A man and a woman standing behind a trail sign.
A man and a woman standing behind a trail sign.

Appalachian Trail Gear List & Strategy 2025

For those with their sights set on section-hiking or thru-hiking the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail (AT), this 2025 gear list and trail-wide strategy cover everything you need to bring with you and tips on how to hike.

We’ve broken each section of the AT (The South, Virginia, The Mid-Atlantic, and New England) into comfort and ultralight gear lists, plus we have strategies on how to prepare for the Appalachian Trail — when to go, and what to expect — whether you’re doing the entire thing or a section.

Continue to read to learn more about gear needed and strategies for hiking the Appalachian Trail, written by Mike Unger & Liz Thomas & Naomi Hudetz.

Medya Mansyone

The permethrin-treated baby wraps reduced malaria cases in infants by 66%.

Nancy Lapid
Reporter and Editor

Medya Mansyone

While friends swatted around the campfire and during outdoor dinners, those who used this spray didn't get a single bite.

Alesandra Dubin
Writer and Editor

Medya Mansyone

The Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system includes a rugged Cnoc Premium 2-liter bladder for fast, easy water refills on any backpacking adventure.

Philip Werner
Author and Backpacker