View Full Version : Essentials
I am taking a year to get together everything I need to go on a thru-hike in 2007. I'm just wondering what everyone who hiked the trail considered essential to have. Just want starting lists so I can go out during the next year and get what I need.
Alligator
01-18-2006, 13:27
You''ll surely get some responses here, but if you don't, try clicking on Featured Articles at the top of the page. It's a great place to start.
Jack Tarlin
01-18-2006, 13:28
Kendrah---
If you use the search engine for Whiteblaze and look up "Gear Lists" you'll se al sorts of examples of what different folks carry. Also, if you go to www.trailjournals.com and look at some different hiker diaries/journals, almost all of them contain gear lists; just be aware that these are STARTING lists, and most folks make a lot of changes during their trips, adding items, discarding others, changing brands or models, etc. What you start with is very rarely what you finish with.
Welcome to WB, and if you have any specific questions about Gear or anything else, don't be shy about asking.
Lone Wolf
01-18-2006, 13:31
Good fitting footwear/socks
Good fitting pack.
Good sleeping bag/pad.
Good stove/cook pot.
Rainwear
Warm clothing(fleece, polypro, mittens, hat,etc.)
Headlamp
Maps
Some sort of shelter (tarp, tent, bivy, hammock.etc.)
That's a start.
Is it better to have an external or internal pack? All I have right now is a day pack so I'm in the market! :D
The internal / external debate used to be a good way to set off a pretty ferocious debate but I think most thrus now will tell you to go with an internal. You will see both on the trail and will have people advocate each, so it really comes down to preference. I am firmly in the internal frame camp, a friend absolutely hates them and uses an external.
The most important issues with a pack surround fit, does it fit you well enough to carry your load comfortably and does it fit all of your gear (including a full food bag) without leaving alot of empty space.
I usually recommend folks get all their other gear first, then pare that list down to what they are actually going to take, then take everything down to the gear store and find a pack that fits you well and hauls everything comfortably. Most stores will let you wear the pack for a while, walk around the store in it and see how it does for a little while, some even have bags of kitty litter or sand to weigh it down.
I am taking a year to get together everything I need to go on a thru-hike in 2007. I'm just wondering what everyone who hiked the trail considered essential to have. Just want starting lists so I can go out during the next year and get what I need.
The essentials are: Food, Clothing, Shelter, and a pack to put them in.
I can't help with the details. My gear is mostly decades old. You couldn't find duplicates even if you tried.
Besides, it would take a book to explain all the options available for each of the four. But I'm sure others will supply enough options to totally confuse you.
The key considerations are low weight and durability, which, of course, are mostly mutually exclusive. The lightest is rarely particularly durable, and almost always the most expensive -- if expense is a consideration.
I always start with what I already own and use as far as clothing goes, augmented by whatever I can find on sale (translation: stuff nobody else particularly wants)
Weary
Good fitting footwear/socks
Good fitting pack.
Good sleeping bag/pad.
Good stove/cook pot.
Rainwear
Warm clothing(fleece, polypro, mittens, hat,etc.)
Headlamp
Maps
Some sort of shelter (tarp, tent, bivy, hammock.etc.)
That's a start.
and now that i am diabetic i have other stuff that is
mandantory,glucometer kit
insulin and opiticlick pen lol:cool: neo
Something that you won't commonly see listed is a pair of ear plugs. You will be spending time in shelters and ear plugs are really essential. Go to a hardware store and look in the safety section. The soft rubber ones with a cord will run you about $2. Don't buy the disposable foam ones.
Also, as others have mentioned, there are a couple of packing lists in the articles section.
It's good to start now! The gear you get will seem heavy....then you'll want to get lighter and lighter. My advice would be to start out getting the lightest things you can, so you don't waste money on items you won't use due to their weight.
Have fun planning!
It is meant for people doing their first backpacking trip in Colorado, but suspect with a little tweaking could apply to other places, too.
http://www.magnanti.com/miscwritings/begbp.htm
hikerjohnd
01-18-2006, 18:52
I'm just wondering what everyone who hiked the trail considered essential to have.
I think it is essential to have any electronics use the same battery type. I have settled on AAA - so I only have to carry one or two spares. If one item dies, I can use the batts from something else until I get to a resupply point. I don't carry much that uses batteries (headlight, MP3 player are the only two things that come to mind). Seems trivial, but it has lightened my load and I don't have to hunt for different size batts when I'm in town.