Gear Critique SOBO2011

[Mismatch]

I am planning on starting in Maine on June 18th or 19th.

Well here it goes...


Big 3=9.9 lbs. total
Pack- Deuter Act Lite 65+10 3 lbs. 15 oz.
Bag- Cat's Meow 20* 2lbs. 10 oz.
Pad- Thermarest Z-Lite 10 oz.
Shelter- Hennessy Hammock Classic 1lb. 15 oz.
• with Maccat Deluxe Tarp 13.1 oz.

Kitchen
REI Tiware Pot 4.93 oz.
REI Tiware Cup 2.4 oz.
Tea filter
Packafeather XL Alcohol Stove (with windscreen) 1.4 oz.
BIC Lighter
Spork
Flexy Bowl

Clothing

Synthetic T-Shirt*
Long Sleeve REI T-shirt
Long Sleeve REI underwear
running shorts
Mountain Hardware Convertible Pants*
SmartWool wool socks x 3
Sherpa Fleece Pullover
REI Synthetic jacket
Gloves
Beanie
Northface Rain Gear
Buff*
Salomon Cosmic 4d GTX Boots*

Misc

First Aid Kit/Hygiene
• Burt’s Bees rescue ointment
• Nail Clippers
• Bandaids
• Moleskin
• Soap
• Sunscreen
• Hand Sanitizer
• Toilet Paper
• Wet Wipes
• Tweezers
Spot GPS locater thingy
Compass
Journaling Notebook
SOBO Guidebook
Book for reading
Waterproof Camera (and charger)
Cell Phone (and charger)
Bear Hang rope
Aqua Mira
Headlamp
Pack Cover
Nalgene water bottle
Gatorade Bottle
Backpack Trowel
Camp Shoes (Huaraches)
Tarp Stakes
Black Diamond Trail Back Hiking Poles* 1 lb. 4 oz.
Pocket Knife
Bandana
Gear Repair Kit
Pen/Pencil for writing
Ear Plugs
Duct Tape
Bug Head Net*

Weight withOUT food, water or fuel... 20 lbs. and 1 oz. This is a bathroom scale weighing so it may not be the most accurate, but individual weights were taken from manufacturer

*Not figured into total pack weight because I am wearing or do not have yet.

Offer any advice/critique you can. I am rather short on cash, so for better or worse my Big 3 is probably going to stay the same.


-Austin

[kayak karl]

have you tested your hammock set up??

[Mismatch]

Yes -it works well. I've had the hammock for about a year and a half. The tarp is new and so much better than the original A-sym tarp.

[Lord Helment]

i'll be sobo on july 11th.....if you can get a little lighter you'll thank yourself...if not you will certainly survive...i've been through the 100 mile wilderness 5 times and got lighter each time and i promise you the less weight the better....happy trails

[Geo]

Get rid of the fleece or the REI jacket until Gorham NH. I would get rid of the bowl and the tea filter, you will probably end up pitching them anyways. Rain pants are great for cold weather, but if it is warm and wet, you might never use them. I did not use rain pants until it snowed. Rain coats are a love hate relationship in warm weather they keep you warm, but they make you perspire. cutting the guide book in sections and mailing it to yourself is a way to save weight.
You might want to go with a smaller bag if it is not to costly. 50 to 60 liters is very common. 70L was the most common large pack I saw but it was too big. Gregory and Osprey have good bags with great customer service, Kelty makes quality budget bags. Don't go ultralight unless you have ultralight gear. Make sure your bag fits you well and is comfy.

[Duff]

Heavy pack; have you looked at ULA Circuit (or even Ohm) or GG stuff? Can you drink from the pot rather than carrying the cup? Same comment concerning bowl. Convertible pants and shorts sound redundant. Might want to consider just using the long-sleeve long underwear, rather than carrying the additional long-sleeve t-shirt. The fleece and the jacket seem excessive; hiking will warm you up pretty quick. Nalgene and gatorade bottle? If you're comfortable w/ the durability of teh Gatorade bottle, then you might consider dropping the weight of the Nalgene. Definitly a UL slant to my critique. "Heavy" is for campers (enjoy that tea filter); while lighter works better (for me) for walking. There is always a "happy" medium and either someone with more luxuries or someone lighter. All of that being said, you'll know pretty quick what you want to do; there's plenty of outfitters and post offices along the way to "adjust". Very few people make it all the way without buying/ditching something. HYOH.

[Chomp09]

Hey Austin, best of luck in your hike! You'll get lots of feedback on this site as we all have strong opinions on our gear kit and weight. Take what you can from it and balance it with your own opinions and goals. It seems like you're already on your way to a pretty simplistic kit. There are a few places where I think you may have an opportunity to lighten up still.

You could most likely go with a smaller, lighter pack, someone's already mentioned ULA and I would second that vote, fantastic product! Also, you could save both weight and volume by switching to a down sleeping bag. (Depending on how late in the season you're out you may also want to consider having a zero degree bag to switch to after Thanksgiving)

In the kitchen I think you could likely get away with dirching the cup and flexy bowl and just use the pot for everything.

In clothing, I'm guessing that REI long sleeve underwear is actually intended to be pants. If not, you really only need one long sleeve shirt and you might want to think about adding long underwear. For the start of you trip I think you could leave out either the fleece or synthetic jacket. One will be plenty.

From Misc. you could leave home the following:
bandaids
soap
wet wipes
tweezers
spot (personal preference here. You'll never be more than a few days away from a town. And if you have a smart phone, if you really need it you will often have service on the trail)
Nalgene
Bandana
Gear Repair Kit- Not sure what this is? Maybe a needle & thread? Outside of that, most any repairs you need to make can be done with duct tape.

Happy hiking!

[thepitts]

Way to go,
May the wounds upon your hiking soul heal well, my friend.
But more importantly let the posts here prepare me for what is to come when I post my own list.
(Shudder.)

[Blissful]

Looks pretty good to me. Don't need shorts if you have convertible pants. I'd keep the outerwear and pullover esp with the higher elevations in southern ME and the WHites

[map man]

Have you done much hiking in those Goretex boots yet? Have you hiked in both shoes (like trail runners) and boots and feel you really need those boots? Boots are a lot of weight on the end of your legs and puts more strain on your knees. And even if you do decide on boots over shoes, I would steer away from Goretex or anything else "waterproof." Footware of any kind will get soaked through frequently on the trail in a long hike, waterproof or not, and Goretex and other waterproof stuff takes a heck of a long time to dry out.

The footware is so important. If you really get it right you will save weight by not needing to bring camp shoes.

And I'll join the chorus wondering if you need both the synthetic jacket AND the fleece pullover.

[Snowleopard]

With a June 18 start, bring DEET. Treat your warm weather clothes with permethrin. Perhaps add a baseball type cap. Bring at least one fleece type jacket, maybe add a second for the White mts.; I'm not sure what the REI synthetic jacket is.

Leave as much out of your misc category as you can. For many of your misc items, don't bring the whole package, i.e., a couple of bandaids, a little bit of sunscreen, etc. Drop the trowel (use a tent stake or stick) and camp shoes.

[Graywolf]

Your pack list is great. Looks like your on your way. I too have a deuter 65-10 and love it.. I dont know where people get the idea that it is heavy. It is a very light pack and I love the way it lets the back breathe. Very comfortable pack in my opinion..

Good job..I do second the others on the bowl-coffee filter-cup...

[brian039]

I would just use the pot and not the bowl and cup. Ditch the Nalgene for another Gatoraide bottle. Choose between the fleece pullover and the synthetic jacket. You don't need a trowel, just use your boot-heel to dig holes. You don't need the convertible pants, use your shorts, rain pants, and long johns. I don't think you'll need sunscreen or the rescue ointment either. I'm not big on pack covers, if you decide to use one make sure you still keep your sleeping bag and clothes in trash bags because pack covers don't work. I'd get rid of one pair of socks and think about wearing trail runners so you can lose the camp shoes. Most people who use hammocks and tarps end up being shelter dwellers. Not a bad list, much better than when I first started backpacking!

[Chop]

Do you plan to use an underquilt at all as it gets cool in the fall? How low temp-wise have you went with the pad?

[Mismatch]

thanks to everyone for their input and advice. I value this site for its expertise.

quick correction- by long underwear I meant only bottoms. So I am only taking one long sleeve shirt

Gear repair kit is basically an extra buckle, some string, some seam sealant and needles.

I considered trail runners, but decided to at least start with boots. When they wear down, I will re-evaluate. I've done a couple trips in them, but am in the process of breaking them in.

DEET! I knew I was forgetting something!

I am not planning on using an underquilt, but have slept comfortably in my hammock, 15*bag, pad and synthetic jacket in freezing temperatures.

I will rethink the cup, tea filter and bowl. I do love a hot cop of tea in the mornings though...

I think I am going to keep my deuter, although you guys all make valid points and if I had $200 burning a whole in my pocket I would definitely spring for an ULA pack.

I think I'm going to forget the fleece till New Hampshire. Haven't done any hiking in ME, so I wasn't quite sure to expect weather wise.

Leaving the nalgene at home as well.

The spot was a gift from my grandparents and it gives peace of mind (even if it's just an illusion) to my family so I'm afraid it has to stay.

Thanks again everybody! I can't wait to graduate and get on the trail!