Neel's Gap to Standing Indian

[Moogie]

Good evening Whiteblaze,
First I wanted to say thank you to all the members that spend time to answer people's questions. I visit this forum almost daily, but still do not know enough about hiking to contribute.

Now, to get to my question that I hope some people will chime in on.

I am doing a section hike from Neel's Gap to Standing Indian starting next Saturday, May 25th. I have the AT maps from the conservatory, and I have AWOL's guide of this section, so I think I am good that way. Can you please take a look at my gear list and give suggestions? I am not looking for "replace the sleeping pad with another and you can reduce 4 oz." kind of advice, I am more than likely not switching out my base gear this year. What I am looking for is "why are you bringing that" or "why aren't you bringing that" type comments. My pack weighs 26 pounds with gear and a full water bladder. I am assuming a 40 lb pack when i leave, getting lighter by two pounds a day after i eat food. Because of the comments I am hoping to get, I am not going to list the brand name of my gear, or the weight.

Gear:
Backpack
Backpack liner - compactor bag
sleeping pad - full length
sleeping bag
tent
white gas stove w/canister
titanium pot
spork
collapsible 2 gallon water container
compas
maps/guide
extra shirt
extra shorts w/ zip off legs
2 extra pairs of socks
camp shoes
rain poncho
water bladder
extra nalgene bottle for camp
knife
rope for if i have to hang the food.
basic first aid kit
-aleve
-hand sanitizer
-bandaids
-gauze
-neosporin
-pepto tabs
-bandana
toilet paper
trowel
hygiene stuff

I will be wearing hiking shoes, socks, a second pair of the shorts i have in the pack and a short sleeve t-shirt. i guess i am specifically wondering about long sleeve shirts/fleece. I see that the temp's as far ahead as i can see for that section are averaging 55/81. and also verifying what i have read on this site that I do not need to filter water in GA/NC.

Thank you all once again for the input.

[fredmugs]

You absolutely do not need a compass. Never. I would ditch the trowel. Personally I would not bring a 2 gallon container AND a bladder but that's up to your needs I guess.

I didn't see a headlamp. It will be colder than any weather forecast you get for a nearby city.

[glaux]

The trowel is not needed-- the ground is soft enough to dig the proper hole with a stick.

The compass is only necessary if you are absolutely bass-ackwards like me, when it comes to directions. I step off the trail for a moment (perhaps a bathroom break), and when I come back to it, I have no idea which way I was going. (Or worse, I think I have an idea, but I don't.) I *only* use the compass when I need to confirm that I have, indeed, seen that tree before, as I've just gone the wrong way for the last mile.

Otherwise, the trail is really well marked, and anyone with common sense will know to keep going the way they haven't been coming from.
(I carry a small compass.)

[glaux]

Also, you need duct tape (just a bit, not a whole roll). It's excellent for blisters, and a million other things. And if you have duct tape, you don't need bandaids.

I would photocopy the pages from the guide that you need, and just bring those. You don't need the whole book. And I would probably just go with one pair of pants/zip-off shorts (the pair I'm wearing). If they tear, I have duct tape. I also don't bother with an extra shirt, but I would have something warm. Expect some cold weather at night.

And instead of the knife, I just have a razor blade. Knives are cool, of course, but I like to keep the weight down. If you like whittling, though, then keep it. (I'm cautious about weight, but I do bring a small paperback, because I really, really like reading.)

[Train Wreck]

Are you going to bring a ground sheet for the tent?
I would bring a light fleece top. Even in the summer, it can be a little chilly in the evening/early morning, especially if it's a little damp.
Trowel and additional water container - I agree they're not really needed.
Enjoy your hike! You'll maybe get to see some flame azalea in bloom.

[Meriadoc]

Hello Moogie,

Collapsible 2 gallon water container - This is overkill. I imagine it's for camp so that you don't have to get water in the morning. Still, it's overkill.
Compass - On the whole AT I used my compass twice, each time to find out where the sun would rise. But I consider it an indispensable piece of emergency equipment.
maps/guide - Consider bringing only one of these.
extra shirt - Why?
extra shorts w/ zip off legs - Why?
extra nalgene bottle for camp - Use a powerade/gatorade bottle.
Knife - Very rarely need. something small. I currently carry a 1" knife.

Add: Rain cover for backpack. I like to keep the outside of my pack and the shovel pocket's contents dry. Of course you may have this covered with your poncho. And it's not worth more than 4 ounces.
Add: Floss and a needle. Floss for teeth and sewing. Needle for draining blisters as needed and sewing.
Add: Emergency water purification. Tablets are really lightweight if you don't want to treat water on a regular basis. Sometimes excrement turns up in or near water sources.

What are you sleeping in? I would carry 2 pairs of underwear and one pair of shorts and one shirt. If I can't wear all of my clothes at once, I have too many. Sleepwear is excepted, but in those temperatures it should only be a light base layer.

Consider making an alcohol stove. That's a cheap way to shave off some weight.

I would bring my wind jacket. That's probably tilting towards the cautious side. Remember to subtract 3-5 degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation.

[MuddyWaters]

These are the things I would replace, or leave out:

white gas stove w/canister - insanely heavy
collapsible 2 gallon water container - dont need
1 extra pairs of socks - dont need 2 extra prs
camp shoes - dont need
water bladder- dont need, use dasani water bottles
extra nalgene bottle for camp - dont need
knife - replace with small swiss army, or derma safe . Nothing over 1oz
-hand sanitizer - dont need, soap is enough
-pepto tabs- dont need
trowel - dont need

Things I didnt see:
- headlamp
- food bag
- ground sheet (or for shelters)
- lighter/matches
- water treatment ( some GA sources will be surface water)
- ID, health ins. card, credit card, cash
- phone/camera
- tent stakes

[BostonBlue]

Everything others mentioned, as well as earplugs in case you are forced to stay in shelter.

[msimonov]

A couple of addition on the first kit, mole skin and A&D oinment (or something for chaffing). Yeah, you could use duct tape for both. I have seen people do it, but I would hate to pull that off the inside of my thigh.

[Spirit Bear]

Good evening Whiteblaze,
First I wanted to say thank you to all the members that spend time to answer people's questions. I visit this forum almost daily, but still do not know enough about hiking to contribute.

Now, to get to my question that I hope some people will chime in on.

I am doing a section hike from Neel's Gap to Standing Indian starting next Saturday, May 25th. I have the AT maps from the conservatory, and I have AWOL's guide of this section, so I think I am good that way. Can you please take a look at my gear list and give suggestions? I am not looking for "replace the sleeping pad with another and you can reduce 4 oz." kind of advice, I am more than likely not switching out my base gear this year. What I am looking for is "why are you bringing that" or "why aren't you bringing that" type comments. My pack weighs 26 pounds with gear and a full water bladder. I am assuming a 40 lb pack when i leave, getting lighter by two pounds a day after i eat food. Because of the comments I am hoping to get, I am not going to list the brand name of my gear, or the weight.

Gear:
Backpack
Backpack liner - compactor bag
sleeping pad - full length
sleeping bag
tent
white gas stove w/canister
titanium pot
spork
collapsible 2 gallon water container
compas
maps/guide
extra shirt
extra shorts w/ zip off legs
2 extra pairs of socks
camp shoes
rain poncho
water bladder
extra nalgene bottle for camp
knife
rope for if i have to hang the food.
basic first aid kit
-aleve
-hand sanitizer
-bandaids
-gauze
-neosporin
-pepto tabs
-bandana
toilet paper
trowel
hygiene stuff

I will be wearing hiking shoes, socks, a second pair of the shorts i have in the pack and a short sleeve t-shirt. i guess i am specifically wondering about long sleeve shirts/fleece. I see that the temp's as far ahead as i can see for that section are averaging 55/81. and also verifying what i have read on this site that I do not need to filter water in GA/NC.

Thank you all once again for the input.
This is strange, I just finished this hike on Saturday. I started at Neel Gap and went to the summit of standing indian mtn, then took the blue blaze trail off to the western side of the AT at the summit down to standing indian campground where my girlfriend picked me up. I did 8-11 miles per day and stayed in Helen and Hiawassee. Spit the trip up into 3 different section hikes. I personally didn't think the section was that tough, I am still new to hiking though, it was 90% mental and 10% physical. 2 rain storms, 28 was the lowest night on blue mountain (shelter). Didn't see any bears, ran into a hunter at Addis Gap. The toughest climb was out of bly gap after I crossed over into NC. THe toughest climb in Ga was tray mtn and Kelly's knob. Do both at the start of the day, I strongly suggest. Also, My base weight was just over 15lbs. I only carried 2, 1 liter bottles and never needed more than that. Enjoy the hike, stay light and don't over do the miles and you will be fine. I had zero blisters, no ankle or knee pains, just average soreness at the end of the days but all fine in the am. https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/316288_10201182102616918_1491663941_n.jpg

[Spirit Bear]

I am also 40 years old and not in the best shape. I came in at 210lbs before the hike and weigh 201 today. It felt great to be out there for a week, hitching into the towns getting up each morning with only one agenda. Walking. I loved it. Again I thought it was 90% mental and 10% physical. If you're trying to hit 15-20 mile days you might be in for some pain, unless you're already in hiker shape. Let the young guns wiz by you and double your miles per day, just hike your own hike and remember, have fun!!! it's all about having fun out on the trail. I could have gone another 100 miles if I had the time, I think I have the hard parts of hiking the AT down, the mental part and the gear part. Happy and safe hiking.

[Moogie]

wow,
I knew i could count on the people at WB to chime in, this is better than i thought. You all had similar comments, so I just wanted to say that I had a brain fart and actually do have the following things packed:

Headlamp, lighter, water tablets, food bag, camera, wallet w/id's, duct tape and safety pins(as zipper pulls). I also bought the loose leafe AWOL's guide, so will only be taking those pages with.

Based on popular vote, I will remove the water tote, an extra pair of socks, compas, camp shoes(these where heavy anyway), trowel.

The knife i have is not very heavy, and hiking alone I think it will aid a bit in my comfort(yes i know it wouldnt do any good for a bear, but its all in my mind). As for the extra shirt and shorts; i will be taking a shuttle right from Standing Indian to the airport next Saturday. I really dont want to stink that badly on the airplane. Does this make any sense at all.

I will add a light fleece or wind shirt. I was leaning this way anyway.

Spirit Bear, before I checked this thread I already replied in yours. We have this weird thing going on, because you answered my questions before I typed them in your thread...spoooky.

Thanks again all.

[Spirit Bear]

wow,
I knew i could count on the people at WB to chime in, this is better than i thought. You all had similar comments, so I just wanted to say that I had a brain fart and actually do have the following things packed:

Headlamp, lighter, water tablets, food bag, camera, wallet w/id's, duct tape and safety pins(as zipper pulls). I also bought the loose leafe AWOL's guide, so will only be taking those pages with.

Based on popular vote, I will remove the water tote, an extra pair of socks, compas, camp shoes(these where heavy anyway), trowel.

The knife i have is not very heavy, and hiking alone I think it will aid a bit in my comfort(yes i know it wouldnt do any good for a bear, but its all in my mind). As for the extra shirt and shorts; i will be taking a shuttle right from Standing Indian to the airport next Saturday. I really dont want to stink that badly on the airplane. Does this make any sense at all.

I will add a light fleece or wind shirt. I was leaning this way anyway.

Spirit Bear, before I checked this thread I already replied in yours. We have this weird thing going on, because you answered my questions before I typed them in your thread...spoooky.

Thanks again all.
You'll have a blast Moogie, it will be everything you think it will be and much much more. I will be planning my next blue blaze hike soon and one day I will have to take the plunge, quit my job, or shut down my business for 6 months and go hike the AT, the entire thing from start to finish. I know, KNOW I can do the AT now, I know there are parts extremely more difficult than the section I hiked but I do know one thing. I don't mind walking, I love it, live for it and I belong out there on the trail. I know this better than anything I know in my life. You will know it by the time you're done with these 50 plus miles as well. Remember to have fun and be safe. After a rain be careful on the steep hills both up and down and don't try to walk on a wet log, you will bust your ass.

[max patch]

As for the extra shirt and shorts; i will be taking a shuttle right from Standing Indian to the airport next Saturday. I really dont want to stink that badly on the airplane. Does this make any sense at all.



Yes, and you should also go to Standing Indian Campground and take a $2 shower.

[TTHLee]

Thanks Moogie for asking the inital question. Thanks to all who replied.

My buddy and I are doing Springer to Neels Gap and back, including feeder trail, starting this Tuesday 5/28. We plan on a leisurely 8 days since we're Florida flatlanders.

I had a lot of doubts about my load out but since seeing the replies, I'm good with it now. Big help. Thanks again.