Thru-hike gear changes

[Mercy]

I'd be interested in folks that changed gear after starting their thru-hike... and why. I think it might save a lot of thru-hiker planning grief, as well as make for interesting posts.

Anything like: I tossed my Nalgene for Gatorades... for weight savings
I traded my foam pad for a BA Insulated Air Core... it was heavier, but worth the added comfort...
I went from a synthethic sleeping bag to a down.. for weight savings, etc.

I've read a lot of gear lists on TJ, and seriously doubt that some of the gear folks started with finished the trip.

Thanks

[Pacific Tortuga]

Sounds like your doing all you can but everyone has their needs. Try not to stress too much on the gear, you can switch out almost anywhere on the Trail within 3 days.
The two major things I switched out were, my pack and tent to a ULA Catalyst and a h.shires Rainbow 2. I really liked both moves but only hiked about 955 miles, total. It did not help me finish but it did make the journey more enjoyable.
I hope your trek will be as fun as mine.

[max patch]

Started with one nalgene and added a second in Damascus - one wasn't enough.

Started with a water filter and mailed it home in NC - PITA to use. Used chemicals.

Bought the Philosophers Guide in Damascus - didn't know it existed when I started. Made resupply stops easier to plan.

Started off with a water bag and mailed it home (forgot where) as I found I only used it once a week or so.

Bought a small am/fm radio in Hot Springs to listen to talk radio at night. Never listen to music while hiking.

[JERMM]

I went from a Thermarest Prolite 4 to a Big Agnes Insulated Pro Core for more cushion comfort

I went from Lexan spoon to a long handle Ti spoon so I don't get sticky fingers

I went from rain pants to a rain wrap (skirt)

[Mags]

Check it out if you are curious. How my gear evolved from my LT hike in 1997 until my CDT hike in 2006...

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php/Backpacking-and-Hiking-documents/gear_lists.html

[SoonerTex]

Max Patch, What is the Philosophers Guide and can it be ordered online?
SoonerTex

[Mercy]

Yep, that's the kind of stuff I was hoping for.... keep 'em coming!

[RedneckRye]

Max Patch, What is the Philosophers Guide and can it be ordered online?
SoonerTex
It was the predecessor to Wingfoot's guide.

[hopefulhiker]

I switched from the Vasque Sundowner boots to Montrail hardrock trail runners.. Im not sure if they make these anymore.. but it was a really good choice for me..

I switched to an alcohol stove from the Jetboil.. If I were doing it again I would look seriously at the Caldera Keg.

[wrongway_08]

I switched my jetboil for a Snowpeak ti stove (2oz, $65.00) and a MSR ti pot ($50.00). The Jet boil just took up too much room (you can store a full canister of fuel in the MSR ti pot)/weight. The Jet Boil pot was a PITA to clean also.

Went from a TarpTent to a MSR HubbaHubba when I got the dog, then bought another Tarptent after the dog left the trail. Both Tarptents were the Contrail, the first one was a 2007. I ordered a 2008 because they did a few up grades to the design, made for a little easier set up with the 2008.
Contrail is light weight, plenty of room and stores to almost nothing. Sets up easily in small areas.

I ditched the underwear, just more crap to carry.

Forget boots, as long as you have strong ankles, sneakers are lighter and make a big difference at the end of a long day. They dry faster also.

Ditched most of the b.s. first aid crap, you just need a few (2 or 3) bandaids (I never used them) and a needle for splinters. Anything worse then that can be handled in town.



will post other things as I think of them.

[Lyle]

I didn't thru hike the AT, but have done long distance hiking. I didn't have enough money set aside to do much gear changing, thus I made do with the gear I had. Worked fine for the most part.

Would have been real nice to get a 0* bag for winter, but my 15* sufficed down to -12* on multiple occasions. Wasn't necessarily comfortable, but survived.

Changed out rain gear from a poncho to a $5 coated nylon raincoat picked up at an army surplus store along the route.

Dropped one of the TWO one liter fuel bottles I started with.

Suplemented my HEAVY Vasque Hiker IIs with a pair of running shoes in LaJunta Colorado. Found them in a Lost and Found box at the Kosare Indian Kiva. Hiked across Kansas in these, carrying the Vasques (today I would have made a bounce box at least to get rid of the Vasques temporarily).


I think the idea of changing out major peices of gear while on a trip is a relatively new phnomenon. In the 80's and 90's, folks tended to make their gear decisions, then live with them. Today our gear seems to be an ever-changing element. One doesn't develope the attachment to a specific pack/tent/bag/stove as one used to. I'm sure that has to do with the number of memories attached to specific gear. Not saying it's good or bad, just different.

[BrianLe]

I think that everyone makes some changes en route, some planned, some unplanned. I thru-hiked the PCT this year; planned changes related to going into the Sierras in June and then back out again, plus the potential for colder weather in northern WA state (which didn't manifest for me as it turns out).

But unplanned changes can be significant too. A lot of people mailed home a lot of stuff at the first place to do so, Mt. Laguna, myself among them --- even though I had obsessed with getting the right gear mix to start. I slightly overdid it, mailed home my windshirt only to have high winds in the Laguna's the next day. No problem, 5 minutes with mini scissors and I had a poor-man's windshirt made out of a large black plastic trashbag.

In general a lot of the discretionary stuff I carried went back home. Neoprene socks for stream crossings and general wet in the Sierras --- there were streams and it was wet a lot, but just basic socks and/or wool socks worked fine, less hassle. I used a gravity filter for a while, but sent it home from just before the Sierras in favor of chemicals (and mostly just drank right from streams in the Sierras --- yum!).

My sense was that when you're actually on a long hike, at some point you don't worry so much about an extra few ounces or even an extra pound, depending on the circumstances. If I'm going out of a trail town carrying 6 days of food then I'm a bit more concerned about overall weight, as the damn pack is heavy with that many days of food at a thru-hiker's caloric intake. OTOH, with food and on occasion water taking up so much of the overall weight, an extra ounce here or there doesn't seem to key once you've done your homework ahead of time and got the overall equipment mix about right.

I sent my gaitors home when I realized that for about half the life of each pair of Golite shoes they had gaping holes at the toe area that let in gravel and crap anyway. No gaitors made it easier to take them off and put them on at breaks. I added big gaitors back in for the Sierras, but then mailed those home ASAP. Ice axe and mini crampons went home from in the Sierras, based on our particular year.

I think the real lesson is that on a long hike, you can get in the ballpark when in prep mode, but just expect that you'll make some adjustments when you experience the actual conditions at length and compare notes with others.



Brian Lewis, http://postholer.com/brianle

[Yahtzee]

Dropped my Whisperlite for Esbits.
Dropped my Pur filter for bleach.
Got a new pack in Pa.
Kept the tent, bag and pad.
Switched from cotton shirts to capilene.
Switched from boots to Chacos.
All switches were the result of seeing what other hikers were doing and selecting those pieces of gear that I liked. Except the Chacos which were a result of blown out boots and having to hike in my wal-mart sandals outside the smokies. Figured if I could find sandals with traction that would be the way to go. Hit Hot Springs and found Chacos at the outfitters. Serendipity.

[max patch]

Max Patch, What is the Philosophers Guide and can it be ordered online?
SoonerTex

The Philosophers Guide authored by Darrell Maret was the original Thru-Hikers handbook.

Maret eventually turned the PG over to Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce who retitled it as The Thru-Hikers Handbook. The book is currently authored by Bob McCaw and can be ordered online at:

www.trailplace.com

Two other handbooks, The Companion and Appalachian Pages, are also used by propspective thru's.

Each book has their supporters, I prefer the Thru-Hikers Hannbook.

[SoonerTex]

Thanks Redneckrye and Max Patch

[SASSA-FRAS]

I haven't attempted a thru hike, but I have changed a few pieces of equipment

from boots to trail runners for lighter weight and my legs aren't as tired by days end
from a plastic spoon to a long titanium spoon, easier to eat from bags and as someone mentioned no sticky fingers :-)
from a water bottle to a bladder with drink tube, easier for me to drink from
from a tarp to a Tarptent with floor, no more waking up with the snakes :-

[Roots]

I switched from Vasque Breeze boots to Montrail Hardrocks. Convertible pants(which I will still wear in colder weather) to hiking skirt. The Osprey Talon 44 to the Gregory Z55--more padding on shoulders and hip belt and ample room to carry supplies for longer sectioning or cold weather. I had switched to a filter but soon went back to my SteriPen after the filter quickly died (Hyperflow).

I haven't attempted a thru, yet, but did a 3 week section in April and have done many other trips. Hope this helps.:)

[rafe]

The only gear still in use from my 1990 thru-hike attempt is my Seattle Sombrero... and the bear-bag rope. Several pieces (eg., tent, pack, stove, sleeping bag) survive, but have been mostly retired. Base weight is down from 24 lbs. to around 16.