AT Ridgerunner Smokies Gear List, March-May

I’m going to send you some additional items to choose from:-)

They’ll be in the mail tomorrow with your Mini Esbitmizer.

Windscreen: I've always used folded alumninum foil. There's ways you can fold it so that it's more durable and solid. I also use a foil disk underneath to help aim that heat up. I know heat's supposed to rise, but that ground

Stove – I'm not sure if it violates a safety code, but if it were me up there, I'd have a large Tin of denatured alcohol hidden at one of the shelters to top off a smaller bottle on me.

You probably won't need the paracord if you're using the steel cables. They can hold quite a bit of weight, so multiple people can use the same one.

Do you have down booties for wearing around the shelter? (Cold weather) Crocs for warmer weather. Very useful for letting your feet breathe/avoiding blisters.

Do you have a kindel… : )

Andrew,

I'll come at this from the recent experience of 9 days in GSNP in October, in which it rained for the better part of 7.5 days. The second experience was a 4 day trip in late January, with rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow….and then just brrrrr. My list was similar…with a few short-comings. I see you have event rain mitts and fleece mitts…excellent! I'm still thawing my fingers out. Have you considered gaiters? I thought my feet were more dry as a result, and certainly the snow didn’t come over the tops of my boots.

Since you are a ridge-runner, can you opt out of staying in the shelters? Regular folks are not given that option on the AT. If you can, then great and your tent/bivy combo looks like a winner. In fact, I just ordered a Borah bivy to use with my tarp in similar conditions and thinking it would be good bag protection in the shelters as well.

If I were you, I would find the name and contact information of the ridge-runner that held your position in October, 2014, and ask him some questions (sorry I can’t remember his name, I want to say Fletcher). He could give you some excellent advice. All of the shelters I came across had some sort of locked metal storage device for Rangers and trail crews…and the Ridge Runner I met had access to it for storage, i.e., alcohol, food, etc., all locked up and protected. Either that or talk to the rangers…they're a great bunch and I bet they can give you can give you access.

Lastly, during the 7.5 days of rain in October, I had a Go Lite Chrome Dome umbrella, as a kind of an experiment, using and elastic loop lashed to my shoulder strap. Walking the ridges in 50-60 mph winds and cold rain, it was an absolute life-saver to bend the umbrella across my face, or in general just to keep the rain off, or tuck it in rhododendrons and cook dinner under it. I honestly expected poor results but now I’m a full on umbrella believer!

Good luck…maybe we'll cross paths!

While I usually wouldn't say its necessary for a hiker, a ridge runner in the smokies might actually want to consider bear mace…

Explanation: last year "the herd" of newbie thru hikers left quite a mess. One of the primitive sites was completely closed down because the bears had 'moved in" next to the trash. I also heard reports of bears approaching the shelters because Thru hikers were sleeping with their food.

You may wish to stay clear of this, but if it were me, I might consider bear mace in case some 'genius" next to me decided to sleep with pizza under his pillow without warning the rest of the shelter.

Sad to say but I agree with you.

Also, maybe you maybe you don't want to get in the weeds,but I don't see any list for first aid, personals/toiletries, lighting, maps.

Are you expecting snow? Neoprene socks work pretty well or just plastic bags. Definitely take some kind of traction like microspikes if there's significant chance of ice though.