northbound AT gear list

I would think the 35 degree bag would be okay by May. I'd keep the other clothing layers a bit longer just in case and send them home later.

sounds good, those send back dates are tentative and ill just send them back when it seems excessive to continue having them.

I would add:

compass
map
whistle (plastic pealess is best)
backup fire source (another lighter, firesteel, or matches)
sunglasses
patch kit for sleeping pad

I've used Esbit for the last few trips using a titanium wing stove. It works well, but it can sometimes be tricky to light, especially if it gets wet. It also leaves a sticky, fish-smelling mess on the bottom of the pot. I just put my pot in a plastic oven bag and then inside my large food bag to keep it from messing up my other gear. I'm probably going to switch back to using my penny alcohol stove. It's fairly easy to light even using sparks from a firesteel. I prefer to use the firesteel to light it actually because my hands can stay farther away.

I would use alcohol. Its easy to source on the AT. Esbit is not so easy to source.
I will differ from Andy on the need for a compass, map, etc. The AWOL AT Guide is more than enough and much more useful.
The bag should be plenty; a 0 degree bag is a little overkill in my book.
Remember, there will be a lot of hikers with you.

thanks for the replies everyone. i will be bringing that little guide book that lists all the sites, mts, camps, towns etc. i forget what it's called but it's the 12 edition and only 3 oz maybe. there is alittle whistle on my pack. i will carry some backup matches. i'm not a sunglasses kind of person. i literally bring them on every trip and never end up wearing them, usually i loose them the one time i wear them. ben, yes, the 0 is overkill :) but, i don't have another bag for cold weather so i'll just suck it up for a month or two. thanks for the comments everyone!

I am a big believe in summer-weight bags for summer on the AT. Nights in June and July in the mid-Atlantic are hot and humid, and you will be roasting in a 35-degree bag. But it's still nice to have something to put over you for the coldest part of the night or to keep the mice/bugs off if you sleep in a shelter.

An inexpensive possibility would be to just go with a sleeping bag liner for the warmest months (maybe keep an emergency blanket in your bag as a backup?). If you're not too cold of a sleeper, you could go with the a mid-weight liner (like the S2S Thermolite) + your 35-degree bag for the whole trail. Then just bounce the WM bag ahead around Front Royal and get it back in CT or MA (just get it back before VT–August nights up there can get cold!).

If you search around, there are a bunch of good threads about sleeping bag liners here on BPL.

hey scott,

thanks for the suggestions. i tried sleeping in just that for one night in july and it was so uncomfortable. have you ever done a long trek with just a liner? doesn't seem like it would be worth it. i've also not seen any gear lists that don't have some sort of bag or quilt. it's only 16 oz too so it would be minimal weight loss to replace for just a liner.

Ok, that guide counts as a map.

A compass is one of those things you don't need until you need it. ;)

I've never done a long hike with just a liner since I have a summer-weight synthetic bag (good to maybe 45 degrees) that I use in warmer months. But I have slept in my silk liner alone a number of times, and that was fine. I use my silk liner with my sleeping bag all the time if I'm pushing the temperature limits of my bag.

What was so uncomfortable about your liner? What sort of liner was it?

i do not like sleeping in liners. i've never heard of this either. there's nothing to it and i really think it's probably the same weight as my sleeping bag.