I've probably done somewhere in the range of 50 to 100 miles of the A trail, maybe a little more. Mostly in North Carolina. When I was in eighth grade, I went to summer camp with a friend and our group spent a week hiking and camping on the A trail. Back then, they cut each of us a piece of visqueen to make a tent, gave each of us a large can from the kitchen with which to cook, gave us packs of dehydrated meals, and we got water from the creeks. Cool stuff. Now I think that you are limited to the designated camping areas, and you aren't supposed to drink the creek water anymore.
I used to love camping. Too accustomed to a bed, hot shower, and a plug in coffee pot.