An Unconventional Trail List... (raise eyebrow and offer sage advice...)

[MilesD]

I’m planning to hike the AT with my girlfriend this upcoming spring, starting in early may. Leaving from springer and seeing how it goes. These forums have been tremendously helpful it the opinions answers provided and I am now ready to snag a little of the sage wisdom around the scene.

A little background helps, I used to be a big hiker a few years back when I lived in Oregon truly dirt bagging with my steel toe boots, which doubled as work boots, wearing my Levi’s, packing a flannel my father passed down, expecting to make a campfire each night to cook while using wet sticks to or precarious stones to support parts of my 2 lbs mess kit. I have never in my life owned a piece of gear with a brand name on it. I used to pick a new stick as my hiking/trekking pole. I always had a DSL camera bag hanging from the back of my pack. These were the good old days, carrying 65 lbs on my back and running 22 miles on the PCT without knowing it could be any better. To be fair ignorance may be bliss.

Enter new me, my gear is gone. I’ve been living in the Caribbean on an island. I make good money so many of the items that I have listed are brand spanking new name brand stuff, the kinda things I used to resent as a poor logging kid. I want this hike to work and while I know gear is not the determining factor towards success, I can visualize how wonderful good gear would be. Best of all I have given myself a 1500 dollar budget for gear to prepare for the trail since my current gear is long lost. With my current gear list assuming I dirtbag and scrap a few options like usual. I think I can keep inside of this goal and in a decent weight range.

A lot of talk before this, here’s what get’s “unconventional”. I plan to finish the hike with my 60D carried inside of a chestpack, photography will be a major pursuit of mine on the trial and has always been a major contributing factor in why I hike. I also want to attempt the trail using my Chaco’s and when I can completely barefooted. I have seen nearly nothing in the forums regarding DSLR Thru hikers or Barefoot Through hikers. I already hike 2 miles of rough rocky terrain daily.

Anyways here’s the gear I have started looking at:
*=I have it it already and likely other substitutes. By no means does this mean it is out of discussion.
+=Really looking for advice
#’s=Looking for alternates, listed below or just advice.
Some rows contain my targets for those sections in weight and Price
Prices are based on the best sale price I've found to date.
The tent and cookware portions are going to be split between two of us.

What	Oz.	Price Found	Item
Footwear	48	50
Sandal*	32	0	Chaco Z/2 Unaweep
Sock+	3	16	Injinji Outdoor Quarter Wool
Base Layer	24	100
Shorts *	8	0	Columbia Barracuda Killer Shorts
Shirt *	4.2	0	Haelum Faran T-Shirt
LJ top+	5	73.81	IceBraker Bodyfit 260 tech top
LJ Bottom+	5	39.50	REI Midweight polartec
Mid-Layer	32	200
Down Jacket + 1	8.5	139.5	Patagonia UL Down Jacket
Gloves	1.8	21.75	OR PL150
Pant +	13.5	55.3	Patagonia Roving Cargo
Beanie	3	19.97	OR Flurry Beanie
Rain Layer	24	50
Jacket*	13.1	0	Patagonia Rain Torrent
Pant +	8.2	69.97	MH Epic Pants
Main Gear
Backpack 2	25.2	168.75	Gorilla 2012 UL BP
Tent 3	64	262.47	MSR Hubba Hubba 2p
Sleeping pad +	11	125.39	Thermarest Neo-air Xtherm
Sleeping Bag +	24	195	EE Revelation x20degree 30% overfill
Kitchen
Stove	3	34.71	MSR Pocket Rocket
Water Filter +	3.8	59.98	Steripen adventurer opti
Mess kit +	28	75.54	MSR quick 2 system
Misc
Poles + 4	10.2	175	Goassemer LT/4
Headlamp	2.9	31.86	Princton Tec Remix
Stuff Sacks	1	1	Trash Compactor bags
Knife	2.1	34.95	Leatherman Squirt PS4
Lighter?	2	39.99	Windmill Delta Stormproof
Towel?	5	15.20	Micronet Microfiber
First-aid	25	0	Homemade
Camera Rig	80	150
Chestpack 5	16	68
Camera	26.6	0	60D W/ Bat+Card
Lens	16	0	18-135mm
Spare Batteries	5.8	31.98	Wasabi Battery X2
Charger	8	0	Canon Charger
Pole mount 1 +	.3	15	Lighttrek Mount
Pole mount 2 +	.4	13.99	Stick pic

1. Tossed between down and synthetic. Really looking into the montbell UL alpine down parka.
2. I like this pack or the ULA Catalyst would love some opinions
3. I like this or the SMD Lunar Duo
4. These poles are important because they have the screw-in camera mounts, any other pole with a similar mount would be sufficient. I’ve never used poles before so this is a new territory for me.
5. A chestpack for me is new territory, after using a dangle bag for my camera in the past I was concerned about protection and most of all accessibility. I missed many shot from simply not carrying my camera in a convenient spot. If anybody has advice on heavy camera packs during thru-hikes I could use it. This is a make-or-break factor.

So lots of room for advice and no-one will offend me. Obviously the barefoot and camera factors should raise the biggest eyebrows. Well let me know what you guys think.

[4shot]

I started with the Hubba Hubba and switched to the taptent 2 man tent. don't take the steripen, use aqua mira. The important thing is not the gear you start with...just start. you'll figure out what you want and don't want fairly quick along the way. you'll be near an outfitter pretty often during the first half of the hike anyways so you don't have to be dialed in on day one.

[quilteresq]

I checked out the web site of an outfit that makes chest packs recently. Didn't necessarily interest me, but I could really see that for photography in particular, it would be handy. Don't let anyone else tell you what to do if you want to do it.

[Dogwood]

I rather enjoy unconventional ways of thinking. They keep me on my toes and offer new insights.

If you are seeking to stay within your allowed gear budget, leave some dedicated HIKING GEAR ONLY NECESSITIES do re mi in reserve, something like $200-300, if possible, because you are in all most likelyhood going to want/need to swap some things out or need to replace some things. I understand your hiking/photography combination of interests going on but you include the cost of photographic equipment in your gear budget which not everyone does. The cost of photo gear can be pricey and that's going to be the case with your desires and $1500 gear allowance. Not only is the wt, and possibly voloume, of your photographic equipment significant it also eats significantly into that so called $1500 hiking gear allowance. If I'm reading you right you are anticipating spending some of that $1500 on photo gear. While I commend you for having a gear allowance/budget, that $1500 gear budget, taking into account that you still have to purchase some higher ticket price hiking gear necessities as well as hiking with the GF, may not be all that you think it is, especially with the additional costs of pricey camera gear included. You can make it work though. Another example is, one pr of Chacos might not last the whole AT even if supplemeting by going barefoot ocassionally(I don't think you will do the whole AT barefooted!, and I say that not because you can't, you would be the first to thru THE WHOLE AT totally barefooted that I know, even the ones who say they did, that I know, really have not) or you might find hiking consistently bigger mile days with 35 - 40 + lbs on your back in sandals to be too much for you(and/or the GF) or even dangerous in PA, The Whites, Mahoosuc Notch, up Mt K, etc. Your experiences hiking in the Caribbean are really NOT comparable to doing what you propose on an AT thru-hike! Just as one example, that certainly doesn't address all the possible additional complications, you might(will) experience cold wet possibly even some light snow before getting to Katahdin. One pr of Injinji's will, in all most likelyhood, NOT last the whole thru. Should one pr of socks get wet, destroyed, unusably dirty, whatever it's nice to have a backup pr with you, at least sometimes.

Let me make the suggestion to you, try offsetting the wt of the camera gear by going lighter or reducing some of the wt elsewhere. It's not my intention to get you to go UL but, for example, reduce the wt of your first aid kit, please. If you look elsewhere I'm sure you can offset more wt. I'm not up to date on the exact wt of the SMD Duo but it may be lighter than the MSR HH 2 p and I think it's in the same price range so that might be anothjer wt saving tip. Really be mindful of extra wt in the trailfood dept too which is sometimes overlooked by a great many AT thru-hikers.

BTW, if you haven't yet purchased your MSR Pocket Rocket and MSR chamois-like pack towel I have brandy new ones for you that I have never used I can sell to you for $30 total. I also have a brandy new headlamp for you. PM me. I have some additional things you might need/use. I'm really reducing gear I don't use.

[Slo-go'en]

There have been some who have hiked the AT bare footed or with minimual footware. I think it's an insane idea. Your young. Do you really want to risk damaging your feet and having to live with that for the rest of your life, however long that might be? Which, with any luck, could be a long time.

Definately bring a camara, cheap or top of the line, doesn't matter.

[Karma13]

You might want to google "Barefoot Sisters." They did the trail barefoot, or mostly barefoot.

[OzJacko]

You might want to google "Barefoot Sisters." They did the trail barefoot, or mostly barefoot.

+1
If you don't normally walk barefoot everywhere I wouldn't recommend it.

Re camera. I would recommend a "tough" type camera that dangles without a cover (keep spare TP in a ziploc for lens cleaning/drying).
A DSLR is a punitive weight and the AT is a "wet" trail. Cameras and damp don't mix well.
You will still miss a lot of photos even with a chest bag.
If you want to persist with the DSLR try and contact "Rooster" http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=8971 a 2012 hiker who is also a pro photographer I think. He seemed to hike with an Aarn pack or similar with front pockets and from his photos I'd say he had a DSLR. He may be able to give some advice. His "people" shots are the best I've seen from the AT.

[alxflwrs]

Things start to warm up in May, so remember you might not need all that cold weather gear (down jacket). Especially once you get moving on the trail your body heats up fast. I'm personally going with a warmer, and lighter, down sleeping bag from Marmot. It weights just over a pound, stuffs down to literally nothing, and anticipate on keeping me rather toasty.

[alxflwrs]

Also your stove system might be able to be key'd in. The MSR series is nifty, but it's sort of cumbersome. IMO the Trangia would be perfect for you two. You have pots/pans(can double as bowls) the stove, windscreen, etc. All packs down to much smaller space that the MSR, its canisters, and the pots, cups and bowls set.
Just my opinion.

[jeffmeh]

I started with the Hubba Hubba and switched to the taptent 2 man tent. don't take the steripen, use aqua mira. The important thing is not the gear you start with...just start. you'll figure out what you want and don't want fairly quick along the way. you'll be near an outfitter pretty often during the first half of the hike anyways so you don't have to be dialed in on day one.

You could save close to 2 pounds if you went with something like a Tarptent Squall 2 rather than the Hubba Hubba, and save close to $100 in the process. I would also suggest Aquamira drops rather than the steripen.

[prain4u]

Let me begin with: Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH). Do what is best for you and what fits your goals and needs.

That being said, I agree with OzJacko: The AT is a relatively "wet" trail and "wetness" and cameras (especially expensive cameras) do not typically work well together. Furthermore, 5 pounds of camera equipment seems like an awful lot for a thru hike or for a significant section hike. There is a good chance that you would decide to ship some camera stuff back home before you were out of Georgia--and definitely before Harper's Ferry. If that is the case--why start out with it. I use pretty good "point and shoot" cameras --and I must confess that they take a tremendous beating on the trail. I get about two hiking seasons out of them (at most) before the elements have taken their toll and replacement is needed.

Wearing a chest pack and a backpack could really become cumbersome (and WARM) in certain places on the trail (especially places where you have to negotiate around (or thru) "tight" passages between rocks--or when you need to scramble almost vertically. I foresee the potential for lots of chaffing too. I personally wouldn't carry a backpack AND chestpack--nor would I carry 5 lbs of camera equipment. (Again HYOH).

I also agree with the others who are suggesting some ways to lower the weight of the gear you are carrying. (You are not necessarily packing too much weight in your standard gear and clothing--but there are definitely some items that are heavier than I would carry. In addition to what others have already suggested, I would add that your mess kit and your first aid kit both seem pretty heavy to me--you are not cooking for a small Army and you are not a paramedic).

If you want to hike the entire AT barefoot--go for it. I sure wouldn't do it. There are some people who report having sore feet after hiking certain "rougher" sections of the AT even WITH shoes on. And, as someone else has already said, why "mess up your feet" when you are so young? Hiking the AT barefoot can be done--and it HAS been done. (Based on previous similar threads--most folks definitely WOULD NOT recommend it!). It is the extremely rare individual who can do it.

[Hashbrown]

There are definietely people that hike barefoot or in Chacos. I personally prefer Tevas, but to each their own. I'd ditch some of your clothes. Maybe consider starting the trail a month or so earlier, especially if you're going to be taking time to do photography.

[msupple]

You might find some useful info at this site. http://melandmikehike.com/ Mel's (Mellissa) trail name was Click because she carried some pretty serious camera equipment and was always clicking pictures. I met them in the Shenandoahs...very cool people. I'll bet if you contacted her she'd give you some good advice.


Cat in the Hat

[MilesD]

I'd like to thank everyone for the quick feedback!

Already been given a lot of great information to look at and consider. I like the change to the Aquamira that 4shot has recommended. Some of my weight will be saved by putting gear that I am not currently using into a bounce box. I understand much of the fears towards the barefoot approach and while I know the area's I've been hiking now are not the same as what I will experience mainland, so I plan to approach the situation with optimistic enthusiasm but do plan to get some sort of footwear if it comes down to safety.

The feedback has also led to me discovering Aarn line of backpacks, this is a surprising find and has me very excited! Thank you OzJacko. I would love to hear about what other people know about this line. In particular which bag people have seen people with so I can get some additional feed back. This seems like an excellent alternative to the chestpack which would have no doubt been hot and uncomfortable. The photography balance bags seem like they will help handle the wet environment as well. Again I look forward to future comment and love the feed back coming in! Thanks to this great Community.

[bamboo bob]

Sandals work well. I've done over 2000 miles in Sandals and a friend did the AT in Chacos. It's no bog deal really. Just keep your pack weight down to something reasonable.

[cabbagehead]

You need shoes that allow you to hike at a fast pace through rugged terrain while it is raining hard. Get the most flexible, lightest pair of shoes that allow you to do this. If it's a dry season, you can do a lot barefoot.

sandals = dirty socks, uneven pressure, pebble collection

[rowan]

You can knock off some quick weight by dropping the gloves and rain pants. I literally never wore my rain pants other than doing laundry in town during my thru-hike. Since you are already bringing a pair of long pants, I wouldnt worry about it. You get so hot when you're moving/hiking that they are not needed on trail, and you should be toasty at camp w/ LJ's and pants, or you can always wrap up in that sleeping bag. Pockets work great for keeping hands warm, so do fires. I wanna get into the woods!

[booney_1]

I have a question for the "barefoot" and sandal hikers. Don't you stub your toes like crazy on roots and rocks?? In boy scout (and other groups) high adventure camps, non-toe covered footwear is banned, even for camp shoes. This is the result of many years of experience with kids badly stubbing their toes even in camp.

Also...to the originator of the thread...you say you hike a couple miles a day barefoot. Have you ever gone on a, say 10 mile, hike with a 25 pound backpack. I'd suggest you do this first.

Post your pictures when you are done!!

Good luck.

[Dogwood]

I have a question for the "barefoot" and sandal hikers. Don't you stub your toes like crazy on roots and rocks?? In boy scout (and other groups) high adventure camps, non-toe covered footwear is banned, even for camp shoes. This is the result of many years of experience with kids badly stubbing their toes even in camp.

Which is why I only hike in sandals with a toe bumper, like the Keen models, in mixed or rocky terrain. I'm not a barefoot hiker though unless I'm wading in some rivers for considerable distances