Gear List, please critique

[KilmerSidearmsTheVan]

Appreciate any and all info on my gear list. Some beta: heading out April 23 to section hike Georgia--Amicolola to Deep Gap, North Carolina.

Some things can't change: not buying another backpack (I live in Colorado and need this solid pack for all the mountaineering I do). Not buying another tent (heavy, yes; but my buddy's carrying the other half).

Other than that, critique away! Let me know about anything I need to take away or add. Thanks, in advance.

AT Gear List

Basics
Pack, Osprey Aether 70 (71.3 oz.)
Shelter, Marmot Titan 3 (49.75 oz.)
Sleeping bag, Montbell Ultralight Spiral Down Hugger #1 (35.1 oz.)
Sleeping pad, Big Agnes Insulated Air Core (25.7 oz.)
Pack cover, Osprey UL Rain cover (5.1 oz.)
Total: 186.95 oz.

Clothing Worn
North Face convertible pants (18 oz.)
Smartwool hiking socks light cushion (2.6 oz.)
Merrell Moab trail runners (34.2 oz.)
REI Sahara short sleeve shirt (5.9 oz.)
Patagonia Active boxer briefs (2.8 oz.)
watch (.8 oz.)
baseball cap, Montbell (1.6 oz.)
Total: 65.9 oz.

Clothing In Pack
Patagonia Capilene 2 long sleeve (8 oz.)
Patagonia Capilene 2 bottom (6.9 oz.)
Adidas Climalite exercise shorts (5.9 oz.)
Montbell UL down inner parka (9.1 oz.)
REI Sahara short sleeve shirt (5.9 oz.)
Seirus hyperlite all weather glove (2 oz.)
Smartwool hiking socks light cushion (2.6 oz.)
Patagonia Active boxer briefs (2.8 oz.)
Old Navy flip flops (8.7 oz.)
Wool hat (2.1 oz.)
Total: 54 oz.

Rain Gear
Marmot Aegis jacket (14.2 oz.)
Total: 14.2 oz.

Kitchen
Jetboil Flash (15.5 oz.)
Jetboil Jetpower isobutene/propane fuel mix, 110 gram (6.8 oz.)
Sea to Summit Ultra-Light spork (.5 oz.)
Total: 22.8 oz.

Hydration
MRS Miniworks EX (18 oz.)
MSR Dromlite 2L (3.8 oz.) + tubing (2.4 oz.)
Potable Aqua Chlorine Dioxide Drops (2.5 oz.)
Total: 26.7 oz.

First Aid
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight .7 (8.2 oz.)
Includes:
• Bandage materials: (4) 3x3 sterile dressings, (4) 2x2 sterile dressings, (2) 3x4 nonadherent dressing, (1) conforming gauze bandage, (4) 1x3 adhesive bandage, (3) Knuckle adhesive bandage, (1) Tape 1”x10yards, (1) swift wrap elastic bandage
• Medications: (8) Motrin, (2) diphenhydramine, (2) after bite sting relief
• Blister materials: (11) Moleskin
• Wound management: (5) after cuts and scrapes, (3) antibiotic ointment, (1) tincture of benzoin, (3) butterfly closure strips
• Infectious control: (2) nitrile examination gloves
• Essentials: (1) splinter picker/tick remover forceps, (3) safety pins, (1) duct tape, (2) aloksak bags
Total: 8.2 oz.

Medicine
6 all purpose vitamins, 6 fish oil, 6 calcium/magnesium, 8 bp pills (XX oz.)
Total: 2 oz. estimate

Fire
Waterproof matches (1.8 oz.)
Lighter (XX oz.)
cotton balls soaked in Vaseline (XX oz.)
Total: 2.8 oz estimate

Hygiene
Hand sanitizer (.9 oz.)
Banana Boat Sport Performance 30 SPF/UVB sunblock (1.4 oz.)
Fuchs pocket travel toothbrush (.6 oz.)
Dr. Brunners’ Magic soap (2.8 oz.)
Sawyer Maxi Deet (.9 oz.)
Toothpaste (1.1 oz.)
toilet paper (4.4 oz.)
contact solution (.6 oz.)
contact carrying case (.3 oz.)
glasses (.8 oz.)
deodorant (1.4 oz.)
lip balm (.4 oz.)
Total: 15.6 oz.

Tools
Headlamp, Black Diamond Cosmo LED (3.2 oz.)
Knife (4 oz.)
Two lightweight caribineers (XX oz.)
Total: 8 oz. estimate

Navigation
Navigation, AT Guide, Data book, pages from (1 oz.)
Navigation, compass (1.3 oz.)
Navigation, GA section trail map (3 oz.)
Total: 5.3 oz.

Trekking Poles
Black Diamond Trail Shock Compact Trekking poles (19 oz.)
Total: 19 oz.

Extra stuff
Extra stuff, camera, Sony Cybershot (6.6 oz.)
Extra stuff, cell phone + extra battery (5.6 oz. phone) (1.1 oz. extra battery) (total = 6.7 oz.)
Extra stuff, pack towel (1.7 oz.)
Extra stuff, ID, credit card, cash, insurance card (.7 oz.)
Extra stuff, gear loft (.45 oz.)
Extra stuff, ziplock bags, 1 gallon (2) (.7 oz.)
Extra stuff, utility/bear cord 50ft x 1/8 diameter (3.4 oz.)
Ultra-Sil Dry Sack, Sea to Summit, 20L (2.1 oz.)
pencil/paper (1.5 oz.)
Heat blanket/tent tarp (3 oz.)
Total: 14.65 oz.

Water: 2L of water equals 70.4 oz.
Food: 12 meals (5 oz. each or 60 oz. total) and 6 protein bars (3.2 oz. each or 19.2 total) + 6 shot blocks (2.1 oz. each or 12.6 oz. total), estimated 5+ pounds total (carry half 2.87 pounds)(drop box half) = 45.92 oz.
Total: 116.32 oz.

Base weight = 361.2 oz. estimate
Total weight (Base + full food + full water) = 116.32 oz.

Total weight = 29.845 pounds

[Panzer1]

looks like a nice list... You're all set.

Panzer

[Mountain Wildman]

Pillow?
Looks very thorough, Similar to my list.

[Ranc0r]

I see you wear contacts - watch out using Deet. It doesn't take much residue contamination to melt a soft permeable lens.

Good list. I'd make sure you can comfortably pack the whole shelter if your buddy has to leave the trail. My own 3 season list comes in about 2 lbs lighter, but I've got a lighter pack and tent/hammock, and you said those two were "no compromise". Have a great hike.

Ranc0r
.

[ChrisFol]

- Have you considered a short/length pad-- you could save a full pound by doing so. Even a regular length CCF pad would save you 10oz or so.

- Nix the rain cover. Use a trash compactor as a pack liner. Save 3oz

- Reason for the exercise shorts? Consider nixing and save 5.9oz
- Flip flops are easily nixed. Save 8.7oz
- Nix the extra short-sleeve shirt. Two shirts is fine. One to wear, one to sleep in or to wear while you wash and dry the other. Save 5.9oz

- Stove, there are certainly lighter options: PocketRocket (4oz) and most alcohol stove weigh less than an ounce. For cheap pot options look at AGG 3 cup or 2quart pot. Save around 11oz.

- Filter is heavy. I would certainly nix and look into the frontier pro for 2oz.
- Dromlite is heavy. Gatorade, smartwater, Aquafiner and Platypus bottles are all much lighter. Save 1.5oz.
- That is also a lot PA drops-- consider repackaging into dropper bottles to save over an ounce.

- FAK could easily be paired down to under 3 ounces. Save 5oz.

- No need for both sanitizer and soap. I would take the latter, it is more versatile (cleans skin, dishes and clothes). Save 0.9. Consider then repakaing Dr. Bonners to save another 1.5oz

- TP could weigh zero by leaving it at home, but its your call.
- Deodorant-- nix.

- 4oz of knife is a lot of knife. There are lighter options out there that could save 3ounces or so.

- Reason for the 2 caribineers? Nix

- Nix the cell phone and extra battery.
- Nix the packtowel and use a bandana-- save an ounce.
- No idea what a gear loft is?
- Consider picking up 50ft of paracord ($4 at your local Army Surplus) and save your self 2oz over your current cord.
- Pencil/Paper-- any reason? Nix
- Heat blanket/tent tarp-- nix this, 3oz of savings.

You could knock about 80ounces/5Lbs out of your pack for very little cost, and is before you even touch the tent or pack!

[Chance09]

that's a pretty big first aid kit, you could probabbly trim that down a bit. I'd would add some more benadryl (diphenhydramine) to it though. The only thing i used from my first aid kit on my whole thru was meds, antibiotic ointment, and a few band aids. If it's more serious than that, you should probably get of off the trail. I was prepared for more but never had to use anything. My whole kit weighs around 4 oz

[Connie]

I agree with the first two replies: this list covers it.

I agree with the last two replies: there are more lightweight items that fulfill the list and the "nix" items would be my "nix" list, except a cheap prepaid cell phone, if you must, because those little "candybar" TracFone's weight is negligible.

I was looking over your list, asking myself: why does my list "read" like your list and weight 10 lbs. less?

I take one shirt over a camisole (sleeveless-t) and one silk top and bottom for the sleep system. I wash frequently to avoid hiker stink. But I am never clean enough to manage contact lenses.

I carry tiny screw top containers, purchased in the makeup section of RiteAid, purchased empty, I fill with sunscreen, tootpaste/toothpowder, and such, and I use a keychain sonic mosquito guard (http://www.realgoods.com/category/home-outdoor/household/pest+control.do?sortby=ourPicks) instead of DEET.

I leave my JetBoil at the car, packing in only my ul "alcohol stove set" consisting of Zelph 'inside out' Super Stove, side-cut short Heiniken can and custom lid, cone windscreen, a flip-top small plastic bottle for yellow-label Heet and the AntiGravity Gear Trail Designs Caldera Caddy. I use "freezer bag cooking" style or I make soup, poached eggs, or such delicacies in my Snow Peak Titanium Backpackers Cup.

Unless you are a cold sleeper, I think you will roast in the MontBell #1 hugger: this isn't the high mountains of Colorado. I have used the #7 with Winter Silk silk-cashmere longjohns in AT temperatures.

I would carry, at most, a Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis and Small Footprint (Tyvek) which is reasonably inexpensive or a Grand Trunk UL Travel hammock, whoopie slings and ridgeline, MacCat tarp, JRB Mt Washington convertible under quilt and any brand backpacker's top quilt for the AT to increase your off-trail camping options.

OMG, I forgot, okay, we are not talking about the pack or the tent, but my sleeping pad weighs less and is a comfort: Exped Down Mat 7, short.

My rain jacket weighs half your rain jacket. I wear and carry the more lightweight coolmax shortie socks. My headlamp is the REI led Trail Cap sold under different brandnames and my flashlight is the Photon X-Light Micro LED Keychain Flashlight but the Photon Photon Micro-Light I LED Keychain Flashlight weights less.

My keychain compass I wear on the zipper pull even has a temperature guage and a windchill chart.

My camera is a 70X optical zoom video cam, because it zooms more and because it weighs less than my Canon PowerShot 100SX IS 10X optical zoom digital camera.

I look at big items, like a camera, but I know "the little things" carried in pockets really add up.

I do not carry a knife for backpacking. I carry the thumb-size plastic enclosed slot razor I found on a hang tab at the grocery store for opening all those pesky plastic packages. It weighs 1 gram.

[Wags]

i only see 2 pairs of socks. i'd suggest 3. 2 to wear during the day and a nice clean dry pair for camp

[ChrisFol]

i only see 2 pairs of socks. i'd suggest 3. 2 to wear during the day and a nice clean dry pair for camp

I would say that two pairs is just fine. One pair to hike in, the other to sleep in or wear while you wash and dry the first pair.

I don't see the need for a third pair.

[KilmerSidearmsTheVan]

Wow. Awesome feedback! Taking it all in... thank you so much to all who replied

[Wags]

I would say that two pairs is just fine. One pair to hike in, the other to sleep in or wear while you wash and dry the first pair.

I don't see the need for a third pair.

i always try to change socks at lunchtime. i feel that it prevents blisters. days when it's downpouring all day are nice to change em as well. it's what works for me

[KilmerSidearmsTheVan]

Hey, Wags,

I do the same thing in Colorado. We hike a lot of 14ers here (14,000+ peaks). When I summit, I almost always change socks. Thanks!

[Wags]

cool bro. i hope you dig the east