There’s a good book on the subject titled “A Walk In The Woods “.
Just a caution though along the first part of the AT near Amicalola the trail is infested with meth heads you do not want to meet up with unarmed. Mr. GG2 and a friend had a run in with some a few years back and he was glad he was carrying.
I never knowingly met any meth heads when out hiking.
Met a mountain lion once.
A good enough reason to be armed, though anyway….