Critique my gearlist, please!

[Moxie00]

I've not only thru hiked but done alot of extended trips in the west and southwest. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes but my answere are based on my personel prefrences and things I've seen fellow hikers use.
Gregory-good choice, I started out with an LL Bean, bought a Gregory in Damascus. Now use a Lowe Alpine, (fits my frame size better)
Tent; Consider the LL Bean lite stuff solo. Cheap, light, and a bug screen.
Bag, okey
The Stuff comes with alominum stakes, very light-I must have found a dozen stakes at camp sites along the AT.
Silk Liner- forget it, you don't need it.
Thermarest, started out with one, developed slow leak, couldn't find it. much prefer closed cel I bought to replace it.
Use your pack cover and forget the compactor bags. A good cover keeps everything in your pack dry.
alcohol stove is an excellent choice, I left my wind screen in a hiker box as unnecessary extra gear.
Two Smartwool lasted me Ga to Me and I still have them, Never backpack with smartwools without liners, I went the distance without a single blister or hot spot, without the liners I get both.
Rainjacket, get a set of FroggsToggs. I sent my goretex jacket and rainpants home. Toggs don't need treatment when washing, are much lighter and very durable, breathable, wind and waterproof and dirt cheap.
I took one pair if light fleese gloves.
One long sleeve wicking shirt is all you need, forget the silk top. Long underware bottoms are good, the wicking long sleeve is the only top you will need. No tee shirt but a short sleeve button shirt lets in air and I prefered it on hot days.
I prefer a light fleese pullover, get good quality.
I carried swim trunks as back up shorts and to wear in town while I did my laundry.
Rainpants, see FroggsToggs
Balaclava, leave it home, get a fleese hat.
crocs okey,
gaiters, don't leave home without them, when you hike in the rain they keep watter out of your boots and are great in the mud and snow you are bound to run into.
what is a greesepot? if I don't know what it is you don't need it.
A lexan spoon is all you need, (I had two)
Soda bottle my choice for fuel bottle.
Duct tape on hiking pole, way I did it.
ditto note pad
Old pepsi bottle good for water, I also had two collapasable nalgene water bags, (2 liter)
Forget the baby wipes, purill or any alcohol sanitizer works well with your bandana.
A half roll of toilet paper in a zip lock bag worked for me.
Don't need a cup, sent mine home.
Don't carry deet and sunscreen until you need them, purchase them when they become necessary. Same with lip balm,
I didn't need foot powder but it is nice.
I found a small bar of 100% Ivory soap in a zip lock more convient than Dr. Bronners or liquid camp soap.
Add a tube of hydrocortisone to first aid kit, you will get a rash from time to time.
Get a Swiss Army Knife, it does everything for the weight.
Headlamp, I have several, prefer the Tika Plus
Rope is good, light nylon best. Carry a cheap carabena to hang pack.
Use rechargeable batteries, carry two spares and charge them at hostels, A small charger weighs very little. Use in camera and headlamp,
A small camera on your backpack strap will keep your camera close at hand. Often great photo ops come up quickly and you don't want to fiddle for your camera. A whistle should also be on your pack shoulder strap. Forget the earplugs, you will be tired enough to sleep through anything or can improvise ear plugs. I carried several safety pins on my pack and used them to hold socks and underware to dry while I hiked.
Vitamins, and meds, don't leave home without them.
You need ID, cash, travelers checks, also have at least $2 in change as you may find a soda machine at a road or trail crossing and want a cold drink, Photocopy the pages of the data book and companion and mail just the pages you need for the section you are on to yourself.
You shouldn't need the compass, I sent mine home. The sun will tell you which way is north or south and that is all yoiu need to know. Just follow the blazes, If you are northbound east is right and west is left.
I love hiking poles.
A final word, if everyone hasd the same preferences Ben and Jerry would only hsve to make one flavor. What I outlined worked for me but may not work so well for you. Good luck and I hope to see you in Maine, I maintain a section of the trail here and also spend alot of time hiking on it.

[mweinstone]

i just read everything concerning menstral cup holders!

[mindi]

thank you all again for the suggestions, especially for your detailed list, Moxie! Working a lot lately..(unfortunately the gear and the hike aren't going to pay for themselves..) so I haven't had a chance to rework my list yet as far as clothes, etc. but I will post updates to the list and also let you all know weights,what I replaced/ditched, etc. after I get it all and do some hiking with it. Thanks again, everyone!
mindi

[mindi]

Here is my updated clothing list...I found many of these items on closeout online, so nothing is over $20 (a lot of it is much less)...I haven't purchased any of it yet though, since I wanted to wait for a little feedback first. I really haven't changed much other than eliminating the long sleeved lightweight top and going for synthetic base layers instead of silk. Anyway, here it is...thanks for your help, everyone!
Lightweight wicking long underwear bottoms-1 pair
1 short sleeve wicking top
Expedition weight long underwear-one each top and bottom
Rainpants
shorts (mesh or swim trunks)
Fleece jacket
Rainjacket
Balaclava
3 pairs smartwool socks
still not sure about gloves.

I'm actually really debating if I'm going to need the rainpants or not. Somehow I have a feeling I'd end up hardly using them except for when I'm doing laundry in town.
I'm also considering the Coleman Inyo Solo tent. I've contacted them for more information about their return/exchange policy before I buy it though, so I can try it out and see how I like it first. The price is right and with a little trimming I can get the weight down, another female hiker I talked to used the older version of this tent on a thru and loved it but I really have to take it out and sleep in it before I know if it's for me.
I did my first long dayhike last week through the Big Cypress Swamp and my cheapo poles performed beautifully, as did the smartwools! I thought they'd be trashed with all the mud, but after I hosed them down and ran them through the wash they were as good as new.
Hopefully I am going to have all or nearly all of my gear by the end of March/early April, then I'm going to weigh it, trim it, and test it out.
I also had someone ask me the other day what my 'luxury item' was going to be. I hadn't thought about it much. What kind of luxury items do all of you carry, if you did? I am thinking about a small radio with earbuds or a bird book, but I'm not sure. I've heard conflicting reports about radio reception on the AT but I'd probably only use it in my tent at night.
Thanks again for help and suggestions..
Mindi

[Jack Tarlin]

My luxury items:

*A book, sometimes a large one.
*Bourbon
*Extra fresh fruit
*A 2-person tent

By the way, your list is coming along well. Bring gloves of some sort; you almost certainly will run into sleet or snow with a late-March start.

[simplehiker]

The grease pot is way over hyped. It is a germ magnet with his curled lip! If you want to be guaranteed to get some type of gut bug cook something other then water in this pot. A good cooking pot is a nice place to splurge after saving money on other items.

Think about what you will be cooking and how you cooking after a month or two on the trail. You will most likely be cooking more gooey complex meals then being satisfied with water boil only meals. A non-stick coating is a must in my opinion if you are only carrying 1 cook-able pot.

Search around the mainstream hiker online retail then start looking at the small independent stores. I am sure you will be able to find a nice nonstick Ti pot you will be happy with.

[Seeker]

The grease pot is way over hyped. It is a germ magnet with his curled lip! If you want to be guaranteed to get some type of gut bug cook something other then water in this pot. A good cooking pot is a nice place to splurge after saving money on other items.

Think about what you will be cooking and how you cooking after a month or two on the trail. You will most likely be cooking more gooey complex meals then being satisfied with water boil only meals. A non-stick coating is a must in my opinion if you are only carrying 1 cook-able pot.

Search around the mainstream hiker online retail then start looking at the small independent stores. I am sure you will be able to find a nice nonstick Ti pot you will be happy with.

you can cut the lip off with a pair of decent tin snips and then file the edge down flat... works great!

[simplehiker]

you can cut the lip off with a pair of decent tin snips and then file the edge down flat... works great!

It takes a lot of work and some skill to do this correctly. I have done it and I have seen others. As simple as it is to some, cutting and filing metal is not a common skill for most. Most of the time it makes just a different place to store food bits. The lip curl also gives the grease pot stability. For all that work and one ugly, highly stick pan I think its worth the cost to just buy a good pot. And then you can have nice light weight lid and a actual handle.

And I don't want to seem over germ-a-phobe but I happen to think most trail sickness is due to poor hiker hygiene such as failure to wash hands and pots as opposed to over-hyped water purification concerns.

Sorry for the thread hijack with my anti-grease pot rants.

[mindi]

The Kmart greasepot does not have the lip that turns inward like the Walmart pot, so I'm going to go with that if I don't get a Titanium pot. Thanks for the tips, everyone.
Mindi

[simplehiker]

The Kmart greasepot does not have the lip that turns inward like the Walmart pot, so I'm going to go with that if I don't get a Titanium pot. Thanks for the tips, everyone.
Mindi

Wow, learn something new every day. Didn't know kmart has a pot.. sweet. Well I will be of to the big K tonight to check it out.

[Programbo]

LOL..I`m tempted to post what I would commonly carry on a month long (Or longer) trip back in the early-mid 70`s just for yuks...But I think it`s better to train alittle harder and be able to carry the extra few pounds than it is to have to go without or rough it for that long

[Seeker]

It takes a lot of work and some skill to do this correctly. I have done it and I have seen others. As simple as it is to some, cutting and filing metal is not a common skill for most.

hmm... you might be right... i'm pretty handy... others might not be... thanks for reminding me of that...

still good to find out that kmart has one without the lip...

[sdoownek]

what is a greesepot? if I don't know what it is you don't need it.

Wow. For not being able to spell or maintain a hold on decent written communication, you're an arrogant bastard.

[sdoownek]

I'm with B-Jack; my luxury is a flask of Makers Mark.