Gear Shakedown: March 3rd 2019 NOBO Start

[cmarshall099]

I did see that. I don't get it! is that 2 lbs of food per day equalling 8 lbs or 2 lbs for teh entire 4 days.

It's 2 lbs for 4 days. (I have since changed it to 5 days) if you look to the right the quantity for food is 5 so 2lbs x 5 days. I also added an approximate weight of two full smart water bottles. Still not sure if that will be enough water.

[fastfoxengineering]

It's 2 lbs for 4 days. (I have since changed it to 5 days) if you look to the right the quantity for food is 5 so 2lbs x 5 days. I also added an approximate weight of two full smart water bottles. Still not sure if that will be enough water.

On the AT, I rarely carried more than a liter of water. Georgia in the spring, there's water everywhere. I didnt carry any water. PA and NY was a different story.

If you make it a point to drink plentifully at water sources, you really dont need to carry much. Maybe half a liter to keep your pallet wet.

If you find yourself carrying extra water all day... well adjust accordingly. 2lbs of dead weight is alot.

Your gonna have a harder time dialing in water and food if your still dialing in gear. Its a natural progression. After getting my kit down to about 6.5lbs... i then stopped. Reassessed. And said... i could go lower but.. if i dont put much effort into consumables ill just sabotage my low base weight.





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[Dogwood]

It's 2 lbs for 4 days. (I have since changed it to 5 days) if you look to the right the quantity for food is 5 so 2lbs x 5 days. I also added an approximate weight of two full smart water bottles. Still not sure if that will be enough water.

I'm either very impressed in that you can function off .5 lbs food/day or you're kidding yourself you're going to maintain that....If you think you can maintain that on a LD hike of the AT 's length I'm all ears. Do tell.


As far as pack size you'll evolve, weather will become milder, as said, you'll get into the Thru hike groove. This typically has the consequences of requiring a lower volume hopefully lighter wt backpack. Consider your current OHM 2 option in that light. Sucks having a hauler too large and overly heavy for the load...and the resupplying approach...during summer...when needs change. When you hit this AT NOBO you'll likely be carrying the most complex, heaviest, and bulkiest collection of stuff than at any other time in the hike.

[QiWiz]

You can cut almost a pound to leave the Crocs at home. Nice to have, but heavy. I find if I just loosen up my laces, my hiking shoes work fine as camp shoes. If shoes get wet (which they will), I have plastic bags to keep the wet shoe away from my dry socks in camp. YMMV.

[kevperro]

I agree with leaving the Crocs at home and I prefer Frog Toggs for my normal PNW hiking in rain and I own the Marmot Precip too. It breaths better and the outer layer doesn't wet-out eventually when the DWR wears off. Frog Toggs are disposable but I find them perfect for anything but bushwhacking.

But you are close enough. You will find out what items you need and what you don't in the first month.

[cmarshall099]

You can cut almost a pound to leave the Crocs at home. Nice to have, but heavy. I find if I just loosen up my laces, my hiking shoes work fine as camp shoes. If shoes get wet (which they will), I have plastic bags to keep the wet shoe away from my dry socks in camp. YMMV.

You know I was looking at how heavy they are and thinking I could go lighter. But I'm not sure exactly; I like the idea of having a sandal like shoe where I can let my feet breathe when I'm walking around camp. I also head of people using them for river crossings. Not sure how many of those I encounter but it seems like a good idea so I'm not hiking the rest of the day in soaked shoes. It might be one of those things I send home after awhile but I think I'll start with them unless I find something lighter.

[cmarshall099]

I agree with leaving the Crocs at home and I prefer Frog Toggs for my normal PNW hiking in rain and I own the Marmot Precip too. It breaths better and the outer layer doesn't wet-out eventually when the DWR wears off. Frog Toggs are disposable but I find them perfect for anything but bushwhacking.

But you are close enough. You will find out what items you need and what you don't in the first month.

I can't decide on Frog Togs or no Togs! The weight difference seems like a huge win but I feel the Precip will keep me warmer especially with my earlier start. Maybe I'll pick up a pair and see how she is. For only twenty bucks it's not a huge loss.

[kevperro]

I can't decide on Frog Togs or no Togs! The weight difference seems like a huge win but I feel the Precip will keep me warmer especially with my earlier start. Maybe I'll pick up a pair and see how she is. For only twenty bucks it's not a huge loss.

I wouldn't stress....either one will work. And your start weight is low enough. You will trim and adjust as you go. Having a few extras at kick-off isn't going to matter.

[cmarshall099]

I'm either very impressed in that you can function off .5 lbs food/day or you're kidding yourself you're going to maintain that....If you think you can maintain that on a LD hike of the AT 's length I'm all ears. Do tell.


As far as pack size you'll evolve, weather will become milder, as said, you'll get into the Thru hike groove. This typically has the consequences of requiring a lower volume hopefully lighter wt backpack. Consider your current OHM 2 option in that light. Sucks having a hauler too large and overly heavy for the load...and the resupplying approach...during summer...when needs change. When you hit this AT NOBO you'll likely be carrying the most complex, heaviest, and bulkiest collection of stuff than at any other time in the hike.

Sorry for the confusion. I have 2lbs of food PER DAY. In my link I have 160 ounces for 5 days. If I can, I will try and shoot for a resupply every 4 days to save on weight but I'm planing for some long hauls. The same goes for water. I generally drink quite a bit of water which is why I've listed carrying two liters but if there's alot of sources for the day I'll probably "camel up" and carry very little.

[cmarshall099]

On the AT, I rarely carried more than a liter of water. Georgia in the spring, there's water everywhere. I didnt carry any water. PA and NY was a different story.

If you make it a point to drink plentifully at water sources, you really dont need to carry much. Maybe half a liter to keep your pallet wet.

If you find yourself carrying extra water all day... well adjust accordingly. 2lbs of dead weight is alot.

Your gonna have a harder time dialing in water and food if your still dialing in gear. Its a natural progression. After getting my kit down to about 6.5lbs... i then stopped. Reassessed. And said... i could go lower but.. if i dont put much effort into consumables ill just sabotage my low base weight.





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Wow great point!! Your absolutely right. I don't know how much food I'll need to keep me sustained and I'll hopefully figure that out quickly. I generally drink quite a bit of water throughout the day so I can see myself carrying at least a liter pretty much all the time but like you said I'll adjust when i get out there. Thanks for your feed back!!

[Dogwood]

Sorry for the confusion. I have 2lbs of food PER DAY. In my link I have 160 ounces for 5 days. If I can, I will try and shoot for a resupply every 4 days to save on weight but I'm planing for some long hauls. The same goes for water. I generally drink quite a bit of water which is why I've listed carrying two liters but if there's alot of sources for the day I'll probably "camel up" and carry very little.

By far the heaviest and bulkiest single category of anything in your entire pack will be 2 lbs of food X 4-5 days. It's my illusion if you want to go with a lighter wt and lower volume backpack - the OHM 2 verse something like a Circuit - and lower wt and bulk kit that's THE primary category to focus on NOT CROCS, NOT Frogg Toggs, NOT any other piece of gear.

Fastfox knows it.

On the AT, I rarely carried more than a liter of water. Georgia in the spring, there's water everywhere. I didnt carry any water. PA and NY was a different story.

If you make it a point to drink plentifully at water sources, you really dont need to carry much. Maybe half a liter to keep your pallet wet.

If you find yourself carrying extra water all day... well adjust accordingly. 2lbs of dead weight is alot.

Your gonna have a harder time dialing in water and food if your still dialing in gear. Its a natural progression. After getting my kit down to about 6.5lbs... i then stopped. Reassessed. And said... i could go lower but.. if i dont put much effort into consumables ill just sabotage my low base weight.

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It's common, very common, to get caught up in gear wts and bulk endlessly chatting about it and over anal-yzing it and buying buying buying stuff, when on multiple day hikes the most common bulkiest and weightiest category of all is food. AND, it's easy to decrease the wt and bulk through logistical approaches - like resupplying more often -, repackaging, choosing less bulkier foods, having other nutritional standards that go beyond narrowly focusing on cal/oz ratios, and backpacking in an energy and calorically conservative approach knowing when to expend more calories/energy and when to ratchet back energy/caloric input.

[Dogwood]

Of all the things one can do on a LD hike to reduce wt and bulk one of the most useful approaches that could be used by the masses is reducing consumable wt and bulk...especially by NB LD hikers. Yet, what happens...gear...as if gear is where it's always at.

[QiWiz]

You know I was looking at how heavy they are and thinking I could go lighter. But I'm not sure exactly; I like the idea of having a sandal like shoe where I can let my feet breathe when I'm walking around camp. I also head of people using them for river crossings. Not sure how many of those I encounter but it seems like a good idea so I'm not hiking the rest of the day in soaked shoes. It might be one of those things I send home after awhile but I think I'll start with them unless I find something lighter.

So carry the crocs and see how much you really like having them. Easy to give away or send home. Personally, I'd rather cross streams barefoot than carry crocs. This need for stream crossing shoes does not arise as much as you might think.

[LazyLightning]

This is my favorite camp shoe. It dries super quick, could even wipe it dry. Great for river crossings or if there's a wet section of trail when it's mainly dry, just swap shoes real quick. Perfect for camp and these are so light, a fraction the weight of crocs. You could even hike in them in a jam, just be careful for anything sharp puncturing through. They don't pack well but they are so light they could be attached anywhere on the outside of your pack.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/redh...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Brewguy]

The pad you have is not really a winter pad. Don't you need a much higher R value, closer to 5, and I think your pad is just over 1. The cold ground is a big problem.

[JC13]

You know I was looking at how heavy they are and thinking I could go lighter. But I'm not sure exactly; I like the idea of having a sandal like shoe where I can let my feet breathe when I'm walking around camp. I also head of people using them for river crossings. Not sure how many of those I encounter but it seems like a good idea so I'm not hiking the rest of the day in soaked shoes. It might be one of those things I send home after awhile but I think I'll start with them unless I find something lighter.

Check out the USA Dawgs UL shoe, half the weight of crocs and can be found for 10-20 dollars.

[scope]

Camp shoes and bag liner are dubious. A liner is good for keeping a bag clean, makes a lot less difference with a quilt. Only 20 degrees? Is it xtra wide? Seems a bit heavy for a 20 EE quilt (by like an ounce). You may want a summer weight quilt at some point, and maybe in apex instead of down. Won't save you any weight, though.

Worn clothing - weights are funny, but should this even be in the mix? And how about poles? If you're including worn clothing, seems like you should include poles. Not that I would include, just making sure you're taking poles.

Pack cover? Packa is a great solution, but you already have a precip which will make a nice shell on the GW for a little extra warmth which you'll likely need, and adding a pack cover shouldn't be much.

Pack - I have a CDT for truly lightweight trips, and I use a Catalyst for everything else. I've carried the latter around with 20 lbs because it was all insulation which could've been compressed to fit in an Ohm, but in all honesty, why compress it. The Catalyst really does carry it all with an ease that I prefer. That said, sounds like a Circuit is a better fit. But not the Ohm.

[kevperro]

So carry the crocs and see how much you really like having them. Easy to give away or send home. Personally, I'd rather cross streams barefoot than carry crocs. This need for stream crossing shoes does not arise as much as you might think.

Yea... I don't remember ever getting my feet wet via stream crossing.

And when I get my boots wet it doesn't particularly bother me unless it is going to freeze at night. Frozen boots are no fun but during most of the hiking season, I could care less if I have to wade through a stream.

Carrying an extra pair of footwear would be a PIA.

[cmarshall099]

The pad you have is not really a winter pad. Don't you need a much higher R value, closer to 5, and I think your pad is just over 1. The cold ground is a big problem.

Your right I tested it out about a month ago and was pretty chilled halfway through the night. I'm in the market for a thermarest xlite now. R value is just above 3 I believe. Thoughts?

[CalebJ]

The x lite would be a much better choice.