In response to my "Base Weight" thread...

[Roughin' It]

... here is my gear list. help me improve.

PACK

- ULA Circuit
- trash bag liner
- ULA pack cover

SHELTER

- HH Expedition hammock
- Speer 8x10 CatTarp
- Jacks-R-Better Nest Underquilt
- Marmot 30* Hydrogen bag for Topquilt
- aluminum stakes
- Therm-a-rest RidgeRest (for colder temps, and in case of shelter stay)

KITCHEN

- Jetboil PCS
- Squishy bowls
- spork
- MSR absorbent towel
- Platypus 2L bladder
- Aqua Mira drops
- pocketknife

NAVIGATION

- The A.T. Guide guidebook (should i cut out and mail ahead?)
- small compass
- PETZL headlamp

CLOTHING

- 2 pairs Underarmor briefs
- 2 pairs socks
- Patagonia Capilene baselayer (bottoms)
- Patagonia Capilene longsleeve baselayer
- M.H. wicking Tee
- North Face rain jacket
- Marmot DriClime Catalyst synthetic jacket
- North Face TKA 1/4 zip fleece
- Ex Officio convertible pants
- winter hat
- gloves

FOOTWEAR

- Merrell Chameleon GoreTex low cut hiking boot
- Crocs for camp shoes
- Outdoor Research gaiters

MISC

- digital camera
- cell phone
- small journal
- small pencil
- bandana
- Black Diamond trail back Trekking poles
- Antiravity 40 ft. spectra line
- toiletries

FIRST AID

- let me know the minimum i should bring...

[Rocket Jones]

Might want to consider a small repair kit containing some duct tape, a couple of needles and some thread and a safety pin or two. I also carry two small and two medium zip ties (almost weightless), and a small 'binder' clip to clamp things together. Add a couple of rubber bands and a paper clip (for stiff wire) and your repair kit weighs in at a little over an ounce.

Also, what about emergency gear? Whistle, firesteel or matches, some tinder of some sort (I use cotton balls soaked in vaseline).

[Roughin' It]

doh, i forgot, yes i will be taking a whistle, small bic lighter, maybe firesteel

[russb]

Maybe it is just me, but I cannot stand those convertible pants. What I use is nylon running shorts and then if needed I have nylon windpants to put on over them. They are lighter than convertible pants, offer better wind/wet protection and allow me to wash/dry one pair while still wearing the other.

[Rocket Jones]

Also, don't forget hand sanitizer. Very good stuff to have along. And ear plugs if you're going to sleep in a shelter.

For first aid, I carry various meds like immodium, benadryl, tylenol PM, regular tylenol (I can't take Ibuprofen), cough drops, antacids. Just a dose or three of each. I also carry a good tweezers (for tick and splinter removal), a strip of moleskine, some alcohol wipes, a small container of antibiotic cream and some bandaids (butterfly and regular). A friend suggested some burn gel, which sounds like a great idea considering that I see lots of stove and hot pot boo-boos.

[russb]

You listed "winter hat", I assume that means some sort of knit hat. Great. You might also want to have some sort of hat to wear during the day while hiking for the sun, light rain, bird crap, etc... I have a surplus (vietnam era) boonie hat that I wear all the time.

[SGT Rock]

Duct tape.

First aid/repair kit - here is a list you can base your stuff on:
http://hikinghq.net/gear/first_aid.html

I'd also bring something like a neck gaiter, but that is me. Something that can cover your face and neck when it is windy cold.

Other than that, anything else I would change is based on my style and preference and not on meeting any need you haven't met. Some changes could save you some weight, but they might be wrong for you. I think you will be safe and will figure out what you want and don't want as you hike and can make those evaluations better than all of evaluating from behind a keyboard.

Good luck. Maybe I'll see you out there somewhere.

[Johnny Thunder]

Consider ditching the zip-off pants in favor of rain shells. They're (typically) lighter, warmer, and more versatile. I left Georgia with a similar clothing set-up and never wore my zip-off pants except in town. Having "town clothes" is a habit you should ditch early if the goal is to be as light weight as possible. Anyway, I switched over to rain pants for 450 I did last spring/summer and I'll never look back.

You might not need the "squishy bowls." Most jetboil users that I saw either ate right out of the thing or out of the nasty plastic zip-locks they were using to freezer bag cook. If you feel the need for a bowl-like eating thing you might want to look for the old foldy bowls. Origaso? FreeFall and I use one as part of our two person setup and we have all the same functionality...but now we have something on which to chop onions and garlic.

Ditch the absorbent towel as a bandanna can serve the same purpose AND strain water, wash, etc. Consider the smallest possible pocket knife. If it has more than a knife and scissors (to me) it's a waste.

Duct tape (on your pole). Pills (in your pack. probably just ibuprofen.

If you wear glasses decide if you need a spare set. I do. Take of the specs and walk around the yard barefoot for 20 minutes. If you nail your toes you need to bring a spare set. Consider a glasses repair kit (which becomes a handy place to store a sewing needle if you're so inclined).

Butt cream. Foot powder. Hand sanitizer. These are all things you'll need eventually but probably not to start (OK...bring the hand sanitizer off the bat).

You might want to think about having another platy or otherwise to hold 2 liters of camp water for dry camping or other acts of coolness. For me, at least, it's tough to camp on top of a mountain with only 2 liters of water. I prefer to be water RICH, baby!!! A two liter bag weighs like 2 ounces and can be left (empty) in the bottom of your water bottle sleeve.

Good luck.

[Johnny Thunder]

Oh yeah...if you ever see one of those Army can openers...p-38 or p-51...and you don't have one on your knife you should buy it and hide it in your pack. They normally come in packs of two so magic someone.

[bulldog49]

Dump the hammock for a tarptent.

[Roughin' It]

Dump the hammock for a tarptent.

hah, no way

[quasarr]

when are you planning to start? that'll affect what clothes to bring.

I agree to ditch the squishy bowls, just eat right out of the pot. A bowl is just an extra item to clean. I'd also ditch the Crocs, they weigh almost a pound and aren't worth it IMO.

[take-a-knee]

Caldera Cone and stove for your pot.

I shortened my Nest (removed the last two foot baffles). Saved four ounces.

Get a lighter hammock, depending on your weight. I use a Hennessy Hyperlight.

A Circuit has a backpad right? So you can use that under your feet if you have to go to ground, you only need a 40-48in pad.

Get a JRB No Sniveler, warmer and lighter than your bag.

Get a thick/light (FF or Western Mtneering) sew velcro to the collar for a JRB Hood and get JRB sleeves. With this you do not need anything more than something like a Patagonia R1 Hoody for your torso. Plus your capilene of course.

[skinewmexico]

What are you trying to improve, the weight?

[Roughin' It]

um, i think so, but there are some things i don't want to change, such as my stove, and spending $200 to buy a lighter hammock.

I posted this gear list because I weighed by pack a few days ago, and w/o food & water it was about 18 lbs. I thought that was pretty good, but I didn't get many good responses. I don't have any more money to just go change half of my gear closet out, but i was wanting to know about simple changes or improvements.... like not taking the squishy bowls, and switching out the convertible pants.

[mountain squid]

Some observations:

an extra pr of socks for camp that will always be dry
definitely leave the squishy bowls at home
maps
hydration system for drinking on the go or at least something extra to hold water
needle for draining blisters
hand sanitizer
sun screen
does pocketknife have tweezers/scissors (ticks/nail trimming) ?

And, of course, don't forget ID/atm/credit cards.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[sbhikes]

Here's my contribution in red:

KITCHEN

- Jetboil PCS
- Squishy bowls (Get rid of these. Eat out of your pot.)
- spork
- MSR absorbent towel (use your pant leg or bandana)
- Platypus 2L bladder (2 1-liters might be better, plus a small gatorade-type bottle for making tasty drinks at water stops is nice.)
- Aqua Mira drops
- pocketknife

CLOTHING

- 2 pairs Underarmor briefs (you can only wear one at a time, so bring 1)
- 2 pairs socks (I'd bring three, saving one for sleeping only)
- Patagonia Capilene baselayer (bottoms)
- Patagonia Capilene longsleeve baselayer
- M.H. wicking Tee
- North Face rain jacket
- Marmot DriClime Catalyst synthetic jacket
- North Face TKA 1/4 zip fleece (Do you really need both? Won't you be warm enough with the baselayer, the driclime and the rain jacket?)
- Ex Officio convertible pants
- winter hat
- gloves

FOOTWEAR

- Merrell Chameleon GoreTex low cut hiking boot (Eww! I hate goretex)
- Crocs for camp shoes (if your hiking shoes are comfortable, you might not need these, however I guess it rains a lot in the east so you may use this often)
- Outdoor Research gaiters (Is this really necessary?)

MISC

- digital camera
- cell phone
- small journal
- small pencil (I found a mechanical pencil with extra leads stuffed into it worked really well. No sharpening needed.)
- bandana
- Black Diamond trail back Trekking poles
- Antiravity 40 ft. spectra line
- toiletries (You can save a lot of weight going through these with a critical eye eliminating excess quantity and stuff you really don't need.)

FIRST AID

- let me know the minimum i should bring... (Tape and gauze, ibuprofen, a couple of vicoden, a few immodium and a sample foil packet of neosporin-type ointment will do.)

[Don H]

For blisters I use Leukotape sports tape. Holds better than duct tape. Take a few feet wrapped around a straw for your first aid kit..

[Roughin' It]

thanks for the suggestions

[Bags4266]

I can see the gaiters for certain times, like when all this snow melts and turns to mud. Always could mail them back when things dry out. I like camp shoes too, just not crocs as said before the weight. I have the old school thong flip flops, very light and good for showering.

[Powder River]

Swap that trash bag for a trash compactor bag. Huge difference! Mine lasted all the way to Katahdin, and then some.

I just ordered the Circuit, am really excited about it. Good luck!