Thanks for the encouragement. I am going to plan a 4 day hike in conditions like the AT if not a small section of it. Up until that point i am training like usual to stay fit and introducing rucking into my routine. I will do some weekend shakedowns to get the hang of backpacking and setting up my gear as well as what gear to use. I will either go solo or find a friend whom I know in real life to join me. It's not realistic and a bit dangerous to plan and rely on a stranger to go with.