Am I missing anything? Gear list for CT thru.

[Echraide]

Starting the last week in June.

Big 3
pack
pack liner (trash bag)
pack rain cover
tent, stakes, footprint
sleeping bag + liner
sleeping pad + air pump
small pillow

Clothes - worn
shoes
socks
hat
pants
shirt

Clothes - packed
pullover
silk bottoms
silk top
shorts
watch cap
mittens
extra socks
rain jacket

Electronics
headlamp + batteries
phone

First Aid
Benadryl
ibuprofen
acetaminophen
irrigation syringe
Pepto Bismol
Immodium
nitrile gloves
hydrocortisone cream
burn cream
rehydration packets
first aid booklet
gauze roll
gauze pads
bandaids
Neosporin
tweezers
alcohol swabs
moleskin
safety pins
magnifying glass
scissors
knife
ziplock baggies

Toiletries
toothpaste
toothbrush
eyeglasses + case
contact lense solutions + case
comb
camp towel
dental floss
toilet paper
sunscreen
eyeglass repair kit
bug repellent
camp soap

Kitchen & water
3L Platypus
Aqua Mira
stove + fuel
pot + lid
lighter + matches
fork, spoon

Misc.
compass
hiking poles
carabiners
maps + town info
whistle
bear bag rope + rock sack
pen + paper
duct tape
signal mirror
mosquito head net
sunglasses

[Sly]

Big 3
pack
pack liner (trash bag)
pack rain cover (trash bag)
tent, stakes, footprint
sleeping bag + liner
sleeping pad + air pump
small pillow

Clothes - worn
shoes
socks
hat
pants
shirt

Clothes - packed
pullover
silk bottoms
silk top
shorts
watch cap
mittens
extra socks
rain jacket

Electronics
headlamp + batteries
phone

First Aid
Benadryl
ibuprofen
acetaminophen
irrigation syringe
Pepto Bismol
Immodium
nitrile gloves
hydrocortisone cream
burn cream
rehydration packets
first aid booklet
gauze roll
gauze pads
bandaids
Neosporin
tweezers
alcohol swabs
moleskin
safety pins
magnifying glass
scissors
knife
ziplock baggies

Toiletries
toothpaste
toothbrush
eyeglasses + case
contact lense solutions + case
comb
camp towel
dental floss
toilet paper
sunscreen
eyeglass repair kit
bug repellent
camp soap

Kitchen & water
3L 2L Platypus
Aqua Mira
stove + fuel
pot + lid
lighter + matches
fork, spoon

Misc.
compass
hiking poles
carabiners
maps + town info
whistle
bear bag rope + rock sack
pen + paper
duct tape
signal mirror
mosquito head net
sunglasses

duct tape
bandana
2- one liter Aqua Fina bottles

Items in red I wouldn't carry, item in green I'd add.

[Dogwood]

What, no chewing gum?

[Echraide]

Thanks, Sly!

I'm certified in wilderness first aid so I have a large first aid kit. I don't mind carrying it.

[Cookerhiker]

I don't know what a "watch cap" is but I recommend a warm hat for evenings and early mornings. I'm assuming your hiking hat is a thin, brimmed hat for sun protection.

I see you apparently only have one pair of pants plus shorts. I'd suggest hiking in shorts, bring rainpants (not on your list) and putting them on if the rain from thunderstorms gets too heavy. Save your long pants for camp - keep them dry in your pack.

Is the "pullover" fleece or similar warm material?

[Cookerhiker]

Oh, I don't use platypus or other bladders, but on my 2011 hike, we had some water sources where the only way we could extract water was using our cups i.e. there wasn't enough of a flow to fill a bottle let alone a bladder. Something else to think about...

[Echraide]

Hiking hat
OR-Seattle-Sombrero.jpg

Watch cap

urban-outfitters-watch-cap-profile.jpg

Fleece pullover

14417850564fcf3f12f3b64.jpg

[Echraide]

Also - thanks, Cookerhiker!

[Mags]

Watchcap is another name for a beanie. A watch cap is usually in reference to military based gear vs civilian. Otherwise they are identical.


If it is a modern watch cap, usually made of fleece vs the old wool ones.

re: WFA

Here's my take on it FWIW

[Echraide]

Hm... I could rent a Saint Bernard for the hike!

[Dogwood]

Regardless of me working and jointly posting on WB at 4 a.m I could have targeted my post to be more helpful. Sorry for my off base smart arse comment Echraide. You got the bases covered. As Sly nicely and succinctly states if anything you can probably afford to squeeze some things from your kit. I just have a few very minor pts to add or have a difference of opinion with than Sly or Cookerhiker.

CT in June(possible snow on ground in places, possible wet slushy conditions etc, possible heavy rain(Eastern CO in June, could come into play for a SOBO Cter in the beginning). I would want to protect my pack and gear(down bag). I would bring something or some combo like a pack liner, pack cover, WP/WR pack, stuff sacks etc.

FOR ME, adding a liner is primarily contingent on my sleeping bag's temp rating. FOR ME, the primary reason I add a liner is to extend my sleeping system's temp rating.

In June I too would want the option of being able to hike in shorts through some combo of convertibles, rain pants, shorts, and pants but also cover the possible trail/weather conditions. FOR MY hiking philosophy I would have convertibles and rain pants or running shorts and rain pants. I hike with the attitude that my rain jacket and rain pants aren't just used for when it's raining. This attitude can really come into play on the CT which dishes up greater exposure.

Watch cap/beanie definitely. Don't need another hat in addition to the wc/beanie if you have a hooded rain jacket. If you have rain jacket pockets cheapy UL nylon stretchy running gloves are fine. This isn't a winter hike. Focus on warm core and warm extremities(head, feet, hands) with apparel versatility and UL wt and volume.

Seems you bought into NOLS outdoor philosophy with the First Aid Kit. Even if you do roll the NOLS way there are still redundancies in the FAK. You're doing a CT thru not going into the backwoods of Alaska. You'll probably be resupplying about every 5-7 days where you'll have access to a lot of these things that aren't critical to medical attention. For example why ALL those pills and salves? Why Ibuprofen AND acetominophen? Why Pepto Bismal AND Immodium? Why Hydrcortisone and burn cream and Neosporin? There are legitimate and necessary uses for all these individual items but ARE ALL those things critical to survival or getting to medical assistance for a CTer? If you are FA Certified is a FA book needed? Attache stainless or brass safety pins to the outside of your pack. They can serve medical purposes as well as drying clothing(hang wet clothes off your pack top dry), getting out a splinter, etc. Pocket knives sometimes have tweezers and picks. Mine does. Maybe I'm ignorant in some ways but never did get why some people insist on also carrying scissors when you have a SHARP knife.

Good trail hygiene is often overlooked and it's a personal preference but you're a guy and this is the great outdoors. Consider leaving the TP home. I'm really getting tired of seeing it when I wander slightly off trail. On the CT PLEASE dig a cat hole and bury any biodegradable waste well off trail! Some smooth rocks, leaves, twigs, branches, etc are fine. Don't be a woose.

Unless you are blind as a bat without prescription glasses and a eyeglass repair kit holds the ONLY key to fixing them some duct tape is usually enough to hold glasses together until you get to the next town where you can buy a eyeglass repair kit on the CT. Differwnt situation if you were really going back country. I break, scratch, and lose sunglasses regularly and this gets me to the next town to buy new ones.

Don't know how much bug repellant is NEEDED in June on the CT?

Even though I only filter or chemically treat my trail water about 10% of the time I ALWAYS carry some way to treat my water beyond just boiling it. The CT has a few areas where it's susceptible to agricultural and livestock run off. AND, IMHO, what most don't consider are the risks direct human activity plays into contracting water borne parasites due to things like poor hygiene or disposal of body wastes! WHENEVER a water health concern arises I always want a way to treat my water that goes beyond boilng it. Take the AM drops or pills! BTW have two ways to start a fire!

I'm on board with everything else Sly and CookerHiker's said. That's what you get when you post a gear list and elicit advice from an ULer. I could be really ruthless with your kit but everyone has to find what suits their hikes the best. These are just my opinions. Your original kit would have been fine. BTW, nice detailed list you posted. Again, I apologize for that in poor taste comment. Have a GREAT CT hike! BIG difference between the CT and LA. At leat you'll be able to clearly see the mountain tops in CO.

[Echraide]

Thanks, Dogwood! I didn't know what the chewing gum post was about... I figured it was just an "in joke" I didn't get. Ha.

The knife is part of one of those Swiss army cards that has a knife, tweezers, scissors, light and a pen.

This might be gross but I pack out my TP in a ziplock baggie (with a little baking soda for odor control).

I could pare down the first aid kit, I'm going to go do that right now.

Is the mosquito head net necessary? I wasn't sure how buggy it would be in June & July.

[Dogwood]

Second paragraph is about pack liners for water protection. Third paragraph is referring to sleeping bag liners.I'm thinking No on the head net but others might be in a better position to answer that more informatively. I'm thinking the deeper you get into July the more apt to experience some bugs. Seems I'm so often in CO in the fall. If you got a knife with tweezers, scissors, light, pen in all probability you don't need to be redundant with separate ones other then maybe having an additional headlamp. That's really LNT. You pack out the used TP. God bless your LA soul!

[Cookerhiker]

...Is the mosquito head net necessary? I wasn't sure how buggy it would be in June & July.

I almost said something about this but I figured it's personal preference and most headnets weigh next-to-nothing.

My hike started July 24 and the mosquitoes were bothersome for the first 12 days or so although it was not consistent; if the skies were threatening or drizzling, then no bugs. There was one evening in particular, camped by Jefferson Creek (the creek, not the town) in a dense evergreen forest where they were pretty bad; I ate my dinner walking around the campsite. But for me, they were not onerous enough to bring a headnet or even use repellant although my partner did use repellant. The most surprising time was when we reached Georgia Pass around 10 AM on a beautiful sunny morning; here we were at 12K' and mosquitoes were flying around and extracting some of our blood.

I've learned on this forum that June is a less-rainy month i.e. pre "Monsoon" season so my guess would have been that bugs were worse then if only because you don't have the rain to keep them away. For us, the rains came or threatened around when we were setting up camp and/or eating dinner so at least when it rained, bugs were minimal. But on dry evenings they were at their worst.

[Cookerhiker]

Hiking hat
OR-Seattle-Sombrero.jpg

Watch cap

urban-outfitters-watch-cap-profile.jpg

Fleece pullover

14417850564fcf3f12f3b64.jpg

So that's what a "watch cap" is - that's what I've used too. Just didn't know the term. It should suffice for your CT hike.Colorado Trail 279 campsite on Cochetopa Creek, Seg 20.jpg

[echoes]

Is the mosquito head net necessary? I wasn't sure how buggy it would be in June & July.

For the most part bugs aren't a big problem. However, there were several times when I was happy to have my head net. And it hardly weighs anything. Bug repellent, on the other hand, I did not use at all.

[Echraide]

Yeah, I'm loathe to give up my TP, it's a luxury item I know a lot of people don't hike with, like the pillow. I have neck pain and a little pillow really makes a difference in the quality of sleep I get. I tried all different things and it turned out to be the best thing so I just carry it. Or maybe I'm just a pain in the neck (ha)!

[frogchop]

Given the late snow and early rains so far this year on the front range and as a long-time Coloradan, I think bug protection is worth the weight this year more than most. I suspect at least the Lost Creek and Summit County stretches will have some skeeters around. Not godawful, as that's not normal for the state, but enough to be an annoyance worth packing for.

I'd toss the roller gauze and consider just a couple large (3") bandaids. They don't weigh much and they do protect you from having scabs meld with sleeping bags or clothing when you get an abrasion. Pills don't weigh much, so I'm not too persnickety on paring that down. Heck, I think there's value to carrying aspirin (for heart attacks), Ibuprofen (for normal aches and pains) and percocet (for serious injuries while awaiting evac).

Otherwise, I'm partial to wool over silk and prefer leg warmers (cycling style, not 1980s flashdance style) to long pants. They're easier to strip off and put on when the day warms up or cools down and they're lighter. Sometimes I'll just shove them down to my ankles when I'm not ready to stop and remove them; an impossible option with longjohns. I also opt for ultralight wind pants with long zippers so you can take them on and off without removing your shoes.

And seriously, caribiners, well, I sure see a lot of them on the trail, but I have yet to have a real NEED for one. As for bears, I think an aLOKSAK is viewed as being plenty vigilant for Colorado bears. That said, I'm a fan of cooking at 4-5 in the afternoon, then hiking another hour or two before setting up camp. It's just another way to avoid trouble by keeping the food stink away from your camp.

Of course there's a hundred ways to skin a cat. Your list looks plenty complete bordering on over complete to me. Without mention of what kind of bag you have or what stove you carry, there could be a difference of seven pounds there alone. And then there's the vague "tent" that has my shoulders aching.

You're plenty well prepared, just come with a good attitude and you're sure to have the time of your life.

[bearcreek]

As an old WEMT I would jettison most of the first aid stuff and replace it with a simple blister kit (duct tape, moleskin, and some band aids) + some Ibuprofen. You certainly don't need both knife and scissors. You can improvise for almost any emergency without that extensive kit.

You really should carry a trowel to bury your poop. Lots of people are using the trail these days and the easy rocks have already been used. Pack out the paper (or burn it if it's safe to do so).

2 BIC lighters will be more utilitarian than carrying matches which require some sort of waterproof container.

A mosquito head net is practically weightless, but you probably won't need one on the CT.

If your single Platypus fails you are screwed. I would carry two soda or bottled water bottles instead. A 1.25 liter coke bottle weighs 1.5 ounces.

You might consider a poncho. That would eliminate the groundcloth, rain gear, and pack cover.

[bearcreek]

One other observation - Aquamira is probably the lightest water purification tool you can carry, but maybe not...

You have to wait at least 30 minutes for Aquamira to kill Giardia so you will end up hiking with a load of water while you wait for the the process to complete. (water weighs 35 ounces per liter) I carry a Sawyer squeeze filter equipped with a Evernew bag which weighs about 5 ounces total. When I find water I camel up - with a filter you can drink your fill on the spot. Then I filter and carry half a liter or so (or none in some areas). That results in better tasting water and lighter pack most of the time. If you get a Sawyer be sure to carry a spare bag (1 ounce) or replace the factory one with a Evernew - the ones that comes with them have been known to fail.