Date: 2015-04-30
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was nice to wake up this morning and think, we don't have to hike today. We just relaxed a bit this morning and then went down to breakfast in the hotel. No pop tarts or oatmeal for us this morning. We had eggs, biscuits and sausage gravy, muffins, fresh fruit, ceral and yougart. Yes, we had a BIG breakfast. Trying to make up all the calories we burned off the past 9 days hiking. We caught up with all our emails and other business this morning and then our son, Tyler, came by the hotel to see us. He drove an hour and a half up from Knoxville to bring us a few things and to see his Mom and Dad. What a good kid! We went out to lunch at Red Lobster and we had a great lunch. Then Tyler drove us around the area so we could finish up our resupply for what we will need the next 8 days. We are hoping to make it to Damascus, VA by next Friday. Damascus is about 125 miles hiking from where we will be startingtomorrow morning. Tyler left about 1530 this afternoon and we are just going to take it easy the rest of the day. We thought this would be a good time to go over our equipment and how it is working out so far and some of the lessons we have learned.1. Osprey Exos backpacks: we both use the same backpack and they have performed wonderfully so far. They are extremely lightweight compared to many other backpacks out there. They have lots of pockets to keep small things that you will need during the day and lots of tie off points to hang things out to dry while you are hiking. We would both recommend this backpack model to anyone. 2. Enlightened Equipment Enigma Sleeping Quilts: Again, these bags have performed extremely well so far. They are rated down to 20 degrees and we had a night that got down to 25 degrees and we stayed plenty warm. I like the quilt style while Lavender is still not to sure about not having the bag all the way around her like a typical sleeping bag. 3. Henry Shires Double Rainbow Tarptent: Other than the leak we had on the top seam, this tent has been flawless. We have gotten to the point where we can have the tent out of the bag and up in under 3 minutes. I really like the tarptent design where there is no rainfly cover to go over the tent. It is a simple design that works great. I wouldn't change a thing. One lesson learned is to not carry the support pole in the tent bag. It seems to push on tent bag and may lead to holes on the tent bag. 4. Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlit Sleeping pad: These have worked great so far. They keep us well insulated and they are easy to inflate. They do tend to make a bit of noise as you are moving around on them but that is due to the insulation film that is inside the pad. You can't go wrong with a pad that keeps you warm and only weighs 12 oz. 5. Rain Gear: This is one area I'm still trying to determine whether it is worth it or not. When it is cold and raining I believe the rain gear serves its purpose. However, as the temperatures start to rise, I'm not sure whether I will be using rain gear. Regardless of whether it is breathable or not, if you are going up hill with rain gear on, you will be sweating. So, you are either wet from sweat using the rain gear or you are wet from the rain if not using rain gear. The Marmot rain gear has worked great so it is not the brand but just the idea of using rain gear or not. 6. Pack cover: This is one item we would not really recommend any hiker purchase. It does help a bit to keep your backpack dry but if it is raining all day your pack is going to get wet. A much better alternative in my opinion is to line your pack with a trash compactor bag. We purchased compactor bags while we were in Knoxville 10 days ago and it has worked great keeping all our gear dry during rainy days. 7. Optimus Crux cook stove and pot: This has been a great little stove. We have had no problems with it and would recommend this to anyone looking for a super lightweight stove.  8. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter: We have filtered all our water with this from the start and it has performed well. We can filter 2 liters of water in under 2 minutes. The only complaint is the bags tend to develop leaks after repeated use. Our 2 liter bag is just starting to leak around the top but is still useable. We just purchased 2 more of the bags here in Johnson City.  9. Black Diamond Trekking Poles: We haven't any complaints on our trekking poles. They are easy to adjust to whatever length suits your hiking. We can't imagine anyone not using trekking poles on the AT. They have saved both of us from falls too many times to count. They help to lessen the impact on your knees while going downhill and also help on the uphills. 10. Keen Targhee II hiking boots: I had used these boots for about a year before we started the hike and I love the feel and fit of the boots. I started with a new pair at the start and after 343 miles they still are going strong. I'm sure I'll get another 300 miles at least out of these boots. I have only had 1 blister so far and Lavender hasn't had a blister yet. I know they may be a bit heavier than trail runners but many hikers are on their 2nd pair of trail runners by now so I think I'll stick with these boots.  11. Smart Wool PhD medium crew socks: I have used the same pair of socks from the start and they are showing very little wear. I am curious to see how long they are going to last. They fit and feel great and I believe are part of the reason we have had very few blisters. A bit expensive but well worth the price.Tomorrow we will be back on the trail so please keep us in your prayers.