Here’s my gear list for my 2016 NOBO thru hike with an early March start. I’ll be using this same gear on a section hike between Springer Mtn and Unicoi Gap this May as well as other weekend shakedown hikes here in the Wisconsin area. Gear not packed consists of:
· Black Diamond Trail Pro hiking poles.
· The North Face Sahara convertible pants.
· Synthetic boxers and synthetic undershirt – 2nd pair packed.
· Merrell Moab hiking shoes. I’ll probably start with waterproof and switch to Ventilator when those wear out.
Following are comments on the gear list:
· Low Alpine Backpack: I would like to go with the Osprey Aether 70. I like the features and it’s a whole 23 ounces lighter, but I’ll wait and see how the $$ holds out. I’ve used the Lowe Alpine many years and it hasn’t let me down.
· Big Agnes Copper Spur tent: I haven’t bought this, yet. I want a side entry tent, under 3 pounds, that has room for me and my backpack.
· Sleeping Bag: This is a proposed bag. My current bag is an REI Downtime 10F 650 fill down bag. That’s way too warm for the AT. My plan is to get a moderate temp bag and use a liner like the Sea and Summit Thermolite. This adds 15F warmth to the bag and can then be used as a warm weather bag.
· Osprey 3L Water Bladder: I will probably only have 2L water max when hiking, but will have the extra liter for cooking dinner and breakfast.
· 11oz Fuel bottle: Will an 11oz bottle be enough for this hike? I plan on cooking the typical Knorr, mac and cheese, oatmeal, coffee/cocoa, etc.
· Clothing: My plan is to use the fleece for insulation and the wind/rain jacket for wind protection. In combination with the other layers, I expect to stay warm through the Whites.
· Gaiters: This is a place holder. I haven’t purchased them, yet. The Dirty Girl Gaiters are getting good reviews, but I haven’t made up my mind.
· GPS Tracker: This is for my wife’s peace of mind and will allow my family and friends to see where I am at various times on the trail.
The total is about 30-1/2 pounds, so I will need to cut it down. I’d like to have it under 30 (going with the Aether 70 would get me to a breathe above 29 pounds). Any suggestions are welcome (need I say?).
Description Make/Model Weight (oz) Back pack Lowe Alpine Contour 3 (68L) 102.10 Tent Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 44.00 Foot print Same 5.00 Stakes MSR Carbon Core - 8 each 1.60 Sleeping Bag Big Agnes Pitchpine UL 45 2015 32.00 Sleeping Bag Liner Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite Mummy Bag Liner 8.10 Camp Pillow Cocoon 3.50 Sleeping Pad Therm-A-Rest RidgeRest Solar Sleeping Pad (20x72) 14.00 Water Bladder Osprey 3L (10.9 oz) + 2L water (35.27 oz/L) = 10.9 + 70.54 81.44 Water filter Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter - 32 fl. oz 3.04 Camp stove MSR WhisperLite International 10.90 Fuel Bottle with Fuel MSR - 11 fl. oz 10.90 Cookware MSR Quick Solo Cookware System 11.30 Camp Kitchen 3.20 camp towel 2.90 Camp Shoes Crocs 8.00 Fleece L.L. Bean 18.70 Thermal Base Layer (Long sleeve top and long bottom) Merino wool/synthetic 12.00 Underarmor synthetic boxers 3.40 Underarmor synthetic boxers 6.00 Sock Liners (2 pair) 1.60 Socks (2 pair) Smart Wool 7.20 Rain/wind Jacket L.L. Bean 14.90 Rain/wind pants L.L. Bean 9.10 Fleece Beanie Duluth Trading 2.20 Gloves TNF Apex 3.70 Pack cover Sea and Summit 6.80 Gaiters REI Alpine Light 5.00 stuff sack - Clothes Sea to Summit 35L 4.00 stuff sack - Food Sea to Summit 20L 3.10 Paracord (50'), throw bag and carabiner 4.20 Head lamp Black Diamond Storm 3.90 Bug net Sea to Summit Head Net with Insect Shield 1.30 Multi Tool Leatherman Style CS 1.40 Doo trowel w/tp and zip lock Sea to Summit 4.00 First Aid Kit 3.20 iPhone + charger 7.50 Camera Nikon Coolpix AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS. 7.50 GPS Tracker SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger 4.00 AT Guide AWOL 11.80 TOTAL 488.48