Long Gear List w/ Details - Please Review

[Tully]

Big Four
GoLite Pinnacle Pack 2009 (medium) - 32 oz.
Therma-Rest 3 Short w/ cover - 14 oz.
Go Lite Shangri-La 1 Shelter - 17.1 oz.
GoLite Shangri-La 1 Shelter Floor - 10.3 oz.
GoLite Shangri-La Stakes (6) - 3.5 oz.
GoLite Adrenaline 20 degree down - 29 oz.
TOTAL: 52.9 oz.

Clothing on Body
DeFeet Socks (1 pair) - 2.8 oz.
GoLite RidgeRunner Shorts - 5 oz.
Vasque Velocity VST Orange w/ Superfeet - 15 oz.
Patagonia Active Boxer Briefs - 1.8 oz.
Salomon Trail Runner Zip Tech T-Shirt (White) - 4.9 oz.
Leki Cor-Tec Super Makalu SLS Poles - 21 oz.
High Gear Multifunction Watch - 2.4 oz.
TOTAL: 78.2 oz.

Additional Clothing
SmartWool Socks (2 pairs) - 6.4 oz.
Patagonia Capilene 3 Zip Top - 4.5 oz.
Patagonia Capilene 3 Long Underwear Bottom - 5.9 oz.
Patagonia Active Boxer Briefs - 1.8 oz.
Main Jacket - GoLite Phantom (Waterproof) - 13 oz.
Main Fleece - North Face Denali Fleece - 15.2 oz.
Mountain Hardware Talus Trek Pants (Waterproof) - 13 oz.
Mountain Hardware Talus Trek Shorts (Waterproof) - 8.4 oz.
GoLite Drimove Short Sleeve (very lightweight - 2 shirts) - 2 oz.
GoLite Drimove Long-Sleeve (very lightweight - 2 shirts) - 4.6 oz.
OR Low Gaiters - 3.4 oz.
TOTAL: 78.2 oz.

Winter Clothing
SmartWool Liners - 3 oz.
Mountain Hardware Hat - 2.3 oz.
TOTAL: 5.3 oz.

Hydration
Platypus Bottle 2.0 L - 1.4 oz.
Platypus Bladder - 3.0 L (empty) - 6.4 oz.
Platypus CleanStream Filtration System - 4 L - 14.3 oz.
TOTAL: 21.9 oz.

Cooking Supplies/Food
REI TiWare Frying Pan - .4 L (used as cover) - 2.9 oz.
REI TiWare Pot - .9 L - 4.1 oz.
Alcohol Cooking Stove (homemade tuna can) - 1 oz.
Heat Shields (top & bottom) - 1.7 oz.
Gatorade Bottle 20 oz. (for gas) - 1.7 oz.
TiWare Mug - 2.5 oz.
TOTAL: 13.9 oz.

Electronics
iPod 30 GB Black (music, audiobooks, & language tapes) - 5.3 oz.
iPod Charger - 4.2 oz.
Canon PowerShot Elph SD750 w/ battery and card - 5.1 oz.
2 extra camera batteries - 1.3 oz.
Canon Camera Charger - 2 oz.
LowePro Ridge 30 Camera Case - 2.8 oz.
Digital Recorder (w/ cover + batteries) - 2.6 oz.
Petzl - Tikka XP Headlamp w/ 3 AAA batteries - 3.3 oz.
(7) AAA Batteries - 2.8 oz.
TracPhone - 3.2 oz.
TracPhone Battery - 2.4 oz.
TOTAL: 35 oz.

Accessories
Eagle Creek Airplane Earplugs - .2 oz.
Crocs Cayman Orange - 13 oz.
Toilet Paper - 3 oz.
Debit Card, Credit Card, Drivers License, $200 - .8 oz.
Thru-Hikers Companion (2008) - 9.5 oz.
Two Lighters - 1.2 oz.
Sea to Summit Ultralight Pack Cover Medium (50-70 li) - 3.9 oz.
Gerber Pocketknife - 1.7 oz.
REI TiWare Long Handle Spoon - .4 oz.
Compass - 1 oz.
TOTAL: 34.7 oz.

Toiletries
Mouth Retainer - .8 oz.
Toothpaste - 1 oz.
Toothbrush - .6 oz.
TOTAL: 2.4 oz.

First-Aid Kit
1 gauze pad, 5 bandaids - .4 oz.
Small Ace Bandage - 1.2 oz.
Body Glide - 1.1 oz.
Baby Powder - 1 oz.
Foot Powder - 1.1 oz.
Rubbing Alcohol - 1.3 oz.
Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Padding - .4 oz.
25 Q-tips - .4 oz.
20 advil, 4 tums, 6 immodiums - 1 oz.
Neosporin - 1 oz.
TOTAL: 8.9 oz.

GRAND TOTAL: 359.1 oz.; 22 lbs. 7.1 oz.

Total Weight on Body: 52.9 oz.; 3 lbs. 4.9 oz.
Total Pack Weight w/o Food and Water: 306.2 oz.; 19 lbs. 2.2 oz.

[Biloxi]

looks like a good list buddy..only thing I didn't see was gloves..but I may have missed them..but looks great..you made some great choices..nice total weight

[Tully]

Dear all,

Brace yourself for a long post and thank you for taking the time to read it. I am hitting Springer on April 11. 12 months ago, my pack weight was 33 lbs; it is now down to 19 lbs. After going on a few very long distance day hikes (on flat land), I realized that if I want to make it past the first few weeks, then I had to cut back on my pack weight. I didn’t want to become a minimalist, but I did think that dropping pack weight would help me out considerably. Please let me know if I am missing any critical items or you have any suggestions as to what I absolutely do not need. I was lucky enough to find many of these items through close-outs and other deals.

Please see my comments below:

Pack: New ’09 Pinnacle has much better back support than the old version. Lightweight.
Therma Rest 3: Short version, but I’ll put my pack underneath my feet.
GoLite Shelter: Lightweight and will set it up with my trekking poles.
Sleeping Bag: Great down sleeping bag. Lightweight.

Footwear: Vasque Velocity VST. I’ve gone back and forth between trail runners and hiking boots. I’ve had two ankle surgeries from playing soccer in college and my ankles have proven to be a bit frail at times. While wearing hiking boots, I’ve noticed that they actually constrict the movement of my ankles and, for some reason, it actually makes my ankles hurt. While using trail runners, they are free and open with no problems – but, they are much more prone to overturning my ankle. I’ve even tried the mid-hiking boots and the mid-hiking shoes. These Vasque shoes seem to be great, although I didn’t opt for the Gore-Tex version; I’ve heard that having these will make the shoes heavy and that the GoreTex is done for when you step in a deep puddle anyway. Hopefully, these will dry out much faster.

Winter Clothing: As I am starting a little bit late, I should be able to send the cap and gloves back home when I hit Damascus (or even before) and then receive them again in VT/NH.

Hydration: I will have a 2.0 L Platypus bottle and a 3.0 L Platypus bladder. I’ve also gone with the CleanStream Gravity Filtration system. It filters 4.0 L in less than 3 minutes. I wasn’t a big fan of the pumps before and I’m not sure that I will like the AquaMira tablets that many people are taking. My two concerns for the filter that I have are that the filter will #1 freeze (although I’m leaving late and I don’t think that this will happen) or #2 will break. I will be able to sleep with it to keep it from freezing and, if it does break, I imagine that someone can help me out until I get to an outfitter. Coming in at 14.3 oz, it is a little bit on the heavy side, but it is incredibly easy to use and the water looks/tastes great.

Cooking Supplies/Food: The frying pan fits nicely overtop of the pot and keeps all of the heat in. This is the sole reason why I would be taking the pan (it’s very lightweight anyway). My main concern here is with the stove selection. I did have an MSR Whisperlite before, which seemed a bit heavy and I wasn’t too keen on carrying the MSR fuel bottle or using white gas. So, I looked into making a stove out of a tuna can. It has seemed to work okay, although it will take much longer for the water to boil. There is also no way to control the flame and it would be difficult to blow out the flame once I’m finished cooking. I’m also guessing that because the flame will be blowing around, the heat will not be concentrated and I will need to use (and carry) more denatured alcohol. Cooking will also be an important piece for me, so I may be altering this one last time, finding something which I am comfortable using. Thoughts?

Electronics: I’m going to get a lot of response for this one. Over 2 lbs. of pure electronics. I’m thinking that my iPod will be my lifesaver at times. I’m sorry, maybe it’s a generational thing. I’m loading it up with music, audiobooks, and language CD’s so that I can listen to them while out on the trail. I will certainly be enjoying the serenity of the outdoors, but I may also want to listen for a bit before calling it a night (and, of course, I will be very respectful to my fellow hikers). I have extra camera batteries for my camera just to make sure that I always have some backup power. I’m actually thinking about ditching my digital recorder for the regular method of using pen and paper. There’s no real need to carry 7 AAA batteries, so I’ll cut back on this – originally, it was for my headlamp and my digital recorder. I will be taking a TracPhone, but I plan to use it ONLY for emergencies or while in town – and even then, it will be very limited.

Accessories – I hear that ear plugs are essential b/c hikers are known to be big-time snorers (guilty!). Crocs will give my weary feet a rest. I could probably just cut out sections of the Thru-Hikers Companion.

So, I’ve skipped over many of the items in my gear list just because they are self-explanatory.

Other items that I will most likely be taking:

Chapstick
Nail clipper
Floss
Safety pin (for blisters)
More Advil
Bandannas (2)
Sunglasses (needed; just had LASIK for the hike)
Pen and notepad

Any suggestions as to what I do not need/what I do still need? Thank you so much for your help! Can’t wait to get out there…

Best, Tully

P.S. Do I absolutely need bear rope for the Smokies and other active bear regions? I’ve heard that they have some ropes or bear proof canisters at some shelters already. If this is an absolute must, should I carry it from the beginning or pick it up along the way? Which sections of the trail would I need it?

[George]

why not carry 20-25 ft of line hang your food bag, clothsline, shoelace etc when the weather warms get rid of more clothing but not the hat morning can be cold anytime and the hat is the lightest item for heat saved. In the first month you will find out what you use daily and what you can do without, no one can guess that now

[GlazeDog]

Looks good to me except too many batteries, too many q-tips, and too much water bladder capacity (9Liters of clean--too much). I'm pretty sure that the gravity filter could be rigged to drip right into your water bladders--That would give you 5 liters--which is plenty. And just so you know -- the 4 liters in 3 minutes is under perfect conditions--once some sediment gets in that filter it will slow down. Live and learn, but a few Aqua Mira tabs as backup may be a easy, lightweight safety to get some clean water just in case.

The list seems really well thought out. Good luck on your thru hike!!!!

[JAK]

Mountain Hardware Talus Trek Pants (Waterproof) - 13 oz.
Mountain Hardware Talus Trek Shorts (Waterproof) - 8.4 oz.

How waterproof are they?
I'm only suggesting maybe they shouldn't be all that 'waterproof'. I wear hiking shorts pretty much everyday. Yeah I know its winter, and I'm in Canada. They aren't exactly waterproof, but they could be a little more breathable I think. I have some Speedo boxer type swimming trunks that are perfect, and other hiking shorts and swimming trunks that are too bulletproof, if you know what I mean. I've been hoping my hiking shorts might get broken in but its taking awhile. I like the pockets on them, but the speedo boxer type swimming trunks are the breathability I really want.

Anyway to speed up the process of making breathable nylon hiking shorts a little more breathable?

Maybe those you have are ok.

[mountain squid]

Very, very thorough list. Some observations:

maps
hand sanitizer
50' rope
sunscreen
duct tape
whistle
will you wear all long sleeve shirts and zip top at the same time? - if not, might be too many long sleeve shirts
same for short sleeve shirts
probably won't need waterproof shorts and regular shorts - again, you probably won't wear at the same time
consider AquaMira drops (not tablets) instead of filtration system
consider bouncing chargers

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[BrianLe]

I really appreciate you breaking up the list into categories with precise weights for each and a summary weight --- would be great if everyone that posted a list would do this, or even better, post a spreadsheet and provide a pointer to that.

Capilene 3 items: very personal, but I used a long sleeved cap 1 shirt and prefer that, as too often I'm concerned that I would get too warm in a cap 3 shirt, but I tend to "run hot". A cap 1 shirt, however (a white one), I can wear in sunshine on a hot day.

Cap 3 long underwear: again, personal, but I don't care for long underwear. The times that I want it, it's a PITA to take off my pants and shoes to put it on and then all too often I'm quickly wanting to take it off again. Slightly easier is something to wear external to pants, and if you're willing to spend some money, something like the cocoon pants at backpackinglight.com isn't much heavier than longjohns, but a lot warmer. I believe Montbell makes something along this line too.

Gatorade bottle for fuel: I like picking up a bottle of gatorade (or whatever that gets me a wide-mouthed bottle) in town stops (a series of new ones saves me worrying about keeping the old one clean ...), but I'd never considered using one of these for fuel. I use a 16 oz soda pop bottle, typically out of a little paranoia perhaps I store it inside a gallon ziplock bag. I prefer having a narrower mouth bottle for fuel, as I think I can control the pour ("calibrated by eye") into my stove better. I guess a gatorade type bottle is a little thicker plastic, perhaps that's your concern. I use mine for mixing up a protein shake in the morning.

Mug: per above with the protein shake, consider whether your personal hiking style warrants carrying a mug. Of course, I don't drink hot drinks (another thing to heat water for and have to mess around with ...).

Electronics: if you have (a) time and (b) money to throw at it, you could save some weight by combining multiple devices into a smartphone. It's certainly not for everyone, and there are compromises on each device; if you already own all of those electronics, it would be even less appealing. If it's an approach that interests you, however, I wrote up some thoughts from my experience last year here.

[buz]

Not sure your total weight is right, and not that it matters, but the total weight of your big 4 in the list is obviously way off.

[Feral Bill]

Test the Gatorade bottle for its reaction with alcohol. The plastic may be incompatable.

[Blissful]

Skip foot powder and body powder.
Too many clothes -
Don't need three t shirts - one for early start, maybe two for summer only
Too many long sleeve shirts - one to hike in if needed, one for camp, take only one at summer
Cut out both shorts and wear convertible pants (you're gonna need pants to hike in at times)
Gaiters and sock liners optional. So is rain pants.
25 q tips for what? Only need a couple
Possibly bounce chargers.
use aqua mira for water

[Deadeye]

I would ditch some of the extra shirts and add a layer of insulation, such as a down vest.

You're wearing shorts, so why the need for another pair? Waterproof shorts? I don't wanna know Personally, I use zip-off pants, and carry (though rarely use) 4 oz Golite rain pants.

Re-examine the water system - you can save some weight, and your capacity is overkill. Unless you're in a dry stretch of trail, or a dry season, there's rarely a need to leave a water source carrying more than a liter or two. I like Aquamira drops, plus their frontier filter so I can have a drink from the source while the water is being treated.

Consider an umbrella, esp. for the warmer months when rainwear just gets too sweaty.

If you really like having camp footwear, that's your choice, but almost a pound of Crocs you'll be carrying a long ways for a short time of actual use.

Have fun!