Hiking the Smokies, help with my check list.

[jkoerner]

Hey guys and girls, I've been reading this site for a little over a month now and its great!! So I am hiking the AT thru the Smokies the second week of August. I am starting at Fontana Dam and ending at Davenport Gap. I am thinking that I will spend five nights on te trail. This is my frist over night hike and I would love to have you'll look over my check list and give me feed back. Thanks for your time and comments!!!!



Appalachian TrailCheck List:

Clothing:

Ø Hiking Boots/Shoes.

Ø Socks (3pairs). Wool?

Ø Hat/Sun Glasses.

Ø Pants (1).

Ø Poncho/Rain Jacket.

Ø Long-sleeve Shirt (1).

Ø Short-sleeve Shirt (2).

Ø Shorts (2).

Ø Underwear (2).

Ø Small Towel.



Sleeping:



Ø Light Weight Sleeping Bag.

Ø Medium Size Air Pad.

Ø Bug Net.

Kitchen:

Ø Single Burner.

Ø Two Tanks of Fuel.

Ø Water Filtration Drops/Water Filter.

Ø Platypus Water Storage.

Ø Camping Pot/Pan.

Ø One Set of Flatware.

Ø Water Bottle.

Ø Scrub Pad/Biodegradable Soap.

Ø Nylon Food Bag.



Gear:



Ø Flashlight/Head Lamp.

Ø Backpack.

Ø First Aid kit.

Ø Knife.

Ø Rope (25 feet?).

Ø Map.

Ø Compass.

Ø Trash Bags.

Ø Sunscreen.

Ø Toilet Paper.

Ø Extra Batteries.

Ø Fire Starter/Water Proof Matches.

Ø Hand Sanitizer.

Ø Watch.

[ScottP]

Not saying that I'm the smarterst hiker, but here's my input.
Ø Hiking Boots/Shoes.

I hike in whatever I'd run on a road in. You'll hear a lot of differing opinions.Ø Socks (3pairs). Wool?
Running socks. It's August.Ø Hat/Sun Glasses.Ø Pants (1).
running shorts instead, IMO. or convertibles if you're set on pants.Ø Poncho/Rain Jacket.
Again, it's august. I wouldn't bother with any raingear. Maybe one of those 99 cent gas station emergency ponchos if something wild happensØ Long-sleeve Shirt (1).
Not needed. August.Ø Short-sleeve Shirt (2).
1 is enough. Make sure it's 100% synthetic (silk and wool are OK too, I guess)Ø Shorts (2).
1 is enoughØ Underwear (2).
Don't need underwear. It just gets super gross.Ø Small Towel.
These things just become bacteria colonies. Leave it at homeSleeping:Ø Light Weight Sleeping Bag.Ø Medium Size Air Pad.Ø Bug Net.
Usually by late summer bugs aren't really an issue. Maybe a small headnet just in case, but you don't need the 'I'm living in the tropics and don't want malaria' net.Kitchen:Ø Single Burner.
I'd do a homemade alcohol stove. Google 'supercat stove'Ø Two Tanks of Fuel.
see aboveØ Water Filtration Drops/Water Filter.
Smokies are a place you probably want to treat. Tourists are idiots and poop everywhere. filters are heavy and annoying to deal with, and aqua mira doesn't actually kill lots of things that make you sick. Use a steripen, iodine, or bleach IMO.Ø Platypus Water Storage.Ø Camping Pot/Pan.
Just a pot. Unless you want to like, make seafood stuffed crepes or something.Ø One Set of Flatware.
don't need a knife and fork, just a spoon.Ø Water Bottle.
Gatorade bottles are good for hiking. Nalgenes are for rock climbers.Ø Scrub Pad/Biodegradable Soap.
not needed. Even biodegradable soap is really, really bad for streams and local vegetation. scrub pad is fineØ Nylon Food Bag.
sure. although a plastic bag or 2 from the grocery store works just as well if you hang your whole pack on the bear cables (which is a good idea, since it will keep the mice from gnawing on your pack at night)Gear:Ø Flashlight/Head Lamp.
just a light headlamp is good. flashlights aren't super useful.Ø Backpack.Ø First Aid kit.
make sure it's reasonable and to your level of expertise. Unless you're like, a nurse or something, you probably aren't going to be splinting broken bones or giving stitches. Ø Knife.
probablly don't need a knife/multitool. Unless you want to try fighting a bear or fixing a sink, idk.Ø Rope (25 feet?).
there's bear boxes/cables at every campsite or shelter in the smokies. Unless you want to try to lasoo and tame a thru-hiker, you probaby don't need rope.Ø Map.
sure. The little brochure from the visitor center is plenty for function. If you want to use the trip as practice for reading/using topos the smokies are a good place with a lot of identifiable features.Ø Compass.
see above. Won't be useful, but might be fun practice.Ø Trash Bags.
1 is fine to keep the contents of your pack dry. Maybe 1 more on the inside of your sleeping bag stuff sack to make sure it stays dry 99.9999%Ø Sunscreen.
The active ingredient in lots of sunscreens changes into a carcinogen under UV radiation (aka, sunlight makes sunscreen cause cancer). Talk about irony. Do some googling and make sure whatever sunblock you have isn't going to give you skin cancer.Ø Toilet Paper.
Leaves work just as well. Just don't use poison ivy.Ø Extra Batteries.Ø Fire Starter/Water Proof Matches.
Bic lighter from gas station. Maybe like a few matches just in case but not really needed.Ø Hand Sanitizer.Ø Watch.

Have fun :)

[LoneRidgeRunner]

I'm going to leave your gear list alone but I would like to say that if this is your first overnight hike, and I noticed you're in Florida, which could mean you may not have did much mountain hiking, that 5 days (even though people have did that trip in 5 days and I know a girl who just did it in 4 days), could be a tough trip. I also notice you're 25 years old so that's in your favor though. I met a guy in the Smokies once who had planned 4 days for the trip but he had only made it to Clingman's Dome in that time. I'm not saying you can't do it, but you may want to consider carrying a day or 2 extra food just in case. Or you could resupply about half way through at Newfound Gap by hitching into Gatlinburg if it doesn't work out for you. It may also be formidably hot in August, even at the higher elevations during the day. Best of luck to you and enjoy your hike...

[jkoerner]

This is exactly what I wanted, Thanks Scott! Leaves, your pretty hardcore.

[jkoerner]

And Ridge Runner I know that going up and down is gonna be ruff but earlier in the year I did some pretty long day hikes in the mountains and am pretty confident that I'll be able to stick to schedule, however I am planning on bring an extra day of food. I know its gonna be hot but I am starting school the end of Aug and I figure being from FL hiking in the summer will be better than going on my winter break. Do you think I'll have any trouble finding enough water along the trail?

[LoneRidgeRunner]

And Ridge Runner I know that going up and down is gonna be ruff but earlier in the year I did some pretty long day hikes in the mountains and am pretty confident that I'll be able to stick to schedule, however I am planning on bring an extra day of food. I know its gonna be hot but I am starting school the end of Aug and I figure being from FL hiking in the summer will be better than going on my winter break. Do you think I'll have any trouble finding enough water along the trail?

Sounds like you have done some mountain hiking then....I think you'll be fine given your positive attitude and it's a good idea that you are planning to bring an extra day of food just in case. As far as water goes, most of the shelters on the AT in the Smokies have a water source nearby. In that heat though it's a good idea to drink plenty of water at every source you come to and refill your containers. You can always ask other hikers you meet coming from the direction you're heading in about the condition of the water source ahead. Water is the one thing you need plenty of. (about the "leaves" thing) to each his own but I DO prefer TP..It's not really that heavy to carry. By all means though do NOT use a pine cone...LOL...A few of the water sources are listed as "somewhat reliable" in the guide book. I think Double Spring Gap Shelter is one of those. Those especially are the water sources you should try to get info on from other hikers if you plan to stay at one of those places. If they say it's dried up just plan to carry enough from the previous source to get you past there. I agree that living in Florida you probably wouldn't want to jump on the Smokies in the dead of winter when temps can possibly dip to 10 or 20 below 0 at night in the higher elevations and even have to wade waist deep snow. Have a great time.

[Farr Away]

August in the Smokies or not, I'd still bring a fleece. It cools off at night - sometimes a lot.

Trash bags - I'd recommend 2 heavy duty ones: 1 to line your pack, and 1 to put your pack in when you hang it from the bear cables. The Smokies are a temperate rain forest; they get a lot of rain; plan for it.

No tent, tarp, or hammock? Might want to rethink that - at least a tarp you can throw up to keep your sleeping area semi-dry. If your sleeping bag is down, you may want a tent or hammock to try to keep it dry.

-FA

[Buffalo Skipper]

I am headed up to Big Creek with the boy scout troop in a week. This sits at just over 1700' elevation (one of the lowest campgrounds in the park). Last night the temp was 49°. Every night for the next 10 is predicted to be below 58°. Higher elevations will be cooler. +1 on the fleece.

[jkoerner]

Farr Away, I've been told that you can't tent camp in the smokies so I was planning on staying in shelters every night, thus no tent or tarp. I have been wondering about how much rain I'm going to see while on the trail.

[Farr Away]

Sorry, I forgot you'd most likely be staying in the shelters. I would still have a tarp with you in case you show up at a shelter and find it's full. Yes, I know you have to get reservations; full shelters still happen.

You can tent camp - just not at the shelters, unless they're full.

In my experience, over half the trips I've taken in the Smokies have had at least some rain. Maybe not a lot, but at least some. A mid-afternoon rain shower is a very common thing. The average annual rainfall ranges from 55 to 85 inches, or to put it another way- from 4 1/2 to 7 FEET. And that's the average. We seem to be having a wet year this year. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/index.htm

-FA

[Beachcomber]

You can tent camp - just not at the shelters, unless they're full.



Tent camping is allowed in GSMNP only at designated sites, only one of which is on the AT. (And that's just three hours out from Fontana, so not relevant to your itinerary.) A young, strong guy ought to be able to do the whole length of the park in 5 days. As a card-carrying old fart, I did it in 6. A few observations on the gear list: recommend shorts instead of long pants, which will just get in your way. If you take precautions to keep your sleeping bag and long-sleeve shirt dry, you shouldn't need a fleece or other garment to keep warm at night; on a very rainy week in June, I was plenty cozy nights with a light sweater and down quilt. Dunno what kind of stove fuel you're talking about; the ultra-lighters will disapprove, but I cooked pretty extravagantly for nearly a week on less than the internal capacity of my industrial-strength Coleman Peak white-gas burner. I found that a light, cheap poncho was helpful mostly to keep rain off my pack, and to let me keep my camera dry (but handy) in a shirt pocket. The poncho was also a way to, occasionally, hunker down in the worst downpours without getting chilled. (You stop moving, you stop generating heat.)

My experience tells me that simple, light raingear (poncho) was the most important factor in having a pleasant hike on a very rainy week. It was loose enough that I didn't overheat when moving; it helped keep me warm when wet and not moving; most important, it helped keep the pack dry without the need for a pricey pack cover.

Unless your eyes are sensitive, or you just have to have that Joe Cool thing going on, the sunglasses may be optional. In the Smokies you'll be under the tree canopy 95% of the time. Same thing with sunscreen: You might need some if you're extra sensitive, but many days between clouds and forest shade it'll just sit in your pack.

I'll agree with other comments about:
1) bug net: even in high summer, not enough bad bugs in the mountains to need it. I never cracked open my little bottle of repellent.
2) towel: It'll get wet immediately and may not dry out all week. A bandanna or two will serve the same purpose and be easier to manage.
3) underwear: skip 'em. You'll be cooler, more comfortable and less stinky without them.
4) one pair of shorts to hike in, a second pair as a dry back-up for in camp should be more than enough.

[DavidNH]

Not sure if you are aware of this.. but the first day of your hike up from Fontana Dam is going to be a hard one. you will gain almost 4000 feet in elevation and much of the trail is steep. Plus your pack will be at its heaviest (5+day food supply). If this is your first overnight hike as you say, then you aren't used to carrying a full pack. My suggestion would be to 1) shorten trip to 2-3 days (end at Newfound Gap or at top of Clingman's Dome) or at least have a bail out point. The Smokies are notorious for rain. If the weather goes down hill that can sap one's spirit and you really want a bailout point.

Would you be going with a partner?

[Bear Cables]

For what it's worth...I find that one pair of shorts for a summer hike is sufficient. It they get wet, they will dry out quickly enough. I carry a rain jacket and rain pants. The pants can double as a second pair of pants of o need it. One short sleeve shirt is all you need.i too bring one long sleeve silk wool blend short.Do not hike the Smokies without rain gear. Instead of towel get a car shaky and cut it in half. No need for rope or bug net. But if you do plan on hanging a bear bag another time you need 50 ft. Use the cables in the smokes.

[Bama Jack & Sadie]

I am doing the same section first week in September, Please post a report when you get back. If this is your first overnight hike, I am an old Florida boy (originally) and my sister (FLA girl) joined me last year for a 'section' hike in that area. She had a BIG problem as her training was a full pack on the beach sand and going repeatedly over the causeway bridge and she was not conditioned and we cut our trip short. If you can spare a weekend before your trip, do a shakedown hike at least overnight, maybe in North Ga doing a pice of the AT there. You may get a better feel for the terrain and how much extra stuff you have in your pack. Good luck! And in that area, always plan on rain.

[rjjones]

I'd like to second what Bamma Jack said.If this is your "first" overnighter,you may want to do an overnighter closer to home.It will give you an idea of some of the items you will need with you,and what you may have forgoten.Also,it will give you a feel for what order to do things that best fits you.IE:setup,cooking,when to roll the bag out,ect..Good luck and have fun.BJ

[booney_1]

hike in one synthetic shirt-it will get soaked with sweat
have one long sleeve synthetic camp shirt.

bring light rain jacket or poncho...if you get cold it also doubles as a jacket.(one reason jacket is better than poncho). It can (and probably will rain in the afternoon)

ditch the long pants-one pair of shorts that you are wearing is enough.
I'd wear one pair of good synthetic underwear...and bring another pair to sleep in.

(good synthetic underwear can easily be rinsed out and dried in camp...something like ex-officio boxers)

I would bring three pair of socks- change out at lunch (bring safety pins or something to hang the wet ones outside your pack to dry during the afternoon. I find that backpacking in NC in the summer...you sweat. Even if you don't end up hiking in the rain, it's a chore to keep your socks dry. I would not skimp on socks. Wet socks--->blisters

The mountains are cooler than the piedmont, but it is still hot.

Have a great hike...

[wornoutboots]

I hiked 30 miles last weekend thru the Smokies & I hiked in one pair of swim trunks that have a mess liner. It was picture perfect! I swam at 3 cascades & the shorts dried right out. I only carried a fleece Summer bag, a pair of omni wool longjohns, a Patagonia Fleece 1 pair of Long thick sleeping wool socks, two pairs of ankle wicking socks, a sock hat and a light weight rain jacket. I camped at lower evelvation the 1st 2 nights, the 1st night I slept with the rain fly off & the fleece bag draped over me, the 2nd night as I gained elevation, I slept with the rain fly off, inside my fleece bag & had to put socks on in the middle of the night, the 3rd night in LeConte Shelter (@6500') I slept with everything on except the rain jacket inside my bag. I was never cold but perfectly comfortable. I do agree that when I 1st read this that 5 days isn't much to cover this area. The heat was tough last weekend on the climbs so I played in every deep water source I came to. I didnt have any rain but that will also mentally drain you so I suggest you at least take note of a few bail out points to get you off the mountain if needed, the Nat Geo map doesn't weigh much. Happy Hiking!!

[q-tip]

I might suggest you buy a postal scale. It will help greatly in your ultimate gear decisions. also, hiking in the Smokes is difficult getting in, with some up and downs in the middle. Take some time to get fit, it will make the hike much more enjoyable.

[lissersmith]

If this is your first overnighter, you picked a doozy! Be sure you realize the elevation gain you face hiking up from Fontana Lake. Also, check the GSMNP website for water availability at the shelters. Some of the springs were dry recently. This is a tough trip.

[Llama Legs]

You'll have a far easier hike if you start at Clingman's Dome and hike down in either direction. IMHO