Date: 2014-01-01
To: Gear Introduction
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Gear IntroductionI expected a backlash for my gear choices in 2012, or at least to be shunned by the other hikers. I was surprised most hikers didn¢t seem to care. One experienced hiker even said ¢it¢s working for you and out here that is the true test.¢Hikers did seem to care about the bucket. When they lifted it to see how much it weighed they would shake their heads and predict doom for my hike. One hiker got extremely mad and shouted ¢why!¢ and literally stomped away from me. ¢It was my turn to shake my head.The only piece of gear received praise and even envy was my tent. Mostly because of the camouflage, I think. I wonder what they would think if I told them it only cost $25?By 2013 I had the confidence to reduce my comfort level to the minimum in gear. I traded the $25 tent in for a $3.50 tarp and some cheap mosquito netting. All the non essentials went out and ended up with 14 pounds of cheap gear, not counting food and water, that cost me less than $200. It was really strange to walk for over 300 miles with so little weight on the trail.This year I¢m going back to the same tent used in 2012, well not the exact same tent¢¦I need to buy a new one. The tarp was ok but I like the privacy and security of the tent I was in. I¢m also going to add a few other comfort items to make the hike safer and more enjoyable. So, for 2014 there will be a little more weight and money spent.The second biggest expense for me is Gear. The type and amount of Gear that you carry/use is determined by knowledge, recommendations, fear, personal preference, comfort, budget, and experience. I¢m good at accumulating knowledge thru research and trial type experience. It¢s nice to know this brain of mine, that causes me so much trouble, is good for something. The internet is such a fantastic tool for researching Gear. If you look up items, in web stores, you can find reviews that are great recommendations. These people have bought these items and tried them. Here is something important for you to think about-If you get your recommendations on specific gear from another hiker or even a group of hikers, like from this site or even whiteblaze, you are limiting your Gear to another person¢s preference.-this limits you to thinking about Gear inside a box. If you want to find good cheap Gear, or even the best high priced gear, you need to be outside this box!- But if you research everything and then make a decision it will be your own preference.It¢s the normal, easy way, to copy another person¢s preference and it could work for you. But the key to preparing for a long distance hike is to increase your comfort, safety, and chance that you will travel the distance you want on the AT. ¢to maximize this you need to make your own choices based on research and experience.I am reducing my comfort, safety, and chance of finishing slightly just by choosing a cheap hike. So, I already have a huge deficit I need to overcome. To give myself any chance at all I need to be very selective in my choices in gear. My gear must be researched and tested well.*Note: footwear is not included in the gear list because it needs special attention I will talk about later. How I choose gear outside the box-I try to do the following steps without another hikers influence except to read reviews of items.I also think about my hiking style or plan as I go through this process.1.        Gear list.2.        Budget for each use/item.3.        Research.4.        Trial and error.Gear list- Again, normal hikers copy a list from somewhere or someone. (This isn¢t bad to get a basic idea but don¢t be afraid to change that list and make it uniquely yours.) This Gear list should start by uses not items. Example: instead of tent, tarp, bivy sack, or hammock I should have shelter written on my list. By thinking use instead of item I don¢t limit myself to one possibility. For each use I make a list of possible items that will fulfill each need. (Shoot for simplicity and never carry anything you do not have a use for. You can walk around stores or search the web for inspiration. Try to pick out items that have more than one use first because these items can save you weight and money.) Budget for each use/item- I need a rough idea on how much I can spend on each use/item. ¢this limits my list. The price of the possible items on my list should help with my estimate. This budget is now used in the research.Research- This is the fun part for me. For each possible item on my list I look up all the brands, prices and reviews for everything within my budget. The more thorough I am with this step the better my choices will be. Comparing weight, cost, and durability of items is part of my research. I keep researching until I have decided on a list of items to try that fulfill all my needs. The last bit of research I do is to find where I can buy the items the cheapest. Also I look at the possibility of making some of the items myself.Trial and error- Now I buy, or make, the items on the list. If I have more than one choice for an item I start with the least expensive. Then I test items in all conditions. I get them wet in cold weather, clothes and sleeping bag too, to see how they perform in rain/wet conditions. (There is a good chance everything will get wet on the trail.) Then I go on shakedown hikes and sleep outside whenever I can. Any gear that I have problems with I need to fix or replace.-The above may seem quite tedious to some but for me it is the only way. Part of it is the survivalist in me. A survivalist will try to look at every item they find not for the use it was intended but for all the possible uses to stay alive. You see items differently when you adopt this mentality.One last thing we need to talk about in this intro-Expensive gear vs cheap gear-Every piece of gear will have advantages and disadvantages compared to another. Expensive gear is typically lighter and lasts longer then the cheap. Cheap gear is by definition cheaper but, while heavier, able to serve the same purpose as it¢s expensive counterpart. The biggest problem I see with expensive gear, besides the price, is that once you buy it you become married to that piece of gear for better or worse. And I did see plenty of expensive gear failures and depressed hikers. They could usually get a replacement for free from the manufacturer but what do they do until then? If cheap gear breaks down there are usually a replacement that you can buy close by.If you test cheap gear out you will know what to buy if your expensive gear breaks down. ¢this alone makes cheap gear something you should research or at least think about.I¢m going to list all my gear for 2014 right here on TJ along with prices and why they are selected.