MintakaCat
02-04-2009, 21:12
After being away from backpacking for more than twenty years, I decided last October to take up the hobby once again. I searched high and low for my gear and found it way back in a closet, only to discover that all of it was either damaged or obsolete. With winter just around the corner, I also realized that very little of the gear would be appropriate for winter camping.
The sad fact was, if I was going to go backpacking this winter I needed to start all over with my gear. I searched the Internet for various sites that could help me and WhiteBlaze.net was one of them.
Now I realize that thru-hikers on the AT are going to need different gear than an occasional weekend backpacker like me, but the discussions on this site was extremely helpful to me in determining what gear would work best for me.
I feel that I know a lot of you personally because I have read so much on this web site. Will I ever do a thru-hike on the AT? Nope, not going to happen. Besides, I enjoy just being out in the wilderness, I’ve never been one to rack up the miles, that’s just not me. With that in mind my new collection of gear is a little on the heavy side, but it works very well for my needs.
What did I end up with? Here’s a brief list:
Shelter:
Kifaru ParaTipi with Small Stove (for winter, plus I love this setup)
MSR Hubba Hubba HP Tent & Footprint (for warmer weather)
Hennessy Hammock EXPEDITION ASYM (I have no clue why I bought this, but I will try it this summer)
Sleeping bag and pad:
Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 degree sleeping bag (I’m very impressed with this)
Exped DownMat 9 Sleeping Pad
Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 Pack
Hiking boots: Asolo FSN 95 GTX Hiking Boots
Stove: MSR WindPro (used when I’m not using the ParaTipi and small wood stove)
Clothing:
Patagonia Capilene 3 Long Underwear (I feel this was another excellent purchase)
Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge Long-Sleeve Shirt
Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge Convertible Pants
REI Muir Woods Fleece Jacket
Marmot Tamarack Jacket
Camera:
Canon PowerShot A590IS
Mountainsmith Exposure II Camera Pouch
Misc:
Katadyn Micropur Water Purification Tablets (some people don’t like the taste, I’m ok with it)
Primus Alpine Easy Light Lantern (I know this is considered a luxury, but I like it)
Gerber Firecracker Ultra LED Flashlight
Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles
Look for me on the AT soon, right now I’ve been doing shakedown hikes on the Chattooga River to try out this gear. If you do see me on the AT, please say hello, you guys are the greatest.
And once again, thanks for all your input. I know it was indirect, but it all was very helpful.
The sad fact was, if I was going to go backpacking this winter I needed to start all over with my gear. I searched the Internet for various sites that could help me and WhiteBlaze.net was one of them.
Now I realize that thru-hikers on the AT are going to need different gear than an occasional weekend backpacker like me, but the discussions on this site was extremely helpful to me in determining what gear would work best for me.
I feel that I know a lot of you personally because I have read so much on this web site. Will I ever do a thru-hike on the AT? Nope, not going to happen. Besides, I enjoy just being out in the wilderness, I’ve never been one to rack up the miles, that’s just not me. With that in mind my new collection of gear is a little on the heavy side, but it works very well for my needs.
What did I end up with? Here’s a brief list:
Shelter:
Kifaru ParaTipi with Small Stove (for winter, plus I love this setup)
MSR Hubba Hubba HP Tent & Footprint (for warmer weather)
Hennessy Hammock EXPEDITION ASYM (I have no clue why I bought this, but I will try it this summer)
Sleeping bag and pad:
Mountain Hardware Phantom 0 degree sleeping bag (I’m very impressed with this)
Exped DownMat 9 Sleeping Pad
Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 Pack
Hiking boots: Asolo FSN 95 GTX Hiking Boots
Stove: MSR WindPro (used when I’m not using the ParaTipi and small wood stove)
Clothing:
Patagonia Capilene 3 Long Underwear (I feel this was another excellent purchase)
Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge Long-Sleeve Shirt
Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge Convertible Pants
REI Muir Woods Fleece Jacket
Marmot Tamarack Jacket
Camera:
Canon PowerShot A590IS
Mountainsmith Exposure II Camera Pouch
Misc:
Katadyn Micropur Water Purification Tablets (some people don’t like the taste, I’m ok with it)
Primus Alpine Easy Light Lantern (I know this is considered a luxury, but I like it)
Gerber Firecracker Ultra LED Flashlight
Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles
Look for me on the AT soon, right now I’ve been doing shakedown hikes on the Chattooga River to try out this gear. If you do see me on the AT, please say hello, you guys are the greatest.
And once again, thanks for all your input. I know it was indirect, but it all was very helpful.