AT – Days 37 to 39 – The Doyle

DATE:  Nov. 22 to 24

START:  PA 325 Clark Creek, PA

FINISH:  MD 17 Wolfsville Rd, MD

DISTANCE:  110.7 miles (178.1 km)

DAILY AVERAGE:  36.9 miles (59.4 km)

TOTAL DISTANCE:  1135.1 miles (1826.4 km)

The Doyle: An AT institution. Stopped in for a midday beer (Troegs Pale Ale) and a bite to eat. Thanks to Pat and Vicky, the Doyle’s proprietors (see photo below), for their longstanding support of the AT hiking community.

AT Gear Tip # 1 – Loksaks: An integral part of my backpacking kit, irrespective of season or environment. A large 20’x12′ bag can usually hold four or five days worth of food. Are they really odor proof? All I can tell you is that I have been using these bags for years and I have never once had a critter problem. Not once. In bear country I stealth camp (i.e. never sleep where I eat or cook, avoid camping at or near water sources and frequently used campsites) and sleep with my food, stored in the loksak, underneath my feet. I can’t remember the last time I hung my food. In regards to the AT, I have continued to practice the same techniques with similar success, despite the myriad of mice infested shelters. Lucky? How many hundreds of times do you need to do something before it ceases to be lucky? Generally speaking, a 20’x12′ bag will last me about six weeks of daily use before the seal starts to go. At REI they are sold in packets of three, and generally go for around $12. Good value for money.