Gear List For Early March Section (Springer - Gatlinburg)

[Mushroom Mouse]

I will begin my first section in early 3/12 and would like to get my pack weight as low as possible. Being allergic to down, I am unable to go with the lighter, more compressible alternatives. The hike will be semi-supported, with my wife meeting me every 3 or 4 days. Here is my list (using Sgt. Rock's template)...any suggestions will be greatly appreciated:

Pack Group:


Backpack (ULA Circuit)………………………………37.7 oz.
Trash bag for liner…………………………………….1.6 oz.
2 cuben stuff sacks………………………………………0.5 oz. Total39.8 oz.

Shelter Group:
Hammock (Warbonnet Blackbird)………………29.2 oz.
10 Titanium stakes w/bag……………………………2.1 oz
Cuben Fiber tarp……………………………………………8.0 oz. Total 39.3 oz.
Sleeping Group:


Synthetic bag (Mtn Hardwear 0° )…………...53.0 oz.
1 Mtn Hardwear compression sack……………..2.5 oz.
Jarbridge Underquilt……………………………………20.0 oz. Total 75.5 oz.
Kitchen Group:

Esbit Stove, windscreen, cup & Spork………11.7 oz.
Water filter w/ Micropur tablet back-up……12.8 oz.
Two 1- liter Aquafina Water Bottles………….2.6 oz
2.5 - liter sack for food………………..............1.7 oz.
40’ of Dyneema cord for bear hang…………….0.5oz.
Rock sack for bear hang……………………………….0.4 oz. Total 29.7 oz.

Hygiene Group:

Hygiene Ziploc w/ pills, toothbrush & razor.2.9 oz.
Partial roll of TP…………………………………………….0.9 oz.
Hand Sanitizer………………………………………………0.6 oz.
Suntan Lotion……………………………………………….2.4 oz.
Glasses for reading………………………………………0.7 oz.
Ear plugs……………………………………………………….1.1 oz. Total 8.6 oz.

Navigation Group:
1 map…………………………………………………………….1.7 oz.
1 compass…………………………………………………….0.5 oz.
AT guide (applicable pages in Ziploc)……….0.2 oz
Headlamp………………………………………………………2.8 oz.
Small flashlight…………………………………………….0.8 oz. Total 6.0 oz.
Repair/First Aid Group:

First Aid Kit……………………………...................4.8 oz.
Spare lithium batteries (AA & AAA)……………1.9 oz.
Emergency fire starter kit……………………………1.6 oz.
ACR Personal Locator Beacon…………………….5.0 oz.
Small Chamois……………………………………………..1.6 oz. Total 14.9 oz.

Rain Gear:

Paka……………………………………………………………..12.0 oz
Rain pants………………………………………………………9.8 oz. Total 21.8 oz.

Luxury Items:

Camera (Nikon L22 P&S)………………………………5.9 oz.
Mini tripod…………………………………………..........1.7 oz.
CCF pad section (18”x25”)…………………………..4.0 oz.
Cell phone………………………………………………………5.9 oz.
Alarm clock…………………………………………………….2.7 oz.
Hearing Aid w/container……………………………….1.1 oz. Total 21.3 oz.

Clothing – In Pack:

1 pair insulated pants………………………………..17.4 oz.
2 pair heavy wool socks……………………………….8.8 oz.
2 pair GorTex sock liner……………………………….7.0 oz.
Fleece vest………………………………………..........10.1 oz.
1 pair Capilene 3 base layer………………………15.0 oz.
1 pair camp shoes…………………………………………5.0 oz
1 cuben large stuff sack………………………………0.4 oz. Total 63.7 oz.

Total Dry Weight 320.6 oz.
(20.03 #)

Consumables:

Fuel for stove (8 gel packets)………………………12.80 oz.
Water (64 oz.)……………………………………………....66.56 oz.
Food (3 days @ 16.0 oz. per day)…………………48.00 oz. Tot. 127.36 oz.

Total Pack Weight 447.96 oz.
(27.99 #)

[mirabela]

I didn't go through your whole list, but off the top of my head I'd say you're overdoing it on the sleep gear. Unless you're a really cold sleeper, there's little need for a 0 degree bag, let alone with another 20 oz. underlayer. A 20F bag should be all you need, and if you're willing to spend for it you can come in way under 3# for that. If you hit an unusually cold snap, just layer up and bring a couple of hot water bottles to bed.

[mirabela]

I'd add to that -- I'd skip the 17 ounce insulated pants and the fleece vest, and instead pick up a lightweight synth puffy top, nanopuff/thermawrap type of thing. Should run 10 ounces more or less. You'll save a pound or more here.

[Mushroom Mouse]

Thanks, Mirabela. I am a cold sleeper and have heard several stories from GA/NC natives about the potential nighttime low temps on the ridges during March.

[Snowleopard]

You'll need more food than 16 oz per day, probably double that or more. Most of the time you can carry less than 64 oz of water.

I'd add a synthetic puffy jacket, warm hat and wool mittens; keep the insulated pants and fleece vest until you're sure you'll be warm enough. BUT, I'm not as familiar with temps in the south as some others. As soon as the temps are warm enough, drop the insulated pants, and get a lighter quilt in place of the sleeping bag.

If your bear bagging dyneema rope is too thin it will slice into the tree branches and damage the tree; check this at home.

Why do you need two pair of Goretex socks?

[Hosaphone]

Water filter w/ Micropur tablet back-up……12.8 oz.

AquaMira drops are ~3oz.


Rock sack for bear hang……………………………….0.4 oz

Have you got a mini carabiner? Are you going to use PCT method or tie-string-to-tree method?



Headlamp………………………………………………………2.8 oz.
Small flashlight…………………………………………….0.8 oz.

Why do you need both?



Spare lithium batteries (AA & AAA)……………1.9 oz.

I would say just bring spare batteries for the camera. I assume some of these are also for the headlamp/flashlight? You probably won't end up using those all that much anyways, and their batteries die slowly so you can tell when you're getting low. It's not like they die all of a sudden and you're screwed.



ACR Personal Locator Beacon…………………….5.0 oz.

This might be a personal thing so you do what you gotta do, but 5oz isn't anything to sneeze at. I guess since you'll be meeting up with your wife so often it could come in handy when you can't get cell phone reception.


1 pair insulated pants………………………………..17.4 oz.

Probably overkill considering you're bringing the 0F bag. I'd pick up some mid-weight long underwear instead (8-10oz).

[Hosaphone]

Also you might be miserable if you don't bring a hat and mittens or gloves. I'm a HUGE fan of my MLD event rain mitts (http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=51)... wind/waterproof, ~1oz. Great for cold and wet weather if you're a hiking pole user and can't put hands in your pockets. These are one of my favorite pieces of gear, along with my rain hat.

Make sure you do some winter shakedown hikes to see if the 10oz fleece vest plus cap 3 longsleeve is enough insulation for you, but of course whenever it's REALLY cold you'll be in your 0F bag anyways.

[Mushroom Mouse]

Why do you need two pair of Goretex socks?

I had planned on taking three pairs of liners/socks...2 for hiking and 1 for camp. Is that too many?

[Mushroom Mouse]

Thanks, Hosaphone. Will probably go with the Micropur tablets and leave the filter at home. Is the time required for the tablets to work increased by the cold weather?

I do plan on using the PCT method.

The small flashlight (1 AAA) was just a back-up for the headlamp...I will leave it behind also.

I'm an old guy and carrying a PLB is the only way that my wife will agree to let me do the trail solo (something about getting lost and attacked by wild animals).

If I drop the insulated pants, do you think that I will be warm enough at night in a hammock?

[grayfox]

Your list looks good and the feedback so far has been good. With your support team you should do fine.

You will need more food-have your wife bring you a warm picnic lunch-but should not need to carry more than a liter in your pack during the day. Of course, there are always exceptions and you might need to carry more at times. I would suggest a platy that you can tuck inside your jacket or in the pack next to your body, it is nice to have water that isn't almost freezing to drink.

Just wondering why you need to start so early in the season-lots of good reasons to do so-but it will be cold and can freeze and snow. Why not start a bit later and enjoy warmer weather. As I get older the cold is harder to take, but you may be ok with it, do add a warm hat and gloves and plan to use them sleeping along with long underwear.

Hope you have a great hike, grayfox

[mirabela]

For what it's worth, I started my NOBO thru-hike March 10 (1991); in regard to shelter, sleeping and clothes, here are my total lists (I didn't weigh most of them):

3/4 length/ultralight thermarest
+20F synthetic sleeping bag (a bit over 3.5#)

Sierra Designs clip flashlight tent (3#12oz, if I remember)
3 mil poly ground sheet

extra pair, wool/poly hiking socks (didn't carry liners at the time, but doing it over, I would)
mid-weight poly long underwear
mid-weight capilene top
mid-weight fleece top
thick wool hat
mid-weight wool gloves
goretex pants (full zip)
hooded shell jacket (very breathable, water resistant, w/ a fuzzy liner -- a measure of extra insulation)

Aside from the socks, shorts and poly t-shirt I hike in, that was it. I never became dangerously cold. There were many nights that dipped near freezing and a handful below; I got two days of snow in the Smokies. I sat one of those days out, since some of my stuff was already very wet from the previous day of rain. I think it was worth it to not carry a heavy load of stuff I'd only have used once or twice in a month. These days, I sub synthetic puffy for the fleece; it's lighter & compresses better.

I live in northern Vermont, and the primaloft pants don't go into my backpack except on overnights between November and early April when I can reliably expect temps below 20 every night, and well below zero pretty often. You'll never once hike in the things, and it's a lot to carry for a thing that's only for sitting around in when you could just as well huddle up in your sleeping bag.

As for water -- forget the filter & forget aquamira. Just get a dropper bottle and regular drugstore tincture of iodine. Four drops per quart, shake, wait half an hour and you're good. I've done this for 25 years and never gotten sick except for when I didn't!

[Slo-go'en]

Springer to New Found gap shouldn't be too bad in early March - It can get chilly and stormy, but any snow and ice would likely only be found on that last streach in the Smokies, where your up much higher. The real problem are those hypothermic 35-40 degree rain storms which last a few days. I always wait until April to start hiking down there and even in April the weather can be pretty marginal.

My impression is not enough clothes. You need two sets - one to hike in which can get wet and a dry set for camp. See mirabela above. With a good set of thermal tops and bottoms, its is unlikely you'll need the insulated pants.

I'm not sure how well the paka works as a shell when not on the pack. You might want to add a light nylon wind breaker with water resistant coating. This over your fleece jacket will keep you a lot warmer.

I don't see a sleeping pad on the list. You might spend more time in shelters than you now think if it's not too crowded and the weather is bad.

[Slo-go'en]

Oh, water treatment - personally, I didn't treat/filter water once in GA or NC. Lots of good springs down there, many right on the side of the trail flowing that time of year. But then, the water I drink here at home comes right out of a stream in the woods, up behind the cottage.

[Hosaphone]

I had planned on taking three pairs of liners/socks...2 for hiking and 1 for camp. Is that too many?

Nobody seems to have addressed this yet. 3 pairs of socks/liners is pretty standard - a lot of people recommend 2 but I like bringing 3 (1 to wear, 1 for sleeping, 1 to clean/dry/whatever). Regular synthetic liners are awesome and they help me tremendously in avoiding blisters. Goretex socks, however, are kind of a different beast... Are you planning to hike in them every day, rain or shine?

Personally I bring my 3 pairs of socks, 2 liners (I used to bring 3 pairs of liners but then I lost 1 pair, and realized I actually only needed 2 anyways because I don't sleep with the liners on...), and 1 pair of goretex socks. The goretex is, imo, really only for keeping your feet warm when hiking in slush and stuff like that. If you try to use them in warm weather you'll quickly learn that your feet just get wet anyways from sweat. At least in my experience, if the temps are above freezing and you aren't walking through slush or wet snow, you'll be more comfortable just letting your feet get wet - at least your feet can breathe better. Your mileage may vary of course, but I find that I don't use the goretex very often. Also I highly recommend some sort of sock liner with the goretex as even in cold temps your feet will get damp from transpiration and the liners will help with that. Just my experience with them - I gather that most people poo poo waterproof socks altogether.



The small flashlight (1 AAA) was just a back-up for the headlamp...I will leave it behind also.

Some people might say that you should leave the headlamp behind and take the small flashlight :p Unless you plan to do a lot of night hiking (ie, doing a SOBO where the days are shorter), you might find that you barely even need the headlamp. Of course since you'll be seeing your wife so often it will be easy to swap these things out once you get going.


If I drop the insulated pants, do you think that I will be warm enough at night in a hammock?

I don't really know much about hammocking, but with a 20oz underquilt and a 0F bag I would think you should be so warm that you don't even need the long underwear, much less some 17oz pants! But it's hard to say, and easy enough to just swap out the pants later if you find you don't need them.