Last entry into A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part Six of Six)

 A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part six of Six)

Part Six

Arriving in camp, I would claim my space in the LT, unfold a plastic tarp, lay out the ensolite pad and allow the sleeping bag to “inflate” after being stuffed all day.  If the bag was still damp, from sweat or rain, hanging it up for a bit would help to capturing the few remaining rays of sun.

 Next, or first depending on my thirst, was to fetch some water.  In most cases, a spring would be nearby, but sometimes it might be some distance down the slope to find it.  If we were really in the woods, and the spring looked good, I would just drink it.  But for circumstances where the water was questionable, water treatment like halazone tablets would be used.  No one had filters in those days, but a bandana would serve as a filter to trap the larger debris.  Allowing the chemicals to do its job would dictate was next on dinner plate.  I could use the untreated water to boil for my main dish and allow the treated water for drinking or pudding.

In my small aluminum pot, I would add a box of instant pudding, dump in an estimated amount of instant milk and then just enough water to stir.  Like my morning cereal, I really didn’t have to measure since I learned early, too much water meant soupy pudding, so it was better to underestimate and have “chunky” pudding instead of soupy!

Dinner was a communal event although we consumed what we had individually prepared.  What wasn’t consumed, and that was infrequent, we either burned, dumped in the latrine, or shared.  The basic menu of some kind of pasta and sauce was usually spiced well, but I carried salt and pepper if I wanted to kick it up a notch.  Soups tended to be salty, and that was countered by the sweetness of the Wyler’s bug juice and pudding. Bouillon cubes were also available to flavor rice or noodles.

Ice cold beverages were scarce but during our town stops a cold beer was a nice addition to enjoy in the motel room. LT’s were frequently scarce of firewood due to the heavy use and demand for a fire.  I cooked dinner 95% of the time in my Svea 123 that was quicker and easier than using a fire.  The smoke would also blacken the pots requiring more cleaning before I packed the kitchen in another nylon stuff sack.

By this time, it was early dusk and ranged from 8 pm in the south to 6 pm in the north.  You gotta’ remember that the north AT is further east, so the sun would rise earlier and set earlier.  Bedtime would be darkness.  Our night lights would be a candle or flashlight, so getting everything set for the sleep was a priority to be done before it got dark. 

A campfire would lengthen the day, but most nights it was too hot to have a fire, or the lack of decent firewood meant a fire was a luxury. Most LTs lacked firewood, so if we wanted a fire at night, we would begin to pick up dry wood the half hour or so before reaching camp.

Small talk with your hiking companions would end the day.  Sometimes a card game might take place. Other times if a town stop was along the way, some beer or whisky would be enjoyed.  Other times some pot would be shared.

One last pee before I turned in was the last thing I did. But at some point, a candle would be blown out, and you would snuggle inside the sleeping bag to get that badly needed rest.  A few chats would linger, and everyone would gradually get silent or say good night, showing their desire to sleep.  Most LT mates were courteous, and everyone shared the space appropriately. 

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this is the last installment, read more here.

Source: Bristow, R. (2025).  The Real Appalachian Trail BC.  Appalachian Trail Museum.

All proceeds go to the Museum.