Don't even think about critiquing my gear list. Seriously.

[dloome]

Thought I'd throw up my gear list I'm taking on the Grand Enchantment Trail for which I leave in a few days. The G.E.T. is 730 miles from the Superstition Wilderness outside Phoenix, AZ to Sandia Crest outside Albuquerque, NM. Not really a trail itself, but it uses some sections of the AZT and Continental Divide Trail as well as many other trails, forest roads and cross country segments. A fair amount of low, harsh desert, but also a good deal of higher mountainous terrain up to about 11,000'. Some snow travel likely. Pretty diverse terrain. Traverses 14 distinct mountain ranges and 14 wilderness areas. Good stuff.

Anyway, here's my final gear list for those interested in these things. Only things not listed are my Golite windshirt which I forgot to add in and a SPOT personal locator beacon which I agreed to carry for the peace of mind of my Mom and girlfriend and I actually don't want to know how much it weighs.

Minimum Clothing Worn, and items not in pack
-Moose Creek lightweight nylon long pants: 11 oz
-Golite ‘DriMove’ silk-weight long sleeve shirt: 2 oz
-Sun-Day Afternoons ‘Cruiser‘ wide brimmed sun hat: 3.25 oz
-Cheapo nylon men’s dress socks from Target: 1 oz
-New Balance 811, size 10.5EE: 25 oz
-BPL ‘Stix’ carbon fiber trekking poles: 8.2 oz
-High Gear ‘Aerial’ altimeter watch: 2 oz
-Solar Shield polarized sunglasses: 2 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 54.45 oz / 3.4 LB

Clothing Packed
-Frogg Toggs ‘Pro-Action’ rain jacket: 8.9 oz
-Sierra Designs ‘Hurricane’ rain pant: 7.5 oz.
-Micro-fleece long sleeve top: 8.5 oz
-Fleece liner gloves: 2 oz
-Fleece beanie cap: 1.5 oz
-‘Buff’ multi-functional headwear: 1.25
-Cheapo nylon men’s dress socks from Target (2 pr.): 2 oz
-Cotton bandana: 1 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 32.65 oz / 2.04 LB

Packing
-Golite Jam 2 backpack, modified: 17 oz
-2mm trash bag for pack liner: 2.2 oz
-(3) Granite Gear ‘Airline’ stuff sacks for food, clothing, sleeping bag: 2.1 oz
-Watchful Eye Designs ‘Aloksack’ for maps in use, and maps packed (2): 0.8 oz.
-Mini mesh bag for small misc.: 0.4 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 22.2 oz / 1.38 LB

Sleeping and shelter
-Jacks R Better ‘Rocky Mountain’ down quilt: 24 oz
-Golite ‘Lair 1’ silicon-nylon tarp shelter w/ Spectra guylines, modified: 10.25 oz
-(6) Titanium Goat 9“ carbon fiber stakes: 1.5 oz
-Titanium Goat ‘Ptarmigan’ bivy sack with bug mesh hood: 5.2 oz
-Thin foam sleeping pad, cut to torso length: 3.5 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 45.35 oz / 2.83 LB

Camera and recording
-Panasonic Lumix LX3 digital camera: 8.2 oz
-Battery charger for camera, trimmed and rewired: 3.5 oz
-Ballpoint pen: 0.25 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 11.95 oz / 0.75 LB

First Aid, Hygiene and misc.
-Petzl Tikka XP LED headlamp / lithium batts: 3 oz
-Brunton Eclipse 8097 compass: 1.4 oz
-Victorinox Classic Mini knife, modified: 0.5 oz
-Tweezers: 0.2 oz
-Iodine crystals: 0.2 oz
-Duct tape, 5’: 0.5 oz
-Gauze, mini roll: >0.1 oz
-Tooth brush, trimmed handle: 0.3 oz
-Mini dropper bottle: 0.1 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 6.2 oz / 0.39 LB

Hydration
-Aqua Mira dropper bottles for water purification: 0.8 oz
-Platypus 2.4L bladders (3): 3.6 oz
-‘Smart Water’ plastic soda bottles (3): 4.5 oz
GROUP TOTAL: 8.9 oz / 0.56 lb

TOTAL “SKIN-OUT” WEIGHT: 181.7 oz / 11.35 LB
PACKED WEIGHT, AKA “BASE WEIGHT”: 127.25 oz / 7.95 LB


*Temporary items
-Kahtoola KTS aluminum crampons (carried periodically for a couple higher ranges)
-Leki snow baskets for trekking poles (Same as above)

[Lyle]

Hey Bleach, not a critique. That's one light pack. I'm assuming that since you have no stove listed you eat all cold? Do you always do this or are you experimenting?

I did a Vol Vac on the Arizona Trail just outside the Superstitions a few years back - fantastic area, I'm sure you'll love it.

Good hiking to you! Thanks for the info on the SHT, BRT, and KEK. We'll have to compare notes on our trips when you get back.

[skinewmexico]

I like my Golite Jam2, pretty tough pack. I'm jealous of you doing the GET, I was supposed to lose my job March 1st, and I thought about doing it. Job drug out, and I decided I should take more than 1 week to plan it. Hope it goes great. I might you a compacter bag for a pack liner, it might be a little tougher? How do you like the Ti Goat bivy? Mine just came this week.........

[fiddlehead]

i don't understand. Why post it and say "no critiquing"?
You just want us to see what you are using without commenting?

I wonder a few things but i guess i'll keep them to myself.
Is that the way it's supposed to work?

[4eyedbuzzard]

Just wondering on a few things, as it all seems pretty well thought out:
1) is the insulative clothing enough for the possible conditions you may encounter, especially at higher elevations?
2) as noted, with no stove or pot, what if you have to melt snow for water?
3) even so, no lighter or matches? safety item in my book. even if stoveless i would always want to be able to easily start a fire for warmth and/or signaling purposes in an emergency.

[Gaiter]

why did ya post it if you didn't want it critiqued

[Two Tents]

No comment. I am not allowed. Have a good time tho! Happy Trails---Two Tents.

[silversleep]

might want to use regular batts in the headlamp.

http://petzl.com/files/all/en/brochures/battery-compatibility-chart.pdf (http://http://petzl.com/files/all/en/brochures/battery-compatibility-chart.pdf)

[silversleep]

i mean:

http://petzl.com/files/all/en/brochures/battery-compatibility-chart.pdf

[Two Tents]

Silversleep- YER not payin attenshun he don't want no help! ---Two Tents

[dloome]

Jeez, c'mon guys. Totally written in jest- The opposite of "critique my gear list, please"... :rolleyes: Please, fire away with input, I'm just being difficult.

The appeal of hot food is lost on me during generally warm weather hikes, and especially in the desert, eating cold helps to conserve water. I've done my last couple long hikes without cooking including the PCT and CO Trail, and find I can get by without pretty easily.

I usually carry very minimal active insulation. If I'm not hiking, I'm usually in my sleeping bag, and on this trip even in the higher areas, temps will tend to be quite warm during the day. Even so, a base layer, a microfleece, a windshirt and a rain shell layered together is adequate for very cold hiking conditions if you are active, much colder than I'll see on this trip.

It is more efficient to carry insulation in the form of a sleeping bag vs. insulated garments, and for this reason I tend to err on a warm sleeping system vs. warm clothing. The JRB winter quilt with a bivy is easily good into low teens in my experience, even when not in a tent. Again, significantly colder than I'm likely to see on this trip.

I've read about the lithium batteries in Petzl headlamps before, but have always used them and have never experienced any issues.

Good point about the fire starter. I used to carry this (vaseline saturated cotton balls and a mini magensium sparker in a film container) but never used it in many many long hikes and decided to leave it home this time around- Though maybe I'll throw a mini bic in my pack at the last minute. The higher, cooler, wetter areas are generally short (one hiking day or less at my pace) and are often interupted by fiercely dry and hot sections in between, so I really have to pick my cold weather and similar gear carefully so it's not dead weight for many of the miles.

[dloome]

Oh, and the person who PM'ed me about the Golite silk shirt:

It's REALLY great. Dries faster than anything I've used, weighs nothing, the most "cool" feeling desert shirt I've used- You can feel the breeze right on your skin. ahhh... Wicks very well.

I do anticipate a shorter life span though, though not exactly sure what this might be. I have a back-up with my maildrop person at home if I need a replacement.

My only other issue is that the fabric is so thin that I think it tends to get saturated with body oil and grime a bit quicker than other base layers I've used, and in order for it to be effective you need to give it a rinse somehwat frequently. But like I say, it dried so fast (Literally @ 5 minutes in warm, sunny weather) that this hasn't been an issue as yet.

Definitely worth trying out.

[Frosty]

I'm just being difficult.Welcome to the club! :D




I usually carry very minimal active insulation. If I'm not hiking, I'm usually in my sleeping bag, and on this trip even in the higher areas, temps will tend to be quite warm during the day. Even so, a base layer, a microfleece, a windshirt and a rain shell layered together is adequate for very cold hiking conditions if you are active, much colder than I'll see on this trip.

It is more efficient to carry insulation in the form of a sleeping bag vs. insulated garments, and for this reason I tend to err on a warm sleeping system vs. warm clothing. The JRB winter quilt with a bivy is easily good into low teens in my experience, even when not in a tent. Again, significantly colder than I'm likely to see on this trip.I subscribe to the theory that if you were never chilly on your hike, you probably carried too much clothing. It's okay to be cold a couple days in a hike. The key is having enough not to ger hypothermic. By putting your rain gear over your clothing you have this covered, IMO. I'm gradually changing my mind on that, though. The older I get, the less interested I am in shivering at night :-?



Good point about the fire starter.

Though maybe I'll throw a mini bic in my pack at the last minute. The higher, cooler, wetter areas are generally short (one hiking day or less at my pace) and are often interupted by fiercely dry and hot sections in between, so I really have to pick my cold weather and similar gear carefully so it's not dead weight for many of the miles.Probably a good idea to add the Bic. I understand that if you are a day's hike away from the desert, it's easier (and probably safer) to just hike your way to warmth, but in the event you are incapacitated or forced to hunker down, that 1 ounce llighter could be a life saver.

Have a great hike. The GET is something I'd like to do someday, but not solo.

[yaduck9]

.02 cents;

Small bottle of alcohol based hand cleaner.

Good for cleanliness, good for emergency fire starter, somewhat good for cleaning wounds ( ouch ).

[Mags]

..just a quick qobservation...

It's just gear.

At this point, you've hiked enough where tweaking here or there does not functionally change a hike. :)

(If you were new to backpacking and/or ld hiking (esp out West), that would be another ball of wax)

Enjoy the GET. Should be an enjoyable jaunt.

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

that is seriously light I feel bad now lol. My pack weighs 27 pounds fully loaded (water food the whole deal)