Date: 2019-12-18
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Miles today: 0.0

September 6th 2019  I summited Katahdin. I started my trek Feb 18th 2019 by myself but met some of the most amazing people along the way and never really hiked alone at least not for a long period of time.  The not so distant memory is like a dream, did it really happen?Truly there is a serious adjustment period trying to fit back in with the civilized world.  I am so very happy to be with my family and on the same exact hand, I miss the mountains very much. I¢ve seen articles on the net about post trail depression and I hesitate to use that description but I certainly understand the gist of what they mean. I would categorize what I¢m experiencing into two buckets 1. Physical , its been a slow recovery period but four months later I¢m still healing. My knees and feet are doing much better and I¢ve gained much of my weight/upper body strength  back. I exercise and stretch daily. Surprisingly my hands hurt the most, I guess the death grip I kept on my trekking poles has turned into some type of permanent pain.  2. Emotional (mental) , I¢m glad to report the nightly hiking dreams have ended . I do miss the routines and daily adventures and It¢s not just missing the beauty and the clean air of the trail. I miss my trail family and all the friends I met out there. There is something immensely satisfying about accomplishing daily goals and surviving primitive challenges.Its hard to explain but adversity can be good. Any way I apologize for the late review on some of the gear that I used. Please note this review is based on my personal experience and if possible try out these products yourself prior to an extended hike. So much for my disclaimer, in no particular order here goes; Trekking Poles- Leki Micro Variable- https://www.leki.com/us/trekking/poles/3115/micro-vario-cor-tec-ta/?c=708 Leki is a very customer oriented company and offer a lifetime warranty on their aluminum poles. I know as I broke one last year in 2018 and then on my thru hike in 2019. If you note on my summit picture I¢m holding an odd pole as my last break happened on a fall in Maine right before summiting. Leki replaced the pairs both time no questions no problem. I love a company that understands the physical demands we put on their products! That being said note this style is collapsible and very compact, but understand that with months of rain and exterior living the little spring in the push button assembly can and will eventually corrode without proper lubrication. My poles prior to the break became un-collapsible and if you note my picture climbing out of Lehigh Gap which requires hand over hand climbing, my poles were extended out of my back pack like a radio operators antenna. This is extremely dangerous but unfortunately all I could do. My recommendation for a thru hike is to go with a standard twist or speed lock model or if you have this model try to lubricate your spring every chance you can. Personal safety satellite communicator- https://explore.garmin.com/en-US/inreach/Delorme (now Garmin) Inreach Explorer Obviously not necessary until it is necessary¢¦¢¦ I did ultimately send it home somewhere in Upstate New York. It quit working properly and Garmin wanted another 200.00 bucks to replace it. Verizon cell service is pretty good on the AT so ultimately the satellite feature was not needed. The Inreach Explorer also requires a monthly subscription. Great peace of mind I¢m glad I never truly needed it to send an SOS etc.  Wallet- Zpacks- Dyneema wallet, This lightweight wallet was great for my credit card, debit card, insurance card, drivers license, military id and cash ($200.00). I always carried it in my front zip -up pocket of my shorts or pants. https://zpacks.com/products/wallet-zip-pouch Sock Liner- the five toe injinji liner , I believe these liners are the reason I did not get any blisters. If you recall I actually did get one blister in the Shenandoah¢s but it was due to an ill fitted pair of shoes (Altra Temps). I carried an extra pair and did replace both pairs once after wearing a hole in them.  https://www.injinji.com/shop/liner.html?fiber_flag=172&weight_flag=173 Socks- Darn Tough Crew, Smart Wool and Farm to Feet. I started off with two pairs of Darn Tough socks and one pair of Smart Wool. My initial thoughts were to have a warm dry pair to sleep in and two pairs to hike in. I eventually sent one pair home and preferred to let my feet air out at night. I even gave away my down booties as I did not need the additional warmth after February. These sock companies are all good however I did wear holes in both the Smart Wool and the Farm to Feet pair. Darn Tough offers a lifetime warranty and seriously after 2192 miles my DT are still going strong. Again I used my liner socks at all times hiking. https://darntough.com/https://www.smartwool.com/shop/mens-wool-socks-https://www.farmtofeet.com/ Down Booties- I did not know how cold I would be in my tent so I brought these in case. I eventually gave these away to a young lady at Hot Springs as I preferred not to wear socks to sleep in. They are superlight and warm and cheap. AEGISMAX Down Booties Down Socks Warm Soft Slippers Down Filled Slipper Boots Indoor Warm Down Slippers Plus Size for Men BlackWaterproof Socks- Seal Skinz, These WP socks performed extremely well but I only used them when it snowed. I realized early on that there is nothing short of waders that will keep your dry in the rain forests of the Appalachian trail. Again I sent these homes in March.https://www.sealskinzusa.com/socks Gaiters ¢ Altra Trail Gaiters, perfect for keeping sand small rocks debris from falling into your shoes, note these work best with a Velcro gaiter trap already on Altras trail runners. I had to modify my Merrils and Solomons by gluing on a piece of Velcro to the back.https://www.altrarunning.com/ Shoes- 1. Altras Lone peak 3.5, 2. Altras Lone peak 4.0, 3. Altra Temps, 4. Lone peak 3.5, 5. Oboz Sawtooth, 6. Salomons Speedcross, 7. Merrils Moab 2 Ventilator  Altras are comfortable wide trail running shoes that are very popular with the thru hikers, I liked them however they seem to break down prematurely.Generally speaking trail runners are supposed to last around 500 miles, The AT can be brutal on your shoes and the wet weather can speed up the wear and tear. The Altra Temps did not fit me well and I experienced one blister in the Shenandoah¢s right before I got rid of this style. To be fair trail runners are not designed as a thru hiker shoe however the immediate failure I experienced would have happened whether I was thru hiking or not. Some hikers experience a need to get a larger shoe size after hiking many miles, personally I believe my feet got wider. Depending on your experience it would be wise to pre buy your shoes and have someone ship them to you when needed or you can risk not finding the brand,size and style that you may want.  The Oboz was an excellent durable hiking shoe quite a bit heavier than my Altras. Oboz has an excellent warranty and I had a brand new pair waiting for me once I got off trail. The toe protector failed within 200 miles and they happily replaced them for me. https://obozfootwear.com/products/mens-sawtooth-ii-low  The Salomons Speedcross are fine trail shoes with an aggressive sole but not very slip resistant on rocks. https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/speedcross-4.html#color=12554  I ultimately traded the Salomons  in for the Merrils which have a Vibram sole and is probably the best sole for traction on wet rocks in my opinion. I was only 300 miles from the end but the Maine mountains were very slippery and I had come so far to have a major injury. A decision I do not regret!  https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-2-ventilator-wide-width/ I did take some Crocks for camp/town/ shower  shoes.  Insoles -I used the blue Good Feet insert on most of my shoes, however the Oboz have a fantastic insert already in their shoes. I depended on local availability for my insoles and shoes as well.  https://www.amazon.com/Superfe... Micro Spikes- https://www.amazon.com/Uelfbaby-Crampons  Depending on when you start I would advise to bring a pair of micro-spikes for the ice. I really did not need them till the Smokies and then I used them only a couple of times. I sent mine back as soon as the weather started warming up of course. Long Johns tops and bottoms- Icebreaker 200 series, I really like this brand as their products are warm but extremely light. https://www.icebreaker.com/en-us/mens-baselayers/merino-200-oasis-leggings/104369.html?dwvar_104369_color=001 Underwear and Tshirt ¢ Exofficio boxer brief and black Tshirt, Icebreaker boxer brief and Tminus 33 black tshirt. I carried two pairs of underwear and ultimately my black Tshirts were my go to hiking shirt in the summer. Both brands performed well. Merino wool is soft and naturally odor bacteria resistant. Exofficio is a synthetic blend with odor resistant technology.I would say both eventually smell bad at least for me they did.https://www.exofficio.com Long Sleeve Shirt- Shortly after I had mailed a lot my winter gear home we had an early spring snow. I bought a cheap lumberjack cotton flannel at a general store at Grayson Highlands and believe me cotton can save lives! I bought a long sleeve fishing shirt in Boiling Springs PA early June to keep the sun off my skin. I had started the hike in February with a longsleeve fishing shirt but somehow I misplaced it, shedding weight I suppose. There is a nice fishing outfitter in Boiling Springs and they had a lot of their merchandise marked down at the time. UPF protection is critical at times. https://www.sportfish.co.uk/media/catalog/product/1/6/16a0014.1_1.jpg Pants- I dropped close to 30 lbs on my thru hike so I had to change out pants/sizes several times. I started out my hike wearing a pair of Fjall Raven Vida Pros hiking pants. https://www.backcountry.com/fjallraven-vidda-pro-pant-long-mens. Honestly I believe these trousers are a bit of an overkill. I envisioned sliding on rocks and navigating through thick brush more than it really happened. The fabric is rugged and unfortunately heavy. My second pair of pants were the Mountain Hardware  AP These pants were very comfortable and stretchy and I would highly recommend for any type hiking. Pantshttps://www.mountainhardwear.com/mens-hardwear-ap-pant. After dropping another waist size I went to Walmart and bought a pair of wrangler hiking pants and not only were they inexpensive they worked extremely well, they are best for cool weather hiking as they do get warm.Once the weather warmed I wore my Outdoor Research shorts exclusively.  https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/mens-equinox-shorts-242916Also I highly recommend a web style belt as you can cut it to fit as your waist size drops.https://www.rei.com/b/bison-designs/c/belts Fleece- Patagonia R2 performance fleece. I absolutely love this jacket. It served as a midlayer and combined with my puffy was extremely warm. It was too warm to hike in on most days and several hikers opted for the R1 which is a little lighter. I believe the waffle technology is polar tech? Anyway this performance fleece is worth every penny in my opinion. https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-r2-techface-jacket/ Puffy- Arcteryx Cerium Down Jacket https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/cerium-lt-hoody,I kept my puffy jacket with me the entire trip. A lot of hikers wore the Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer which is even lighter at 7 ounces. Mainly I wore my Puffy at night at camp and early in the morning before hitting the trail. I recommend the hood for additional warmth. I highly recommend this jacket.  Sleep System- https://gearinstitute.com/gear-review/rei-igneo-19/  REI Igneo 19 degree Down Sleeping Bag, This was my Winter Bag and it is absolutely wonderful. It kept me warm at 7 degrees in Franklin NC. To be fair I need to include the Sea to Summit Reactor Extreme liner a very important part of my sleep kit, They claim it adds 25 degrees of comfort , I think that maybe an exaggeration but it certainly provides a warm addition . I want to say the popular trend on the trail are the lighter quilts and several of my hiking friends used them and had great results as well.https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Reactor-Extreme-Thermolite/dp/B003BIT004/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&hvadid=78615135723978&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&hvqmt=b&keywords=sea+to+summit+thermolite+reactor+extreme+sleeping+bag+liner&qid=1576548501&sr=8-4And finally my Therma Rest Neo Air Xlite sleep pad  https://www.thermarest.com/sleeping-pads/fast-and-light/neoair-xlite-sleeping-pad/neoair-xlite.html a pad that has an R rating is very important to help with insulating from the cold ground. In addition I carried a cheap space blanket from Walmart to use as a ground cloth in shelters.  https://www.walmart.com/ip/4-E... I traded out my winter sleep system for a lighter bag  Marmot Micron 50 and a silk liner once the weather warmed up early May. https://www.marmot.com/micron-50-sleeping-bag---long-39260.html Shelter- I used a very lightweight Dyneema fabric two man tent; The Zpacks Duplex https://zpacks.com/products/duplex-tent . I bought this tent used* in fact it had previously made a thru-hike in 2018. Its one of the best if not the best lightweight hiking tent in the world. This tent does not have poles and utilizes your trekking poles so that makes it extra efficient and lighter weight. I would also recommend a two man size like the Duplex versus a solo tent for extra room and comfort.  Backpack/Ruck Sack- I started with the Zpacks Arc Haul Zip https://zpacks.com/products/arc-haul-zip-backpack again I bought this pack used* however I had all of the straps replaced prior to my hike. Zpacks customer service is top notch and refused to charge me a penny for all of the replacements. Unfortunately after several days of continual rain my straps kept failing on the trail, I ultimately tied knots in the webbing and that rigged it till I could get it repaired. The problem with using a cottage company¢s products is that on the trail nobody has the proper buckles straps etc to repair /replace and unfortunately I was not in a position to send my pack back for repairs. I decided to purchase the Hyperlite WindRider 3400 backpack at a local outfitter in Damascus. https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/ The HL pack is a wonderful pack but not as comfortable to me as the ZPack. Note that I had several friends that successfully hiked with both of these brands. The only negative actually 2 negatives about this pack, one I bought the white color¢¦. Ok you guessed it was not white for long. Second I was used to the load lifters and adjustment straps on the Zpacks which gave me a super comfortable fit and ride. The Zpacks has a replaceable belt which I mentioned I lost 30 lbs which meant a smaller belt adjustment is crucial in my opinion. Other than that I love my HL pack but know its limitations. Oh almost forgot NEITHER pack is waterproof so protect your clothes and sleep system with some type of pack liner, I used the HL pod system but compactor bags from Lowes will work fine. RainGear-I feel like I almost died from Hypothermia in Franklin NC. I wound up purchasing new rain gear there. I was using an Alpine jacket not rain gear specific Marmott Exum Goretex ProShell Jacket and BassPro rain Pants. https://www.summitpost.org/outdoor-gear/marmot-exum-jacket-pro-shell-2008/4876 Unfortunately it rained so much on me for the first 15 days of my hike that I don¢t believe any raingear would have worked initially. I wound up buying the Arcteryx Traverse rain jacket and the North Face Venture rain pants. Although I never tried it , I saw a few hikers using umbrellas and if I had to do it over I would definitely give an umbrella a try! Everybody warned me to be careful starting in February, the weather can be brutal if not deadly. My new rain gear did work well but again I did not have the 15 straight days of rain like I did when I started.  Cook System- I used the inexpensive BRS stove for the entire trip and it worked marvelously. Probably the best bargain out there!  https://www.amazon.com/BRS-BRS-3000T-Ultra-Light-Titanium-Miniature  I used the Toaks 650ML Titanium pot to heat my water and this size worked well for me. Some carried 750 ML for greater capacity. I found the 650 size could store my fuel cannister, stove ,bic lighter and bandanna perfectly inside. I primarily did freezer bag cooking. I found a piece of reflective insulation early on and I used it as a windshield for my stove. After I would heat up my water I would pour it in the freezer bag with my Ramen etc and insert the bag into the Big Sky insulation bag to sit for a few minutes. Very effective with minimal cleaning. Not sure about long term health effects from eating out of freezer bags for 6 months¢¦.Proceed with caution. I stored my food in the ZPacks Bear bag and I hung my food bag religiously every night. I used a Sea to Summit titanium long Spork and that worked well. I carried the light weight Esee Izula fixed blade knife which ultimately I traded out for a smaller pocket knife. No need for a big knife on the trail, even though I love and collect knives. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=toaks+650ml&hvadid=78546413250171&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_8a6ztivngy_e https://www.amazon.com/Big-Sky-International-Insulite-Metallic/dp/B074V1H4R7/ref=asc_df_B074V1H4R7/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584138857459276&psc=1    https://www.rei.com/product/899045/sea-to-summit-alpha-light-spork-long?CAWELAID=120217890001734283&cm_mmc=PLA_bng%7C404_1050597156%7C8990450001%7C%7Cnone%7Ca0d1fdfc-c6bd-45a7-a60c-1d4b5deb9d7b%7Cpla-4584963491666786&msclkid=e80d53ec3d441ef876080e16b0b12885 https://www.eseeknives.com/product/izula Water- I carried a 1litre Smart water bottle and the smaller 24 oz bottle for my water containers. I would draw my water from springs, streams and sometimes gross beaver ponds .A filtration system is a must have. I used the Sawyer Squeeze filtration system but preferred the CNOC water bag to collect my ¢dirty¢ water check out the links below, the way the bag opens is very fast and superior to the Sawyer bags. https://www.drinksmartwater.com/products/smartwater https://www.rei.com/product/103050/sawyer-squeeze-water-filter-system?CAWELAID=120217890002786761&cm_mmc=PLA_bng%7C404_1050610485%7C1030500001%7C%7Cnone%7Ca0d1fdfc-c6bd-45a7-a60c-1d4b5deb9d7b%7Cpla-4585169650503037&msclkid=403401708bb41ca8ead35c8a1ac9144e https://www.amazon.com/Cnoc-Outdoors-Container-Thread-Orange/dp/B07QBQ894L/ref=asc_df_B07QBQ894L/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584207580364634&psc=1 I¢m sure I¢m forgetting something but this is pretty much everything I carried. Don¢t get too hung up on the gear as it can be replaced along the way. Certainly you can carry as much as you like and eventually send back what you don¢t need.   To quote Ed Garvey a famous hiker and author; ¢Desire is the only thing you really need¢  Thank you all for coming on my adventure with me, Merry Christmas and may 2020 be your best year ever!