in your backpack can be your credit card. Don’t take it the wrong way. This was not a money grabbing statement by the hostel owner who gave this advice. Just your honest assessment of reality. And this guy is one of the most respected hostel owners on the road. Their hostel and crew are great too.

Training and physical preparation

A 20-year-old could show up at the arch, put on a 30-pound backpack, and do physical “training” on the early parts of the trail without suffering any injury or discomfort. A 60 year old, less likely unless you are into triathlons or some other well-trained sport that requires physical conditioning. I trained with 35 pounds on my back and walked 8 miles every 2-3 days. I trained going up and down the mountains near my house. I swam 2000 yards in the pool every other day. I usually took Sunday off. I did this for three months before starting the tour. It wasn’t enough. The trail is kicking my butt. The climbs are tough and the energy required to overcome them should not be underestimated. It should have started a year before the arc. I should have done two climbs a day. I should have gone up, down and immediately turned around and done it again to develop the necessary mental toughness in addition to the necessary physical conditioning. These would have been “Double Diablo’s,” as they are called at home. California’s Mount Diablo is behind my house. Then I should have slept in my tent without showering and done this for three days straight.
I should have done a lot of these three-day training events, and I should have set up camp, eaten the backpacking meals, packed up camp, and done it again and again before crossing the arch.

Preparing for the dynamics of shared space

I should have invited a bunch of my friends over to the house for an adult pizza party and slept over with everyone at camp in the backyard, and then I should have tried to sleep through the inevitable differences in nighttime noise levels that come with sleeping camp preparation tasks.
I should have invited some early risers to this group and asked them to pack up and leave no later than 6am.
Probably none of these training events would have affected the 20-year-old audience. However, for me, being among the 60-year-old crowd, it’s a completely different story.

I love you all and I would love for you to walk with me a little, but…

I have news for people who have said they want to hike with me for about a week at some point during my six-month adventure: starting training now or that week on the AT may not be as fun as it should be. Even Maryland, which is pretty flat and has a great history, will kick your butt if you don’t train. I walked MD in my WVVT LASH 2022

The Gatorade bottle in the shelter

Now let’s look at some specific detailed maneuvers that need to be worked out. What is the “I have to pee” strategy in the middle of the night? Men can use the Gatorade bottle method. However, is this okay in a crowded shelter? Can you hit the target, kneeling down and keeping the bottle stable inside your sleeping bag? Can the bottle cap be screwed on tightly without spilling? What if you need several injections during the night? Do you quickly throw away the bottle so you can prepare for the next shot? Typically, the prostates of 20-year-olds don’t yet affect their owners in the middle of the night in the same way that the prostates of 60-year-olds can affect yours.

Frozen pizza, peanut butter and gourmet ramen

Food choice may or may not be a problem depending on the historical characteristics of the digestive system. I’ve seen many 60-year-olds enduring the common 20-year-old diet of “peanut butter, skittles, pizza, and hamburger.” I have eaten all kinds of junk food and my weight has already dropped from 185 to 175 in just two weeks. Forget all these popular diets, pills and injections, the most effective weight loss program I’ve seen is increasing AT, no matter if you’re 20 or 60.

Larger packages

I am stubborn. I carry too much. My backpack weighs 35 pounds, of which 5 pounds are a backpacking guitar and the dead weight of using a bear barrel. I will maintain this strategy as long as I can. Surprisingly, many of the young people carry less than us older ones. I can’t explain why. However, I have come across people who ran out of food and still had a day without a resupply. I have shared food with people in that situation. In the city, young people tend to drink more beer than older people. If I drank a beer I would be severely dehydrated to the point of suffering one of those throbbing headaches. For me it’s electrolytes and protein drinks when I get into town.

Restaurants in Trail Town

I notice that more older people tend toward trail town restaurants, while younger people may tend toward faster casual places. We had a large group at a Mexican restaurant with all age groups together, so this may be a poor generalization due to very little observed data.

Shoe insoles

Older people seem to have more shoe inserts and more dads and shoe accessories. Younger people have their favorite hiking gear, but I’ve noticed more young people walking with their backpacks wearing sandals instead of shoes.

trekking poles

I have seen most of the older people with trekking poles. I have seen more young people without trekking poles. However, I would say that 95/100 hikers have trekking poles regardless of age group. Mine have saved me from many possible falls. You can’t argue with the seemingly extra 20% power increase from a proper plant and pushing the poles when going uphill.

I have to slow down

I saw the rain coming. I was lucky enough to have 14 straight days of perfect weather. Dry, hot enough, cold enough. The rain that hit me was in the middle of the night and my tent worked fine. So three days ago my choice was two days to go 37 miles or do the third day in the rain. As they say, “rain or pain or no Maine.” The first day I did 17 miles with two brutal climbs. Yesterday I did 15 miles with a brutal climb and a seven mile descent. Today I scored a zero at the Nantahala Outdoor Center while it was raining. The rest I hope will have me ready for tomorrow’s 7 mile, 3000 foot climb. Like Mount Diablo at home. My right knee tells me it’s on edge and my left ankle does the same. He’s back to 8-10 miles a day for a while. More time to play the guitar.

And how about my sister’s fifth grade class helping me with math (she’s an amazing teacher)? (The privacy label prevents me from being identified, but they know who they are)

I usually walk 1 mile per hour when going up a hill. I usually walk 3 miles per hour on flat areas. I usually walk 2 miles per hour on the downhills. In any 24 hour period (1 day) I can walk 4 hours before lunch. I can walk for 4 hours after lunch. I usually take a 1 hour break for lunch. The rest of the time is camp chores, buying more food while I’m in a city, sleeping and resting, and of course playing my guitar.
I usually start walking at 8 am.
This week, weather predictions indicate that rain will hit the trail in about 36 hours or 1.5 days. These 36 hours is the total time available until the rain arrives. It’s currently 7am as I write this, so the rain is forecast to start within 36 hours.
Today I have 7 uphill miles followed by 3 flat miles.
Tomorrow I have an 8 mile downhill followed by a 3 mile flat.
I have a covered spot at a hiker’s lodge reserved for when I reach this mileage.

The question is, am I going to get wet?

If so, how many hours will I be in the rain?

If not, how much extra time do I have before I get wet?

To spend the night on the trail I have all the necessary camping equipment. It is easier to pack dry gear than wet.
Thanks for the help.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.