Cheap gear, dirtbagging, come as you are hiking.

[El JP]

This is something that i've been meaning to ask for a very long time.

Everywhere you look there is mention of top of the line gear that to be frank, costs a hell of a lot of money if you are an ordinary working class joe blow. I'd like to see the opinions of experienced folks on having a setup that is not exactly top notch.

I'll be the first to admit that i'm cutting it pretty close when it comes to an AT thru hike. My basic outlook is a combination of a long ago military service and a few years of homelessness where i got used to coping with a rather substandard everyday existence. The gear i've secured so far and what i'm looking at for the near future basically falls into the "sorta good enough" category. For example i have a Timberline2 tent brand new in the box since i was able to pick it up for peanuts last year. Also picked up Pinnacle poles for dirt cheap. I'm still waiting to pick up a sleeping bag and actual trail clothes but like i mentioned before, you can bet they aren't going to be top shelf material.

I have a checklist made out and i'm covering the core equipment but to be brutally honest, i do anticipate at some point(hopefully early on the trail) scrounging better quality discarded gear of sorts. I'm doing what i can moneywise but things are really tight around the homefront and 2018 is beckoning.

[egilbe]

Many people start out with cheap on the trail, either from financial constraints or ignorance. Theu mostly won’t complete the trail, they discard their cheap gear because its garbage, and they either buy better gear, or they quit.

You can have inexpensive, lightweight, good quality. Pick any two. Thats not saying you cant go hiking with lower quality gear, but it has to be really bad if you expect to upgrade on the trail.

with that said, Grandma Gatewood hiked the trail with a shower curtain as a shelter and wearing keds sneakers. You don’t need the newest, lightest, shiniest, selling your first born child, costliest gear to hike. There are ways to lighten your load without breaking the bank.

You can make your own gear. You can shop yardsales for unused hiking equipment. You ccan buy at Goodwill or check the for-sales here on Whiteblaze or other sites. You can take your time and save up money and buy good quality stuff and still go section hiking. Thats what I did. Thats what I do. That approach takes several years, but I’m still hiking the AT and other trails and still enjoying myself.

[garlic08]

Do a search here for the $300 challenge. It was by Sgt Rock. Look at Pmags.com, too, he may have some dirtbagging articles.

Ditto on getting good stuff on sale (may take a season of waiting) or used/borrowed. Sign up at steepandcheap.com.

Some savings can be realized by simply not buying accessories. For instance, I hike without a stove, camera, GPS, water filter, or pocket knife.

(My entire AT kit, including an excellent Marmot Helium 15F down bag, cost $800. I probably spent two times that over the decades trying stuff out, so experience is needed.)

[cmoulder]

It's easy to acquire cheap & heavy.

Cheap and light is harder, but HERE (https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/102851/)'s something to get you started... links to some other cheep-n-light ideas.

[Turtle-2013]

First, you really not need all that much gear ... stay away from the trap of getting things you don't need. Second, how light you need to go is entirely dependent on how young and strong you are, and how fast you want to go. (I'm not the young man I used to be and I've lightened my load considerably). Third, there are lower cost, lightweight options, for almost all of those high-priced gear options.

Mainly ... you need a pack that rides YOUR back right, with the weight you are going to carry, that isn't too heavy ... you need some sort of shelter, which can be as little as a ground sheet and a tarp ... you need some sort of sleeping gear to stay warm at night, get something fairly light but stay away from down for the AT ... and you need shoes or boots that FIT. Unless they are real, quality, leather boots, you will probably need several pair to finish the trail. And almost no-one uses REAL boots on the AT at this point. (sometimes I qualify as no-one ; ) )

There are dozens of ways to cook, some very cheap, some not so much ... both options can be light or heavy by today's standards.

You are more likely to find discarded excess, un-necessary, heavier gear ... than you are to find just-what-you-need lightweight gear.

In the last 50 years I have "tried it all" ... That said, if you want to get more specific, PM me and we will chat ... I might even have some extra equipment that I'd be willing to throw your way for little or nothing ... depending on what you need. I do try to have enough extra equipment on-hand so that I can take in-experienced friends with me on section hikes ....

Good luck!!!

[Hikingjim]

You can definitely go cheap and heavy. You picked up a tent with a minimum trail weight of 6 lbs. that's about 4x the weight of the expensive tents (ie: duplex) you noted that people use. If all your gear is between 2x and 4x "lightweight", you will make your challenge much greater. Not impossible though

sleeping pad, stove, accessories, etc, can all be found cheap with a bit of research and patience. Tent as well... there are some satisfactory 2-3 lb tents on places like amazon for 1 person on a budget, or people getting rid of used tents like a eureka solo for $40. Then get your pack last and see if it all fits in there!

Sleeping bag.. if you can find a sale and spend a bit more here (ie: a couple hundred), it will help your bulk and weight. Synthethic bags take up a ton of space
Consider these "econ quilts" http://www.hammockgear.com/econ-quilts/
That would give you a low weight/volume piece without needing to spend several hundred, and then you could get away with a couple other bulkier than ideal pieces

Also, not starting too early (harsher weather) is friendlier to cheap setups.

[peakbagger]

Folks used to hike the AT with far heavier gear. The trade off is less daily miles and a steeper conditioning curve.

[chknfngrs]

even the most ultra light oriented folks don’t spend much on clothing. I’ve seen them hiking in thrift store attire, in black dress socks instead of wool. In cheap I sneakers instead of boots. but that’s what they wear. They sleep on the ground under expensive quilts and tarps, and carry it in cuben fiber packs. And don’t carry stoves.

[Slo-go'en]

The problem with cheap gear is not only is it heavy and bulky, it self destructs quickly. Your not going to find better quality gear discarded along the trail (or in hiker boxes). At best you'll find the same crap like you already have.

Cheap gear is okay if all your doing are occasional short weekend trips and not going very far. But when you want to carry it for 2200 miles and it has to keep you alive for 5-6 months, you want better quality stuff. Not every thru hiker can afford top notch gear. Most of us carry middle of the road stuff.

You can put together a decent kit if your willing to do the leg work of looking for sales, discontinued items, visiting thrift stores and browsing ebay. If you only hike during the warm months you can get away with a lower quality gear, since you don't need much. Start in May and end by September. That means you'd have to finish in 4 months so you'd have to keep up a good pace. A fast-ish thru hike is also less expensive.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of those who try to thru hike on the cheap don't make it very far. Of course, having the most expensive, highest quality gear doesn't guarantee a successful thru hike either, but it sure helps.

[gracebowen]

Id take turtle up on his offer. A forum member here on whiteblaze recently gifted me a hexamid tarptent in excellent condition. It weighs 1lb 6 oz. I will be forever grateful

[gracebowen]

Id take turtle up on his offer. A forum member here on whiteblaze recently gifted me a hexamid tarptent in excellent condition. It weighs 1lb 6 oz. I will be forever grateful

[El JP]

Thanks all for the replies and info.

The "cheap gear" i have so far is not kmart type kit but gear that is usable and durable enough to last quite a while, it's just not top of the line nor featherweight material by the standards of countless gear lists i've seen. It's still early though in the equipment phase and i'm checking out all kind of things that would fall within my budget. The info above is being super helpful and i do anticipate being able to test out and make a final selection well before it's time to head for GA.

The scrounging part comes from some observation at the National Parks i worked at. People( clueless types tbh) more often than not tend to to pick up high end gear for some "great adventure" in the sticks and when it it sucks being out there, sometimes jettison damn near everything but the clothes on their backs in the haste to get out of the area. The Springer-Neels Gap section really comes to mind.

I'm not relying on finding stuff at all but keeping my eyes open sure wont hurt.

[SwathHiker]

You can manage with LIGHTWEIGHT gear rather than ultralight. I've put up some awesome suggestions before. I've been in your boat. Here are some very good ones. Plan to hike slower, which is fine. You don't need a zPacks cuben fiber this or that. A great sleeping bag available now is the Klymit 20 degree down on Amazon. Use the Honey Chrome extension and sign up for Honey in it. Click the Honey button on the Klymit bag on Amazon and it will email you when the price goes down. It'll go way down at various times, sometimes only for an hour during the day, once a week. It weighs 2.7 pounds and is 650 fill power. Bag accomplished. Your pack. Get one that will last. I like ULA because they have a frame and are very light, but not ultralight, and they stand behind their products. They aren't that expensive, and will last a very long time. Look for a used one. Or second choice is a Granite Gear. Look for a new one being sold on EBay or on Steep and Cheap, which is Backcountry.com's liquidation page. They also have a Chrome extension that will notify you and also have a price lowering notification dohickey. Another site to always check is Sierra Trading Post. They have unreal great prices on last years models. Tents: Anything under 2.5 pounds for one person is manageable, and the cottage industry folks really have this down to a science. Look at Six Moon Designs, they have fabulous tents for very very cheap. As does LightheartGear, and Tarptents. All of those are fantastic and light tents. They stand behind their products. They are silnylon and that is actually more sturdy than cuben fiber anyway, and only weighs a few more ounces. Everything else you can pick up on clearance. Everything. If there is some high end thing your heart desires. Stalk it on Amazon through Honey, on Steep and Cheap and Backcountry through their price-monitoring tool, on Sierra Trading Post and also very very importantly, on Massdrop.com. Sign up for that. I've saved a bunch of money on there already, and I just signed up a month ago myself.

If you are *very* poor you can also do cheap really well with some creative stuff, look over on reddit at the gear list subreddits for the appalachian trail and ultralite subreddit's gear on a budget. Those lists are on the right hand side of the page. I just posted on the ultralight subreddit about IKEA having cheap and light packing cubes that would work as stuffsacks of sorts, and their poncho that would work in summer over you and your backpack, and now they have packtowels too! Massdrop has Kizan trekking poles designed by users for users that are aluminum and thus will not break like carbon fiber and yet they are lighter than carbon fiber at 5.9 oz apiece and are $59 for the pair. Walmart sells a greasepot that weighs about 3 oz that thru hikers use as a cookpot. It's like $8. Look in the reviews for the correct pot. One of the reviews is from a thru hiker, so you'll know it. The BRS 3300 stove on Amazon is $12 and is a titanium backpacking stove weighing less than an ounce, far less than an MSR Pocket Rocket 2, and works well as long as not overloaded. Great. So you can swing it if you do the research. It can be done very easily once you get the big three out of the way. As for a sleep pad, for the longest time I used a $30 ridgerest and found that very very comfortable and is only 9 oz, and less if you cut it down some, (or cheaper and less weight to just buy the shorter version in the first place). So it can be done with research, very reasonably. But there are some tricks of the trade that are super-helpful, and I hope I've stated a couple of them here for you.

[SwathHiker]

Sorry that Klymit bag is $149 regularly, which is cheap anyway. I've seen it go down to $119 during the day. Don't forget black friday and cyber monday coming up, and then all the Christmas sales, after-Christmas sales, and New Years sales will make a huge huge difference. Even the cottage gear sites some of them have holiday sales. I'm hoping LHG may have a sale, but maybe not.

[SwathHiker]

Sorry I can't edit my posts. Also look at Granite Gear's clearance page. I also happen to be selling a brand new Granite Gear men's panel loading pack that is exactly 3.5 pounds and holds 62 L. It's my favorite pack and they don't make it anymore. It is considered heavy these days and it originally was $385, and I'm selling this one for $170 or something so it isn't cheap. You could buy an Osprey Exos for that I suppose. It depends on what you want. The Exos is great for thru hiking. The GG Nimbus Latitude is great for having for a very long time. So if you are short on funds you have to weigh your long term goals as well. Better to have gear that will take you past a six-month through. Probably like I said, I'd get a ULA which will take you past a through and you'll be happy with it for a very very long time. My Granite Gear is great but it's more of a second pack kind of bag. I like them for travel trekking as a panel loader. They are awesome for that. Granite Gear makes a 2 pound pack that many thru hikers use called the Crown 2. You probably can find an original Crown, which I used in 2007, and that was great and was around 2 pounds then. Maybe even a new one. Just search every few weeks on Google for it, and look on GG's clearance page for packs.

[booney_1]

A good way to use your timberline tent...start with just the fly. You can pitch it with just rope and/or hiking poles. It will be a few months before you need to worry about bugs. We did this with a boy scout troop teaching them to go "light". You'll want to experiment with how to pitch it, but it will provide good coverage. Scrounge a piece of Tyvek for a ground cloth, or a good piece of piece of place from home depot.

[SwathHiker]

Massdrop's trekking poles are called Fizan.

[saltysack]

Remember LESS is better!!!! Less to buy, less to carry.....so little is really needed.....buy quality, wether it’s new, last years model or used....nothing worse than buying cheap crap and having to re purchase. Many quality cottage gear manufacturers have returned items etc that are basically new....a friend of mine called ULA few months ago looking for a deal on a new pack and they delivered....had a like new circuit about $75 off because was a incorrect size return....another thing to consider is that quilts are cheaper than bags.....EE also sells returns etc at a good discount.....as long as you got time and your patient no need to waste your $$$$ on junk.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Just Bill]

NAH... gear is still cheap.

A decent dinner and drinks costs $100. The crappiest nastiest motel you can find is $40. Hell some campsites cost $35 now for primitive sites.

You can gear up a pretty nice kit for $1000. That will last you 6 months of hiking. $1000/180 days is $5.55 a day. Not exactly 'the cost of a cup of coffee' to save the starving children but pretty darn cheap for a vacation in America. Pretty darn cheap for anything overall.

Most people spend more getting to the trail. Sleeping off the trail. Eating or drinking off the trail than they spend on gear.
The problem is they start with gear so it seems daunting.

If you want to dirtbag it:
Buy gear good enough you don't need to bail to town every 4 days.
Buy gear light enough to keep moving decently to reduce time on trail... or conversely warm enough that you can take your time.

Don't buy gear... if you are gearing up from scratch for a thru hike. It might dawn on you that perhaps you should do some hiking, overnights at your state park, or actually camp. Not only will you still be working (presumably) while you acquire gear; but you have time to bargain shop. Try things, return things, test things, and generally sort out what the hell you're doing. Many hikers spend nearly as much money replacing gear (at trailside $$$$ outfitters) as they go. A whopping single tune up trip or a few weeks of camping in the backyard would have eliminated most of those costs for many of these folks.

Learn what the hell you're doing. Read a library book. Just one even. Not AWOL or Bill Bryson but Colin Fletcher, Ray Jardine, Skurka... just one little book that teaches you something about camping or hiking. A how to book. Stop dreaming or reading about peoples adventures and read a book about actually walking in the woods and what that entails, what gear might or might not be needed. How do you that something is a good deal if you don't know what you are buying?

Hike locally. Cracks me up to hear about 'dirtbag' hikers complain about shelling out $300 for a warm sleeping bag that will last five years who spend $500+ on a plane ticket, shuttle, hostel, and getting to the AT when there is probably a trail near them they can reach for free or close to it. It's a big country. Do you want to be in the woods for cheap or do you want to be ON THE AT.

If you are poor... the AT is about the worst trail I can think to hike. Hike a trail with nobody on it to drag you to town. No bars to buy beer. No hostel tempting you in to recover from all that crappy cheap gear you got. Hike a trail that doesn't pass through a town every few days or run through some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

Resupply less often. It's remarkably cheap to live in the woods, quite expensive to live in town. Since you're a homeless dirtbag what does it matter if you do 7-10 days between resupplies? You got no place to go.. stay out of town. If it turns out that you don't actually like being in the woods that much, maybe see if there is a hostel you can work at so you can hang out with hikers.

Get a job. No offense- that's not in a condescending old man voice... that's in a seriously you can afford to hike for months at a time but you can't manage to stealth camp someplace, shower at the gym, and save up a grand or two? If you're really a dirtbag then be one. Be homeless, work some, buy some decent gear and you can live off that for years. Go be a migrant farm worker, ski bum, or some other drifter type job you can score some money. Hiking is not free. It's not the $1000 of gear. It's eating every day that costs money. Rent might be cheap on the trail but it isn't free. You have enough money to do this everyday somehow... which means you somehow had the ability to earn some sort of money at some point... which means you can probably afford gear.


Go work at an outdoors store; score pro-deals, learn something about gear. Fix the gear that gets returned for pennies on the dollar. Make some money, pre-buy cases of food on the cheap for your hike.

Go work at a guide service or outfitter; same deal... plus you're actually camping and nobody cares if you are homeless or smell. You might not even be homeless since they often will put you up in a bunkhouse.
Get an REI membership and buy REI gear. There is lots of house brand stuff that is cheap, light enough, works well enough... and if it breaks or you change your mind you not only have a year to return it... but actual stores available to return it too. Much of this gear comes with a lifetime guarantee.
That's great you scored a deal on some internet site from on some gently used gear... until you have a problem. Gear replacement is a huge cost for on trail hikers. Simply having an option to return, get a replacemetn or get a viable replacement is cheap insurance. REI seems happy to let you abuse their policy because it's reflected in the pricing. It's 10% more than amazon because you can't go to amazon after a thru hike and return your tent for a new one just because you felt like it. The garage sale stuff is half off for brand new... even the used stuff gets inspected before it's sold. You can't call amazon and say 'I'm a thru hiker on trail; please help me'. You can call most of the cottage vendors or REI and they will do ridiculous backflips, cartwheels, and make epicly poor business choices just to keep you happy.



Buy ugly stuff. I hate puke green and blaze orange.
I have a puke green down vest and a blaze orange down vest.


Most important of all- The trail isn't going anywhere.
If all you can scrape together is $1500 bucks by April Fool's day. It's okay to wait until may 1st to start.
It's okay to wait until next year... or not finish this season... or whatever.

If you are really there for the trail, and it's really some deep calling;
Then figure out a way to make it happen right... work hard to make your dream come true.

If your dream is really in jeopardy because you couldn't sort out how to put together $500-1000 for gear then you probably shouldn't go.

[scrabbler]

Just Bill always nails it. Thanks!

[JC13]

NAH... gear is still cheap.

A decent dinner and drinks costs $100. The crappiest nastiest motel you can find is $40. Hell some campsites cost $35 now for primitive sites.

You can gear up a pretty nice kit for $1000. That will last you 6 months of hiking. $1000/180 days is $5.55 a day. Not exactly 'the cost of a cup of coffee' to save the starving children but pretty darn cheap for a vacation in America. Pretty darn cheap for anything overall.

Most people spend more getting to the trail. Sleeping off the trail. Eating or drinking off the trail than they spend on gear.
The problem is they start with gear so it seems daunting.

If you want to dirtbag it:
Buy gear good enough you don't need to bail to town every 4 days.
Buy gear light enough to keep moving decently to reduce time on trail... or conversely warm enough that you can take your time.

Don't buy gear... if you are gearing up from scratch for a thru hike. It might dawn on you that perhaps you should do some hiking, overnights at your state park, or actually camp. Not only will you still be working (presumably) while you acquire gear; but you have time to bargain shop. Try things, return things, test things, and generally sort out what the hell you're doing. Many hikers spend nearly as much money replacing gear (at trailside $$$$ outfitters) as they go. A whopping single tune up trip or a few weeks of camping in the backyard would have eliminated most of those costs for many of these folks.

Learn what the hell you're doing. Read a library book. Just one even. Not AWOL or Bill Bryson but Colin Fletcher, Ray Jardine, Skurka... just one little book that teaches you something about camping or hiking. A how to book. Stop dreaming or reading about peoples adventures and read a book about actually walking in the woods and what that entails, what gear might or might not be needed. How do you that something is a good deal if you don't know what you are buying?

Hike locally. Cracks me up to hear about 'dirtbag' hikers complain about shelling out $300 for a warm sleeping bag that will last five years who spend $500+ on a plane ticket, shuttle, hostel, and getting to the AT when there is probably a trail near them they can reach for free or close to it. It's a big country. Do you want to be in the woods for cheap or do you want to be ON THE AT.

If you are poor... the AT is about the worst trail I can think to hike. Hike a trail with nobody on it to drag you to town. No bars to buy beer. No hostel tempting you in to recover from all that crappy cheap gear you got. Hike a trail that doesn't pass through a town every few days or run through some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

Resupply less often. It's remarkably cheap to live in the woods, quite expensive to live in town. Since you're a homeless dirtbag what does it matter if you do 7-10 days between resupplies? You got no place to go.. stay out of town. If it turns out that you don't actually like being in the woods that much, maybe see if there is a hostel you can work at so you can hang out with hikers.

Get a job. No offense- that's not in a condescending old man voice... that's in a seriously you can afford to hike for months at a time but you can't manage to stealth camp someplace, shower at the gym, and save up a grand or two? If you're really a dirtbag then be one. Be homeless, work some, buy some decent gear and you can live off that for years. Go be a migrant farm worker, ski bum, or some other drifter type job you can score some money. Hiking is not free. It's not the $1000 of gear. It's eating every day that costs money. Rent might be cheap on the trail but it isn't free. You have enough money to do this everyday somehow... which means you somehow had the ability to earn some sort of money at some point... which means you can probably afford gear.


Go work at an outdoors store; score pro-deals, learn something about gear. Fix the gear that gets returned for pennies on the dollar. Make some money, pre-buy cases of food on the cheap for your hike.

Go work at a guide service or outfitter; same deal... plus you're actually camping and nobody cares if you are homeless or smell. You might not even be homeless since they often will put you up in a bunkhouse.
Get an REI membership and buy REI gear. There is lots of house brand stuff that is cheap, light enough, works well enough... and if it breaks or you change your mind you not only have a year to return it... but actual stores available to return it too. Much of this gear comes with a lifetime guarantee.
That's great you scored a deal on some internet site from on some gently used gear... until you have a problem. Gear replacement is a huge cost for on trail hikers. Simply having an option to return, get a replacemetn or get a viable replacement is cheap insurance. REI seems happy to let you abuse their policy because it's reflected in the pricing. It's 10% more than amazon because you can't go to amazon after a thru hike and return your tent for a new one just because you felt like it. The garage sale stuff is half off for brand new... even the used stuff gets inspected before it's sold. You can't call amazon and say 'I'm a thru hiker on trail; please help me'. You can call most of the cottage vendors or REI and they will do ridiculous backflips, cartwheels, and make epicly poor business choices just to keep you happy.



Buy ugly stuff. I hate puke green and blaze orange.
I have a puke green down vest and a blaze orange down vest.


Most important of all- The trail isn't going anywhere.
If all you can scrape together is $1500 bucks by April Fool's day. It's okay to wait until may 1st to start.
It's okay to wait until next year... or not finish this season... or whatever.

If you are really there for the trail, and it's really some deep calling;
Then figure out a way to make it happen right... work hard to make your dream come true.

If your dream is really in jeopardy because you couldn't sort out how to put together $500-1000 for gear then you probably shouldn't go.This needs to be a sticky.

[greentick]

.....
Buy ugly stuff. I hate puke green and blaze orange.
I have a puke green down vest and a blaze orange down vest.

...
.

LOL. Throw in being tall and you're outlet color choices dwindle. Function over form!

OP: don't forget .mil surplus. Field jacket liner still rocks. The old quarter zip poly-p is also pretty good. Depending what you did in the military Spartan living is easy... and much lighter without bombproof gear, shooting iron(s), bullets, batteries, body armor, etc.

[rocketsocks]

LOL. Throw in being tall and you're outlet color choices dwindle. Function over form!

OP: don't forget .mil surplus. Field jacket liner still rocks. The old quarter zip poly-p is also pretty good. Depending what you did in the military Spartan living is easy... and much lighter without bombproof gear, shooting iron(s), bullets, batteries, body armor, etc.throw in short, fat and bald and good luck at your local outfitter, well maybe not bald.

[cmoulder]

I wear medium and find that that's the first to run out! :(

[Bronk]

I am pretty frugal, so I try to buy most of my gear on sale and cycle it out over a period of years so I'm not buying a complete setup all at once. I've got a 30 degree synthetic sleeping bag that weighs 2lbs 2 ounces that I got for $30 on sale. Most of my hiking clothing is bought at Walmart so if it gets ruined or smells really bad I just throw it away...shop at the end of the season and get shirts, fleece, shorts or jogging pants for $5 to $10. You don't have to spend a fortune, though if I were going to attempt another thruhike I would probably want to buy some new stuff. I hiked 850 miles in Walmart clothes and carried a $10 Walmart sleeping bag. Stove was an alcohol stove that I made with a beer can and a pocket knife...wasn't pretty but it was cheap and it worked. You can probably do a complete setup for $300 to $500 if you are frugal and shop carefully. The big ticket items will be a pack and a tent and shoes. But doing that you aren't going to have the best quality or the lightest in weight stuff. If you're the type of person who has to have all name brand the best of the best stuff then you should really just plan on spending 3 to 5 thousand dollars on gear...reason being is you will buy 2 or 3 of everything before you find the gear you like.

[GaryM]

I really enjoyed using my ancient large ALICE pack on my walk. Does that make me a cheap hiker?

[Game Warden]

The Timberline, although heavier than most bivies, is an excellent tent if you don't mind the weight. I've been using one since 1981 in many adventures and misadventures, from summer to deep snow and heavy rain. After almost 40 years, I'm ready to replace it with another Timberline. The extra space is a wonderful luxury in bad weather, and it is easy to set up, and a great 4-season tent.

Re expensive gear: I used to subscribe to a magazine, I think it was called Packbacker or something similar, and it made clear that any item of gear costing less than $300 was useless, and also that hiking is very dangerous. I no longer subscribe.

Re Colin Fletcher's book, The Complete Walker: Excellent resource, a little dated, and focused on his southwest USA experiences, but a Bible for backpackers.

My advice is to decide what you must have every day. I NEED hot coffee in the morning. I NEED a hot evening meal. I NEED a bowl because I hate eating out of a bag. I NEED something to read, therefore I NEED a headlamp to read by. I NEED my pipe to smoke. I NEED a pillow. Everything else is flexible.

[greentick]

I really enjoyed using my ancient large ALICE pack on my walk. Does that make me a cheap hiker?

mebbe. you could do worse. did you pack it full of highspeed lightweight gear? lol

[JJ505]

"Buy ugly stuff. I hate puke green and blaze orange.
I have a puke green down vest and a blaze orange down vest."

Amazon is excellent for this. The come on says "$9 to $49" or something crazy. Split pea green is always $9. Of course, it won't be available in small, though sometimes I can wear boy's, which are sometimes cheaper, but then XL boys are always the most expensive.

BTW, as for tips sometimes Columbia has nice stuff. On Amazon it tends to be cheap, with the proviso above. I got quite a nice wind jacket for $30, not all the bells and whistles but it's not $130 either. It's marginally "heavier" by maybe an ounce or two.

[rocketsocks]

I agree, everyone should not buy puke green or orange that way I don’t have to look at it while hiking behind you, I on the other hand saved a bundle purchasing my burnt chili mama orange pack, just glad it’s on my back and I don’t have to look at it all day long :D

Who Cares!

[greentick]

I agree, everyone should not buy puke green or orange that way I don’t have to look at it while hiking behind you, I on the other hand saved a bundle purchasing my burnt chili mama orange pack, just glad it’s on my back and I don’t have to look at it all day long :D

Who Cares!

I'll watch out for ya. I'll be the dude at the campsite in the cobalt blue montbell down coat ...

[rocketsocks]

I'll watch out for ya. I'll be the dude at the campsite in the cobalt blue montbell down coat ...Got hot deal on that coat didn’t ya...didn’t ya. :D

[Ethesis]

throw in short, fat and bald and good luck at your local outfitter, well maybe not bald.

I am pretty bald. So the shoe fits well enough.

:).

[rocketsocks]

I am pretty bald. So the shoe fits well enough.

:).we can always score a cheap ugly hat that nobody wants :D

[rocketsocks]

They’re usually on a island table of misfit toys.

[Greenlight]

Some easy observations from my own outings that can save you some weight. Shop at Goodwill, the thrift store, or whatever is close to you, for hiking clothes. Sometimes ex-military will bring in their snivel gear, base layers, etc. for cold weather. It's good stuff. You don't have to pay a lot of money for clothing. You can save substantial weight by switching to a homemade alcohol stove, or even more weight if you choose not t cook. Believe it or not, you don't need heat to rehydrate food. You can put water in it, put it in a ziplock bag, and carry it with you while you're hiking. It'll be ready to eat at your next stop. Some think it is yucky, some don't care. If you don't care, don't carry a stove. You don't have to carry a tent or a hammock. Just stay in the shelters, or if you're occasionally stuck between shelters, have a tarp handy, and a way to stay dry and relatively warm. The next big place where you can save several pounds is on your pack. If you're traveling light enough, your pack doesn't even need a frame. That, and there are several mid-price range lightweight packs. I have an Osprey Atmos (way heavy), an Osprey Exos (pretty light), and a Gossamer Gear Mariposa (super light). The Exos is the most comfortable, but depending on my total load, I'll probably go out with the Mariposa 90 percent of the time because it weighs next to nothing. My final thought is that you can afford to carry some heavier gear if you make the decision to leave the crap you really don't need and will never use where it belongs...at home. You can significantly lighten your pack that way...by not bringing dumb stuff. But you won't know what that stuff is unless you do some shakedown hikes. Get out on the weekend and see what works and what doesn't when the stakes are low to zero. You can car camp and test out everything, and if everything goes south, sleep in the car or go home. Or as someone else said, you can test it out right there in your yard. Don't use the AT or another long trail to test stuff that should have been tested before you left.

[akochera]

Some Naturehike tents have good reviews on youtube, run about $100 for sub-3lbs, but run a little shorter than their name brand counterparts. Not well known here in the U.S. ... anyone use this on AT?
Jansport Katahdin backpack 50L less than $100, around 2.5 lbs.
Klymit pads run $40ish refurbished on ebay.
Twenty degree Teton or other brand sleeping bag $50-$100, almost 3lb.
So $300 for the shelter/sleep system/pack is do-able, light-ish at 9lbs. Your total packweight w/ other items will probably add up to 15-18lb, excluding consumables, which is light weight but not ultralight.

[gracebowen]

As others have said buy your clothes at thrift stores and yard sales.

I am not spending alot of money on gear either.

I was going to pm you this but I'm just going to post it here instead.

Ive read alot of trail journals. Ive read where expensive packs fail and a new pack is needed. Ive read about expensive shoes not lasting. Heck just abiut every type of gear Ive read where it fails. Yes it can last too but I just cant see spending thousands on gear.

I will be getting just over half of my food from mail drops. Im going to need mail at least twice a month anyway so for me I might as well get mef boxes and get food too. Also from reading trail journals for me mail will be cheaper.

Given your past history I think if you are carefull you might make it. Im aiming for 2020 and I will be cutting it close too.

I wont be spending hundreds on travel either. My friend is going to take me if she can otherwise right now a greyhound ticket is $100.

I looked into splurging on a train but with layovers it takes longer than the bus.

Once I get to the trail I will have 300 to 400 dollars ti dpend each month. I hope to have about 1000 saved up.

300 is 100 for food. 150 for a hostel a week and 50 for whatever. If needed ill have to skip hostels or find places that only charge 20. There seem to be several.

Yes I know its tight but its all I have to work with. Im used to making do.
I dont drink.

[Just Bill]

For LD hiking... a more modern 'big 4'

Shoes- nothing more important. Figure 4 pairs minimum of trail runners, 5 or 6 is safer though. 500 miles per pair is pretty good. Push them further or cheap out... and stress fractures or other issues become common.

Socks- same deal. The AT is a very wet trail. Figure on carrying 2-3 pairs of Darn Tough socks, liners if you need them too. Figure on replacing those at least every other shoe change. A fresh pair per shoe change is a minimum.
Yes, Darn Tough has a lifetime deal- but they still do wear out or flat out get lost.

Sleeping pad- you will sleep in shelters. If you are dirt bagging you will probably sleep in cheap, free, or stealth spots in town. Life sucks when you get no sleep. Life is easy when you have a bomber pad that can handle sleeping anywhere you need one.

Insulation- I say this because a sleeping bag is no longer standard. Top Quilts, UQ's, or even combos of clothing and/or liners are more common. No matter how you do it, don't cheap out here. Sleep is healing and recovery. If you don't sleep well, sleep warm, or sleep comfortable the odds of you busting out are very high. Also... something I remind my FKT friends of... an ounce or two of insulation weighs far less than extra food to make up for all the calories you burned staying warm while sleeping. Waking up to eat food at midnight to keep the internal stove burning is a good trick for a bad night... but not a great way to spend your whole hike. Insulation in your sleep gear is about the best buy ounce for ounce you can make.

Here's a fabulous deal on a quality piece of cottage gear- $150 20* down quilt- http://www.wildernesslogics.com/BUD-WINTER-KING-TOP-QUILT-BWTQ.htm

Everything else- not that important what you use.
With one serious caveat: You have to know how to use it.

You can buy a pretty sweet budget tarp these days- https://ugqoutdoor.com/tarps/penny-pincher-tarps/
Go to hopey depot, get some Poly Cro for a ground sheet and Aluminum gutter spikes to stake it out along with a bundle of mason's twine and you're done with your shelter.
Planning on using shelters does not mean you can go with no shelter.

If you don't know how to use a tarp. Then you need to buy a more expensive shelter.

If you've been day hiking and tuning up- you should have clothes as you go. If you don't, then yes clothes are expensive or take time to budget shop for. But apparel has the highest retail markup of any goods you might use so finding it at 75% off is easy enough given time.

REI flash 45 is a fine pack for $150. If it doesn't work- you return it. https://www.rei.com/product/111161/rei-co-op-flash-45-pack-mens

Go lite is back, and they have cheap stuff in proven designs. 2lb pack if for 150- https://mytrailco.com/collections/packs/products/backpack-light-50l

Yes- a tarp system and 5 days food with a 20* top quilt fits just fine in a 45L pack.
You only need big packs if you don't know how much crap you will have in your pack.

[Just Bill]

https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/130345/exped-synmat-hl-sleeping-pad-long-wide

Awesome sleeping pad, last year's model. Half off. $150.

$150 Top quilt
$150 Pack
$150 Pad.
$80 tarp, $20 bucks for lines and stakes.
$10-20 for a head net. (if you're cheap or UL all you need is a headnet.)

That's a very respectable rig, with good function for an AT thru. $600 bucks after tax and shipping most likely. But buy from REI and spend your $20 for membership and you'll get a dividend back, some free shipping too.
Every one of those items comes from a quality vendor who will stand by the gear. If you have a problem, you won't drop $500 at the outfitter along the way to replace it.


Get a deal on shoes and you can get those 4-6 pairs for $300. Of course you can only do that if you have experience day hiking in shoes that you know you will like. If you don't- then it costs you more to buy as you go.

$10 a pop for darn tough is about the best deal I've seen. Massdrop and TJMaxx occasionally have them.

If you are dayhiking and tuning up- you can answer the stove question. Some can do stoveless, some can't. Saves money, and pack volume. It doesn't always save weight.

Aqua mira drops and smartwater bottles will set you back $20... but that solves the water issue.

Diddy bag- figure $100. SAK classic, compass, whistle, basic light, fire starter, lighter, first aid kit, medicines, lotion, chap stick, bug dope, etc.

You don't need trekking poles. nothing works just fine. So does found sticks.

Frog Toggs will get you by... so with the Trail Co crap or a poncho.

90% of the stuff folks starting out buy is because they are starting out.
Knowledge/Experience and gear are interchangeable.
If you know what you are doing, then you will spend less or carry less. Or at worst buy intelligently once.
Unfortunately you can't just skip to the finish of the gear trail any more than you can get from Springer to Katahdin without walking the miles.

[Longboysfan]

Also - gear may be in the box in the hikers bunk room at Neels gap.

[El JP]

Thanks everyone for the many sources of supply and info.

When i first thought of thru hiking the AT military gear naturally was my first thought as certain items were my go tos whenever i had to be in the sticks for awhile. I knew a lot of the stuff wasn't really viable for the AT in general so it was nice to find out what wouldn't work or be practical. Even some of the outdoor/hunting wear that i've picked up here and there is a no/go. Well, by looking around quite a bit online and checking out local sources i pretty much have it knocked for decent prices. Might not be anyone's idea for a hiking cover model but it'll do.

As for expenditures on the AT, i've been noting from the endless amounts of material i've been studying just how much a lot of people are hitting motels, hostels, etc, etc,. I haven't finished route planning yet but between Springer and Bear Mt. i only plan on going inside 3 times...Bland, VA because of a long leg out of Damascus, Shenandoah NP-Skyland since i used to work there and want to catch up with former coworkers, and up in NJ because i have all kinds of family and friends there. Other than the Devils Backbone i'm really not interested in anything outside the trail. I don't even want to be part of the Trail Days thing if i run into it. Forget sightseeing and all. Having a chance to get cleaned up and all is nice but i remember that in my first time on the streets i once went a month and a half between showers. It was all keep as clean as you can, how you can and it sure wasn't much. Another time i was bathing every night with a bar of soap at a construction site, using water that was leaking from their fire hydrant. What i learned from all this that is AT specific is that as long your feet are fine and you're not chafing, you are good to go.

As it is i have resupply planned through Pearisburg so far and it'll be pretty basic and no frills. For the most part i'm going stoveless. I'm still working out the specifics of switching out gear on the trail and all but that it looks like i'll play that by ear for now.

[Another Kevin]

I've posted this link a few times before: http://blog.gossamergear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ultracheap_Henley.pdf

He leaves out a trowel. (A Fiskars garden trowel will work fine. A trekking pole or boot heel won't.)

It's a starting point. Everything on his list will work. Not everything on his list will work well for you, or suit your hiking style, or be comfortable. But it's cheap and light enough that you can start there and think in terms of adding cost and weight to suit your style and your budget.

[Slo-go'en]

Also - gear may be in the box in the hikers bunk room at Neels gap.

Not likely. Nobody is going to abandon good gear when they can send it home from there. And I wouldn't be surprised if the employees there remove anything good which might end up in the box right away.

[Slo-go'en]

i only plan on going inside 3 times....

Good luck with that plan. Let us know how it works out for you. Hope you don't plan an early start. While getting cleaned up is a big reason for staying at a motel or hostel, it's not the only reason to do so.

[Ethesis]

Good luck with that plan. Let us know how it works out for you. Hope you don't plan an early start. While getting cleaned up is a big reason for staying at a motel or hostel, it's not the only reason to do so.

I was impressed with the State of Maryland having a free shower on the trail as you enter the state.

They knew how to prepare hikers for the first town.

[Ethesis]

Also - gear may be in the box in the hikers bunk room at Neels gap.

Ive seen mosquito nets, good gloves, pop tarts, knorr sides (before their sell by date) hiking pole tips, and lots of other things for free in hiker boxes.
I’ve left and taken pop tarts. :)

It is surprising just what shows up.

[Slo-go'en]

I was impressed with the State of Maryland having a free shower on the trail as you enter the state.
They knew how to prepare hikers for the first town.

There are a few places you can score a free shower. Many are "solar" showers. I mostly pass on these unless really desperate. I never seem to find one on a nice warm, sunny day. Usually find them on a cold rainy day.

[El JP]

Good luck with that plan. Let us know how it works out for you. Hope you don't plan an early start. While getting cleaned up is a big reason for staying at a motel or hostel, it's not the only reason to do so.

I'm starting in March.

And sure there are plenty of reasons to get a room somewhere. Forest fires, heavy snowfall, hurricanes. noreasters, injuries, gear repair and replacement etc. Go through enough vlogs, diaries, articles, and forums however, and you'll find some pretty damn trivial reasons to not be on the trail as much as possible. Everything from playing tourist to getting high. I've worked in five different National Parks, i've already had my fill of scenery and wildlife so the photo ops don't really mean that much to me. Neither does checking out trail towns and "historical" sites (Audie Murphy monument excepted).

The only two spots so far (since i'm still working on resupply points amongst many other things) that i'm really going off the trail without a doubt, as i mentioned above, is into Luray VA, since i know people there who i worked with at Skyland, and NJ since if all is well i can have someone pick me up at High Point or failing that i can make my way over to two different locations catch a train into Hoboken and switch to the HBLR from there.

To paraphrase the song "Thinking bout them miles all of the time (with my mind on the Trail and the Trail on my mind)

I am under no illusions that AT is any kind of cakewalk. I've seen and heard of way too many in the Parks, face stern but lesser challenges in comparison, thinking they are going to diddy bop down some trail like they were back on the block and end up having it really bad.

This here AT is like a MT Everest of suffering IMO. My personal experience with living a truly crap existence is that the more extended periods away from the misery compounds it when you return to that state. Might as well follow Winston Churchill's advice about walking in Hell.

[Sandy of PA]

The most common reason I go off the trail is to get dry! Nothing like being wet for a week to make you want a real roof. Unlike Nevada, it doesn't dry out just because the rain stopped.

[El JP]

The most common reason I go off the trail is to get dry! Nothing like being wet for a week to make you want a real roof. Unlike Nevada, it doesn't dry out just because the rain stopped.

I'm in NJ now for the time being

In Nevada you get caught out in the rain on winter nights and you stand an excellent chance of hypothermia finishing you off. Personally I once had to walk around all night to keep from freezing after someone stole my gear.

One of the things I frequently ponder is functioning while in continuous misery.
Just how bad the AT can be compared to something like existence in Guadalcanal or movement on the Kokoda trail in New Guinea back in 1942-43? Could it be as sheer misery as the Kall trail in Germany or I Corps in South Vietnam?

I'm not saying this to be an insult or put down. I'm just curious about steady movement up trail in the face of the adverse situations that will occur over an extended period of time.

SADF Recce Commandos had (has?) a selection and training process so strenuous that it wasn't unusual for only 2-3 men to qualify out of 100. British SAS was somewhat similar for example. I could think of dozens of examples but it would be a books worth of posting.

There's the challenge to the mind as well as the body on the AT (money is another story) that really got the hooks in me. Just how far can it go on before the Trail makes you say "That's it, I'm outta here"? And can you drive on despite what is a basically an impossible scenario?
That's what the AT means to me.

"Embrace the Suck" is all fine and dandy but I tend to use more profane words to describe and visualize it as my anticipation is of an everlasting frozen, windswept ,sodden hell in the mountains.

[connolm]

Cheap Wenzel Hiker/Biker Tent (aka Wenzel Starlite) is $28.99 on Amazon and weighs 2 lbs. 9 1/4 oz. right out of the box. It's a single wall pup-tent style tent with 22 sq. ft. and a 36" peak height. No vestibule. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AAGBXGY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509966627&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=wenzel+starlite

I've modified mine down to 1 lbs. 12 1/4 oz. using Carbon Fiber Arrows as shown in this video: https://youtu.be/r3cBy8tKTfg

I took the time to spray it with silicone water proofer. I use it primarily for bikepacking and have been out in the rain around Katahdin for a couple nights and stayed dry. However, as a single wall tent, it does suffer condensation.

In comparison, my Big Agnes Flycreek UL 1 weighs 2 lbs 3 5/8 oz and is bulkier.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/6751fa920d069e9d393fe2a185840ad1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/750f33fc73fb5762a683ffac4380350c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/2680dab644e58099a24b1a8aef2021c6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/0840e0b1da78e3d28bd0bea786784dde.jpg

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

[El JP]

Cheap Wenzel Hiker/Biker Tent (aka Wenzel Starlite) is $28.99 on Amazon and weighs 2 lbs. 9 1/4 oz. right out of the box. It's a single wall pup-tent style tent with 22 sq. ft. and a 36" peak height. No vestibule. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AAGBXGY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509966627&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=wenzel+starlite

I've modified mine down to 1 lbs. 12 1/4 oz. using Carbon Fiber Arrows as shown in this video: https://youtu.be/r3cBy8tKTfg

I took the time to spray it with silicone water proofer. I use it primarily for bikepacking and have been out in the rain around Katahdin for a couple nights and stayed dry. However, as a single wall tent, it does suffer condensation.

In comparison, my Big Agnes Flycreek UL 1 weighs 2 lbs 3 5/8 oz and is bulkier.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/6751fa920d069e9d393fe2a185840ad1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/750f33fc73fb5762a683ffac4380350c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/2680dab644e58099a24b1a8aef2021c6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171106/0840e0b1da78e3d28bd0bea786784dde.jpg

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
I don't know how i overlooked this.

Thanks for the info on this tent. Will check it out some more as i swear i know someone who has this or a very similar tent. I'm pretty sure i can place a fly over the top and secure it no problem.

[Nightwalker]

"Stay away from down for the AT" was when I stopped listening. Sorry about that.

[Nightwalker]

Wenzel tents turn into sweatboxes. They're seriously non-breathable, unless things have changed a lot.

Consider learning the ins-and-outs of using a 7x10 tarp with a Tyvek ground cloth. No judgment, just my 2¢.

[azimuthbusiness]

good chance I will use a lot of Wal-Mart gear. There are plenty of opportunities to replace or resupply along the way

[peakbagger]

Walmart appear to be the "official supplier" of the homeless for camping equipment. Go by many homeless encampments and the predominant gear is a Walmart brand :( along with harbor freight blue tarps.

[Birthright]

Agree. Thank you for sharing my thoughts. Nothing is free. It is a misconception to think that anything on the trail is cheap. In matter of fact, it is quite contrary. Convenience charges much higher food prices. If you break something, need new shoes, or damage clothing; the cost to buy it on trail is much higher. Plan ahead or stay home. Yes, people are generous and kind to hikers, but don't take it for granted. Remember that all the businesses along the trail are looking at you as a primary source of income. They make money off of hikers. Nothing is really free. Nothing. $10,000 to $12,000 is a lot of money for 4- 6 months. Some people don't even earn that kind of salary working full time for three to six months. Nothing wrong with hiking local if you really just have an itch to hike.

[Birthright]

Mee too. I like to be dry. If the trail ever had a rain drought it would be my best hiking year. LOL

[peakbagger]

Agree. Thank you for sharing my thoughts. Nothing is free. It is a misconception to think that anything on the trail is cheap. In matter of fact, it is quite contrary. Convenience charges much higher food prices. If you break something, need new shoes, or damage clothing; the cost to buy it on trail is much higher. Plan ahead or stay home. Yes, people are generous and kind to hikers, but don't take it for granted. Remember that all the businesses along the trail are looking at you as a primary source of income. They make money off of hikers. Nothing is really free. Nothing. $10,000 to $12,000 is a lot of money for 4- 6 months. Some people don't even earn that kind of salary working full time for three to six months. Nothing wrong with hiking local if you really just have an itch to hike.

The year I was sectioning the AT in VA, I was doing it with friend with two cars. We would spot a car then drive south and hike north back to the car then leap frog down the trail. We never took a zero in 5 weeks but did take a nero on car spot days. It was quite noticeable that in many of the trail towns, the old town center might have a dollar general or equivalent and small stores that catered to hikers on foot. Usually just down the road on the outskirts of town would be walmart or other large grocery store with much better pricing and selection but it might be an extra 5 or 6 miles. We carried staples in the car but resupplied from those larger stores. No doubt in many cases the small businesses in town were just going down the road, buying it at retail and marking it up (or hitting Sam Club if it was nearby. I dont fault the businesses, they have different bottom lines but hiker pay for the convenience.

I know the local outfitter in out trail town always had issues that he was on the hook for defective gear that was bought elsewhere but returned to him as he was convenient. It sometimes took him months if at all to get reimbursed by the companies. He eventually shut down as he couldnt be competitive with online and spur fo the moment sales were not enough to pay the rent (plus he wanted to go and play himself instead of running the business).

[Paleolith54]

This is something that i've been meaning to ask for a very long time.

Everywhere you look there is mention of top of the line gear that to be frank, costs a hell of a lot of money if you are an ordinary working class joe blow. I'd like to see the opinions of experienced folks on having a setup that is not exactly top notch.

I'll be the first to admit that i'm cutting it pretty close when it comes to an AT thru hike. My basic outlook is a combination of a long ago military service and a few years of homelessness where i got used to coping with a rather substandard everyday existence. The gear i've secured so far and what i'm looking at for the near future basically falls into the "sorta good enough" category. For example i have a Timberline2 tent brand new in the box since i was able to pick it up for peanuts last year. Also picked up Pinnacle poles for dirt cheap. I'm still waiting to pick up a sleeping bag and actual trail clothes but like i mentioned before, you can bet they aren't going to be top shelf material.

I have a checklist made out and i'm covering the core equipment but to be brutally honest, i do anticipate at some point(hopefully early on the trail) scrounging better quality discarded gear of sorts. I'm doing what i can moneywise but things are really tight around the homefront and 2018 is beckoning.

Buy Used! People tend to forget that. Just Google, there are several sources. Also I remember Dixie has done more than one “cheap gear” video, and the My Life Outdoors guy has as well.

[heavy]

This is something that i've been meaning to ask for a very long time.

Everywhere you look there is mention of top of the line gear that to be frank, costs a hell of a lot of money if you are an ordinary working class joe blow. I'd like to see the opinions of experienced folks on having a setup that is not exactly top notch.

I'll be the first to admit that i'm cutting it pretty close when it comes to an AT thru hike. My basic outlook is a combination of a long ago military service and a few years of homelessness where i got used to coping with a rather substandard everyday existence. The gear i've secured so far and what i'm looking at for the near future basically falls into the "sorta good enough" category. For example i have a Timberline2 tent brand new in the box since i was able to pick it up for peanuts last year. Also picked up Pinnacle poles for dirt cheap. I'm still waiting to pick up a sleeping bag and actual trail clothes but like i mentioned before, you can bet they aren't going to be top shelf material.

I have a checklist made out and i'm covering the core equipment but to be brutally honest, i do anticipate at some point(hopefully early on the trail) scrounging better quality discarded gear of sorts. I'm doing what i can moneywise but things are really tight around the homefront and 2018 is beckoning.

https://youtu.be/FQRBe1kcaY4?si=GBMITV4gDPlbaDt_

I don't know that this would survive a thru, but I made one and spent about 50 nights under it before I pulled the trigger on a silnylon tarp from etowah outfitters, also a good cheapish shelter option. The plastic MYOG tarp is still serviceable, although I duct taped a couple of pin holes. Cheap amazon stoves have done fine for me. I hiked for years in $40 New Balance trail runners (the cheapest model) with a $50 set of superfeet insoles that outlasted 5 sets of the shoes ha. YMMV. Closed cell foam pads do a job insulation wise, but they're hard on me, especially in shelters, the older I get. I like walmart athletic tops to hike in fine still yet. I recommend focusing your spending on sleeping bag and pack if you can. I hope this helps and good luck.

[Theo96]

I've always kept it cheap.
I have a used Gatewood cape, chinese tarps, a homemade tarp, and a rivercountry products tent.
My roll top pack is Chinese as well.
Heck, my most expensive piece of hear are my Hoka trail runners.

[petedelisio]

So did el Jp hike some AT in 18’ or later?

I’ve gotten hundreds of miles from Palacial 1lb blue tarps. And 10$ ul book bags.

[petedelisio]

To answer my question, search shows he did get on trail.
But cut short on medical he’s working on.