Gear List, NOBO, mid-march

[Captain_Slo]

Any advice?

weights I know are listed as (ounces)
cold weather gear/warm weather gear --planning to switch this gear when it warms up

This is 13.6 lbs for the things I have weighed. I think the clothes etc will add another 2 or so lbs. (I weigh 105 lbs on a good day for reference)

pack:
Granite Gear Vapor Ki (32)

Shelter/Sleep
Eureka Spitfire (46)/Hennessy A-sym backpacker (32)
neo-air short (9)/thermarest z-lite (8)
down 20* (42)/down 40* (32)

Kitchen
simmerlite (8.5)/supercat(0.25)
1.3L Pot (6.3)
Cup + Spoon (2)
Fuel bottle (4)/alcohol bottle
1 gatorade bottle
1 2L camelback
katadyn hiker (11 oz)

Clothes (includes worn and carried)
3 pairs socks
midweight polypro longjohn top + bottoms
2 pairs liner socks
fleece (16)
rain coat (14)
rain pants
knee-gaitors (6)/shorty gaitors (1)
fleece hat/sun hat
gloves
hiking pants
2 pairs unmentionables.
2 shirts

MISC
petzl zipka plus (2.5)
matches + lighter
first aid kit (immodium, benedryl, advil, moleskin, safetypin, some bandaids, duct tape on water bottle, steri strips)
phone + spot (don't judge, i have a nervous Mother.) (8.4)
SOL heat sheet (2.8)
data book (3.8)
tooth brush + tooth paste + glasses + contact soln
mp3 player (3)
paper + pencil (1)

[Captain_Slo]

oh yeah! + my compass. (3)

[bigcranky]

It's a fine lightweight list. Have you used this gear below freezing? I'd be darn cold on a shorty Neoair in mid-March, and I'd want to spend that pound on a down jacket instead of a fleece.

Seeing as you are from Miami, I making a perhaps unwarranted assumption that you are not conditioned to the cold....

[Captain_Slo]

I'm from Idaho, so I do know cold. I just live in Miami.

The long johns+fleece+rain coat has served me well when into the mid 30's. I know it can be colder in GA in March.. I'm tempted by the idea of a down jacket. Any recommendations? (and, you know, cheap is awesome)

[Papa D]

nice list - I would absolutely add a down jacket - try to find one on craigslist or something - mine is a Western Mountaineering with wind-stopper fabric which is nice.

I'd also ditch the water filter in favor of aqua-mira (or a dropper of bleach) for water that you want to treat. These things are fine for weekend hikes but regardless of how careful you are, it will clog up, cross-contaminate, and / or just break on a thru-hike.

you're off to a good start though - much better list than a lot of folks

[Captain_Slo]

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Boy%...efault,pd.html

how's this for down jacket? What sort of specs do I look for?

[4eyedbuzzard]

Great starting list. Agree with others on more insulation needed up until through GSMNP or even to Pearisburg. Consider leaving data book home for Mom to track you with and replace with Awol's Guide. NH and ME maps if desired? Trade filter for chemicals or steripen? Bring z-rest for use on top of neoair again until through GSMNP? 3 oz compass isn't needed, a 1/2 oz mini one will do. Camera (unless good one in phone)? Watch? Remember ID, credit card(s), health insurance card, etc

[Wags]

here's me picking at it.

i see some redundancies in clothing:

long sleeve base layer
2 shirt ????
fleece ????

you should be able to wear all of your clothes at the same time. i'd go along w/ others who've suggested a down jacket. likely to get rid of a whole pound worth of fleece. what are these 2 shirts for? can you just wear your long sleeve base layer and roll up the sleeves when hot?

camelbak is heavy. look at a platypus for your big water storage. better yet, get 2 gatorades and just carry the empty 1.8L platy - only filling up when at camp or in long stretches w/o water.

if the simmerlight is a stove why are you carrying 2 stoves? 1 for cold temps and 1 for warm?

i see you have a hammock, and are going to use pads in it, which is fine. no tarp or is your 32 ounces including the stock one from hennessey?

i'd ditch the sol heatsheet. if you're worried about stretching the limits of your bag, then sell yours and buy one rated lower. 2 ounces of down is way better than 2 ounces of heatsheet.

20 degree bag being your warmest bag may leave you cold w/ a march start.

[Wags]

that's a boy's jacket you linked to. fyi.

are you a bigger guy? here's a nice jacket:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=58787
again in xl, but cheaper and not quite as warm, but still warm:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=58579

[Captain_Slo]

i know. i'm kid-sized. i have a very difficult time finding decent grown-up-sized clothes that fit me.

thanks for the links.

that's a boy's jacket you linked to. fyi.

[Captain_Slo]

I appreciate your input, here's the reasoning behind these items.

Shirts: I like to hike in a t-shirt and sleep in a t-shirt that I haven't spent all day hiking in. The only long-sleeve shirt I have is a long john top. I guess the 2nd shirt is redundant, but I've always hiked with the 2nd shirt--maybe if I get totally sick of carrying it or it doesn't add to my comfort I'll ditch it.

Fleece: If I do come by a down jacket, I'll swap those out.

Camelback: the one I have isn't proprietary it's just a pouch with a clip at the top. It's much lighter than an actual camelback. I should weigh that...

Tent/hammock: I've had a horrible time hammocking in cold weather. If anyone could suggest a way to sleep in my hammock that doesn't leave me balancing ontop of a pad to avoid icy-cold-nylon all night I'd apprciate it... I'd carry the z-lite with the hammock as a backup--you know, shelters, the ground...in the hammock on a colder night whatever ***HEY! could a heatsheet go into a hammock? would that work...?**** Weight for hammock includes stock tarp from hennessy, is there something better?

Stoves: I don't have a ton of experience with alchy stoves. i know my msr, I think hot breakfast and dinner are paramount to a good hiking experience so I want to make sure that I get through the colder stuff with gear I know well and then swap it out when I'm sick of it.

Bag: thanks for the headsup about 20* I dont have the budget to get a new bag right now. the 20* bag IS my new bag. but I do have a liner I can use that'll add 10* (I've used it in my summer bag before).

Also: my list is missing these things that are obnoxious:
phone charger
soap? (small dropper bottle of dr bronners)
small bottle of hand sanitizer
camera + battery charger (or, I may swap out the whole mp3player/camera combo for my ipod touch. haven't decided what quality pics I want...)
extra batteries for headlamp --x3AAA

here's me picking at it.

i see some redundancies in clothing:

long sleeve base layer
2 shirt ????
fleece ????

you should be able to wear all of your clothes at the same time. i'd go along w/ others who've suggested a down jacket. likely to get rid of a whole pound worth of fleece. what are these 2 shirts for? can you just wear your long sleeve base layer and roll up the sleeves when hot?

camelbak is heavy. look at a platypus for your big water storage. better yet, get 2 gatorades and just carry the empty 1.8L platy - only filling up when at camp or in long stretches w/o water.

if the simmerlight is a stove why are you carrying 2 stoves? 1 for cold temps and 1 for warm?

i see you have a hammock, and are going to use pads in it, which is fine. no tarp or is your 32 ounces including the stock one from hennessey?

i'd ditch the sol heatsheet. if you're worried about stretching the limits of your bag, then sell yours and buy one rated lower. 2 ounces of down is way better than 2 ounces of heatsheet.

20 degree bag being your warmest bag may leave you cold w/ a march start.

[Captain_Slo]

Great starting list. Agree with others on more insulation needed up until through GSMNP or even to Pearisburg. Bring z-rest for use on top of neoair again until through GSMNP?

How cold does it usually get through GSMNP? in say... April/May?

[bigcranky]

How cold does it usually get through GSMNP? in say... April/May?

With a mid-March start, you'll be in the Smokies in early April or so. I'd want to be prepared for lows around 20, and the possibility of one late winter storm.

For a down jacket, look for Montbell, preferably an Alpine Light Parka (with hood.) Or any "down sweater" type jacket from Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, etc. Note that a women's model might fit better than a boy's, though the color choices are probably not as good . I was in Boone, NC, yesterday, and Footsloggers had their 50% off pretty much everything sale, including all their Montbell down jackets, so this stuff does go on sale sometimes. Now is a good time of year to be looking for sales.

I'm from Idaho, so I do know cold. I just live in Miami.

Roger that, just wanted to make sure.

[bigcranky]

Here are two more options, not sure about sizing, but the sale prices are good and they are very suitable for a thru-hike:

http://www.golite.com/Roan-Plateau-8...et-P46720.aspx
http://www.golite.com/Beartooth-650-...cket-P907.aspx

[Captain_Slo]

soo, the higher the number (650 vs 800) fill , the warmer?

[Wags]

great finds there by big cranky! if the size small fits you then you'll really struggle to find as good of a jacket as that.

otherwise he's something else to try.

http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=37542&&categoryId=27516&cat egoryName=FIRST-ASCENT&pCategoryId=16&pCategoryName=OUTERWEAR--BLAZERS&gpCategoryId=2&gpCategoryName=MEN&ggpCateg oryId=1&ggpCategoryName=EB&catPath=~~categoryId=27 516~~categoryName=FIRST-ASCENT~~pCategoryId=16~~pCategoryName=OUTERWEAR--BLAZERS~~gpCategoryId=2~~gpCategoryName=MEN~~ggpCa tegoryId=1~~ggpCategoryName=EB&viewAll=null&pg=1

do a WTB thread with that jacket on as many hiking websites as you can. they go on mega sales from time to time and people buy them who don't really need them. then they sell pretty cheap. i bought one with tags on it for $50


the way to stay warm in your hammock without using a pad is a thing called an "underquilt". basically a down piece that hangs underneath you. unfortunately they are expensive. just in case you hit a windfall here are a few links to check out.

http://leighlounderquilts.webs.com/23underquilts.htm
http://www.hammockgear.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3_6
http://tewaunderquilts.webs.com/

[Wags]

the higher # the lighter it will be at a certain loft. like, if you have 12 ounces of 650 fill in your sleeping bag then you likely only need 11 ounces of 800 to provide the same amount of warmth (those numbers may be a bit off, but that's the gist).

[bigcranky]

soo, the higher the number (650 vs 800) fill , the warmer?

The higher the number, the less down is needed for the same loft (warmth.) So a jacket with the same warmth can be an ounce or two lighter.

[Captain_Slo]

the way to stay warm in your hammock without using a pad is a thing called an "underquilt". basically a down piece that hangs underneath you. unfortunately they are expensive. just in case you hit a windfall here are a few links to check out.

yeah, I know about underquilts--not in my budget either. However, Hennessy has some sort of foil reflector that hangs under the hammock, too. anyone tried that?

[Wags]

i think that is the supershelter. i've heard it works ok.

this is a wide pad that you could put in along w/ the better insulator of the 2 you have. that should help w/ your cold shoulders
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/TorsoPad.htm

another option is to make a segmented pad extender and just use your inflatable
http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html