SOBO Gear List Help...

[morri50n]

I don't know if I'm planning too early or not, but I'm trying to figure out my gear list to start a SOBO thru-hike around June 1, 2014 (solo female). So far this is what I have... (weight is in oz)

Shelter: Tarptent Rainbow (34 oz)
Pack: LL Bean Women's AT 55 (50 oz)
Bag: Western Mountaineering Ultralite (38 oz)
Pad: ThermaRest RidgeRest-Small (9oz)

COOKING/WATER


Fancy Feast Stove
.2


Aluminum Foil for Windscreen
.3


Light My Fire Spork
.318


MSR Titan Kettle
4.2


Fuel Bottle for stove**



Water filter**



Camelbak 1.5L Bladder



Waterbottle (Gatorade?)



Zpack large blast foodbag & 50' spectra (Bear bag)
.85+




CLOTHES


Royal Robbins Zip N Go Convertibles



Under Armor black cold gear leggings



Under Armor Compression Shorts (x2)



Adidas Women's Equipo Soccer Shorts
4.8


EMS Women's Thermo 1/4 Zip
9.5


Synthetic T-shirt



Synthetic LS Shirt



Montbell Thermawrap Jacket (any cheaper suggestions?)
13.7


EMS Womens Thunderhead Rain Jacket
11


Smart Wool Socks (3 pairs)



Sunhat with bug net**



Fleece beanie**



Gloves**



Nike Sports Bra



Trail Runners**



Camp Shoes**




OTHER


Homemade medkit
~8?


Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss



Pocketknife**



Deet



Mylar blanket



Trekking poles**



Duct tape (around water bottle?)



Maps/etc



Paper for notes



Whistle



LL Bean Trailblazer Headlamp
2.7


Iphone 4s in Lifeproof Case + charger






Just a side note, I get cold pretty quickly and would much rather be too hot than too cold.. Hopefully that doesn't cause too much of a problem.

I may very easily have forgotten something, so please point that out. I won't take any offense to your suggestions and comments! They're much appreciated. :)

I also have not bought a lot of these items yet, so they can very easily be changed if you have any ideas for cheaper items that are of equal or better quality!

** means that I have not chosen a specific item, and I am open to any and all suggestions!

[Venchka]

Please check the weight of your WM UltraLite. The WM lists a different weight. I am thinking of buying that bag, but not if it is as heavy as you say. Thanks.

Wayne

[morri50n]

Woops, you're right. I meant 28oz not 38! (I would be getting the short one, so it's about an ounce lighter than the regular). Thanks!

[fireneck]

You seem to have a light rig, always ways to cut weight though..


Duct tape around your trekking poles worked for me. You might be dipping your water bottles in the water sources, water logged duct tape is no good.

I'd got with a sawyer squeeze filter (http://www.rei.com/product/837824/sawyer-squeeze-water-filter-plus) if you really want a filter. It's light and the water tastes great.

Your pack is on the heavy side, ULA (http://www.ula-equipment.com/) has some great light weight options.

Camp shoes, if you want comfort/hikeability I'd go with crocs. If you'd like to save some weight cheap flip flops are great.

I used 12oz soda bottle for my fuel, don't forget to mark it :D

Things to leave out...

Convertible pants, why bring an extra set of pants? You can do laundry in your leggings.

Light my fire spork, I went through 3 of them last year. Had my best luck with a McFlurry spoon.

Maps. An AT Guide Book is all you need.


Have you considered going northbound?! :cool:

[Firefighter503]

Your list looks pretty good. Not too much extraneous stuff on there. fireneck's advice is spot on.

I used to use a soda bottle for fuel, but switched to 1-2 4oz Boston Round Bottles, depending on the trip/distance to resupply. I had the same problem as fireneck with the LMF Spork. Eventually I bought a long handle titanium spoon, and haven't looked back.Trailrunners are personal preference. I like my Brooks Cascadia trailrunners, and have dropped camp shoes all together since switching to them. Your insulating jacket is one area where it is worth it to spend a little more money IMO. The Montbell products are fantastic. If you want to go a little cheaper, check out the Kirkland Signature down jacket sold at JC Penney and Costco in the Fall.

There is a good chance I will be heading SOBO around the same time, maybe I'll see ya out there.

[Andrew Ferk]

Do you have a pack cover or liner? Also, you may want to bring a bandana to filter out bigger objects from the water so your microfilter doesn't get clogged. The bandana will actually be multipurpose.

If you go southbound you will need to consider hunting season. My rain jacket, pack cover, and bandana are blaze orange.

[Venchka]

Woops, you're right. I meant 28oz not 38! (I would be getting the short one, so it's about an ounce lighter than the regular). Thanks!
I am not crazy. Thanks for confirming the under 2 pound weight.

Wayne

[Blissful]

I see a lot of hikers this year with the Sawyer squeeze filter system. Enough that I may try it. But I have used Aqua mira.
I personally dislike compression shorts for chafing issues. Love convertible pants myself. With them, you don't need the two shorts.
Good idea on the jacket.

a small pocket knife with some extras like tweezers and scissors works fine
the light my fire spork breaks very easily
lighter
agree on the socks
get fitted with a shoe professional if you go with trail runners. I went to a pro running shop for mine. Cosidner good insoles to go in them.
pack cover, liner

[BuckeyeBill]

Check out this knife from Leatherman (http://www.rei.com/product/802325/leatherman-style-multitool) its got just what you need and it is only .8 oz and 2.3 inches long in the closed poisition

[morri50n]

Thanks for the responses, very helpful! Sounds like the LMF spork will need to be replaced.. I like the idea of the McFlurry spoon!

I was also planning on just using a trash compacter bag for my pack liner.. forgot to mention that. & Maybe I'll look for a blaze orange pack cover for hunting season.. and I'll see if the bandanna can also be found in blaze orange.

& I actually find that compression shorts help prevent chafing.. so I think I'll stick with those, although I'll considering tossing the convertible pants.. But then the only 'pants' I would have are my leggings..

and fireneck, I have not considered going northbound.. there's no way my schedule would allow me to do it. :(

[Butterfly58]

I actually own the short version (5'6") of the WM Ultralite sleeping bag. On my scale it weighs just under 18 oz. So if you get that one you can shave off another 10 oz. It also compresses pretty small. I love mine. Had it for years and worth every penny. I'm planning on taking it on my thru-hike next year.

[kidchill]

Just a few thoughts...went SOBO last year. I second the sawyer squeeze, especially if you don't like the chemical taste (I HATE IT!). I would recommend, though, if you use the sawyer, plan on using a platy bag with it. Personally, I ditched the platy/camelback system 'cause it never fit properly in the top of my pack. It was more frustrating then anything. I just used the platy bag for dirty, and 2-1L gatorade bottles. Considering getting a 2L bag vs, 1.5L. I tended to use 2L in camp at night, so it made sense to have it. I think you could probably find a lighter weight sleeping bad from WM. I have the 6' bag and it only weighed 20oz with a dry-sac. If you're getting a smaller bag, it should weigh less (I think it was summerlite/hyperlite). That pack is definitely heavy. Check HMG, go-lite, ULA, and gossamer gear. You can shed at least a pound there (I have GG's heaviest pack and it's 26oz-roughly). For camp shoes, I used Vivobarefoot shoes. I have size 13ft so crocs were like 10+oz each. The vivos are not as comfortable, but if it's just around camp and in town it's enough. Also, consider merino wool instead of synthetic. After a day synthetic smells horrible! Multiple that by a week in the 100mile wilderness and holy hell, is it bad! The stink never washes out either...it just compounds it. I chucked the synthetic in Monson and used my merino stuff the rest of the way. Honestly, since I've been back, I'm still wearing the merino stuff around the house, and as an under-shirt. Just one more thing, have you slept on the theramrest padding before? I personally couldn't sleep on it for 5 months, so I would just try it out before you bring it. I had some for extra extra insulation in my hammock, but I wouldn't dream of sleeping on it...lol Maybe I'm a pansy tho ;) Just some thoughts, always remember HYOH! And, try out all your gear before you go! There's a steep learning curve going SOBO...you don't have Neel's Gap 30 miles away!

[BRAFC]

I'm not an expert on gear but your list appears to be pretty consistent with others I have seen. The 2 most critical elements for SB's I have seen are maybe bug protection and foot care/protection. As an Ultra Runner I have used Vaseline on my feet for blister protection. Anybody have any idea how this might work on a long hike? I will be starting SB June 1st myself hope to see you all out there.

[Slo-go'en]

June can be a wet month in Maine. At the very least the trails are usually still pretty wet and muddy. The trails are steep, rocky and can be quite slippery when wet. Where they aren't steep they are boggy. Which is why Gortex lined boots are my footware of choice around here. If you wear trail runners, your feet will most likely be wet nearly all the time.

So far it hasn't been a very snowy season here. But it has been icy, which can be worse as ice takes longer to melt then just snow. But some of our biggest snow storms occur in early April, so it is still too early to tell which way this winter will go. This all has a bearing on how deep the river fords will be and how wet the trail will be in June. The good news is that it will all be behind you by the time you get to NH in July. And hopefully by then all the black fly bites will have healed too :)

Oh, I would never hike in anything but long pants around here.

Opps, just noticed this thread was started 8 months ago she only has 3 posts. Wonder if she still plans on going?

[forrest!]

Opps, just noticed this thread was started 8 months ago she only has 3 posts. Wonder if she still plans on going?

Don't know if she is still planning to hike SOBO, but I am, so any and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks!

Forrest