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View Full Version : Gearlist for my June SOBO Thru, tell me what I'm missing



DocMahns
02-13-2014, 13:55
Clothing:
USMC Fleece Cap
USMC Boonie Hat
Peace/Love Bandana (going for a Full Metal Jacket theme here, haha)
Ballistic sunglasses
Merino wool blend base layer shirt
Merino wool L/S lightweight sweater
Merino wool S/S t-shirt
Gloves (wool inserts, poly gloves, leather shells)
Nylon rain jacket (Army PT jacket)
Nylon rain pants (wind pants)
Merino wool compression shorts x2
Merino wool base layer tights
REI Sahara zipoff hiking pants
Darn tough wool socks x2 and fluffy wool socks x1
Vibram fivefinger camp shoes/river crossing shoes
Merrell MOAB Ventilators

Gear:
Pack- TBD, pretty set on ULA catalyst
Black Diamond Ergo hiking poles
Trash bag pack liner
BD Headlamp
Cheap compass
clothing stuffsack

Cooking:
Jetboil SOL, 4 season mix 450g
BIC lighter
titanium spork
aquamira
two nalgene bottles 32oz
water storage bladder platypus 2L
food stuffsack

Sleeping:
Big Agnes bellyache 15deg bag
Hennessy Explorer Deluxe/Supershelter/Typhoon rainfly
bubble insulation reflective pad

Ditty bag:
NSAID/Allergy pills/bandaids/goldbond
TP
Purell
toothpaste/brush travel size
comb for my beard
bugspray/premethrin
sunscreen travel size
chapstick
nail clippers
earplugs

Misc:
leatherman
100ft 550 cord
duct tape
emergency blanket

Total packweight less actual pack/water/food is 21.8lbs
Any minor thing I can switch out at little to no cost would be considered
All of my big ticket items (minus the pack) I can't afford to swap.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 13:58
forgot to add an Arc'teryx Fortrez fleece

4eyedbuzzard
02-13-2014, 14:20
Thoughts . . . I'd ditch the 100' of 550 para cord for something less stretchy like 50' of dyneema so that it could also be used as hammock suspension repair in a pinch. You probably won't need the platy for extra water in New England - plenty of water here especially in spring. Bounce the permethrin or buy new when needed - if you treat your clothing prior to leaving it will last through several wash cycles.

tarantolk
02-13-2014, 14:27
Head net. Or serious bug repellent. I got chewed up and spit out last year mid-June.

4eyedbuzzard
02-13-2014, 14:44
Head net. Or serious bug repellent. I got chewed up and spit out last year mid-June. +1 or +2 on bug repellent. Although you say you are carrying bug repellent make it a big bottle of DEET (honestly, the naturalpel and other alternative stuff is just gravy for ME bugs) and long sleeve shirt / long pants and headnet. It's a crapshoot though. Some areas the bugs will be out in force, others they won't. And when the black flies go in for the evening the skeeters come out for the shift change.

Slo-go'en
02-13-2014, 14:48
You could go with a much lighter bag, it's not going to be that cold in June, chilly yes, but not 15 degree cold. Plus it will be warming up quickly, by the end of June it will be down right tropical.

You probably won't need gloves at all, but light liners might be handy a few times until you get out of the Whites.

A couple of 20 oz soda bottles is all you need for water, no need for the heavy nalgenes.

I never found a need for a Leatherman type tool - a small locking pocket knife is really all you will ever need. I carried an emergency "space blanket" for years until the package wore out and then I thew it away and never carried one again.

Camara? you will want to take pictures won't you?

A bug net hat is highly recommended. DEET is pretty much useless, black fies overwhelm you with numbers and they seem to thrive on DEET. The only effective repelant is a physical barrier. Tics are not much of a problem up here in the woods most of the Lyme problems are on the coast. Hopefully this really cold winter without a lot of snow cover so far will put a dent in the tic population. You'll want to worry more when you start to get out of New England.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 15:02
All helpful stuff, thanks guys!
I will invest in some bug netting.
Slo- I'm working on getting a camera, I just haven't decided what to go with, funds are dwindling and they tend to be pricey
as for the nalgenes I really like the wide mouth on them vs the narrow mouth on anything else, this is why I chose them. Maybe I'll just cut it down to one Nalgene? The sp

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 16:24
*The space blanket will probably end up getting left at home.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 17:22
You could go with a much lighter bag, it's not going to be that cold in June

The BA seems pretty light and I really like the compressability. I can't really afford a replacement for it and purchased it knowing I'll probably need it hiking into colder weather down south, same with the supershelter. I assumed I could just use it as a blanket or quilt in the warmer months.

BuckeyeBill
02-13-2014, 17:38
I am going to be carrying two wide mouth nalgenes. One for coffee with this filter (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/CAMOmnifindQueryCmd?storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1&searchCategory=&ip_state=&ip_constrain=&ip_navtype=search&pageSize=24&currentPage=&ip_sortBy=&searchKeywords=82197) . I intend to use the second one for soaking beans so I can quickly cook ham and beans.

Slo-go'en
02-13-2014, 18:25
Slo- I'm working on getting a camera, I just haven't decided what to go with, funds are dwindling and they tend to be pricey

I've actually had pretty good luck with really cheap kid camaras. Well, the last one I got wasn't too good, it had to be held really still not to get a blurry picture. But you can probably find a decent camara for about $50 on sale/discontinued if you look around. Also ask around friends and family, some one you know likely has a draw full of old, but perfictly good camaras kicking around.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 18:31
I've actually had pretty good luck with really cheap kid camaras. Well, the last one I got wasn't too good, it had to be held really still not to get a blurry picture. But you can probably find a decent camara for about $50 on sale/discontinued if you look around. Also ask around friends and family, some one you know likely has a draw full of old, but perfictly good camaras kicking around.

My buddy says he's got an old one he might be giving me, but it's not shock proof or water proof so I'm hesitant to take it on the trail. I guess something is better than nothing though.

Turk6177
02-13-2014, 19:42
+1 on the spectra cord. http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/spectra_cord.shtml Also, I am not sure what size bic lighter you have, but I like to carry the two small ones. One of those I keep tightly sealed in a ziplock in case the other one ever gets wet. I would add a permetherin treated mosquito head net for Maine. I was in the 100 mile wilderness this past summer and I am soooooo glad I had that head net. You can get rid of it later. I would go with a tiny Leatherman or the small swiss army knife that has the tweezers inside it. I think you can dump the nalgene bottles and get a couple 1 liter platypus bottles with the sport squirt top. Lastly, and this is a preference thing, I know aqua mirra is lighter, but you have to wait 20 minutes every time you get water to be able to take a drink. That is 5 minutes for the drops to react and then another 15 minutes to treat the water. I used to use AM, but now I prefer my Sawyer Squeeze filter. It also fits right on your platypus bags, should the bags it comes with leak. I also don't carry toothpaste. I use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (a couple drops) for brushing my teeth. You can also use the soap to clean your pot, bandanna, etc. It really doesn't taste that bad.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 20:02
I'll have to look into upgrading my cordage, I was just going to use the 550 cord because I had a spool of it laying around from the military.

Weather-man
02-13-2014, 20:18
I'd drop the leather-man or maybe switch to a micra.

Personally I like to carry a 2x2L bladders for camp water. That's just because I'm lazy and in the evening will treat 5.5 liters (my 2 bladders, Gatorade bottle and smaller bottle) which gives me water for the night meal, pound a liter to hydrate, breakfast water and water to start the day's hike with. I just don't like messing with treating water in the AM, especially if the water is a hump.

CarlZ993
02-13-2014, 20:25
Internal warning bells go off when I see anything 'Military' for backpacking gear (whatever an Army PT rain jacket is). That usually means it's heavy. Budget wise, it doesn't seem like you can do much to address bigger ticket items. Still, Mountaingear.com has a sale going on now on clothing. I just ordered a super-light rain jacket for $45 off regular price ($105 vs $150). Other examples also exist that will probably be lighter than what you're taking. Something to think about. If you win the lottery, be sure to buy a lighter sleeping bag.

Smaller items:
Liner gloves only
Ditch the Nalgenes. Wt =~ 6.3 oz. X 2 = 12.6 (empty) + 2L Platypus (1.3 oz) = 13.9 oz. Two Smart Water bottles (@ 1.4 oz each) & 2L Platypus = 4.1 oz.
Cord: Only need 50' max. Paracord is heavier & bulkier than other options out there.
Fuel = You might be able to get by w/ the smaller canister (depending on how often you boil water; I saw some guys last several hundred miles on a small canister w/ their JetBoil).
Shirt = nylon bug-resistant (infused w/ Permithirin) might be useful; I know ExOfficio makes some shirts like this
Pack = ULA makes good packs; I used the Circuit; sounds like you'll need a larger one for capacity

Anyway, really look at all your stuff before you go. It's amazing how little you really NEED to do a thru-hike. I carried stuff that I never used (compass) or rarely used (sunscreen/sunglasses). For my NoBo hike, there were things I wished I brought (Microspikes). See what you can cull before you go. Just don't run out of bug juice (DEET).

Slo-go'en
02-13-2014, 20:56
My buddy says he's got an old one he might be giving me, but it's not shock proof or water proof so I'm hesitant to take it on the trail. I guess something is better than nothing though.

Neither are any of the camara's I've carried for many, many miles. With just a little reasonable care, there shouldn't be a problem. Keep it in a plastic bag when its raining and don't drop a rock on it. Get a little padded case to put on your shoulder or waist strap to keep the camara handy.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 21:20
Internal warning bells go off when I see anything 'Military' for backpacking gear (whatever an Army PT rain jacket is). That usually means it's heavy. Budget wise, it doesn't seem like you can do much to address bigger ticket items. Still, Mountaingear.com has a sale going on now on clothing. I just ordered a super-light rain jacket for $45 off regular price ($105 vs $150). Other examples also exist that will probably be lighter than what you're taking. Something to think about. If you win the lottery, be sure to buy a lighter sleeping bag.

Smaller items:
Liner gloves only
Ditch the Nalgenes. Wt =~ 6.3 oz. X 2 = 12.6 (empty) + 2L Platypus (1.3 oz) = 13.9 oz. Two Smart Water bottles (@ 1.4 oz each) & 2L Platypus = 4.1 oz.
Cord: Only need 50' max. Paracord is heavier & bulkier than other options out there.
Fuel = You might be able to get by w/ the smaller canister (depending on how often you boil water; I saw some guys last several hundred miles on a small canister w/ their JetBoil).
Shirt = nylon bug-resistant (infused w/ Permithirin) might be useful; I know ExOfficio makes some shirts like this
Pack = ULA makes good packs; I used the Circuit; sounds like you'll need a larger one for capacity

Anyway, really look at all your stuff before you go. It's amazing how little you really NEED to do a thru-hike. I carried stuff that I never used (compass) or rarely used (sunscreen/sunglasses). For my NoBo hike, there were things I wished I brought (Microspikes). See what you can cull before you go. Just don't run out of bug juice (DEET).

I opted out of a lot of military gear that I had laying around and upgraded much of it. The jacket is literally just a nylon shell with a mesh interior lining, and the pants were the same. It's just like a nylon track suit. I suppose I could go lighter with it though and have been looking into different rain gear that's affordable.
The bag is 2lbs 7oz, I don't know if that's heavy for a bag but the alternative was my military sleeping system which weighs infinitely more. I was actually surprised at how light it was in comparison so I figured I WAS going light with that option haha.
I'll have to ditch the poly gloves and leather shells and keep the wool liners only, that seems like a common theme in many posts here.
I chose the 450g fuel canister out of convenience of not having to try and find jetboil canisters on the trail and just get one and done kind of deal. I'll have to look into the smaller ones though if you think I can stretch that one, I imagine I'll be using it a lot though and my thought process was it'll get lighter the more I use it.
I was going to go with the circuit but I think I'll need the extra volume for the hammock set up alone.

I'm going to do a couple shake downs and see what I really need vs. what I don't need. I'm going to really evaluate my rain gear though, that seems like I could save some weight in that category now that you mention it.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 21:22
Again, thanks for all the advice guys. Just when you think you have everything dialed in and set in stone.... haha seems like that's how it always goes when it comes to this stuff.

Last Call
02-13-2014, 21:24
Lots of people feel more secure with a bear bell attached to their pack, Coughlan's makes a good one, sometimes can be found at Wal-Marts. However, there is some debate on how effective they are, but for 2 or 3 bucks it surely can't hurt, and the weight is minimal. Flavor packets for your water are another good thing. Hope this helps.

Honuben
02-13-2014, 21:45
Don't think you are missing much, just personal preferences. Instead of a USMC fleece hat, definately go with a USN wool watch cap... haha j/k. Leatherman is handy, but I'm going with a simple swiss army knife. The knife also could replace the toenail clippers. One thing i didn't see was a guide book like the AWOL. A sponge (cut 1/4) with the scrapey side, forget what they are called (to help clean the pot), but not sure if you actually add food to the jetboil pot.

I am starting on June 14th, and my concern is i will have too much cold weather gear, you may have the same issue. The 15 degree bag is overkill but just open as a quilt and you should be fine. I'm still debating one a resupply just prior to the Whites so i don't have to carry the cold weather stuff through the HMW. Maine should warm, rainy and buggy and we should only hit cold weather in elevation, so i'm flip-flopping on gear still. good luck.

DocMahns
02-13-2014, 21:51
Instead of a USMC fleece hat, definately go with a USN wool watch cap... haha j/k

funny you say that because I have both and have been flip-flopping between the two...

I was going to use the bandanna as a cleaning tool. I'm playing with the same issues on what to bring from the weather variations. I just wanted to fall on the side of caution and have it in case I needed it.

4eyedbuzzard
02-14-2014, 04:55
*The space blanket will probably end up getting left at home.But you'll still have the one that you use in the supershelter system, right? Where will you put your feet when getting in and out of your hammock? If not right into the camp shoes a small tyvek or space blanket or sit pad weighted down with a few rocks works well to have a dry clean place for feet while getting in and out.


Again, thanks for all the advice guys. Just when you think you have everything dialed in and set in stone.... haha seems like that's how it always goes when it comes to this stuff.The best battle plans last for two minutes after the first shot is fired ;)


Lots of people feel more secure with a bear bell attached to their pack, Coughlan's makes a good one, sometimes can be found at Wal-Marts. However, there is some debate on how effective they are, but for 2 or 3 bucks it surely can't hurt, and the weight is minimal. Flavor packets for your water are another good thing. Hope this helps.No need for bear bell in ME. Moose is the most dangerous big animal in the ME woods.



I am starting on June 14th, and my concern is i will have too much cold weather gear, you may have the same issue. The 15 degree bag is overkill but just open as a quilt and you should be fine. I'm still debating one a resupply just prior to the Whites so i don't have to carry the cold weather stuff through the HMW. Maine should warm, rainy and buggy and we should only hit cold weather in elevation, so i'm flip-flopping on gear still. good luck.ME will be rainy and buggy, but I wouldn't bet on warm all the way to Gorham. We always say we have two seasons in northern New England - July and winter. After the HMW you'll go through the Chairbacks and Bigelows. Western ME can be quite cool even in June. Not 15 degree cool, but quite possibly cooler than 40.

Turk6177
02-14-2014, 09:00
Regarding rain gear, I wear these. They are not the most durable (meaning if you are sliding down the hill on your backside, they will probably tear) but for the price, I don't think you can beat them. They are very light weight as well. Check them out. http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm

DocMahns
02-14-2014, 13:44
Regarding rain gear, I wear these. They are not the most durable (meaning if you are sliding down the hill on your backside, they will probably tear) but for the price, I don't think you can beat them. They are very light weight as well. Check them out. http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm

I always hear such mixed reviews on FroggTogg stuff. I guess for the price it's worth trying out. I was also looking at the Helium II but that isn't waterproof, it soaks through on downpours but is only 6oz

DocMahns
02-15-2014, 00:42
Would also like to see if anyone has any opinions of the Helium II by Outdoor Research and how it works? Any input would be appreciated!

DocMahns
02-15-2014, 03:52
Also you guys mentioned both "dyneema" and "spectra" both are made by the same company, which one is more preferable?

4eyedbuzzard
02-15-2014, 04:06
They are different brand names for the same stuff - UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) Other than minor variations in stranding and sheathing they are essentially the same.
Dyneema is manufactured by DSM. Spectra is manufactured by Novabraid. Amsteel buys fiber from DSM for its Amsteel line/rope which is a favorite with hammockers for suspensions. They are all very similar.

DocMahns
02-15-2014, 13:19
They are different brand names for the same stuff - UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) Other than minor variations in stranding and sheathing they are essentially the same.
Dyneema is manufactured by DSM. Spectra is manufactured by Novabraid. Amsteel buys fiber from DSM for its Amsteel line/rope which is a favorite with hammockers for suspensions. They are all very similar.

Awesome, thanks for turning me on to amsteel, it seems like thats a really cool cheap option to lighten my load a few oz's and make camp setup a little faster with the suspension systems they offer.

DocMahns
02-17-2014, 00:12
I ended up ordering the amsteel whoopie slings to convert my hammock suspension to as well as extra line, should shave a few oz. That thick rope seems like it weighs a lot for what it is.

DocMahns
02-20-2014, 00:49
Ok, got the driducks, amsteel cordage and suspension, as well as finally settled on the ULA Catalyst. Did my weigh in tonight and got the base weight less food and water down to 17.8 lbs

Ostrogoth
02-20-2014, 16:17
I am bringing a small bottle of tincture of iodine. I know that at some point I will trip and skin my hand or my knee.. I plan on treating these injuries immediately (before any pathogen can take hold) with the iodine to prevent infection especially Community acquired MRSA.. To my knowledge, Iodine is the most effective in terms of resistance and lightest antibacterial that I know of.

DocMahns
02-20-2014, 23:15
Keep in mind iodine can be caustic to good tissue as well as opportunistic bacteria, it is a harsh detergent. It's widely accepted and recommended in the medical community that wounds only be cleansed with a mild soap and water (or an isotonic saline solution).

redzombie
06-07-2014, 23:13
Instead of Iodine have you looked into Alum crystals? I keep a small crystal in each pocket and you will never chafe, plus its stops bleeding and kills most bacteria and you can use it to purify water. Since military gear is being discussed here, I have a gortex cold weather jacket and pants. I just got done hiking the river to river trail in southern Illinois to prepare for my thru sobo hike coming up (30 days!) and the gortex rain jacket and pants seemed like a lot of weight, but they are good at keeping you warm if it rains. Not sure if i should go with the frog toggs or something else. Suggestions?

quasarr
06-09-2014, 08:42
Hi redzombie, I think Goretex is overkill for 3-season hiking. Frogg Toggs will be fine. I did a SOBO section starting July 1, and a few times in the Whites I had to deal with some chilly rain. (which the frogg toggs can handle perfectly well) But once you are past NH, a much more likely problem is sweating so much under your rain suit that you might as well just get rained on! Maybe if you are still hiking in Nov-Dec and start running into snow, you might want to swap out for the Goretex. But until then it is not worth the weight.

And feel free to post your list too if you want more detailed advice! :)