1970s Backpacking Gear, when price mattered most

Cost was the most important thing for those new backpackers in the Earth Day generation.  I estimate though that this equipment and a week of food creeped up to 50 pounds and more as it got colder.

I got my tent from LL Bean:

My pack and sleeping bag from Ski Hut:

Many smaller items from REI:

My SVEA 123 stove from Moor and Mountain:

Some things came from EMS (most other catalogs were free though):

Most of the above catalog pics are from this library.

and the rest of my gear came from local places around Baltimore Maryland like Sunny's Surplus, Montgomery Ward and Boy Scout vendors.

Total gear, without food was 35 pounds.

Add two quarts of water at another 4 pounds.

Read more of this history in

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

All proceeds go to the Museum.

Asked Ai what was it like to hike the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s

 what was it like to hike the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s

**Hiking the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s was a physically and mentally demanding experience characterized by solitude, rugged conditions, and a focus on self-discovery and authenticity.** The era saw a new surge in "thru-hikers"—those attempting the entire 2,000+ mile trek in a single journey—motivated largely by a desire for personal authenticity and self-challenge, often apart from societal conventions[11].

**Trail Conditions and Navigation:**

- The trail itself was often **poorly blazed**, with reroutes common and guidebooks quickly outdated, requiring hikers to be adaptable and observant[3].

- Maintenance varied widely; some sections were well-kept, while others were rough and hard to follow[3].

- Hikers faced physical obstacles such as **blowdowns, rocky terrain, treacherous water crossings, and exposure to the elements**, including snow, rain, and wind[9][10][11].

- Common dangers included **bears, snakes (including poisonous ones), and steep or slippery sections**[1].

**Gear and Supplies:**

- **Modern lightweight gear was unavailable:** Packs frequently weighed ~50 pounds, made of heavy canvas with bulky leather boots[9].

- Clothing was basic—**cotton shirts and pants, ponchos for rain**—with little in the way of technical fabrics or advanced weather protection[2][9].

- Hikers **resupplied less frequently**, sometimes carrying up to ten days of food, compared to today’s more convenient supply options[4].

- **Hostels and “trail angels” were rare;** most accommodation was camping or rustic shelters, and outside help was less common[9].

**Trail Culture and Social Aspects:**

- Despite the solitude, strong but infrequent bonds often formed among hikers, though the trail community was much smaller—only about **788 people thru-hiked in the entire decade of the 1970s**, compared to thousands annually in later decades[9][11].

- Encounters with other thru-hikers were rare, making companionship especially meaningful[9].

- The 1970s wave of hikers often sought independence, sometimes embracing isolation or framing the hike as a form of personal or spiritual quest, akin to the era’s “Me Decade” ethos of self-exploration[11].

**The Experience:**

- Hikers contended with **constant hunger, mental fatigue, blisters, and monotony**, sometimes going days without bathing or meaningful interactions[11].

- Many described **spiritual or existential moments** brought on by immersion in wilderness and endurance of hardship, fostering a new appreciation for both nature and their own capabilities[1][11].

- The hike was often seen as a way to “conquer oneself,” with challenges like adverse weather, injuries, and logistical mishaps as ever-present as the scenery[9][11].

**In summary**, hiking the AT in the 1970s was a tough, largely solitary adventure demanding resilience, while offering profound moments of connection with nature and self. Gear was heavy, the path was rougher, and the thru-hiker community was far smaller, making success an achievement of both body and spirit[9][11].

Citations:

[1] Hiking the Appalachian Trail in My Early 70s! https://dynamicaging4lifemagazine.com/hiking-the-appalachian-trail-in-my-early-70s/

[2] My dad hiking the Appalachian trail 1979. : r/OldSchoolCool - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/comments/8d1vte/my_dad_hiking_the_appalachian_trail_1979/

[3] Hiking the Trail · Five Million Steps - Appalachian Trail Histories https://appalachiantrailhistory.org/exhibits/show/overview/hiking

[4] The Evolution of the Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/hiking/the-evolution-of-the-appalachian-trail-thru-hike/

[5] Suggestions for Appalachian Trail Users (1970 Pamphlet) - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/comments/1b3gb6c/suggestions_for_appalachian_trail_users_1970/

[6] Hike the Appalachian Trail https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/hike-the-appalachian-trail-37139264/

[7] Late 1970's thru-hike - Trail Forums http://www.trailforums.com/t/late-1970s-thru-hike/9164

[8] Appalachian Trail Histories https://appalachiantrailhistory.org/exhibits/show/hikers/individualhiking

[9] My AT Adventures Began in 1975. It's Been a Great Trip - The Trek https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/adventures-began-1975-great-trip/

[10] WalkingStick75's 1975 Appalachian Trail Journal : Part of Trail Journals' Backpacking and Hiking Journals https://trailjournals.com/journal/6182

[11] “To Conquer Myself”: The New Strenuosity and the Emergence of “Thru-hiking” on the https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/A_Berg_To_2015.pdf

[12] “To Conquer Myself”: The New Strenuosity and the Emergence of “Thru-hiking” on the Appalachian Trail in the 1970s https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/listing.aspx?id=22274

For more info, see this book where all proceeds go to the AT Museum.

The Real Appalachian Trail BC*

Ralph's finish of the AT on July 19, 1975

  A proud day on Katahdin.

According to data collected by 1975 Hiker and Archivist Malcom Gillis, Ralph was 311.

The gaps in numbers is from the lack of address information.

Ralph also tried to get info from the 2,000 Miles with this survey.

He became a strong advocate for the AT in New York.

Fifty years ago, Today, I became a 2,000 miler

 And this was at US Route 20 in Massachusetts at the end of what I called "Both Ends to the Middle."  Flip flop was not known in the 1970s and while I tried to do GA to ME, a late start in June made that a challenge.

My story from 1975.

On Thursday, June 12th, 1975, and I reached US Route 20, following many roads until I got to Goose Pond.  As fitting, it was rainy. I took my ceremonious photo of the AT sign at the highway, shortly after crossing the Mass Turnpike.  Like the previous October, no one would pick up a soaking wet backpacker.  I got my bus ticket and was encouraged to visit the town’s jail to change clothes in Lee and be more presentable for the long bus trip.  I had hiked the entire AT. 

Since this trip was before Cell Phones and Uber, I took a Greyhound Bus home to Maryland for $23.70!

Another bus trip took me to Maryland, and by that weekend I was to start a summer job at Camp Straus in Hancock Maryland.  I had started college the spring term at Harford Community College and I worked summers at Scout camps and then transferred to then Towson State University before becoming a Camp Ranger for another 4 years after a couple tours as a seasonal ranger for Maryland State Parks.  On an Outward Bound Winter trip on Mt Moosilauke in New Hampshire in the early 1980s I decided to return to college and would receive doctoral degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1990. (Whew, enuff links ey?)

In 2025, I wrote about this trip in this book. 

Available on Amazon or the Museum.  But please support the AT Museum since All proceeds go to the Museum.

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

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 3)

 A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker (part 3)

Part Three of Six

I could sometimes get on the trail in less than an hour but would adjust time due to the needs of the trail family or on Saturdays when I needed to reach the Post Office before noon.

Depending on our moods, we would chat but most often just schlep along.  When tired or on a brutal climb, finding a downed tree or rock to sit on was a joy.  Shade was nice on the hot days.  If a view was encountered, we would pause and take a photo and enjoy the scenery. 

In many cases the views were numerous, so depending on the mood we might stop or simply move on.  Combining the view with a rest break was always a plus.

Views were often spectacular, especially on those blue sky, clear and low humidity days.  There is nothing better than a view that has a blue sky, a few clouds and miles and miles of green wooded mountain.  Next were the scenes of rivers, meandering through the mountains. 

These were multisensory opportunities feeding our sight, sound, smells and as we removed our packs some tactile relief was possible and then eating a handful or two of GORP to satisfy our taste and garner some energy food.  Removing the pack let our backs cool off and dry a bit.

Yet in many cases these views were seen from a power line cut, and you needed to “optically” remove the high voltage power lines from out memory to enjoy what was in the distance.  Other examples of civilization were tolerated based on the naturalness of the feature.  Farmland was ok, but smokestacks from factories was not.  Most of the time, our sounds continued to be natural, but in some cases the traffic noises, especially tractor trailers on highways and children’s motorcycles would be less serene. 

Notice, these views were on clear days, yet clouds, or rain would present a different experience.  If I was dry and not hot and not cold, a foggy scene was nice.  But if cold and wet, or tired or whatever, even the most beautiful views could not be appreciated.  Recall my use of “R” to describe the miles and miles of rhododendron, which could become old despite the beauty.  And the tourist crowds in fog on Clingman’s Dome (now Kuwohi in Cherokee) dampened the view.

Sometimes we would hike in a line and talk, other times we might spread out along the trail depending on different rates of speed and the difficulty of the trail.  

Going uphill was tough and depending on our strength and energy, at best, it was a slow a steady assault.  If tired, you would simply stop, lean forward to take the weight of the pack off your shoulders and catch your breath.  A longer climb might mean a stop to remove the pack, sit on a rock or downed tree that would serve as a chair.  Water and a snack might be part of the break depending on how long it was since breakfast. 

The thing about climbs is that in the pre-internet days, we kinda’ knew where we were, but not GPS positioning.  Some AT maps were based on the USGS topo maps and were extremely accurate so you might be able to estimate where on the climb you might be.  But other maps were simple line drawings at a scale of 1 inch to a mile, and little to no details.  And the maps for New Jersey and New York were reproduced USGS maps too small to read.

So often times you might believe you were reaching the top, only to discover it was a “false summit” and the actual top was still further.

====

Enjoy this? Try the whole book and all proceeds go to AT Museum!

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

A Day in the Life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker

 Here is my day in the life of an Appalachian Trail Hiker. (early 1970s, Part 1 of 6)

Apologies to Colin Fletcher’s typical day Backpacking.  

Multiple similarities exist while differences are also numerous.  Here is a summary of a “typical” day on the AT.  No day is really typical, although once you get into the groove of long-distance backpacking there are things that take place frequently.  Of course, the weather has a great impact on the day since waking up to rain means something different and that late afternoon thunderstorm means something else.  Freezing temperatures change conditions too.  So, let’s get on with the day.

Something stirs as you begin to wake.  Most often, for me, it is the sound.  Birds, peepers, rustling of the leaves are some of the first things for me to sense. As my brain tries to focus on the sound, I become more conscious.

After hearing, the sense of touch awakens, and I feel the temperature in the sleeping bag that is just perfect.  I then pull out my arm from the sleeping bag to scratch my head, shoulder or whatever.  I shift a bit in the sleeping bag and realize I am on the ground or maybe the wood floor of the lean-to.  

Then often It is the light.  Or perhaps the lack of it, depending on the time of sunrise.  If you are facing east, the rising glow of the sun begins to lighten the surrounding campsite and if you open your eyes, the gradual awareness of the features around you will bring you to full consciousness.

I become aware of my mouth and after a night of open mouth sleeping and probably much to the displeasure of my campmates, snoring, I reach for my water bottle to get a swig of water to wash the morning mouth away.

Smell is basically ignored, since all hikers at this point smell the same, as the campfire smell on your clothes add to the BO.  Ole Time Woodsman insect repellent was favored by my southern AT hiking companion Pete, and I would frequently comment on the strength of the dosage!

But it is also the time when your body is the most comfortable.  Overnight, you have finally settled on the perfect position; your side, back or like me on my stomach with my right arm up and my cloth pillowcase stuffed with my extra clothes comforting my head. And I am the perfect temperature.  My Slimline down sleeping bag is perfect for 20 to 50 degrees.  Anything warmer I just sleep in my American Youth Hostel nylon bed liner; colder makes me sleep in more clothes and maybe a hat.

So, it was the perfect combination of temperature and position that keeps you in bed.  Finally, my bladder says it is time to get up.  If I am not truly ready to get up, I scamper away from the sleeping bag to pee, and hurry back to the protection of my mummy bag.  But more likely, I get up and stay up since the shock of air on my bare skin wakes me up.

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

My AT book going to press

 So, after two years of writing, my Appalachian Trail book will soon be out.  Available first on Amazon, the beneficiary of ALL proceeds will be the Appalachian Trail Museum.  I will send out the details as soon as it is public.

Hope you enjoy it.

Fifty years ago today

 On this date on June 7, 1974, after skipping my high school graduation, I climbed Springer Mountain with a dream to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, some 2,000 miles long.

That's one sweaty 18 year old.  My hike along the approach trail, an 8 mile climb as found on the USGS Topo Map!

The dream was to end June 12th, 1975, but the memories are forever.

Spring Break? Go Hiking

 Spring break is a perfect time for a backpacking trip.  For those of us on the East Coast, why not try the Appalachian Trail.

 

 For a quick sample, see this 2 minute YouTube clip on the AT.

Backpacking Gear Cost (in early 70s) with DATA

This was my go-to book on camping gear.  Sure, I had been Boy Scout since 1967, so camping was in my blood.  But that was initially the car camping style where we would drive to a camp, haul tents and gear from the trunk and set up camp nearby.

Later I began to backpack, so we needed to carry everything on the back of our back.  So the camp might have looked like this:

Michaux State Forest and the Appalachian Trail. (early 70s?)

Here is my gear list from that period.

See the Vis-clamps on the tarp in the picture above?