AT thru hike proposed gear list

[Chad Jackson]

Let me know what you think, What i could do without, or what I may need to add, thanks

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=22094

Any and all feedback is appreciated

[Ken Thompson]

How many nights out with this kit do you have? I'll assume you have it all already.

[Earl Gilbert]

Seems a little light to me. You may spend a hungry night in the woods before you get to a resupply point.

No bivy sack to keep your bag dry? It rains a lot on the East Coast. I guess if you spend nights in shelters it won't matter, but on nights when you need or want a shelter the most is when they are going to be fullest.

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

Agree with Ken, have you used this kit, all together?

Just glancing, it looks fine for a minimalist hiker, so you will have to decide if that is what you want, but others have made it with less I am sure. (Look at Matt Kirk.) But based on the minimalist type of gear, and with the minimal insulation layers you have listed, and only a 30 F quilt, I assume you will be hiking in the warmer months, and plan to do so fast?

If starting earlier than April for sure, more insulation layers and maybe even a warmer quilt/bag might be more… comfy…

Carrying a 2L Sawyer/Evernew bag would give you a bit more water carrying capacity than a 1L, both for dry stretches of the trail, and at camp (water sources isn't always a babbling brook next to the shelter/camp spot). I see that you do have another 1L Smartwater bottle, but having that little extra capacity is worth it at times. And the 2L version is only about half an oz heavier than the 1L…

The 400 ml pot capacity could make those thru hiker appetites tough to fill… Unless you aren't planning to do much cooking and eating cold meals? I see you are carrying a single Esbit tab per day, so I figure you plan to do some cooking… but of course you can always fall back on wood fires if you run out of Esbit.

For a thru, I would consider at least bouncing the syringe to backlash the Mini, and maybe even carrying it after a few weeks…

[Chad Jackson]

Thanks for all the input so far. I unfortunately only have about a week and a half so far with this kit, the clothing is plenty warm down to low 30's if I wear everything just sitting around outside and I don't need anything more than the wind pants and the wind jacket to hike in the 30's, can always add the rain jacket if I get cold. I will be getting out more this winter and early spring and summer with my wife as well to get in more time. The soonest I'll be able to do the trip would be 2016 so I have some time. Just want to get it dialed in and make sure I have enough saved up for any gear changes I need to make. I have all of the gear currently listed other than the 30 degree sleeping bag which I will be purchasing soon.

I was thinking about a bivy sack but was unsure if it would be needed with such a large tarp? If so i was looking at the borah gear cuben side zip which would add about 4.5 oz or so.

I do have a 900 ml evernew pot with a zelph starlyte and caldera cone which weighs about 6 oz without fuel, my fuel weight would also increase. Would it be worth it to carry the extra weight?

I know my food weight will increase as time goes on to about 2 lbs per day as I'm trying to get 5000 calories instead of 3000 to 3500 in my system that will be adjusted.

I will be going in the warmer months probably start around mid april and do around 20 miles a day average. I do have a Zpacks 20 degree L/W bag which I have used on some overnights in the smokies but it was in June and it was a little too warm. Would it be worth the extra 4 oz to carry the 20 degree even if I added a bivy sack?

I'll make the changes you all mentioned and update the list, Also Chad I know you live in north mississippi, I live down on the coast in Ocean Springs, It would be awesome to do some hiking with you sometime. Big fan of your blog and the detailed videos. Keep up the great work.

[Chad Jackson]

So here is the list with everyone's recommendations so far, the BPW went from right at 5.8 lbs to 6.87 lbs so gained a little over a lb. I guess the real question is the weight gain worth the level of comfort gained.

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=22094

I do gain the ability to boil more water at once and protection from the bugs while sleeping and the mice inside the shelters although that doesn't really bother me.

A warmer sleeping bag could be handy in the early parts of the trip through the smokies. could always send the 30 degree north and swap out once it warmed up to save 4.5 oz.

At 6.87 lbs its still a really light BPW. If it were you which list would you take? Or would you do something in between the two?

Thanks again and I appreciate the replies.

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

Being that you are planning to hike in 2016, you have plenty of time to dial in your gear… as well as debate on all the new gear that will come out this year… and likely even at the beginning of the year next year!

Keeping in mind that I have not thru hike the AT… these are some of my thoughts.

If you start mid April, that means you will be in the Smokies around the end of April, which is still likely to have cool weather, but that you won't know until it's time… Personally, at only a few oz more though, I would carry the warmer bag at least through the Smokies, then think about keeping it for a little longer, or swapping it out.

As for a bivy sack, I still haven't figured out how to use one… I have a Borah Bivy, but made the mistake of getting it with M50 for the top… it is not breathable. I ended up cutting out a large rectangle from the center and adding in a mesh window to allow some moisture to escape, and it works better, but I still am not confident in using it… Your tarp is a pretty large tarp though, and if you are good at pitching it, between the shelters, and your tarp, I would figure that would be all you needed. Although… it can get quite rainy… and for quite a while.

The 900 ml pot seems like a good sized pot for a thru hiker… enough room to cook in for those large thru hiker appetites… good weight, and as you likely know, the Caldera Cone rocks!

I am not trying to discourage you and tell you to go heavier, but you are right, a sub 7 lb BPW pack is still pretty light for a thru hike. The good thing is though you have plenty of time before then. You may find that the smaller pot volume is acceptable for you and your preferred style, and as long as you are familiar with it and understand it's limitations, it will likely be ok.

And thanks for the kind words about my blog, I appreciate it. Glad that you enjoy it. And maybe we will see each other on the trail sometime!

Good luck on your thru, and have fun dialing everything in!

[Chad Jackson]

Absolutely, I appreciate everyone's help. Ill put everything into use and will report back.

[Jake D]

Having a bivy inside the shelters is also nice. they are usually 3 sided and drafty. sometimes not exactly waterproof.

you will figure out your food as you go. Having a good idea about what is calorie dense helps when you walk into a store starving and have to avoid buying everything in sight.

I agree with the 2L of "dirty" bags for the filter. I do 1.5L evernew and the small Sawyer bag as a leak backup. a 4" section of a thin bottle for a dipping cup will come in handy for shallow, non moving sources to fill the bags. a few grams saves a lot of hassle and silt.

some multi day trips will really help you figure out what gear you like and get a routine down (20mi/day isn't bad at all if you use time wisely)

– experience from the northern bit.. NH, VT, CT, Long trail thru.

[IVO K]

Perhaps consider a redundant water purification system (AquaMira) for when (not IF) the Sawyer Mini would start pissing you off with its diminished throughput?
Or at least bump the Sawyer filter up to the Sawyer Squeeze, whose throughput is more likely to remain consistent as long as you backflush it at least weekly.

You list an "extra CR123 battery". Spare for what? Your Photon light uses CR2016 and not a CR123.

I agree with others that after the first week, the 400 mL pot would become insufficient. Take a larger one.

[Chad Jackson]

You are correct on the battery I apologize. Wasn't thinking. I've went back and forth on trying out aquamira how do you like it?

[IVO K]

Always liked it, and I don't feel it changes the taste of the treated water.

End of this past summer:
A Sawyer Mini started acting up on the 2nd day of a 6-day trip. Reduced flow, no matter what I did. 5 minutes per liter is unacceptable in my book…. and keep in mind, I always pre-filter while filling up my dirty container. This was the 2nd Mini playing this trick to me, no matter that I backflushed religiously.
At the end of day 2 I was sufficiently pissed off, treated my camp water with AM, stashed the filter as a backup solution, and proceeded with AM until the end of the hike.
I found it a minor inconvenience to wait – before decanting into my 2x 1L bottles – for the 15-20 minutes (depending on the water temperature) until the treatment is essentially done in the dirty water container (a 2L Evernew). Learned to accept it.

Since then AM has become my main treatment, with either a Steripen Freedom (freezing weather) or a Sawyer Mini (above freezing) as a backup.

[Jake D]

still can't fathom showing up to a water source bone dry and having to wait 15mins for AM to be effective.

i stick with my sawyer squeeze and bring the syringe if i'm out for more than a week. Sad that the Mini has such a reduction in performance for not that much weight loss.

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

As great as I believe the Sawyer filters are, I also firmly believe, it really varies from filter to filter, no matter if it's the Mini or the Squeeze. What I mean is, I think that sometimes you get a good one, and sometimes you get a lemon. If it's a good one, then I have no doubt it will last as long as you need it to (assuming you prefilter/backwash as needed, which is why I also suggested carrying the syringe on a trip lasting more than 7 days, and I would suggest that for both, the Mini or the Squeeze).

I have witnessed a few Squeezes fail, one of them bought new before the trip, and 1 Mini fail, also pretty new. Thankfully, neither were mine, however, mine was shared with the group afterwards. Because of this, I suggest to use it a few times to make sure it is working and not a lemon. If it's working, I would not hesitate to carry it. And me personally,I would prefer to go with a Mini over the Squeeze. Also, between the Squeeze and the Mini that I have personally had, the flow rate has been pretty close to the same, no big difference at all.

As has been mentioned though, I think throwing a few MP1 tabs in your kit just in case is always a good idea. Of course too, using some common sense and prefiltering really dirty water with a bandana or something first will greatly increase the life of any filter.

As for the tabs vs drops, I like both, but agree, the drops seem to leave less of a chemical taste. The tabs are fine too, but after treating 2L of water with tabs and letting it sit overnight, the chemical taste was strong… The Nuun tabs couldn't even cover it up totally. I prefer to carry tabs for backup to the filter though. They are a nonissue to pack, and are very easy to use. If I plan to use chemicals solely, I prefer AM drops simply because of cost.

Using chemicals is easy to do, doesn't require carrying extra water (although many folks says it does) and doesn't require any extended wait time, at least not for me.

For starters, I would carry a dark mini dropper bottle and premix a days worth in this bottle. Make sure you compare the drop sizes though… not all drop sizes are equal. Anyway, I carried 2 bottles on my shoulder straps and start with them filled, and treated. After I drink the first one, I simply stop and fill up the empty bottle at the next water source, drop a few drops from the premixed bottle in with it, and continue drinking from the other bottle. I just continue to do this throughout the day, and I have never found myself waiting. Also, I used to carry two 32 oz Gatorade bottles, so this was plenty of water, but for me, it was too much, so I have been carrying two 20 oz Gatorade bottles, and this has been about perfect, again, for me. On the AT, where water sources are pretty often (at least in the south where I have been) this has always worked for me, although, I am sure others would say this wouldn't work…

[Jake D]

Goes to show the diversity of the AT.. you're down south and it can be one way and up here it is different.

up here we run into longer stretches of above treeline with no water. When i did the LT 2 years ago we were in a major drought year and I think one day we had a 15mi stretch between. (read the shelter logs kids.. good info)

in the whites you can go quite a ways without sources above treeline too. (i highly suggest AT hikers to get the 4000 footer map with good distances and trail labels)

in your scenario i'd only have to carry 20oz at a time until the next source..

either way, i'd rather have drinkable water available immediately. horses for courses. mostly i feel that many AM users don't wait long enough and get away with it.

i do agree with at least tabs or a microbottle of bleach for backup.

[Chad Jackson]

I've had great results with my sawyer mini. Flow rate is great filtered 2 liters in about a minutes I use my buff to filter out the big chunks. As far as back flushing this is something I do. I carry a 1 liter smart water bottle with one of the flip caps and that fits perfectly on the end of the sawyer back flush nipple and then you squeeze your water bottle to back flush. Saves 1 oz and your already carry it. Even an extra weighs practically nothing. Food for though.

Once again Thanks for all the help everyone and I'm really glad that my post turned into a helpful discussion for the other board members

Chad

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