Review my gear list

[tunafishsandwich]

Can some of you more experienced hikers help review my gearlist for my upcoming 2007 thru? I plan on leaving from Springer in the first week of April.

Big 4
Shelter = Integral Designs Unishelter eVent bivy - 31oz.
Bag = Fanatic Fringe 30D Polarguard Quilt - ~24oz.
Pack = Moonbow Gearskins - ~24oz.
Mattress = 59" Gossamer Gear Nightlight 3/4" - ~8oz.

Clothing:
Integral Designs eVent Rain Jacket L - ~10oz.
GoLite Reed Rain Pants - 5oz.
Integral Designs Pertex Wind Jacket - 4oz.
North Face Shorts - ?oz.
Patagonia Capilene 1 S/S - ?oz.
Patagonia Capilene 1 L/S - ?oz.
Black Diamond Microfleece - ?oz.
Patagonia Micropuff Vest - ~8oz.
2 x Ankle Length Wool Socks (haven't picked a make and model yet)
1 x Wool Sleeping Socks - ?oz.
Mountain Hardwear Base Layer Gloves - ~1-2oz.
GoLite Baseball Cap - ~1.5oz.
RayWay Bomber Hat (in progress) - ~1oz.

Misc:
Petzl Tikka Plus - 2.7oz.
Syderco Ladybug - ~1oz.
30' Kelty Triptease - ?oz.
First Aid Kit (duct tape, antiseptic, bandaids, ibuprofen, 2 x vicodin pills, asprin) - ~3oz.
Toiletries (child toothbrush, travel toothpaste, hand sanitizer) - ~2-3oz.?
2 x 1L collapsible Platypus canteens - ?oz.
1 x 2L collapsible Platypus canteen - ?oz.
Aqua Mira - 2oz.?

No kitchen, I will only be taking along trail mix, bars, PB, honey, tortillas, etc.

What do you guys think?

[Canute]

I'd trade your bivy for a Hennesy Hammock come warm weather, same kind of weight, but sooo much more comfortable. And expect it to be cold when you leave, you may want some way to heat water, if only for a hot water bottle to bring into your quilt with you. A couple of esbit tabs weigh nothing and heat a small titanium pot in no time. Hypothermia sucks.

[SalParadise]

you can ditch the wind jacket, you've already got two jackets for keeping warm and dry. past Mt. Rogers then dump the vest and just carry the rain jacket.

I don't know much about sleeping with a quilt instead of a bag, but as long as it's warm enough for you to withstand 0-degree temps....

i took along a baseball cap, too, but you don't really need it. it's only sunny on the trail until after the Smokeys (based on your leaving date). Plus when it gets hot, the cap only traps the heat on your head.

I don't see a winter hat. you'll need one.

I would suggest, at the very least, making an alcohol stove before you go so it could be ready to mail to you if you. With the limited diet that not ever cooking allows, you can expect to get very sick of tortillas and peanut butter. Just keep an alcohol stove as an option in case you change your mind. Plus they're super-light anyway.

you'll want a small knife or scissors to cut tape and open food.

I'll assume you have a foodbag and some rope
I'll assume you have a toothbrush and toothpaste
journal, paper, pen and camera i'll assume you left off on purpose, also maps.

in-camp sandals/clogs? it feels good to get out of your shoes at night.

a small washcloth can be nice to have for a quick cleanup.

you've got a perfect first-aid kit and it looks like you've got a nice, lightweight equipment list.

[SalParadise]

Hypothermia sucks.


I do want to echo what Canute said. Your clothing is good, but realize that it is the minimum (well except maybe that extra jacket). so you'll want something for extra warmth, and it's very likely you'll need it, whether you just run into a very cold night, or worse, you get some rain that soaks you in your tent on a very cold night (happened to me and very many others here).

so Esbit tabs and some hot chocolate will help. I carried three or four of those chemical warmers with me, lightweight and about a buck each, and slipped them into my sleeping bag on particularly cold nights and they greatly helped.

[SalParadise]

oh, also bring a lighter to start a fire.

[Alligator]

I carry three collapsible canteens also, but have higher total capacity. I carry two large ones for dry camping--around 6 liters total--and a single one liter for making flavored drinks. It's a small amount of weight to increase the capacity, but it allows a much wider range of campsite options and fewer trips to get water.

I'm not sure why you might want the 2 single liters? I would suggest a single liter and a 3 liter if you are intent on only four liters. Carrying 3 of these back from the water source can be a bit squirrely.

[hopefulhiker]

I would definetely carry a way to start a fire.. The big four for me includes a stove... Have you considered and alcohol stove? It would add minimal weight.

[tunafishsandwich]

I'm thinking of the RayWay bomber hat as a winter hat. It's light at 1 oz. and relies on a lofty synthetic insulation. The thing is that it's a kit and I have to make it :/. As for alcohol stoves I made a Pepsi can one and was unimpressed. I'm thinking of maybe taking along a canister stove and a <1L titanium pot with handles removed. I've seen canister stoves going at 2.7oz. I not sure if canister stoves will come off lighter in the end if the inherent inefficiency of alcohol is taken into account. Or maybe I can simply save half a pound by not eating hot foods at all. Or maybe take along the pot with some tent stakes and use it on and open flame when there's a firepit around.

[tunafishsandwich]

You're probably right about the canteens Alligator. I'll probably bring along a 1L Platypus (or a 32oz. Gatorade bottle) and a 2.5-3L camp collapsible canteen.

[tunafishsandwich]

What sort of extra clothing should I bring? Should I upgrade the vest to a full blown jacket? Capilene 1 pants? Fleece?

[walktard]

Change out the vest for a full jacket. Forget about the comment on needing a bag/quilt to keep you warm to 0 degrees--with your current quilt with fleece, insulating jacket, windshirt, rainjacket (if dry), etc you should be good to go into the low teens. If all else fails, just use your emergency blanket.

[SalParadise]

you'll want to keep the handles on the cooking pot just so you can pick it up easier with the pot, and the handles are only a 1-ounce difference.

I carried a very light stove with me, but adding on the weight of the cannister, comparing it to alcohol stoves it still came in at around 6 ounces lheavier (with the other hiker at a full supply of fuel). But yeah, it does cook faster, so that's your call (also harder to obtain cannisters starting in Vermont, but that's all in a post from about two weeks ago and easy to search for that info).

plus if you'd like to try not cooking at all, a cannister stove becomes a pricey alternative from alcohol. just try a few different designs and you'll get one to work for you, or else maybe you could pay a hiker on here to make one for you.

problem is with relying on fires to cook your food is that the days when you really want a hot meal, when it's wet and miserable out, is when all the firewood is soaked and very hard to ignite.

only reason i suggest the stove is even leaving in mid-april, some of the days you'll have before Mt. Rogers can be very cold and rough. it doesn't mean you have to cook at all, but at least a stove and some hot chocolate could be a good warmer. in the summer when it's hot out and you've got good experience behind you, would be a great time to dump your stove and experiment with all cold food.

yeah, the large canteen is a good idea. between what you drink at dinner and early morning, it's pretty easy to down three litres of water, and who'd want to make two trips to a far-away water source, anyway? not us lazy hikers.

[rswanson]

Your list looks great. It's very similar to my rack (different big 3 tho) and I really like the simplicity. I don't think you absolutley need to add anything other than emergency fire-making materials.

A few comments:

I would upgrade to a Micropuff pullover but that's just me. You may have a few cold nights but I'm sure you know your comfort level. I'd also carry some type of lower body insulation like the Cap 1 tights. I prefer to hike in shorts and tights.

The bomber hat will be nice with the quilt (there are some companies that make them if you don't want to do it yourself) but I'd also carry a balaclava or fleece/wool watch cap. More compfortable to hike in.

I only use two 1L wide mouth soda bottles. Two liters of water in a dry camp is very workable for one person, really. You may never need more than one as you're going no-cook. Good luck with the no-cook route. I couldn't do it but again, that's just me.

Overall, well thought-out list. Of course, make sure to field test in temps under freezing.

Oh, and careful with the Vikes...if you sustain an injury that could cause shock, it could be harmful to take an opiate. Talk to your doc about that.

[bigcranky]

Nice list. Under ordinary circumstances, I'd say keep the wind shirt -- an ultralight wind shirt is a great piece to hike in on those cold dry windy days. But you have an eVent rain shell, which is probably close to as breathable as a Pertex wind shirt, so you might could leave the wind shirt at home. Your call -- I like hiking with a wind shirt over a light base layer.

April weather in the Southern Appalachians is all over the place. You should be able to get away with the vest since you can wear the quilt around camp, though personally I'd bring a jacket over a vest. (But you'll be sending it home in mid-May, so you can probably stick with the vest.)

I need my morning coffee, so that means I bring a stove and pot/mug. You are correct in thinking that the canister is more fuel efficient than alcohol, but if you are making only the occasional mug of hot drinks or soup, a little alcohol weighs a lot less (that butane canister is heavy). I like fuel tabs, so a couple of those with a 500-ml mug (see the BPL Firelite 500 mug at <3oz with lid) would make a good little kitchen.

Your gear list isn't etched in stone after you get to Springer. If you find you are too cold, or too hot, or you want hot food, there are plenty of places to get more stuff, send stuff home, etc. Have fun.

[Blissful]

Was curious about the vicodin, why you're taking a narcotic pain killer with you? (My son was just on it for his wisdom teeth extraction)

[Appalachian Tater]

The "Cresta" wool socks from LL Bean outlast other brands and are cheaper:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=cresta-hiking-socks&categoryId=33721&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=9699&cat4=9697&shop_method=pp&feat=9699-tn

Consider a full-size toothbrush and you need the handles on your pot--bandanas catch on fire.

[Pokey2006]

I just put together an alcohol stove/Heineken pot combo, really only good for boiling water (think hot chocolate, coffee, oatmeal and freeze-dried dinners). Weight? 4.5 oz. Even if you're counting every ounce, those 4.5 might be worth the extra meal options and hot food/drink you'll get in return.

Otherwise, it's a really good list. Some nice stuff on there.

[fonsie]

I would get a acholhul stove....I have a titanium vargo and it weighs a hair less than a ounce, and a large cup that you can boil water, eat out of, and drink hot beverges on them cold nights.

[fonsie]

O a lighter or matches, maybe some foot cream. I've done long trips and foot care is very inportant

[SalParadise]

I like others' Esbit tabs idea. that would be a great (almost)no-weight backup. and then maybe you wouldn't even have to carry an alcohol stove and a cooking pot if you didn't want to. You could get a Titanium mug and just cook a small amount in that--that's all even less weight than an alcohol stove and alcohol fuel. Just make an easy wire stand for the cup to sit on. Plus the mug is doubly handy at water sources where the canteen might be too big and akward to fit under the trickle of water.

[tunafishsandwich]

I'm thinking about keeping the vest so I have camp insulation through the summer while supplementing that with a heavy weight fleece for the month of April. The vest gives me some flexibility it seems like.

I'm still on the fence about the stove. It would definitely come in handy earlier on where a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a bowl or Ramen at the end the day would warrant the few extra ounces I'm carrying. However when I hiked with my alcohol stove I found I hated baby sitting it during windy weather. And in the cold it took about forever for anything to come to a boil. I really like these canister stoves and they seem only marginally heavier than an alcohol stove (assuming that on average an alcohol stove comes in at 1 oz. and something like a Coleman F1 comes in at 2.5 oz.) However canisters are heavy and it would seem like I would need to use one for multiple days before the efficency of a canister stove would break even with the saved weight by using an alcohol stove (a week maybe?). Bigcranky those BPL 500mL Firelite handleless pots are just what I had in mind.

Also is there anyone here who has any experience using a bivy as a standalone shelter. I have a Henry Shire's Squall 2 tarp tent and while they are a pretty amazing package for the weight I always hated setting it up. Balancing my trekking poles, retensioning the guylines and having to pick out a suitable location for a relatively large 1-person shelter. Just something I didn't want to do at the end of the day when I wanted to just get something in my stomach and go to sleep.

With a bivy I'm hoping to solve this. Just lay it down, stake out the 2-3 points that need to be staked and go to sleep. It has a smaller footprint also so that opens up more spaces to camp. I find that I could maybe go an additional 3-5 miles everyday. Instead of coming into a shelter, eating and then killing an hour or two before going to sleep I can come in, eat and do my socializing (which is always a morale booster) and then continue on for an hour or two before setting up camp. An additional 3 miles compounded over a week adds up. So while I'm not saving a huge amount of weight with a Unishelter (I could get a Six Moon Designs Europa which comes out to 24oz oppose to 31oz for my bivy) I'll spend that weight on the convenience of quickly setting up and breaking down camp. Also I'll sleep warmer than in the shelter and won't have to contend with mice and inadvertant spooning when it's crowded. I don't know how this plan of mine will work out in reality though.

[tunafishsandwich]

As for the vicodin I'm hoping to never use them. But if something extreme were to happen and I was under incredible pain they would come in handy.

[Blissful]

As for the vicodin I'm hoping to never use them. But if something extreme were to happen and I was under incredible pain they would come in handy.

There's not much Advil won't take care of (I like the Advil liquigel caps myself). If the pain is so severe you need narcotic pain meds on the trail, hope you will seek medical care as soon as possible and get off the trail. Medicating yourself in that instance without a DR okay can be tricky business. My son didn't have any problems taking it, but narcotic pain meds can be tough stuff with people. A Dr okay is really needed.

[tunafishsandwich]

True, you're right. The vici's are probably overkill.

[Skidsteer]

I just put together an alcohol stove/Heineken pot combo, really only good for boiling water (think hot chocolate, coffee, oatmeal and freeze-dried dinners). Weight? 4.5 oz. Even if you're counting every ounce, those 4.5 might be worth the extra meal options and hot food/drink you'll get in return.

How did you manage to get it to weigh that much? ;)

[tunafishsandwich]

I don't know about ditching the windshirt. The eVent fabric seems fairly breathable but I'm going to say all of these waterproof/breathable fabrics won't approach the breahability of a windshirt. It only costs 3-4oz. either way and if anything it can be layered with rain jacket for additional insulation.

[rswanson]

I don't know about ditching the windshirt. The eVent fabric seems fairly breathable but I'm going to say all of these waterproof/breathable fabrics won't approach the breahability of a windshirt. It only costs 3-4oz. either way and if anything it can be layered with rain jacket for additional insulation.
A rain jacket that will actually do its job isn't going to have anywhere near the breathability of a good, quality windshirt...especially one made of eVent or Pertex Quantum.