beginning the gear purchase, need suggestions.

[Finn&Fionna]

So for Christmas I asked my parents for some hiking stuff so I can start getting my things together for my AT thru attempt in 2014. I would go this year but I am tied to the military. I warned them the gear I needed was very specific and I can't use regular camping gear or "handy toys" that they think would be neat, so they opted to get me a giftcard. I got a $250 giftcard for cabelas.com and wanted to get started checking things off my list. I also got a $50 card for backcountry.com from my mother and father in law. my wife and I will be taking the trip together and the cabelas card is meant for both of us. I don't have anything yet (packs, tent, bags, water filtration etc.) so any and all tips would be great. I wanna get a good amount of stuff checked off ASAP, but I also want to take care of the high ticket items like tents and packs. Also I was thinking it might be nice to get some things we can practice with on our day hikes in hawaii, just to get a feel. So if anyone wants to take a look at those websites or you have specific items in mind that are good on a budget, I would appreciate it. I saw the 1 tent which is the big agnes UL 3 person for like 450, and am wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get that one as it is about 3 pounds lighter than the next runner up. also the bags seem to run the gambit from $60 to $250 and its usually dependent on temperature rating. is 4lbs about the norm for a good mummy bag or should I look elsewhere for a lighter one? and the water filtration has me all sorts of confused. I was going to bring my regular camel back bladder to store large amounts of water in my pack and a filter bottle for easy drinking (a lot of people say just the 1 bottle refilled a few times a day is enough, but I drink tons of water). some of those contraptions on cabelas look all sorts of crazy and I can't find any that say 1 micrometer, just "99.9%" so im wondering if those standalone no-pump bottles are good enough.

as you can see I am very confused. any insight would be greatly appreciated!

oh also I am shooting for a total pack weight of 35lbs, and my wife is going for 25lbs. something like I'll be carrying the tent and bags and clothes and whatnot and shell carry the food, or something to that effect.

[Hosaphone]

It's great that you haven't purchased anything yet. Your post indicates that you have very little knowledge of backpacking. This is a good thing - you can learn it right the first time and save yourself tons of time, money and misery.

I think maybe the best thing you could possibly do would be to purchase Andrew Skurka's new book and read it cover to cover. It will give you a good overview of backpacking gear, techniques, and give you a good point to jump off from. It basically is an "intro to backpacking" that covers everything you need to know, written by one of the most highly respected "hiking gurus" around. I agree with pretty much everything I've ever heard him say, and I'm sure the book is a gold mine of information.

Information from forums tends to be hit or miss, and if you don't know much it can be hard to sort out the good info from the bad. You can trust that Skurka knows what he's talking about. What works best for YOU may be different than what works for him, but adopting his methods is a great place to start.

Here's a review of the book: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/book_review_andrew_skurka_ultimate_hiker_gear_guid e.html
You can buy it from his website: http://andrewskurka.com/shop/

Hiking gear can be expensive. $20 spent on a book could save you hundreds and hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the long run by helping you make better purchases the first time around.


I would strongly suggest that you not buy ANYTHING for at least a few months. Buy the book, read it, then do research and try to figure out what will work best for YOU.

Look at Skurka's gear lists (I believe there are a bunch of sample ones in the book, including what he would use were he to hike the AT again) or the lists of other successful hikers. Create a microsoft excel spreadsheet for your own gear list. Put in the items you think you want to buy, along with their weights. This can be a very useful exercise.

Your pack weight goals are a bit insane or possibly skewed by the fact that you're used to carrying around a 90lb pack for Uncle Sam. This will be different for everyone, but IMO the sweet spot to aim at for 3 season hiking is around 8-12 pounds base weight (ie all your gear not counting food and water).

[Hosaphone]

To answer some specific questions:


I saw the 1 tent which is the big agnes UL 3 person for like 450, and am wondering if I should just bite the bullet and get that one as it is about 3 pounds lighter than the next runner up

Big agnes makes some great tents and a lot of people love them. I feel pretty strongly that a tarp+bivy or bug bivy is the way to go on a trail like the AT - you get the versatility of being able to use both together or just the bivy as bug protection inside a shelter, and you also save a ton of weight AND money. However, going as a couple you may prefer to have something enclosed and a bit more private. Something to think about.


also the bags seem to run the gambit from $60 to $250 and its usually dependent on temperature rating.

Ohhhh, they get up a bit higher than that :o


is 4lbs about the norm for a good mummy bag or should I look elsewhere for a lighter one?

4 pounds is miserably heavy. I have a 20 degree bag that weighs 2 pounds, and then for summer I just use a blanket. Don't need a fancy quilt or anything for warm weather, but a decent cold weather bag will be a great asset. Keep an eye on the "selling used gear" forum for deals on reputable bags.


and the water filtration has me all sorts of confused. I was going to bring my regular camel back bladder to store large amounts of water in my pack and a filter bottle for easy drinking (a lot of people say just the 1 bottle refilled a few times a day is enough, but I drink tons of water). some of those contraptions on cabelas look all sorts of crazy and I can't find any that say 1 micrometer, just "99.9%" so im wondering if those standalone no-pump bottles are good enough.

Water is heavy. You want to carry as little as you can get away with - usually around 1L at a time.

My water setup is this: one 1L plastic powerade bottle, one 3L platypus bladder. Powerade bottle is replaceable and is what I drink out of. Bladder is useful for storing extra water if necessary.

IMO, the only real choices for water purification are: Aqua Mira, Sawyer Squeeze filter or an inline filter, Steripen. Each system has pros and cons. Do research and see which one appeals to you the most. Just be careful about weight if you look at filters, as most of them are waaaaaaay too heavy.

[bubonicplay]

Shoot for ultralight 10 pound baseweights the first time. It is very easy.

[Hosaphone]

Shoot for ultralight 10 pound baseweights the first time. It is very easy.

Easier and cheaper to start out light than it is to evolve towards it later. Interestingly, lightweight gear is cheaper in almost every category except for your down insulation (cold weather sleeping bag, jacket).

DIY cat food alcohol stove with a beer can pot will save you a pound and $100+ compared to a jetboil. 7x10 or 8x10 silnylon tarp combined with some sort of bug bivy/tent will get you a versatile ~1.5lb shelter for under $200ish. DriDucks will save you up to 2 pounds and hundreds of dollars compared to fancy raingear, and works just as well. Lightweight packs from ULA, Gossamer Gear, MLD, etc, are similar in price to those you find at REI.

[MuddyWaters]

Cabelas really may not carry much that will be of use. You dont need gizmos and gadgets.

You are not going camping, you are going long-distance hiking.

You actually need very few items, but the ones you do need should be reasonably lightwt and high quality.

Each person really needs to have their own pack, packed with all their own gear, water, and food. Never pack so that each doesnt have the basic survival gear needed. What if someone gets separated? It happens.

You can split the tent to share the wt, you can split fuel/stove/cook gear too, and share first aid and a few minor things. Thats really about it.

Food is actually one of the heavier things.

[MDSection12]

If it were me this would be my approach:

1. Sleeping bags; get good down bags. These will probably approach $200, even if you get a deal, but are worth every penny and will last you forever if properly cared for. A good bag is easily under two pounds.

2. Packs; lots of subjectivity here, but for something readily available I'd look at Osprey. I wouldn't consider a pack much over three pounds. Obviously comfort is first priority here. You will likely spend $200 a piece.

3. Tent; lots of options out there so it gets really subjective, but no matter what you choose you don't want to go over five pounds. Don't listen to the tarp/bivy guys here, because you are going as a couple and thus can split the weight and will enjoy the privacy.

Just those three should burn up your cards and probably more money than you wanted to spend... So get those out of the way, and don't cut corners. Then the rest of the stuff you need is a little more open for debate. Browse this forum in your spare time and believe me you'll have a shopping list in no time. ;)

[bigcranky]

Some ideas at Cabelas:

Combine their XPG Ultralight Wing 12, which is a 20 ounce tarp with a 12-foot diagonal (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Tents-Shelters/Backpacking-Expedition-Tents%7C/pc/104795280/c/104779080/sc/104303880/Cabelas-XPG8482-Ultralight-Wing/746426.uts), with the S2S 2-person bug tent (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Tents-Shelters/Backpacking-Expedition-Tents%7C/pc/104795280/c/104779080/sc/104303880/Sea-to-Summit-Mosquito-Shelters/715029.uts), which allegedly weighs 13 ounces. This gives you a ~2 pound, 2-person shelter that costs $115 and will provide excellent protection against rain and bugs. You'll need to learn the art of site selection, which is the most important thing about tarp camping. (Also, tarps are excellent shelters for keeping in contact with the natural world, which is what you came out to hike in for six months. In other words, you can *see* outside, watch the sunset and sunrise, cook breakfast and enjoy your coffee even in the rain, etc.)

None of those tents do anything for me at all.

The Kelty Cosmic sleeping bag (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Sleeping-Bags%7C/pc/104795280/c/104770080/Kelty-Cosmic-Down-Sleeping-Bag/1170845.uts) is a reasonable choice, and it's not expensive - you can get two. If you're starting before March 15, you might want something warmer for your wife if she sleeps cold (as many women do.) Definitely try to keep the weight below 3 pounds, or 2.5 if you can manage it. A very good 30-F bag should be sufficient (like a Western Mountaineering Megalite which runs over $300), or a "20-F" rated mid-level bag. (If you start in February, you're going to need some serious cold weather gear that will cost a ton of money.)

I would not buy packs at this point, but the Cabelas web site does have a reasonably good selection of name-brand backpacking packs. (I'll admit I was surprised. Not sure what you'll find in-store.) I'd wait to buy the packs until I had my other gear sorted out and purchased.

Understood on the military commitment. Can you get out next spring or summer for some weekend or maybe a week-long trip? That'll help immensely with getting your gear dialed in.

Good luck!

[Finn&Fionna]

I've looked at a lot of 2 person tent, and we considered the tarp option as well, but again I want to shoot for some semblance of comfort. when I found 2 person tents I liked that were lightweight, I looked for reviews on them and almost every one was too small for us. I'm a big guy (6'4 210lbs), my wife is about 5'8 and well want to keep much of our gear out of the wet (except food or smelly stuffs). For those reasons I decided to bite the bullet and carry the extra weight of a 3 person tent.

we're heading home early fall (pennsylvania) so we should be able to get some practice weekend/5 day hikes in. the packs are one of the bigger issues of contention. we're going to split everything evenly EVENTUALLY, but I want to slowly work up to having her carry as much as me. hopefully training takes care of that, but I also don't want her to hate life the first week and quit on me.

Also I know $300 is not enough for gear. I was hoping to buy a few items so I could say "hey my mom got you this for christmas and got me this!" instead of 1 $300 item. I've already looked at cooking systems, so not worried there. I'm going to make an alcohol stove out of soda cans.

I know there's tons of suggestions all over the forums, I was just wondering if anything was worthwhile on the cabelas or bigcountry sites. so thanks a few of you for checking it out, especially big cranky. most of my gear will be bought elsewhere, and I know I can shed tons of weight by bouncing around and looking at different places.

I like those kelty cosmics, I think thats actually the one my wife picked out when we were shopping around a few months ago. I think we'll start with those. Thanks again everyone for your opinions/advice!

[bubonicplay]

Do not get a mainstream tent, use the money for sleeping bags and headlamps etc.

With a tent look into cottage brands, this is your chance to save weight the easy way. Do it right the first time.

[turtle fast]

You can cherry pick from places like Cabelas for gear. For example, their hiking boots are pretty good and made by reputable gear manufactures for their in house brands. I have personally used a pair to hike half the AT. You just need to keep the weight in mind and that is where reading here on Whiteblaze will help. For tents, I would look first at the Lightheart gear Duo...its light, functional and would serve you well...secondly I would look at Tarptent, then thirdly, Six Moon Designs for 2 person tents. Good luck!

[Hosaphone]

I've looked at a lot of 2 person tent, and we considered the tarp option as well, but again I want to shoot for some semblance of comfort. when I found 2 person tents I liked that were lightweight, I looked for reviews on them and almost every one was too small for us. I'm a big guy (6'4 210lbs)

I find a tarp to be more comfortable than a tent. More space to move around in bad weather, easier to take a leak in the middle of the night, views, easier to find a spot to pitch it since it doesn't need as much clear ground space as a tent...

I'm also a big-ish guy at 6'3 with a 6'6 sleeping bag. I find that most tents are just not built for people of our size, which is another reason a tarp is great. No more head and feet bumping against the wall of the tent and knocking off condensation, etc.

Your mileage may vary, of course, and as a couple you may want some more privacy. Of course, a tarp can be pitched with 3 sides to the ground... But I digress :p

[RodentWhisperer]

My gosh, we're all armchair quarterbacks, aren't we? I think it's wrong to make specific gear recommendations at this point.

Here's my $0.02: I echo hosaphone's recommendation. Don't buy anything until you do some research. There are many great sources of information out there-- gear lists, especially.

I've never done an AT thru-hike, and probably never will have the time/support to do so. But I'm confident telling you it's a big deal. Learn all you can. You've a full year to get prepared, so there's no rush.