Appalachian Trail 2003 Hiker Survey

The majority of survey responses we received were from northbound thru-hikers, so these results are therefore representative of their experiences. To date we have received 49 replies to our Appalachian Trail survey. According to the ATC, there were 503 hikers that reported finishing the AT in 2003.

Trail Food

Food is one of the singlemost important things to a thru-hiker. Once the thru-hiker appetite kicks in, they can hardly think about anything else. And of course, during a town stop, they can hardly do anything else, except eat, eat, and eat some more. A pint of ice cream, a pepperoni pizza, and a 2 liter of pop is a snack before dinner. While on the trail, however, it's hard to carry too much good food - it's heavy. While in the woods, it's a fairly normal hiker diet.

Food Supply

When you speak with someone who doesn't know much about hiking or the Appalachian Trail, and you tell them you'll be gone for 6 months, the response is almost humorous: "How did you carry all that food?" As if you were carrying 6 months worth from day one. This is not how it is, of course. Hikers have the option of resupplying in town or with a mail drop every few days more or less.

Average Days' Worth of Food Carried
1 - 2	2%
3 - 4	63%
5 - 6	29%
7 - 8	6%

Top 5 Trail Foods

There are certain foods on the trail that hikers crave so much, they almost become like a form of currency - good for trades, favors, or bribes. We asked what foods hikers considered the top 5. The results were:

• Candy Bars (Snickers, Baby Ruth, Nut Rolls)
• Lipton (noodle meals with powdered sauce)
• Peanut Butter (now available in squeezable tubes)
• Tuna (available in foil packets to reduce weight and bulk)
• Little Debbies (like caviar for hikers)