thru hike thoughts and questions

[onicoe]

hello,

i'm another one of those hopeful thru-hikers. i'm planning for an ga-me 2007 trip, which is more practical with my living in new england. it also gives me enough time to finish up college and such. i've been dreaming about this since my early teens and now that i've set the date, the bug just keeps growing. but i'll spare you all my excitement for now. there's alot of thoughts and questions here. i've been spending the past month or so reading every relevant thread here that i can find in my spare time. i have a year and a half to prepare, so none of these are really set-in-stone ideas at this time either.

at first i was thinking about getting a tent but, after reading about the other shelter options, i'm really interested in the hammock solution. however, unless there's crazy humidity i tend to sleep with several layers of blankets even in summer. but that's more of a comfort issue than being cold [i just like the weight on top of me] i'm just really confused.. so far i'm keen on the hennesy expedition asym with the undercover + pad system to go with it. i know i won't know until i test it out but this combined with wearing thermals at night should keep me warm enough? or should i invest in some kind of quilt or a sleeping bag? this will prolly be my first major purchase so i can test it out with the coming cold seasons.

regarding flashlights, anyone have experience with the hand powered ones? [you either crank them or shake them to power the flashlight] or does the size and weight negate any benefit from not having to buy batteries. for that matter, are these any better than a novelty gimmick?

how many stuff sacks does a person need? 1 for food, 1 for clothing.. 1 for the rest? have each one a different color and this seems the easiest way of keeping track. then again after six months of hiking i'll prolly know the inside of my pack better than the back of my hand.

i'm not too keen on bounce boxes and maildrops. they seem an awful amount of effort for a little bit of convienence. so i'm going to try to carry most of my gear or pick up stuff along the way as i come to realize i need something i didn't think of. i've read how this is possible, but the majority seems to favor one or the other..

how durable are those water-pouch systems? it seems nifty just to be able to sip water as you walk, but then again i've heard that you have to keep an eye on how much water you're drinking because you can end up drinking less than you need? and there was mention of slimy-ness with them as well. currently i'm feeling comfortable with 2 1-liter bottles and a collapsable water carrier so i don't have to make multiple trips to a water source.

i'm on me feet all day at work and i generally dislike the stiffness i find in boots. so i'm thinking about either getting a good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. any preferred brands? or are my memories of wearing boots in girl scouts obsolete?

clothing is the only issue i'm worried about either not having enough or too much clothing. here's what i got so far:

rain hat/skullcap
gloves, socks
two/three tshirts?
a pair of thermals to sleep in, plus i can wear the top if i need something long sleeved
two pair of convertable [zip] pants with the zip portion of the second pair left at home
fleece vest,
rain jacket. - i figure the thermal top + fleece vest + plus jacket should keep me warm enough while moving. I tend to get really hot when i'm up and about.

i'm basically trying to think of what i can layer to keep warm without having to carry too much clothing.

that is all for now, though i'm sure i'll come up with plenty more as i get ready. thank you for taking the time to read this. [:

[Nean]

One t-shirt and one shorts for hiking, 1 pair of thermals for sleeping/ dry camp clothes. Of 3 pairs of socks I keep 1 for sleeping. 1 long sleeve fleece, wind pants and top for layers. Poncho for rain gear. Town clothes in my bounce box.

I'd start with some overnighters/ short trips and soon you will get the hang of what works for you. Good Luck:)

[Whistler]

-regarding flashlights...
-how many stuff sacks does a person need?
-i'm not too keen on bounce boxes and maildrops.
-water-pouch systems? ... i'm feeling comfortable with 2 1-liter bottles and a collapsable water carrier so i don't have to make multiple trips to a water source.
-so i'm thinking about either getting a good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes. any preferred brands?
-clothing...here's what i got so far:

-I have no hammock experience, but that could change soon...
-About lighting. I would choose a small and unobtrusive headlamp, 1-2oz, that uses an easy-to-find battery type, like AAA. You probably won't need to use it that much. I tend to wake up earlier and hike later than most, and my headlamp is rarely used. You don't need that much light to go pee at 2am, either.
-I have separate stuffsacks for: sleeping bag, shelter, clothing, kitchen, food, miscellanea.
-You can survive without maildrops, it's not that hard if you're not gourmet. A bounce box can be mighty convenient though, every 2 weeks or so.
-I think hydration systems with a hose are kind of a pain unless I'm running. My favorite for walking is a Platypus 1.8L with a squirt top. The 1.8L is large enough for a long stretch without water, and plenty for camp. I keep an empty 1L in the pack for some reason, but haven't used it in about 900 miles.
-Hiking shoes will probably work fine. Montrail and Inov8 well for my feet, but there are a million good shoes out there. Just be sure to not limit yourself to 'outdoorsy' brands that you see in the outfitters. Companies like Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, Nike, Adidas, etc. all make nice trail-suitable shoes that are often lighter than the outdoorsy offerings.
-I don't carry any duplicate clothing except for socks, but I might be in the minority. From your list, I would select:
hat, skullcap, gloves, 2pr socks
1 t-shirt, 1 thermal shirt
1 shorts, 1 thermal bottom
fleece vest [would replace with a puffy synthetic vest or jacket, <10oz]
rain jacket

I would suggest buying a windshirt, because they rule. Quality examples are the Montane Featherlite, Patagonia Dragonfly, GoLite Ether, and Marmot Ion. I would add windpants for early spring, and late fall.
-Mark

[The Solemates]

when are you leaving? i presume april or later with the clothing choices. otherwise, you will probably need more clothes.

[onicoe]

nean, thanks, i got a few short trips planned in the upcoming months. [:

solemates, i'm planning on leaving mid-march.

i like the 1.8 liter, i hadn't thought of carrying a larger size water container instead of splitting up my water between 2 1-liters. and i'm probably killing it with the doubling up on all my clothes.

thanks for the opinions and advice!
-nicole

[Mags]

If you have the time, you may want to do a longer shakedown hike. The Long Trail is a great way to test out the gear. In 2006, you will hopefully have a few trips under your belt and will be ready for something long...you'll probably want something long, too!

Most people can do Vermon't Long Trail in 24 days. You will get used to re-supply, being out in all kinds of weather and have a feel for what a thru-hike is all about. The Long Trail is also a great trail, too!

Good overall LT info:
http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=2

My pics from two LT hikes (1997 and 1999):
http://gallery.backcountry.net/magslt


When you do the AT your gear will be a bit better finely tuned, your body will know what a long hike is like (at least a little bit) and the most important fact of all: you will be better prepared on a mental level.

The trek on the LT helped me immensley when I did the AT in 1998.

Good luck!

Mags

ps. I am from Coventry, RI originally!

[soulrebel]

--I have a hand squeeze flashlight in the house--it's far too heavy for camping and it's an oversized led light anyways... (so it's not any better quality than a smaller unit) -- check out photon light w/ a clip or get one of those petzl's

--small silnet bags .5 oz on average for kitchen, bedroom (this one is fleece lined for insideout pillow),
xs for bathroom, miscellaneous

medium 600ci for food bag-- bozeman mountain works and OR have silnet bags but they cost $15 a piece --- ouch...but who said convenience was cheap...


whatever they came w/---tent, sleeping bag (this one is the heavier factory bag- 2.5oz w/ the water-resistant coating)

comparatively an OR bag w/ waterproof lining weights 4.5 to 6.5 ozs--

adding 1L on a bladder adds about 1.5oz to the weight--an extra nalgene weighs 3.8oz.. You could carry one nalgene/gatorade, a 2-3L bladder w/hose 5oz, and 2-4L platycarry bag or bucket (2.5oz)

[The Solemates]

nean, thanks, i got a few short trips planned in the upcoming months. [:

solemates, i'm planning on leaving mid-march.

i like the 1.8 liter, i hadn't thought of carrying a larger size water container instead of splitting up my water between 2 1-liters. and i'm probably killing it with the doubling up on all my clothes.

thanks for the opinions and advice!
-nicole


if you are leaving mid-march, i would turn that fleece vest into a fleece jacket at the very least. you will certainly have snow at some point, and could run into significant snowstorms in the smokies, highlands, or Mt rogers. and you only need one pair of zipoff pants and one shirt. and no rain pants?

[Peaks]

All your questions are good questions. But the right answer is what works best for you. Everyone has different opinions on what works best for them.

First, as Mags posted, there is nothing like experience to find the answers. If you are thinking about hiking in 2007, then you have the rest of this summer, and all next summer to get experience.

For much of your gear, the first questions that a backpacker would ask is how much does it weigh. I suspect that your hand crank flashlight is much heavier than the alternates. Batteries for LED headlamps usually last a long long time, and LED headlamps weigh just a few ounces. Hard to go wrong with one of them.

How many stuff sacks? Let's say at least 3. It all depends on how you keep your gear organized. Something for you to figure out.

Tent or hammock or tarp? Again, get out on the trail and see what others are really using. Maybe rent before buying. Check with your local outfitter.

Water pouch systems. Again, what works for you.

Footwear: One thing that everyone can agree on is that the traditional all leather hiking boot is out. Go with something lighter. How much lighter is in part a function of how heavy your pack is. Trail runners are fine for ultra lighters, but most of us prefer a little more support. Brand names are irrelevant. What matters is fit.

Clothing: depends on when you start. People generally carry more clothing in spring and fall than summer. Of course, layering is key. Some experience will tell you what layers work best for you.

I might also suggest that you plan on going to the Gathering in Hanover in October.

[Nearly Normal]

So far I'm limited to section hiking but for light I use 2 photon lights. One is for spare. I glued a piece of velcro on my hat and the light. Works fine if your not one that needs much. Photon also offers a hat clip. Get the light that has a on-off switch. Many models to choose from.
Weight is not even worth mentioning.
pete