The Gear
One can certainly ultralight the GDT, although because of the tempermental location (I was lucky and had mostly good weather) of the trail, the general isolation, and the scarcity of other hikers, a thruhiker needs to be more self sufficient and prepared than on a trail like the AT or even the PCT. No one will come hiking after you to rescue you, and at times it can be a long and hard haul out to a road where you can get help. As such, I carried slightly more gear than usual, along with a few luxury items as I assumed (rightly) that most days and nights I would be alone. I have declined to list all the weights possible as, in the end, it doesn't matter very much. What matter is functionality. A few ounces (and only a few) here or there is not a big deal. However, weight from Maps was significant. I do not have an exact number, but I do not think 2 lbs for maps is an unreasonable estimate. The following is my base weight, which means it does not include food, fuel, or water.
Base Gear
- ULA P1-X Pack, custom (33.8 oz)
- ULA Silnylon packcover, prototype (2.6 oz)
- 3/4 length Z-rest pad (12 oz)Ï
- Western Mountaineering Ultralight Sleeping Bag, with stuff sack (33.5 oz)
- Integral Designs Silk Sleeping Bag liner (4.8 oz)
- Henry Shires Tarptent Virga with extended beak, in silnylon stuff sack (17.3 oz)
- 6 stakes (3.3 oz)
- Tarptent poles (2) (4.6 oz)
- 2 mil painters drop cloth ground sheet (4.8 oz)
- SnowPeak GigaPower stove, in case (3.8 oz)
- 1.3 L Evernew Titanium Pot (5.8 oz)
- 2 Bic lighters (1.6 oz)
- SnowPeak Titanium Spork (0.6 oz)
- 2.4 L Platypus waterbag (1.4 oz)
- 3 Silnylon stuff sacks: 2 food, 1 clothing (3.2 oz)
- Polar pure (2 oz)
- MEC Warmwear II shirt (9.8 oz)
- MEC midweight thermal tights (6.2 oz)
- Wigwam hat (2 oz)
- Fox River liner gloves (1 oz)
- MEC Rapidi-T (5.1 oz)
- MEC Aquanator III Rain Jacket (12.7 oz)
- 2 pair Wigwam Ultimax socks (4.6 oz)
- MEC Northern Lite II pullover (13.3 oz)
- Toothpaste and brush (2 oz)
- Toliet paper and gelled alcohol (2.8 oz)
- Medical kit, beefed up (5.8 oz)
- Petzl Tikka headlamp (2.5 oz)
- Compass (1.2 oz)
- Documents (Drivers license, ATM, health, phone, 2 credit cards)
- Cash
- Guidebook sections
- Maps
- Contact info
- Frontiersman Bear Spray, on leash
- Olympus Sylus Epic Camera (5.3 oz)
- Film (4 36 exposure rolls, various slide film) (4 oz)
- Journal and Pen (3.3 oz).
- Utility cord, 40 ft. (2.8 oz).
- The Dhammapada (to Field)
- The Four Noble Truths by the HH The Dalai Lama (to Field)
- Buddhist Scriptures by E. Conze (Field to Robson)
What I'd wear
- MEC Rapidi-T (5.1 oz)
- MEC Simplex softshell pants (14.9 oz)
- MEC Genie Windshirt (5.8 oz)
- Wigwam ultimax socks (2.3 oz)
- Asics Gel Trabuco VI trailrunners (to Field).
- Asics Eagle Trail trailrunners (Field to Robson)
- Kmart watch (1.5 oz)
- Bandana (1 oz)
- Andiamo skins (2.9 oz)