View Full Version : Lookin for load out advice...
This is my first time on the AT. I plan on starting in March, doing a ultralight NOBO yo-yo with staying away from towns as much as possible. (Except for PA, I got family in York). I plan on doing it 4-5 weeks one way (I'm 6'7" and naturally hike at a quick pace). I grew up in the woods, I was in Scouts, and I'm military so I'm not worried about comfort and I know things don't always go according to plan. This is the basic load plan for my backpack I've put together (not counting batteries, water purification, food, etc). I'm looking for advice, tweaks, pointers, etc. because I know everyone loads out differently. Thank you very much.
In Back pack:
-Army Boonie hat, Army Shemagh, Fleece PT/skull cap
-Cold-Weather UnderArmor top, moisture wicking t-shirts (3)
-Fleece top
-Wool socks/moisture wicking socks (3 pr each)
-Sneakers (1 pr)
-Nylon Suplex/Polyester Wind top and pants
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom
-Camleback
-Fleece blanket
-Army poncho/shelter half (2)
-PT/ground mat
Meriadoc
02-07-2014, 17:33
I'll assume you meant 4-5 months.
Rule of thumb for clothing: All of it can be worn at the same time and when it is coldest, all of it is indeed worn at the same time. If there is more than that, then there is excess. (Exception cut out for socks and underwear.)
-Army Boonie hat, Army Shemagh, Fleece PT/skull cap - Can you wear all three at the same time? Are all three needed? I would drop one of them for sure.
-Cold-Weather UnderArmor top, moisture wicking t-shirts (3) Why three wicking t-shirts? I would use the cold weather base layer until it warms up and then use one wicking t shirt. I would not carry four shirts.
-Fleece top
-Wool socks/moisture wicking socks (3 pr each) By moisture wicking socks I think you mean liners. I'll let someone else speak to these because I don't use liners. My gut reaction is that is too many because they can be washed easily and dry quickly (unlike the wool socks).
-Sneakers (1 pr)
-Nylon Suplex/Polyester Wind top and pants
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom - Depending on what these are, there may be lighter alternatives available.
-Camleback
-Fleece blanket
-Army poncho/shelter half (2)
-PT/ground mat
If your only shelter is a poncho and a fleece blanket you are either one tuff dude or....................
Slo-go'en
02-07-2014, 20:22
You need to get some proper equipment.
Sandy of PA
02-07-2014, 21:00
Planning any hot food? Water purification? First aid?
Last Call
02-07-2014, 21:06
Fleece blanket won't be near enough in March....I would also pick up a pocket rocket stove & a grease pot to boil water in.
bigcranky
02-07-2014, 21:06
I tried sleeping in a fleece blanket in the mountains in Virginia once. I froze my butt off. In July.
Damn Yankee
02-07-2014, 21:37
I understand the idea of using what you have but, would suggest if you are insistent on using this gear, check out the pathfinder school videos on youtube put out by Dave Canterbury. There is a lot of great information. Also, I am assuming that you are using a shelter half to sleep under and a poncho for wearing or floor under the shelter half and please correct me if I'm wrong. I have just surpassed my 23rd year in the military and used some of the best gear out there but, for doing a thru hike, military gear is just way to heavy. Do yourself a favor and look for some better gear and shoes. It gets cold in the mountains and I don't think sneakers will do it until the weather warms somewhat. Of course these are my opinions, and you know what they say about those? Good luck either way.
Slo-go'en
02-07-2014, 23:06
Let me expand on my earlier comment, which I made in haste as I had just gotten back from a 4 mile snowshoe hike in 15 degree temps. I'm now feed and warmed up a bit.
Basically, the gear you have listed would barely get you by in the middle of July, it could kill you in late March and early April.
First, you need a proper sleeping bag, minimum 30 degree, preferably 20. With clothes, a 20 degree bag might actually keep you warm when it goes to 20 and it will.
Second, you need a proper insulating sleeping pad. There are a number to choose from, from simple closed cell foam to high tech, self inflating.
Third, you need a proper tent. You will be spending a lot of time in it and it will be raining much of that time.
Fourth, you need proper footware. Sneakers are not going to cut it. The trail will be wet, muddy and slipperly most of the time. Georgia mud is slippier then baby poop and about the same consistancy.
Fifth, you need proper rain gear. Poylvinal is the worst choice possible.
Finally, you need to choose a stove, cookware and water treatment.
Clothes you might be okay with.
Bascially, you need to invest about $1000 in new gear. It can be done less expensively, but not in the time frame you have available and not if you want to go light. If you don't do this, you will be doing it at Neels gap or going home. Guarentteed.
At the very least you need a good sleeping bag and pad. Its not about comfort, its about safety. You should also plus up your outer layer insulation. For rain gear a set of dry ducks is way lighter and only costs $20.
Although you could live without a stove and eat cold food, you can make a cat food stove in 20 minutes and buy a bottle of heat at the auto parts store. Add a cheap aluminum pot and a spoon from the kitchen and you have a cook kit.
Shelter halves are way heavy for what they do. You can pick up a eureka tent for less than $100 that will serve you well, but if not a cheap tarp will do and weigh a lot less than the shelter halves.
Keep tuning, you can put together a pretty good kit without spending a fortune. Having said that, there is a reason good gear costs money, especially sleeping bags. Try not to skimp on your bag. Its your insurance policy on the trail when the temps drop.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Yes, I meant months, sorry about that.
-I was thinking Boonie hate for warmer weather and fleece for for the cold if needed. Shemagh is more multi purpose.
-The moisture wicking socks I have are military issue, for liners I would use dress socks which have worked well for me in the past.
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom: You can find them at wal-mart in the camping section, they come in a small plastic package.
They're also good for keeping in body heat. Weight's not bad at all to me.
-Army Poncho/shelter half: I can handle the cold better than most. I've used it as a ground cover and folded the rest over top of myself with a fleece blanket at a liner before
with only wearing camo uniform and winter UnderArmor in winter climates with no issue, except for my feet freezing due to wearing steal toe boots.
@ Sandy of PA: I am also going to carry first aid kit, water purification, food, etc. I believe Apollo isn't too far from Monroeville, I grew up about 3 hours north of you in McKean County.
@Damn Yankee: I almost went to Pathfinder school at one point but I have done SERE school. You are correct about the shelter half. My boots are good, I take good car of them and I've worn them in Korea during their winters and the winter stateside a few times. Shoes are for warmer weather.
Thank you all for the input, I'll make a few adjustments. I'll keep checking back too.
HikerMom58
02-07-2014, 23:51
I can tell you are a good guy, Gus! bfayer is a good guy too! :D
I can tell you are a good guy, Gus! bfayer is a good guy too! :D
Thanks HM :). Like I said awhile back, this world needs folks like you to offset the folks like me, so don't ever change :)
And Gus, you came to the right place to seek advice. When it comes to the AT, the folks around this place know what they are talking about.
We may not get along all the time but we share of love of hiking and the trail.
Everyone on here wants to see you succeed, we just don't all come across as warm and fuzzy as Hiker Mom.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Gus: you'll find out soon enough in March how well your system works out, probably around the Smokies you'll find out. A lot depends on what kind of weather the east coast has this spring. If it's like March 2013, the weather will definitely be challenging. Curious what do you plan for food? MRE's? water treatment? iodine tabs? good luck
Gus: you'll find out soon enough in March how well your system works out, probably around the Smokies you'll find out. A lot depends on what kind of weather the east coast has this spring. If it's like March 2013, the weather will definitely be challenging. Curious what do you plan for food? MRE's? water treatment? iodine tabs? good luck
Atually it will be faster than the smokies. Since you are ex military maybe you can bum some gear off the Ranger school folks in the N Ga mountains. If you are doing 8-10 months total you are not properly equipment for the start and end. You need a real sleeping bag or quilt. As far as cook set, water purification stove, you can get by without any of that but I would recommend that you consider taking a small bottle of bleach, half oz. to treat some of the water sources especially up north. If you don't want to do that then maybe carry a course of metronidazole in case your game of Russian roulette does go your way. (This was the exact approach I took on my PCT thru hike.)
HikerMom58
02-08-2014, 08:25
Atually it will be faster than the smokies. Since you are ex military maybe you can bum some gear off the Ranger school folks in the N Ga mountains. If you are doing 8-10 months total you are not properly equipment for the start and end. You need a real sleeping bag or quilt. As far as cook set, water purification stove, you can get by without any of that but I would recommend that you consider taking a small bottle of bleach, half oz. to treat some of the water sources especially up north. If you don't want to do that then maybe carry a course of metronidazole in case your game of Russian roulette does go your way. (This was the exact approach I took on my PCT thru hike.)
"@ Sandy of PA: I am also going to carry first aid kit, water purification, food, etc."
Quoting Gus here.....
kayak karl
02-08-2014, 09:14
do you realize the temps at night can be 10 degrees after a 40 degree rainy damp day ? the ground in freezing and most can't sit on it for more the 15 min without changing position. i know you can handle cold better then most, but very cold, tired and hungry? this is a long hike not a survival exercise. either way, good luck, wish you the best.
My #1 bit of advice is don't plan to yo-yo until you've completed the first thru-hike. You will learn a vast amount on that first thru-hike, including whether thru-hiking is as much fun as you think is.
If you're still having fun after finishing #1, you can blow people's minds by turning around!
Slo-go'en
02-08-2014, 12:09
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom: You can find them at wal-mart in the camping section, they come in a small plastic package.
And they self distruct in about an hour on the trail, getting ripped to shreads. In cold weather they become very brittle. They are not durable. Get the Dri-ducks at the very least.
-Army Poncho/shelter half: I can handle the cold better than most. I've used it as a ground cover and folded the rest over top of myself with a fleece blanket at a liner before with only wearing camo uniform and winter UnderArmor in winter climates with no issue, except for my feet freezing due to wearing steal toe boots.
Okay, try that in 40 degree rain and then have the cold front pass thru and drop the temps below freezing. It can rain A LOT on at the AT in the early spring and it is a cold rain.
4eyedbuzzard
02-08-2014, 16:02
First, thank you for your service.
But . . .
I can handle the cold better than most.
With all due respect for your scouting and military background, perhaps mentally you can. But physiologically, whether you want to admit it or not - No, you simply can't. You may complain less and push on rather than give up when the going gets tough, but all the military training and toughness in the world doesn't alter the physics and physiology of heat loss. If you've studied military history, you'll know that the number of soldiers that die from hypothermia and freezing to death, rather than hostile fire, is pretty incredible. Factor in that you will be exerting tremendous energy hiking while operating on a net caloric deficit. Get wet and cold and you are in deep $#!^ - and even more so without a dry shelter, insulating ground pad, and dry sleeping bag rated for the temps you'll be experiencing. They are your last line of defense/safety.
You need to get some proper equipment.+1, er +4. You need better/more insulation and protection from the elements. See Slo-go'en, bfayer, Damn Yankee 's posts.
And have fun on your hike!
Drybones
02-08-2014, 18:23
Old saying: advice is to be given, not taken.
Slo-go'en
02-08-2014, 22:20
Old saying: advice is to be given, not taken.
Indeed, why do we even bother giving it?
cliffdiver
02-08-2014, 22:49
Indeed, why do we even bother giving it?
Because it would be irresponsible not to?
My list was a bare bones load out and I'll adjust from there using the input. Some may not appreciate y'alls advice, input, feedback, etc. but I am listening and I do appreciate it. I may have a strong outdoors background but you can't find better information than from those that have actually done it. Thank you all very much.
The Cleaner
02-09-2014, 09:19
I once met a hiker in Oct. who had 3 synthetic tee shirts on and was still cold @ 40*. Hypothermia does not discriminate. Sounds like you need some real hiking gear.....
bigcranky
02-09-2014, 09:44
My list was a bare bones load out and I'll adjust from there using the input.
Glad to hear that.
At the most basic level, you need to get a good night's sleep, and shivering all night doesn't help that....
Have a great hike.
My best advice is to listen and heed the advice of those that have gone before us. I didn't very well and suffered the 230 miles that I did. This year is going to be a lot different......xfingers.
Slo-go'en
02-09-2014, 13:39
My list was a bare bones load out and I'll adjust from there using the input. Some may not appreciate y'alls advice, input, feedback, etc. but I am listening and I do appreciate it. I may have a strong outdoors background but you can't find better information than from those that have actually done it. Thank you all very much.
Good, so have you started to think about what you'll get for a new sleeping bag, tent and so on? There are hundreds of gear lists in the gear forum to browse through to give you an idea of what you really need.
You might have a strong outdoor background but how much of that is actual hiking/camping experiance for more then a weekend? And how long ago? If you've been living in Florida for any length of time, your body is no longer acclumented to cold weather.
Actual hiking/camping experience comes from going out hiking and camping all the time for 1-2 month straight periods, on the average, (deep in the woods, not at camp grounds) while hunting, fishing, or just doing it because I love to do it. I've been doing that for the last 16 years, and I also walk, hike, rock climb all the time. I don't know if it's due to a really high metabolism or what but weather acclimatization has never been a factor for me.
That's why I figured I'd start with a bare load out then get input, because I've seen a lot of different lists and I figure best info is finding out from those here that have done it. I'm not new to hiking at all, but I know each trail is different. I found out the hard way out west (hiking from El Paso in the Franklin Mountains up into NM) thinking that just because the area is desert that it would stay hot, ended up cold and wet in the higher elevations from low clouds.
kayak karl
02-10-2014, 00:07
just read some trail journals for weather last year, but i think a few have already posted it. if you have done so much what's the question? if you used that gear in this kind of weather and you were ok, do it again.
just read some trail journals for weather last year, but i think a few have already posted it. if you have done so much what's the question? if you used that gear in this kind of weather and you were ok, do it again.
I guess I agree with KK, if you've been there done that, and it works for you, have at it. All we can do is pass on to you what we know works for us and others we hike with.
Rain Man
02-10-2014, 09:11
I tried sleeping in a fleece blanket in the mountains in Virginia once. I froze my butt off. In July.
My coldest night ever was with a fleece blanket on Standing Indian Mountain in July!
Rain Man
.
I'm augmenting what I know with others advice, tips, experience, etc. Thank you all again.
I don't understand some of the gear choices unless you're low on cash.
Fleece blanket: Why? Save weight? Size? I guarantee this will weigh more and be bulkier than a 32 degree down sleeping bag.
PT Mat: Why? For $40 you can get a Thermarest z-lite which has an excellent R-value and will be far more comfortable.
No Tent? Sure I saw plenty of these guys in GA and southern NC, never again after that.
I my advice, do what you want with food, hiking clothing, pack, whatever. Get a proper shelter, get a proper sleeping bag. You don't NEED to spend a ton of money on gear, but going out there without a last line of defense is foolish.
There are plenty of guys out there with bare bones ultra light gear, but every one of them has a proper shelter and a sleeping bag.
Slo-go'en
02-11-2014, 15:48
I googled "Army poncho/shelter half" to find out what it was. No floor, no bug netting, rubberised nylon for matterial for the one I saw for sale on ebay. No weight given, but it has to be heavy and bukly. Plus, you need two of these to make a pup tent, a small one at that.
You really need a proper tent.
Like I said, my list was very basic and I'm using the advice, tips, etc to build on that. I do have a sleeping bag and tent (I usually use a Master Sportsmen 20 deg. bag with Summit Reactor Thermolite Liner and Eureka! Solitaire, 3-Season Tent). The poncho/shelter half is ripstop polyester and really light, an be folded to fit into a cargo pocket. It can also be laid on the ground, no pad, (with half below a person and other half pulled over top of person) and used to keep someone warm that's wearing 3 layers of medium winter protection in 10 deg. weather. But I wouldn't use that as my only blanket, tent, etc.
I'm not low on cash, I've just always hiked/camped light during both short and long durations, and I said I wasn't counting batteries, food, etc. I got all that squared away. I believe my Eureka will hold up but I think I will pick up a better rated sleeping bag, judging by the storms everyone's been having.
Wise Old Owl
02-13-2014, 01:22
This is my first time on the AT. I plan on starting in March, doing a ultralight NOBO yo-yo with staying away from towns as much as possible. (Except for PA, I got family in York). I plan on doing it 4-5 weeks one way (I'm 6'7" and naturally hike at a quick pace). I grew up in the woods, I was in Scouts, and I'm military so I'm not worried about comfort and I know things don't always go according to plan. This is the basic load plan for my backpack I've put together (not counting batteries, water purification, food, etc). I'm looking for advice, tweaks, pointers, etc. because I know everyone loads out differently. Thank you very much.
In Back pack:
Sportsmen 20 deg. bag with Summit Reactor Thermolite Liner and Eureka! Solitaire, 3-Season Tent
-Army Boonie hat, Army Shemagh, Fleece PT/skull cap
-Cold-Weather UnderArmor top, moisture wicking t-shirts (3)
-Fleece top
-Wool socks/moisture wicking socks (3 pr each)
-Sneakers (1 pr)
-Nylon Suplex/Polyester Wind top and pants
-Polyvinyl/Polyester rain top and bottom
-Camleback
-Fleece blanket
-Army poncho/shelter half (2)
-PT/ground mat
You need to get some proper equipment.
First, thank you for your service.
But . . .
With all due respect for your scouting and military background, perhaps mentally you can. But physiologically, whether you want to admit it or not - No, you simply can't. You may complain less and push on rather than give up when the going gets tough, but all the military training and toughness in the world doesn't alter the physics and physiology of heat loss. If you've studied military history, you'll know that the number of soldiers that die from hypothermia and freezing to death, rather than hostile fire, is pretty incredible. Factor in that you will be exerting tremendous energy hiking while operating on a net caloric deficit. Get wet and cold and you are in deep $#!^ - and even more so without a dry shelter, insulating ground pad, and dry sleeping bag rated for the temps you'll be experiencing. They are your last line of defense/safety.
+1, er +4. You need better/more insulation and protection from the elements. See Slo-go'en, bfayer, Damn Yankee 's posts.
And have fun on your hike!
HI Gus Interesting start - most of the gear kit you mentioned appears for group survival - keep you alive and not comfortable. Almost battle of the bulge stuff. The AT is a different set of techniques, light equipment, and going to work all day is walking 15-20 miles. Good sleep is very important for keeping it real. Your kit needs to as efficient as possible as well as your shoes and feet. The gear you mentioned is bomb proof and there is so much better stuff out there. You do not need to spend a lot. Just get a lot more picky, I would suggest the tent is way too much for the trail. I am not going to make any other suggestions other than reading a few more threads. - Good Luck!
Oh why did I multi-quote the above... ? They are on target!
Slo-go'en
02-13-2014, 01:35
Okay, I guess on the Army poncho/shelter half was just a missunderstanding of the terminology. Sounds like you have a basic coated nylon poncho.
Well, it won't take long for you to find out if you made wise gear choices for the AT, I wish you the best of luck.
bigcranky
02-13-2014, 10:29
An Army poncho has snaps arranged so that two of them can be used to make a tiny two-person tent. An Army "shelter half" is a piece of shaped canvas with snaps arranged so that two of them make a tiny two-person tent. The shelter half is really heavy, not very water resistant, and a PITA to set up and use, and it doesn't work as a poncho.
The poncho is a multipurpose item that works for a lot of things but not particularly well for any of them :)