Slackpacking at a glance
- What you carry
- A daypack, not the full kit
- What moves your gear
- Usually a shuttle, hostel or friend
- Counts on the A.T.
- Yes, the honor system covers it
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- Where you sleep
- Off trail, usually a hostel or town
How does slackpacking work?
Someone with a car does the carrying. On the Appalachian Trail that is commonly a hostel or shuttle driver: you leave your full pack at the hostel, get dropped at a trailhead in the morning, walk to the next road crossing with water, food and a few layers, and get picked up there in the afternoon.
Then you do it again the next day from where you stopped. A friend or family member with a car can do the same job, which is how plenty of people slackpack a section close to home.
Does slackpacking count toward finishing the Appalachian Trail?
Yes. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says it recognizes 2,000-milers regardless of sequence, direction, speed or whether they carry a pack, and it runs the whole program on the honor system. What counts is walking every mile, not what was on your back while you did.
The Conservancy even lists slackpackers as their own group of finishers: hikers who spent few or no nights on the trail and had logistical support.
Why do hikers slackpack?
To make a hard day lighter, or a long trail possible. Thru-hikers slackpack steep, rocky stretches to rest their knees without taking a zero day, and some pick the direction of a slackpacked day so the big climb becomes a descent.
For older hikers, people coming back from injury, and anyone who would rather sleep in a bed, slackpacking a whole section turns a backpacking trip into a series of long day hikes on the same footpath.
What this means when you're choosing
- A firm pickup time and place, and a plan for when the driver cannot reach you
- Road crossings close enough together to be a realistic day's walk
- A rain layer, a headlamp and enough water in the daypack, in case the day runs long
- Shuttle and hostel arrangements made before the day, since cell service at trailheads is patchy
Slackpacking vs Backpacking
| Slackpacking | Backpacking | |
|---|---|---|
| What you carry | A daypack | Everything, including shelter |
| Where you sleep | Indoors, off trail | On trail, at shelters or camps |
| What it depends on | A driver and a road crossing at both ends | Only your own pack and resupply plan |
| Counts toward 2,000-miler status | Yes, if every mile is walked | Yes, if every mile is walked |
Which to pick: Same trail and the same miles: slackpacking buys a lighter day by tying you to a car at both ends.
The common mistake
Packing the daypack like it is a short day hike
A slackpacked day is often a long one, on remote trail, and the ride waits at the far end. If you turn an ankle or miss the pickup, the full pack with your shelter and warm layers is miles away in a car, so carry the essentials anyway.
Common questions
Is slackpacking cheating?
Not by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's rules. It recognizes hikers regardless of whether they carry a pack, and the only thing that matters for 2,000-miler status is that every mile was walked.
How much does slackpacking cost?
It depends on the shuttle and the distance, and hostels set their own rates. Expect to pay for each drop-off and pickup on top of a bed, which is why most thru-hikers slackpack a few days rather than whole states.
Where this is defined
- 2,000-Miler Application, Appalachian Trail Conservancy
- Thru-Hiker FAQs, Appalachian Trail Conservancy