View Full Version : new guys gear list...rip me to shreds
snickerssave
10-03-2005, 22:32
whats up everyone, first post and just wanted to get some advice on my big four........ feel free to recommend anything that will lighten the load. the gear is going to be used on a north bound thru hike of the appalachian trail from april 16 until i finish.
granite gear virga backpack
oware 6x8 tarp, vargo titanium stakes, spectra cord
ridge rest( cut to fit me)
marmot hydrogen sleeping bag and silk liner
one main quesion i had is whether i should get a BMW bivy sack to protect the bag from splashing and puddling.
thanks alot guys,
p@uL
other than 'no hammock', i guess you're ok... but having spent a few nights under a tarp, i prefer the hammock... :D
i seem to remember a review where a tester poured a cup of water into a dip he made in a hydrogen, and an hour later it hadn't soaked in... still, best to take your stuff out in the yard, set it up, and then get out the hose or better yet, the sprinkler... see what happens... 6 x 8 is a little small, but that's up to you. pretend you're jupiter fluvious and be a rain cloud... TRY to get your stuff wet using just the downward motion of 'rain'... see what sprays up under the tent, and then decide...
or get a hammock and don't worry about the bivy... (what weighs more... hammock, or bivy and tarp and pole and groundsheet?)
Mountain Laurel Designs has some cool spinnaker tarps in the 6.5 oz range. Just a thought.
fiddlehead
10-04-2005, 07:36
I think you'll do fine although i would prefer about another 2 feet on the length of that tarp. I like to put all my gear (and food) inside with me and keep it all dry. I'd forget the bivy, i use tyvek for a ground sheet and have some extra on the sides to pull up if i have to.
Whistler
10-04-2005, 08:13
I used a 5x8 with good success last year. A longer tarp might be more emotionally comfortable and a bit less hassle, depending on how competent you are with it. I don't think you'll need the bivy, as it's generally pretty hard to get soaked even in a small tarp, and it's easy to dry out in town or on sunny afternoons. Looks like a decent start though!
-Mark
peter_pan
10-04-2005, 08:17
New guy gear list....tarping is good but not without its issues...I have read posts in the past that recommend folk be experianced with more standard size tarps, 8x10, before they start to push the limits of minimalism...that said I also notice that folk like Ryan Jordan, experianced tarper and extreme UL , owner of BPL and BMW gear, type almost always use bivies, especially under the very small tapered tarps, especially when weather is variable or expected to be poor....forcasted good for a weekend hike is far different from preparing for a thru....oh and planning to be a shelter user is flawed for a spring start with hords of others...don't expect sympathy because all you have is 6x8 and it is raining hard and cold, if the shelter is really full you'll be under your tarp.
If you are planning on max use of shelters know that the floors are hard... there is no forest duff to cushion the area below your pad... a good nights sleep is well worth a few ounces...be prepared for some cold, even with a late start, 16 Apr, Your legs will be uninsulated with this small pad, learn to use your pack and be sure that you are fine with that approach.
Good luck and HYOH.
A hammockers $0.02
Pan
12hrsN2AT
10-04-2005, 08:22
i would prefer about another 2 feet on the length of that tarp. I like to put all my gear (and food) inside with me and keep it all dry. I'd forget the bivy, i use tyvek for a ground sheet and have some extra on the sides to pull up if i have to. I agree 100%. First I need a bigger tarp. Being that close to a rainstorm gets you wet.
I also use a Tyvek ground cloth. If you carry duct tape, you can always make a bivy from it if pulling up the sides isn't working. I also carry a spinnsheet or Poly groundcloth. The Tyvek or spinnsheet keep your bag clean as opposed to sleeping right on wet or dirty ground.
snickerssave
10-05-2005, 00:18
thanks for the input so far.... i have had some success in using the 6x8 but just not in really heavy rainfall....only a couple nights in the ADKS. i will def have a tyvek ground cloth if i am not using a bivy, but considering how light the bivy is, maybe i should just get that? i was just worried about condensation buildup. as for the length of the tarp i am a fairly little guy 5'5 155 lbs so i'll still experiment with the tarp. i have used a hammock (homemade one, and i do love them) but for me i can sleep fairly well on the ground too. i plan on using alot of shelters once i get away from the pack sort of speak. i do put my backpack under my feet as well to give me a little bit of insulation. one other thought......should i perhaps think about getting the marmot atom which weighs in at 1lb (900 fill ) and is rated to 40 degrees, then i could always use a silk homemade liner, which could add some extra warmth and keep my bag clean?? just another thought. and one more question for you guys..i have heard of some people using a 2-4mm plastic sheet for a ground cloth. is that lighter than tyvek. i'm assuming thats its not nearly as durable but just seeing if there are any pros to using that.
thanks alot guys
p@uL
Traction
10-05-2005, 01:06
being that you're 5'5" the 6x8 tarp sounds like a mansion to me.. I just did my hike with a 5x8 and i'm 6'0".. but I stayed dry (most of the time).. when I did get a little wet it just added to the excitement.. as far as the stakes go.. lose em'.. there are plenty of sticks in them there woods. And to answer your question about a lighter ground sheet.. I hiked with a guy (Flash Gorden) for a while who was using a space blanket as sort of a ground sheet / bivy.. I can't think of anything that can beat it in weight.. though, I know he had to go through quite a few of them as they wear down pretty fast.. I just had a tyvek ground sheet that I had made and I had sewn loops in it to match up with the loops in my tarp so I could just stake it right down with my tarp (but made sure the tyvek was inside of the tarp..so it didn't catch rain).. It worked well and I never got wet.. but as the trip went on and I kept cutting out more things from my pack I soon sent home my tyvek ground sheet and just laid myself right down on that wonderfully soft, absorbent ground.. My bag would get a little wet.. but eh, like I said before.. it just adds to the excitement.. and besides.. I couldn't justify carrying the weight of the groundsheet for the few times that it would downpour long enough to get me wet.. but then again, this year was pretty dry. so adjust your load to what the trail is giving you.. and enjoy the hell out of it :D
sierraDoug
10-05-2005, 01:40
and one more question for you guys..i have heard of some people using a 2-4mm plastic sheet for a ground cloth. is that lighter than tyvek. i'm assuming thats its not nearly as durable but just seeing if there are any pros to using that.
thanks alot guys
I used the same 4 mil plastic groundsheet for years. They're thick and tough. Recently I switched to a 2 mil one to save weight. It's much more delicate, but half the weight, so I intend to stick with it, though it may have to be replaced more often. I have no experience with Tyvek.
JustPassinThru
10-05-2005, 06:57
Staying dry "most of the time" may sound like an acceptable option, until the first time you have to crawl into your bag wet and cold after a day of hiking in the rain.
My son and I used a Tyvek groundcloth on our thru hike. For durability it can't be beat.
I'd strongly recommend changing from a silk bag liner to a synthetic one. Silk requires special care for cleaning but a synthetic one can go into the washer and dryer with everything else. And believe me, after a week or so, the bag liner can get pretty funky.
JustPassinThru
MacGyver2005
10-05-2005, 07:13
I'd strongly recommend changing from a silk bag liner to a synthetic one. Silk requires special care for cleaning but a synthetic one can go into the washer and dryer with everything else. And believe me, after a week or so, the bag liner can get pretty funky.
Morning, dad. :welcome Glad to see that you made it.
As for the bag liner, I would like to add a little to what he said. A silk bag liner is 1º-2º warmer and 1-2oz lighter than synthetic, very durable and very comfortable. They are great for weekend trips, or maybe even a week trip. Of course, then you go home and was it by hand, hang dry it, and neatly pack it away. On the trail it is not that easy. I know for us it was tough to find the time to wash it by hand and get it dry, not to mention getting Woolite at a few bucks for a bottle that we really wouldn't carry along with us. And as he said, it can get pretty funky. Synthetic is a better choice in our opinions for ease of care on a thru-hike.
Regards,
-MacGyver
GA-->ME
Traction
10-05-2005, 09:54
hey, staying dry most of the time is fine later in the trip once it warms up.. i kept my groundsheet through the cold weather.. but, as soon as it warmed up there was no way i was carrying that sucker..
I'm surprised that some found value in liners.
I used one for a while, but got frustrated with the way it twisted around me during the night. Perhaps that was just my sleep style, or perhaps mine didn't tie to the bag in enough places.
Obvioulsy they work, but not for me.
Footslogger
10-05-2005, 11:42
[QUOTE=rickboudrie]I'm surprised that some found value in liners. I used one for a while, but got frustrated with the way it twisted around me during the night.
===========================================
Same here ...plus I didn't feel the proported 10 degrees of added warmth. I sent mine home pretty early in the hike and just wore more clothing on the colder nights.
'Slogger
snickerssave
10-05-2005, 22:01
any thoughts as to whether or not i could go withthe 40 degree bag or should i just stick with the hydrogen (30 degree) bag? i already have a nice tyvek ground cloth so i think i will stay with that. as for the stakes, i do use 2 trekking poles (leki ultralite ti) and i only bring 4 stakes, just for piece of mind. i do plan on using a shelter quite a bit but i am still researching.
Traction
10-06-2005, 00:20
i dont like stakes.. they should only be carried if you plan to slay vampires. well.. hmmph. ok, so maybe you should carry them.. there were some strange people in new york.
snickerssave
10-06-2005, 20:49
they wouldnt be all that bad if i integrate them into my pot stand for my stove?now im gettin it
Traction
10-06-2005, 20:59
they wouldnt be all that bad if i integrate them into my pot stand for my stove?now im gettin it
what kind of stove?
MoBeach42
10-06-2005, 21:32
Everyone's been talking about the sleeping system - but I have to commend you on the Virga. I didn't end up getting one 'till NY - and I LOVE IT! You obviously have the weight down enough to swing it, and I found that the weight 'limit' of 20lbs that they suggest isn't very much of a hard limit. Do consider how the cutting down of the RidgeRest (which I think is important) affects the pack's suppor - especially if you have to carry three or (god forbid) four days of food. I had a 3/4 length Z-lite which was against my back and provided an excellent frame. Happy Hiking!
snickerssave
10-07-2005, 00:43
i had an alcohol stove but since then i have been checking out the new esbit fosters can stove from ultralight outfitters. looks pretty swee, i just got paid so i am definately going to purchase one to see how it is used. and that brings me to another question. stoves.....what do you recommend? i have used canister stoves and have since switched to a mini red bull alcohol stove, it works really well....but my big concern is availability of denatured alcohol in stores along the trail. i have never really looked into that yet but i was definately thinking about switching to esbit tablets. questions? concerns? let me hear em!
p@uL
i'd support the alcohol stove idea... i use an ion. i cook two hot meals a day, or at least make something warm for breakfast, and use an ounce of fuel a day, easy. most of my trips are short, 1-2 overnighters, often with daughter in tow, so i could get away with a 20 oz soda bottle full, or even a smaller 12 oz bottle (or whatever they are... it's late, i'm tired, and i can't remember)... even on longer trips, a 20 oz bottle will last awhile. and i've heard several people on this forum say alcohol is easy enough to get on the trail, especially as more people start using alcohol stoves... merchants are in business to make a buck, and if they sell to thru hikers already, it stands to reason they'd sell alcohol if they could make a profit on it... for lack of that, a bottle of HEET works too (yellow-methanol, not red-ethanol.)
snickerssave
10-07-2005, 01:22
have you guys checked this out? http://www.ultralightoutfitters.com/index.php?h=packing&n=stove&s=beercan pretty cool idea....essentially a cheap jetboil! i'll post when i get it.
atbeatle
10-07-2005, 02:21
even with a tarp, you will get wet, and I even got wet with a full tent. with a hommock, which I regret not taking, you can even sleep in a full shelter by hanging your hammock- next time I would take a hammock, and forgo the tent I hardly used it
:datz
Ed "Beatle Bailey" Keaton
atbeatle
GA>Me 1982
Just Jeff
10-07-2005, 02:38
I have an alcohol stove with Walmart GP, but my JetBoil is so much more convenient that I've been carrying that instead. I just made a Foster's pot, though...once I figure out a potstand that fits it I might try that for a few trips. Could probably save several ounces...dunno if that will make up for the convenience, though.
even with a tarp, you will get wet, and I even got wet with a full tent. with a hommock, which I regret not taking, you can even sleep in a full shelter by hanging your hammock- next time I would take a hammock, and forgo the tent I hardly used it
:datz
Ed "Beatle Bailey" Keaton
atbeatle
GA>Me 1982
23 years since your thruhike. Are you planning on going again? It'd be interesting to see how it has changed if you haven't been back in that time.