Here's my list... Please critique

[BaconTime]

Wayyyy too much stuff. Do yourself a favor and get rid of most of the clothes, most of the medical and most of the hygenie. If not you will be paying to send it home from Neels Gap.

[Sassafras Lass]

Without having read anyone else's comments, let me say this: If your weight BEFORE food and water is really 38 lbs, you're in for a miserable hike.

My weight before food/H2O on our thru attempt last spring was sitting around 21-22 lbs, and that was with some stuff I ended up sending home. I absolutely packed a bit "in fear" and in ignorance. This year I'll have about 18.5 lbs of gear - 15.75 actually on my back - and if I had the funds or the inclination to get lighter-weight versions of what I have now, I could shave about 5 lbs off that weight.

There are a lot of resources available to outdoorsmen as far as gear and deals, and I'm dead broke - literally, I'm unemployed at the moment and together hubby and I are so poor that we're getting all our taxes back this year. So if I can do it, I can say with confidence that anyone else can do it; it just comes down to priorities.

So after glancing over your list, here is what I'd do to get you to a comfortable weight.

Sleeping
Don't know when you're starting, but I'd consider a 20 degree bag. I picked up a discontinued GoLite Venture 20 mummy 2 years back for less than $200, it was around 2 lbs on the nose, and worked great. Your best bet would be a down quilt rated for at maximum 20 degrees - you can open it up (footbox and all) for warmer weather and simply wear a hat and balaclava in cooler weather and you'll be good to go.

Backpack
My husband has the Atmos 65 and it fits him like a glove. Until I got my ULA Circuit I'd never tried anything that fit me so well - plus it's only 2 lbs. If your pack fits you like a glove, then by all means stay with it. Otherwise I'd check out the ULA Circuit or Catalyst. Extremely well-made and 100% American, too.

Misc on Top
Is that ball cap cotton? I'd leave it home if it is. I got burnt pretty bad this past spring, so you'll want something - but not cotton.

I also don't see the point of removing pockets from a jacket. I use pockets whenever I get the chance - lip balm, bandanna, trash-on-the-go, etc. Granted, your hipbelt pockets can provide that service, but if you max those out it'll be nice to have more easy access to items.

Tent
Is your tent the Passage 1? It's a bit heavy for 1 person, there are many options go lighter - TarpTent, Mountain Laurel Designs, etc. Check out this page for a listing of non-mainstream manufacturers. Also you're supporting American workers!

Clothing
Now - you have 4.5 lbs of clothes in your clothes bag. That's quite a bit.

What's the difference between a handkerchief and a bandanna? I bring 2 myself - one for misc. duty and one for runny nose/quick wash of the hands.

Swim shorts? For hiking or actually swimming? If you get a pair of lightweight nylon shorts (with a liner) you could hike all day in those without undies and be perfectly comfy.

Don't need 2 pair of gloves, really - bring 1.

Is the 'Champion Under Armour' a bra?

Don't need an extra Under Armour shirt. And what's with the extra button-up?

Don't really need an extra thermal shirt.

Will your wind top/bottom be doubling as rain gear? If not, are you just throwing your poncho over your wind gear on wet, cold days?

Nylon/polyester socks? Toss 'em. Don't need liners with good wool socks and properly fitting shoes. (Didn't see footwear, you're not wearing boots, are you?)

Reduce to 1 pair of underwear

Bring 2 pair of socks (I personally carry 3 for unforeseen days-on-end of rain/gloves if I lose mine)

A poly beanie won't dry and will capture stink - get a wool hat if you want a hat. Also consider adding a balaclava, I won't hike without one.

Gotta go - will resume this later.

[Sassafras Lass]

(cont.)

Medical/Repair Bag
Almost 2 lbs? Let's see, what can we throw out . . . . . ?

Medication - assuming this is something necessary?

Don't need elastic wrap and rolled gauze - take one or the other, if any at all. I have bad ankles and tried wrapping them, didn't help, and didn't use the gauze for anything else.

Bring 1 super glue, if any at all.

Don't need so many mesh patches - bring 1, if need be.

You really don't need all that fishing line or duct tape - really you don't. I think I've got 15 feet of duct tape on my hiking pole, I've only ever used about 2 feet of it. Fishing line could have a purpose, but you don't need 50 feet of it . . . . unless, of course, you want to supplement your freeze-dried pasta with salmon.

If you have cold sores currently, then bring the balm. Otherwise (since it's caused by a form of hepatitis), leave it at home and don't share utensils/dinnerware with others.

Listed fishing line twice . . . . . ?

Now, my cuticles get raggedy too and I have, like, 3 cuticle cutter sticks lying around at home, but I've found that if I cut them while wet and then keep them moisturized frequently over the next few days, they stay clean and minimal. Consider cutting them before you go and then taking extra precaution on the trail to keep them pushed back and hydrated. I personally bring a travel-size of lotion because when my feet dry after hiking in soaked shoes, they become unbearably itchy, so my lotion kills 2 birds with one stone. But I wouldn't take the stick, you'll have your Swiss Army knife if they get too bad, and it's easy to puncture your gear with that stick.

Stove
Bring the can opener if you want, it's only half an ounce - but know that the majority of cans you'll ever use will have a pop top, and a quarter-ounce can opener may not be strong enough to pop a beer or anything of that sort.

You've got your pot, don't bring a cup too, it's not like you can cook 2 things at once anyways.

Don't need 2 fuel bottles - you can refuel very often on the trail. Just bring 1.


Bathroom
Leave the trowel.

But do bring shampoo/conditioner - you will want to remove the greasies after half a dozen days.

Get a smaller bottle of Dr. Bronner's. I had the 2 oz., I believe, and a little goes a long way. Don't bring a 3-month supply off the bat, just bring enough to get you by for a few weeks.

Do the mini towels provide a service that your bandannas cannot?

You've listed Mylar sheet and hand sanitizer previously, unless you're bringing more than one?

I wore post earrings to keep my holes open. Bring 'em. Plus I like to retain a flair of femininity on the trail.



Do you have your items in an Excel sheet? That will help keep you accountable for weights and to make sure you're not doubling up. The basic rule of thumb is, nearly all your gear should have more than 1 purpose. That's one of the biggest keys to going lighter.

[Sassafras Lass]

Unless you're hiking NH and ME during the dead of winter, you won't need crampons. You didn't mention that you were an artist. Keep the pencils and drawing gear. If I remember it is under 1 lb and is obviously a passion. I also draw, so I understand. Some great sketches of the AT will be worth the weight penalty. These are the tough "luxury choices".

Agree. If my husband would let me I'd be bringing my 5DII and lenses on such a long, dirty trip, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Great art of the places I visit is a must, so bring your tools.

[Mango]

If your Columbia convertible pants have built-in mesh, you can do without underwear. If you are subject to rash, however, take a pair of boxer briefs. UnderArmour and ExOfficio make goods ones.

You won't need 50 ft of duct tape. Wrap a foot or two around the top of your hiking poles, just under the handle. Then put a roll in your bounce box, if you're using one. If not, don't worry. DT is one of the most common items in hiker boxes, hostels, Trail Angels' car trunks, etc.

Good luck - you'll have a great trip.
Mango

[Papa D]

Echo what has been said already - unless you genuinely don't mind carrying this much weight, you will probably get tired of lugging it all around. I started with almost 40 lbs and was down to around 20 within the first month. For comparison, look at my current gear list here: http://hike.mcdowellcrook.com/.

You have a really great, well thought out rig sir - I think mine is too but yours is in much better presentation form ...

[Papa D]

Hey - yall think the OP is still on board here?

[CoffeeDog]

(cont.)

Medical/Repair Bag
Almost 2 lbs? Let's see, what can we throw out . . . . . ?


If you have cold sores currently, then bring the balm. Otherwise (since it's caused by a form of hepatitis), leave it at home and don't share utensils/dinnerware with others.

Don't get him all scared and paranoid! Cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus, either type 1 or type 2. At least as far as these symptoms are concerned he has no worries of hepatitis.

[CoffeeDog]

Agree. If my husband would let me I'd be bringing my 5DII and lenses on such a long, dirty trip, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Great art of the places I visit is a must, so bring your tools.

I'm in the same boat. I'd sure like to bring my D700 and a few choice lenses but I've already got enough extra weight built in (or is that built on?). I have to bring a good camera though and am searching for one. Say, maybe you can sneak your Canon into his pack when he's not looking, just before you get on the trail! "Gee honey, I wonder how that ever got in there..."

[earlyriser26]

You can get a full sized, double walled 2 person tent, that weights 1.5 - 2.0 lbs less than the one you have. The good news is that you can cut 10 -15 lbs off your load with little thought and little sacrafice.

[Wolfie2nd]

Check out this site www.backpackinglight.comUse this site to graph out your gear www.geargrams.comYou can check out the community gear list there plus buy light 2nd hand gear on gear swap..

[Sassafras Lass]

Don't get him all scared and paranoid! Cold sores are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus, either type 1 or type 2. At least as far as these symptoms are concerned he has no worries of hepatitis.

Whoops! Wrong H. I did indeed mean Herpes.

[Tinker]

Poncho 6oz

What kind of durable poncho weighs 6 oz? If you have one of those vinyl jobs in a vinyl pouch it won't last a day in near-freezing rain. My poncho is silnylon and weighs 10 oz.

[Scribbles82]

Well I know it has been awhile though i have been out of town and haven't had access to the internet. Though i have taken into consideration all of your advices and have come up with the following so please let me know what else I may do to lower my total pack weight. I have not included food nor water so please take that into consideration.

My current Base Pack Weight is 414.25oz = 25lbs 14.25oz


My new list consist of the following so please critique yet remember my funds are limited and I am working with what I have. If you were to look at my previous list you will see that I have gotten rid of over 10lbs of stuff so far. So anything will help... THank you

Clothes 95.5oz = 5lbs 15.5oz


1 Bandana 1oz
1 Dri-Star Under Armour 4.5oz
Titanium Quick-Dry T-shirt 6oz
Dri-Star Thermal Top 5.25oz
Dri-Star Thermal Bottoms 6oz
1 Pair of Boxers 3oz
Swimming Shorts 7oz
2 Pairs Dri-Star Nylon/Polyester Socks 2.25oz
1 Pair Wool Socks 3oz
Zero-X-Posure Gloves 3oz
Water-Proof Insulated Jacket 39oz
Fleece jacket 15.5oz


Tent Bag 82.25oz - 5lbs2.25oz

Bag 2.75oz
REI Passanger 2 Tent 31oz
REI Passanger 2 Rainfly 26.5oz
10 Aluminum Stakes 3.5oz
2 Aluminum Poles w/bag 17oz
2 Tie Down Strings 1.5oz



Sleeping 60.5oz = 3lbs 12.5oz

Army Closed-Cell Sleeping Pad 19.5oz
Army 30+ Sleeping Bag 37oz
REI Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack 1oz
Mylar Sleeping Bag 3oz


Backpack 67oz = 4lbs 3oz

Osprey Atmos 65 Backpack 57oz
Osprey Medium Backpack Cover 4oz
2Liter H2O Bladder 6oz



Books 15oz

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Compainion 11oz
Journal 4oz





Repair Kit 2oz

(Gorilla Super Glue, Saftey Pins,1 Ferrules,
2 Nylon Mesh Patch, Floor Patch, Ripstop Nylon Patch,
Shock Cord, 2 Steel Needles, 20ft Fishing Line)




Medical 7.5oz

2 Moleskins, 10 Bandaids, 10 Butterfly Closures,
Small Roll Gauze, Neosporin, Lip Balm 2oz

Inhaler 1.5oz
Deet 1oz
Mini Swiss Knife 1oz
Pain Pills 1oz
Elastic Wrap 1oz






Stove Bag 31oz = 1lb 15oz


Steel Pot W/Lid 8.5oz
20 Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Tablets .25oz
Stove, Pot Stand, Windscreen 2oz
Spoon 1.25oz
Potable Aqua Iodine + PA 2oz
Matches .25oz
Lighter .25oz
2 Bottles Fuel 8.5oz
Steel Cup 5oz
35ft Parachute Cord 3oz




Bathroom/Hygenie 39.5oz = 2lbs 7.5oz


Camp Towel 3.5oz
Shampoo&Conditioner 3oz
Wipes 9oz
Floss .5oz
Deoderant 2.5oz
Toilet Paper 3oz
Dr. Bonner's Bar Soap 6oz
Brush 2.5oz
Toothpaste 4oz
Toothbrush 1.5oz
Hand Sanitizer 3oz
Q-Tips 1oz



Misc 14oz

2 S-Biners 1oz
Knife 5oz
Flashlight 2.5oz
Misc 5.5oz





Now Here is a list of Clothes that I will be wearing on me and are not included in my base weight.

48.75oz = 3lbs .75oz




Sunglasses 1oz
1 Bandana 1oz
SD Baseball Hat 3.5oz
1 Dri-Star Under Armour 4.5oz
Champion T-Shirt 6.5oz
Columbia Titanium Long-Sleeve Shirt 10.5oz

1 Pair of Boxers 3oz
Columbia Omni-Wick Convertible Pants 12.5oz
1 Pair Dri-Star Nylon/Polyester Socks 1.25oz
Insect Shield OR Gaiters 5oz






Trek Poles 24oz = 1lb 8oz

*Trek Poles Outdoor (Walmart) 22.5oz
*Duct Tape 1.5oz

[Scribbles82]

Also I am still on the look out for a lighter stove so if you have any ideals where I can get one for cheap please let me know. Also i have not included my shoes nor sandals into any of the weights so far nor water bottles because I intend on just using gatorade bottles .

Again thank you all for all of your advice..

[Scribbles82]

Yes the 6oz one I have is also silnylon though I have decieded not to use it and instead will be using my jacket which is insulated and waterproof even though it is a whooping 39oz it has given me the opportunity to discard 3 of my previous items.

[Tinker]

Water-Proof Insulated Jacket 39oz

Just my opinion, but a waterproof, insulated jacket is likely to have soggy insulation in short order if you hike in it and are overheated. The best solution for cold weather hiking I've found is a waterproof jacket over fleece. Just about any waterproof jacket will work, but ventilation makes it work better. All of the so-called "waterproof/breathable" garments I've tried (most of them) are only very, very (and maybe very) slightly breathable, and only noticeable in that you don't get sweaty while sitting around, or in that you don't feel quite AS sweaty while hiking.
Having a separate garment underneath your rain gear allows you to dry it relatively. Fleece, though somewhat heavy and bulky, is the only insulation that allows drying air to blow right THROUGH it so it dries very quickly, and you can ring the snot out of it without worrying about tearing fragile fabric or insulation and put it back on nearly dry.

[Tinker]

Posted to wrong thread