AT gear list

[Angela Zukowski]

can be viewed here:

LIST

Total weight before food and water is 16.1 lbs (this is before I started tweaking and removing things)

I also listed food just to give myself an idea – nothing there is really set in stone but it's what I usually tend to carry. A little heavy on the nuts. I'll probably pare back there and add mozzarella sticks/pita bread.

And in terms of the luxury items: I'm going to attempt to find a better (lighter) drawing pad. And I think I will START with NO ipod and NO kindle. I think when things calm down and settle into a routine I can always throw electronic items into a mail drop if I decide I want them.

Whittle away, though! Or tell me what I forgot…

(there is deliberately no knife. I only use it to cut up pieces of moleskin, and I'm going to try my best not to need that! Worst case scenario, I borrow a knife for use. I'll try not to get in any scenarios where I need to sever an arm like Aron Ralston!)

edited to add a disclaimer: I am HORRIBLE at math/numbers and am preemptively absolving myself of all responsibility for numerical errors!

[Angela Zukowski]

So if I get rid of the kindle, ipod, and phone charger…

then if I ditch the antibac ointment (since I have soap), half my vitamins (to just one week's worth), lose the handwarmer (although man, I would have killed for one at one point while hiking this summer) and the glasses (this will not be fun at night) the total weight savings is 2 lbs

Which brings me down to 15 lbs for weight before food and water. I try to only carry a liter at a time.

[Bob Gross]

"there is deliberately no knife"

If you have no knife and no mini-scissors, about all you really need for cutting is one single-edge razor blade. It is good enough for cutting open food packaging or cutting Moleskin pieces.

–B.G.–

[b s]

A 32 oz. GG Virga? Did you add a frame? ;)

Even if you don't plan on it, you'll probably end up in a shelter now and then. A pair of earplugs can be the most valuable weightless item you carry on those nights.

[Angela Zukowski]

Oooooh. Ear plugs. Vital, yes.

re: the 32 oz virga – I have been crunching WAY too many numbers and I am NOT a number person! Feel like I'm losing it! I had it listed at 1 lb 3 oz and then could have sworn I saw specs that said it is 1 lb 13 oz. And granite gear lists it for 1.3 on their site. Why I chose to believe some random online retailer instead is beyond me.

Ok, time to go fix a few things. And then go to bed. Being a gram weinie is HARD!

[BlackHatGuy]

When are you leaving in April?

[Angela Zukowski]

I'll be on Springer the 17th. I leave the 15th.

[BlackHatGuy]

Very cool! Do you cook in your pot, or only heat water? Or, in other words, do you need a pot that big? If you only boil water seems like you could get by with a smaller one.

[Angela Zukowski]

I do both. Trying to cook a lot less and boil more, though. Hence the dehydrating

Ok I'm calling it a night – I think I am all geared out! Never thought it would happen but it definitely has :) I AM SPENT!

[Scott S]

Looks like a good list.

Is it easy to pour out small amounts of alcohol from a platy bag without spilling? I have no idea, but I just use a 12- or 16-oz soda bottle.

Pack liner/stuff sacks? Whatever you use, I'd suggest getting a mylar roasting bag as a second line of defense for your quilt. I weighed mine at 0.5 ounces.

+1 on the earplugs. Would've had several sleepless nights without them on the AT.

Chapstick, at least for fall/spring.

Gaiters? I don't even like day-hiking in trail runners without my dirty girls.

When I carry aquamira, I usually toss a few spare Micropur tablets in my pack just in case I run out of aquamira or spill it.

Soap and hand san? I know some people try to stay clean on the trail, but you're going to be stinky and dirty regardless. I'd lose the soap.

Windscreen for your stove?

Have fun out there.

[Nate Davis]

Angela, will you be sleeping in AT shelters at all, or are you planning on spending almost all of your nights in the hammock?

If you're going to be in the shelters most nights, why not ditch the hammock and bring your tarp? That'll cut two pounds! That more than makes up for your luxury items.

If you're going to camp, then the hammock makes sense.

You've got five tops: A tee, a tank, a long sleeve, a thermawrap jacket, and a rain jacket. I'd say leave the tee or tank behind and just sleep in the shirt you didn't wear hiking that day (the tee/tank or long sleeve). That's a couple more ounces for you and one less thing you have to pack, unpack, wash, and worry about.

Crocs make a great camp shoe. I used to use them, but now that I've got trail runners I don't see the point. If you want something easy to slip in and out of, get a 2 or 3 oz pair of cheap flip flops. They pack smaller too. I wouldn't be surprised if Old Navy has theirs on sale already. You could also make gram weenie flip flops out of some old shoe liners for the soles and some laces for the strap.

3 oz seems like a lot for Aqua Mira, but I only JUST bought some for the first time and haven't weighed them yet. That said, how many are you bringing at a time? If a lot, maybe you could ship some ahead?

Do you need both glasses and contacts?

Q-tips? You're a thru-hiker now, no need to clean your ears! Plus, I hear ear wax makes a great firestarter.

I think you're making a good call on not bringing the Ipod. Doesn't seem worth it for the weight.

I would recommend as others have that you should at least bring a razor blade if nothing else.

Also, just to get an idea of what your base weight is, aside from your full skin out weight, maybe you could try the list excluding what you'll be wearing? Those shoes add a lot of weight. Then again, I think you've only got the weight listed for one shoe.

[Angela Zukowski]

Wow, never would have thought of a mylar roasting bag for the quilt. Great idea.

To answer Nate's question, I am definitely camping as much as possible. I know I could save a lb or two… but I don't sleep well in shelters.

I could have sworn I had aquaphor ointment in my kit that I use as chap stick… hmm. Like I mentioned before, totally got burnt out crunching numbers for this gear list!

On all of my New England hikes I don't wear gaitors, except in winter. Maybe some day I'll change, though!

And Nate – my aqua mira has both bottles duct taped together so that might skew the weight. They are full unused bottles, too.

The trail runners: I am 90% certain that is weight for the pair but you planted a seed of doubt! I didn't weigh my bga empty, or my shoes or poles. I relied on manufacturer specs.

Still need a wind screen! Thanks for the reminder.

And if anyone sees this… mylar roasting bag… I am assuming that is at a grocery store?

I'm still tweaking my list a bit. But it was nice to share and get feedback, despite my horrible ineptness with numbers!

[Scott S]

I bought roasting bags at the grocery store. The "turkey-sized" bag was exactly the same size as my sleeping bag stuff sack.

[Mike Clelland]

Crocks? Please, are you kidding?

What 4.6 ounce TI-pot do you have? Are you alone? THat's TOO heavy. How big is it?

Cut the bandanas down. You do NOT need a full size.

Instead of a glasses CASE just use something else. A hat, a bandana, etc. Take the glasses, ditch the case. It is okay to be careful with your gear, it's a skill.

Q-Tips? You will be fine without these.

What is a data book? And 4.4 oz is a LOT for something I've never heard of.

Pack cover? A pack LINER is superior, it'll keep you gear dryer, and it's a multi use item. A simple HEFTY trash COMPACTOR bag from the grocery store is all you need. One will last the whole AT (maybe). 2.2 oz. Wit the trash *comPACTor* bag you do NOT need a separate stuff sack for your sleeping bag.

AND – – – 39.6 oz for a shelter? You can easily get a SOLO tarp for under 10 oz. Saving over 29.6 oz!

Wind screen can be made from folded aluminum foil. (easy)

And – Good for you for ditching the technology!

[Thomas Burns]

>A simple HEFTY trash COMPACTOR bag from the grocery store is all you need. One will last the whole AT (maybe). 2.2 oz.

Or, even better IMO, stuff you sleeping bag into a Reynolds oven bag, which weighs just a few grams, is tough as nails, and eliminates the need for the compactor bag, assuming that everything else won't suffer if it gets wet or is in a Ziplock or Locsak, anyway. (Locsaks available right here at BPL).

Stargazer

[Angela Zukowski]

Haha. I was bracing myself for your input Mike!

You are totally, 100% right about the crocs. I actually don't normally use them… something about the duration of this hike is bringing out the self-indulgent in me. I normally use a trash compactor bag, too. And I can lose the glasses case – the glasses are old, anyway.

The pot is .9 L

I was thinking about cutting the bandannas down!

I may switch to a tarp, I am going to play it by ear. The nice thing about the AT is that it's not backcountry wilderness… I can easily mail things and swap out shelters, etc. – we will see how the hammock works out.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I think I am overcompensating with material possessions in order to distract myself from my fear of failure. I know this hike is about the experience – not about the completion. There is no "failure" if you enjoy your trip and make the most of it, regardless of where it ends. But the fear is still there, a little. And I try to push it away by focusing on things. But if I shop for crocs and tell myself I'll want something comfy for when I'm in town… that's not what is going to make or break this hike. It's not about what I carry or how comfy I am. It's about what is inside me and how I chose to react to the external.

Ok, I'm done pondering! I'll try an update a more stripped down gear list soon. I was being silly – if I'm fine for a week with less stuff… I can be fine for 6 months.

[Scott S]

>A simple HEFTY trash COMPACTOR bag from the grocery store is all you need. One will last the whole AT (maybe). 2.2 oz.

No way. I went through at least 3 compactor bags on the PCT. And the last bag I used ended up having holes that I didn't know about until it was too late. A mylar bag would've prevented any problems. And at 0.5 ounces, unless you're doing an XUL hike, the weight is negligible.

[Angela Zukowski]

I did put a hole in my last one… but I was being super careless.

[Frank Deland]

http://www.traildesigns.com/caldera-cone.html

http://jwbasecamp.com/

[BlackHatGuy]

Angela, don't worry about a wind screen, I've got you covered.

[Frank Deland]

NB. There was a recent post 3/31 on MYOG forum here re cat stove.

[Matthew Swierkowski]

I'm going to politely disagree with the Croc bashing. It's pretty darn nice having a pair of airy footwear to put on around camp at night. I section hike the AT and run into thrus all the time. Lots of them carry Crocs or similar type camp shoes. Yeah they're a hair heavy, but they're worth it. The only other options around camp are going bare foot (eek…especially around shelters), or just wearing your hiking shoes (in my case trail runners) which don't breath nearly as nicely as Crocs.

Oh yeah, and don't forget your shoes will be getting wet periodically from rain. Slipping on the Crocs while the shoes dry in the sun rocks.

[Vick Hines]

Angela,
Good for you. The AT is a wonderful trip. I've thruhiked it twice and want to do it again. You've put some good thinking into your list. Just a few thoughts.

1. Everything will change after the first month or two. You will be paired down and spare, lean and mean. Things that seem important now will not be so important then.

2. Practice with your gear under realistic considitions. Make sure everything works like you think it should. That said, 5 months will destruction-test everything.

3. See 1: Your food needs and preferences will change because your metabolism will change. Most thruhikers end up eating and cooking simply. I ended up freezer-bag cooking exclusively. A small boiling pot (large mug) is all you will need eventually.

4. Lose the platy for fuel. They are hard to manage when you are tired and tend to spill easily. Substitute one of the new, ultrathin drinking water bottles. They weigh no more than the platy and are safer.

5. By month 2 you will probably be going commando, so you might as well start that way.

6. The mid-April start means you will probably miss the Easter Surprise – the late cold front that regularly blasts the southern AT. Still, most folks keep their cold weather gear until Erwin, TN. Send it home and get it back in Vermont.

7. I've done without camp shoes. It works, but Crocs are nice, too, and just make my feet feel good.

8. Take the glasses. It's a safety issue if you are really near-sighted. But keep the contacts. Eyeglasses tend to flatten surface contours in the trail. Contacts do not, and let you see the trippers.

9. You could save a pound by using a lighter hammock (with net and fly). Bridge hammocks are nice, though. The hammock makes it easier to avoid shelters since finding horizontal ground will be no problem. See 10.

10. It you don't use the shelters you will sleep better, get in more traveling time, avoid snooring, sexist, macho jerks, body odors, pesky animals and general squalor.

[Mike Clelland]

An option for avoiding the camp shoes.

Use a pair of super cheap-o dime-store flip flops. (weight unknown)

– Or –

Take an *extra* pair of very thin foot beds. These can be replaced in your shoes when you get to camp, making the shoes feel a little bigger. They also make your feet feel dryer (a little)

– Or –

Change into thin "liner" socks when you get to camp. This will make the shoes feel a little bigger.

– Or –

For wet weather, wear plastic bags over your feet with thin dry socks, then into your wet shoes. This will make your feel feel a LOT warmer.

[Bob Gross]

"For wet weather, wear plastic bags over your feet with thin dry socks, then into your wet shoes. This will make your feel feel a LOT warmer."

The trick is in finding the right kind of plastic bags. If you use thick bags, it will mess with the foot fit in the boots, and that is not good. If you use super-thin bags, they are flimsy and tend to rip out quickly. So, try out some bags that are semi-strong yet semi-thin, maybe something not too different from a bread loaf bag. I used this technique in monsoon conditions, and it worked out.

–B.G.–

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