Ok, here's my gear/food list (preliminary)...

[GreyGoose]

I now present this list for an informal peer review ;). Most of the food I would pack would be removed from the original packaging and placed into individual zip-loc bags. Where I use the term "instant" I'm actually referring to thin, pre-packaged pouches of a particular product (ie; soups or instant oatmeal) as opposed to "boil-in-bag" or styrofoam cups (which can be bulky and take up extra space). I also tend to be a fairly generous type so I'm thinking in terms of what my fellow hikers might need if I were called upon to provide assistance in any way. After all, we're all in this together (at least that's the way I look at it)...

GEAR...

1) Backpack
2) Mummy bag
3) 1-2 man tent
4) Mess Kit
5) Single-burner camp stove
6) Fuel canisters (2-3)
7) Knife/fork/spoon combo
8) Water purification tablets
9) Several lighters
10) Compass
11) 6-8" foldable hunting knife
12) Canteen
13) Small sewing kit
14) Hatchet w/ carrying case
15) Cell-phone
16) 3-4 changes of clothes
17) Comfortable hiking shoes/boots
18) Duct tape
19) Rope/twine
20) First aid kit
21) Liquid/bar soap
22) Foldable trench shovel
23) Fishing gear (primarily survival/line-fishing)
24) A copy of the thru hiker's handbook (06-07 ED)
25) Army field survival handbook (I have this somewhere)
26) Pens/pad for documenting/logging trip, taking notes, etc.
27) "ski poles"/hiking staff (I forgot what it's called now)
28) Compact waterproof vest/raincoat
29) Toilet paper (w/o the "roll")

NOTE: THERE IS A POSSIBLE CHANCE I WOULD BRING MY DOG. PLEASE DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY HIM. HE IS A LARGE DOG (BLACK LAB/CHOW MIX) BUT VERY FRIENDLY, NEUTERED AND WILL LOVE ANYBODY TO DEATH (YES, I KNOW EVERYONE SAY'S THAT BUT IT'S TRUE!). THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT YOU WILL GET LICKED TO DEATH!. HE WILL ALSO BE ON A LEASH AND CARRY HIS OWN PACK. I HAVE VERY GOOD CONTROL OF HIM AND I AM A VERY STRICT AND RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER SO PLEASE DON'T BECOME ALARMED IF YOU SEE ME ON THE TRAIL WITH MY DOG. I NEED TO FIND A FELLOW DOG LOVER HERE TO HIKE WITH ME PROBABLY BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DOG OR DON'T WANT TO BRING YOUR DOG ALONG, THAT IS PERFECTLY OK TOO.

Ok, now for the chow/grub (this is going to make me hungry!)...

Food (everything in zip-loc bags)...

1) Instant oatmeal (assorted flavors)
2) Instant cream of wheat (assorted flavors)
3) Instant coffee (the MOST important thing!)
4) Instant mashed potatoes
5) Oatmeal and rice baby pablum (best stuff ever created!)
6) Salt/pepper/garlic/dehydrated onion flakes, other spices, etc
7) Sugar
8) Various instant soup mixes
9) Powdered milk
10) Instant rice
11) Dehydrated fruit (banana chips, apricots, apples, raisins, etc)
12) Nut mix (Almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc)
13) Jerkey, slim jims, summer sausage, bacon bits, "tube" cheeses, etc
14) Multi-vitamin supplement
15) Peanut butter
16) Candy (instant energy!)

This list is still a work in progress and is my no means all-inclusive. Any input/advice/criticism is humbly welcomed as I continue to work on it...

- Regards, GG

[Amigi'sLastStand]

GG, wait til I get to see you. I'll be down in 2-3 weeks. Your list is way too big.

Water purification tablets -- no, get a filter. Chlorite kills the kidneys.
one fuel canister, not 2-3
6" knife -- small old-timer style or a small multi tool.
No shovel
No fishing gear
No canteen -- buy a bladder like a 2L Platypus or Camelbak and 1-2 1L nalgene bottles

Dude, I'll be there in 2 weeks. We gonna set you up right!:D

[general]

GG, wait til I get to see you. I'll be down in 2-3 weeks. Your list is way too big.

Water purification tablets -- no, get a filter. Chlorite kills the kidneys.
one fuel canister, not 2-3
6" knife -- small old-timer style or a small multi tool.
No shovel
No fishing gear
No canteen -- buy a bladder like a 2L Platypus or Camelbak and 1-2 1L nalgene bottles

Dude, I'll be there in 2 weeks. We gonna set you up right!:D

also loose the hatchet and the army field guide

[Jack Tarlin]

You're off to a good start, but off the top of my head:

*Lose the hatchet.
*Also the "trench shovel."
*An eight-inch knife is at least fiven inches more knife than you'll need.
*3-4 changes of clothes is way too many clothes
*Read the "Survival Guide" before you leave; don't carry it with you

Things you might want to add:

*Camera
*Journal/Diary
*Something to read
*Maps (You mentioned a compass, which is pretty useless without a map)
*Cold-weather gear such as warm hat, gloves, etc.

GG, if you visit www.trailjournals.com and look at some of the thru-hiker journals posted there, a very great many of them have gear lists posted that you may find instructive.

best of luck!

[general]

also loose the hatchet and the army field guide

also the compass, cell phone

[Lone Wolf]

Go naked with nothing like that tracker dude. :rolleyes: Pay for the course first. He can track an animal across bare granite!:eek:

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

What Jack T said and consider an alcohol stove to lighten up a bit. You might want to consider a small multi-tool (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-6/qid=1153958553/ref=sr_1_6/602-0763598-6368617?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000AV2TDA) instead of the knife.

[FLHiker]

And - dump the instant coffee - they now make coffee bags - just like tee bags (how on earth did it take them this long to figure that one out!!) Easy packing and a much better cup of joe!!!!

Jeff

[Monkeyboy]

I wouldn't go anywhere without a small bottle of insect repellant......

[mingo]

go heavy or get off the trail

[Seeker]

all of the above, plus:

-lose the "mess kit". you only "need" a pot. a cup is nice.
-sugar? if you quit adding it to stuff, you'll find you don't need it anymore ('cept maybe your coffee... but that's a whole 'nuther discussion.)
-lose the fork and knife combo.
-replace the pen with a pencil. won't run when it gets wet, always works.
-'several lighters'? no. just two. one with your cook set, and one in your repair kit as a 'spare'. it's amazing how you learn to keep track of your 'stuff' when you only have one of something.
-consider a little more fat in your diet. olive oil?
-why the cannister stove? have you looked at alcohol? if not, please do. learn to use it. then decide not to carry it. don't not carry it just because you don't have any experience with it.
-rope/twine. hmm... perhaps for bear-bagging? make sure it's not too heavy for what you plan to use if for.

other stuff to think about:
-hat
-sleeping pad
-pack cover or liner

[Amigi'sLastStand]

As someone who uses both an Denat stove and a canister stove, I think GG, as a newbie hiker, should stick to a more reliable canister stove.

[GreyGoose]

Sorry Guys/Gals. I hav'nt been feeling very well all day (my health probs - mainly anxiety) have been acting up pretty bad so I've been half out of it. I have read all of the suggestions/advice though and will incorporate it into my new list when I'm feeling a little better. Obviously, I won't post the list because that could get begin to take up a lot of space but I'll just add or remove certain things.

The one thing I really wanted to bring that I saw someone advised against was a some fishing gear. Do they allow fishing on the AT and is a permit required?. Me and my buddy used to line-fish a lot in GA and each night we'd put out a stringer and the next morning we'd have a big batch of freshly caught fish for breakfast. Now that was great! :).

- Regards, GG

[GreyGoose]

Ok, no trench shovel, water purification tabs or hatchet then. The water bladder sounds like a good idea (never heard of that before). A few items I see mentioned, I had forgotten to add to the list (they sound very useful). I'll write more later...

- Regards, GG

[Skidsteer]

The one thing I really wanted to bring that I saw someone advised against was a some fishing gear. - Regards, GG

Just take your extra lighter, wrap 20' of spiderwire around it with a hook tied to the end. If you want to fish, just start looking under rocks and logs. You'll find bait. You'll catch fish. You'll eat the evidence. :D

[Monkeyboy]

Also, instead of hatchet and other tools, look into getting a Leatherman Super Tool. Has pocket knifes, screwdrivers (both phillips and standard), small saw blade, pliers, wire cutters, can/bottle opener, file, etc......and it fits in your pocket.

I never leave home without mine, whether I'm hiking or just going to the grocery store.

Also, don't get the cheap knockoffs.....their crap. Leatherman is the best built and comes with a lifetime replacement warranty.

[mweinstone]

im weird. but smart. one lighter,no canteen just a bladder.only a 1 inch knife with scizzors.never pollute our world with canister fuel.dont go fishing on you first big hike. you will not want to till later.the trail is not the place to carry so much as you think. switch modes for a moment and concider the american indian. traveling light and fast.dont carry any changes of clothes. you wont need town clothes . there a myth.you dont need two of anything. try it. youll love it.check out mrs gorps equiptment on trail journels.her thru hiking loaded pack in the winter is so cool and smart. she is a gear pro. i learned alot from her. her attitude about pack weight and use of gear are great. she emailed me to tell me the box of matches i gave her this year at miss janets was with her all the way to her home in vermont.she uses matches as much as the rest of us ,she is just more in touch with how little is acctually needed.not that a box of matches should last that long but not bringing more than one seemed so so cool to me. with no extra gear at all, my pack has just what i need to be very very comfotable but not spoiled or over prepared.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

GG - if fishing is something you enjoy, get some lightweight fishing gear and take it. Life's too short not to enjoy it.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

How do canister fuels pollute our world? Butane and propane occur naturally in places, the can is steel, an earthen element? The combustion process produces CO2 and H2O.

[minnesotasmith]

I now present this list for an informal peer review ;). Most of the food I would pack would be removed from the original packaging and placed into individual zip-loc bags. Where I use the term "instant" I'm actually referring to thin, pre-packaged pouches of a particular product (ie; soups or instant oatmeal) as opposed to "boil-in-bag" or styrofoam cups (which can be bulky and take up extra space). I also tend to be a fairly generous type so I'm thinking in terms of what my fellow hikers might need if I were called upon to provide assistance in any way. After all, we're all in this together (at least that's the way I look at it)...

GEAR...

1) Backpack
2) Mummy bag
3) 1-2 man tent
4) Mess Kit
5) Single-burner camp stove
6) Fuel canisters (2-3)
7) Knife/fork/spoon combo
8) Water purification tablets
9) Several lighters
10) Compass
11) 6-8" foldable hunting knife
12) Canteen
13) Small sewing kit
14) Hatchet w/ carrying case
15) Cell-phone
16) 3-4 changes of clothes
17) Comfortable hiking shoes/boots
18) Duct tape
19) Rope/twine
20) First aid kit
21) Liquid/bar soap
22) Foldable trench shovel
23) Fishing gear (primarily survival/line-fishing)
24) A copy of the thru hiker's handbook (06-07 ED)
25) Army field survival handbook (I have this somewhere)
26) Pens/pad for documenting/logging trip, taking notes, etc.
27) "ski poles"/hiking staff (I forgot what it's called now)
28) Compact waterproof vest/raincoat
29) Toilet paper (w/o the "roll")

NOTE: THERE IS A POSSIBLE CHANCE I WOULD BRING MY DOG. PLEASE DON'T BE INTIMIDATED BY HIM. HE IS A LARGE DOG (BLACK LAB/CHOW MIX) BUT VERY FRIENDLY, NEUTERED AND WILL LOVE ANYBODY TO DEATH (YES, I KNOW EVERYONE SAY'S THAT BUT IT'S TRUE!). THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT YOU WILL GET LICKED TO DEATH!. HE WILL ALSO BE ON A LEASH AND CARRY HIS OWN PACK. I HAVE VERY GOOD CONTROL OF HIM AND I AM A VERY STRICT AND RESPONSIBLE PET OWNER SO PLEASE DON'T BECOME ALARMED IF YOU SEE ME ON THE TRAIL WITH MY DOG. I NEED TO FIND A FELLOW DOG LOVER HERE TO HIKE WITH ME PROBABLY BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DOG OR DON'T WANT TO BRING YOUR DOG ALONG, THAT IS PERFECTLY OK TOO.

Ok, now for the chow/grub (this is going to make me hungry!)...

Food (everything in zip-loc bags)...

1) Instant oatmeal (assorted flavors)
2) Instant cream of wheat (assorted flavors)
3) Instant coffee (the MOST important thing!)
4) Instant mashed potatoes
5) Oatmeal and rice baby pablum (best stuff ever created!)
6) Salt/pepper/garlic/dehydrated onion flakes, other spices, etc
7) Sugar
8) Various instant soup mixes
9) Powdered milk
10) Instant rice
11) Dehydrated fruit (banana chips, apricots, apples, raisins, etc)
12) Nut mix (Almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc)
13) Jerkey, slim jims, summer sausage, bacon bits, "tube" cheeses, etc
14) Multi-vitamin supplement
15) Peanut butter
16) Candy (instant energy!)

This list is still a work in progress and is my no means all-inclusive. Any input/advice/criticism is humbly welcomed as I continue to work on it...

- Regards, GG

I'd add some vegetables to your food list, for starters.

[GreyGoose]

Ok, what I seem to be discovering as I read more and more, is that the AT is not some dark, scary, dangerous trail fraught with cowboys, grizzly bears, and wild indians at every turn so I won't need a large knife, a can of CS Military tear gas or an AK-47 assault weapon.

I will not have to worry about a gang of 3-4 fellow hikers jacking me up for my gear while I'm stranded on some isolated piece of wilderness or watching me starve to death because a hoard of wild field mice held me hostage and stole my food pack in the middle of the night and I happen to be starving to death and begging for scraps. I will not need to play "Rambo" and hunt, fish, survive off of wild berries and moose meat. Ok, I think I'm getting it now....

Plenty of nice, friendly people ready to help an old (disabled) sap like me on a moment's notice, a StarBuck's every few miles, cell-phones, laptops, trail angels, smiling faces, good food, everyone is "best buddies", etc. If my Tourette's gets out of hand and the guy/gal in front of me happens to hear me curse, he/she won't take it personaly but rather, ask me if "I'm ok". Shelters, phone booths, ATM machines, etc top off the list.

Maybe I'm a bit delusional here but I've always thought the AT was very primative and that you should always carry a weapon, never hike alone, bring survival gear ("just in case"), etc. If none of this is true, then I REALLY need to be re-educated because I totally off-base here.

- Regards, GG

[GreyGoose]

Sorry, I am from the "big city" so I guess this is the mindset I have. Please try to understand and not take offense. I realize that there is a whole other world out there beyond my own...:sun

- Regards, GG

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Having been on the AT, I can assure you your new realizations are indeed correct. Welcome to the hiking family.

[GreyGoose]

Having been on the AT, I can assure you your new realizations are indeed correct. Welcome to the hiking family.

There were two possible sets of "realizations"...which ones are you referring to?:eek: :p

[GreyGoose]

There were two possible sets of "realizations"...which ones are you referring to?:eek: :p

Oh...the second set of "realizations":D

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Hope to sit on the bank and wet a line with you one day.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Of all the trails and LRRPing I've done, the AT is comparable to Times Square. Shelters, rarely more that 30-40 miles from a resupply, road crossing, or town. As I stated in a very early thread, at this point in my life, this is exactly what I need. I think, GG, you will find you need it to.

Welcome to being a hiker. I leave Mon. or Tues. next week. I'm gonna stop in GE and hike up Springer on my way down to FL. I can stop in Ocala and see you, if you wanna email me.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Oh, yeah, GG, you coming to the Alexander Gathering on Aug 25-28? Come on man. All the folks going have given support to you here. I and I bet "we" will accept you for who you are. Canoeing is great in 100F weather. You're never more than a canoe tip from getting cool!:D

[GreyGoose]

Oh, yeah, GG, you coming to the Alexander Gathering on Aug 25-28? Come on man. All the folks going have given support to you here. I and I bet "we" will accept you for who you are. Canoeing is great in 100F weather. You're never more than a canoe tip from getting cool!:D

You people make me feel so welcomed and part of something. I have always been shunned my entire life (well not always but most of the time because of my dissabilities) and now here I have been at this forum (what, maybe a week or two?) and I already feel like you all are my family. Amigi'sLastStand - you are seriously tempting me...oh no...how can I resist an offer like that?:D.

I know this next bit may sound like a cop-out...a way to get out of actually mingling and socializing with the rest of my hiker family but is there some way we could do a webcam thing at first just to sort of ease me into this whole thing (and get to know each other more personally)?. I am a software programmer/Linux server admin by trade and have been a "computer nerd" since 1984 when I purchased my first Radio Shack "Pocket Computer" and learned to program in Basic so I would personally feel very comfortable getting to know some (or all) of you via the computer - even if if meant using an IM Client (AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, etc) and having a simple text chat. Like I said, I don't currently have one installed but just say the word and it's done:banana.

- GG

[GreyGoose]

Amigi'sLastStand (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=9025)'s PROFILE: "Carry a .44 to hike the AT so you'll be safer...."

Can I take my shrink along with me so I can get a quick shot in the arse with a Thorazine injection if a bear corners me?. Might help for those really tense moments :)

[Moxie00]

I can tell you things I either sent home or left in a hiker box.
Small Leatherman multitool, Swiss Army knife did it all.
Binoculars, if I wanted a close look I either walked to it or did without.
Small hand tool for digging cat holes, Found I could kick a pretty good hole with my boot heel.
Cup, drank out of nalgene bottle.
Fork, use a spoon and your fingers.
Moleskin, never needed it.
Book, kept trail guide, read that at night. ( actually used one book I brought to start fires.
I didn't bring fishing gear, licences for 14 States can be expensive and you do not need any survival gear on the AT, except in the dead of winter someone will allways be along in an hour or so.
I had too many clothes and sent some home.
If you go three days without using any article send it home. Also, you will learn on the trail what food you need and what you don't. I brought no coffee, sugar and only very basic food that I could. I carried alot of TVP, (textured vegtable protien)--- weighs, little, mixes with anything, and provides one basic food need that every thru hiker must have.
Once you are out there you will find your needs and desires are not the same as others and adjust your food and gear to your actual style.

[mweinstone]

yeah minnisota smith is right. he carryied dryed spinnach wasnt it?or was it dryed lettuce. i never saw it before .i carry ginger and garlic.you need veggies. i think it was stinky or doo rag who got dryed beets from home.they taste great.potatoe flakes are my friend.i also carry and hang out with nori.

[GreyGoose]

Moxie00 -

You know, it is human nature to always expect the "worst" (we are hard-wired like all animals for "fight or flight"). I can remember my family coming down here one year to visit me and my mom being terrified I was going to take them out on a boat and feed them to the gators or me being terrified about what my cousins would think of me or some other silly thing. Everything was a major "issue" for me but guess what?. When it was all said and done and the visit was over, there was a lot of laughing, crying and hugging going on and noone was eaten alive by a "gator"...lol. I'm sure the AT would be the same but it's always that "dipping your toe in the water" part that's the most difficult :)

- GG

[GreyGoose]

I also wanted to say that maybe I'm being too much of a "survivalist" here in terms of what gear will be needed on a section or thru-hike but I never realized (until I came here) that the AT is perhaps a bit more civilized than I previously gave it credit for and (if) that being the case, so much the better as I do a lot of walking around my neigborhood and I often run into what I like to call the "good morning gang" (a group of elderly people who like to stop you and say good morning, chat for a bit and invite you over for coffee, etc). If the AT is like that, then I should be right in my element.

- GG

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Amigi'sLastStand (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=9025)'s PROFILE: "Carry a .44 to hike the AT so you'll be safer...."

Can I take my shrink along with me so I can get a quick shot in the arse with a Thorazine injection if a bear corners me?. Might help for those really tense moments :)
Quote directed at some others from other threads... Cant wait for the Google News headline one day "Hiker attempts to shoot foraging bear, kills other hiker." Or even better, "Hiker shoots self in head playing Dirty Harry like a child." I really dont wish that, but handguns on the AT are about as ridiculous as it gets.

[SGT Rock]

Lets see:
- go for a one man tent
- mess kit should be a pot you can cook in and eat from.
- you are probably going to only need 2 canisters or less at a time. One you are using and a back up. When it runs out switch to a back up and get the next back up in rotation at the next stop. There are even lighter ways to go though like an alcohol stove which you can just carry a fuel bottle and refill as needed. It will be slower though.
- all you need is a spoon, the combo is overkill
- "several lighters" should be two. One primary and one back up. Replace as needed in towns.
- replace the folding hunting knife with something smaller. I like the leatherman micra because of the scissors.
- Instead of a canteen, look for something with a wider mouth for easier use like an old Gatorade bottle or Nalgen
- loose the hatchet. You won't need to do wood cutting like that. General guidance these days is to only use dead-fall, no live wood. Anything that is dead-fall can be broken if you know how.
- I wouldn't bring a cell phone, your call. You probably won't get a lot of coverage and you can't plug into shelters to recharge.
- 3-4 changes of clothing are too many. Bring one outfit and then have layers for going over it. You can then mix and match.
- you won't need a shovel. If you need a hole use a pointed stick.
-forget the fishing gear. If you are bringing it for survival you may find it more of a pin to spend hours trying to find and catch fish rather than just looking at a map and finding the fastest route to a road. If you are so bad up for food you want to spend time foraging, foraging in a town is more likely to be productive and may get you fed faster.
- forget carrying the field manual. First off it covers too much stuff that won't apply to the AT. Second off, that manual is for hard core survival stuff. On the AT you can simply get to a road if you are in a situation. Too many easy ways to get help rather than trying to teach yourself a survival skill from a manual while you are actually living in the situation. The manual was designed to teach you skills anyway so you can master them ahead of time. It was not meant to be a guide book to read through once you were already in a bind. If you are interested in survival skills I would recommend going back-country with an easy bail plan and a overall trip orientation of gaining and learning this skills separate from a mileage oriented trail hike. Once you master these skills you can forget about needing that FM.

-instant coffee sucks. Try those teabag type things. I use them at work for coffee in a pinch.

Good luck.

[GreyGoose]

Quote directed at some others from other threads... Cant wait for the Google News headline one day "Hiker attempts to shoot foraging bear, kills other hiker." Or even better, "Hiker shoots self in head playing Dirty Harry like a child." I really dont wish that, but handguns on the AT are about as ridiculous as it gets.

I guess that means I probably should'nt bring my spear gun and shark cage along then, huh?. So is the AT boobytrapped with mines and IED's?. If so, I'll probably need to add a flackjacket and minesweeper to my list. Actually, I think I'll just go for broke here and travel the trail by tank (I'm thinking maybe an A1M1 Abrams or Brady fighting vehicle. I'll be sure to point the turret away from passersby though so no worries:D

PS: I'm also concerned about UFO's, aliens who might be travelling the trail looking for hikers to abduct, cattle mutilations and the like so I'm thinking a Buck Rogers ray-gun might come in handy...lol.

- Regards, GG

[soulrebel]

All you need to do is make sure you have enough room for a couple of steaks and a 12 pack of beer. Maybe take the gun and use that as a firestarter instead of matches or a lighter.