Appalachian Trail Hiker: Trail-Proven Advice for Hikes of Any Length

by Victoria Steele Logue, Frank Logue

A classic now in its fourth edition, The Appalachian Trail Hiker is today’s platinum standard on the latest must-have information for the 4 million hikers who explore the Appalachian Trail each year. Stretching more than 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail is the nation's premier long trail, and The Appalachian Trail Hiker is the essential guide for anyone preparing to hike it. With the help of dozens of A.T. hikers, the authors have gathered over 100,000 miles of A.T. experience into this commonsense guide on the nation's oldest trail system. From boots to cooking gear, The Appalachian Trail Hiker offers essential information on backpacking equipment and prepares hikers to encounter wild animals, beat foul weather, interact with fellow hikers, and more. Whether you are planning a day hike in New Hampshire, and overnighter in Virginia, a trek through the Smokies, or a thru-hike from Georgia to Maine, The Appalachian Trail Hiker is your passport to unlimited A.T. adventures. ”It's always amazed me how the Logues follow the ever-changing contexts of Appalachian Trail hiking and write about it clearly and comprehensibly. A great preparation for any adventure on foot!”―Brian B. King, Director of Public Affairs, ATC

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Reference

258 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Victoria Logue is a graduate of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. After graduation, Victoria worked as a writer for two daily newspapers in Georgia—the Warner Robins Daily Sun and The Rome News-Tribune. During that time, she garnered awards for her feature writing and personal columns from the Georgia Press Association and the Special Olympics. She and her husband, Frank, also spent two months in Kathmandu, Nepal, documenting daily life and customs.

In 1988, the Logues quit their jobs to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail. For six months they backpacked across the backbone of the eastern United States from Georgia to Maine. Upon returning home, the Logues wrote their first book, The Appalachian Trail Backpacker, which was published in 1991 by Menasha Ridge Press.

The Logues have appeared on CNN and numerous local TV and talk radio shows. The Logues were also guests on the Discovery Channel's series, “Go For It.” For more than two years, the Logues hosted a weekly online chat on long distance hiking for Backpacker magazine on America Online.

Victoria has served as the editor of the Old Dominion Sierran, The Brunswick News lifestyle section and Georgia's Coastal Illustrated. She was also a contributing editor for Outdoor Traveler, Mid-Atlantic Region.

Victoria continues working as an author and writer. She is a Tertiary in the Third Order, Society of Saint Francis, a certified labyrinth facilitator and is involved in promoting spirituality through leading retreats.

Her most recent non-fiction work is Feast of Feasts, an Advent through Epiphany devotional cowritten with her husband based on Franciscan values. She has also written four novels based in the fantasy-world of the Thirteen Kingdoms.

Reviews

[Liane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good overview. Useful for the couple and mom perspective too. Dated as tech has definitely moved along, but still motivating and a good start.

[Kam 🌱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outdated for sure but overall still really solid information! I really liked all the quotes from different hikers with varying opinions!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

i would have liked to have given this book 4 stars, but i just couldn't. 3-1/2 starts would be perfect. the book is divided into chapters that focus on the specific needs and aspects of hiking: food, tents, sleeping bags, potential problems, etc. while many of these tips and suggestions were helpful as i plan my ten-week hike, some of it was less relevant as the book covers hikes that range from a single day to the entire six-month, 2,000-mile journey from georgia to maine. the book is also almost 20 years old and while many things are still the same as you head into the woods, it would be helpful to have a revision to the book that covers things like cell phones, chargers, GPS, and other electronics that i'm sure many hikers have opinions about in our age of technology.

overall the book is readable, accessible and helpful in a general way. many people say that the only way to learn how to backpack is to backpack, so at some level, reading about hiking is only going to get me so far anyway. but i did learn some useful tips and feel a bit more confident about my knowledge base after reading.

[PD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book involves two of my recent goals – 1) start hiking the Appalachian trail; 2) read only books that are on my shelves.

I bought this book sometime between your 2000–2004 from my undergraduate college bookstore. I've skimmed it before, but this is the first time I've actually read it.

It is a good book. Of course some parts are dated for the 1990s, but it isn't too distracting.

The content covers basic topics from equipment to potential problems encountered on the trial to backpacking with children and preparing for a thru-hike.

[Aubri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book, I'd read 3-4 other backpacking and/or AT books. This book was a very brief overview, interspersed with the authors' experiences. There were a few glaring holes regarding "well known scientific fact" that were in fact incorrect; this detracted from the book's authority in my opinion. If I did it over again, I'd skip the book.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

want to hike the AT? Read this book

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but very similar to some of her others.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Helpful. Great introduction for anyone interested in long distance hiking.

[Mauoijenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on what to bring in your pack when you take the a trek on the Appalachian Trail.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of details and good advice/info. on hiking the AT. Not necessarily a fun read, but I would still recommend it if you are planning an AT hike.