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AT Thru-Hike, 2009


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  • #1470583
    Frank Deland
    Member

    @rambler

    Locale: On the AT in VA

    Here is a site on weather averages along the AT:
    http://www.trailquest.net/weather.html
    The Great Smoky Nat. Park website has weather averages for the Park.
    Two years back GA had snow and its coldest weather since 1940s.! I was also surprised from a comment from Central VA about not much rain. I have experienced several days straight of rain hiking the AT in VT in August! But, I met a thru-hiker in Maine who said he had so much rain hiking through the spring that rain did not bother him any more. Needless to say, it was raining that July day.
    As for your list. You are well prepared. Eventually you might replace the Montbelle UL with a light fleece 100wt., or a lightweight wool sweater and a windshirt, like a Golite Wisp that you can stuff into a pocket when your not wearing it. Do not worry about the Cap 4 smelling. If you are sweating in it, take it off. Golite DriMove t-shirts, however really do not smell, at least for several days, unlike Caps and other polypro. I assume the MH Quark Shell is your rain gear.
    Many do not use rain pants, but I use them as long pants for warmth as much as for rain. I added a 12" or so zipper ion the lower cuff of the Golite Reed, so they can be put on or off over footwear. I do nopt carry any other long pant.I also use the Packa as rain gear and it hangs down over my shorts (Rail Riders)
    As for head lamps, the ones that are smaller than the Titka are great for around camp and I have used them to hike. But, not any more. They are great looking at the trail near your feet or just ahead, but not for looking long distances, for example if you are looking for a trail marker. Those colored light Photons are great, but be warned that they change the color of white trail blazes!
    I like small stuff sacks for different gear/clothes. It makes things easier to find, adding a little organization. I use a floorless tarp, but having a floor cover just a bit larger than my sleeping bag is a big help when the ground is wet. It also keeps the dust from shelter floors off my bag.
    # Liters of water in my platypus at night is enough for dinner and a start for the next day. Murphy's Law has most water sources down a long hill fropm the shelters!
    The only gear I do not see is something for your hands. At least I would suggest liner gloves and a waterproof shell. My hands get cold quickly. I have had my fingers in a spring rain too numb to open zippers or tie laces or hold a match. You will need them in September in Maine.
    The main advantage of a frame in your pack is the lifting of the weight off your shoulders. It helps to have another option of carrying the weight toward the end of a long day, but be lightweight about it. Golite or GG. Frameless can often sag down over your butt, but I use them even in winter (Golite Odyssey) and often use a fanny pack to help with lift. The Gregory Shasta has a frame that is macho, but too heavy! Anyway go with what you have. You will figure out what works. (I swithced out of my Golite Breeze for a GG Virga half way through the Smokies!) Although you might you might want to carry 10 days worth of food sometimes just to avoid towns, you rarely have to carry more than five, and often just 2 or 3 days worth as the trail goes right by food supplys. Have fun. You are in for a great experience.

    #1470814
    Ed Barkowski
    Spectator

    @edbarkowski

    THANKS to all who have posted! The feedback means so much.

    I have a few nit-picky questions left:

    1. I've added food, water and fuel (alc) weight estimates to my gear list. Could someone take a look to check accuracy. On the AT, I'm GUESSing restocking occurs an average of every 3-4 days. Have I guessed too much weight?

    2. Trekking poles: Mine are heavy. I've never used UL poles, and I certainly love Gossamer Gear's options. Should I switch to them, or are poles less of a real concern?

    3. Regarding my pack (Nimbus Meridian): It's a good-looking, well-built pack…but heavy! If I have the option to switch to the Vapor Trail or (more enticingly) Gossamer's Mariposa Plus, should I? I'm leaning toward the Mariposa, but I've never used a "frameless" pack. I think the volumes are all fairly comparable, and I've heard "I NEED a framed pack for the AT" – I just don't quite believe it.

    4. For the cup/bowl…has anyone used a cut-down Platy or Nalgene bladder to extended trips? I read that Carol C uses this method with success on shorter voyages. Maybe just ditch cup altogether and both eat directly from cookpot?

    5. Lastly – and perhaps least importantly – socks. How many pairs do each of us take? 2 or 3? Details, I know.

    THANKS AGAIN.

    I *heart* BPL

    #1470820
    Joe Westing
    Member

    @pedro87

    With an inital pack weight of 28 lbs, you may want to stay with a frameless pack. However, everyone has very different preferences on how much weight they can carry w/o a frame. Some have little trouble carrying up to 30 lbs comfortably, while others cannot stand carrying 20 lbs w/o a frame. If you are set on frameless packs, make sure to check out the MLD Exodus pack. It is a little smaller than the Mariposa Plus (3,600 cu vs 4000 for the mariposa), but it weighs less, is more durable, and is made with the legendary MLD high quality craftsmanship.

    On trips up to a week I have happily used 2 pairs of socks – one pair for sleeping and one for hiking. Once I get to camp, I take off my hiking socks, soak them in water (when available), and hang them up overnight to dry and air out. However, I don't have any experience on trips longer than 1 week, so I can't comment how well that strategy would work in the long term. I would guess it would be fine considering you would be stopping in towns fairly frequently to was clothes on the AT.

    #1470836
    b s
    BPL Member

    @smyth

    1.) I'll comment on your fuel estimate. Seems way high. I've got a full 12 oz. bottle of Heet sitting next to me and it only weighs 11.7 oz. in the original packaging. Depending on what and how often you're cooking, that alone could last 6-10 days. Denatared alcohol or Heet was available at almost every resupply in '05.

    2.) I used Lekis. Not ul but worked fine. Have never used anything lighter so can't comment.

    3.) Used a Nimbus Ozone on my thru-hike and enjoyed it. However, that was pre-ul days so I was carrying ~25-35 lbs. fully loaded.

    4.) Eat directly from the cookpot. Unless you're going to make coffee/tea/hot cocoa, cup is unnecessary.

    5.) I was happy I had three pairs. Your feet are going to get wet no matter what. Sometimes you'll get good weather and can dry out one pair while hiking in the other, sometimes you won't. I always kept one dry pair stuffed away in my sleeping bag to use in camp/shelter. Some might consider it a luxury, but it was well worth the 1.5 oz imho.

    #1471727
    Frank Deland
    Member

    @rambler

    Locale: On the AT in VA

    Ditto on #5 above. I also recommend low-cut socks for two of your three pairs. The super low cuts are too low for me, but the styles that just reach the ankles are my favorites. Less sock means they dry out faster. I have a regular length sock for camp. I have a couple of large locking safety pins (made for diapers) to hang wet clothes off my pack. Smaller pins work, too.

    For hiking poles I have used both Leki Ultra Lights and the Gossamer Gear fixed Light poles. You might not notice any difference unless you are holding one of each. The Leki poles feel heavy! Over a thousand miles, swinging the lightest pole might make a difference. Both are strong. Both companies replace broken poles fast. The Leki tips fit on the Gossamer Gear poles, so replacement parts are available from outfitters along the trail. The continually shock of poles striking the ground can cause "tennis elbow", so keep that in mind if you start to develop forearm or elbow pain. I did break a pole once, but quickly adapted to using just one.

    Although I do eat out of the cooking pot, carrying another container can be useful. You can have a bowl of soup cooling as you are cooking dinner. I like flexible bowls like the Guyot Squishy Bowl and the Orikaso Folding bowls. The Squishy can be folded inside out for easy cleaning, the Orikasos can be lain flat so are easy to clean and store in your pack. When a water source is very low in the summer, like a small puddle, flexible bowls make it easy to scoop up the water. Sea to Summit makes flexible bowls, the "X bowl". Snow Peak makes a solid lightweight titanium bowl.

    Once you decide on the volume pack you want, go for the lightest model. The more weight you shed, the better. A frame pack means sore shoulders and sore hips. Frameless packs means only sore shoulders. You just have to weigh (no pun intended) the advantages of both and decide. Remember, however, if you load up your pack with ten days worth of food, you only have to carry that extra weight for one day! I agree that Osprey packs are popular. One model has a ridged mesh pocket holding the pack off your back. A hiker carried his water bottle in it. The pack was large in volume, yet compact. Outfitters I've visited along the trail ( in GA, NC, VA, Harpers Ferry, PA, NY, MA, NH, ME) all carry Granite Gear models. Apologies from a gear nut!

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