Gear list for thru hike (yes, another list)

[Mike Way]

I posted some time ago asking advice about basic gear for a thru hike. Thanks so much for those that took the time to respond although you may wonder why I didn't take all of your suggestions. Most of my choices were made for comfort. As I mentioned before, I'm 61.

I will take a shake down trip for 2 nights and 3 days in the SNP this coming wk. end. Trip will end at Big Meadows.

I've added a few things since but weighed bag with 5 days food at local outfitters. Came in at a little over 30 lbs.

I know this is a long list but please, if you have the time or inclination, review critically.

Pack – Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone 3 lbs.
Plastic trash bag liner

Pack cover

Tent – Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 SL (want to use later with dog and/or wife) 3 lbs., 6 oz.

Bag – Marmont Hydrogen 30 degree regular 1 lb., 6 oz.
Trash bag for storage

Pad – Big Anges Insulated Air Core 1 lb., 7 oz, total weight 9 lbs. 3 oz.

Head Lamp – Petzl
Spare batteries

Hiking Poles – Swiss Gear
With Duct tape

Cell phone

Sony Walkman

Stove- Snow Peak Gigapower Manual

Pot/cup – Pinnacle Soloist
Bag doubles as a water carrier
Scubby cut in half
Bonners camp soap

Water – 2 Gatoraid 1 liter bottles

Utensil – spork

Bic lighter (2)

Bear bag – Sea to Summit 15 liter
Rope – 30ft para. Cord

Food bag – (2) WalMart stuff sacks

Knife – Swiss Gear Victorinox

Water Treatment – Aquamira

Hiking shoes – Montrail Hardrocks

Bandana

Pants – Bimni convertible zip offs

Shorts – Columbia nylon

Rain Jacket – Marmont Goretex

Down Vest – EMS

Fleece – Sherpa zip up

Base Layer Shirt – Patagonia level 2

T-shirt – (2) Northface poly

Socks – 2 pr. Smartwool

Hat – (2) Baseball and fleece hat

Gloves – Wind River fleece fingerless

Camp shoes – Wall Mart Croc knock offs

Camp socks – 1 pr. Smartwool

Dry sleeping underwear – Cabala’s mid weight poly

All clothes sprayed with Permanone

Tp

Hand sanitizer

Tooth brush –cut in half with baking powder and small container of floss

Bug spray – small bottle of 100% Deet

Fingernail clippers

Ear plugs

First Aid – in zip lock

Ibuprofen (20)
Aspirin (2 for heart attack)
Imodium (6)
Dipenhydramine (6) allergic to bee stings and poison ivy
Neosporin
Bandaids (6)
Gauze pads (2)
Moleskin
Gold Bond powder in zip lock

[Mike Way]

Forgot to mention, starting May 3 at Damascus and flip flopping.

[Blissful]

Consider some sunscreen. Clippers you may not need if your knife has decent scissors. Also, may not need down vest since you are starting late (same with gloves) until the Whites. Might get a night or two cool but I dont think it will be too bad and you have other layers. You will likely mail them back mid VA for sure. Keep your hat though. I assume you're bringing maps, guidebook pages, etc? And credit card, license etc.
Have a great hike.

[SGT Rock]

Pack – Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone 3 lbs.
Plastic trash bag liner
Pack cover

Tent – Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 SL (want to use later with dog and/or wife) 3 lbs., 6 oz.

Bag – Marmont Hydrogen 30 degree regular 1 lb., 6 oz.
Trash bag for storage
Pad – Big Anges Insulated Air Core 1 lb., 7 oz, total weight 9 lbs. 3 oz.

Head Lamp – Petzl
Spare batteries

Hiking Poles – Swiss Gear
With Duct tape

Cell phone
Sony Walkman

Stove- Snow Peak Gigapower Manual
Pot/cup – Pinnacle Soloist
Bag doubles as a water carrier
Scubby cut in half
Bonners camp soap
Water – 2 Gatoraid 1 liter bottles
Utensil – spork
Bic lighter (2)
Bear bag – Sea to Summit 15 liter
Rope – 30ft para. Cord
Food bag – (2) WalMart stuff sacks
Knife – Swiss Gear Victorinox
Water Treatment – Aquamira

Hiking shoes – Montrail Hardrocks
Bandana
Pants – Bimni convertible zip offs
Shorts – Columbia nylon
Rain Jacket – Marmont Goretex
Down Vest – EMS
Fleece – Sherpa zip up
Base Layer Shirt – Patagonia level 2
T-shirt – (2) Northface poly
Socks – 2 pr. Smartwool
Hat – (2) Baseball and fleece hat
Gloves – Wind River fleece fingerless
Camp shoes – Wall Mart Croc knock offs
Camp socks – 1 pr. Smartwool
Dry sleeping underwear – Cabala’s mid weight poly
All clothes sprayed with Permanone
I hate telling people what clothing to carry since this is VERY personal stuff. But here is my reccomendations...
If you are wearing convertable pants, you don't need shorts. However If you are bringing rain pants you don't need pants with legs. I don't know SNP this time of year, but I wouldn't go into SMNP that time of year without rain pants. Staying dry is half the battle with staying warm. SO I would reccomend bringing some rain pants but leaving the zip off pants.

Just me too, but it seems like you have a lot of clothing. You have a base layer and a set of sleeping underwear. I don't hike in my base layer - just stay moving to stay warm during the day. I put on my base layer at night in camp, and I sleep in it too. You could save that whole set.

One last thing, you have a fleece top and a down jacket. I only carry a down jacket to put on over my base layer if it is cold enough.

That said, you know how you handle cold weather better than I do. These are only suggestions.


Tp
Hand sanitizer
Tooth brush –cut in half with baking powder and small container of floss
Bug spray – small bottle of 100% Deet
Fingernail clippers
Ear plugs
First Aid – in zip lock
Ibuprofen (20)
Aspirin (2 for heart attack)
Imodium (6)
Dipenhydramine (6) allergic to bee stings and poison ivy
Neosporin
Bandaids (6)
Gauze pads (2)
Moleskin
Gold Bond powder in zip lock

You may not need bug spray this time of year.

Book? Maps? Compass? Trail Guide? Pencil? Paper? Money? ID? Watch? Camera?

[Mike Way]

Yes, also forgot to mention Thru Hikers Handbook. Money, Debit card, etc.

Will get notebook and pencil.

Compass in handle of hiking poles and yes, I know it and they are cheap but seem to work so far.

[SGT Rock]

Yes, also forgot to mention Thru Hikers Handbook. Money, Debit card, etc.

Will get notebook and pencil.

Compass in handle of hiking poles and yes, I know it and they are cheap but seem to work so far.
They are probably all you need. Not like you will be orienteering. Mine is in my watch.

My son has those poles. One lost the compass already. Watch out.:D

[Deadeye]

Ditto on the duplicate shorts, and why bother cutting off the toothbrush handle to save 1/10 ounce? I can see going that far if you're a microgram weenie trying to get to sub-5 pounds, but for the rest of us normal (relatively) folks, a whole toothbrush is fine. 30 pounds with 5 days food is plenty comfortable - and realistic - in my book, and should carry well in that pack.

[SGT Rock]

well I cut my toothbrush handle down so it would fit in the bag I use to cary it in with my toothpaste. But there is enough handle to do the job.

[Turtlehiker]

This is a small thing but why a bear bag and 2 stuff sacks for food? Just hang the food bags or use the bear bag as a food bag.
Also what about a survival/repair kit? I always carry a couple zipties, a sewing needle, strong thread/fishing line, couple of safety pins, a couple small ripstop patches, SS wire, extra matches, 50' of masons twine, fishing hooks, 2 small weights and a couple other things. These I vacum sealed in a food saver bag. It is a small package and psycologically the sealed bag keeps me from grabbing it and using the stuff unless I really need it. Sort of a mind game I play!

[Turtlehiker]

Oh I usually keep it in the cargo pocket of my shorts, just in case I get separated from my pack
I also agree with you on the backup shorts. I have a pair of really light nylon running shorts just in case my pants suffer a catastrophic failure!

[fehchet]

I agree about the spring rains and being wet from the waist down. I've been thinking of using my long hiking pants with the DWR finish and not spending the money for a good pair of full zip rain pants. So reading SGT Rock's caution a couple of times makes me re-think that I will get some rain pants and leave the hiking pants at home.

LAST August, I was given a pair of Mountain Hardwear shorts that I would hate to trade out for convertible pants. And I know I would probably lose a leg, anyway. The shorts have four huge pockets and two a little less huge. I have access to lots of stuff now without taking my pack off. They are twice my size so I just cinched them up -- hiker's tool belt.

[Johnny Thunder]

A 30 degree bag might not be enough for the outer ends of your trip. You'll probably see some cold nights at the start along with some frigid nights in Northern Maine (and again on your flop South from Damascus). Just a thought.

[Mike Way]

Two questions. It seems that the temp. was down into the teens around Mt. Rodges in May last yr.

Can I make the 30 degree bag work? Will it be o.k. if I wear everything I have?

And the other question, many of you have suggested I dump either the down vest or the fleece. And dump the Cabala's long underwear for sleeping. Is this wise given the possibility of cold weather around Grayson Highlands?

[Johnny Thunder]

I think you could make the 30 degree bag work for the beginning of your hike as long as you're aware of the weather a few days in advance. Between Damascus and Marion (that first 50-60 miles of your Nobo hike) there're a number of places to pull off in the event of sour weather. Just be prepared to do so.

Likewise, you'd be able to do that down South after starting your Sobo hike. There are a variety of options for getting off-trail as long as you know when to take them. Except for the Smokies.

Personally, I wouldn't go into the Whites/Southern Maine in August/September with a 30 degree bag but I saw folks do it. They didn't suffer all the time but they didn't sleep that great on some nights, too.

I would strongly caution you AGAINST going into the Smokies with a 30 degree bag in October (as that's probably when you would be depending on your speed heading North).

[WILLIAM HAYES]

carry the rain pants

[Bronk]

I carried a 50* bag from Springer to Waynesboro starting early March. Whether or not you can get away with it depends on a lot of factors such as your metabolism and what kind of clothing you have. There were some nights when I slept with all my clothes on and wrapped my tent around the outside of my sleeping bag.

Eating right before you crawl into your sleeping bag at night buys you a lot of leeway...I could actually feel/hear my heart rate increase each night as I drifted off to sleep in the colder weeks of my hike...your body will keep itself warm as long as you are dry, out of the wind and have some food in your belly to burn.