The Gear
This is the stuff that I hauled with me on the AT in 2004. It is, mostly, what I would take with me if I was starting from Springer in early April, or south from Katahdin in mid June. Gear choices are personal things, so get to know your gear before you start a long distance hike. I tend to be conservative, particularly with clothing. I could cut another couple of pounds from this list if I was willing to be a bit more liberal with my risk level and if I was willing to spend a few hundred dollars to buy slightly lighter versions of what I already have.
Base Gear
Hauling and Sleeping
- ULA Zenith Pack (19 oz)
- Dancing Light pack liner (2.5 oz)
- 3/4 length Z-rest pad (12 oz)
- Western Mountaineering Highlight Sleeping Bag, with stuff sack (19.3 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)
- Total: 87.6 oz
Cooking and Food
- Lackwit beercan stove with coffee can pot support (1.5 oz)
- MSR windscreen (1.6 oz)
- 1.3 L Evernew Titanium Pot (5.8 oz)
- 2 Bic lighters (1.6 oz)
- Plastic spoon (0.2 oz)
- 2.4 L Platypus waterbag (1.4 oz)
- 20 oz. soda bottle for fuel (1.5 oz)
- 20 oz. soda bottle for olive oil (1.5 oz)
- Silnylon stuff sack (large) for food (1.1 oz)
- Polar Pure (2 oz)
- Bear bagging cord, 40 feet (2.8 oz)
- Total: 21 oz.
Clothing
- Silnylon stuff sack (large) for clothes (1.1 oz)
- MEC midweight thermal top (8.3 oz)
- MEC midweight thermal tights (6.2 oz)
- Wigwam hat (2 oz)
- Fox River liner gloves (1 oz)
- 2 pair Wigwam Ultimax socks (4.6 oz)
- MEC Northern Lite II pullover (13.3 oz)
- O2 Rainshield jacket (7.3 oz)
- O2 Rainshield pants (5.6 oz)
- Total: 49.4 oz
Utilities
- Toothpaste and brush (2 oz)
- Toliet paper and gelled alcohol (2.8 oz)
- Medical kit, slim (4.9 oz)
- 2 Photon Microlights (0.5 oz)
- Documents (Drivers license, ATM, health, phone, 2 credit cards)
- Cash
- Wingfoot, "The Thruhikes Handbook" (5.1 oz)
- Olympus Sylus Epic Camera (5.3 oz)
- Film (4 36 exposure rolls, various print film) (4 oz)
- Journal and Pen (3.3 oz).
- Total: 27.9 oz
Base Weight: 185.9 oz. Or, 11.6 lbs.
I would generally wear:
- MEC Rapidi-T (basic T-shirt)
- Patagonia shorts (basic shorts)
- Wigwam ultimax socks
- Asics 1090 TR Trail Runners
- Kmart watch (1.5 oz)
- Bandana (1 oz)
- Andiamo skins (2.9 oz)