View Full Version : 09, lite or not
leprechaun
10-02-2008, 01:26
I am in the midst of planning an 09 thru (trying to move kinda fast), and i am trying to balance weight and utility, so i am going to have to ask, which gear list do you think is going to put me at Katahdin? (food is a ball park figure as are a few others)
tarptent contrail - 24.5 )oz)
aether 75 - 75
marmot pounder - 16
rain jacket - 9
long john - 7.6
jetboil - 15
utensil - 1.3
ridgerest 2/3 - 10
canister - 6.5
water - 70.4
socks - 2.7
food - 128
toothbrush - 3
deet - 3
camp soap - 4
water bottle - 5
hydro bladder - 6.5
moleskin - 2
sweetwater - 14
compass - 1
knife - 5
icon - 6.6
pack cover - 4
pants - 10
shirt - 5
27.19 lbs
:banana
leprechaun
10-02-2008, 01:28
and now the grand finale..... the lite list
tarptent contrail - 24.5
conduit - 20
pounder - 16
anorak - 8.3
long john - 7.6
jetboil - 15
utensil - 1.3
1/2 ridgerest - 10
canister - 6.58.3
water - 70.4
socks - 2.7
food - 128
toothbrush - 3
deet - 3
camp soap - 4
water bottle - 5
hydro bladder - 6.5
moleskin - 2
aqua mira - 5
compass - 1
knife - 5
little bd (headlamp - 1
pack cover - 4
pants - 10
shirt - 5
22.8 lbs
and now the grand finale..... the lite list
tarptent contrail - 24.5
conduit - 20
pounder - 16
anorak - 8.3
long john - 7.6
jetboil - 15
utensil - 1.3
1/2 ridgerest - 10
canister - 6.58.3
water - 70.4
socks - 2.7
food - 128
toothbrush - 3
deet - 3
camp soap - 4
water bottle - 5
hydro bladder - 6.5
moleskin - 2
aqua mira - 5
compass - 1
knife - 5
little bd (headlamp - 1
pack cover - 4
pants - 10
shirt - 5
22.8 lbs
Is the anorak your rain coat? No hat? gloves? warm coat? When do you leave?
Maps/handbook/data book?
The trail will tell. Take the kit into the woods for a stroll, see how it goes. The truest test will be a hike in bad weather. Some folks like having "reserve" clothing for camp. Some folks can hike without a camera... not me.
leprechaun
10-02-2008, 01:41
the anorak is indeed my raincoat! im leaving in may 01 and returning august 20 whether or not i make it, so im going to get a northface jacket mailed to me when i cross the mason dixon. ill be for sure getting a guidbook and using the page tearing method, so any weight from that is pretty negligable, in comparison to the total. i was mostly doing this for fun at my computer and decided to post both to get some advice.
How much backpacking experience do you have? If this is your first trip it's better to start with a little extra weight and change up once you're on the trail and get a feel for how things are going. Believe me, after you get to Neel's Gap you'll know exactly what you want to get rid of. Perhaps you could send yourself a box to Neel's Gap with the alternate gear, and switch things around there, and either send the remainder of the box home or bounce it to yourself up the trail.
Just as a note, generally food and water weight isn't counted in base weight, since these values fluctuate throughout your hike.
Haiku.
Lone Wolf
10-02-2008, 09:04
I am in the midst of planning an 09 thru (trying to move kinda fast), and i am trying to balance weight and utility, so i am going to have to ask, which gear list do you think is going to put me at Katahdin?
gear weight and selection has nothing to do with you making it to katahdin
gear weight and selection has nothing to do with you making it to katahdin
Yes and no. Light pack and great gear won't get you to Katahdin, that's 100% true. But starting out with a lot of excess weight can't help.
Excess weight is no big deal for a weekend hike. But it's a killer as the days wear on.
wrongway_08
10-02-2008, 09:22
You'll be fine. Hike Farm finished around the time I did (okay, he finished a month before me! ) and he had a 60 pound pack.
Its up to you, not the gear.
Lone Wolf
10-02-2008, 09:23
Yes and no. Light pack and great gear won't get you to Katahdin, that's 100% true. But starting out with a lot of excess weight can't help.
don't hurt either. you gotta want it bad enuf
don't hurt either. you gotta want it bad enuf
Yes and no. Minor injury + willpower might work, but if it leads to a serious injury, game's over. Agree that "attitude" makes all the difference, but chronic discomfort kills attitude real quick.
I know from 30+ yrs. on the AT that lighter load = more pleasant hike. Most old pharts I know that are still hiking have lightened up.
Just sayin'.
Blissful
10-02-2008, 11:12
Agree, it's not the gear that puts you there. It's not even the physical as much (though that can play a role, of course, with injury - though I was injured twice) but it's the mental game.
You're probably gonna be chilly in the Marmot pounder until mid May, just to let you know. Skip the camp soap. Any meds like Advil? Hiker wallet for cc cards, etc. Stuff sacks, Bear bag with rope. Might want a few bandaids, duct tape (instead of mokeskin) and I took a small antibiotic and hydrocortisone cream. (What's an icon - camera?)
Need a hat
I'd take a map instead of a compass (but taking both is the safest).
leprechaun
10-02-2008, 18:30
sorry about the confusion on the icon! its a headlamp by black diamond, I originally purchased it for caving and night climbing, so its super bright, bombproof, and battery life isnt reallt bad, but its kinda heavy. Thanks for all the input though!!! (btw ive been backpacking for 5 or so years and have completed sections of Georgia and NC. this was mainly for input because 3 months is pretty different than three weeks)
TwoForty
10-02-2008, 19:46
You're gear isn't going to put you on Katahdin. You're gonna have to put it up there.
Actually, 3 months is exactly the same as 3 weeks. A thru-hike is really just a series of 4-day hikes broken up by town stops. You carry exactly the same gear for 6 months as you do for 2 days on the trail.
Haiku.
Yes and no. Light pack and great gear won't get you to Katahdin, that's 100% true. But starting out with a lot of excess weight can't help.
Excess weight is no big deal for a weekend hike. But it's a killer as the days wear on.
LW has NEVER went a to b so WHY ?
leprechaun
10-02-2008, 23:24
Actually, 3 months is exactly the same as 3 weeks. A thru-hike is really just a series of 4-day hikes broken up by town stops. You carry exactly the same gear for 6 months as you do for 2 days on the trail.
Haiku.
wow, excellent point haiku. i never thought of it like that! excellent point.
i guess my point of this thread is i know its me thats walking the trail, not my gear, but without it i have a sneaking suspision that the trip would be slightly less comfortable without it all :D seriously though, what worked for you: lighter gear or bombproof/faster/comfort?
i love some of these guys saying 'gear won't get you there'. yet we have 5 forums dedicated to gear and the majority of forum traffic is dedicated to that. ehehheheh kind of like watching the debate tonight. i think the dude was just looking for some advise on his list. sheesh
like A-train said, a hat and some sort of insulation should be in your pack regardless of conditions expected.
also agree w/ blissful. a basic 1st aid kit is recommended
i wouldn't bother w/ a 2nd pair of pants if that's what that means (unless that's strictly pants for at camp).
don't see any bear bag stuff, unless you plan to sleep w/ your food
your big 4 look great so that's really your best start!
Lone Wolf
10-03-2008, 01:57
LW has NEVER went a to b so WHY ?
i go from a to b every day. WHY? i don't know
do you ride the bus or carry your lunch to school?
Glo-Worm
10-03-2008, 09:56
It looks like a very solid gear list. I agree that you should have at least some sort of med kit. I would also think to add at least a little sun screen. You could probably ditch the camp soap and maybe go with an ounce of alcohol based gel to clean your hands and, when necessary, start a fire. You may also want to consider replacing the jet boil with an pepsi can stove. I like the jet boil (and have serious boil time envy when someone next to me has one), but it's one of the few places you have left to lose some weight.
Glo-Worm
Dont include your food and water in a "dry list" just makes it easier to figure out. Those "refillable things" ie. food water fuel etc, can change day to day depending on conditions resupplies, town stops, etc.
Looks like a good list, but you need some rope i think.
GOOD LUCK!!!
As some have already stated don't overly rely on gear to get U there; it's U who has to haul the gear to the end not the other way around.
That being said, I started the AT in 06 with an Osprey Aether 75(05 version). I like the pack. It hauls 45-55 lbs comfortably, but as I learned how to reduce my gear wt. and bulk I found the pack just too big for my type of thru hiking on the AT. I think U will find out the same thing. I switched to a Granite Gear Vapor Trail and was thoroughly happy. Big difference in wt. and cubes between the two packs so understand that up front. I now use the ULA Conduit as my goto thru-hiking pack on such trails as the AT, PCT, and CDT. GREAT pack for me! DO adhere to the 30 lbs. or less wt. recommendation with this pack! I consider the Marmot Pounder primarily a summer bag, although U could increase its temp range at cold times by adding a liner, bivy, sleeping in additional clothes, or U just have ice in your veins. I think U will find yourself chilly in that bag if U use it by itself in the Contrail for the whole thru-hike. Gloves and hat would help. R your pants convertibles or R U planning on hiking in pants the whole way? If it's pants plan on being hot during the summer. U make no mention of the wt. of what is on your feet? That's definitely a factor in how fast U can go. There R definitely lighter wt. stoves on the market or U could make one yourself. U don't need a Rambo style knife or a knife with 3 screwdrivers and a corkscrew. Get a lighter one. U could save wt. by ditching the moleskin until U needed it and just carrying 2 oz of camp soap or none at all(I know I'm sounding ruthless, just consider what I'm saying). Unless U have a thing for maps and off trail orienteering the AT is well marked; U don't absolutely need a compass. Get a lighter wt. water bottle. Unless U have some allergy to the sun skip the sunscreen; the AT isn't called the green tunnel for nothing. We don't all have shaved heads like GloWorm. Haiku is right. Water and food wt. R not usually added into base wt. And, damn it, cut off the handle of that toothbrush; it will weigh U down. Now, just go out and ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!
Jim Adams
10-05-2008, 09:28
Yes and no. Minor injury + willpower might work, but if it leads to a serious injury, game's over. Agree that "attitude" makes all the difference, but chronic discomfort kills attitude real quick.
I know from 30+ yrs. on the AT that lighter load = more pleasant hike. Most old pharts I know that are still hiking have lightened up.
Just sayin'.
Seen far more people start with a heavy pack and sometimes finish with a heavy pack than I have seen start and finish with light weight.
Usually (in my experience) I have seen alot of heavy pack toting hikers pare the weight during the hike to a more acceptable level and finish successfully but it seems that the ultralight hikers that i've met have a far greater injury rate than the heavy wt. hikers. The hikers with weight can't go fast and slowly hike into better condition. I've seen way too many ultralighters brag about how fast they can go right off the start only to be gone before Hot Springs due to injuies.
95% of AT success is mental...take what makes your hike comfortable, you will automatically trim the weight as you go to an acceptable weight. If you're not a happy hiker, you will probably not find a successful thru hike:-?!
geek
gear weight and selection has nothing to do with you making it to katahdin
If he's leaving in May and wants to be there before September, he'll be much better off traveling light.
Pedaling Fool
10-05-2008, 21:34
Whatever your pack ends up being one of the best ways to get your body ready for hiking is to put on your pack and walk around doing lunges. Start out by doing 100 steps (50 per leg) and work your way up. Another good thing is to strengthen the calves (Put feet half way on a step and lift up - like standing on your tip-toes).
(Don't wait until you get your gear list finalized, start doing it now, if it's too much with a pack on then just do lunges without the pack).
hopefulhiker
10-05-2008, 21:50
I would consider the Caldera Keg instead of the Jetboil.. With the weight savings I would carry a few extra clothes to wear in camp on the wet days...
i guess my point of this thread is i know its me thats walking the trail, not my gear, but without it i have a sneaking suspision that the trip would be slightly less comfortable without it all :D seriously though, what worked for you: lighter gear or bombproof/faster/comfort?
I started the AT with a base weight of 8 lbs, and I finished with a base weight of 12 lbs. I just switched some things up to make myself more comfortable. Sure, you can say that hiking with a light pack is more comfortable, since you do it almost every moment of every day, but in the end it's the whole experience that you have to look at. Anyway, I might be one of the only AT hikers ever to add weight on purpose instead of throw stuff away on the trail to lighten the load.
I hiked the entire PCT with a 12-14 lb base weight (depending on gear switches for different regions and temperatures).
I started the CDT with a 16 lb base weight, and ended with a 20 lb base weight (including a Martin backpacker guitar). The luxuries just kept adding up....
I think I'll go back to the 12ish base weight for the future. That's a good, comfortable point.
Haiku.