Gear List for AT Thru :)

[zarzak]

Hey All,

I was planning on doing an AT SOBO Thru this year but some family matters prevented that. I'm hoping to make it happen next year, though. :)

Since I now find myself with all this extra time, I was hoping for some help on getting my weight down. I don't have that good of a scale at home (and was not too good about writing specific product weights down ... ) but I know that I'm about 33 lbs dry weight sans a sleeping pad (maybe around 34 lbs with a sleeping pad?). I'd like to try to get that down to 25 lbs or so, so I can be 35 with food and water...

Here is my current gear list (note that I'm 6'3"-6'4" or so, so some stuff had to be long/larger than normal). :)

Thank you in advance for any suggestions! I'll be backpacking a lot this summer to try to nail down what I'm comfortable with/not comfortable with (and obviously won't be bringing cold weather items with) but I still think my weight can be cut a lot...

Basics:
Bag - Gregory Wind River (the thing is huge and weights 7+ lbs. I'm planning on buying a new bag, perhaps the ULA Catalyst - that alone will cut about 4 lbs).
Sleeping Bag - REI Zephyr Long (synthetic, 20+ rating) (3 lbs, 2 ounces)
Sleeping Pad - None at the moment ... my old one is too big :( I will have to buy a new one
Tent - Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 + Footprint (2 lbs, 15 ounces)
1 Plastic Mallet / Stake puller
1 Pair Hiking Boots (they are great, just got them)
1 Pair Camp Shoes (Vibram fivefingers)

Rain Gear:
Large Packa
REI Rainpants (not insulated but lots of pockets / zippers / mesh in them)
Gaiters
Waterproof Gloves (insulated)

Clothes (including worn):
1 pair long underwear
2 lightweight t-shirts
1 lightweight long sleeve shirt
2 convertibles (pants/shorts combination) - 1 lightweight, 1 heavier
1 medium wool sock
2 medium wool socks + 2 liners
1 bandana
1 North Face Apex Android Hoodie (windproof/water resistant, fairly warm -26.4 ounces)
1 pair of cotten boxer shorts (debating whether or not to switch to under armor or similar, or just not bring any)

Cookware:
Caldera Keg-F (includes a little pot and a mug) (6.4 ounces)
1 Chopstick/spork combo (.6 ounces)
1 Plastic Knife
1 bandana (for cleaning)
1 pot scraper/spatula combo (for cleaning/eating) (.4 ounces)
Matches
60 Chlorine Dioxide Tablets (potable aqua is the brand I was able to find)
2 1 liter Nalgenes (I want to replace this with a 3 liter water bladder and a 1 liter bottle)

Light:
1 Headlamp
2 extra AA batterie
1 mini tent lantern for my tent (1 ounce)

Misc. Toiletries / Sprays / Liquids
1 Hand Sanitizer Stick
1 Deodorant stick
1 package of travel detergent (about .2 ounces)
1 small bottle of sunscreen
1 small bottle of bug spray
1 folding comb (about .8 ounces)
1 chapstick
1 small shampoo (1.5 ounces)
1 bar of soap
1 toothbrush
1 medium toothpaste tube

First Aid / Emergency
1/2 roll of Duct Tape
1 first aid kit (adventure medical kit ultralight .7)
1 package extra moleskin
Paper with various first aid instructions

Bathroom
1 aluminum retractable shovel (3.5 ounces)
100 sheets of toilet paper

Misc.
1 small travel towel (1 ounce)
1 compass
1 pocket knife
1 whistle
1 mini eyeglass repair kit (if my glasses break woe is me)
2 mechanical pencils
1 mini thermometer (about .3 ounces, if that)
1 50 foot rope
1 pair of sunglasses
Money
ID

Containers
1 compression sack for clothes
1 stuff sack for food
lots of garbage bags (I put each large sack in a garbage bag) and 1 gallon freezer bags (to hold misc. items and divide them up according to function) - I may buy a pack liner when I buy a new pack, however ... that should eliminate the need for the garbage bags?

Electronics:
1 Smartphone
1 USB cable
1 Nomad 7 Solar Panel (.8 lbs)
1 Guide 10 Battery Pack (6.4 ounces)
4 tiny carabiners to attach the solar panel to my pack

[zarzak]

Whoops, made 2 mistakes...

1) I'm planning NOBO hike, not a SOBO hike.

2) I also was planning on bringing the NOBO AT Thru guide, and a full set of AT maps. And I have a watch. :)

[LoneRidgeRunner]

The 1 item that jumped out at me was the plastic mallet for hammering in tent stakes. I used to carry one of those. I quit taking taking that thing. There are always hand sized flat rocks for driving tent stakes. If you can't find one just unroll your sleeping pad and lay down. There will be one right under the middle of your back...lol..The stake puller isn't a bad idea though. I have pounded tent stakes into hard ground (possibly a large tree root underneath) and could NOT pull them out and had to leave them a few times. I now carry a stake puller that weighs practically nothing. BTW I love Gregory back packs...I have 3 of em... Denali Pro, Whitney and G pack..

[Rocket Jones]

You don't need 1/2 roll of duct tape. 6' or so will be more than enough.
Deodorant. Nope.
Comb. Nope.
Detergent, shampoo, soap. Nope.
Only need 1 t-shirt and 1 convertable pant. If you start early enough, go with the heavy set and switch out later.

Add a hat.

[bigcranky]

There are many, many items on that list that you will probably find you don't need. The good news is that at mile 30 you can stop at Neels Gap and ship it home. You also have the next ten months to get out there and do some hiking! That'll help with the reduction, too.

Good luck.

[Spokes]

This gear list (http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4) is all you need to compare yours against (ignore the pop-up if you get one). It's tried and true by pack guru Winton Porter. Add a trash compactor bag for a liner then tweak for summer to go even lighter.

Cheers!

[Geo]

Get rid of the mallet, get a z rest inflatables are iffy, Don't go ultralight unless your gear is ultralight, Rain pants are optional and not recommended in warm weather, trade the cotton boxers for Exofficio, Under Armor, EMS boxer briefs (trust me they are worth every penny) consider bringing ointment, consider bringing Aquamira drops, Get rid of the soap, shampoo, and deodorant, Get rid of the Shovel, Solar pannels are unreliable in the woods and towns are common with outlets (I mailed my solar panel home)

[STICK]

If it helps, here is a list that I am working on for my thru, except I have more time than you...2013...

AT Thru Hike Gear List (https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aqh886ycFM9kdEs3VnNWTUsxQmJxbWJYdldCTzJ2M 0E&hl=en)

[Blissful]

Don't need:
Mallet, one of the t-shirts, one of the convertible pants, detergent, deodorant, cotton boxers (you'll regret it), spatula, plastic knife, matches (bring a lighter), so much duct tape, shovel, trowel, tent lantern (you have a headlamp), potable aqua (use Aqua Mira), glass repair kit, compass is optional, comb, soap, shampoo, mini thermometer, sunglasses,

[Bags4266]

Not being a wisearse but I see u only have 7 posts, so what I recomend is to READ, and read a lot, here you will gain great insight. Also check out www.backpackinglight.com (http://www.backpackinglight.com) they have some good info on lightening your load just take it all in and process. Good luck

[Rocketman]

You have time to go and hike parts of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin just less than about 100 miles north or north north west of you. This summer.

The hills aren't as hard as on the AT. No way. But you can get an idea of how easy it is to hike with all of your gear, and to find out what of your gear you really didn't find useful.

There was an earlier reference to a link to an AT packing list, recommended by the outfit (Mountain Crossings) that you will hike through about 30 miles from the start at Springer mountain. That list gives you a little less than a 20 pound base weight.

I'd get that list and really read it. Print it out.

I stopped in at Mountain Crossings and sent a few pounds home when I passed through there in 2007, and was very glad that I purchased a few items there that greatly contributed to my warmth and comfort.

I'd also suggest that you read some more. There is a book called "Lighten Up" which is specifically about lightening up your backpack by not carrying too much junk. Relax, it has maybe 50 cartoons in it for illustrations. It is probably only a little over 100 pages.

If I were to suggest one thing to read, this book would be it. For you. And take that hike this summer lugging all of your stuff to convince you of the need to be ruthless in getting the weight out.

Or take the hike after you have gotten your base weight down to around 20 pounds.

Good luck in going lighter. There must be dozens of places on the internet to download all kinds of lightweight gear lists. Actually, there are, and you can find them.

"backpack packing list" or "Lightweight backpack packing list" or "ultralight backpacking packing list" or.....

Just look at five or ten of these and you will see that some of the stuff that is on your list shows up on none of these light lists that you find.

And you will really benefit from having a digital scale and/or a computer program to manage your backpack equipment/weight lists. Should be able to get a nice 10 to 20 pound food scale for less than $25 or so. After you buy a scale, then you will find that you will want to have gotten one which weighs in grams. So, save yourself some money and get that on your first purchase. Walmart will do, and so will Target or Kmart.


I wish you good fortune in your weight loss program for your backpack.

[zarzak]

Wow, lots of replies!

Thank you all. :)

I know I haven't posted much but I've spent a lot of time on these forums and other sites over the past few months reading up on things. I've done a lot of camping but haven't backpacked in a while, so I guess despite everything I've read I still have a bit of a camper mentality. Working on it though. :)

Thanks again - now I have some things to take out, some things to think about, and some possible purchases.

[TAS]

Not being a wisearse but I see u only have 7 posts, so what I recomend is to READ, and read a lot, here you will gain great insight. Also check out www.backpackinglight.com (http://www.backpackinglight.com) they have some good info on lightening your load just take it all in and process. Good luck

The number of posts or lack there of, does not mean an abundance or lack of knowlegde?

Yes backpackinglight is one of the best web sites around and I knew that with only what 15 posts here?

Now could that be?

Perhaps

[Bags4266]

Well Tas it's like this. When someone posts there gear list and it includes a mallet and a tent lantern and then show's 7 posts it means he needs more research to fully see what others are bringing and what works and what doesn't.