2026 Completed AT Thru Hike: Gear and Thoughts from an Early-Season Start

I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) northbound (NOBO) in 2026 from late-January to mid-June. Below, is my gear list for an early-season, winter start. I carried about 90% of the gear on this list the whole hike since the winter was long and the spring came later than usual to the Northeast. Because it was cold most of the trip and quite snowy/icy, this is a heavier load out than I am accustomed to carrying, but this gear kept me safe and healthy in adverse, inclement weather conditions. A caution: I would not advocate for an early-season/winter NOBO start of the AT if you do not have much experience and also acquired skills via either growing up and/or living in a cold weather climate and camping/backpacking in winter elements or if you do not have the proper gear for the adverse weather conditions that you will likely encounter for long periods of time. Purchasing high-end, technical, cold weather gear can become expensive and is definitely heavier than what is typically carried. Though, good fortune may be on your side and the states in the South and the Southeast may not be cold and snowy in January, February, and March. However, this was not the case at all in 2026.

Continue reading to learn more about gear for hiking the Appalachian Trail, written by Birchwood.