New England Trail gear list: White Mountains in October

[Ryan Linn]

I've had this together for a little while now, but here's a spreadsheet with my current gear list for the hike that starts in less than two weeks.

The time frame for the hike will be September 26 through October 30. I'll be starting at the Canadian border in New Hampshire, going through the White Mountains, and ending in southern Connecticut.

I don't have the "clothing worn" written on the spreadsheet, but I'll put it here. There's not much…
Ibex Echo t-shirt
running shorts
Patagonia active boxer brief
Darn Tough 1/4 cushion socks
New Balance 874 with Dirty Girl Gaiters
Leki super makalu cor-tec poles

I won't be spending any more money on gear unless I absolutely have to (although I can think of lots of things that I would buy). Any thoughts on how this gear list will work out?

[Brian Barnes]

Ryan, What temps are you expecting?

[Ryan Linn]

Pretty chilly… like mid 20's at night, 40's, 50's and 60's during the day (depending on elevation). I'm not worried about daytime temps at all. Nighttime might be a little colder than the Ultra and Thermawrap can handle comfortably, but I don't think it will be impossible to deal with.

[Brian Barnes]

For temps in the 20's, I personally think your a bit light on torso insulation with only the t-shirt, MB UL thermawrap, and dri ducks jacket. Especially if you plan to stand around camp at all. If it were me, I'd would take along my Patagonia R1 hoody to add to the above and possible my lightweight down vest. Though, I don't mind carrying a bit extra weight for torso insulation insurance.

[M G]

I think your ground insulation might be a bit thin for below freezing temps. You may want to think about adding a thinlite to that ridgerest. In similar temps last year with only a ridgerest I found I was often feeling cold from the ground below me.

[Ryan Linn]

Some extra ground insulation and an extra top layer wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm going to try not to spend any money on this, so what I've got is a cheap White Sierra fleece LS shirt, somewhat similar to R1 I think (weighing 8 oz), and a blue foam sleeping pad (7 or 8 oz I think).

I'd be more willing to take the extra shirt because it packs small and adds quite a bit of warmth. The sleeping pad, however, I'm not as sure about. Two CCF pads seems a little too bulky. Maybe one more trip to Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington is in order before I move out of Vermont… I'm thinking something like a RidgeRest Deluxe cut down to size. Any other ideas?

[josh wagner]

i think you may want to really think about taking a backup fire starter (either another mini-bic or a steel striker). if it gets too cold for your clothing/shelter systems a fire can save your life. all i saw was the 1 bic, unless i missed it

i agree w/ your comment about needing your cell phone charger. especially if you have someone at home that you'll be checking in with on a nightly basis.

a quick question. the superglue. is this medical superglue? the stuff they use in the ER in the place of stitches is very different than the stuff you buy at office max. just making sure

edited to add: a torso length section (from top of shoulder to bottom of butt cheek) of blue foam pad from walmart is very light, very warm, and very worth carrying when it's cold out. you should just be able to smash and roll that tightly in with the ridgerest. $6

[Ryan Linn]

After testing this out on a dayhike yesterday, I'm switching the Ibex Echo T to a Smartwool Midweight LS (normally I hate hiking in long sleeves, even in winter, but this didn't feel too bad yesterday).

Also adding the White Sierra fleece shirt (8 oz). I'll probably add a cut down blue-foam pad that I have sitting around the house.

I'll drop the polycryo ground cloth, taking only the bivy. Also dropping the sunscreen (plenty of skin cover).

I won't add a cell charger– it will only be on from time to time when I'm in towns in order to arrange shuttles, places to stay, etc. If I was in the habit of checking in with someone every night on the trail, I think I'd leave the phone at home to avoid that possibility.

This should put me around 11 lbs base weight, which is slightly more than the 10 lbs I was shooting for, but I can imagine much worse things in life than an extra pound. I can always drop a little extra weight during the trip.

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