pack questions

[ramblinman]

Im farely new to backpacking, so I apologize for the newbie question. I will taking a two week hike on the ApT(NC/Tenn area) in the near future. I have just a very general idea of the gear Ill need. Is there some sort of check list or guidline to help prep for the trip. Bare minimum. Once again sorry if this is a stupid question but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Matt

[wacocelt]

You'll have to give us a little better idea of the gear you already have, before we can suggest what to put it in. Us being the royal ME.;)

[rafe]

Suggest getting a basic camping/backpacking book from the library or bookstore and giving it a look-over. If you absolutely want to cut to the chase, google on "gear lists" and you'll find dozens. But in the end, you have to make your own gear list and live with it.

[ramblinman]

Tent, sleepingbag, camp stove ect. Im normally camp at a camp ground, where I can just keep all my gear in my truck. The majority is two bulky to carry on my back. Im basically starting from scratch.

[wacocelt]

Skip the books and just do searches here. I have yet to see a book with more current and practical information than you'll find here. No offense intended ofcourse TT.

[rafe]

Skip the books and just do searches here. I have yet to see a book with more current and practical information than you'll find here. No offense intended ofcourse TT.

No offense taken. But for someone starting from scratch, the info on this site is going to be *very* confusing. Too many cooks in the kitchen, and everyone's got an agenda. IMO, the OP could benefit from a basic overview, I think. Like maybe this one:

http://tinyurl.com/ybqrq9

(The Appalachian Trail Hiker, Victoria and Frank Logue.)

[copythat]

terrapin_too is right on the money. google for gear lists and you'll have lots of fireside reading.

one nice, brief choice is this one:

http://www.angelfire.com/or2/hikelight/gearlist.html

i like it because it has some flexibility built into it. shelter recommendations: everything from a 6 oz. bivy to a 43 oz. tent. packs: everything from 13 oz. to 48, with no lecturing about how you should choose.

but definitely take terrapin's advice and track down more. a bunch of the lists provide links to other ones, as well. and remember there are lots on these forums, too. search. read. search some more.

(and no, i have no affiliation (except as an occasional customer) to hikelight.)

[ramblinman]

Great info guys. Thank you so much, very informative. Ecspecially like the hikelight.com info. Thanks again.

[map man]

Right here at the WhiteBlaze homepage there is an articles section, outlined in yellow, on the left side of the page. If you click on the title "packing lists," you will see multiple lists, and also a series of articles by Sgt. Rock talking in detail about your options in different aspects of gear choices -- clothing, kitchen, shelters, etc. Worth reading, I think, as are many of the articles in the entire article section (sometimes I think they get overlooked by people who go straight to the discussion forums).

[fiddlehead]

Here's my gear list. Good luck and have fun:
The gear i carry varies depending on the weather, temperature,how many days I'm between supply points, etc. But, here’s a list of what i carry for an overnight in the winter, follwed by a warm weather list. We’ve found that even when I'm out for the day with an 8 lb. load,(mostly food) every ounce counts.
Cold WeatherPack: Go-Lite Breeze 12 oz
Sleeping Bag:Feathered Friends:Snowbunting 3 lbs 2 oz.
Foam Sleeping Pad (1/3 cut off) 3 oz.
Raingear: Patagonia: Torrentshell ,Frogg Toggs bottoms both: 2 lbs.*
Cooking Pot: Aluminum 1 qt. pot,
Beercan stove, 2 oz.
alcohol: 10 oz total
Tent: Integral Designs:Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.
Feathered Friends: Helio vest 11oz.
Fleece pants: Open Air wind block fleece 20 oz.
Fleece socks: wear one pr., carry 1 spare 3oz/pr. 6oz *
Powerstretch top: wear it (always) 7 oz. *200 wt Polartec Fleece top: 12.5 oz *Balacalava (200 wt Fleece) 2oz *Gloves (200 wt. Fleece) Camera Nikon Coolpix 2100 8 oz Tyvek 3 ½ ‘ X 7 ‘ 4 oz 3-Sil/Nylon Stuff Sacks 2oz *Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. De 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil/Nylon Adventurelite.com 3oz *Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz
Cup Styrofoam (get new ones easy) almost weightless!
Small Ditty Bag Contains the following:Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ oz
Toothbrush 1/4 oz Toothpaste 3oz Reading glasses 1 oz Chlorine (water treatment in visine bottle) ½ oz.
Lighter Bic 3/4 oz Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
FlashlightPhoton II Microlite ¼ oz. *
Total wt. Of Ditty bag contents 6 ¾ oz
Total Weight of Cold Weather Gear:13.6 lbs(no food or water)

Warm Weather Gear List
Pack:Go-Lite Day Pack 9.5 oz
Sleeping Bag:Feathered Friends:Hummingbird 1 lb.13 oz
Raingear: Frogg Toggs Tops and Bottoms 12 oz * Cooking Pot:Aluminum 1 qt. PotBeer can stove, 2
oz alcohol: 10 oz. total
Tent:Integral Designs:Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.
Clothes:Bergalene Long Underwear Bottoms 4 oz. *Lightweight Polypro Top 5 oz
Nylon Socks 1 pr. /Fleece socks 1 pr. 4 ½ oz *200 wt. Fleece top 12 ½ oz
*Camara Nikon Coolpix 2100 w/ batteries 8 oz
Tyvek 3 ½ by 7 ‘ 4 oz
3 Sil / Nylon Stuff Sacks 2 oz *Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. Dew 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil / Nylon Adventurelite.co 2 ½ oz. *Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz.Cup plastic (from Thrift Store) 1 oz.
Small Ditty Bag (sil nylon) contains the following:Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ ozToothbrush
¼ ozToothpaste 1 oz.Reading glasses 1 oz.Chlorine (water treatment in visine bottle)
½ oz. Knife and Lighter Bic ¾ oz.
Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
Flashlight Photon II Microlite ¼ oz. *Total wt. Of Ditty bag contents 6 ¾ oz
Total Weight of Warm Weather Gear 8 lbs. 9 oz. (no food or water)
A few words about our gear, Tyvek can usually be obtained for free or a small charge from a construction site where you see it being used, it comes in 9’ widths (usually) . Buy a Mt. Dew or Coke plastic litre bottle instead of the Nalgeneâ and you get the bonus of a litre of soft drink! (and save 4 oz.) If you really want a lighter pack, use a styrofoam cup (with lid), I’ve had one last 35 days already, but,….. be careful! I understand
that Titanium cookpots are the same weight as aluminum, but they cost 5 times more and aluminum heats water quicker. I took my handle off the EverNewâ and riveted it to a hardware store 1 litre pot. We’ve both been using chlorine for water treatment for years with no problems. Here’s our rule 1-2 drops per litre, (depending on water quality, and temperature) and wait 20 minutes. (The colder the water, the longer you should wait)

[rswanson]

Also check out Backpackinglight (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/index.html). This has probably my best resource over hte past few years. Do a lot of research before you start shopping. The more you know, the more you'll avoid the dreaded 'Why did I buy everything twice?' syndrome. Your biggest decisions may well come in balancing your wants against your budget. Get the best gear you can afford but don't feel like you need to buy everything under the sun in order to have a good hiking experience. Sometimes simplicity is the key. And, don't be afraid to try a piece of gear just because its unfamiliar to you or doesn't fit with your idea of backapacking gear. A good example would be alcohol stoves. Most beginning backpackers wouldn't dream of carrying one at first but later come to swear by them, after spending lots of money on 'proper' stoves.

[highway]

Here's my gear list. Good luck and have fun:
The gear i carry varies depending on the weather, temperature,how many days I'm between supply points, etc. But, here’s a list of what i carry for an overnight in the winter, follwed by a warm weather list. We’ve found that even when I'm out for the day with an 8 lb. load,(mostly food) every ounce counts.
Cold WeatherPack: Go-Lite Breeze 12 oz
Sleeping Bag:Feathered Friends:Snowbunting 3 lbs 2 oz.
Foam Sleeping Pad (1/3 cut off) 3 oz.
Raingear: Patagonia: Torrentshell ,Frogg Toggs bottoms both: 2 lbs.*
Cooking Pot: Aluminum 1 qt. pot,
Beercan stove, 2 oz.
alcohol: 10 oz total
Tent: Integral Designs:Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.
Feathered Friends: Helio vest 11oz.
Fleece pants: Open Air wind block fleece 20 oz.
Fleece socks: wear one pr., carry 1 spare 3oz/pr. 6oz *
Powerstretch top: wear it (always) 7 oz. *200 wt Polartec Fleece top: 12.5 oz *Balacalava (200 wt Fleece) 2oz *Gloves (200 wt. Fleece) Camera Nikon Coolpix 2100 8 oz Tyvek 3 ½ ‘ X 7 ‘ 4 oz 3-Sil/Nylon Stuff Sacks 2oz *Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. De 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil/Nylon Adventurelite.com 3oz *Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz
Cup Styrofoam (get new ones easy) almost weightless!
Small Ditty Bag Contains the following:Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ oz
Toothbrush 1/4 oz Toothpaste 3oz Reading glasses 1 oz Chlorine (water treatment in visine bottle) ½ oz.
Lighter Bic 3/4 oz Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
FlashlightPhoton II Microlite ¼ oz. *
Total wt. Of Ditty bag contents 6 ¾ oz
Total Weight of Cold Weather Gear:13.6 lbs(no food or water)

Warm Weather Gear List
Pack:Go-Lite Day Pack 9.5 oz
Sleeping Bag:Feathered Friends:Hummingbird 1 lb.13 oz
Raingear: Frogg Toggs Tops and Bottoms 12 oz * Cooking Pot:Aluminum 1 qt. PotBeer can stove, 2
oz alcohol: 10 oz. total
Tent:Integral Designs:Sil-shelter with 7 stakes 14 oz.
Clothes:Bergalene Long Underwear Bottoms 4 oz. *Lightweight Polypro Top 5 oz
Nylon Socks 1 pr. /Fleece socks 1 pr. 4 ½ oz *200 wt. Fleece top 12 ½ oz
*Camara Nikon Coolpix 2100 w/ batteries 8 oz
Tyvek 3 ½ by 7 ‘ 4 oz
3 Sil / Nylon Stuff Sacks 2 oz *Water Bottle 1 litre Mt. Dew 1 ½ oz
Pack cover: Sil / Nylon Adventurelite.co 2 ½ oz. *Water bag: 5 litre from a wine box 3 oz.Cup plastic (from Thrift Store) 1 oz.
Small Ditty Bag (sil nylon) contains the following:Knife and Spoon Ginsu and Aluminum spoon 1 ½ ozToothbrush
¼ ozToothpaste 1 oz.Reading glasses 1 oz.Chlorine (water treatment in visine bottle)
½ oz. Knife and Lighter Bic ¾ oz.
Bottle with Aspirin, Dental Floss and Sewing needle 1 ½ oz.
Flashlight Photon II Microlite ¼ oz. *Total wt. Of Ditty bag contents 6 ¾ oz
Total Weight of Warm Weather Gear 8 lbs. 9 oz. (no food or water)
A few words about our gear, Tyvek can usually be obtained for free or a small charge from a construction site where you see it being used, it comes in 9’ widths (usually) . Buy a Mt. Dew or Coke plastic litre bottle instead of the Nalgeneâ and you get the bonus of a litre of soft drink! (and save 4 oz.) If you really want a lighter pack, use a styrofoam cup (with lid), I’ve had one last 35 days already, but,….. be careful! I understand
that Titanium cookpots are the same weight as aluminum, but they cost 5 times more and aluminum heats water quicker. I took my handle off the EverNewâ and riveted it to a hardware store 1 litre pot. We’ve both been using chlorine for water treatment for years with no problems. Here’s our rule 1-2 drops per litre, (depending on water quality, and temperature) and wait 20 minutes. (The colder the water, the longer you should wait)


In warm weather you dont need rain bottoms, or a 5 liter water container, but I would double the number of stakes (titanium spiral) for the silshelter. 7 is not enough if you are forced into a very windy location-you need one for each tie-loop. Plus the more stakes its easier to keep sides higher off the ground and still taunt. I qt pot for one?

[rafe]

Just a thought... the OP, "ramblinman" admits to being new to backpacking and interested in help on a 2-week hike. I don't know how to say this, but "ultralight" is something you learn by doing. It's not for casual hikers and newbies. Suggesting that the OP head into the woods with a 9.5 oz pack and a 14 oz Sil-shelter is damn nigh irresponsible, IMO.

[chicote]

Just a thought... the OP, "ramblinman" admits to being new to backpacking and interested in help on a 2-week hike. I don't know how to say this, but "ultralight" is something you learn by doing. It's not for casual hikers and newbies. Suggesting that the OP head into the woods with a 9.5 oz pack and a 14 oz Sil-shelter is damn nigh irresponsible, IMO.

Agreed.

To the OP. Take your time and have fun with it. You can even rent gear for those two weeks. Share what you can with your friends think light but don't go beyond your comfort level. We are all out there to have fuh. HYOH.

[StarLyte]

Im farely new to backpacking, so I apologize for the newbie question. I will taking a two week hike on the ApT(NC/Tenn area) in the near future. I have just a very general idea of the gear Ill need. Is there some sort of check list or guidline to help prep for the trip. Bare minimum. Once again sorry if this is a stupid question but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Matt

Hey ramblinman.....do you have a pack?