The gear that I have...and the gear I to upgrade/need [Archive]

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Wesoloski

01-10-2010, 11:01

Hey guys!

So I've just got the to point where I know I'll be able to afford my hike (albeit tons cheaper than some of the figures I've seen posted) and now I'm looking at my current gear list. Some of its seen better days, and none of it was purchased to tackle an endeavor like this. However, its what I have and I'm not looking to spend money replacing sub optimum gear with top notch stuff.

I'm looking at a early/mid July start date.

anyways :)

Kelty Shadow 4500
Kelty 20 degree (cold creek?) synth bag
6ft self inflating sleeping pad
MSR pocket rocket
Bugaboo pot set which I'll prolly just be taking the biggest or second largest pot with me
An awesome spork
A heavy kelty 2 man tent, can't remember if its a gunnison or a teton. Can't get to it right now and apparently campmor doesnt have my order records from a few years back.
Headlamp
Katadyn Exstream Water Purifier that hasn't been touched in a while
Couple nalgenes for durability

Light columbia rain jacket/pants
Pair or two of smartwool socks.
As far as regular apparel I've always just used my regular running stuff for hiking. Not really sure what to do about this, if anything. Some coolmax shirts, athletic shorts, and a fleece or two. Probably need to pick up some actual pants...
..and I need NEW boots!

This list isn't all inclusive, just a general overview looking for thoughts and opinions. This setup got me through a late feb, early march trek through TGSM.

Thanks in advance! :)

white_russian

01-10-2010, 12:02

There is a lot you can do to lighten your pack and make your life a heck of a lot easier, but none of that is going to bog you down to a almost non-existant pace. That sleeping bag and tent don't sound fun to carry though. Not knowing what the blow up pad is, it probably weights a bunch as well.

That filter uses a filter that would be harder to find than just a regular Katadyn Hiker. Then how do you get water for anything besides drinking. I wouldn't take it. It looks more like something for day hikers.

The obvious cheap replacement is the nalgene bottles. Gatoraide bottles are lighter and dirt cheap.

Lyle

01-10-2010, 12:28

I agree. This gear won't cause you to fail. Gear never does really. But you can make some simple changes that will make your days more enjoyable.

Do you plan to use shelters mostly? Then carrying a heavy, bulky tent every day of your hike is not wise. Replace it with a light, cheap coated nylon tarp from Campmore and you will lighten quite a bit.

As mentioned, may have problems finding replacement filters, AquaMira is MUCH lighter and more compact. Or Iodine tablets even more so.

Nalgenes are generally overkill.

Edit: Convertible pants are convenient and kill two birds with one stone. Seriously consider NOT getting boots. Light trail runners are more appropriate, especially if you do decide to lighten you load a bit. If you decide on boots, go light, non-goretex, fabric boots, not heavy leather. Your feet and wallet will thank you.

Sleeping bag, again, if it's over 3 lbs, you can do much better weight wise for about a hundred bucks or so. This is one of the big three where weight savings are possible.

Sleeping pad, blue foam pad from any of the 'marts are cheap, light and effective.

Running gear should be fine for hiking. Maybe look at a light, cheap down vest to replace one of the fleeces. Will probably be lighter and more compact. I got one at a hunting supply store for about 30 bucks. Not top quality, but works quite well.

As I said. You can successfully hike with all the gear you propose. I, and many others have done so for many years. But there are better, more enjoyable alternatives. Keep these suggestions in mind if you decide to go with the gear you have. You may decide to change some of it out along the way.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!!!

Spokes

01-10-2010, 13:22

Consider a solo tent, an alcohol stove, AquaMira, ditch the Nalgenes for a Gatorade bottle, and a platypus bladder/tote for extra water in camp.

You can't go wrong following the "Mountain Crossings Method" either:

http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

Good luck.

Snowleopard

01-10-2010, 16:17

With a July start, warmth won't be a big issue at your start. But, later on you'll want to add warm clothes and probably a warmer lighter sleeping bag. Are you going NOBO or SOBO? SOBO you'll need warm clothes and raingear going through the White Mountains (NH). NOBO, unless you're very fast, you'll be running into cold conditions in New England.

Reducing weight would be helpful. Most important is to not load up on little things you don't really need. As Lyle and Spokes suggest, if your tent is heavy, consider either a tarp or light (cheap) solo tent. Your inflatable pad is probably heavy; consider either a cheap foam pad or a short mattress.

Wesoloski

01-10-2010, 16:40

I know I could do a lot better on the bag/tent but my assets are going to be stretched amazingly thin to be able to pull off the hike. I figure I might have about 200$ worth of free cash to spend on gear, some of which has to go to whatever I'm going to be wearing on my feet. Its possible I can get more, but it just depends on OT luck between now and then.

As far as just bringing the tarp, I've always loved the false sense of security you get by pulling the zipper closed on a tent. Heh. I suppose I could try to find something on craigslist thats a one manner.

Gatorade bottles are possible, although I'm usually a bit tough on my stuff and it would be a bummer to spring a leak.

When you guys speak of the aquamira, what exactly are you talking about? I see a few different possibilities on their site.

Oh, and spokes, you mention the platy bladder. I was just going through my pack and I found a medium sized camelback that I was loaned for an overnighter not to long ago. same difference?

mountain squid

01-10-2010, 17:49

Aquamira (http://aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-water-treatment-drops/). There is a part A and a part B. Mix the 2 parts. After 5 minutes add to water. Wait 15 minutes before drinking water. It treats up to 30 gallons of water. Which should allow approx 30 days of usage when you factor in using town water from time to time and boiling water for meals.

You can usually find these at outfitters along the trail.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

white_russian

01-10-2010, 17:53

Gatorade bottles are possible, although I'm usually a bit tough on my stuff and it would be a bummer to spring a leak.
Gatorade bottles are actually very durable. I have never had one leak on me. If a leak did somehow happen you just patch it up with duct tape and buy a new one at the next town.

Bags4266

01-10-2010, 18:18

Gatorade bottles are actually very durable. I have never had one leak on me. If a leak did somehow happen you just patch it up with duct tape and buy a new one at the next town.

Yea and they come with free stuff inside too!

Snowleopard

01-10-2010, 22:46

Boots: lots of people use trail running shoes or just running shoes instead of boots. They're lighter and cheaper. If you have any try them out on rocky trails(are there any rocky trails in Fla?).

Put your gear together in your pack and see what it weighs. Some of the Kelty stuff works well but is heavy. It sounds like your stuff may be adequate.

If you're used to Fla. weather, you might need an extra layer or two of fleece -- better to carry a pound or two extra and ditch it later than suffer from the cold. And, through the White Mountains + Maine mountains you need to avoid hypothermia. If its too much mail it home. Check out thrift shops (goodwill, salvation army).

Wesoloski

01-11-2010, 01:33

I had a (seemingly) great idea earlier.

I just got my uniform allowance from work, and I plan to spend it on a new pair of boots/shoes. The only real stipulation we have is that they need to be all black. Some guys wear black new balance sneaks and others will wear the more traditional lace and zip up boots. I have no problem going for a trail running shoe, although if it were water proof that would probably be a bonus. hmm, any all black suggestions? :)

As far as the cold goes, well, my tolerance used to be pretty high. I grew up outside of boston, and then when I moved to fla I worked in coolers and freezers all day for a couple years...although this morning I was pumping gas at about 6 AM and was freezing.

jwalden

01-11-2010, 01:39

Do you have a pack cover? It was essential during a number of rainy stretches for me. I can't speak to how well a jury-rigged garbage bag system would work; the long-term investment in a silnylon cover would be far less hassle (consider you'd be replacing it at intervals on the trail from newly-bought bag boxes, probably).

I'd also suggest ditching the tent if you can shelter-hop; I'd usually say bivy sack, but if you're on a tight budget the tarp's better.

Convertible pants all the way! Plus mesh liners to eliminate need for undergarments. I can't recommend these pants (http://bit.ly/CxXHx) any more strongly.

I doubt you need rain pants. If they're not good ones you'll probably get wet anyway, so what's the point, more or less? Usually rain won't be so bad you'd really need them anyway. I shipped mine home early on after never using them and never missed them. (I kinda did miss a good rain jacket -- speaking of which, does yours have armpit zips? it's half-useless if it doesn't, assuming you sweat easily -- which may have made a difference in usefulness of rain pants, come to think of it.)

Polar-PUR water purification is cheaper and simpler than a filter (or Aquamira) in my book, if you can get used to the taste. Weight's more than Aquamira, but it's much cheaper from what I remember. Eating yogurt might or might not help with warding off ill effects from long-term iodine use; I heard the claim once and decided I could take an excuse to eat yogurt occasionally regardless, and switch to something else later if necessary (139 days and I was still going strong at the end).

Nalgenes aren't necessary but certainly can be nice.

Trail runners beat boots in my book, being cheaper, lighter, and in my case, strangely more rugged. I started with $120ish boots that lasted ~50mi before plus 895mi on; I wore one pair of $90 trail runners for the entire rest of the trail, let me cut camp shoes, and doubtless kept me moving faster and further each day than I would have with boots.

Your tolerance for weight will affect changes you should make a good bit. My pack was on the heavy side when I got it to steady-state weight; if you can accept that, you could probably be good with what you already have.

Depending on how far stretched thin you are, you probably should consider some newer, better gear as long-term investments. In that vein I will always recommend hiking poles -- and for a couple thousand miles, plus trips after, I think you absolutely can't go wrong with top-of-the-line poles. $150 (or much less, if you decide something less tricked out is fine) across 2000-plus miles is not much of an expense.

If you don't mind my asking, how much are you budgeting for the entire trip?

Wesoloski

01-11-2010, 02:28

Spokes

01-11-2010, 07:37

Gatorade bottles are possible, although I'm usually a bit tough on my stuff and it would be a bummer to spring a leak.
..........

Oh, and spokes, you mention the platy bladder. I was just going through my pack and I found a medium sized camelback that I was loaned for an overnighter not to long ago. same difference?

Gatorade/Powerade bottles are amazingly strong. I once tripped in a rocky creek while holding one and landed square on it. The bottle (with lid still on) broke my fall and survived without breaking. Plus there's easily replaceable all along the way.

The camelback should work fine. Ditch the outer cover for weight savings. I took a 2 liter platy. They're pretty reasonably priced.

Marta

01-11-2010, 07:53

At your age, unless you're exceptionally unfit or end up taking 60 or so zero days (zeroes can be very expensive), I think you'll get the most bang for your gear buck by replacing your tent with something lighter. Top of the line solo tent would be a Tarptent or Lightheart or something similar. Shop on the internet and you might be able to score a used one for half the price of a new one. A tarp is a possibility, but unless you're a diehard tarp enthusiast, you'll appreciate being able to shut out bugs and slugs in Maine.

I agree about trail runners vs. boots. You'll probably have fewer blister issues that way, and running shoes can be cheaper, even if you replace them every 500 miles or so.

Ditto on the Gatorade bottle thing. They are very tough. If you drop a full one from a fair height cap first on a rock, the cap might break. Otherwise, you're good to go. And when they get stinky, pitch it and get a new one.

Other than that, I suggest starting with the gear you have and saving your money for the hike itself. The best way to figure out what you need for the hike is to start hiking. If you haven't spent all your money ahead of time, you can buy replacement gear along the way.

More ominously, but worth remembering, is that most people don't finish the whole trail. Don't get ahead of yourself planning for what you're going need in December--you may not be hiking then.

Old Hiker

01-11-2010, 08:35

Yea and they come with free stuff inside too!

Really?? I only get the ones with the watered down, nasty tasting Kool-aid inside! ;)

Seriously, I buy the 64 ounce bottles of juice fron Wally-World for my grand-daughter and use those bottles to carry water. I've never had one leak or break, but I carry 2 extra caps in case I lose one or I break one from over-tightening it. Two 64 ounce bottles seem to work well for me, even though it's 8 pounds of water.

Good luck - start a web journal so you can let us know how everything works!

Doooglas

01-11-2010, 08:48

The first question is are you a five eight, vegan, geek, at 135 lbs, or are you on the other end of the spectrum ? :p
If you are on "the other side' ???
Good to go.:welcome

Wesoloski

01-11-2010, 13:11

Heh, I'm about 6'1 and 205. I'm also a firefighter if that helps at all...although I'm not built anything near what some of the guys I work with are :)

And it looks like I'm sold on the gatorade bottles.

quasarr

01-11-2010, 19:26

If you are a runner you may not need to buy shoes at all! I used running shoes. I bought trail runners but eventually switched back b/c I couldn't feel the trail as well with thick soles and actually fell more. The downside being that running shoes wear out a lot quicker (I went through 2 pairs in 500 miles, although the 1st pair was already worn from running.) But after New England you shoes will last longer.

waterproof - any shoe that claims to be waterproof is lying! especially in Maine when you have to ford rivers anyway. just means they'll take longer to dry.

hiking poles - I found tons of them in hiker boxes in Maine. You'll probably be able to replace yours, if you don't mind a mismatched pair!

rain pants - would leave them at home until the Whites. if it's more than 50 outside you'll get so hot and sweaty you might as well be rained on!

agree that you can switch to Gatorade bottles, they are very sturdy

Unfortunately I also agree that the best way to upgrade is to replace one or more of your big 4 - tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, backpack. Agree that the cheap blue foam pad is a good way to go. You have lots of time to look around for a good deal on a 1-man tent or a backpack.

instead of a pack cover I used a trash compactor bag, just stuff all your nightime things inside and twist the top.

hope this helps

jwalden

01-12-2010, 13:27

well, somewhere between 2 and 2.5k The other 3k or so will be going to bills. damn things. I know people seem to say 2-2.50 a mile or so, but I'm the type of guy who can eat oatmeal 3 times a day and be just fine with that. I've done that more or less for the last 4 years, I dont see why I can't do it for 4 more months ;). Anything over 2.5 would most likely be going on a credit card..something I'd much rather avoid, but its there if I need it.

I came in around $2500 on mine, give or take, not including gear I had when I started (but including bits I bought along the way). It's not supremely difficult, just requires hostel-level spending on off-trail lodging, not stopping too often in places where you can spend money, a reasonable pace (these last two can be distinct), and not getting sucked into bars or similar every time you stop off-trail (might not be a problem anyway if you're southbound, although being in the middle of the pack probably influences that -- I started and ended early, never really seeing the pack, so can't say). I didn't have a reason to keep it super-cheap beyond inherent frugality (family was temporarily covering a credit card until I finished and went to a job to pay them back), so I probably could have cut a few hundred off that without too much effort.

Do keep in mind that a credit card's useless at places where only cash is accepted (there are a decent number of places like that). If you think it's worthwhile to accumulate some small amount of debt to finish the entire thing, make sure to do it early enough that you don't run out of cash for use at cash-only places (if late enough to avoid accumulating too much interest). (Cash advances are generally more expensive than purchases, with respect to credit cards.)

Spot In The Sky

02-13-2010, 19:34

I dont mene to hijack this thread but I figured Id ask you guys since you seem so determined-
Im starting SOBO the end of June and I have Asolo 520 boots which are AMAZING for me, Ive done a lot of hiking in Shenandoah, but never the distance were talking about here. The thing is I have a weak right ankle which Ive spraind 3 times and I cant tell you how many times my boots have saved me. I know theyre heavier than running shoes- I wear Brooks Adrenaline to run which are super light and comfy but I dont think theyd give me the support I need. One sprain and Im done...
So are boots THAT bad to have?

Rocket Jones

02-13-2010, 19:50

I wear boots when I hike. Wouldn't have it any other way. For me, it's a comfort thing, I just feel more confident knowing I'm wearing boots on the trail.

BrianLe

02-13-2010, 20:24

"So are boots THAT bad to have?"

A friend that I hiked a good chunk of the PCT with in 2008 finished his triple crown on the CDT last year. I talked to him on the phone about me doing the AT and he had recently been doing some sort of trail near or on the AT near where he lives (New York). I was quite surprised when he recommended that I use boots (!). He used trail runners on the PCT and I think on the CDT, but he suggested that I at least be ready to switch to boots on the AT, I think he cited rocks, roots, that sort of thing.

Mind you, I'm not doing it (or at least I would really have to be convinced on-trail that boots were called for) --- but I think it goes to show that there's a wide range of opinion about this stuff. If boots make you happy it would seem crazy to me to switch because other people think you should. Just like it occasionally makes me crazy when I go on a group hike through a hiking organization and they want to mandate boots for all participants ...

skinewmexico

02-13-2010, 22:48

Something you can do if you're short on cash........watch for used gear. Not hard to find bargains if you're patient. I just missed a WM Iroquois bag for $100, and a 20 degree Feather Friends for $125. Just follow the used gear forum here and BPL closely. Easy to knock weight down with the big 3 though.

Spot In The Sky

02-13-2010, 23:38

SteepandCheap.com = awesome deals.

skinewmexico

02-14-2010, 00:14

+1 on SAC.

Marta

02-14-2010, 06:20