Need some help here!

[Wandering Deer]

I've spent hours looking through thread after thread, and I've more, or less reached various dead ends, so I decided to make this post in hopes you all can help guide me in the right direction all at once. I'm planning to section hike several states on the AT later this summer, and I'm lost because I've never done any "ultra-light" backpacking. These are the very specifics I need in regards to finding light weight options.

---

• Backpack (I'm leaning on a Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 Pack)
• Solo Tent (I've been looking at both the AKTO, and the new Six Moon Designs Skyscape - Trekker! I'm ideally looking for something that will gather as little condensation as possible while still allowing me to fit with my backpack!)
• Sleeping Bag (I'm looking for something very light, and very warm, preferably rated for near single digits!)
• Hiking Poles (The lightest you know of without the threat of them breaking!)
• Headlamp (Some are very bulky, and that gets on my nerves!)
• Water Filter (I'm probably going to buy a "Life Straw", but I need something more just in case!)
• Cooking (Beyond a soda can stove, what is the lightest possible solution to this? This also includes instruments!)
• Clothing (Are there good bug hats with nets to protect my face? I hate eating bugs. I'm also interested in what kind of clothes I should wear for varying temperatures. New England weather is outrageously sporadic. Middle of the day it could be 75. At night it could be 25. I need them to be light, but I can't sacrifice warmth!)
• Spade (Obviously for burying waste, but I'm wondering what the lightest possible option is!)

---

Anything else would be extremely helpful. I'm new to light back-packing.

[Sara]

• Spade (Obviously for burying waste, but I'm wondering what the lightest possible option is!)

The lightest option is using a stick.

Otherwise a MSR Ground Hog stake work well for me.
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/...stakes/product

[Another Kevin]

These are all frequently asked questions - I bet that your problem is that there are too many answers to choose from. It comes down at some point to "hike your own hike." Hikers go on and on about gear, but you don't have to have the latest or most lightweight stuff to have fun out there. In fact, it might be a mistake to try to have the lightest-weight high-tech everything. It's probably better to get some experience with a heavier pack and a heavier wallet until you know your own hiking style, so you know what sort of high-end gear will work for you, personally.

Since you're a newbie, I'll refer you to one old hand at LASH (Long-A**-Section-Hiking) for his recommendations: http://hikinghq.net/packing_list_basics.html.

But since I don't think I've written my version of "comprehensive reply to a newbie" before, maybe I should draft an outline.

I'm a clueless weekender, but as far as your questions go, there's no difference between a 3- or 4-day weekend and a section hike or even a thru. On the AT, all hikes are section hikes. Every few days, you get to a town, clean up, resupply, and start a new section. If I were contemplating a thru, where I'd be dealing with the stuff for section after section, months on end, I'd probably spend a thousand bucks or so to shed a few pounds of gear. Even more important, though, I'd try to start out having shed a few pounds of Kevin. When my pack weighs heavy on me, I console myself that when I returned to backpacking a couple of years ago after far too many years away from it, I was carrying a weight equal to my current pack weight, all day, every day, around my midsection. There's still more Kevin than I'd like there to be. I'm sure that the solution is, "get out more."

Pack: Choose the pack last. Choose it to fit your gear, and choose something that carries well on your body. It's your back. Only you will know what pack treats it best. Comfort is more important than weight. If the pack that feels right is a half-pound or a pound heavier, choose it anyway. I use a cheapo Alps Mountaineering pack that I got as an REI closeout. It came with a pack cover, and it fits me pretty well, even though I'm long-waisted and hard to fit. (I carry it with the torso adjustment extended to the longest setting.) It's not too heavy - it's lighter than my daughter's Gregory that she swears by - and my stuff fits in it. Oh, and there's another data point. My daughter does swear by her Gregory even though it's a heavy choice - because everything lighter that she's tried on is uncomfortable on her.

Tent: "Blessed is he who sleepeth behind bug netting, for he shall remain sane." Condensation is going to be a fact of life in cold or wet weather. A wet canopy is generally not a problem, because the condensation drains near the edge. If you pitch it wrong, then you'll have real trouble. If you use a single-wall tent or a tarp, make sure that your groundsheet doesn't get under the tent wall anywhere, because if condensation puddles on it, it'll ruin your night. If you use a tent with a bathtub floor, it's easier to get it right, but an even worse problem if you get it wrong. With any shelter, you have to watch the five W's: water, wind, widowmakers, wildlife, wood. Get those right, and you'll be fine; get them wrong and you'll be hurt, wet, cold, stung, or otherwise miserable.

Back to condensation: Bring a little piece of dollar-store car chamois as a towel. It can dry your gear (you extract a lot of water wringing something in a towel), your tent (wipe it off in the morning before packing it), or you. When it gets wet, wring it out and it will still absorb more. If your tent is wet in the morning, pack it underneath the trash compactor bag that you've used to line your pack. Since you use trekking poles, you can go with a trekking-pole-supported tent and save a few more ounces, but then work out how you'll handle setting up on a tent platform or on rock. A freestanding tent is easier to manage on those surfaces. With a 60-litre pack, any solo backpacking tent will fit.

Bag: You don't need "near single digits" in summer. I carry a 20 degree bag in the "shoulder season." When there's snow on the ground I wear fleece pants, wool socks, fleece jacket or synthetic puffy, balaclava and tuque inside the bag. If I really think the weather is going to be unforecast cold I line the sleeping bag with a space blanket. I wake up toasty. Your crash pad is also a big part of your sleep system, without a good one, your underside will be cold. In cold weather I might carry both my ProLite pad and a blue foam pad for extra insulation, but a lot of hikers would say that's going beyond "three season" hiking.

Poles: For me, anything aluminium, with cork grips and no shock absorbers. I hate the mushy feel and the weight of the shock absorbing ones, and I'm afraid that I'll fall on a carbon fiber one and break it. I use Komperdell poles. I've not yet seen the point of springing for Leki or Black Diamond.

Headlamp: Only you know what will get on your nerves. I hike with a cheap one from the hardware store. Choose one that has red lights if you stay at shelters; it's rude to shine your headlamp at full brightness on sleepers.

Water filter: I wrote a longer response on water treatment in another thread.

Cooking: What kind of cooking do you do? I see all sorts of rigs that differ according to how much people like to cook. I go with an aluminum pot. I happen to use the pot from a GSI Dualist cookset, because I like a slightly larger pot with a fairly robust handle. I use a pot stand and windscreen, a relabeled Poland Spring bottle for fuel, a mug, a spork and a freezer bag cozy, homemade from Reflectix insulation and flue tape. Sometimes (particularly if I'm cooking for a companion, as often happens) I add a piece of mesh bag like what onions are sold in, as a pot scrubber. That's because when cooking for more than one, I often go to a hybrid system where one thing reconstitutes in the freezer bag while another cooks on the stove. Think noodles and goulash, or polenta and sauce, or dal bhaat tarkari. I'd like to have a system where the pot lid doubles as a skillet, but I haven't yet found the one that will work for me. Sometimes I carry a Fauxbaker and a silicone muffin cup, because there's nothing like a fresh hot muffin on a cold morning, and I'm willing to expend an ounce or two of fuel on steam-baking one.

But I like to cook more than most hikers do. You don't need a pot scrubber if all you do is reconstitute stuff like Knorr sides, mac&cheese, or mashed potatoes in the freezer bag.

I also bring a folding nylon bucket, suitable for washing dishes, socks, or Kevin. A lot of hikers don't bother with such an amenity, but in warm weather, I feel better when I've had at least a bandana-bath.

Clothing: Layers. For three seasons, I'll use wicking T-shirt and boxers, wool socks lined with nylon dress socks (and an extra pair, and an extra extra pair if it's a wet season), hiking shorts or convertible pants, lightweight synthetic baselayer, fleece sweater and pants, glove liners and gloves, boots (and gaiters for snow, mud or brush), wind jacket, rain suit, tuque, balaclava, and some sort of hat (ranging from a ball cap and bandana, Foreign Legion fashion, to an Indiana Jones fedora). When I'm pushing the edges in spring and fall I add a synthetic puffy jacket. A steep upgrade in dry conditions will have me peeling down to T-shirt and shorts even when the weather is near freezing. But for stops and sleeping, I want to layer up. The rainsuit is for wind protection mostly. You're going to get wet no matter what, so choose stuff that's still got some warmth when it's wet and dries fast. Virtually all my stuff is from a big box store, a liquidator, REI outlet or "attic sales", or Salvation Army. It doesn't need to be the latest snazzy Mountain Hard Wear.

I wear big clunky leather boots - with titanium safety toes, yet! - most of the time on the trail. I've tried trail runners, and they're fine for day trips, maybe even warm-weather overnights with a light pack. I've tried lighter hiking boots, too. But when I do serious hiking with a heavy pack in the Catskill Crud (the same geologic formation as the Pennsylvania Rocks), I wind up with bruises on my toes from the downhills and from jamming my feet in the rocks when scrambling. With my big clunky leather boots, I don't. I start out in the morning with duct tape on a couple of perennial "hot spots" on my feet, and I seldom if ever get a blister. (Alas, my leather boots don't have a lot of miles left in them, and I dread breaking in the next pair.)

Trowel: I use a plastic garden trowel. Qi Wiz sells a titanium cathole trowel. A lot of hikers just use a stick. I suspect they're the ones responsible for the paper flowers that we find on the trail, because they don't bury the stuff deep enough. Don't forget to wash.

[MuddyWaters]

I've spent hours looking through thread after thread, and I've more, or less reached various dead ends, so I decided to make this post in hopes you all can help guide me in the right direction all at once. I'm planning to section hike several states on the AT later this summer, and I'm lost because I've never done any "ultra-light" backpacking. These are the very specifics I need in regards to finding light weight options.

---

• Backpack (I'm leaning on a Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 Pack)
• Solo Tent (I've been looking at both the AKTO, and the new Six Moon Designs Skyscape - Trekker! I'm ideally looking for something that will gather as little condensation as possible while still allowing me to fit with my backpack!)
• Sleeping Bag (I'm looking for something very light, and very warm, preferably rated for near single digits!)
• Hiking Poles (The lightest you know of without the threat of them breaking!)
• Headlamp (Some are very bulky, and that gets on my nerves!)
• Water Filter (I'm probably going to buy a "Life Straw", but I need something more just in case!)
• Cooking (Beyond a soda can stove, what is the lightest possible solution to this? This also includes instruments!)
• Clothing (Are there good bug hats with nets to protect my face? I hate eating bugs. I'm also interested in what kind of clothes I should wear for varying temperatures. New England weather is outrageously sporadic. Middle of the day it could be 75. At night it could be 25. I need them to be light, but I can't sacrifice warmth!)
• Spade (Obviously for burying waste, but I'm wondering what the lightest possible option is!)

---

Anything else would be extremely helpful. I'm new to light back-packing.

There is nothing light about the lightest single-digit bag, and you will die of heat stroke under it in summer as well.


QiWiz sells a ti poop digger, about 0.5 oz

The best bug net currently is by Peter Vacco, 0.35 oz. Google "peters headnets". It is light, and BLACK, which interferes with your visoion less for hiking.

Check out the zelph pot/ti windscreen that Suluk46 sells, about 1.5 oz for everything.!

If you use a filter, get a sawyer squeeze, better, just use aqua mira

Ruta Locura poles will be the lightest, strong, adjustable poles you can get. Lower sections are Al so no snappy snappy. You may not like the handles though.

Get a fenix LD01 headlamp and clip on hat.

[Wandering Deer]

I use Komperdell poles.

The "C2 Carbon Tour Duolock" seems very well regarded, but I can't find them anywhere. I like the idea of adjustable poles. I've run into dead ends regarding every highly regarded pole on the market.

I'm leaning on TNF's Cat's Meow.

[Another Kevin]

The "C2 Carbon Tour Duolock" seems very well regarded, but I can't find them anywhere. I like the idea of adjustable poles. I've run into dead ends regarding every highly regarded pole on the market.

I'm leaning on TNF's Cat's Meow.

REI's house-branded poles are made by Komperdell. Are http://www.rei.com/product/838584/re...ing-poles-pair similar to the C2 Carbon Tour Duolock? (I was interested in aluminium rather than carbon, so I didn't compare specs on these.)

[Rasty]

o Backpack (I'm leaning on a Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 Pack) Nice pack. Fabric colors make your pack look very dirty real quick if this matters to you.
o Solo Tent (I've been looking at both the AKTO, and the new Six Moon Designs Skyscape - Trekker! I'm ideally looking for something that will gather as little condensation as possible while still allowing me to fit with my backpack!)
o Sleeping Bag (I'm looking for something very light, and very warm, preferably rated for near single digits!)
o Hiking Poles (The lightest you know of without the threat of them breaking!) Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Poles are nice
o Headlamp (Some are very bulky, and that gets on my nerves!) Black Diamond Gizmo for $20
o Water Filter (I'm probably going to buy a "Life Straw", but I need something more just in case!) Aqua Mira (Chemical) or Sawyer Squeeze
o Cooking (Beyond a soda can stove, what is the lightest possible solution to this? This also includes instruments!) Trail Designs Caldera Stove (Titanium or Aluminum depending on fuel choices)
o Clothing (Are there good bug hats with nets to protect my face? I hate eating bugs. I'm also interested in what kind of clothes I should wear for varying temperatures. New England weather is outrageously sporadic. Middle of the day it could be 75. At night it could be 25. I need them to be light, but I can't sacrifice warmth!)
o Spade (Obviously for burying waste, but I'm wondering what the lightest possible option is!)

[DaveSail]

QiQiz makes / sells a TI Trowel , as well as a lot of other lightweight gear . I have both the " FireFly " Stove
and the " Little Buck " . Both are great !

http://www.qiwiz.net/trowels.html

[Wandering Deer]

I went with "Sierra Designs Lightyear 1" for a tent. The vestibule space was intriguing, and at a little over 3 pounds, I'm not annoyed by said weight considering all the conveniences it provides. I'm aiming for less than 30-35 pounds anyway, so it seems a little liberal in it's light weight. Things will start adding up once I finish off my checklist.

REI's house-branded poles are made by Komperdell. Are http://www.rei.com/product/838584/re...ing-poles-pair similar to the C2 Carbon Tour Duolock? (I was interested in aluminium rather than carbon, so I didn't compare specs on these.)

Are these collapsible? I actually like the look of these a lot.

[PR Man]

Outdoor World has a tiny headlamp that you can clip on to your hat / visor. I've been using it a long time and love it. It's very simple and weighs almost nothing ( 2 of them with batteries total less than one ounce ) It has 5 small LED bulbs that are more than enough light for anything (including night hiking). They also have optional red or green bulbs. Simple, light and cheap. ( only about $8 )

[Wandering Deer]

I just went with Black Diamond's Distance fl Z-Pole's. I saved over $100 based on clearance, and coupons. Can't wait to get them.

[jeffmeh]

I just went with Black Diamond's Distance fl Z-Pole's. I saved over $100 based on clearance, and coupons. Can't wait to get them.

I hope they work out for you. My son had them on his thru last year and did not find them durable. One pair died within a few dozen miles due to a manufacturing defect, another failed under moderate stress. Others have had better experiences with them.

[Wandering Deer]

I hope they work out for you. My son had them on his thru last year and did not find them durable. One pair died within a few dozen miles due to a manufacturing defect, another failed under moderate stress. Others have had better experiences with them.

How does he handle them? I'm generally not very rough on hiking poles. I bought some generic brand from Wal-Mart, and they broke right out of the package. I'm a fan of aluminum, so I figured these would be a good choice. I read about two dozen product reviews all over the internet; the majority said they were fine, and were used on terrain way crazier than what I'm planning to do. The minority said they broke a lot, but a majority of the minority said they were very rough on them. The return policy was also attractive.

[jeffmeh]

How does he handle them? I'm generally not very rough on hiking poles. I bought some generic brand from Wal-Mart, and they broke right out of the package. I'm a fan of aluminum, so I figured these would be a good choice. I read about two dozen product reviews all over the internet; the majority said they were fine, and were used on terrain way crazier than what I'm planning to do. The minority said they broke a lot, but a majority of the minority said they were very rough on them. The return policy was also attractive.

He might be a bit rough on poles, but these seem to require pretty gentle handling. Anyone can take a bad spill and break a pole, but that was not the case here. As I said, you may be more fortunate.

[chris too]

I was recently pretty excited when I found a Stanley 3-cup stainless steel pot that is only 6.7 oz without a lid (i'm planning to make a lighter lid) and 7.75 oz with lid. And wait for it... It was 15 bucks from Walmart! It also came with two heavy, 3 oz cups that I won't be using. This is my first backpacking experience as well, so I've been running through a lot of cash and that's with not always buying top-notch gear. So I was pretty happy to find this compromise even though titanium might have been much cooler and lighter. A guy on Amazon reported that he boiled water in five minutes with it, which I didn't think was too bad. I'm waiting for my stove to come on the 1st, so I can test it myself. Since I haven't yet tested any of the gear I've purchased -- I will keep the rest to my self and let the experts help

Oh and one more thing -- I always cross reference before I purchase something: I will go to a site like amazon, the manufacturer's site, and hikers' sites to check out ratings and various opinions when I'm interested in an item.

[Malto]

I've spent hours looking through thread after thread, and I've more, or less reached various dead ends, so I decided to make this post in hopes you all can help guide me in the right direction all at once. I'm planning to section hike several states on the AT later this summer, and I'm lost because I've never done any "ultra-light" backpacking. These are the very specifics I need in regards to finding light weight options.

---

• Backpack (I'm leaning on a Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 Pack)
• Solo Tent (I've been looking at both the AKTO, and the new Six Moon Designs Skyscape - Trekker! I'm ideally looking for something that will gather as little condensation as possible while still allowing me to fit with my backpack!)
• Sleeping Bag (I'm looking for something very light, and very warm, preferably rated for near single digits!)
• Hiking Poles (The lightest you know of without the threat of them breaking!)
• Headlamp (Some are very bulky, and that gets on my nerves!)
• Water Filter (I'm probably going to buy a "Life Straw", but I need something more just in case!)
• Cooking (Beyond a soda can stove, what is the lightest possible solution to this? This also includes instruments!)
• Clothing (Are there good bug hats with nets to protect my face? I hate eating bugs. I'm also interested in what kind of clothes I should wear for varying temperatures. New England weather is outrageously sporadic. Middle of the day it could be 75. At night it could be 25. I need them to be light, but I can't sacrifice warmth!)
• Spade (Obviously for burying waste, but I'm wondering what the lightest possible option is!)

---

Anything else would be extremely helpful. I'm new to light back-packing.

i will leave others to comment on the rest. If you want poles that don't have a threat of breaking then go to a construction site and get two lengths of rebar. There is no such thing as hiking poles that don't have a threat of breaking or bending.

[chris too]

I found Eric the Black's site very helpful for giving me gear ideas -- I felt very confused before I found his site. Now I'm only somewhat confused He also has a very cool spreadsheet that you can get for free to keep track of your gear. http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/topi...king-articles/

[chris too]

I just went with Black Diamond's Distance fl Z-Pole's. I saved over $100 based on clearance, and coupons. Can't wait to get them.

I bought the same poles. My husband, Mr uber handy mechanic, went over them and said they look very strong; however, he did warn me to pay attention to the bottom adjustment -- it has a marked line not to go past or the pole strength will be compromised. I hope they're good cause I'm committed now.

[Rasty]

How does he handle them? I'm generally not very rough on hiking poles. I bought some generic brand from Wal-Mart, and they broke right out of the package. I'm a fan of aluminum, so I figured these would be a good choice. I read about two dozen product reviews all over the internet; the majority said they were fine, and were used on terrain way crazier than what I'm planning to do. The minority said they broke a lot, but a majority of the minority said they were very rough on them. The return policy was also attractive.

I'm at around 600+ miles on mine.