Are you ready for your thru hike? Need help - Stop in!

[pyroman9]

JHG - Consider what you are wearing them for and what level of gaiter you would want. Yes I wore them - but not the big annoying ones. I wore the Mountain Hardwear Ankle high running gaiters - they stay attached to your shoe via velco (I buffed it up with some super glue). They kept debris out of my shoe and kept ticks from getting in my socks as much. It did not provide any water repellant but that was not the desire or need as my feet would still get wet. And if your knee deep in mud - who cares... ha. I liked having them as they kept the crap out of my socks - which are very important to your feet. Clean feet = Happy Feet

[pyroman9]

what other questions do you all have? season is starting!!!

[JHG008]

Want to review my gear list? Am I missing anything or should I add anything?


http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=10969

[pyroman9]

will check it out tonight - have to run a few errands real quick.

[pyroman9]

ok looks really great - just a few things in my opinion strictly - but very very good setup i think so far!

long underwear - personally i would not bring it - i never wore mine and most with me did not either - especially with a long sleeve shirt and a rain coat ... just hike faster or put the jacket on unzipped it will warm you up plenty.

socks - either ditch a pair as you will want bare feet in camp to let feet air out. or ditch your gloves and use the extra set of socks as mittens if needed - you will rarely need them (again IMO) but my hands get cold very easily from my mountaineering days and near frostbite once.

sleeping pad being short see how you like it. I am a fan of sleeping very well = hike very well... so i used a full length.

otherwise great freaking setup - when do you head out?

[Son Driven]

Hey, Bomber.

You and Salt Bomb blew past me somewhere while I was attempting my thru.

What's your AFSC? Got your 1st base assignment yet? I was SP for 5.5 years - cross-trained into computers - was tired of ND winters!

Good luck!

USAF Security Police SAC FE Warren AFB Cheyenne, WY 75-79

Heading out for my first ever thru hike 3/6/13. At my age I plan on taking it slow an easy. I want to saivor every step, and all the pain associated with it.

[SunnyWalker]

Pyroman: First, thanks for your service in the greatest Air Force in the world. Second, I watched your video and it was really enjoyable. Thanks for sharing, that took some time and effort. I am getting ready right now to hit the CDT NOBO this April. RIGHT now am recovering from an amputation of left toe of left foot (that little piggy went ....). I was wondering 'bout your water sys and you answered it-Aqua Mira. I have changed to that to lighten up. Always have used a filter. My son was in an Arabic spking country for USAF. Now he's back home in UK. He's been over there for a few years. Been all over as an Arabic Linguist. Hope your training goes well. Remember to write home often and stay safe. I'll remember you in my thoughts and prayers. Kind of hard to forget a name like "Pyroman". One last thing, I could not get your gear list up. Could you post the list here for me to look at?

[SunnyWalker]

PYROMAN Also, what brand/type of sleep pad did you use? Did you cook using the ziplock type method?

[JHG008]

Thanks for the tips. I am starting March 30th. I can't wait to get out there and get going. Thanks for the help. One last thing do you think i should bring camp shoes? I keep changing my mind.

[pyroman9]

camp shoes... hell no! lightest sandels you can find... what the heck do you think your gonna do in camp? haha and march 30th should be plenty late if your considering dumping the long underwear set...

and thermarest neoair along with a Cocoon hyperlite pillow from REI (2.4 oz and its tiny but it blows up to be very comfy and plenty big).

[pyroman9]

Sunny I used my pot - ziploc method works but i enjoyed cooking my meal with adding in things like chicken or whatever else, washing one pot was very simple and never a problem.

[JHG008]

Yea I meant sandles. Thanks for pillow tip.

[SunnyWalker]

Did you ever find yourself going to two Knorrs or two Lipton dinners later on down the trail?

[pyroman9]

Late on the trail we were starving no matter what - hit around VT for us. Hell we hunted down a quail one day and ate it! haha.

[wiz]

Did you do any mail drops or did you do a self supported hike?

[pyroman9]

wiz - I supported myself for the most part - however bucketlist sent me six or seven mail drops of food supplies. Very cool trail magic!