Gear Review, Ready for upcoming Thru [Archive]

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Josh Calhoun

07-30-2012, 14:39

throwing a list of my gear on here somaybe i can get some comments or some helpful advice. i am not trying to be a ultra light obsessive hiker. just comfy. my start date will be Feb the 16th 2013 NOBO

backpack - ULA Catalyst 75 ltr 4,600cu - 2lb 11oz
shoes - la sportivia trail runners - 12.37oz each
stove - pocket rocket - 5oz
cook set - gsi ketalist - 11.1oz
trk poles - Black Diamond trail shock - 10oz each
Slepping bag - marmont never summer 0 degree - 4lbs
Tent - Big agnes fly creek ul2 w/foot print - 2lb 7oz
socks- darn tough vermont socks mid cush mid height - 3 pair
rain gear - packa
jacket - patagonia nano puff pullover - 9.5oz
Gators - mountain hardwear nut shell high gators - 5oz - for poison oak porotection
bandana x 2 for cleaning cookwear and bathing
katahdyn base camp gravity filter
outdoor research dry ditty sacks pack of 3
32oz gatoraid bottle 2 each 1 24oz bottle backup - 1.8oz each
body glide - 2.5oz
wilderness body wash- 3.3oz
lighter - 1oz
88 Oz water fully supplied - 5.3lbs
Food fully supplied - 8lb

50' paracord
tooth brush with short handle
travel size tooth paste
small comb - i have long hair
cotton balls covered in vaseline in a medicen bottle
solio solar charger and 6 ingh cord
iphone
small finger nail clips
headlamp
loose pages of awol thru hiker guide, carrying about 2 states at a time.

Josh Calhoun

07-30-2012, 14:40

forgot smartwool midweight top and bottom

Tom Murphy

07-30-2012, 15:56

I like to bring a light wool cap and wool glove liners.

The bag is going to be more than you need once spring arrives.

leaftye

07-30-2012, 17:23

No sleeping pad?

silverscuba22

07-30-2012, 17:36

this past year i saw alot of people send their solar chargers home after a week or 2...

adamkrz

07-30-2012, 17:43

Pants and fuel for the pocketrocket

Maddog

07-30-2012, 18:28

Josh Calhoun

07-30-2012, 21:00

i knew i would forget a few things

Pants and fuel for the pocketrocket
no pants. smartwool bottoms is all i will use as of pants.

No sleeping pad?

yes i have a big agnes ins air core

this past year i saw alot of people send their solar chargers home after a week or 2...

if i end up not using it like i plan. i will send it home also. i will be taking many pictures and a few videos. i guess we will see when that time comes.

[QUOTE][The bag is going to be more than you need once spring arrives/QUOTE]

i have a marmont trestless 30 at the house waiting on warmer weather also

Double Wide

07-30-2012, 22:18

Maybe a titanium spork to eat with, and also some sort of small knife/micro multi-tool, and a couple of rubber bands for the hair.

Gillum

07-31-2012, 05:45

Duct tape, small first aid kit Vitamin I etc...)

daddytwosticks

07-31-2012, 07:15

Don't forget the air brakes to slow down those fast moving feet of yours! Have a great hike...wish I could do a thru...:)

Josh Calhoun

07-31-2012, 09:22

Don't forget the air brakes to slow down those fast moving feet of yours! Have a great hike...wish I could do a thru...:)

haha me and the GF are going out to the same section this weekend from fri to sun. come on out and stretch the legs daddytwosticks

Duct tape, small first aid kit Vitamin I etc...)

didnt think it was going to be so hard to remember everything on here.but then i remembered my memory is terrible.....:confused:. i have duct tape wrapped around my hiking poles. some Vit I but i suspect i will need more. a few bandaids, alcohol pads and a pair of micro tweezers in a ziplock.

Tom Murphy

07-31-2012, 09:35

no pants. smartwool bottoms is all i will use as of pants.

Have you done this a lot? does it work well?

I have worn my midweight wool bottoms under nylon shorts in the colder months but never by themsleves while hiking. I would be concerned about the material wearing out in the seat due to abrasion.

Old Hiker

07-31-2012, 09:43

[QUOTE=Josh Calhoun;1318664
i have a marmont trestless 30 at the house waiting on warmer weather also[/QUOTE]

I started out with a 0* bag - switched to the Trestle at Hot Springs, as the temps were 15-20* higher than normal. This one kept me warm from Hot Springs on to north of Damascus. Got down to about 25*, but with light thermal pants and a hat, I was fine.

Watch the mud puddles !!

Josh Calhoun

07-31-2012, 10:42

Have you done this a lot? does it work well?

I have worn my midweight wool bottoms under nylon shorts in the colder months but never by themsleves while hiking. I would be concerned about the material wearing out in the seat due to abrasion.

thats what i will be doing, when it is real cold i will use my base layers underneath my running shorts. i am not taking any zip off pants or anything.

I started out with a 0* bag - switched to the Trestle at Hot Springs, as the temps were 15-20* higher than normal. This one kept me warm from Hot Springs on to north of Damascus. Got down to about 25*, but with light thermal pants and a hat, I was fine.

i am hoping for a little more average weather this coming year. i take the cold very well. its the heat that i have a hard time dealing with. this years weather was very warm!

BrianLe

07-31-2012, 12:00

Wow, that's a lot of sleeping bag. With a late Feb start I used a 2 pound 20F rated bag, but wore a down parka and down booties inside; these did double duty for time spent at a shelter when not in the bag, and particularly the parka --- eating meals and such you can have your legs in the sleeping bag, but need some upper body mobility. With the nano puff pullover you might find on the colder mornings that you rush things a bit just to get moving. Maybe you won't have as cold a Feb/March as I did.

Tent: 2lb 7oz is quite a lot of tent for a person starting in mid-Feb --- because you should almost always have shelter space. I'd be inclined to a more minimal tent that will keep you alive if needed, but is mostly lightweight backup for sleeping in shelters every night.

Gaiters for Poison oak protection? You might want them for snow for the first weeks, but not against poison ivy.

Gravity filter: take care with this in the early days so it doesn't freeze. I went with chemicals, and one nice thing about that is not feeling like you need to wrap your filter in plastic and sleep with it.

Ditto comments above about solar charger and sleeping pad(s). Getting the right pad(s) is important to staying warm in Feb/March.

Headlamp: I didn't end up needing to walk in the dark, but not a lot of daylight in mid-Feb, so safer to start out with a somewhat heavier but brigher headlamp than I at least carry in summer months.

Consider an mp3 player; you could be lonely at times out there. Solar charger is likely heavier than just carrying a stand-alone MP3 player that takes a single AAA battery; I liked using one of those for music and audio books so I never felt in conflict between entertainment vs. the more important uses of my smartphone.

Consider getting something like Gaia GPS or the like on your iPhone, and cache maps for next stretches ahead during the snowy periods. The AT is normally dead easy to follow, but there were a couple of times in heavy snow when that wasn't so true.

Bring a pair of bread bags and maybe a spare pair so that you can put on dry socks and walk around in your wet shoes at night. They'll still be bitterly cold --- I used down booties with shells designed to walk around a bit --- but better than the alternatives if your shoes are your only footwear. Not too many nights/mornings of this, but FYI the breadbags can be useful. Good also as emergency VB socks.

The Packa should be a good choice. Have you anything to wear under it in colder times? Certainly not the nano puff pullover, but you might want something. I used a synthetic vest coupled with a wind shirt, and that was good in the coldest times.

Mittens. Beefy wool mittens. Consider dachsteins. Breadbags can make a cheap shell for those too, though they won't last.

I really liked having earbags to start out. It was quite windy in the early weeks.

Best wishes for a great trip.

Whack-a-mole

07-31-2012, 12:10

Josh- you will not need any base layers under your shorts when you walk. Last Feb I did Springer to Unicoi, and went thru a couple ice storms with a lot of wind in shorts and was just fine. First morning near Hawk Mtn shelter it was 13 degrees and breezy but the shorts were ok as long as I was moving. Where you need the long pants is when you stop, and in the evenings before bed time. I know this ain't your first rodeo, so you guys will do good. PS-got a new go lite quest and gave it a short shake down 3 miler at Reedy Creek Park. Did good so far...

Josh Calhoun

07-31-2012, 14:31

Gaiters for Poison oak protection? You might want them for snow for the first weeks, but not against poison ivy.

i am very allergic to poison oak and ivy, thats where i get my trail name rash from. its so bad to the point i have to go to the doctor bc i cannopt get rid of it. i am carrying steriods that the doctor gives me for them. but my experience with them is that they save my ass when the trail is overgrown. when i come to a water sorce after i usually wash them off also.

Wow, that's a lot of sleeping bag. With a late Feb start I used a 2 pound 20F rated bag, but wore a down parka and down booties inside; these did double duty for time spent at a shelter when not in the bag, and particularly the parka
i am not very fond of wearing my hiking clothes to bed. usually sleep naked or just in my running shorts. thats the reason for the heavier duty bag. but i am open to trying something lighter.

Tent: 2lb 7oz is quite a lot of tent for a person starting in mid-Feb --- because you should almost always have shelter space. I'd be inclined to a more minimal tent that will keep you alive if needed, but is mostly lightweight backup for sleeping in shelters every night.

this can be worked on. i had somebody that was supposed to come allong with my but there plans has changed. i could go with the smaller fly creek UL2. and plan on sleeping in shelters. but there is not much of a weight difference between the 2. and the extra room for the pack and stuff inside is nice. i guess this is something i need to think about.

Josh- you will not need any base layers under your shorts when you walk. Last Feb I did Springer to Unicoi, and went thru a couple ice storms with a lot of wind in shorts and was just fine. First morning near Hawk Mtn shelter it was 13 degrees and breezy but the shorts were ok as long as I was moving. Where you need the long pants is when you stop, and in the evenings before bed time. I know this ain't your first rodeo, so you guys will do good. PS-got a new go lite quest and gave it a short shake down 3 miler at Reedy Creek Park. Did good so far...

wackamole, did you ever find them useful after dark, maybe sitting around a fire? also glad you like your pack. ever do some walking at the white water center? there difficult bike trail is pretty good to walk on. im doing the section this weekend that we were at last time. goind to give the superfeet insoles a try and see how i like them.

jimmyjam

07-31-2012, 16:51

That's a huge pack, I think if you par down some of your other stuff you could get a smaller/lighter pack. Do you really need a 4lb sleeping bag? And the cook set is too much, all you need is a pot like the tian kettle or a Wally world or K-mart gease pot. 2oz of campsuds is plenty. Probably do not need 3 water bottles and a 88 oz bladder, I would drop one bottle. There are lighter shelter options out there too. How much does the katahdyn base camp filter weigh?-it sounds heavy. You can get the sawyer filter and use it with a evernew bladder.

o hiker guy

07-31-2012, 20:41

Hey Josh, PM me your mailing address and I will send you some of the fire starters that I make and you can get rid of the messy cotton balls

Montana AT05

07-31-2012, 22:01

backpack - ULA Catalyst 75 ltr 4,600cu - 2lb 11oz
shoes - la sportivia trail runners - 12.37oz each
stove - pocket rocket - 5oz
cook set - gsi ketalist - 11.1oz <-- one pot to cook and eat from, one spoon to eat with
trk poles - Black Diamond trail shock - 10oz each
Slepping bag - marmont never summer 0 degree - 4lbs <-- it'll be cold at your start date, but consider a lighter more compact bag with maybe a 20 degree rating and sleep in your Patagonia Puff+
Tent - Big agnes fly creek ul2 w/foot print - 2lb 7oz <-- love these tents
socks- darn tough vermont socks mid cush mid height - 3 pair
rain gear - packa
jacket - patagonia nano puff pullover - 9.5oz
Gators - mountain hardwear nut shell high gators - 5oz - for poison oak porotection
bandana x 2 for cleaning cookwear and bathing <-- bring 3! I always lose one
katahdyn base camp gravity filter
outdoor research dry ditty sacks pack of 3
32oz gatoraid bottle 2 each 1 24oz bottle backup - 1.8oz each
body glide - 2.5oz
wilderness body wash- 3.3oz <-- I dunno, just get dirty and clean up in towns
lighter - 1oz <-- bring two small ones
88 Oz water fully supplied - 5.3lbs
Food fully supplied - 8lb

50' paracord <-- too much, then again I never bear bag, too lazy and the bears are too smart. Just hang food from shelter hooks or rig it somewhere near where you camp; I mostly worry about mice or hippies.
tooth brush with short handle
travel size tooth paste
small comb - i have long hair <-- consider cutting it for your thru, though, based on your use of the word "comfy" in your opening post, you're female, so maybe you don't want to do that.
cotton balls covered in vaseline in a medicen bottle
solio solar charger and 6 ingh cord <-- consider getting an iphone case that doubles as a battery, I've not had luck with solar chargers on the AT. Maybe some people do <shrugs>
iphone
small finger nail clips
headlamp
loose pages of awol thru hiker guide, carrying about 2 states at a time.<---- I like keeping it in one piece, gives me something to peruse and motivation to get there, plus it's nice to look at after the thru is done.

**************
Don't forget chapstick and sunscreen for the face.
Bring wet wipes (and don't forget Toilet paper)
Some kind of tape that sticks even when wet or cold, I don't care for duct tape unless I am patching gear. For my skin (feet) I prefer Leukotape.

Josh Calhoun

08-01-2012, 07:59

one pot to cook and eat from, one spoon to eat with

this is true, there is no need for the extra cups. i believe i will look for another solution

consider cutting it for your thru, though, based on your use of the word "comfy" in your opening post, you're female, so maybe you don't want to do that.

actually i am a male but still do not want to cut my hair. whats superman without his cape? :)

it'll be cold at your start date, but consider a lighter more compact bag with maybe a 20 degree rating and sleep in your Patagonia Puff+

i dont prefere to sleep in clothes. i like to hang my hiking clothes in the shelter for them to dry or air out. i also do allot of dead winter camping.and if i have a warm night , opening the 0 bag up like a blanket works great i have a 30 degree bag at the house ready to ship when needed. i figured that would get me through most of the trail. and if i have a warm night , opening the 0 bag up like a blanket works great.

Josh Calhoun

08-01-2012, 07:59

thanks for all the helpful advice everybody, i will consider some changes and i have some new thoughts about gear. just what i was looking for. thanks again

BrianLe

08-01-2012, 08:30

In terms of tent options:

"i could go with the smaller fly creek UL2. and plan on sleeping in shelters. but there is not much of a weight difference between the 2. and the extra room for the pack and stuff inside is nice. i guess this is something i need to think about."

I was thinking of something more along the line of what my trail partner on the AT carried, the SMD Wild Oasis, at 13 oz. Add perhaps 1-1/2 oz for the needed 5 stakes, and a small amount yet more for a polycro floor.
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tarps/WildOasis.html

Whack-a-mole

08-01-2012, 10:27

Josh- I use a pair of REI windproof and water resistant fleece pants for the cold weather. They weigh 1-6, which is a little bit of weight, so they only go with me in the winter. In the morning I get out of my bag and slide into the pants (I sleep in my walking shorts), and my addidas flip flops. They are the super lightweight flip flops with the big wide strap and no toe thong so I can wear them with my thick socks. I do my morning stuff and pack up. When it is time to go, just slide out of the pants and flip flops, and into your boots, and hit the trail. I haven't been on the trails at the whitewater center. I hear they are real nice. I need to get over there on my bike, but I live near the university, and we have so many bike trails near here that I just haven't made it.