Thru Hike Preperation. ULTRA LIGHT TIPS

[Wmwood2001]

Hey guys,
The reason for this posting is to share with all of you that are out there preparing for your 2014 thru hike some tips and information that I have discovered during my preperation for my 2014 thru hike. I have spent the better part of the last 8 months preparing and testing my gear that I will be using. Just to give you some insight into my setup, my baseweight checks in at about 10.5 lbs. Baseweight includes everything I will be carrying excluding Food & Water. 10.5 lbs is light, very light for a thru hike. So like I said the point of this post is to help you guys out with some info on getting your packweight down, which in my opinion increases everyones chances of completing the AT. I have detailed videos below walking you through all of my major pieces of gear and also my FULL gear setup. Check it all out and let me know if you have any specific questions, either on here or on any of my videos. Good luck to all and see you on the AT soon! Click the link below to access my AT prep videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/wmwood2001

[takethisbread]

.will, I enjoyed your video and hope to see u out there! I might caution, respectfully, my impression is that thru hikers don't care about pack weight or talk about gear, or worry about their pack weight. prospective hikers might, it appears. I've never thru hiked the AT but I did go 1,000 miles on it once and really after , say the NOC , I never thought about my gear or my pack. I added to my base weight (I picked up Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the United States in Tennessee) and I often shed pack weight by sending home my stove , my camp shoes, ect.
maybe I am wrong, and some thru hikers might correct me on this, but I don't think gram obsessed will help you be successful I think it actually might be an impediment. I think this ultra light movement has been extremely beneficial to hikers , but it has also been a bonus to gear makers, and they have a huge stake in you dropping 4 ounces from your tent. what your pack weight is now means zero. 4 days in straight hard rain in the smokeys can have you reaching for extra clothes like you dream about. I've been in there where 4 pairs of socks wasn't enough. AT thru hiking is unique in that the weather is so unpredictable. cold, rain, hot, humid , snow , hail can all occur in the same day . let the trail flow, let it come to u, and don't fight it, if you need a 35lb pack to be comfortable then do it. if 8lbs does it great. I'm jamming stuff in my pack without weighing it., bc experience tells me it really doesn't matter what I cross into neels gap with, it's gonna work itself out, a few times, and there's no need stressing about it.


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[Wmwood2001]

.will, I enjoyed your video and hope to see u out there! I might caution, respectfully, my impression is that thru hikers don't care about pack weight or talk about gear, or worry about their pack weight. prospective hikers might, it appears. I've never thru hiked the AT but I did go 1,000 miles on it once and really after , say the NOC , I never thought about my gear or my pack. I added to my base weight (I picked up Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the United States in Tennessee) and I often shed pack weight by sending home my stove , my camp shoes, ect.
maybe I am wrong, and some thru hikers might correct me on this, but I don't think gram obsessed will help you be successful I think it actually might be an impediment. I think this ultra light movement has been extremely beneficial to hikers , but it has also been a bonus to gear makers, and they have a huge stake in you dropping 4 ounces from your tent. what your pack weight is now means zero. 4 days in straight hard rain in the smokeys can have you reaching for extra clothes like you dream about. I've been in there where 4 pairs of socks wasn't enough. AT thru hiking is unique in that the weather is so unpredictable. cold, rain, hot, humid , snow , hail can all occur in the same day . let the trail flow, let it come to u, and don't fight it, if you need a 35lb pack to be comfortable then do it. if 8lbs does it great. I'm jamming stuff in my pack without weighing it., bc experience tells me it really doesn't matter what I cross into neels gap with, it's gonna work itself out, a few times, and there's no need stressing about it.


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I guess what I would say is that I am a thru hiker and I care about weight. So will kindly disagree with you on that statement. Actually your response is kindof funny. Ha.

[Slo-go'en]

I might caution, respectfully, my impression is that thru hikers don't care about pack weight or talk about gear, or worry about their pack weight.

I don't know, obsessing about gear and weight is what we do when planning the next hike, I do it ever year :) Once on the trail there is not much we can do about it except suffer or spend more money if poor choices were made prehike. Will's setup is definately high end, no expense spared. For a modest 2-5 pound weight penilty, I belive you can do all that for half the price.

I'm pretty happy with a 15-17 pound base weight. It's a little heavy leaving town with a full food load and 2, 20 oz cokes in the side pockets, but once it gets back under 20 pounds I hardly notice it.

[Wolf - 23000]

Wmwood2001,

I've done the AT now 5 complete times with normally a sub-five pound backpack. I've been doing this sense 1989.

One of the first step to light or ultra-light backpacking is to figure out how you want to do the AT. This is something that is purely style. Some hikers are going to travel with a partner others will not, some hikers are going to travel 25+ miles a day; others are going to only hike 10 miles a day. The reason this is so important is your gear needs to match your hiking style. Couples for example always carry more weight compare to singles. A hiker who is spending more time camping and less time hiking will carry different gear compare to someone who is spending more time hiking and less time camping.

Also keep in mine that which way and when you are hiking also makes a huge different. Northbounder and a Southbounder will start off with different equipment. Georgia is normal cold when most Northbounders start off. Maine is not so much when most Southbounders start off.

After figuring out how you want to hike the trail first, then worry about what gear you will want to carry.

Wolf

[Meriadoc]

I might caution, respectfully, my impression is that thru hikers don't care about pack weight or talk about gear, or worry about their pack weight. prospective hikers might, it appears. I've never thru hiked the AT but I did go 1,000 miles on it once and really after , say the NOC , I never thought about my gear or my pack. I added to my base weight (I picked up Howard Zinn's Peoples History of the United States in Tennessee) and I often shed pack weight by sending home my stove , my camp shoes, ect.
maybe I am wrong, and some thru hikers might correct me on this, but I don't think gram obsessed will help you be successful I think it actually might be an impediment.

It depends. Some thru hikers are ruthless and keep working to diminish the amount they carry throughout their hike. I have known a NOBO to systematically reevaluate gear as far north as Maine. Many thru hikers don't talk much about gear after a while because they have dialed in exactly what they want. Or they don't care too much anymore. After a while (1300 miles?) I stopped caring what I put into my pack because as long as it was under 35 lbs I didn't really notice it. Conversation about gear seemed to dry up by Virginia because there was no need to talk about it anymore.

I'm going to quote what I said in a different thread:
Gear is helpful but thru hiking is more about the attitude, desire, willpower, and skill than anything else.

That said, of course a 10 lbs pack will feel lighter and make for easier hiking than a 20 lbs pack. :)

[takethisbread]

I guess what I would say is that I am a thru hiker and I care about weight. So will kindly disagree with you on that statement. Actually your response is kindof funny. Ha.

as they say, different strokes for different folks! I rarely see gear heads far up the trail, and am happy for it. I see people trying to shed grams and it makes me chuckle, I mean is their really much of a difference between 12 lb pack and a 12.5lb pack? I'm a man and I really don't care if my pack is 13lbs or 16 lbs, or 9 lbs. I'm a strong american male. it's not gonna slow me down or make me uncomfortable in any way . it's not like 10 years ago when some of us were lugging around 35lb packs, those days are over and I'm forever grateful ! but now it and most folks are in the ballpark of 12lbs base weight , there's no impediment with that . I'm a guy. from that point concentrating in the weight in front of u would be far more beneficial.(huge issue for my fat ass). I guess if be surprised if all the gear talk some people didn't find absolutely boring.
I hope to see u out there anyway! good luck enjoy your hike, and I'll keep poking in on your vids!


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[Wmwood2001]

Wmwood2001,


After figuring out how you want to hike the trail first, then worry about what gear you will want to carry.

Wolf

Its so funny to me how people like Wolf here just assume I have not thought these things through. You guys are so funny. Ha. Oh but thanks for the advice Mr Wolf.

[Wolf - 23000]

Its so funny to me how people like Wolf here just assume I have not thought these things through. You guys are so funny. Ha. Oh but thanks for the advice Mr Wolf.

Wmwood,

I haven't assume any such thing. It is just interesting that you talked about the Sawyer filter but left out when you were planning on starting the trail and which way. Most hikers start Northbound around March and April. If a Northbounder was planning on screwing in the Sawyer filter onto their water bottle, their filter would most likely break from the cold. I'm sure you knew this.

Wolf

Wolf

[lonehiker]

If a Northbounder was planning on screwing in the Sawyer filter onto their water bottle, their filter would most likely break from the cold. I'm sure you knew this.

Wolf

Wolf

I generally agree with many of your opinions and observations Wolf, but this statement is not necessarily true. The filter can be used in cold climate as long as precautions are followed. I blow/shake excess water out of filter then carry in pocket of shirt or pants. Body heat prevents filter from freezing. Don't know if Wmwood is aware of this.....

[aficion]

I generally agree with many of your opinions and observations Wolf, but this statement is not necessarily true. The filter can be used in cold climate as long as precautions are followed. I blow/shake excess water out of filter then carry in pocket of shirt or pants. Body heat prevents filter from freezing. Don't know if Wmwood is aware of this.....

These days anyone with the budget to attempt a thru can achieve a 15 lb. base weight no sweat. This alone allows anyone physically capable of doing a thru a reasonable shot at success. The time window is such that any reduction below 15 lbs becomes unnecessary unless one is in a great hurry for other reasons. The assumption that ditching more weight below this level will improve one's odds of success seems faulty to me at best.

[Honuben]

I enjoy watching videos that people take the time to create and post, and with that put themselves on record to be criticized. I'm willing to bet I'm quite a bit larger than you at 6'3 230 and the heavier weight doesn't seem to bother me. I can understand how someone smaller does concern themselves with lower weight/ul trend. Will, watching your gear breakdown, I had some questions as a relative noob to backpacking. Looked like you carried a rain coat, synthetic coat, and cap 4 base layer. I could understand the cap 4 base for sleeping (but correct me if I'm wrong) you carry a 15 degree bag. Even with a warmer bag those are a bit over kill. The cap 1 (or 2) are lighter, but a better option would be a silk long sleeve (mine weighs 2.3 ounces). Then to your 13 oz jacket, I would use a light fleece and your rain coat as a shell. These total would save you over a pound. Just my thoughts though. Good luck on your hike and I'll look for you as I come south.

[Malto]

Its so funny to me how people like Wolf here just assume I have not thought these things through. You guys are so funny. Ha. Oh but thanks for the advice Mr Wolf.

Wow, I guess you have all the answers then. "Mr Wolf" has been there and done that, he IS a thru hiker. You hope to be, big difference.

[MuddyWaters]

Starting a thru hike with too light of a pack can lead to injuries, just as well as starting with too heavy.

People feel pressured to show they can do more miles than their bodies are ready for.

[verysimple]

Hey guys,
The reason for this posting is to share with all of you that are out there preparing for your 2014 thru hike some tips and information that I have discovered during my preperation for my 2014 thru hike. I have spent the better part of the last 8 months preparing and testing my gear that I will be using. Just to give you some insight into my setup, my baseweight checks in at about 10.5 lbs. Baseweight includes everything I will be carrying excluding Food & Water. 10.5 lbs is light, very light for a thru hike. So like I said the point of this post is to help you guys out with some info on getting your packweight down, which in my opinion increases everyones chances of completing the AT. I have detailed videos below walking you through all of my major pieces of gear and also my FULL gear setup. Check it all out and let me know if you have any specific questions, either on here or on any of my videos. Good luck to all and see you on the AT soon! Click the link below to access my AT prep videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/wmwood2001

Thanks for the videos. That zpacks duplex is really nice and now I have capilene 4 on shopping list. Thought about r1 hoody before.

[RockDoc]

Lighter is not always better unless you are very fast and very lucky.
I remember a guy who started NOBO ultralight with nothing but shorts, and froze his @ss for the first two months. Very uncomfortable at best, dangerous at worst.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

think about adding some lightweight gaiters you want regret it if you have to hike thru snow they will keep it out otherwise good list

[revid]

think about adding some lightweight gaiters you want regret it if you have to hike thru snow they will keep it out otherwise good list

I have dirty girl gaiters. Are those good enough in snow? All they have to do is prevent snow from getting inside shoe right?

[1azarus]

I have dirty girl gaiters. Are those good enough in snow? All they have to do is prevent snow from getting inside shoe right?

they work sometimes in the snow, but not always. the velcro on the back won't resist crusty or wet snow and will let the gaiters roll up past the edge of a normal trailrunner. i use them in the snow often enough and like them enough to just deal with their so-so snow performance. depending on your footwear, if the snow is that bad you are probably going to get wet, anyway, and are hopefully wearing a heavy wool sock.

[1234]

Hey guys,
The reason for this posting is to share with all of you that are out there preparing for your 2014 thru hike some tips and information that I have discovered during my preperation for my 2014 thru hike. I have spent the better part of the last 8 months preparing and testing my gear that I will be using. Just to give you some insight into my setup, my baseweight checks in at about 10.5 lbs. Baseweight includes everything I will be carrying excluding Food & Water. 10.5 lbs is light, very light for a thru hike. So like I said the point of this post is to help you guys out with some info on getting your packweight down, which in my opinion increases everyones chances of completing the AT. I have detailed videos below walking you through all of my major pieces of gear and also my FULL gear setup. Check it all out and let me know if you have any specific questions, either on here or on any of my videos. Good luck to all and see you on the AT soon! Click the link below to access my AT prep videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/wmwood2001

Thanks for taking the time for doing the videos, Good reasons for your choices. I did want to make a comment not to criticize but to also be informative. The small fuel cans were sold out by the end of March Had to buy the big one and actually liked it better, more stable and not so many worries of running out. I t was larger and took pack space and was much heavier. Also I ended up getting gutter alum nails to drive in to get a good taught tent, anything any smaller just ended up bending. Happy trails, may see ya out there I will be frequently out this year as my wife is hiking this year.

[Wolf - 23000]

I generally agree with many of your opinions and observations Wolf, but this statement is not necessarily true. The filter can be used in cold climate as long as precautions are followed. I blow/shake excess water out of filter then carry in pocket of shirt or pants. Body heat prevents filter from freezing. Don't know if Wmwood is aware of this.....

lonehiker,

You are correct, you can take precautions but it does not take to long before the water inside the filter expands and breaks the filter. If someone is screwing in the Sawyer filter into their water bottle, I would bet the are not taken those precautions. Also once a filter is not working correctly, many hikers are not always aware of it.

Wolf

[Wolf - 23000]

Starting a thru hike with too light of a pack can lead to injuries, just as well as starting with too heavy.

People feel pressured to show they can do more miles than their bodies are ready for.

MuddyWaters,

Well put! I too have met a lot of hikers who started off going lightweight without having the experience to go with it. As you put it can lead to injuries or worst.

Wolf

Wolf

[Shroomer]

Hey Will,
I really enjoyed the videos and you've got some great gear there. I used the ZPacks Double Hexamid on a thru hike of the CDT and never got wet, never popped a stake, even in huge storms above 13,000 ft. I'll be using it again on the AT this year. Joe makes great tents. Also used his 20 deg bag/quilt and found it to be a better bag than the 20 degree Western Mountaineering bag I used on the PCT. The ZPacks rain jacket which weighs almost nothing is the best breathable coat I've ever owned. I've used the Neo Air on both hikes and many others and still find it the best sleep I've had on trail. As for the Sawyer filter freezing, that is an issue, and it's solved by keeping it in a small zip lock in your pocket and sleeping bag at night, as you mentioned. One warm evening in New Mexico we left two of them out only to wake up cowboy camped in a hard frost. That was that, we had to pitch them out and buy new ones. I'm glad the Mini is so cheap. $20 on Amazon right now.

As for going too light, some folks definitely do, and they end up buying a few more bits of gear to make things right. My gear evolves somewhat on each long trail I hike. Used 3 different packs on the PCT until I found my ultimate in the ULA Circuit, which will be with me in all its shredded glory this spring at Springer. But, go as light as you can. Warner Springs Monty says, "The fun goes up when the weight goes down." And he's right! Go light, just don't go crazy, and if what you have isn't enough, just get the gear you find you need and have it shipped to your next town stop.

I used Dirty Girl Gaiters during 5 weeks of living on snow in the High Sierra in 2010, a high snow year, and agree that they are adequate, but not great when in crunchy stuff which can pull them up and off the velcro. On the CDT I brought along full length gaiters for the Weminuche Wilderness and they were much better during many weeks of snow on that trail. But I'm bringing the Dirty Girls for the AT. I still like them the best for all around comfort.

As for thru hikers and gear talk, it seems that's all most of us do when we get together along with sharing trail stories. This last weekend I spent 3 days at the GGG West (Gathering of Gear Geeks) at Henry Coe State Park just south of San Jose CA. The place was crawling with thru hikers, triple crowners and two of the greatest long distance hikers in America, Ken and Marcia Powers, the first people to thru hike the American Discovery Trail, Delaware to Pt. Reyes CA! Awesome folks, and that's all we talked about! Gear, gear and more gear. Ron Moak of Six Moon Designs was there with some awesome new tents that will give Joe a run for his money. I really liked several of them in cuben. And he's got two new lines of packs designed by Brian who began ULA years ago. Fascinating weekend and tons of fun talking trail and gear ad nauseum. Oh, and one of the triple crowners, Why Not, who was my trail partner on the CDT, had just returned from a 6 week trek across Patagonia and what was the jacket she used on the whole thing, the Rab you've chosen for your AT hike! It's a great choice.

Loved the videos and I think your set up looks more than sound. I bring more first aid, but then I'm an old Boy Scout and bring a lot of little crap that no one else might think is useful. Because of this, I never get below 15 lbs. Too bad, but that's my choice and I'm comfortable with it. Have a wonderful hike and I hope to meet you on trail.

Shroomer