Heâs particularly excited about hammocks as THE shelter. Steve touches on bags, stoves and some other pieces of equipment also. His hammock of choice (for the moment) is the Speer Hammock although he cut his teeth on a Hennessey and readily admits that he might be going back for a second test drive.

If youâre looking for information on other types of shelter (tarps & tents) just stay tuned. ATHiking is hitting the trail again in May to bring you information from the guys that use the equipment. After Episode 3, youâll have a leg up on the âshelterâ question.

Remember to email comments and show suggestions to   athiking@gmail.com

 Many thanks to the Freja Bluegrass Band from Gorborg, Sweden for their music through the Podsafe Music Network.

See you on the trailâ  Toothless

This podcast will hopefully provide you with valuable information on how to start as a sectional AT hiker and enjoy almost every minute of it.

Iâll take a few minutes now to prime the pump with some highlights of episodes to comeâ here are some of the things weâre going to talk aboutâ

• The obviousâEquipment which includes packs, shoes, clothing, water storage, gps, satellite communications, tents, tarps, hammocks, sleeping bags, cooking gear, first aid, and a whole lot more equipment. Weâll touch base on the costs of equipment to get started.
• I like to eat so cooking on the trail ranks fairly high on the list for me- recipes, easy meals on the trail, water issues, drying and dehydrating  food for the trail, stoves, fuels
• An episode devoted to getting physically ready for your first hike and every one thereafter, medical concerns, emergency procedures on the trail, hygiene on the trail, and the senior hiker
• Taking a trip to Arizonaâ you need a road map. You need to be able to read a topo map for the section of trail youâre going to hike.
• Every day isnât gonna be sunny and mild, rain and how to keep it off the duckâs back and yours, signs of weather change and what it means
• AT History- an interview with an ATC historian to help us better understand how the trail came about and what it takes to maintain it
• Using your computer to access hiking websites that you might not know about, software to help guide and plan your trips
• Making Do it yourself gear- how to make your own stuff and save big
• Shuttles- how do they work? How do you set one up to make the trip easy?
• Photography- as a 30 year veteran professional photographer, Iâll help you better understand about photography, help with a selection for a trail camera and show you how photography can tell the story
• Ultralight and lightweight backpacking always comes up in the conversation- whatâs the difference and why even bother?
• Wildlife- this seems to be a big concern. Bears, boar, bats and bugs. Weâll talk with some experts in the field and get the real story
• Your dog is welcome on most of the trail. Knowing âdog etiquetteâ will keep you and your pet safe
• A planned on location podcast at the 2009 Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Interviews with thru hikers and vendors alike.
• And much moreâ
•  

During that first trip we all talked about how neat it would be to hike the entire AT. Most of us had families and jobs and obligations and couldnât just take off the 6 months required for the hike. We decided that we would start a section of the AT, in Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia to be exact.

Another opportunity for you, is to start a hiking group at work. You donât have to set the goal too high initially. Get everyone interested and then set your sights on longer trips.

One last wordâ if youâre serious about starting a hiking group then be prepared to step up to the plate and ramrod the tripsâ itâs really easy and remember, youâll never hike alone again!