Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is all about getting back in touch with nature, finding freedom from the restraints of society and...trudging over toilet paper?
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has just released the results of its 2024 thru-hiking survey, which polled 747 hikers from last year. According to the numbers, the average AT thru-hiker is 46 years old and most come from states along the eastern seaboard where the trail is found. In fact, of the top 10 states that thru-hikers come from, Colorado was the only western state to make the list.
They also discovered that the average pack weight was a whopping 31.22 lbs, which is the equivalent of carrying a large bag of kitty litter on your back for half a year. That isn't exactly surprising given that you need to carry a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad, plus water and food for 3 - 5 days between resupply stops, but it also means that quite a few hikers are out there carting around some seriously heavy packs.
You'd think that might be the main complaint among AT thru-hikers, but when given the chance to air grievances about their biggest pet peeves, it turns out that not everyone walks the trail with undying reverence for nature. In fact, toilet paper, littering and graffiti on the trail were the top three concerns among thru-hikers.
How to keep the Appalachian Trail clean
Hiker poop in the backcountry isn't just a problem faced by AT users – last year we reported on research carried out in Colorado which examined the impact of providing free PACT Pack Out Kits to hikers.
On a typical year, the AT sees upwards of three million visitors every year, so it's not totally shocking to hear of evidence of human activity. The trail is well-furnished with outhouses, but spend six months on the trail as the average thru-hiker does and you're bound to have to dig a cat hole or two along the way.
The ATC advises that all toilet paper should either be well-buried in the hole along with your poop, or, preferably, packed out with you in a disposable storage bag.
The same goes for all trash, which should be bagged up and carried with you – not burnt – until you can dispose of it properly, so make sure you repackage food and other supplies before packing it to cut down on waste.
Starting to see how your backpack could end up weighing as much as a toddler? There is one way to lighten your load and that's to ditch your can of spray paint behind. Yes, tagging trees and rocks is bad for the environment as well as unsightly, so leave your spray paint at home and perhaps you can get that pack weight down to 30 lbs.
Whether you're planning on a milestone thru-hike or just want to day hike more regularly this year, please remember that hiking involves a commitment to the principles of Leave No Trace: pack everything out with you and leave the trees alone.
