Gear List Critique

[abbailey]

Hey yall, looking for a critique on my gear.Hear is what i have gotten together for my gear so far, i realize there are a lot of small items missing such as tolietries. I dont have oz weights for every item, but i would appreciate any feedback. Im gonna split it up into what i already have, and what I am planning to purchase. Im leaving the first of april

WHAT I ALREADY HAVE
-Hennessy Hammock Hyperlite A-sym -18 oz
-Arc'teryx Bora 80 pack
-waterproof pack cover
-REI sub-kilo +20 degree down sleeping bag
-Coolmax bag liner
-Thermarest sleeping pad 20"W 42"L
-Attachment to make thermarest into a chair
-Salomon Elios XCR hiking shoes
-pair of crocs sandals
-MSR 1.5 liter cooking pot with lid and pot grippers
-MSR whisperlite shaker jet stove
-MSR 33oz fuel bottle
( i think ill probably just carry a soda bottle wrapped in duct tape though)
-Lightest plastic mug a can find at the house
-plastic fork, knife, spoon
-MSR 2 liter H20 Bladder hydration system
-Nalgene Bottle
-LEKI super makalu trekking poles
-3 pair med cushion hiking socks
-3 pair coolmax sock liners
-1Capilene 2 baselayer top
-1 poly/lycra longunderwear bottoms
-1 loose fitting under armour t-shirt
-Full zip arcteryx fleece jacket
-1 baseball cap
-sunglasses
-1 pair mtn hardware power stretch gloves
-1 pair OR low gaiters
-2 bandannas
-1 pair Mtn Hardwear lightweight canyon pant
-1 patagonia rain shell jacket
-2 pair biker shorts
-Toiletries/first aid
-Bandaids, antibacterial ointment, blister pads etc
-Toothbrush/toothpaste, 2 oz dr bronners soap
-sunscreen, maybe somekind of goldbond powder, bug spray
-small headlamp
-wingfoots AT guide
-AT data book
-journal/pens
-IPOD and charger
-4 mega pixel kodak digital camera
-swiss army knife

WHAT I AM PLANNING TO PURCHASE
-AquaMira water treatment
-fleece hat
-bear sack for food
-50' nylon cord
-Lightweight hiking shorts with cargo pockets


OK so let me know what you yall think! thanks

[hopefulhiker]

Rip out the sheets of the data book, try triptease cord, weigh extra gear.

[Treadwell]

hello abbailey.

in my humble opinion...

dump the fork and knife...spoon's all you need. or go to KFC and get a spork.

three pair of liner socks...unless you're using "old school" ragg wool socks, liner socks are unnecessary. i use three pair of merino wool socks and change them every three or four hours while i'm on the trail. pin the wet, stinky pair to your backpack and put a fresh pair on. this way you're constantly rotating, putting "clean" socks on. helps cut down on blisters and airing your feet out feels great.

biker shorts? i'm wondering about this...is this underwear? i could use some help with this one too. on my last hike (JMT 2002) i had a terrible time with chaffing...my butt-crack was raw-raw-raw! could have started a fire. i ended up ditching my underwear and going commando. this time i'm wearing shorts with liners and have *a-hem* been trying different creams.

decide what your going to wear, pants or shorts, i wouldn't take both. pants = sun and bug protection, will be warmer and protect you from briars and brambles. shorts = freedom of movement and are lighter, more comfortable.

don't take the ipod. you're out there to commune with nature, to experience the sounds of nature, to meet interesting people...don't tune all that out by marching to your own soundtrack.

but i think the rest of your list looks pretty good.

[abbailey]

Treadwell, thanks for the feedback bo. A friend who hiked last year suggested the ipod and biker shorts to me. I biked across VA some years back and the biker shorts alond with some goldbond powder keep the chaffing down. Im still up in air about the IPOD

[hammock engineer]

I'm starting about that time. I'll see you out there. There should be a good number of us hammockers out there.

I use cheap swim tunks sans liner for my shorts. Work great and dry out fast for me.

Is that a white gas stove. If so you need a MSR metal fuel bottle for it to work. Plus white gas will eat through plastic.

You can lounge by sitting on top of your HH, so you might not need the chair. I do carry a ccp sit pad. Works great for me. Other's have cut their ridgeline and added a biner to it so that they can unhook it to make it easy to sit on top.

I am carrying a gatoraid bottle as my second water bottle. That way I can swap it out for a soda or other drink in a town stop if I want. Plus it is way lighter.

I have a hard time getting into a sleeping bag in my HH, let alone a bag liner. I use a sleeping bag as a quilt, works great for me. Test this out for yourself.

In the end, don't take the adive you see here as the end all be all. Take want you want and be happy. Just change as you need on your hike.

Also there is a big learning curve to hammocks. Do some testing when you get it. Post away with any questions. You can PM me if you have any on them. There are also a lot of us on hammockforums.net that are happy to answer any questions you may have.

[hopefulhiker]

I also used biker shorts and Gold Bond powder. Also drop the bug spray; you won't need it till the summer in the mountains. One thing you might consider taking is something like an undercover or blanket for your hammock. They can get pretty cold. You might wait until VA to ship in the ipod because of the Green Tunnel effect and the weight..

[RockStar]

I have more than the average 30% body fat we gals are known to have. So hiking with these shorts in winter is just another comfortable choice for me. AND they kept me warm enough to just use fleece and leave the thermals home. thats just ME and Im a chunky butt! ;)

[Treadwell]

to continue this train of thought...

i bought some of those lycra bicycling leg warmer things for $19 in case of chilly mornings/evenings. jury is still out on whether they'll work. i took them hiking the other day and they kept sliding down my thigh...didn't have the hem of cycling shorts to keep them up.

but if you're wearing cycling shorts, this might be an alternative for you if your concerned about leg coverage.

cheers!
treadwell

[Lemur]

critiquing gear, such a fun game: Seems like your present list will have you shipping stuff home along the trail. That'll be fun and you'll notice the decrease in pack weight immediately. You could also start without the chair attachment, without the pot gripper, with only 1 bandana, with a compacter bag inside your pack instead of a packcover, without a plastic mug or any utensil but a spoon, without a nalgene bottle- gatorade bottle is lighter, without liner socks, without soap, with 2 prs not 3 of socks, without the databook (wf 'll be fine) without blister pads-- duct tape works best and save yourself the postage.

-laces

[mountain squid]

List looks good. In addition to what has been mentioned:

lighter
needle for draining blisters
your food sack can be sil-nylon
isn't the data book redundant with Wingfoot's?
what about maps?
does your knife have tweezers/scissors? (tweezers needed for pulling ticks up North and scissors for clipping fingernails)
ear plugs in case of noisy shelter mates
don't forget the tp
with the aqua mira you will need something to dip water with
whistle
hand sanitizer

As hammock engineer and Laces (hi Laces) mentioned, I also would not carry the chair thingy. Many shelters have picnic tables and otherwise, just sit on the ground or a 'friendly' rock.

Also, don't forget ID, atm/credit/phone card and important phone #'s.

Stay warm inside that hammock and good luck on your hike.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[mnof1000v]

Hey yall, looking for a critique on my gear.Hear is what i have gotten together for my gear so far, i realize there are a lot of small items missing such as tolietries. I dont have oz weights for every item, but i would appreciate any feedback. Im gonna split it up into what i already have, and what I am planning to purchase. Im leaving the first of april

WHAT I ALREADY HAVE
-Hennessy Hammock Hyperlite A-sym -18 oz
***Always popular here on WB. While not for me, many like it.
-Arc'teryx Bora 80 pack
***Seems excessive, but I'm sure you like it. It's already a pretty water resistent pack, so you might consider just using a plastic trash bag or compacter bag liner and nix the pack cover.
-waterproof pack cover
***see above
-REI sub-kilo +20 degree down sleeping bag
***It should suffice.
-Coolmax bag liner
***Silk or cotton? Silk's better, but I used cotton, and have no complaints. It certainly kept the most of the funk off the sleeping bag.
-Thermarest sleeping pad 20"W 42"L
***You may cosider cutting it to size.
-Attachment to make thermarest into a chair
***I think it's totally unnecessary, given the hammock and abundant options for seating on the trail (ie - shelters, rocks, logs, the ground...).
-Salomon Elios XCR hiking shoes
***To each their own
-pair of crocs sandals
***Everyone owns a pair.
-MSR 1.5 liter cooking pot with lid and pot grippers
***1.5 liter seems excessive, but will certainly work.
-MSR whisperlite shaker jet stove
***I had a simmerlite, which is similar, but switched to an alcohol stove for convenience in Damascus, VA.
-MSR 33oz fuel bottle
( i think ill probably just carry a soda bottle wrapped in duct tape though)
***Just go with the smallest MSR fuel bottle you can find. You really will only need 2-3 days of fuel in most cases.
-Lightest plastic mug a can find at the house
***You may consider an Orikaso folding cup. They're light, ridiculously cheap, and they save space. I thought for sure it would be the first item I'd send home, but I used it every day.
-plastic fork, knife, spoon
***I started with all three, but ditched the knife and fork at Neel's Gap. I never missed them. Besides if you're carrying a swiss army, you'd be doubling up anyway.
-MSR 2 liter H20 Bladder hydration system
***Useful during the day and the night.
-Nalgene Bottle
***You may consider ditching this, given that you have the hydration system. I kept mine because I didn't like the hydration system. I used the Nalgene during the day, because I could keep track of how much water I had and was using. I carried a 96 oz. cantene bag for camp.
-LEKI super makalu trekking poles
***I had cheapies, but you can't go wrong with Leki.
-3 pair med cushion hiking socks
***Keep 3 pairs and rotate often.
-3 pair coolmax sock liners
***If you change your socks often and wash them in streams and such when necessary, these will be unnecessary.
-1Capilene 2 baselayer top
***Why not?
-1 poly/lycra longunderwear bottoms
***Sure.
-1 loose fitting under armour t-shirt
***May consider this or the capilene and not both.
-Full zip arcteryx fleece jacket
***I know it's sacrelidge on WB, but I love my fleece. The down jackets are a pretty popular alternative though, and they are lighter.
-1 baseball cap
***I found my cap very useful in the the later months, but not at all useful during March and early April.
-sunglasses
***I went without and never missed them - with the exception of one snowy day near Beauty Spot.
-1 pair mtn hardware power stretch gloves
***Sure.
-1 pair OR low gaiters
***Never used them.
-2 bandannas
***One should be sufficient, but 2 won't break your back either.
-1 pair Mtn Hardwear lightweight canyon pant
***Ok
-1 patagonia rain shell jacket
***Ok
-2 pair biker shorts
***I just don't know... but HYOH.
-Toiletries/first aid
-Bandaids, antibacterial ointment, blister pads etc
***Blister pads don't work unless you're in town. Two words - bounce box!
-Toothbrush/toothpaste, 2 oz dr bronners soap
***Bronners is found in almost every hiker box until you get to VA. You just don't need it.
-sunscreen, maybe somekind of goldbond powder, bug spray
***Definitely goldbond early, but you won't need the other stuff until later in the hike.
-small headlamp
***Yep
-wingfoots AT guide
***ALDHA's online companion is free, and there's useful stuff here on WB, but you can't go wrong with WF either.
-AT data book
***If you have WF, you don't need this. Leave it at home for whoever is giving you assistance.
-journal/pens
***Yep
-IPOD and charger
***personal choice.
-4 mega pixel kodak digital camera
***Yep
-swiss army knife
***Hopefully the smallest you can find. With only scissors and knife.

WHAT I AM PLANNING TO PURCHASE
-AquaMira water treatment
***sure
-fleece hat
***definately
-bear sack for food
***yep
-50' nylon cord
***yep
-Lightweight hiking shorts with cargo pockets


OK so let me know what you yall think! thanks

[doggiebag]

Hey yall, looking for a critique on my gear.Hear is what i have gotten together for my gear so far, i realize there are a lot of small items missing such as tolietries. I dont have oz weights for every item, but i would appreciate any feedback. Im gonna split it up into what i already have, and what I am planning to purchase. Im leaving the first of april

WHAT I ALREADY HAVE
-Hennessy Hammock Hyperlite A-sym -18 oz
-Arc'teryx Bora 80 pack
-waterproof pack cover
-REI sub-kilo +20 degree down sleeping bag
-Coolmax bag liner
-Thermarest sleeping pad 20"W 42"L
-Attachment to make thermarest into a chair
-Salomon Elios XCR hiking shoes
-pair of crocs sandals
-MSR 1.5 liter cooking pot with lid and pot grippers
-MSR whisperlite shaker jet stove
-MSR 33oz fuel bottle
( i think ill probably just carry a soda bottle wrapped in duct tape though)
-Lightest plastic mug a can find at the house
-plastic fork, knife, spoon
-MSR 2 liter H20 Bladder hydration system
-Nalgene Bottle
-LEKI super makalu trekking poles
-3 pair med cushion hiking socks
-3 pair coolmax sock liners
-1Capilene 2 baselayer top
-1 poly/lycra longunderwear bottoms
-1 loose fitting under armour t-shirt
-Full zip arcteryx fleece jacket
-1 baseball cap
-sunglasses
-1 pair mtn hardware power stretch gloves
-1 pair OR low gaiters
-2 bandannas
-1 pair Mtn Hardwear lightweight canyon pant
-1 patagonia rain shell jacket
-2 pair biker shorts
-Toiletries/first aid
-Bandaids, antibacterial ointment, blister pads etc
-Toothbrush/toothpaste, 2 oz dr bronners soap
-sunscreen, maybe somekind of goldbond powder, bug spray
-small headlamp
-wingfoots AT guide
-AT data book
-journal/pens
-IPOD and charger
-4 mega pixel kodak digital camera
-swiss army knife

WHAT I AM PLANNING TO PURCHASE
-AquaMira water treatment
-fleece hat
-bear sack for food
-50' nylon cord
-Lightweight hiking shorts with cargo pockets


OK so let me know what you yall think! thanks
Your list has an uncanny resemblance to mine.
Things I bought new:
REI Monarch hiking boots
Osprey Atmos 65 pack
Hennessy Expedition A-sym
Whisperlite Internationale stove (burns 3 diff fuels)
MSR fuel flask
first need water purifier
REI candle lantern
AT thru hikers companion 2007
double boiler (essentially two pots that nest with the stove inside)
Petzyl LED headlamp (it was on sale)
BFK (big focken knife - Airforce survival knife from surplus store)
1 pair of really thick wool socks
Kelty K-9 dog rucksack (The dog packs his own food and tarp)
Locking dog leash (I can lock my dog down like a bicycle so no one steals him while I go into stores - he'll bite their arse anyway)

Things I mooched/owned or bought at the Goodwill:
1 30 degree sleeping bag (given to me)
3 pairs wool socks (Goodwill)
2 sets polypro lightweight shirts (Goodwill)
Cold weather polypro hunting jacket/pants and hat (from my bowhunting days)
1 waterproof wind breaker (Goodwill)
BDU top and bottom (Army issue battle dress uniform)
polyester filled nylon coveralls (like snowmobile pants that go all the way up to my chest
it's very light - if it gets cold enough I'll put everything on to sleep).
The only thing I really need at this point is a good set of gortex wet weather gear.
I'm getting a real metal spoon and fork or a spork instead of the plastic spoon - I like to stir what I'm cooking. The BFK is for killing bears and "Deliverance" type hillbillys. LOL.

PS. Part of my training involves just showering every other week :eek:

[abbailey]

good thought on the locking dog leash

[Trailwind]

i would appreciate any feedback. ... Im leaving the first of april...Arc'teryx Bora 80 pack...MSR whisperlite shaker jet stove
Most of your list seems weight conscious. I have a Bora 80 but haven't used it since I got my hands on a ULA P2 about 4 years ago. I keep it to let my friends without gear use when they go with me. There are a lot of lightweight packs that can cut some serious pounds out of your load without sacrificing any comfort...and in this case you could probably easily cut more than 4 pounds out of a single item. If it was my list I would next look at the stove...another opportunity to cut pounds out of the load. Take a look at www.antigravitygear.com (http://www.antigravitygear.com) alcohol stoves. I do not like the caldera stove because I don't see how in the heck you could pack it, but I do like the smallest stove and cookset very well along with the freezer bag cozy. With these two items you might cut out 5 to 6 pounds. Nalgene bottles are also heavy...consider a soda plastic bottle.

Most importantly...Good Luck, Safe Travels and I hope you have an awesome adventure.