Appalachian Trail 2024 Thru Hike Announcement

[@Fortuneadventures]

I'll be out there in Feb going nobo. Maybe see you out there..if not..have a great journey!!

[@1024Pete]

Wishing you peace, safe passage and good fortune. Happy Trails!

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!

[@DaveCollierCamping]

Good luck to you both. I think that is awesome. New friend here.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!!

[@hikingmovie]

Good luck! Greyhound AT 2023.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! Getting close, we start from Amicolola Falls 2 weeks from today!!

[@darcyshikingdiaries]

I love all the new people announcing their 2024 AT Thru Hike! Everyone has a different approach, journey and reasons for doing it! I look forward to following you two!

[@johnscott2746]

Hope you have a great hike! My wife and daughter and I are heading out NOBO on March 15th. Maybe we will see you along the trail!

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! Hoping you all have an awesome hike as well. Good chance we will cross paths at some point

[@MaineGuide34]

Good luck and stay safe out there.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you and we will do our best!

[@ISuckatHiking]

Hope to see you guys out there!

[@debr721]

Awesome stuff. I will watching the videos.

[@tc556guy]

I'm starting March 1. See you out there

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Awesome, we check in to the lodge March 1, I'm sure we will cross paths at some point!

[@maureenmukhlis2934]

Hi! I have that dream as well! So very excited for you. I will have to wait until I retire, which will be in another two years, which gives me lots of time to try and get ready. I am looking forward to following your journey, and hopefully be able to learn some things while I watch. Wishing you both a wonderful journey.😊

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you, hoping we can give you some insight along the way. Two years goes pretty quick, we started in planning this over a year ago and time has flown by. We also would love to do the PCT but that one might have to wait until after retirement.

[@Judy-fi7ce]

It's fun reading all the 2204 AT hike announcements, Thanks for telling us about your decision. A big undertaking and so exciting! I'll look for your forthcoming videos. Take care.

[@lifeunfiltered4822]

I'll be watching your journey! Im gonna hike it either next year or the next. I binge ALL the videos :)

[@robertdesrosiers4743]

saw ramdino hiking the trail good resource see you out there. jump for me feb

[@sheilahenry7279]

Looking forward to following you two. I plan on going in Feb of 2025. Hadn’t prepared enough for this year & you’re right - cost of winter gear makes me want to start later but I really want the experience of icy rocks & bare trees.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

The time will pass quickly, we have been at it over a year now and the last year has flown by.

[@royferrissugarbear5306]

Hey hope to see you there I start in March as well.

[@PacemakerandButtons]

This sounds Awesome hope to see you out there! We’ll be starting the end of February

[@MarionOutdoors]

Congrats! I look forward to following along. Hope you can come see us at Marion Outdoors and Merry Inn Hiker Hostel in Marion, Virginia! Happy Trails! -Coach

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thanks and your location should be easy to keep in mind as we live close to Marion IL.

[@bluesky5587]

Billy blue is the champion hiker for 2024. He only needs 2 weeks planning.

[@MaryTravels53]

Good for you guys! I look forward to your vlogs!

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! Our goal is to give a well balanced view of the ups and downs of such a long hike. Hoping we can keep it interesting!

[@frankdotyjr]

Hi you 2!!! Congrats on your decision. I've subscribed to you so I can follow along. I'm going NOBO about 3 weeks ahead of you from Amicalola Falls. Hope we meet up along the trail. Best of luck!! Peace 👍😎✌️

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Best of luck to you as well! Hoping we meet up as well!

[@mitchymitchOutdoors]

Woooo, I’m happy to keep seeing more AT announcements! See you guys on trail

[@patriciabarnhart1886]

I’ll be here to watch it all!

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!!

[@markviers998]

Hope you have a great hike, thanks for sharing your journey.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you for following along!

[@goodwaterhikes]

Happy Trails 😎✌

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!!

[@seekingotheropportunities2280]

Good luck guys! You got this! I’ll be on the trail finishing Vermont, and hopefully finish this year. Maybe we will cross paths. I have a playlist of short promo videos on my channel if you need some motivation 😃

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! I'm getting plenty of motivation 5 days a week when I walk into my office and sit down at my desk 😉 Will check out your videos as well!

[@sparkywunderdog2636]

Good luck. If you need a good shakedown hike, The Foothills Trail on NC/SC border is perfect.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! We would love to hike it but being in Illinois it would be a good drive for us

[@Dante07cid]

I am envious. I don’t think you will regret taking the time to go now while you can and feel like it. Im bumping up on retirement age and not sure I will ever be able to make the trip. Where are you guys from?

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thanks, and we more than understand. On a positive note we have never heard anyone say they regretted quitting their jobs to hike the trail. We are from Southern Illinois.

[@Dante07cid]

@@Full_Deck_Hikesso am I. White Co.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

@@Dante07cid we are in Jefferson Co

[@Fistmele]

Good luck

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!!

[@bkbland1626]

Hahaha, you poor bastids. Well, remember to just hang in there cuz it gets tough to keep going.

[@jim-uu2db]

You are kidding right?

[@BigFatHike]

Have fun out there.

[@Katahdinbound24]

Hope to see you on the trail I start my journey February 14th from Amicola Falls heading Nobo

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thanks, we won't be far behind!

[@shades1959]

Hope to see you guys out there. I'm hiking around the same timeframe. Best Wishes.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

We wish you the best as well and hope to see you out there!

[@anngeiger2536]

I will be following you!

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! Not too late to tag along!

[@Beertownbill]

I like AT announcement videos that aren't 40 minutes long. Makes it easier to figure out who to follow this year. Best of luck. I will say March 3 is an aggressive start date.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

There will be plenty of time for longer videos later, for announcements I have always believed that short and to the point is the way to go. We will explain in a later video why we moved our date from mid April to March 3rd. Thanks for watching!

[@stanthemanhikes2965]

Goof luck to you guys. I thru hiked in 2022 and look forward to following along

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

That’s awesome, we certainly hope we can say we completed it in 2024 a couple years from now.

[@gypsygirl6887]

Good luck! Following along

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! It's definitely going to be an interesting journey

[@mtnlover]

enjoy! I look forward to seeing your journey.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you! We are really hoping we can keep it interesting!

[@cassiemoore6854]

I am so excited for you all

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Thank you!! We are getting more excited as time gets closer. Has been in the works for over a year now.

[@19stoney64]

Awesome you’ve figured out how to make it happen. I headed out on April 1. Mainly because I hear that hostels, shuttles etc are not open earlier. I also didn’t want to invest in real cold weather gear. Another fact I read somewhere was smoky mountains still have snow until last week of March. My new pack and hammock gear just arrived so I’ll be out getting all that dialed in over the winter. I will sub to follow your journey. If your ahead of me and will be putting up videos as you hike, then you could possibly alert me of info I might need to know. I also understand thru hikers have ways to keep in touch with hikers around them. I can’t wait.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

Best of luck to you! We were originally planning a flip flop from Harper’s Ferry but some things changed with those watching our house and pets so we moved things up to make everything fit better. Hope to cross paths with you at some point.

[@19stoney64]

@@Full_Deck_Hikes Thanks! Looks like I’m going to plan on carrying my winter gear a lot of the time. I get cold easy anyway. I don’t mean harsh winter gear, I mean mild winter gear. I hear the Shenandoahs can have winter weather even in June. I’m still unsettle on a top shell to wear. Those winds and cold I see in videos aren’t all that appealing. I can see it can be a bad situation if you’re not prepared. My pack is at 18 lbs now without food and water. That includes all my gear and water crossing shoes. I’m hammock camping.

[@Full_Deck_Hikes]

@@19stoney64 We are making some changes to gear with our recent change from mid April start to first of March. For a shell we have both opted to carry a good quality gore-tex shell, in my experience they work great at stopping wind and when paired with other layers the warmth is excellent. They are marginal for rain but I haven't found anything that will truly keep you dry in rain, if rain doesn't get you wet your perspiration will. We hiked yesterday with full gear. I weighed our packs with a days worth of food and a liter of water and mind was 15.4 pounds, Angie's was around 13.5 pounds. We will be changing tents so that will save us some weight but also going to a heavier sleep pad for more R value that will add some of that back.

[@19stoney64]

@@Full_Deck_Hikes I’m still up in the air on rain gear selection too. The Packa looks very interesting. It can ride on your pack as a cover then reach back and pull it on for rain. Bad Bat Hikes put on a review of it recently.

[@fuggslife]

can you look after billy blue please