Gear! In! Review!

[bemental]

Throwing my hat in for another attempt this year. Last year I made it to Fontana Dam before I had to get off the trail.


Early March start (o/a March 1st). I'm a warm sleeper, and my plan is to take a 30° sleep setup and wear all of my clothes if it gets colder (I have room in my bivouac for extra clothes to be worn).

I've intentionally left a headlamp and a bic lighter off the list. My phone acts as a flashlight and I have a stove if I need to make fire.


Thanks again, people of WhiteBlaze!


http://lighterpack.com/r/39c0za

(Also, there seems to be a bug with the LighterPack interface, so all of my 'worn' items are marked as consumables to get accurate numbers)

[Venchka]

Bemental,
A good headlamp on low will last 8 or 11 times longer than a phone.
Your stove is self lighting?

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[bemental]

Bemental,
A good headlamp on low will last 8 or 11 times longer than a phone.
Your stove is self lighting?

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

Stove is self-lighting, and the amount of time I end up using a headlamp on the trail is so minimal that my phone works just fine.

I'm one of those hiker's who watches the sunset from the sleeping bag and wakes up with the sunrise.

[Connie]

March.. hmm, I hope you keep your sleep system is nice and "fluffy" and the clothing you plan to sleep in is reasonably clean.

Dirty or sweaty clothing conducts body heat away.

The benefit of a fluffy sleep system is that it settles in over and around you, and that way there are no big air gaps inside to warm up because the sleeping system does not settle in on you.

[bemental]

March.. hmm, I hope you keep your sleep system is nice and "fluffy" and the clothing you plan to sleep in is reasonably clean.

Dirty or sweaty clothing conducts body heat away.

The benefit of a fluffy sleep system is that it settles in over and around you, and that way there are no big air gaps inside to warm up because the sleeping system does not settle in on you.

I'm still waiting on the Enlightened Equipment Revelation to arrive. It's a 30* quilt that zips into a sleeping bag, and I plan on taking it outside on a few cold nights to see just how well it works.

I do like a good fluffy sleeping system, and my plans are to keep this in as 'big' a sack as possible while in my pack (to reduce time in the 'fluffing' process upon unpacking).

[Connie]

Right! Sounds good.

Tim inspired me to go "top quilt".

I didn't have the cash for that Revelation.

I hope you tell us how that worked out for you.

[Luther]

You could easily cut 2lbs with a new pack.

[Portie]

Do you include the kit for recharging your portable battery or your iPhone cable? I would want a bit more first aid supplies than just a blister kit. Does your SAK (Swiss Army Knife) have tweezers? Scissors? I would always want two sources of fire. I would always want two sources of light.

[Slo-go'en]

A headlamp and bic lighter are such inconsequential weights and can be life savers so there is really no good reason not to have them. Try to light a campfire with your stove or hike any distance at night with your phone. You may never have to do that, but if for some unforeseen reason you do, you'd be in trouble.

It's might be a warm winter and spring this year, but even so I don't think a 30 degree quilt is going cut it in March.

[Traveler]

I've intentionally left a headlamp and a bic lighter off the list. My phone acts as a flashlight and I have a stove if I need to make fire.

Thanks again, people of WhiteBlaze!

http://lighterpack.com/r/39c0za

(Also, there seems to be a bug with the LighterPack interface, so all of my 'worn' items are marked as consumables to get accurate numbers)

FWIW, There's very little weight relief in pitching your headlamp and a small Bic lighter. Situations either of them may become very useful can be fairly serious. Long nights with short hiking days has more than a few times caught me miles from where I intended to be. I have tried the cell phone flashlight but they don't last all that long as compared with a decent headlamp weighing in around 3 to 3.5 ounces. A secondary source of fire is not a bad idea, insurance of that through a Bic Mini lighter (.5 oz) is a small price to pay to be able to light the stove when the stove ignition fails (I have seen three JetBoil igniter systems fail over the past two years including my own).

A new pack could probably net about a 2 pound savings, give or take. The other significant weight savings may be in the camp shoes. While these may be a luxury, though I understand the comfort they can provide, I wonder how often they will be used at the front end of the trip when you have winter clothing with you as opposed to using them after the winter gear load has been shipped home which would balance out weight. I would be a little concerned not having a secondary source of fire and a dependable light source for more than a few hours of burn time duration, but thats me.

[Odd Man Out]

I like Tenacious Tape better than duct tape for gear patching.

Only one pair of pants? Add maybe a base layer and/or gym shorts?

I must have a nail clipper. A scissors on the SAK works for some, but not me.

I must have a sun hat.

[Fireplug]

My Zpacks pack is a 52L, waterproof and weighs in at 1.6 lbs. I still have a pack cover. My tent it a Zpacks Solplex 1 1/2 man tent with bug screen and bathtub. Waterproof. 1.2 lbs. weight is everyone's concern. Me. Two light sources and two fire starting sources

[bemental]

You could easily cut 2lbs with a new pack.

The pack is still a point of contention for me Luther, something I know I can change and save some more weight. It was an impulse purchase and not the best pack for the trail - I appreciate the advice.

Do you include the kit for recharging your portable battery or your iPhone cable? I would want a bit more first aid supplies than just a blister kit. Does your SAK (Swiss Army Knife) have tweezers? Scissors? I would always want two sources of fire. I would always want two sources of light.

The charging kit is included in the weight of the battery pack, and I have a set of 'real' scissors in my blister kit. Most thru-hikers I've spoken with have very minimal first aid kits, the theory of "if it's bad enough I'll just get off the trail". What are you suggesting, a few band-aids or an ace bandage? I have neosporin in the blister kit as well.

[JaketheFake]

I did not see anything on your list for a base layer? I became cold just looking at your list. Are you not wearing any base layers?

Regarding the headlamp, have you considered a lightweight clip on jobber. I do not like headlamps and that is what I am going to carry and clip if to my hat.

[bemental]

A headlamp and bic lighter are such inconsequential weights and can be life savers so there is really no good reason not to have them. Try to light a campfire with your stove or hike any distance at night with your phone. You may never have to do that, but if for some unforeseen reason you do, you'd be in trouble.

It's might be a warm winter and spring this year, but even so I don't think a 30 degree quilt is going cut it in March.

Thanks Slo-go'en, I've added a mini-bic lighter back onto my packing list, it's just too small not to justify the convenience of having fire in the palm of your hand.

It got pretty cold last year during my thru attempt, a few nights into the teens, and I was OK with a 30* sleeping setup. I won't say it's ideal, but I'm a pretty warm sleeping and it was manageable the few nights it occurred with additional clothing on. Plans for continual nights at below-thirty will probably include a liner to help stay cozy, but otherwise I believe I will do alright.

[bemental]

I did not see anything on your list for a base layer? I became cold just looking at your list. Are you not wearing any base layers?

Regarding the headlamp, have you considered a lightweight clip on jobber. I do not like headlamps and that is what I am going to carry and clip if to my hat.

Jake, I typically don't use base-layer bottoms ever, and this time around I'm going to try a wicking t-shirt and a fleece combo instead of a base layer-style undershirt to keep warm.

Thoughts?

[JaketheFake]

Jake, I typically don't use base-layer bottoms ever, and this time around I'm going to try a wicking t-shirt and a fleece combo instead of a base layer-style undershirt to keep warm.

Thoughts?

I am of no help. I am starting in April and one of my concerns is the temps having lived in Texas for 30 years. It sounds as if you are a lot more tolerant of the cold. I am not. However I will do well in June through August. I would like to see if anyone else weighs in.

[bemental]

I am of no help. I am starting in April and one of my concerns is the temps having lived in Texas for 30 years. It sounds as if you are a lot more tolerant of the cold. I am not. However I will do well in June through August. I would like to see if anyone else weighs in.

I've been quite cold on a number of occasions, and I currently live in Maine. What I can't do in outdoor overnight hikes with my summer gear prior to starting the trail, I make up for in tolerance to the cold.

Interested to see what else people have to say as well.

[bemental]

My Zpacks pack is a 52L, waterproof and weighs in at 1.6 lbs. I still have a pack cover. My tent it a Zpacks Solplex 1 1/2 man tent with bug screen and bathtub. Waterproof. 1.2 lbs. weight is everyone's concern. Me. Two light sources and two fire starting sources

Fireplug, thanks for the ZPacks recommendation. I'm looking at getting one of their packs now, most likely the Arc Haul in Dyneema (60L, 24oz) - about half the weight of my current pack.

Reviews look good, just waiting to hear back from them about some custom bits for the pack.

[bemental]

Since added the mini Bic and my headlamp to my gear list. Makes sense to bring them, even if I don't plan on using them (they'll still end up getting some use one way or another).

Updated my pack as well, already cleaning my old pack and putting it up for sale.