My current gearlist for an Appalachian Trail NOBO thru-hike is at http://tinyurl.com/mjurzb (pdf file)
Thanks in advance for any sort of feedback on this, but in particular I'm interested in comments/suggestions/etc in the context of this trip.
I plan to start on the trail in late Feb, and thus have nearly 2 pounds (30.3 oz) of additional clothing that I'll start with and mail home from Pearisburg (resupply point past Mt. Rogers). It's possible that I'll mail some of these things home sooner, and I'll get at least some of them back just before entering the Whites in New Hampshire. In addition to clothing I'll swap sleeping bags at Pearisburg, saving a bit over 10 oz there. FWIW, I plan on five resupply boxes (Fontana Dam NC, Pearisbug VA, Harpers Ferry WV, Kent CT, and Glencliff NH).
My focus with this gear list isn't about weight alone, but on the mystical balance of weight versus safety/comfort/happiness that feels best to me personally. This seems to currently fall out at a 16.3 pound base weight to start, dropping to about 13.5 pounds for the middle 1000+ miles or so. Ideas to bring this down will be gratefully received (whether implemented or not …).
My starting baseweight on the PCT in 2008 was 17.6 pounds, though I mailed a bit of that home early on, so not all that different from this except: I never got down below 16 pounds or so for that entire trip (and went significantly up in the Sierras), plus in general I should be carrying less food, water, and fuel weight on the AT.
I've tried to be very complete with this list; toilet paper isn't listed (a consumeable), though I will carry it, something on the order perhaps of 1 – 2 oz (lots of pit toilets along the AT). Rather than "glacier glasses", I might just carry cheap drugstore sunglasses. But apart from the occasional minor tweak like that, it should really cover everything.
The "Electronics" category is somewhat high for me; I reckon my personal luxuries are that category, plus perhaps comfortable padding at night (sparkling new 72" long Neo-Air … cushy …). The smartphone represents no "necessary" functionality, but a host of "nice to have" stuff — to include on this trail the only maps that I'll carry — and the bluetooth keyboard makes it easy to type up a daily journal entry.
I used a solar charger for much of the PCT to augment in-town charging opportunities; for the AT I've opted to go with higher capacity batteries for the phone.
I'm mixed about the Ursack; not that many bears, but lots of rodents as I understand it, and the Ursack (which I already own) is about the same weight as an Outsak (which I don't). One less thing to worry about or fiddle with at the end of the day. I've walked into town hungry with a thru-hikers hunger, and it's not pleasant.
A couple of items are tough to categorize: the GG "Nightlight" no-longer-torso-length pad (I carry 2/3 of one) is both thermal & abrasion/puncture protection under part of my Neo-Air at night, as well as back padding for my pack during the day (a 1/8" thinlight goes under the rest of the Neo-Air). The Gatewood Cape is both floorless tent and raingear. I've listed both of these in the "sleeping" category.
I'm not sure if I'll keep the gravity filter or not; on the PCT last year I did the first 700 miles with this gravity filter plus repackaged (fairly minimal) Aqua Mira as backup, didn't treat water much in the Sierras, and used just Aqua Mira for the rest of the trip. It's a tough trade-off. I was originally thinking of the filter because of anticipated cold temperatures (chlorine dioxide takes longer in the cold). But in fact, even in warm weather the water I treat is typically pretty darned cold anyway, and you have to worry that water that remains in the filter element will freeze. Another offset is just the ability to start drinking almost immediately upon reaching a water source, but a 15 – 30 minute treat time isn't that long, so …
I might end up ditching the filter early on and going with just A.M. throughout.
