Planning a 100 mile hike in late Spring - advice needed

[TRAILINATOR]

I'm a long time lurker on this forum but this is my first post. I've been hoping to do about a 100 mile section of the AT for years now and it looks like it is finally going to happen in late spring or early summer(late May or early June). I'm not an 'avid' hiker, although I do usually hit a local trail with my dog for an easy 5-10 mile hike about twice a month. I'll be hiking alone on this adventure. My goal here is do something that I'll remember for the rest of life and just get some time away from the hustle and buslte of city life.

With that said, I have quite a few questions.

1) What section should I hike? I'm in RI and I have family in CT. I was planning on getting dropped off and picked up by a relative, and don't want them to have to drive to Maine or Georgia. I'm looking for something that is scenic, but also isn't 100 miles of rocky 30 degree slopes. I'm wondering if anyone has any input about the AT in CT and MA - as in where could I or should I start/stop.

2) I know that there is a 'Gear' sub-forum, but I figured I'd just throw this in here instead of making two seperate threads. I have no equiptment and I am going to start aquiring it now so that I'm well prepared and have a good knowledge of how to easily use everything with ease before I hit the trail. I don't want this thread to turn into a big debate on gear, just if there are any red flags on that list.

I have a list of a few initial things I'm considering buying. Please let me know If I'm going in the wrong direction here.



shoes - http://www.rei.com/product/772014


pack - http://www.rei.com/product/781548


tent - 1 man http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/322,1098S_Mountain-Hardwear-Skypoint-1-Tent-1-Person-3-Season.html

or

tent - 2 man http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/322,88637_Marmot-Nutshell-Ultralight-Tent-2-Person-3-Season.html


Sleeping Bag - http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/319,1546F_Sierra-Designs-35-F-Tomichi-Sleeping-Bag-600-Fill-Power-Down-Mummy.html


Stove - http://www.rei.com/product/657906


Flashlight - http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/13382,1556F_Browning-Pro-Hunter-Xenon-Flashlight-with-LED-Backup.html


water treatment - http://www.rei.com/product/406032


water bottle - http://www.rei.com/product/734895


One big plus is that REI has a huge store just a few miles away in Cranston, RI.


I realize that I need to aquire all of the clothing necessary for this trip but I figure I can mix and match stuff as I go. This isn't my official pack list by any means, I just want to get the 'big stuff' out of the way and get a pair of hiking boots/shoes to start breaking in. I'll post in the gear section once i start aquiring some of these things.





Any advice, input or criticism is greatly appreciated.


Thanks for reading!


-Ken

[flemdawg1]

It might be easier to understand your list if you'd list the gear names instead of a bunch of links to click thru.

[Toolshed]

Save $35+Shipping and build a pepsi can stove (http://www.hikingforums.net/forums/diy-gear/7144-how-to-make-a-pepsi-can-stove.html). It uses the same fuel as Trangia.
Dump the flashlight and get a headlamp - free up your hands.
Dump the $27 water bottle and either get some cheap HDPe or Lexan bottles or a bladder. More useful. Otherwise, the tent, sleeping bag, shoes... are more personal preference.
also check out REI's garage sale in January and don't forget tehy will likely do another 20% off one item sale soon.

[TRAILINATOR]

It might be easier to understand your list if you'd list the gear names instead of a bunch of links to click thru.


sorry-

-and I can't edit my first post on this forum :(


North Face Plasma Gore-Tex XCR Boa II Light Hiking Boots

GoLite Quest Pack

Mountain Hardwear Skypoint 1 Tent - 1-Person, 3-Season

or

Marmot Nutshell Ultralight Tent - 2-Person, 3-Season

Sierra Designs 35°F Tomichi Sleeping Bag - 600 Fill Power Down, Mummy


Trangia Mini Trangia 28-T Backpacking Stove

[Blissful]

sorry-

-and I can't edit my first post on this forum :(


North Face Plasma Gore-Tex XCR Boa II Light Hiking Boots

GoLite Quest Pack

Mountain Hardwear Skypoint 1 Tent - 1-Person, 3-Season

or

Marmot Nutshell Ultralight Tent - 2-Person, 3-Season

Sierra Designs 35°F Tomichi Sleeping Bag - 600 Fill Power Down, Mummy


Trangia Mini Trangia 28-T Backpacking Stove

If you donate to White Blaze you get editing privileges.

You need to decide if you want to extend hiking or just do short jaunts. if so, you might consider better lighter weight gear as there are plenty of options out there, esp in tent and sleeping bag categories. If not, enjoy what you get and have fun.

[mweinstone]

excellent! your flashlight could be a problem. cause it sucks and is completly useless for hiking. headlamps my friend. black diamond brand headlamps. try the IQ modle. i think your scared of the dark and chose one by power alone. the bd iq is the most powerful devise known to man. ataining speeds of mach 12 and cappable of chocolate cake . with a finder light that blinks 5 years with no battery drain. and 6 settings and two types of lamps option. also, your other gear is wonderfully picked out and will serve you well. the water bottle looks like it has a high fun factor. pick gear that makes you happy from the color to the function to the plain fun factor. love your gear. or you will be intimidated by it. your stove is the single most popular girl at the party and is a hottie. your sleeping bag company sucks but the bags okay and fine. your tent is okay not great but a great deal. and will be a fine home. your getting this trip together in a really organized way. i like that. invite me?



or die!

[achangeincourse]

i think i two man tent would suite your needs ( depending on how big your dog is ) a one man is nice becuz of the weight factor but offers too little space for you and your pack and your dog. Anyway good luck and happy hiking!

[burger]

Just so you know, late May/early June is blackfly season in New England. If you do a section up here, you're going to be donating a lot of blood or having to cover up head to toe to avoid the little bloodsuckers. Not fun.

[flemdawg1]

Might be a slightly better sleeping bag, a few folks here like them. Campmor Goose Down 20 (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___40065)

Skip the water bottle, use a bladder, platypus and/or a gatorade/soda bottle.

The Trangia could easily be replaced w/ a homemade Fancy Feast Stove. http://www.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fancyfeaststove.php

Forego the flashlight for a LED headlamp. Petzl, Princeton Tec and Black Diamond all make good ones, though afew folks like the cheaper ones found in discount stores.

For about the same weight and similar design as that marmot 2-man, Swissgear makes a decent 2-man hiker tent much cheaper. http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Gear-Elite-Series-SwissGear/dp/B001C5ZFOS I own one of these myself and use it whenever I want more protection than my tarp or Tarptent Rainshadow 2 offer.

[flemdawg1]

Sleeping pad? Cooking pot?

[juma]

do the section from bear mountain bridge in new york north as far as you want to go.

or, if you can take the drive, do section in central virginia.

[garlic08]

Ditto the Campmor bag tip above, and check them out for lots of other stuff instead of REI (stands for "Really Expensive Inside"). It's amazing, too, how much gear can be homemade, like alcohol stoves, or had cheaply, like old Gatorade bottles for water, thrift store clothing, military surplus store gear, etc.

[Spirit Walker]

The Shenandoahs is about 107 miles and is a nice section to do that time of year. Only problem is that's when the thruhikers are there. Could do New York - that's about 90 miles and has some interesting sections.