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Gypsyphoenix
07-13-2013, 21:45
Hi all, I'm a noob! I woke up one morning with trail fever! This is going to be my first long-distance hike ever. I've done some hiking/camping before, but never pulled major time like I will this upcoming season. I am not hiking alone but will be dragging my mother along with me (hopefully)! Im planning on doing the stretch from Franklin, NC to Damascus, VA over the course of 33 or so days in May. I've tried to do as much research as possible to get as much bang for my buck as I can. (Aren't we all?!!!:)) As of right now the only thing Ive actually bought is a pair of Merell boots because its going to take some time to break them in. So I'm going to give a run down of my gear minus clothing and food. Any and all advice is welcome!

Pack- Gregory Savant 58 wt 60oz

Shoes- Murell Moab wt 58oz

Sleeping bag-USGI Patrol sleeping bag wt 32oz

Padding- Therm-A-Rest Ridge Mattress wt 19oz -I cant do without some kind of padding to sleep on do to chronic lb pain

Stove- Esbit Solid Fuel Stove and cookset wt 19oz

Fuel Esbit solid fuel cubes wt 6oz

Water- MSR Sweetwater System wt 11oz

and- Aquamira wt 1 oz

Water bladder- MSR Dromlite wt 3oz -we arent planning on hiking shelter to shelter

Dry sacks-Sea to Summit 13L and 4L wt 3 & 2oz

Lighting- Energizer Weather ready carabiner crank LED flashlight wt 3oz

Knife- Gerber multi tool wt 3oz

Cording-Army standard issue paracord 50' wt 5oz

Dry Grear-Frogg Toggs DriDucks wt 12oz

Flip-Flops (for camp) wt 7oz

2 bic lighters wt 1 oz

Duct tape wt 1 oz

Bandana wt 1 oz

Camera wt 8 oz

Smartphone wt 8 oz

Visor wt 4oz?

First aid and meds wt 6 oz???


So that's 335 oz or 20 lbs 15 oz minus food and clothing.
Food will be re-supplies by mail. Most will be freeze dried or dehydrated.
Clothing is 1 set of long underwear. 1 pair of shorts. 1 pair of zip leg pants. 2 short sleeved shirts. 1 long sleeved shirt. 3 pair of socks. (cant love the feet too much:D) 2 pair of underwear, and 2 bras (for modesty's sake).

That's about it. Please let me know if I left anything out or if you have any improvement ideas. Looking like without food or clothing my budget will come in right over $1000!

Any and all comments are welcome.
Thanks a million!!
Gypsy

Onedawg
07-13-2013, 22:15
Tent or tarp or some shelter?

Gypsyphoenix
07-13-2013, 22:22
Sorry I missed that! Im going to be using a Mountain hardware Skyledge 2.1 weight is 55 oz

kk4df
07-14-2013, 08:13
I would go ahead and calculate weight including your clothes, water your think you'll typically carry, and food. For me, that would be about 2 lbs clothes, 6 lbs for water, and 1.75 lbs food per day (multiply by days between resupply). You might be just over 35 lbs, which is the upper limit for the pack you've selected.

With 4 days food, i can start at 28 lbs or less with winter gear, less as it warms up. And that is not ultralight by any means. Consider your sleeping pad (Neolite, perhaps) stove (pocket rocket another option), water purification (Aquamira alone or consider the Sawyer), and shelter. Will there just be one tent for both, so that you can let the other person carry some common gear like cooking gear and such?

And I didn't see cooking pots, spoon, dish soap, etc in your list. Like like a good start, but the weight and volume can add up quickly.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Happy44
07-14-2013, 08:40
IM still waited for someone to help with Clothing gear list for cold weather!

Drybones
07-14-2013, 09:13
You'll get a lot of advice here and it's most all good, but, we all have evolved to what works for each of us and it's not the same from hiker to hiker. My suggestion is that you glean what you can from this forum and anywhere else you can get advice and make the best choices you can and then start testing by doing short overnight hikes, it wont take long to see what works for you and what adjustment you need to make, be sure to go on some hikes when the weather is bad.

Gypsyphoenix
07-14-2013, 10:52
Hopefully my mother is coming along so that we can split some of the weight. Tent and food stuffs. If she backs out I will go with a lighter tent. In response to the stove issue Im not quite comfortable carrying canisters or alcohol. Ive used Esbit and really prefer it over anything. The pots and spoon are included in the weight of the set. I do not plan on hiking with a full water bladder. Its more to fill up before making camp. As for the actual water, Ive been sick when I was younger from a virus I got from a river. So to me its well worth the extra weight for the MSR and the Aquamira. I didnt plan on bringing dish soap, so as not to have grey water. the only thing im using the stove for is to boil water. Food stuffs are packed in a bag that can handle the heat, so no need to wash the pot. Im just trying to get a good start so that I can have the basics covered so mom dosent have to worry about anything but her pack, bag, clothes and shoes. Thanks everyone for all the input!

Venchka
07-14-2013, 11:08
Typo on the Merrell Moabs maybe? You list the weight at 58 ounces. I own Asolo all leather boots that are lighter.
My size 9 men's NOT Gore-Tex low cut shoes weigh 30 oz. My high tops weigh 32 oz. I think I just saved you about 28 ounces. You are welcome!
When sharing weight, do it by systems. One person carries the complete tent. The other person carries a similar weight in shared systems. Like the stove & cook set, etc. Use food to balance the two bags.
Have fun.

Wayne

Venchka
07-14-2013, 11:09
ps: You need soap. You don't want to get sick. Keep everything clean.

Wayne

q-tip
07-14-2013, 11:34
I can send you a complete gear list for Summer-Cold, if interested, send pm. My kit is 14-15 lbs. with everything except food/water, Good Luck,

JustaTouron
07-14-2013, 16:47
I didnt plan on bringing dish soap,

You still need soap: Hands, spoon. And a bit of liquid dish soap works better for both than a bar of soap.

Gypsyphoenix
07-14-2013, 17:15
Ok Then I will probably take a visine bottle full of it. How often do the bigger retailers have major sales? Im going to assume winter time is going to be the best bet for summer stuff.

Omaha_Ace
07-15-2013, 15:14
ps: You need soap. You don't want to get sick. Keep everything clean.

Wayne

+1 - a few oz of CampSuds goes a long way, cooking and personal hygene-wise.

Nutbrown
07-15-2013, 15:47
Think about a few ziploc gallon freezer bags instead of the dry bags. And just line the inside of your pack with a trash compactor plastic bag. Everything that needs to stay dry, should. Does the smart phone have a camera? Leave the regular camera at home.

Sounds like a fun trip! Enjoy, and take your time.

kidchill
07-15-2013, 16:46
I'm going to post this, I had a fairly light setup when I hiked...This isn't to down on your gear, but just something to think about in terms of your gear choices....I'm not sure what your budget is, what gear you already have, etc. This is just a comparison of what I used, to what you've listed. IMO, over 20lbs pre-clothes is a little high. Again, I'm one of those go-lighter people...

Pack---GG mariposa 26oz vs 60oz
Pad---Neoair, something (can't remember) 12oz vs 19oz
Sleeping Bag--WM with drysac 19oz vs 32oz
Tent--Tarptent 41oz vs 55oz
Cookset---MSR pocket rocket, snow peak Ti, small fuel 16oz vs 25oz
Water Filter---Sawyer Squeeze 3oz vs 11oz

My total 117oz (7.3lbs) Your total 202oz (12.6lbs)
That's over 5lbs with just those items. Again, I'm not posting this to bust your balls, just showing that there are options to lighten your load. It all depends on how much you wanna cut weight (which really means how much $ you want to spend)...As always HYOH, but just a heads up, I did get an email that GG is having a sale right now, if that's an option for you.

Gypsyphoenix
07-15-2013, 17:21
I did get an email that GG is having a sale right now, if that's an option for you.
I just have to find somewhere that sells these because I refuse to buy a pack online no matter what the price is. Again, this is a gear list that I'm using for 2 people. I don't intend to carry all this alone.
I am perfectly happy with my solid fuel stoves. I used them in the Rockies and prefer them to any other type of fuel.
The phone is not going to be turned on but once every 4 days or so just to check in with family, which is why I planned on taking the camera.
Ziploc bags will be in my bag and every thing will be stuffed into a trash compactor bag.

kidchill
07-15-2013, 18:32
Gotcha...just some more thoughts...As far as the pack, you're probably gonna have trouble finding someone that carries Gossamer Gear packs. I did a quick google search and Gander Mtn in Fayetville carries a ULA pack http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Klymit-AirX-Ultralight-Backpack-with-Inertia-X-Lite-Camping-Pad&i=448521&aID=505A1&merchID=4006. You may be able to find something by them that weighs a good 20oz less then the Gregory. Also, you can see if they carry Golite packs (last time I checked they were having a 50% off sale...you may be more likely to find Golite/ULA vs GG). IDK, but the normal name-brand packs always seem to weigh way too much to me. But, there were quite a few peeps on the trail using GG/Golite/ULA packs. If you prefer the esbit system, that's cool, it's just another area to consider. Also, I'm not sure what your system weighs without the stove itself (the stove is probably negligible), but the Snow Peak Ti system was 5.5oz for pot/lid, and cup...I just used a Ti spork that probably weighed 1oz with that system. http://www.campmor.com/snow-peak-mini-solo-titanium-cookset.shtml?source=CI&ci_sku=65128&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw= If you plan on cozy cooking (this is what I did on my thru) then you don't need dish soap. I just flat out refused to wash dishes while I was out there. I would definitely recommend the Sawyer Squeeze filter vs the MSR. It worked awesome for my thru and at 3oz that saves you half a pound! I also carried AquaMira as a backup (for a while, I ended up ditching it and carried a small dropper with bleach) and it weighs 3.5oz on my scale (just a heads up). Also, your flashlight. I would seriously recommend a headlamp vs a flashlight (especially a crank one). I have a Princeton Tech Byte that weighs 2oz with batteries (and it only costs like $15-20, probably my cheapest gear item!). So, just some food for thought. Clothes tend to be really personal, so I try to stay out of that. I hiked in boardshorts (with UL gaiters on my trail runners) and an LS ultralight merino wool top. I carried a TNF rain/windjacket (6oz) and a montbell down jacket (6.5oz). Works great for layers and both are more durable then Frogs. I ended up getting a pair of MH rain pants in Damascus (was starting to get cold and I was worried about rain and hypothermia).

Just a few other things. I would not carry soap, but I would recommend a small bottle of Purell (they make one with a rubber attachment thing so you can hang it on your pack). One, for hand sanitizer, and two, as a survival tool it ignites well. Also, what guide are you using? AWOL's guide weighs 10oz (you may not be using it, but it's just something to think about in terms of weight). And, my biggest thing for you think about...How long will your Mom be with you? Short term, long term, or maybe not at all? I ask this, not to be a dick, but if she doesn't go, or quits somewhere along the way, you're NOW carrying everything yourself. I saw a few couples/partners that this happened to, so always keep in the back of your mind that she may not be carrying half of your supplies the whole way...Good luck ;)

Venchka
07-15-2013, 18:36
As of right now the only thing Ive actually bought is a pair of Merell boots because its going to take some time to break them in.

Which Merrill boots did you buy? You listed Merrill Moab boots which are low cut trail runners. Like the shoes I have on right now. They took about 15 minutes, maybe less, to break in.
Just curious.

Wayne

Gypsyphoenix
07-15-2013, 21:32
Kidchill...I swear I spent a good 3 hours in Gander Mtn not more than 3 days ago. Looking, comparing, looking and rewriting things on my note pad. Their selection of pack at best was lousy. I tried every single one of them on, but nothing even remotely fit, except for the Gregory. Dicks Sporting Goods had a better pack selection and I tried on a few Keltys, but again nothing felt right. I have a hard time finding one to fit the 2.5 inch waist to hip difference. Im thinking my best bet is to take a day trip to REI and go oogling for info. The esbit stove comes with a pot although Im sure it isnt that big, so I might be inclined to buy a bigger one if I think it reasonable. I will look into the Sawyer Filter, but still will have aquamira. I will probably some kind of 18-in-1 soap and hand sanitizer (I blame my OCD). I used Froggs when I hunted so I didnt know what other light weight options there were, so thanks! Clothing: I know cotton is a no-no, but Im wondering about all of my non-cotton Under Armor stuff. Its synthetic blend; I've heard mixed reviews. After sitting in the woods for days smelling like fox or doe urine I dont think my own stink will bother me that much! My mother: I never thought about her giving up after only a while. We are only doing a section of the AT and after raising 6 of us I think that she could out hike me if she wanted to! Her non-stop talking about it for the last couple of years made me invite her with me. She never wanted to go it alone, and since she knows I will go either way, she happily obliged to tag along. I know its not the easiest section to do, but hopefully I manage as well as she does! She seems to show some eager signs; LOA from work already submitted. Guides: I know the trail changes all the time, but currently I have the NC/TEN guide and section maps to study and acquaint my self with until the new one comes out next year.

Venchka- They are Murrell Moab Ventilators. Ive been wearing them everywhere and everyday for a week!

Gypsyphoenix
07-15-2013, 22:04
I would definitely recommend the Sawyer Squeeze filter vs the MSR. It worked awesome for my thru and at 3oz that saves you half a pound!
After looking at and reading about it Im sold! That is why I ask questions.

Leanthree
07-15-2013, 23:17
The pots

Only need one pot, 1.5 liter for 2 people is probably fair.

I agree with most of the other poster's comments here. New recommendations: I'd also bring a headlamp over the crank light and find lighter bear rope like zline from zpacks. Also, be sure to add a trash compactor bag to line your pack.

Also, as you have some time before your trip, wait for deals, check steepncheap.com and be flexible on exactly what you are looking to buy as most gear these days is pretty great even if it wasn't your first choice.

Have a great trip!