>>1392951>>1392953>>1392956I nobod this year and started in March. Loads of people start then, plenty of people I met had started earlier. You just need to accept that you'll be in winter conditions for the first bit. I just carried a summer quilt to pair with my three season one and a winter sleeping mat. Once I hit Damascus I sent home the winter mat and extra quilt and I was fine. The thing to be ready for is potentially getting serious snow in the smokies. A lot of the earlier starters dropped out then as they weren't prepared for it.
>Any specific things I should know before I go?I don't think it's stressed enough how boring thru hiking is. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I have completed 4 thru hikes to date and have many more planned. But there are plenty of days when you are just plodding along. Nothing is bad and nothing is good, it's just kinda dull. Make peace with this fact.
Also make peace with the fact that you will hate certain aspects of it. It truly sucks getting your sleeping bag wet, it really sucks getting the shits in the woods, it really sucks having knee pain, the list goes on. You have to be able to shrug your shoulders and get on with it.
Other than that, go slow to start with, listen to your body, don't leave trash in the woods.
