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  1. #21
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf View Post
    Ego.


    ........
    This! We hike all the time, year 'round, tough trails, we consider ourselves (my wife and I) a couple of very experienced and strong hikers, with a nice lightweight kit... thought the AT would be a piece of cake. Not! Kicked my butt in places, but got 'er done. Humbling experience! Doing it again for my wife's benefit (she was with me about 300 miles of first AT), but this time a bit more mentally prepared...

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by swjohnsey View Post
    A small MP3 player/radio that uses batteries.
    Me too. So much easier than a larger more complicated device that has so many things in one to listen to umpteen music and audio books with AAA Li batteries that also match a headlamp.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteelCut View Post
    There is a reason the AT is called The Green Tunnel. Leave them at home. Instead bring a USB battery backup that you can re-charge when you go into town for resupply.
    don't they have solar chargers that can also be charged by a power source? .... I haven't looked around much yet but I'm pretty sure my buddy has something like that but maybe they aren't as efficient as a regular usb battery back up?

    I was thinking it'd be nice to have the solar if needed even though I'm not expecting much sun charging, as long as it can also be charged by a power source.

  4. #24

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    What I sent home: candles and extra batteries for my flashlight (I went to bed at dark and rarely got up in the night, so one set of batteries lasted the whole trail.)

    What i acquired: a 2 gallon water bag, to carry water from springs to where I was camped. That became essential when it got hotter and I wanted to wash up away from the water source and also when springs were 1/2 mile down from the ridge. I don't know if they even make the kind I used, but it was my best on-trail purchase.

    What I didn't acquire but should have: hiking pole or poles. My knees were trashed from my first two thruhikes. I didn't start using a pole until a few years later.

  5. #25
    Registered User KDogg's Avatar
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    Don't take anything that is redundant to your smart phone. So...no camera (unless you are a camera guru), get guthooks for maps, no music player, etc. I sent most of my awol guide home, sent a camera home, sent a music player home. No solar panel (and no stove with usb charger...dumb), get a 10,000 mAh battery and learn how to keep it charged (easy to do). Definitely hiking poles and learn how to use them properly (watch videos on youtube). Make a homemade water scoop (out of a small bottled water container)(folks will be borrowing it from you). As some have already said, go ultralight if you possibly can. You will not get used to a heavy pack. It will be as heavy at the end as it is at the start.

  6. #26

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    For my 1st AT thru hike (1977) We ditched the $5 tube tent and bought a $20 pup tent at K-mart. Kept the bugs out much better.
    The only other thing I remember was that we should have never brought travelers checks.
    They got wet and the word "VOID" showed up on them once they did.
    That created a few problems.

    Other than that, we didn't really take anything extra as we had been trained by someone who knew that weight would be a big problem.
    (but once our Optimus stove blew up from using unleaded fuel, instead of Coleman, we had to build fires the rest of the way)

    Things I've found on the trail: climbing rope, big bag of carrots, sombrero.
    Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by KDogg View Post
    ... a homemade water scoop (out of a small bottled water container)(folks will be borrowing it from you)...
    you might be surprised how valuable this little thing can be; I used a cutoff Dasani bottle that my Smartwater bottle fit inside. Can't tell you how many times it was borrowed :-) Definitely comes in handy.

  8. #28
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LazyLightning View Post
    don't they have solar chargers that can also be charged by a power source? .... I haven't looked around much yet but I'm pretty sure my buddy has something like that but maybe they aren't as efficient as a regular usb battery back up?
    I was thinking it'd be nice to have the solar if needed even though I'm not expecting much sun charging, as long as it can also be charged by a power source.
    Think about that for just a moment.
    It works the other way around. The solar panel charges a battery that can charge your devices. The same kind of battery that you can charge whenever you find an outlet.
    Solar panels work best west of the Mississippi. The sun works better out there. Wayne
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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  9. #29
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goingforalittlewalk View Post
    I've just started emptying my bag after a hike.....and relies I carry alot of pointless things...
    Like the tupperware idea. ..been looking for a screw top beaker that would fit inside my cook pot.. can't find anything
    What size pot do you have?
    What size beaker are you looking for?
    I buy these at The Container Store, or at their online shop. One fits in a Snow Peak 750 ml titanium cup. 8 ounce. Leak proof!
    https://www.containerstore.com/s/pre...803&q=preserve
    Wayne
    Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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  10. #30

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    Some good ideas to take...

    Solar panels. . I like not needing to head to town... getting a 10.000 power bank.. (small solar panels with built-in battery.. never work well for me)

    I have my visa interview 9th Jan. ..if ok will be flying from UK to JFK to Atlanta the rest is still in planing lol

    Tarp.. with hammock.. I've spent a few days under one, only problem are wet lines....
    I've just hiked in Scotland and use the tarp as a tent with trekking pole.. worked well.
    Just got a small mp3 player off amazon £12, miro usb charger.
    I'm working on my water filter setup...
    I have a sawyer mini... but Ive read people bump them and get the squeeze because of water flow... I normally just fill a bottle and squeeze that... but I know it takes ages... so I might get a new one...

    (It's Christmas day.. so merry Christmas. .thermal top is off my list.lol)

  11. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    What size pot do you have?
    What size beaker are you looking for?
    I buy these at The Container Store, or at their online shop. One fits in a Snow Peak 750 ml titanium cup. 8 ounce. Leak proof!
    https://www.containerstore.com/s/pre...803&q=preserve
    Wayne
    I have a 800ml 10x10mm pot.. and I wanted a tub to fit in when not in use. . But I'm now going with a bottle. .. I like pasta sauce and will transfer from the glass jar and take a tubawere tub... keep things in.. swap out for food storage.

  12. #32
    Registered User Elaikases's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Koozy View Post
    Wish I invested in ultralight gear the first time around. After even a few hundred miles, it was easy to rationalize the extra money would have been worth eliminating the discomfort of the extra weight.
    Especially a lighter rain jacket, lighter sleeping bag, and lighter pack.

    Wouldn't have brought anything more than a 1 liter water bottle and 1 liter bladder for water storage.

    Wish I had brought a trowel, and had not depended on the privies. There was a time or 2 when I felt ashamed of my cathole efforts.

    Wish I packed more premade food out of towns. A good sandwich, burrito or precooked meat in a tupperware can last for days, and is way more appetizing that the typical backpacker diet. Lived by that on the PCT.

    Wish I didn't bring an extra shirt. Mastering the system of layers and maintaining dry clothes for camp was key.

    I'm sure more would come to mind if I kept thinking about it....
    I've found a number of times I was glad to have three liters of water. I'm beginning to think it is really a matter of seasons and luck. I've met people who were halfway through and only carrying one liter (in early April. I was on a section hike and the fastest of the early starts were starting to overlap us).

  13. #33
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Goingforalittlewalk View Post
    I have a 800ml 10x10mm pot.. and I wanted a tub to fit in when not in use. . But I'm now going with a bottle. .. I like pasta sauce and will transfer from the glass jar and take a tubawere tub... keep things in.. swap out for food storage.
    Okay. I use the container I linked to instead of Tupperware. The screw on lid doesn’t leak. I suppose 8 ounces might not be enough capacity.
    Good luck!
    Wayne

  14. #34
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    I have been buying ultra light gear in order to justify one big weight. Lots of zpack stuff. But I have a 1 pound 8 ounce CPAP machine and a 3 pound 4 ounce lithium 54000 mAh portable power charger to keep it going. If I could leave it behind I would, but of course I have to be able to sleep.

  15. #35
    Registered User KDogg's Avatar
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    I'm chuckling a bit about the solar panel "debate". They do not work on the A.T. If you bring them you will either be leaving them in a hiker box or sending them home. Seriously, how many times do folks need to be told this? I didn't use sunscreen (I normally need to) after the first few weeks when the trees filled in.

  16. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by Flakes View Post
    I have been buying ultra light gear in order to justify one big weight. Lots of zpack stuff. But I have a 1 pound 8 ounce CPAP machine and a 3 pound 4 ounce lithium 54000 mAh portable power charger to keep it going. If I could leave it behind I would, but of course I have to be able to sleep.
    Not for sure what your weight situation is, but when some people loose weight they no longer need the CPAP machine. Perhaps something you might be able to send home part of the way up the trail. Just something to keep in mind.
    The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
    Richard Ewell, CSA General


  17. #37
    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
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    I took a nice Anker double panel solar charger with me in the HMW. Never had enough sunshine or time enough in the sunlight to charge anything. Stopped at Caratunk B&B and talked to Paul (Boulder) about it. He confirmed that it was pretty useless on the AT, but if I ever hiked the PCT, it would useful.

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flakes View Post
    I have been buying ultra light gear in order to justify one big weight. Lots of zpack stuff. But I have a 1 pound 8 ounce CPAP machine and a 3 pound 4 ounce lithium 54000 mAh portable power charger to keep it going. If I could leave it behind I would, but of course I have to be able to sleep.
    Mandibular Advancement Device!!

    They may not work for you, but they apparently work as well as a CPAP for about 1/2 the people otherwise on CPAP. I've had great luck with mine. Took some time to get used to, just like the CPAP, but with mine, I traveled in Europe for three weeks this summer with no sleep apnea issues. It was shocking and amazing how well it worked.

    Talk to you dentist about one or live dangerously and buy one off the internet and try it out so see if it works for you. A MAD is small enough to fit in your mouth and only about 2 or 3 oz, much smaller and lighter than a CPAP.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by nsherry61 View Post
    Mandibular Advancement Device!!

    They may not work for you, but they apparently work as well as a CPAP for about 1/2 the people otherwise on CPAP. I've had great luck with mine. Took some time to get used to, just like the CPAP, but with mine, I traveled in Europe for three weeks this summer with no sleep apnea issues. It was shocking and amazing how well it worked.

    Talk to you dentist about one or live dangerously and buy one off the internet and try it out so see if it works for you. A MAD is small enough to fit in your mouth and only about 2 or 3 oz, much smaller and lighter than a CPAP.
    As a 10 year CPAP user, I completely agree with this. While researching portable CPAP machines, I discovered MADs and have been using it while camping and some at home. I bought a Pure Sleep brand devise and like it.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

  20. #40

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    I've been using Sawyer filters for a while.

    Started with a squeeze. Busted the seams on three Bags. Then let it freeze. Got 3 seasons out of that filter.

    Mini came out. Used it on the Long Trail. Hated every second of it. Used in conjunction with smart water bottles. Reduced flow rate and need to backflush so often slowed me down and took way too much effort as a thru hiker.

    Bought another full size squeeze. Use with smart water bottles and evernew bags.

    Made a DIY gravity setup for it. And for the low additional weight of the gravity system, I don't think I could leave it home on a long hike. It's really not that much extra kit and makes filtering water a break rather than a chore.

    So for me. Gravity setup

    However my inner gram weenie cringes at this cause I know I could just filter on the go straight from the water bottle but that system has it's down sides as well. Mainly unscrewing/screwing the filter a million times a day to let air back in the bottle

    Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

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