Thru Hike Gear List

[yogi clyde]

I'd like to thank all the folks on Whiteblaze for sharing all their knowledge.

Less then 6 weeks to go, I have not finalized my gear list, or weight everything, but here goes:

Pack - ULA P-2 or Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone 48 oz (own both)
Pack Cover
Tarptent Squall (with floor that zippers close) 32 oz
Ground sheet
Western Mountaineering Alpinlite (new bag like the Ultralite but wider) 31 oz
Silk bag liner 5 oz
3/4 Thermarest 24 oz (looking for something lighter)

Alcohol Stove combo windscreen pot holder (thanks StoveStomper) 1.4 oz
1 quart aluminum cup with a built in handle 3.7 oz
Aluminum foil as lid
Lexan spoon .3 oz
Lexan knife .5 oz (sanitary reasons - how many clean the blade on their pocket knife)
24 oz plastic bottle for denatured alcohol .9oz
Plastic bowl/cup with lid 1.1 oz

Pur Hiker water filter 12 oz (don't want to do chemicals for 6 months)
3 liter Platypus hoser 3.9 oz
32 oz plastic bottle 1.9 oz
2 gallon water bag for water in camp 3 oz

Knife swiss army Adirondack model 1.9 oz
Princton Tec aurora headlite 2.8 oz
50 feet of rope 2.7 oz
trowel 1.9 oz
towel 1.3 oz
1st aid kit
personal stuff (tooth brush, floss, bug dope, vitamins etc...)

journal
maps
data book
companion
pencils/pen
camera - probably film vs digital

Precip Jacket 13.3 oz
Red Ledge Rain Pants 11.6 oz
Knit hat 2 oz
Gloves/Mittens
Aero windshirt 3.5 oz
Patagonia R-1 12 oz
EMS windshear jacket 12.9 oz
Montbell down jacket 16 oz (for camp wear at beginning and end of trip)
Comfort Clogs 11.6 oz
Fleece socks
3 pair sock liners
3 pair socks
silk long pants and shirt - campwear
Capaline long underpants 8.3 oz

Wear the following
LL Bean light weight long sleeve zip front wicking shirt or
Short sleeve zip front wicking shirt
Baseball cap
Ex officio convertible pants with sewn in mesh liner
gaitors
boots - still undecided use to use EMS boots, but looking for
something with better grip on wet rocks.

Thanks for any input.

Happy Trails!!!

[Happy]

Great gear list, you have done your homework! These are the suggestions I would make because I live near the trail and hike often with beginning hikers in this area and know the weather, etc.

3/4 thermarest---exchange for 3/4 ridgerest (9oz) or 3/4 z-rest 11.9 oz

Pur hiker good choice, but most change to Aqua-Mira very shortly

2 gallon water bag---two much- go to 2-2 1/2 litre

Trowel---leave home use tent stake or rock or stick

3 socks and 3 liners---leave one set home

Capaline long underpants--- leave home

Lexan knife---leave home---include alcohol squirt bottle with toilet kit and take time to clean pocket knife...probably better than water purification anyway, if you clean your hands on a regular basis.

Towell---forget and add 2 banandas

Switch to trailrunners...you will be glad you did...try Montrail Vitness...footware very personal, so try several different shoes.

[chris]

The only thing that I can think of that you need but do not have are earplugs. Get them. The cost about $1 and weight only a gram or two, but will turn a torture fest at a full shelter into something approximating a reasonable sleep. And, you will be staying in shelters at times. Plus, you'll probably be sharing a motel room with other hikers now and then. Or at hostels.

So, if you've got everything you need, then the only question is: Should I not take this. This is a question that is better answered by a few weeks on the trail, despite firm opinions from myself and others. Think of your gear as something that time will sort out: Mail stuff home if it seems you are not using it on a regular basis (emergency gear excepted). I would think hard for a while about footwear, particularly the choice of trail runners against boots. There are trail runners out there with really, really good grip (New Balance does make any of these). You'll burn through a pair every 500-800 miles, depending on your walking pattern. If you take runners, there is little reason to take the Mocs: Your hiking shoes will be more comfortable. If you go the trail runner route, think about taking ankle high running socks, instead of hiking socks and liners. Fox River makes some nice ones. I like the runners from Asics and Brooks. Something to think about.

I'd probably leave the trowel at home. Ditto for the lexan knife. If you want a knife, bring a metal blade that can do something. It looks like you have 5 jackets: The precip, R1, aero, windshear, and the down thing, although this last one you'll send home early on, as you mention. If you start with the down, put the R1 in a bounce box and plan to pick it up when mid April rolls around. I'm not sure what the Windshear jacket is, but I can't imagine a situation not covered by the R1 and Precip. I'm not sold on the idea of a separate windshirt for AT hiking, but neither do I have anything against it. Consider switching from your thermarest to a ridgerest. They work well enough and you can sit on it around a camp fire without worry of rendering it useless. Also, consider leaving the silk pants and shirt at home. It may seem like a good idea now, but it might not later.

With all this, why trust me? Or anyone else, for that matter? There is no good reason to. You've got what you need to go, so now go and hike. There are things you are bringing that might be superfluous, but you don't have many of them and can sort that out in the first few weeks of hiking. Remember: Gear doesn't get you over a hill, you haul your gear over.

[Jaybird]

I'd like to thank all the folks on Whiteblaze for sharing all their knowledge.

YOGI CLYDE:


here's a few more suggestions.....


LIST--LIST--LIST--LIST



Lexan spoon .3 oz Why not get a SPORK & get rid of the knife!Lexan knife .5 oz

Plastic bowl/cup with lid 1.1 oz WHY? eat out of your cook pot!


2 gallon water bag for water in camp 3 oz this would be approx 18lbs of water! why not take just use your 32oz water bottle for camp water?
most dehydrated foods only need 8oz-320z water!


camera Only take enuff camera to get you to the next mail drop





Red Ledge Rain Pants 11.6 oz ???? If your "convertibles" are "rain-resisitant" & fast-drying you dont need these!

Aero windshirt 3.5 oz NOT NEEDED if you have a jacket!



Fleece socks
3 pair sock liners 7 or 8 pairs of socks???????? 3 pair socks
Thanks for any input.Happy Trails!!!




You seemed to be SUPER-organized! while thats NOT a bad thing...most times we think we have to have everything for every possible situation.....
NOT TRUE!

most times...if you can't "YOGI" from a fellow hiker...you're only a day or two from the next trail town.

GOOD LUCK w/ your hike! :D

[Peaks]

At first blush, doesn't appear to be a bad list. Looks like you have put some thought into it.

I'm one person who carried both a Lexan knife and a trowel. So, my advise is to take everything that is on your list right now. Then, as you go along, if there are things that you find you are not using, then consider sending them home.

[flyfisher]

It does look like you have thought through this... What is your final pack weight, hanging on a scale, wearing only what you would wear when it is 60 degrees F and you are climbing a hill?

I believe your shoulders will help you "edit" the list over the course of time. (Most editing is a matter of removing unnecessary words.) Other hikers may also be a source of your personal editing. As you see their set-ups you may see things you like or dislike in the way they hike. That's the way I got into hammock camping.

I think you may become comfortable with not treating most of your water. Several times a day, in the spring, you will pass good water coming directly out of the hillside, and it may occur to you that there is no way this water could be contaminated. So it could be possible to save exposure to chemicals to the few times when the only water is questionable and must be treated.

I agree with the above advice about making a critical review every few days. Personally, I always think about pack contents after every 4-5 days. Over that interval it has probably been warm, cold, rainy and sunny. If something did not get used in that interval and those conditions, the odds of my needing that piece of equipment over then next 4-5 days is pretty slim. I consider putting it in a bounce box or mailing it home.

[Grimace]

with everyone else that has posted. Defnitely a well thought out list. Here are my ommissions if you're trying to cut weight.

I doubt you'll need the lexan knife. What are you going to eat that you have to cut? What are you bringing with you that you'd have to use your pocket knife for?

Ditch the trowell. Just pull a rock out of the groud and you have your 6 inch hole and a seat to boot. Put the rock back when you're done and you're good to go.

Plastic bowl and lid? For what? Most people tend to eat right out of their pot. I did see one hiker who used a small tupperware container to mix pudding and instant breakfast. He did not cook so he did not have a pot.

I'm thinking you gots lots of clothes. If you're leaving in 6 weeks, we're talking mid April. If it ever gets below freezing, it will be at night when you're in camp. You'll prob hike in a short sleeve shirt and shorts down to 40 degrees. Below that you'll throw on your raincoat. Hiking keeps you warm. Keep a pair of long underwear and your down coat for camp. Maybe a set of rain pants until it gets really warm. I think you'll be comfy with:

hat,
gloves,
convert pant,
zip T,
rain gear (precip and pants)
Down coat
long underwear set - mostly to sleep in.

I had 3 pairs of socks. 2 to hike in, one for camp. You can prob forgoe the liners if you use synthetic hiking socks, but that is your choice.

Use a pencil
bring only map and pages you'll need for section

What do you do with water in camp? With a 3 liter platy and a bottle you have 4 liters of water. I can't think of a situation where you'll need more water than that ever on the AT, at camp or hiking.

Now I'm getting nitpicky. 24oz bottle for alcohol. Isn't a normal soda bottle 16oz? A full 16oz is prob enough for 10 days if you're only boiling water for yourself. You can get alc at every trail stop, so 24oz is a little overkill.

[Kerosene]

I generally concur with the advice given above:

Nix the lexan knife and trowel. Just sterilize the blade of your knife with alcohol in the unlikely event that you need to cut any food.
16 oz. of alcohol should be more than enough.
Reduce the guidebook/companion pages you need for each section down onto 2-sided copies rather than bring the books themselves.
Leaving in mid-April, I'm not convinced that you'll need the down jacket if you can layer the R1, Aero, Precip and EMS Windshear. In fact, I'd consider dropping either the R1 or Windshear to boot! It's amazing how your body acclimates to cooler temperatures once you've been out for a few days.
Bring only the capilene long pants OR the silk long pants, not both.
Cut your rope down to 40 feet.
Save half a pound by replacing the 24 ounces of Precip parka and Red Ledge pants with 16 ounces of Frogg Toggs (looks like the price is up to $85 as they've become more popular).
Replace your 24 oz. Therma-Rest 3/4 with the new Therma-Rest Prolite 3s at 13 oz. for a 3/4 length inflatable mattress. If you're young and tough and sleep like a log, then you can consider the RidgeRest at 9 oz.
Bring a small wide mouth container to dip into low springs, perhaps in place of your 32-oz. water bottle.
Switch to Aqua Mira.
My feet sweat a lot and I hate wet feet. My solution is to bring 4 pairs of lightweight liners and 2 pairs of SmartWools. The SmartWools never seem to dry out, but the liners will in all but the most humid of days. I can convince myself that I have dry feet when the liners are dry, even though the oversock is damp at best. Use fleece socks or a third pair of SmartWools for camp.
It would be best if that knit hat were windproof.
Make sure you bring enough aluminum foil to serve as a combined pot lid, windbreak, and pot lifter. I usually bring about 3 square feet, which lasts for 2-3 weeks until you can replace from your bounce box.

Look to weigh everything! It's amazing how much you can save from your various "tiny" items if you really cull through everything. Taking full advantage of everyone's advice, you can probably still take out 2-4 pounds. Good luck!

[StoveStomper]

Thank You! (For the comment about my windscreen/potstand design)

Have you looked at the brand new thermorest 13 oz. 3/4 lenght ProLite 3 pads?

[Cehoffpauir]

... Frogg Toggs (looks like the price is up to $85 as they've become more popular).

Their overstock is about half price, if you're okay with a limited selection. Email them from their website www.froggtoggs.com

[hungryhowie]

First off, as many have already said, it's a fine list and you will be able to decide rather quickly what you do and don't want. That said, here are my comments:

Make sure that your pack cover and stuff sacs are made from silnylon...this could save you significant weight right there. If they aren't you can buy some silnylon and make your own. Save weight, money, and make something you're proud of in one fell swoop!

I'd probably leave the groundsheet at home. I know the floor of the Squall is silnylon, but as long as you take normal precautions and remove sticks and rocks from your footprint area, you shouldn't have any trouble. If you are parinoid, however, as you have a right to be with all of YOUR stuff, I'd recommend a trash compactor bag. These are really tough (but really lightweight) bags. You can slice one down each of its sides and it makes a groundsheet the size of a thermarest. This will protect the only part of the floor that will be threatened by hard use.

I'd leave the bag liner at home. The WM Ultralightish bag will keep you warm in mid-April in the South. I also wouldn't take it for keeping your bag clean. Just give it a wash once or twice on the trail and save the 5oz up front.

Since you're looking for a replacement for the Thermarest, you could try the TR Prolite 3 short. It's about 10 oz lighter. You could also try the Big Agnes Insulated REM pads, the mummy is 3 inches thick (!!!) and weighs only 20oz. Either of these will set you back ~$50-60. If you're looking for something cheaper, go for a TR Ridgerest (~$20 and 8oz), or similar.

Like everyone else, I would ditch the lexan utensils and use metal. I tried Lexan and it just broke to easily. You can use a metal spoon from your kitchen, or invest in a snazzy Ti one if you like. I'd leave the knife home regardless, carry a blade on a swiss-armyish type knife that will do more than a plastic one. Likewise, I'd also leave the plastic bowl/cup at home. It's just more dishes to do and more weight to carry. You can eat and drink out of your pot.

I like Aqua Mira better than filtering. I know you say that you don't want to use chemicals for 6 months, and I agree that chemical filtration often times has health risks. Aqua Mira, however, is generally accepted as safe and is used to treat the majority of municipal water sources in this country and in developed nations around the world. If you've drunk tap water, it was probably treated with this stuff at some point in its life. Unlike tap water, however, Aqua Mira won't automatically add Flouride, water softeners, etc. If you want to save some serious weight (8oz), consider this instead.

Personal, definately, but I'd leave the trowel at home. I had no idea how useless they were untill I tried using it the first time in the woods. I had to lug it all 20 miles to Woody Gap before I could throw it away!

I'd also ditch the towel, but that's me too.

I'd probaby ditch some of the clothing, like the EMS thing and the Aero. The R1, Montbell down jacket, and Precip should be more than adequate (especially with a 25* sleeping bag) in mid-April. The Aera will do nothing that the Precip can't do with a little creativity (read: unzip partway to enhance breathability), and the Windshear (I presume that it is windproof?) is redundant with a windblocker like a precip or the down jacket.

Comfort Clogs. Don't know what they are, but they sure are heavy. I really hope they're worth it. You might try the ~4oz flip flops found at Wal*Marts nationwide instead...

I'm not sure which Capilene pants you have, but I'd recommend the Expedition weight (100 weight fleece) and with that I'd leave home the silk long johns, etc.

Have fun on the trail!

-Howie

[tlbj6142]

While everyone else says to ditch it, I vote you keep the plastic knife.


I don't use my pocket knife to cut food. It is just too damn dirty. Besides it is only 1.5" long, which isn't exactly ideal for some types of food use. And I keep it buried in my first aid kit.
Plastic knives are great for cutting begales and spreading peanutbutter. I know you can use the spoon to spread, but I find it just too complicated. And the knife only weights a handful of grams.
I would go with a metal spoon, or spork, the plastic stuff always seem to have this oily film on it (does it bread germs???). The metal stuff comes clean just by running a bit of water over it.

You do seem to have a few too many layers. But you can figure that out on our own or take some of the advice above.

While not "popular" on the AT (probably due to the warmer humid weather), a windshirt truly rocks. Probably the best 3oz you can carry. They breath much more than any rain jacket, so you can wear them while hiking on a cool day (of which there are few on the AT) and they make a great quick layer for stops to prevent the flash-off effect that often occurs during stops on a cool day. And they can be used to keep bugs off during rest stops and in camp. So, you don't have to bathe in DEET.

[yogi clyde]

Thanks folks, this is why Whiteblaze is my favorite website.
I will try to answer your comments/questions


The water bag is to get unfiltered water at camp for cooking, cleaning and then filtering into my platypus.
The other bottle for mixing powdered gatorade. Maybe will switch to 24 oz

Ok will ditch the trowel and maybe the knife, and just keep my pocket knife blade clean. I'm believe that most backcountry sickness is not due to bad water, but bad sanitary habits.

Earplugs are on my personal list, I just did not post them, but thanks.

The bowl is so I can have tea and oatmeal at the same time, plus it is
good to rehydrate in, or mix powdered milk in, since it has a cover.

The pot has a built in handle and I have a wind screen, so only need enough aluminum foil for a lid. I will keep extra in my bounce box.
I will only do limited food drops from on the trail.

I will look into a smaller fuel bottle.

Bag liner is to keep my sleeping bag clean, not so much for the warmth.

The clothes are the thing I'm having the hardest time with, especially my top layers. After having spent a cold nite in the Catskills last fall, I don't want to repeat that (I only had a 35 degree bag, and that is optimistic)

Aero windshirt - my favorite piece of gear, considering there windpants too.

EMS windshear - rip off of the Marmot Driclime - nice jacket and multifunctional, but debating if I should take it. Not as warm as the R1,
but has a nylon shell for wind and a lite rain.

R1 fleece

Down jacket - lighter then some 200 fleece I own.

Will take 2 pairs of socks, but keep 3 liners.

Thanks again and keep the helpful comments coming. :sun

[kevin]

Disclaimer -- I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert having only done weekend trips, but sometimes I wonder if people focus too much on every last ounce. Also, I understand that the ounces add up. That being said, one of the things almost everybody seemed to mention first was "ditch the knife."

Does 0.5 ounces really make a difference? I'm not trying to be critical with this question, just curious if something that small really matters. A lot of the other suggestions I noticed were typically saving a more significant amount of weight and that made the knife stand out even further.

[Jaybird]

Disclaimer -- I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert having only done weekend trips, but sometimes I wonder if people focus too much on every last ounce. ..................................Does 0.5 ounces really make a difference?....................................... ......




"...hikers LIVE by ounces & DIE by the pounds."
another true-ism: ..."Ounces makes Pounds..& Pounds make PAIN!"

(taken from Model-T's hikin' tips: www.ModelT.homestead.com/HikinTips.html (http://www.ModelT.homestead.com/HikinTips.html))


so true! so true! why NOT cut every ounce you can... :D

[flyfisher]

sometimes I wonder if people focus too much on every last ounce
Personally, I focus on every first ounce/gram.

GramWeenie Risk

;)

[hungryhowie]

Does 0.5 ounces really make a difference?

Take care of the ounces, and the pounds will take care of themselves...

Yogi Clyde,

Like I said, your packlist is fine, and you'll be able to evaluate it with more experience shortly. When you reach Neels Gap, go through you pack and evaluate everything. If you haven't used it yet, send it home. If you've only used it once...think about sending it home. If it doesn't have multiple uses, think about sending it home.

While I certainly understand the desire to not be cold, I suspect that you'll find you have more than adequate clothing for your start date.

Have a great hike!

-Howie