Date: 2013-01-01
To: Gear Talk
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Happy New Year everyone!!! With my upcoming adventure it promises to be a banner year for me! It's weird, as April 14th gets closer, I have that butterfly feeling in my stomach almost constantly. It's a mixture of excitement, anticipation, fear, longing and impatience...or at least that's my attempt to analyze this "feeling" that I am having. ;0) It's actually a welcome sensation as a Gemini and as the adventurous person that I am. I love change, challenge, and the pursuit of the unknown...otherwise...I get bored!!!    Speaking of change....I have been fully outfitted for the last year or so as far as my backpacking gear is concerned. I'm an REI member so I have been able to try out and return items that just don't work for me. Well, the time is drawing near for me to solidify my base items and base weight. This starts with the most important piece of equipment...the backpack. Think about it, I will literally be carrying my 'house' on my back for 5-6 months, right? Kind of like a turtle :0) Well, my house has to be the right size, comfortable, and functional in all ways for me to successfully live out of it for that length of time.      Here's where 'change' comes in. I have swore by the Golite Jam since I began backpacking. I love it's light weight and its durability. However, I havent been happy with the lack of load lifters and the absence of any kind of internal frame. With the latter issue, I have specifically had problems with the middle of the pack folding if I did'nt disperse all of the contents perfectly. This made for a very uncomfortable haul.    So, after work this past Saturday, I stopped in at Diamond Brand Outdoor Outfitters in Asheville NC. I was really just browsing but struck up a conversation with one of the reps there whose trail name is "Frosty". He has done the trail SoBo and is going to be doing it NoBo this year at around the same time that I am.    We started talking about packs and he suggested I take a look at the ULA Circuit. Well, I love it! At 2.2 pounds, 210 ripstop material, the sweet harness and hip belt set up as well as the light yet sufficient internal frame ....I was sold!!!   I was origionally looking at the Granite Gear VC 60 but hated that you had to buy accessories in order to get hip belt pockets. The Circuits hipbelt pockets are roomy and tough...enough to house my Iphone and small digital dictator for jounaling. For the torso size that I need, it also has more internal room than the GG VC 60.    So now I have my 'house'!!!! Well, not yet, I have to go back and buy it now ;0) As far as the contents that will go inside of it...I am still deciding on a few things. I am absolutely positive I will go with the Lighthearted Solo tent that Judy Gross (trail name "heartfire") sews here in the Asheville area. I've been using it for over a year and love it. I will bring it to her so that she can re-enforce the tabs that are attached to the tent stake ties, (Im hard on them) but otherwise it is good to go. You can't go wrong with a tent that only weighs~ 27 oz.    A good nights sleep on the trail is super important so I am also positive that I will be using my Neo Air ultralite pad. I opted for the 25" wide version only because I move around alot and it is more comfortable. With an R value of 3.2 and a weight of 16 oz. its worth its weight in comfort.    Another piece of equipment that I am sure that I will bring with are my my trekking poles. I have the Black Diamond Z-poles which I have been using for over a year. I love them. Together they only weigh 9.7 oz. and even less if you take the wrist wraps off. They also colapse down to 17 inches long for easy storage. My LightHearted Solo tent only requires two trekking poles to put up. These poles are the perfect length to set my tent up with taught walls.    A headlamp is a must and I have went through several. Ive finally decided on the PETZL Tikka XP 2. 80 lumens and a max lighting distance of 68 meters meets all of my needs. I especially like the campsite redlight option so I don't blind my fellow hikers :0) They get cranky if ya do that!!! Coming in at 3.1 oz and the cool orange headband did it for me too!!!   I used to have an MSR waterfilter that I didn't like. I have found the Katahdin Hiker Pro Micro filter to be the choice of many a thru hiker and weekend backpacker. Ive tried a steri pen and hated the sediment...so, therefore, I wouldn't even consider drops!!! Yuck!!! I want clean water and I'm willing to carry the 10.9 ounces to get it. By dumping the bottle adapter and carry bag it will shave another ounce or so.    A hot meal is very important to me at the end of a long hard day of hiking. This brings us to the stove.... A lot of thru hikers make their own and, yes they are very light weight. I'm just not that good!!! I have also backpacked with my friends who have other set ups such as the MSR Whisperlite. I have the Jet Boil...which I absolutely love love love!!!! While my friends are still wishing for a slight boil, I am pouring boiling water into my Mountain House and settling in by the fire. The Jet Boil is very easy and convenient...but it weighs more than the other stoves. It weighs 10.5 oz. without the fuel stabilizer (which I never use) or the pot stabilizer (which I never use).    Ok...So far I am sitting at a base weight of 6.18 pounds (poles don't figure in since they will be in my hands mostly). I still have the following things to decide on which will add to my base weight....   Sleeping bag   Sleeping bag liner   Pillow-maybe   Utensil   Cup   Water container(s)   Phone   Dictaphone   Solar Charger   Down jacket   Gloves   Clothes=(working on this)   Stocking cap   Bandana   Etc......I'm really hoping to hit the trail with 3 days worth of food and my pack wieghing in at about 22 pounds or less. It will make for a much more comfortable trek.Anyway....It feels good to be on my way to narrowing all of my gear down. And, I've decided to do 4-5 mail drops and rely on towns along the way for resupply otherwise. It just makes fiscal sense. I'll get my gear spreadsheet going here in the next couple of days....But until then....I'm going back for that hot little ULA turtle shell!!! Have a wonderful New Year!!!