Date: 2012-01-02
To: Take it or leave it
Miles today: 0.0

Now it¢s time to talk gear. But first let me preface EVERYTHING I say from this point forward with the following footnote. Everyone needs to hike their own hike. I will talk about what works/worked for me. Use it, throw it out the window, either way, I don¢t care to debate the options I talk about. It¢s all up to you. Since I have completed the AT twice, I feel I am in a position to offer some advice for hikers to at least consider. You have probably heard it all before in your research. I was fortunate to get some great advice early on from Greyhound, a very experienced long distance hiker. That advice helps me as much today as it did in 2006. What works for me is NOT good for everyone. It is NOT my intent or desire to enter into long debates about gear choices or hiking techniques. I understand and acknowledge up front that whatever works for you is what you should do. I have seen pretty much every method of hiking there is. It is all possible. For as many hikers that are out hiking, there are just as many ways of combining gear choices and methods to their hiking.Ok is that enough of a preface to prevent any war of words. I hope so.. If so, here I go. My big four items, i.e., my pack, sleeping pad, tent/tarp and sleeping bag weighs in at a total of 4 pounds 4 ounces. Yes, my big 4 weighs in at what many tents weigh. The breakdown is 13 ounces for my ULA AMP pack (no longer available), just over a pound on my Western Mountaineering 35 degree down bag, 8 ounces for my therma-rest extra small prolite pad and just over a pound for a six-moon¢s lunar solo tarp tent with 6 stakes and a front pole since I don¢t hike with hiking poles. I can honestly say that I have never been cold or wet at night. Maybe a bit damp from condensation a few times but nothing that ever caused me to get chilled. Part of my desire for hiking ultra-light is part need and part desire. I have a bad back with scoliosis since my youth so I usually experience back pain as a rule. I also enjoy doing the miles so at 52 years old I just don¢t have the overall strength or stride the 20+ year old hikers have. I am not boo-hoo¢ing since I will still out hike most hikers on the trail.First the backpack. My AMP is nothing more than a fabric covering with thin shoulder straps and hip belt. My sleeping pad is used as the structure of the pack. But since my cold weather pack with food won¢t weigh in at more than 12 pounds, it is all that I need. In warm weather, I will normally hike with less than eight pounds. I have looked for a lighter bag but even the day-packs now available are heavier than the AMP. I stopped using a pack cover since they really tend to offer little in real protection. Instead, I use a plastic garbage bag. The black construction bags simply weigh too much. I have found what works for me is a 13 gallon flex-bag. It has to be a flex-bag. The plain ones rip way too easily. Also, I place my items in individual plastic bags I get at the grocery stores. My down vest gets its own gallon zip-lock. If you remain diligent in the process, the plastic bag system works great and is very lite.My sleeping pad works for me but I know it is not for everyone. The NEO seems to be a great pad that I have seen work well for many hikers. It just won¢t work well as the foundation to my pack. Also, I don¢t want to spend the time every night blowing it up. The extra small prolite pad fits only my body with no extra length. If you roll or move around a lot this pad will not work for you. You will also need to put something under your feet to keep them off the ground. I will normally place my vest under my feet if not in use at night.I originally had the Marmot pounder synthetic bag as my warm weather bag. From the first day, I had a lot of condensation build-up over-night which caused me to be chilled by morning. When I switched to the Western Mountaineering 35 degree down bag, I have slept great from that point on. In-fact, I have used only this bag for the last 3500 miles I have hiked on the AT. I used it for my entire 2010 thru hike. I will start my 2012 hike with it and plan to take it all the way to the big ¢K¢ again. Yes, there are cold nights at or below the temperature rating of this bag. But with my other cloths, I am able to be comfortable just below freezing, which is the lowest I have actually had to use it at.As for my tent, I think my six moon lunar solo tarp tent is the way to go. It has plenty of room for me but might be tight for a larger person or a restless sleeper. It does take six stakes and a front support of some kind. I do not hike with hiking poles so I carry a front pole just for that use. I use to find a stick but finding one during foul weather is not any fun. This tarp tent does tend to condensate inside when the front panel is closed during heavy rains but I only have had to close it on a few occasions. It also has a vestibule big enough to cover my shoes and gear I don¢t want to bring in.So all-in-all that is my big four. My other gear and why will be discussed in my next journal entry.