Check my sobo gearlist and plans before I leave

[LTHotSauce]

Hello WB people. I am starting my SOBO trip on June 1st. Below you will find my gear list as well as my plans for getting to baxter. I am not nor am I looking to go UL, just make sure I have all the things I need.

Ospey 70 backpack
Kelty clark tent
Stakes and guy lines
Tvyek ground tarp
Campmor +20 sleeping bag
Silk liner for bag
sea to summit stuff sack for bag
Msr pocket rocket
8 oz fuel canister
Rei 1.3L titanium pot w/ lid
scrubber for pot
Titanium spork
Aquamira
Black diamond hiking poles

Ground neve down jacket
Convertible pants
Fleece hat
Water resistant gloves
Long sleeve US Army PT shirt (non cotton)
Under armor cold gear top and bottoms
1 pr. Under armor compression shorts
2 pr. Cushy non cotton hiking socks
Sea to summit compression bag for clothes

Us army type wet weather gortex jacket and pants

Rei monarch gortex boots
Green superfeet inserts

1L nalgine bottle
Camelbak omega water bladder W/ hose
3L nalgine collapsable canteen

Headlamp
Small (1.5 inch) knife
Windscreen
Maps
Bug headnet
Deet
Cellphone w/ charger
Ipod w/ charger and headphones
Wallet w/ calling card
Bandanna (to filter grimey water)
Camera
Lighter
UL first aid kit
Thruhikers companion
AT data book

All clothes will be soaked in permithin. Food will be freezedryed expensive mountain house propak food and (much less expensive) oatmeal, but my dad had a lot of rei dividend money so free for me. Planned 10 days food to get to monson because I don't want to stop at white house landing.

My travel plans start with greyhound bus to millinocket (through cyr bus lines). I then took the sobo package from the Appalachian Trail lodge people. They will pick me up from the bus station, give me 1 night in the hostel, feed me breakfast, and take me to katahdin springs campground which I have resivations for. After that it is just a bunch of walking up big K and then to monson to stay at shaws.

Please let me know if there is some hole in my gear list or if my travel plans have a problem. Thanks!

[TJ aka Teej]

Ospey 70 backpack < good pack
Aquamira < yup
Us army type wet weather gortex jacket and pants < overkill?
1L nalgine bottle < use a soda bottle
Maps < just the ones you need
Cellphone w/ charger < mail that to Monson
Wallet w/ calling card < write down the number
Bandanna (to filter grimey water) < take two
Camera < xtra batts
Lighter < get the clear one that lets you see how much you have left

Thruhikers companion & AT data book < tear out the pages you need

took the sobo package from the Appalachian Trail lodge people. < Good!

Baseball Hat < keeps the headnet and sun off your face
Good plan having a rez at Katahdin Stream!

[Rosborn88]

Have a great time and really really enjoy your self, I'm sure that won't be hard!

[rickb]

None of this?

http://www.cholula.com/

And how about TP?

Me, I would have a pair or two of socks "in reserve". Sobo's feet get wet and require extra love and attention.

You have moleskin and such too, correct?

[mountain squid]

Some observations:

camp footwear - also good for inevitable stream crossings in ME
food stuff sack
50' rope
hand sanitizer
tooth brush/paste
pencil
notebook/journal
data book may be unnecessary with Companion
needle for draining blisters
ear plugs
duct tape

Is your night at Katahdin Strm CG before or after summitting Katahdin? I'm sure it will be after, but the way you wrote it, it sounds like before?!? If so, you'll need somewhere to stay after climbing Katahdin - it is a difficult 10 mile roundtrip.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[hopefulhiker]

I found that hiking in ME that there were so many fords that I just gave up trying to keep my feet dry...

[LTHotSauce]

Thanks for the input. The goretx jacket and pants I got for free from the army. The headnes (also issued) has a flexible metal band all the way around that props it away from the face. To be clear, my reservations are for after I hike big k. sleep at AT lodge, hike big K in the morning, sleep at katahdin springs, then hit the rest of the trail. My cellphone has a gps reciever in it that I use to post to a private blog (when I get into town and have service) so they can see where I've been. Kind of like a non-emergency spot.

Keep up the advice everyone!

[bigcranky]

I am not nor am I looking to go UL

I dunno, a Titanium Spork shows some serious UL tendencies.... You may be an Ultralight Sympathizer and not know it. :D

Your list looks good. That fuel canister -- that's 8 ounces of fuel, right? (12 ounce total weight.) Have you tested that to see how much fuel you use to make your hot meals? I know I can get a week+ out of one of those in the summer, but I'm usually eating only one hot meal per day, if that, plus maybe coffee in the morning. In theory it should be plenty.

All of the rest of this is personal preference:

I like to use both a silnylon rain cover for my pack, and also put my sleeping bag and dry clothes in a plastic liner bag. I didn't see either....(My S2S "dry"bag stuff sack leaks like a sieve.)

Chargers: my wife's cell phone uses a mini-USB to charge. So we carry a USB wall charger, and 2 cables -- the iPod cable and the mini-USB, and one charger will work on both devices. (Actually we do this car-camping; I don't carry an iPod on longer hikes.) This won't help unless your phone uses the right cable, of course.

The Companion has all the mileage data now. No real need for both, I don't think.

If I were wearing your boots, I would really like a pair of camp shoes. For northern Maine, I'd take something that could do double-duty for water crossings. Goretex/Leather boots will take forever to dry after the first bog crossing.

[Saint Alfonzo]

Don't forget your Med. Insurance Info. and a list of any Meds. you may be taking. Get that from your Pharmacy. And take some Benadryl with you. It helps me with the Swelling caused by Black Fly Bites.. L.O.L. and Be Safe out there...

[Saint Alfonzo]

And remember, MUD, ROOTS, and ROCKS, are YOUR FRIENDS!!!!!!BE SAFE OUT THERE...

[9er]

No sleeping pad?
I'd swap out the Gore-tex shells for something lighter. I was in the Army and they are heavy for what they provide...
Someone else pointed out the moleskin. Definitely a good call.

[LTHotSauce]

sorry, sleeping pad is a therm-a-rest z-lite. Any cheap ideas for a light weight rain shell then? Cheap here is the main idea.

[LTHotSauce]

just ordered the frogg togg driducks. Read about issues with durability but (a) I don't plan on running through a thorn bush with them and (b) duct tape fixes holes. See you all on the trail really soon!