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View Full Version : Starting my thru, heres my gear.



Jeryx
02-11-2014, 15:41
I start the trail on march 6th 2014. I live on a shoestring budget so this list is what Ive managed to get over the course of several years. Go ahead and tear it apart but this close to launch I cant really make any huge changes. But would love to know what holes most need shoring up.

Pack: GG vapor trail large (this was a mistake)
Tent: Tarptent Contrail. Looking to trade up here.
Set of small toughstakes (double as trowel)
Sleeping: Thermarest, MH Lamina 35 with silk liner and extra fleece blanket, Adventure Medical mylar overbag for the real cold nights.
Black diamond trekking poles

Clothing... exofficio briefs(2), terramar thermasilk top and bottom, merino wool tshirt, REI zipoff pants, REI sahara shirt, Outdoor Research helium 2 jacket, smartwool PHD crew socks, extra pair wool boot socks. Lowa renegade gtx mid boots. Teva tera-fi sandals. Fleece hat, REI sahara hat.

Cooking... Trangia 27-5 cookset. Yes its worth the weight to me. 300 ml fuel bottle. Sea to summit titanium spork. Small set of nesting nylon utensils. Sea to summit X cup. Might add plate.
I am not carrying a bear can. Not really for tge weight but the price. Ill skip those 5 miles in GA

Hygene is doc bronners soap and a pack towel plus some sanitizer and unscented deodorant.

Water... a pair of 1.5 liter pepsi bottles. 2l platy with sawyer mini filter. I dont carry purification tabs yet but considering it.

Misc... 50' paracord bearline. Food and clothing bags are sea to summit roll sacks. A few bandanas, wallet, droid phone will serve as camera. Headlamp. Spare batts. Phone charger. Victorinox trekker and leatherman wave. Photon mico light.

Undecided on.... solio charger, Ive heard they arent worth it in the green tunnel. 2l billy for trangia for larger meals.

I am looking to swap my contrail for a moment if I can find someone willing. I lack rainpants, this will be solved in GA before I hit the trail. I live on a fixed income and have about $400 a month to feed myself and any shelter or park fees etc. Gonna be tight but Ill manage.

Slo-go'en
02-11-2014, 16:04
Everything looks good except for the mylar overbag. If you use that everything inside of it will be soaking wet by morning. If you are tempted to use it, use it inside the bag as your first liner layer. Then just your clothes will get soaking wet. Your sleep system might be a little marginal to start unless your from a cold climate and have been spending a lot of time outdoors.

You don't list a warm layer, like a vest, fleece jacket, heavy wool sweater - you get the idea - your gonna need one for sure.

Unless there is a sudden and dramatic change in the weather, gaiters would be a good idea, along with some traction device. There is a very good chance there will still be significant amounts of snow and ice on the trail in early March. Personaly, I'd wait a couple of more weeks before starting and hope for better weather. Right now your geared up more for an April start then a March start.

Jeryx
02-11-2014, 16:09
Ok not sure why I cant edit my own posts but I forgot to mention a montbell UL vest as my midlayer. And the vapor trail mistake was it being the large. So will probably trade to a smaller pack along the way.

Nuggz
02-11-2014, 16:23
Hey man.. I have a pair of frog toggs rain pants that came out of the $20 set at Walmart. They are yours if you want them.

CarlZ993
02-11-2014, 16:48
Even with your extra items for you sleeping system, you may be quite cold w/ that early start. And quite possibly a little wet.

You are fond of your cookset system. Otherwise, you'd probably swap it out for something quite a bit lighter. You could really save some weight here. A 2L pot is definitely too large for solo use. Something around the 1L size should suffice. Extra utensils are redundant. One spoon/spork will suffice (full disclosure - I did bring an extra ultra-short titanium spoon - 0.2 oz - to go w/ my standard 0.4 oz Lexan spoon; I loaned it out a couple of times to people who broke or lost their spoon).

I saw very few GoreTex boots/shoes on the AT last year. Even fewer Teva sandals (saw quite a few Crocs, tho). You may decide to ditch the GoreTex footwear as time goes along. GoreTex footwear don't keep your feet dry. Either sweat or water dripping in from the top will get your feet wet. It takes forever for GoreTex footwear to dry out.

Be sure to keep your Sawyer Mini above freezing (sleep w/ it in a ziplock baggie on cold nights). Otherwise, it will turn into a paperweight (useless as a filter).

I'll second the traction devices. I wish I took mine last year (I started much later - 3/19/13). Microspikes are the best out there in my opinion.

Your multi-tool selection is a little heavy.

Your solar charger would be helpful on the PCT. Not on the AT. If you need additional juice, some sort of device charger would be appropriate. Or just add extra batteries & charge them when you get to a town/hostel.

Just remember, the most important thing is the fortitude to finish the hike. You can add or subtract other stuff as you see fit along the way. Good luck on your hike!

Nuggz
02-11-2014, 17:22
I bet you will be mailing some of that stuff back the first chance you get. But it's all good. There is no way of knowing what YOU want and don't want until you are out there.

Grey Ghost
02-11-2014, 17:32
Dont forget some first-aid , band-aids, neosoporin and etc.

RED-DOG
02-11-2014, 18:43
You don't need the Fleece blanket or the Mylar overbag like slo-goen said you will be soaked inside it, on my 06 and 2012 thru hikes i used the MH ultra lamina 35 and that was it no liner or anything else and i started Feb 14th and i stayed nice and toasty the entire time and in the summer time i used it like a quilt, if you know the pack was a mistake are you going to change it if you don't you will regret it there's nothing worse than starting a thru-hike with a pack you don't like.

jimmyjam
02-11-2014, 19:30
I did not see any rain gear or a pack liner

turtle fast
02-11-2014, 19:33
Id keep the Contrail...will more than do the job and why spend the extra cash if you don't need to. Frog toggs work well as rain gear light too. Also, you need to remember you may need to replace your footwear once or twice as they break down. Otherwise looks ok

lonehiker
02-11-2014, 19:39
I live on a fixed income and have about $400 a month to feed myself and any shelter or park fees etc. Gonna be tight but Ill manage.

Very tight.

Slo-go'en
02-11-2014, 20:33
I saw very few GoreTex boots/shoes on the AT last year. Even fewer Teva sandals (saw quite a few Crocs, tho). You may decide to ditch the GoreTex footwear as time goes along. GoreTex footwear don't keep your feet dry. Either sweat or water dripping in from the top will get your feet wet. It takes forever for GoreTex footwear to dry out.

I for one am a firm beliver in gortex footware, but it has to be a full boot. The only time my feet might get wet is hiking in a heavy rain. Otherwise I can walk through puddles, wet grass, muddy trail, shallow streams and stay 100% dry. My feet don't noticably sweat and if the inside of the boot does get wet, it doesn't take all that long to dry.

That said, I used a pair of Lowa boots last spring and they were both the most expensive and the worst boots I've ever had. It seems they stiched right through the gortex liner and didn't seal the seams, so they leaked. I eventually put seam sealer along all the stiching and that helped a lot. They also had a sharp junction right where the toe of the boot flexed and right over where my big toe starts which wore a big hole in the top of my foot. Tooks months to heal. Also, part of the sole started to seperate where toe flexes after just a few days on the trail, but thankfully it didn't get any worse over the next 450 miles.

Jeryx
02-11-2014, 23:04
Wow thanks for all the replies! First aid will be covered, I actually have a few commercial kits I'll be combining and tweaking with the help of an LPN in the family.

The traction aids are something I honestly never considered. Definitely will pick those up in GA.

About the fleece blanket and mylar overbag, the fleece is a throw, for over me in the bag. The mylar is both an overbag when in severe cold but also a heat reflector for under the thermarest which seriously improves the amount of heat it retains. Kind of a layered sleep system with multiple setups. Jimmyjam, raingear is the helium jacket and probably Nuggz frogtogs. Pack liner is gonna be trash bags plus everythings in stuff sacks anyway.

As for the budget... ok full disclosure Im homeless and disabled (nothing thats gonna be a problem on the trail), hence the fixed income. All attempts to remedy the former have failed. But some friends reminded me Ive been talking about doing the AT for years now. And it seems life is closing other doors on me so, its time to take a time of misfortune and turn it into an opportunity to follow my dreams. So Ill make it work. And some of said friends are working on roof so by the end of the trail Ill have somewhere to bring the stories and slideshows home to.

daddytwosticks
02-12-2014, 08:59
I wish you luck. Not just hiking the trail, but life in general. Enjoy the experience. :)

Texaco
02-12-2014, 17:31
Just a thought on the solar charger... I'm carrying (and use regularly with work) the New Trent NH100H battery pack. Takes about 8 hours to fully charge, but I can use it to power my iPhone 5 (with full daily use, 100 emails, Instagram, Facebook, web search, Pandora streaming) for a week. That's practically a month of power with "trail use" - being maybe an hour or so at night, and photos.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-Powerpak-10000mAh-Smartphones/dp/B00EB1BY36

For under $40, the size is identical to an iPhone 5, and it's worth it's weight in gold. 6oz I believe.

revid
02-13-2014, 16:47
My start day is March 6th also. I haven't decided if I am doing the approach trail or not yet but I'll probably see you out there one way or another.

Jeryx
02-14-2014, 14:28
Daddytwosticks, in the words of Baggins, thank you. Ive begun to trust my luck more than in the old days.
Texaco, that is a monster battery! I actually have a different one already coming to me thats the same AH rating. But definitely adding that one to my wishlist.
Revid, Ill be staying at the hiker hostel on the 5th. Figured Id treat myself to a good sendoff before this madness and they seem to be the best.

4eyedbuzzard
02-14-2014, 14:43
The Vapor Trail was one of the favorite packs of thru-hikers for many years. It's a bit heavy (not a lot) by UL standards but does have pretty nice straps and hip belt. Is there a specific reason you think it was a mistake? Agree with others - you may not have a warm enough sleeping bag if the weather stays/turns cold. Wear all your base layers and stay out of the wind. Best of luck on your hike and thereafter.

revid
02-14-2014, 15:54
Revid, Ill be staying at the hiker hostel on the 5th. Figured Id treat myself to a good sendoff before this madness and they seem to be the best.

Cool, I will see you there. I will be arriving late so don't go to bed too early. :) Are you doing the approach?

Jeryx
02-14-2014, 17:36
The vapor itself is one of the better gear purchases Ive made. The mistake was getting a large instead of a regular. I got it before I understood how a pack should fit, and apparently before the REI guy fitting me did too! I'm 6'3 but most of it is legs not torso.
My main worry about the contrail is setting the thing up on the wooden tent plats. Living in FL already taught me about stakes and sand, hence the toughstakes. Its a great tent but would really prefer something like the moment.

For the cold nights I have my base layer silks, 10 degree silk liner, the fleece throw over me, in the bag, on top of the thermarest, on top of the mylar as a heat reflector, under the tent, with a winter hat on. Add in a hot drink before bed and Ill be fine. Im originally from upstate NY. Winter temps dont really worry me. Affording the extra gear worries me.

Revid, yea I will probably do the approach trail.

bobtomaskovic
02-14-2014, 23:24
Hey Jeryx, don't let the tent platforms scare you. I didn't use one til New England and there was always a way to sip a tent peg in the cracks and get setup.

Jeryx
03-03-2014, 16:17
Well Im still on for this insanity. Heading out tommorow night to atlanta. Let the games begin!

devil dog
03-03-2014, 21:44
Good luck my friend!

Jeryx
11-17-2014, 19:16
I am probably going to get yelled at for necroing a dead thread, but I figure hey, finish it where it started. The short of it is, I lasted about a week and never made it out of GA. As many predicted, I was getting too cold at night. That was really driven home when another hiker looked at me and said "dude you're state one", as in hypothermia. If I was getting that cold in GA, I shudder, literally, to think what the higher altitudes of TN would have been like. I also ran out of money for resupply and was in quite the pickle, unable to go forward, and no place to go back to. More than the cold kept me from sleeping well those nights.

Thats when the angels showed up. Fresh Ground and Miss Janet are two names you all might be familiar with. An old roommate of mine was able to arrange an RV trailer on his property for me to live in while I got my feet back under me, and I've spent the months since, by the grace of friends, making some headway on that. Though the hike ended long before I wanted it to, it was still a great experience. With my situation before getting on the trail, I was in a very ugly mindset. But the community and attitude on the trail, the people I met, did a lot to restore my faith in humanity. I honestly felt like I belonged there. And one of these years, I WILL be back to finish what I began.

Slo-go'en
11-18-2014, 00:36
Thanks for the closure, few bother to do that. Glad your making headway with your life!

Jeryx
11-18-2014, 01:49
Only the close of that chapter. Like I said I'll be back. Got me a wicked case of springer fever right now actually, been looking at gear I cant afford! Speaking of gear, I did end up sending the trangia back from Neels and going with a pocket rocket. Alcohol being easier to source than canisters I'll probably take along the trangia burner next time along with one of the lighter pot stand and windscreen options and only a single pot. That week taught me things no amount of research and prepwork could. So next time, ALL THE WAY!!!

Leanthree
11-18-2014, 02:07
Only the close of that chapter. Like I said I'll be back. Got me a wicked case of springer fever right now actually, been looking at gear I cant afford! Speaking of gear, I did end up sending the trangia back from Neels and going with a pocket rocket. Alcohol being easier to source than canisters I'll probably take along the trangia burner next time along with one of the lighter pot stand and windscreen options and only a single pot. That week taught me things no amount of research and prepwork could. So next time, ALL THE WAY!!!

Glad to hear you are learning from experience. You honestly have a pretty good set-up for a mid april start. With money being tight, just get hiking and see where the trail takes you. No need to force such a cold start date next time. It will also save you money as most years, mid march starters need a few days in hostels to sit out a snowstorm.

Jeryx
11-18-2014, 03:32
Well the early start date was not really my choice , it was kind of forced by life circumstances. Still, I am originally from the northeast and no stranger to cold. No friend of it either, but I still see a lot of benefits to the early start, if I can get a suitable kit put together. Fresh Grounds cafe bubble being one of the bigger ones! Not to mention getting to the resupply points ahead of the pack. My major oversight the first time around was not just lack of insulation, but lack of base layer. That will be resolved next time around, which is not likely to happen this side of 2016. Oh well, guess I'll be lurking the forums for a while yet.

q-tip
11-18-2014, 11:43
I would encourage you to weigh EVERYTHING. It has been a good benchmark for decision making on gear and accessories. My first AT pack was 38 lbs loaded food & water, same kit js now 22 - 24 lbs. Cut the weight literally ounces at a time. I do haved an UL kit base weight at 11 lbs but a bit too spartan for me, so I go with my lightweight kit at 13-15 lbs. I also have a Contrail (and three other bkpking tents) and it is the best tent for me. I get soaked in my. 1 lb Wild Oasis tarp. Good luck, if you would like to review my gear lists send me your email and I will forward. In addition, I lost 35 lbs before I started, more than the weight of my pack. Completed GA - WVA in 2010. Hoping for JMT this august.

Jeryx
11-18-2014, 14:02
I honestly do not remember what my pack weighed, but I know it was somewhere in the 40s and I had the highest score at amicalola. Got your jaws back on? OK, while I might originally be from NY I had done some desert hiking fairly recently, trained by a good friend who was a born and raised desert rat. So with those habits ingrained I had set out with 7L of water (jawcheck) on me and my food bag was also quite large and heavy.

I did eventually wise up to how frequent the springs were and dumped a good deal of that water, but before I did, I was at the top of a rather rough climb taking a minute to breathe and enjoy the view, when another hiker came round the corner beet red in the face and bone dry on water. So my load got lightened and he got a refill. I like to think theres a silver lining to every screwup. Right or wrong, it lets me smile.

G2outdoors
03-12-2015, 14:48
This was a lot of fun to read. Thanks for posting.

q-tip
03-13-2015, 14:32
I am disabled and did Springer to Harpers Ferry in 2010 during a respite with my illness. It was in many ways necessary for me, but my body took a beating. I spent alot of $$$ in hotels recovering... The money might be tight, but in my case it was one of the great accomplishments in my life, mostly due to my circumstances. I have been suffering with an undiagnosed disease for two years and may never hike again. The disease may ultimately win, but I have never regretted a second of my adventure.

PS: I used a Vapor Trail and TT Contrail, both worked stellar.