Important Gear

[Volleydoll18]

What is the most important piece of gear that you used on the your journey? I'm getting ready to thru-hike the AT this spring :clap and am in the middle of my planning. Any tips?:-?

[SGT Rock]

Food Bag ;)

[Footslogger]

What is the most important piece of gear that you used on the your journey? I'm getting ready to thru-hike the AT this spring :clap and am in the middle of my planning. Any tips?:-?===========================
Tough call ...but I'd have to say it's the backpack that allows you to carry everything. There are a lot of important and down right crucial pieces of gear on a thru-hike but you gotta have something to stuff if all in.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Brushy Sage]

Probably my water filter. I used it more frequently throughout the day than any other piece of gear.

[Moose2001]

Debit/credit card used to buy more FOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!

[Chip]

It is not that simple. Your gear, the basic stuff, Backpack, boots, water filter
(if you use one) clothes, food, tent or tarp, stove..... and so on. REMEMBER it will be the gear you use everyday, several times a day that is most important.
Your backpack is going to carry your food, clothing and shelter so you want a good comfortable pack. You need good reliable "Basic Gear". Don't cut corners.
A good sleeping bag/pad.... you want to get a good nights sleep, right? Don't forget a good first aid kit. Many years ago as a boy I cut corners and did I learn the hard way. Sometimes kids do crazy things. Anyhow I wish you the best as you gather up your gear and make plans.

Happy Trails!!!
Chip ;)

[Youngblood]

I agree with Chip, I don't think the question "What is the most important piece of gear that you used on the your journey?" is appropriate. There are many pieces of gear that are crucial and some of these are weather dependent, like sunscreen, bug netting, jacket, etc. But, off the top my head I would list in this order:

1- footwear
2- socks
3- backpack
4- sleeping mat
5- sleeping bag
6- trekking poles
7- rain gear
8- shelter
9- water treatment
10-stove/pan
11-food bag/bear line

[oldfivetango]

Which is the most important leg of a three legged stool?

[Lone Wolf]

Properly fitted footwear. #1.

[peter_pan]

The most important piece of gear is my MIND, full of life and trail experiences from the school of hard knocks, the fine teachers of many schools the mentors and coaches of scouts and athletics experiences, the countless books and magazines, especially on survival and travel. Best of all it does not add to pack weight. :)

[chris]

The most important thing to have with you is happiness. If you are happy on your trek, you will most likely finish it and get a lot of out of it. A second place goes to desire. This isn't what you meant, but that is how it is. Physical gear is almost inconsequential. It is your mental and spiritual gear that is important.

[Mags]

The most important thing to have with you is happiness. If you are happy on your trek, you will most likely finish it and get a lot of out of it. A second place goes to desire. This isn't what you meant, but that is how it is. Physical gear is almost inconsequential. It is your mental and spiritual gear that is important.


Ah...Chris beat me to the answer! Was going to say more or less the same thing: The brain is the most important piece of gear. It lets you have the desire to do the hike, lt lets you plan out the hiker, it lets you enjoy the hike.

As Chris said, the physical part of gear is the least important.

[Lone Wolf]

If your shoes/boots/sandals don't fit right you ain't going far no matter how happy your mind is.

[chris]

What about those chicks that hiked barefoot?

[rickb]

Would Moleskin be considered gear?

[Mags]

If your shoes/boots/sandals don't fit right you ain't going far no matter how happy your mind is.


I must politely disagree.

When I did teh PCT, the combo of desert heat and poorly ventilated shoes made my feet Hamburger Helper. I had to take 800mg of Ibuprofen a day. I did over 200 miles in this condition.[1]

Why? Not because I'm a bad*ss hiker (Which I ain't! :D), but a very stubborn person who knew that despite the pain, blisters, etc. that being out on the PCT was far better than my very corporate job in a cube. Still able to do 18-20miles a day (granted, on an easier trail in terms of tread)The old cliche is true: "Pain is mandatory. Misery is optional."

Not going to lie, when I bougfht some new shoes in Big Bear City my hike was eaiser. However, if I was not stubborn doubt, I could have gotten through the heat and blisters. If I was not that odd mixyture of stubborness and flexibility that thru-hikers seems to have, would not have gotten through a month of cold and snow in 1998. Would not have gotten through the 3 wks of rain during that El Nino year.

That is why I (and I believe Chris) think the mental state is the most important piece of "gear". Many curve balls get thrown in a thu-hike (or longer section hike, for that matter). No shoe, pack, or jacket will get you through these curve balls. The right gear can make the hike easier, but the right gear is "gue gaz"[2] if the person does not have the desire, the chutzpah, the cajones,etc.[3] to do the hike and overcome the curveballs that the trail may throw at you. Find long runs are like that, too FWIW.

Having said all that...having a good pair of shoes does help. :)

[1] If you do the PCT be sure your shoes are well ventilated! I do not suggest trail shoes much less boots. I was much happer hiking in sneakers. Nike Air Pegasus to be exact.

[2] Southern Italian dialect. Won't tell you the literal translation as it is somewhat rude, but a good phrase that can be used to mean "it is worth nothing" Why is it only the "more colorful" terms that get passed down? ;)

[3] Feeling multi-cultural. Yiddish and Mexican-Spanish slang in one post. Feel like singing "Its A small world Afterall".

[MisterSweetie]

Which is the most important leg of a three legged stool?
Best. Response. Ever.

[chris]

That is why I (and I believe Chris) think the mental state is the most important piece of "gear". Many curve balls get thrown in a thu-hike (or longer section hike, for that matter). No shoe, pack, or jacket will get you through these curve balls.

I completely agree, for the reasons that Mags gives. Adaptability is really important, much more so than if you have a spiffy pack, or are carrying your gear in a duffle bag.

Note: If any of you are going to hike the PCT, listen to Mags: Wear running shoes in SoCal. Not trail runners, not trail shoes, and not boots. If you can feel the wind between your toes, the shoes are about right.

[Youngblood]

What about those chicks that hiked barefoot?

What about them? Did you hike barefoot... or would you hike barefoot and just let your mental state make your feet okay? Like Lone Wolf said, footwear is the #1 piece of GEAR that you need to have right... but you need to take care of other things also as a lot of it is like a chain, where you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Youngblood

[chris]

What about them? Did you hike barefoot... or would you hike barefoot and just let your mental state make your feet okay? Like Lone Wolf said, footwear is the #1 piece of GEAR that you need to have right... but you need to take care of other things also as a lot of it is like a chain, where you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Youngblood

No, I didn't hike barefoot. But, I could if I wanted to, if that was my thing. I could spend the time to toughen my feet over a couple of years and then set out and do the hike. I could also spend a couple of years and pick up a masters in physics. But, I don't really want to do either.

[MOWGLI]

What about those chicks that hiked barefoot?

They were two of the happiest most upbeat people I met on the entire trail. They had some seriously dirty feet though. :D

[lightning]

gear: clothing; apparel; movable property; esp., apparatus or equipment for some particular task. --Webster's New World Dictionary 3rd College Ed.

[Volleydoll18]

Thanks for all of your ideas.:sun I guess I was looking more for the items people regretted leaving behind. As I am getting ready to hike the trail, I have all of the essential items, including boots, pack, sleeping bag, etc. I’m looking more for items that people won’t always think about or ideas that could improve my gear load. :-? Maybe camp shoes, or specific gear like the MSR titan pot, EMS tech wick shirts, the Golite continuum.

I'll think about about going shoeless, the idea is a bit impressive. ha ha ha.

[lightning]

as for titanium...i love my snowpeak 900 titanium b/c the lid is also a small frying pan (and a better plate), unlike the msr.

[Volleydoll18]

I wish I had heard that before i got the titan... how much does it hold? I'm going on this adventure with a friend and we are both cooking, and the MSR titan is a 2L pot, enough for the both of us to cook our meals.

[chris]

If I had it to do again, I wouldn't bother with titanium. I was at REI recently and they had a nice 2 Q pot that, by hand feel, is not much heavier than my 1.3 L titanium pot. Oh, and I think it costs something like $7.

[superman]

The one thing that thru hikers learn is to "adapt and over come." That means not falling in love with any piece of gear. Every piece of gear is with you only until you don't need it any more. If you don't use it every day bounce it forward, send it home or trash it (in town). You can either hike well or camp well. If your distance hiking extra weight translates directly to abuse of your body. Fortunately you don't have to carry up to 2 gallons of water on the AT as you some times have to on the PCT.

[Flash Hand]

According to the National Geographic Adventure Magazine, June/July 2004 edition, (where you will find 3 popular long distance hiking trails and a picture of Balitmore Jack in it)

The most critical gear for each trails are as followings:

Appalachian Trail: HIKING POLES for knee-straining slopes
Pacific Crest Trail: Ice ax for high passes.
Continental Divide Trail: Compass, GPS for continual navigation.

Hope this helps.

Flash Hand :jump

[Volleydoll18]

Atleast I have thoes hiking poles. I think I'm just about set with my gear, it's almost scary how little i have without food... talk about light weight hiking and camping. It will make for a comfortable trail trip. :banana

[fiddlehead]

My 1st thought on this poll was footwear, but i immedietly thought about the 2 sisters (Issis & ??? from Maine) (sorry i forget your names ) And now that I live in Asia, i see many people barefoot and the builders who built my house (and did a wonderful job of it with little tools) did the whole roof barefoot. (similiar to the roofs in America except tile instead of asphalt) They did the rest of the job in cheap $.50 flip flops and worked on broken concrete for 8 weeks this way. I see may people with tough feet that do it every day here and i don't see a problem with it for hiking except of course for the cold weather. I believe the two barefoot girls did use shoes sometimes when it snowed or they had to go to town and stores would not let them in. So, IT CAN BE DONE!
So, for the original question, I think it must be food if you want to do the trail in one year. I have met breatharians and i believe them when they say they don't need food, but thru-hiking is a bit tougher than most endeavors.
After food, comes raingear on the AT (not needed on the PCT until you hit the Sierras) and a sleeping bag. (again not needed on the PCT all the time)

Suffice it to say that we don't need much, didn't Grandma Gatewood have everything in a hobo sack? (she did carry sneakers i remember) fh

[alanthealan]

The most important piece of gear is your head.

[Stoker53]

No, I didn't hike barefoot. But, I could if I wanted to, if that was my thing. I could spend the time to toughen my feet over a couple of years and then set out and do the hike. I could also spend a couple of years and pick up a masters in physics. But, I don't really want to do either.

Hiking barefoot....hummm. May I suggest an additional piece of gear? A large wheelbarrow to carry your "saco de pelota". :D

["ME & U"]

Lots of folks hike with their heads.... I wonder if some have anything in it or are they the purist of light weight hikers??

[dougmeredith]

It is a neat saying, and it makes a valid point, but your head isn't gear.

[tlbj6142]

Note: If any of you are going to hike the PCT, listen to Mags: Wear running shoes in SoCal. Not trail runners, not trail shoes, and not boots. If you can feel the wind between your toes, the shoes are about right.I know this is an old comment, but...

Don't you end up with quite a bit of dirt in your shoes? Seems like it would be just as much of an issue, as heat. IOW, do the running shoes keep the fine dust/dirt out? Does it mater?