Thru-hiking

Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the act of hiking an established long-distance trail end-to-end continuously.

[citation needed] During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hiking as a means of exploring the world started becoming popular in the U.S.

In 1948, Earl Shaffer completed the first south-to-north thru-hike of the AT, followed by Chester Dziengielewski in 1951, who became the first to hike the trail from north-to-south.

She completed the hike with what was considered extremely inadequate gear, even at the time, including sneakers rather than boots and a blanket rather than a sleeping bag,[3] and is recognized today as a pioneer of ultralight backpacking.

Thru-hikers often organize "supply boxes" containing food and other necessities prior to their hike, and have friends or family mail the packages to predetermined stops close to the trail, to be picked up by the hiker.

The most common reasons for a hike to be abandoned include injuries, finances, time constraints, and a lack of motivation.