Lookin for load out advice...

[Gus9890]

This is my first time on the AT. I plan on starting in March, doing a ultralight NOBO yo-yo with staying away from towns as much as possible. (Except for PA, I got family in York). I plan on doing it 4-5 weeks one way (I'm 6'7" and naturally hike at a quick pace). I grew up in the woods, I was in Scouts, and I'm military so I'm not worried about comfort and I know things don't always go according to plan. This is the basic load plan for my backpack I've put together (not counting batteries, water purification, food, etc). I'm looking for advice, tweaks, pointers, etc. because I know everyone loads out differently. Thank you very much.

In Back pack:

-Army Boonie hat, Army Shemagh, Fleece PT/skull cap
-Cold-Weather UnderArmor top, moisture wicking t-shirts (3)
-Fleece top
-Wool socks/moisture wicking socks (3 pr each)
-Sneakers (1 pr)
-Nylon Suplex/Polyester Wind top and pants
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom
-Camleback
-Fleece blanket
-Army poncho/shelter half (2)
-PT/ground mat

[Meriadoc]

I'll assume you meant 4-5 months.

Rule of thumb for clothing: All of it can be worn at the same time and when it is coldest, all of it is indeed worn at the same time. If there is more than that, then there is excess. (Exception cut out for socks and underwear.)

-Army Boonie hat, Army Shemagh, Fleece PT/skull cap - Can you wear all three at the same time? Are all three needed? I would drop one of them for sure.
-Cold-Weather UnderArmor top, moisture wicking t-shirts (3) Why three wicking t-shirts? I would use the cold weather base layer until it warms up and then use one wicking t shirt. I would not carry four shirts.
-Fleece top
-Wool socks/moisture wicking socks (3 pr each) By moisture wicking socks I think you mean liners. I'll let someone else speak to these because I don't use liners. My gut reaction is that is too many because they can be washed easily and dry quickly (unlike the wool socks).
-Sneakers (1 pr)
-Nylon Suplex/Polyester Wind top and pants
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom - Depending on what these are, there may be lighter alternatives available.
-Camleback
-Fleece blanket
-Army poncho/shelter half (2)
-PT/ground mat

[Storm]

If your only shelter is a poncho and a fleece blanket you are either one tuff dude or....................

[Slo-go'en]

You need to get some proper equipment.

[Sandy of PA]

Planning any hot food? Water purification? First aid?

[Last Call]

Fleece blanket won't be near enough in March....I would also pick up a pocket rocket stove & a grease pot to boil water in.

[bigcranky]

I tried sleeping in a fleece blanket in the mountains in Virginia once. I froze my butt off. In July.

[Damn Yankee]

I understand the idea of using what you have but, would suggest if you are insistent on using this gear, check out the pathfinder school videos on youtube put out by Dave Canterbury. There is a lot of great information. Also, I am assuming that you are using a shelter half to sleep under and a poncho for wearing or floor under the shelter half and please correct me if I'm wrong. I have just surpassed my 23rd year in the military and used some of the best gear out there but, for doing a thru hike, military gear is just way to heavy. Do yourself a favor and look for some better gear and shoes. It gets cold in the mountains and I don't think sneakers will do it until the weather warms somewhat. Of course these are my opinions, and you know what they say about those? Good luck either way.

[Slo-go'en]

Let me expand on my earlier comment, which I made in haste as I had just gotten back from a 4 mile snowshoe hike in 15 degree temps. I'm now feed and warmed up a bit.

Basically, the gear you have listed would barely get you by in the middle of July, it could kill you in late March and early April.

First, you need a proper sleeping bag, minimum 30 degree, preferably 20. With clothes, a 20 degree bag might actually keep you warm when it goes to 20 and it will.

Second, you need a proper insulating sleeping pad. There are a number to choose from, from simple closed cell foam to high tech, self inflating.

Third, you need a proper tent. You will be spending a lot of time in it and it will be raining much of that time.

Fourth, you need proper footware. Sneakers are not going to cut it. The trail will be wet, muddy and slipperly most of the time. Georgia mud is slippier then baby poop and about the same consistancy.

Fifth, you need proper rain gear. Poylvinal is the worst choice possible.

Finally, you need to choose a stove, cookware and water treatment.

Clothes you might be okay with.

Bascially, you need to invest about $1000 in new gear. It can be done less expensively, but not in the time frame you have available and not if you want to go light. If you don't do this, you will be doing it at Neels gap or going home. Guarentteed.

[bfayer]

At the very least you need a good sleeping bag and pad. Its not about comfort, its about safety. You should also plus up your outer layer insulation. For rain gear a set of dry ducks is way lighter and only costs $20.

Although you could live without a stove and eat cold food, you can make a cat food stove in 20 minutes and buy a bottle of heat at the auto parts store. Add a cheap aluminum pot and a spoon from the kitchen and you have a cook kit.

Shelter halves are way heavy for what they do. You can pick up a eureka tent for less than $100 that will serve you well, but if not a cheap tarp will do and weigh a lot less than the shelter halves.

Keep tuning, you can put together a pretty good kit without spending a fortune. Having said that, there is a reason good gear costs money, especially sleeping bags. Try not to skimp on your bag. Its your insurance policy on the trail when the temps drop.

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[Gus9890]

Yes, I meant months, sorry about that.
-I was thinking Boonie hate for warmer weather and fleece for for the cold if needed. Shemagh is more multi purpose.
-The moisture wicking socks I have are military issue, for liners I would use dress socks which have worked well for me in the past.
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom: You can find them at wal-mart in the camping section, they come in a small plastic package.
They're also good for keeping in body heat. Weight's not bad at all to me.
-Army Poncho/shelter half: I can handle the cold better than most. I've used it as a ground cover and folded the rest over top of myself with a fleece blanket at a liner before
with only wearing camo uniform and winter UnderArmor in winter climates with no issue, except for my feet freezing due to wearing steal toe boots.

@ Sandy of PA: I am also going to carry first aid kit, water purification, food, etc. I believe Apollo isn't too far from Monroeville, I grew up about 3 hours north of you in McKean County.

@Damn Yankee: I almost went to Pathfinder school at one point but I have done SERE school. You are correct about the shelter half. My boots are good, I take good car of them and I've worn them in Korea during their winters and the winter stateside a few times. Shoes are for warmer weather.

Thank you all for the input, I'll make a few adjustments. I'll keep checking back too.

[HikerMom58]

I can tell you are a good guy, Gus! bfayer is a good guy too!

[bfayer]

I can tell you are a good guy, Gus! bfayer is a good guy too!

Thanks HM . Like I said awhile back, this world needs folks like you to offset the folks like me, so don't ever change

And Gus, you came to the right place to seek advice. When it comes to the AT, the folks around this place know what they are talking about.

We may not get along all the time but we share of love of hiking and the trail.

Everyone on here wants to see you succeed, we just don't all come across as warm and fuzzy as Hiker Mom.

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[Praha4]

Gus: you'll find out soon enough in March how well your system works out, probably around the Smokies you'll find out. A lot depends on what kind of weather the east coast has this spring. If it's like March 2013, the weather will definitely be challenging. Curious what do you plan for food? MRE's? water treatment? iodine tabs? good luck

[Malto]

Gus: you'll find out soon enough in March how well your system works out, probably around the Smokies you'll find out. A lot depends on what kind of weather the east coast has this spring. If it's like March 2013, the weather will definitely be challenging. Curious what do you plan for food? MRE's? water treatment? iodine tabs? good luck

Atually it will be faster than the smokies. Since you are ex military maybe you can bum some gear off the Ranger school folks in the N Ga mountains. If you are doing 8-10 months total you are not properly equipment for the start and end. You need a real sleeping bag or quilt. As far as cook set, water purification stove, you can get by without any of that but I would recommend that you consider taking a small bottle of bleach, half oz. to treat some of the water sources especially up north. If you don't want to do that then maybe carry a course of metronidazole in case your game of Russian roulette does go your way. (This was the exact approach I took on my PCT thru hike.)

[HikerMom58]

Atually it will be faster than the smokies. Since you are ex military maybe you can bum some gear off the Ranger school folks in the N Ga mountains. If you are doing 8-10 months total you are not properly equipment for the start and end. You need a real sleeping bag or quilt. As far as cook set, water purification stove, you can get by without any of that but I would recommend that you consider taking a small bottle of bleach, half oz. to treat some of the water sources especially up north. If you don't want to do that then maybe carry a course of metronidazole in case your game of Russian roulette does go your way. (This was the exact approach I took on my PCT thru hike.)

"@ Sandy of PA: I am also going to carry first aid kit, water purification, food, etc."

Quoting Gus here.....

[kayak karl]

do you realize the temps at night can be 10 degrees after a 40 degree rainy damp day ? the ground in freezing and most can't sit on it for more the 15 min without changing position. i know you can handle cold better then most, but very cold, tired and hungry? this is a long hike not a survival exercise. either way, good luck, wish you the best.

[Colter]

My #1 bit of advice is don't plan to yo-yo until you've completed the first thru-hike. You will learn a vast amount on that first thru-hike, including whether thru-hiking is as much fun as you think is.

If you're still having fun after finishing #1, you can blow people's minds by turning around!

[Slo-go'en]

-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom: You can find them at wal-mart in the camping section, they come in a small plastic package.

And they self distruct in about an hour on the trail, getting ripped to shreads. In cold weather they become very brittle. They are not durable. Get the Dri-ducks at the very least.

-Army Poncho/shelter half: I can handle the cold better than most. I've used it as a ground cover and folded the rest over top of myself with a fleece blanket at a liner before with only wearing camo uniform and winter UnderArmor in winter climates with no issue, except for my feet freezing due to wearing steal toe boots.

Okay, try that in 40 degree rain and then have the cold front pass thru and drop the temps below freezing. It can rain A LOT on at the AT in the early spring and it is a cold rain.

[4eyedbuzzard]

First, thank you for your service.
But . . .

I can handle the cold better than most.

With all due respect for your scouting and military background, perhaps mentally you can. But physiologically, whether you want to admit it or not - No, you simply can't. You may complain less and push on rather than give up when the going gets tough, but all the military training and toughness in the world doesn't alter the physics and physiology of heat loss. If you've studied military history, you'll know that the number of soldiers that die from hypothermia and freezing to death, rather than hostile fire, is pretty incredible. Factor in that you will be exerting tremendous energy hiking while operating on a net caloric deficit. Get wet and cold and you are in deep $#!^ - and even more so without a dry shelter, insulating ground pad, and dry sleeping bag rated for the temps you'll be experiencing. They are your last line of defense/safety.

You need to get some proper equipment.

+1, er +4. You need better/more insulation and protection from the elements. See Slo-go'en, bfayer, Damn Yankee 's posts.

And have fun on your hike!