View Full Version : Nobo Gear List 3/1/11. What am I missing??
I've scanned a million gear lists and still feel like I'm missing stuff. I read that I'll know what I'm missing when I get on the trail, but I just don't want to miss something really important. Items w/out weight listed I am going to get.
Clothing Worn
smartwool hikers
liners
Smartwool t-shirt
running shorts
athletic spandex underwear (get rid of chafing)
Brooks Cascadia 5 shoes
bandana
Clothing (in bag)
Terramar lighweight upper/bottm silk underwear 6oz
DriClime windshirt 9.8oz
LL Bean Down Jacket 17.7oz
Smartwook hiker socks (x2) 6oz
sock liners (x2) 3oz
fleece balaclava 1.6oz
fleece neck wrap 2.4oz (great when it's really cold)
EMS Thunderlight rain pants 9.7oz
poncho 1.8oz
Granite gear dry sack 2oz
DIY insoles/paracord sandals 1.8oz
Gear
ULA Circuit 39.2oz
WM Alpine Lite bag 35oz
trash compactor bag for WM bag 2.2oz
silk liner 5oz
Jardine DIY tarp shelter 18oz
Neoair (regular) 14oz
Neoair patches 0.3oz
petzl headlamp 2.3oz
Backcountry 700ml ti pot 4.1oz
ti spork 0.6oz
alch stove 0.4oz
bic lighter 0.6oz
screen/stand 0.6oz
little swiss army knife 0.7oz
keychain compass 1oz
tp in ziplock
small notebook/pen
camera (looking for small one w zoom, ideas?)
umbrella 7oz
deet
first aid (Ibuprofren x 8, needle, moleskin pieces x2)
space blanket 3.5oz
toothbrush 0.2oz
toothpaste (do I really need it?)
cell phone (regrettably must have) 5.4oz
Total Base Weight (minus unlisted items) 12.58 lbs
Main clothing questions: I'm skinny and get really cold easily as soon as I stop moving. While hiking, I'm stripping off layers pretty quick. I have an Aegis rain jacket (14oz) that I'm debating on being a better choice than the poncho. I doubt either vents very well when moving, but I'm guessing the Aegis at least has more heat retention. Also, I'm wondering if the umbrella is really worth it. I've read good stuff about having one. Worth the added weight?
A nice looking gear list!
I would ditch the space blanket and buy a couple of 1/8" thinlight pads from Gossamer Gear. Put one under and one over your Neo-Air. If really cold put both on top. As it gets warmer, mail one home.
Toothpaste: if really concerned about weight, consider tooth powder; I carry some (web search for it) in a little backpackinglight.com mini-container, quite light, and filling even the mini container lasts me an entire thru-hike.
With the size pot you're carrying, something you might consider is getting a quart ziplock sized cozy and use the freezer bag cooking method; works great for me, anyway. Never have to clean the pot.
Yes, it is the AT, but I would add a bit to your first aid kit, including a couple of basic bandaids, and something that can absorb a lot of blood at need (held on with duct tape).
Umbrella: if you're happy without trekking poles, then a light umbrella like that could be nice; the catch is when you have both rain and wind, but that's certainly not always the case.
At some point you'll want at least a headnet against bugs, if not in fact some sort of better (larger) bug netting for under the tarp, or in shelters --- with a March 1st start, I expect you can just stay in shelters a lot.
You might find yourself ditching the insole sandals, but no big deal there.
I think there's a good chance you'll send the rain pants back home. What you might try is, if you find you need something like that, get one of the heavier duty yard waste bags that have a drawstring at the opening, use a scissors to make a hasty rainskirt, see how you like that --- but with a poncho, you already sort of have a rain skirt. One thing you might consider with the poncho is looking online for tyvek sleeves, folks use those for working with chemicals and such, but I find that they augment a poncho nicely by providing some arm protection. Hmm, looks like your poncho is one of those disposeable types. Unlikely to survive a thru-hike (!), FWIW.
Camera: does your cell phone have one? If not, do you already have the cell phone?
I have a feeling there are things missing from your list. Maps and guidebook pages (at least the latter). Mittens --- I definitely suggest mittens. I personally like a thin liner glove, a good wool mitten, and then a light mitten shell. FWIW, I also really liked earbags, combined with just a fairly thin baseball hat made a good "on the move" combination for me with a similar start date last year (Feb 25th).
Overall it looks like a good list, but I suggest you look at more complete lists to see what else you might want to consider. Here (http://www.nwlink.com/%7Ebrianle/AT_Gear_List_Gadget.pdf) is the list of stuff that I started with last year, FWIW. I definitely made changes to that as I went along, but you might look at it or similar lists to see if there are things represented that you do expect to bring but don't yet have on your list.
Ironbelly
02-11-2011, 16:52
Don't see gloves, water filter/treatment, soap and or hand sanitized. soap is nice to wash socks etc on the trail, I like dr bronners it can also be used as toothpaste. food drybag? recommend a pencil vice a pen. your firstaid kit is a tad light IMO, I would add in a dose or two of sudafed etc , imodium ad, and benadryl. can be really nice to have at times.
I am sure there is something I missed but that is what I noticed at a quick glance.
daddytwosticks
02-11-2011, 16:54
Besides the rain pants, is that 1.8 oz poncho your only rain gear? Is it a disposable poncho at 1.8 oz? Have a great hike...I envy you. :)
garlic08
02-11-2011, 17:21
Great notes from Gadget above, pretty much ditto all he says. I think you should go with the jacket instead of the poncho. I don't see a durable ground cloth like Tyvek (forget the space blanket).
Slo-go'en
02-11-2011, 17:57
I don't see any long pants other then the silk bottoms and rain pants. Maybe that would work, but I wouldn't count on it. Except for a week or two this winter, you might never wear long pants in Tx, but on the AT in the spring you will want them! Get a pair of the converter pants so you'll look like a real hiker. And maybe a heavier weight pair of long johns.
You wouldn't need the deet for at least another month, but you might need sun block if your not already tan. You might want a baseball cap type hat too.
Definately ditch the space blanket and replace with Tyvek. A 1.8 oz poncho doesn't sound like it will last 5 minutes on the trail. I just bought a Cabelas "Dry-Plus" rain jacket (camo of course) which is pretty light ( 9oz) and packs small (and is on sale until March 1st). Time will tell how well it really works, but should be better than the nylon shell I have been using.
Nail clippers and a small pair of scissors are always handy to have.
takethisbread
02-11-2011, 18:03
Maybe pants might be best on March 1 rather than running shorts. You will see some ice and snow. Good list tho!
A pump of some sort? Nalgene of course. How about fuel.
Poncho no good IMO. Test it out next rain storm. Hike 12 miles in the rain and see how you like it. I found the poncho to be no better than a trash bag.
bigcranky
02-11-2011, 18:07
Gloves. I bring a very light pair to hike in, heavier for camp, ditto for hats. It's cold at night in March.
I really wanted an umbrella to work, but most of the time it was raining hard enough to need it, it was also blowing hard enough that the umbrella didn't work at all (think sideways hard rain.)
I would bring a rain shell in March for the warmth. Might swap it for the poncho as the weather warms up.
mountain squid
02-11-2011, 20:20
Some observations:
maps
guidebook
whistle
sunscreen
umbrella - not until it warms up and not in The Whites
duct tape
ear plugs
Concur:
something warmer than poncho
gloves
Good Luck and Have Fun!
See you on the trail,
mt squid
This is a great and well thought out gear list. I do think you will like having toothpaste - just take 1/2 of a sample size tube or tooth powder. Another thing that I would do is for the first 6 weeks, I would use a pocket rocket or some other cannister stove for the first month while it's cold, windy and rainy - I like the alc. stove for summer - but (including food) you're only adding 5-6 oz. - i'd say it's worth it. You might (as earlier poster mentioned) like some gloves, a data book, and something to read. Does you phone do music? I have an i-pod mini which I really love when going to sleep.
Blissful
02-11-2011, 20:25
If you are cold, you'll need some kind of pad under your neo air. I got mine from Gossamer gear.
You're gonna need cold weather clothes for hiking. Shorts and t-shirt wont cut it.
Need a fleece hat, gloves
I'd skip the space blanket, you have the silk liner
You're gonna need some midweight long underwear, imo
Water containers, aqua mira?
Umbrella for summer is fine.
Wow! Thanks for the help, yall. Some of it, I forgot to add what I'm shopping for (for example the gloves), but a lot of this I would have had no idea! Gadget... inspiring list. I'm redoing mine to look like that format. I've included some questions these additions have brought up as listed below:
Gloves: I forgot to mention I'm looking at thermax liners and sounds like maybe some heavy windproof wool/fleece mittens would be ideal for camp. Gadget, I saw you like nitrile gloves in your list. You also have eVent overmittens for wind protection..what's the nitrile gloves for?
Convertible pants (never worn them... I'll browse forums to see what's good and what to avoid. Any suggestions on a good kind?)
Midweight thermals: I have a polypro midweight set I could use. The bottoms are fine, but after my last hike the top smells like something died. Any suggestions on a good midweight upper? I guess it might be worth splurging on a smartwool longsleeve midweight upper.
Cabellas Dry Plus Jacket (Is the "Space Rain-Dry Plus" the one you are looking at? ... If it is, it looks like a great option! Unfortunately at 6'1" I'd have to spend $90 on tall-large. Might be worth it anyways after reading the reviews.)
Just got the 2011 AT Thru-Hiker Companion book (maps + data log) I bet I could carry small sections and bounce the rest in a bounce box...
Water Treatment: I've heard bleach drops (3/liter) works great. Any thoughts? I'll get Aqua Mira if needed.
Freezer bag cooking: Thank you for this tip!!! I'll definitely get the quart size bags and will read up on what to do... not cleaning a pot sounds great to me.
Food dry bag: Not sure what the bulk will be ... I have two extra granite gear dry bags, a 16L and an 11L. Thoughts about right size? I listed my hiking schedule (http://stephenwilliamson.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/hiking-schedule/) and don't think I'd need more than four days of food between towns.
Dr. Bonners: toothpaste AND camp soap... sounds tasty. Ha. I'll give it a shot, thanks
Sudafed, immodium & benadryl: I'll get it, especially the immodium. would not have thought about that.
Tyvec ground cloth: cheap, light, easy. great suggestion. I'm guessing you got some and just cut off enough for you sleeping bag, or did you find it worth it to pack more for your gear as well?
Gossamer gear thinlight pads: The neo-air seems pretty warm here in TX, glad to know I'll need the extra insulation. Plus, it'll keep my patching up holes to a minimum. good idea. I'll order two 1/8th" like you suggested. At 1/8" I'm guessing they pack down pretty small. Did you get two at full length, or cut them off around knee length. Just curious.
Bug net for head: I have to stop at West VA around mid May since I'm going into the Navy right afterwards, so the bugs may not be an issue.
Ear Plugs?? It is pretty noisy at the shelters at night? If so, I may look into just popping up the tarp away from them... unless by going off solo I might be baiting myself for a bear. Hmm. Dangit.
Rope: will 50 feet of parachord work? I also need a bear bag. Wonder if I could I just double bag my food dry sack in a walmart bags and hoist it up?
Stove: I do have a pocket rocket, but read getting canisters is unreliable. Also, how long do the canisters last for you?
Ahh yes, Duct tape.
I do have an iPhone I need to bring, which now that I think about it needs a waterproof sack. I thought about using it as a camera/video/iPod, but don't want to drain the batteries. I could get a text from Navy recruiters and heard there are lots of spots that get reception. Hmm. I also need the charger... this list is growing. I was thinking of getting an iPod nano. Sounds like it's nice at times to have some music.
Camera: I hear the Panasonic TS2 is a good one. This may be worth the $$ splurge as well. I have a LOT of friends and family expecting a good video slideshow when this is done.
Well, I thought I might max out the word limit on this reply. Thanks again for all the advice. As you can tell, I'm going to take it!!
"what's the nitrile gloves for?"
Really, not needed and never used --- just very light backup, vapor barrier solution in case other handwear is lost or wet. I did lose a mitten last year, maybe I used the nitrile for a while then (?). Note that the eVent shells were good for both wind and rain; I liked 'em, using them again this year.
FWIW, I'm not as much against a poncho as others, but the really cheap ones --- you'll need several, I would guess. Early on, and maybe not-so early on you could run into a lot of blowdowns (we did last year) which can make a poncho a bit more dicy.
Thinlights: I didn't cut mine down. They're not as long as a size regular neo-air; I carry a little sitpad that I augment below the neo-air to further minimize possible leak-producing situations. The thinlights can be rolled together or separately in a couple of different configurations depending how you find you like to pack them.
Earplugs: lightweight, just bring 'em. If you really do avoid shelters, nevertheless hostels and such can be noisy.
Slo-go'en
02-12-2011, 12:00
Tevo,
Yes the Cabela jacket is the space rain ultra pack, # IK-66-0048. I'm 5' 11" and the large is a good fit for me. Pleanty of room for layers underneth and just the right length. You might want the extra 2" though.
Water treatment - 2/3 drops of bleach pre quart does work, but make sure you get pure bleach with no additives and let the treated water sit for 10-15 minutes before using. I didn't bother to treat water very often in GA and NC, as most of the water sources are springs. If I do use my filter, its just to remove the debree which is often scooped up with the water.
Bear bag - your food bag is your bear bag. One of the Wal-Mart dry bags works well. Or just line a lighter weight nylon bag with a small trash bag. I use nylon surveyiers twine to hang food.
Tip: Carry a 20 oz plastic solda bottle (aka water bottle). Fill bottle about 1/3d full, then put the end of the string under the cap and use the bottle to throw over tree limb. This is by far the quickest and easiest way of getting a line up into a tree.
Bug head Net: I've never wished I'd had one. You only need one in New England in the spring.
Canisters: Those are commonly available. A fair number turn up in hiker boxes, but of course, you can't rely on that. I don't use them, so don't know how long they last. It depends on how much you use them too. Figure 2 weeks on average for a good guess.
Slo-go'en
02-12-2011, 12:08
Oh, how big a piece of Tyvek? Big enough for your bag and to spread gear out on, usually the same foot print as your tent or what ever. You just don't want the ends sticking out from under the canipy.
I once started out with a piece just a little bigger than my bug bivy sack and the first time I had to use it was on muddy ground. Qucikly found out not having a bigger ground cloth was a big mistake.
Gadget, I'm going to ditch the disposable poncho and use the Marmot Aegis jacket (or get the Cabelas Space rain jacket Slo-go'en suggested).
As for the Montbell Alpine Lite parka I saw on your list... is this too warm and mostly unused, or was it your "go to" item for camp. If you used it almost daily, to me that'd be worth the weight/cost of it. My LL Bean down jacket it warm, but heavier and without a hood.
garlic08
02-12-2011, 16:52
...As for the Montbell Alpine Lite parka I saw on your list... is this too warm and mostly unused, or was it your "go to" item for camp. If you used it almost daily, to me that'd be worth the weight/cost of it. My LL Bean down jacket it warm, but heavier and without a hood.
I started a full month later than you are, and Gadget started earlier, but I carried a down vest (12 oz, not a real expensive one). I only wore it once while hiking and maybe three times when stopped (I had some serious winter weather in mid-April, too, above 6000'). To me, a hooded jacket would have been way overkill, but again, I was out there much later in the year. And I did more hiking than camping. I never sat around outside if it was really cold.
"As for the Montbell Alpine Lite parka I saw on your list... is this too warm and mostly unused, or was it your "go to" item for camp. If you used it almost daily, to me that'd be worth the weight/cost of it. My LL Bean down jacket it warm, but heavier and without a hood."
I used it daily, but note that I had a 20F rated bag, so I slept with the parka on as part of my sleep system most nights early on --- basically until I was out of the Smokies. YMMV, of course, but it was pretty cush to have when not in the sleeping bag too. If your sleeping bag is plenty warm enough without such "reinforcement" (I used down booties as well), then you can get by with a lighter weight insulation layer of some sort.
Of course this sort of thing varies by personal preference and metabolism --- I think it's a mistake to generalize our own preferences as any sort of universal "right answer" !
Cannister stove: FWIW, my sense is that the most common thru-hiker stove on all three triple crown trails is an alcohol stove; you might consider that approach, especially if you only cook one meal a day (as I typically do). A very easy-to-make and very effective alcohol stove made from a cat food is described here (http://www.andrewskurka.com/advice/technique/fancyfeaststove.php). Of course you can get heavily into geeky home made stove variations, but I like this one as it's so easy to get right the first time, works quite well, and is very light.
Maybe I should add that I never ever even considered wearing the parka while walking. What worked for me when it was the coldest was my windshirt and thermawrap vest combination, with the vest on the outside so I could more quickly take it off if/when I warmed up enough. The parka was strictly for camp use only.
It is a little heavy. For this coming year on the CDT I'm going with a 6 oz Montbell "Extremely Light" down jacket, layered with that same thermawrap vest.
jacquelineanngrant
02-15-2011, 21:45
You will definately want some kind of water purifying system. I know that a lot of people aren't crazy about the space blanket and you may not need it for yourself buy I would still carry it. I was involved in a rescue in the NH mtns last sept and space blankets provided by other hikers helped to rewarm an 84 yr old hiker who had lain on the trail all night with a broken leg and without protection. It's a small weight to carry to help save a life.
"It's a small weight to carry to help save a life."
No argument in the context of day hiking, and in fact on the minimal side IMO.
However, for someone who is already carrying a tent of some kind and a sleeping bag --- I don't see the use for a space blanket, unless in really specific contexts (for example, some hammock hangers opine they're helpful (if noisy and possibly more "damp") underneath the hammock).
stonedflea
02-19-2011, 23:00
Clothing Worn
smartwool hikers
liners
Smartwool t-shirt
running shorts
athletic spandex underwear (get rid of chafing)
Brooks Cascadia 5 shoes
bandana
Main clothing questions: I'm skinny and get really cold easily as soon as I stop moving. While hiking, I'm stripping off layers pretty quick. I have an Aegis rain jacket (14oz) that I'm debating on being a better choice than the poncho. I doubt either vents very well when moving, but I'm guessing the Aegis at least has more heat retention. Also, I'm wondering if the umbrella is really worth it. I've read good stuff about having one. Worth the added weight?
i am not skinny, but i completely relate to your cold to hot change once you're hiking vs. taking a break. a friend of mine and i did the foothills trail here in sc back in december.
for that, i wore under armour cold gear leggings and a pair of running shorts over the top of them. i wore just a plain cotton tshirt to hike in and when i got cold, i had a nike jacket as my outerwear. i actually went back and forth so much that i eventually just wound up wearing the jacket backwards so i didn't have to keep taking my pack off and putting it on etc. etc. when i'd get hot, i'd just sling it over my head and let it hang off both sides of my pack.
i said all that to say this: i've only done sections of the AT thus far, and they've all been in SWVA, but leggings may work for you under running shorts if you get hot/cold/hot/cold? i'm not sure.. maybe someone else could comment on this? i'm not 100% sure what kind of temps you'll be running into w/a 3/1 start date.
fwiw, it wasn't constant snow and ice while we were on the trail, but we definitely hiked through some, and the temps got down to the 30s or below freezing during the nights. my leggings/shorts kept me warm at night as well.
Stonedflea, that's a really good idea. If the rain pants/running shorts/athletic compression shorts doesn't provide enough warmth, I'll probably look for these at the outfitters or have some sent to me. I've thought about this a LOT and even looked at expensive down pants for when I'm just sitting, but realized all I need is just some sort of simple, removable insulation. So, I created a "warm panel" that weighs 1.5oz. It's just high-loft poly fill quilted between lightweight nylon mesh. I've made it so it can be stuffed under my rain jacket like a panel as a front torso warmer to fight the wind chill while hiking, or under the rain pants when sitting to cover my thighs. The warmth it retains is impressive! Hopefully it'll be a convenient solution to hot/cold people like us.