Originally Posted by
Siestita
Unless I missed it, your list does not include either toothpaste or toilet paper.
A GPS (Garmin) is not necessary for hiking on the AT, nor is it needed elsewhere in the eastern USA for that matter. Why not just put a rock in your pack instead? The rock would distract you less from enjoying the woods.
Sunglasses will be needed whenever you decide to hike through alpine snow fields somewhere. But, unless your eyes are especially sensitive, you will not need them during your early September hike under Georgia's forest canopy.
Backpacking adults typically need to consume 1.5 to 2 lbs. of food per day, assuming that the food is all, or nearly all dehydrated. So, unless you intend your initial backpacking adventure to be a fasting/suffering exercise, consider taking with you at least 4 lbs. of food for each of you, in other words a total of 8 lbs., not just the 5 lbs on your revised list. That's assuming "three days" actually means a two night trip during which the first day's breakfast and last day's dinner will be consumed "off trail". If, however, you will actually be on the trail for three days and three nights, each of you should carry at least 4 1/2 lbs. of food.
"Backpackers Panty Vegan Meals for 2 (Dinner)
Cliff Bars (lunch)
Smart Bars, energy bars (snack)
Oatmenal, Almonds/Cranberry (Breakfast)
Instant Coffee, single serving pack (Breakfast)"
Energy wise, there's nothing wrong with your food selection, provided you take more of it. If you read the labels, you will find that its nearly all carbohydrate, with perhaps a bit of protein in the "Smart Bars" and the "Vegan Meals". Neither those carbs nor the proteins will provide you with more than 100 calories per ounce. Read the labels. Then, add food until each of you has at least 2,600 calories per day, and preferably 3,000 calories or more.
I am not personally familiar with the "Backpackers Pantry Vegan Meals". But, in my experience, "recommended" portion sizes of freeze dried (or dehydrated) backpacker meals are often set optimistically, perhaps for marketing purposes. So, read labels carefully and compare the calorie counts to what you'll need. And, consider taking along some nuts, or nut intense form of trail mix. Fats, including nuts, provide more than twice as many calories per ounce as carbs and proteins do. At home many of us need to restrict the quantity of fat that we consume. On the trail it's different.