The Long Trail

[John Haley]

Here's my gear list for a 24-28 day Long Trail hike in early August. I plan 4 re-supply points for (mainly freeze dried) food only. No nights in town.

Suggestions welcome and Thanks.

http://www.trailjournals.com/gear.cfm?trailname=5503

[Benjamin Smith]

Hi John,

Looks like a great list! I like your major selections. You could get away with fewer changes of clothing (but you probably know that). If it was me and I wanted a change, I'd bring one short and one long-sleeved shirt – why three? I'd also swap in one pair of long pants and a pair of shorts instead of two pairs of convertibles. Together they'll probably weight about the same as one pair of your TNF pants and will offer basically the same functionality. With those items I could wash/rinse them when needed and stay feeling reasonable fresh while saving another pound.

The socks I won't argue with – if that's what you need to keep your feet happy, it's well worth a couple extra ounces.

[Tim W]

Maybe I'll see you on the trail… I'm planning a late July or early August thru hike. I completed a thru hike in 2000 and am looking forward to a repeat.

Your gear list looks OK to me except for the clothes. Looks like you'll be carrying too much.

My experience is to hike in shorts and t-shirt and have some dry warmies to change into at the shelters or tent platforms. I found that a long sleeve lightweight capilene pullover and capilene longjohns were just about right. They'll keep your sleeping bag clean, be warm and modest in the mixed crowd at some of the shelters, and will take the chill off those cool wet nights. The trail will be wet and muddy and you'll appreciate the dry warm stuff to change into. Keep one pair of socks dry for camp and rotate two others for trail use. You won't need more than three pairs.

Also, keep in mind that many campsites have tent platforms. You'll need some extra guy lines to tie the corners of your tarptent to the eyehooks along the sides of the platforms. Stakes won't be used on the platforms.

One last thing… water sources may be quite a hike from the shelter or campsite. You might consider one large water bag for UNTREATED water (platypus or something else that can be collapsed when not being used) for camp use. Use this for cooking (won't need to be treated) and cameling up in the morning (treated). Then, carrying one (or two) liter(s) will be more than enough during the day.

The Long Trail is a great trail, enjoy it.

[John Haley]

I just got back from the Mountain Goat in Williamstown, MA where I decided to go with a pair of lightweight shorts and do away with a set of "convertables". That was great confirmation when I got back and read the above posts.

I'm considering dropping one short sleeved shirt, but that leaves me pretty much with the same shirt every day. That's still to be decided.

Thanks for mentioning the tent platform line requirement. I have a fair amount of 2mm Spectra cord and will take some for that purpose.

Other than the gear shown I'm taking a titanium long handled spoon, a Leatherman Juice knife, minor toiletries, and a pair of very lightweight silk PJ/longjohns…that's everything.

[Gerald Magnes]

Hey John
I'm in the Capital District too. I do most of my outdoor activity in the Adk's. I've not hiked the Long Trail at all, but would like to get on it. I've done the Northville Placid trail, but in sections, not as an end to end like you're planning for the LT. Would love to do that one of these days.
Regarding your list, a couple of questions:
I didn't notice any sort of first aid kit. Is that just among your miscellaneous or toiletries, or do you not carry one?
Also, and I'd be interested to hear what the other LT hiker says as well, I was a bit surprised that you didn't seem to include any sort of insulated top, even just a light weight vest to wear on colder evenings and mornings. I don't really know the temp ranges on the LT, but figured at least in the northern end, you might need something.
I find that on longer trips (Altho not as long as you're planning, I've done a number of 7-8 day paddling trips), breakfasts and dinners can be managed pretty well with freeze dried and dehydrated stuff, soups, noodles, and rice, etc. Lunches are the biggest challenge for me. How do you plan to handle those?
Good luck!
Gerry Magnes
Colonie, NY

[John Haley]

Hi Gerry,
I hit the Northville-Lake Placid Trail back in late March/early April of 1982. Bad timing, but I won't go into that now.
I have a few first aid items included in my misc/toiletries. A couple of butterflies/band-aids/a gauze pad/neosporin/and a tiny roll of Adventure Medical duct tape. After years of being an EMT I'm fairly resourceful at adapting.
I just realized that I don't have my (10oz)ID poncho-tarp listed in the journal gear. That for rainy days, combined with the two shirts and the wind shirt should more than take care of any unexpected cooler weather. Since I have it, I won't need a pack cover.
Lunches for me aren't going to be an everyday thing. A granola bar while packing up, then a break with coffee, and a double portioned breakfast after about two hours on the trail each morning and a Lara bar for early afternoon. A double portion supper during a late afternoon break about a hour or two before stopping for the day. At the beginning of each re-supply I've alloted a pig-out lunch of something like melba toast with packaged tuna or chicken and a small amount of dried fruit…extras that I won't have to carry.
I've set up the meal schedules to insure that I take a real break a couple of times a day. Sometimes I just don't stop when I really should.

Tim: I'm heading out July 30th. Let me know if you're going to be on the trail. Although I'm showing SOBO, there's a possibility I might change that. Depends a lot on my transportation (wife).

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