Date: 2008-03-02
To: Gear Talk
Miles today: 0.0

I employed my two favorite ladies to help present my gear choices. There they are in the photograph enjoying a happy campfire moment in my living room. To the left is Lee. Lee is a strong independent 27YO SWF who likes long strolls on quiet beaches. She has gorgeous eyes, one of each color, and a broad ever-present smile. If interested, send me an email and I'll forward it to her . She is modeling my evening wear. See how happy she looks? That is how I will look after a long day of backpacking. I'll take off all my sweaty hiking clothes and slip into those warm Duofold expedition-weight thermals, top and bottom. An old but friendly pair of running shorts, with pockets, is worn over them for modesty reasons. Lee is happiest because she has happy feet. They're warm and dry snuggled in some fleece sleeping socks. A pair of lightweight around-the-camp crocs over the socks completes her ensemble. As the weather warms up the heavy gear will be replaced by a lighter variety. Lee is resting upon a 25 degree sleeping bag supplemented with a silk liner.To the right, with a very pleased expression on her face is Kathy. She is snuggled in my 45 degree warm-weather sleeping bag which will replace the other soon enough. On her head is a stretchy, fleeced lined balaclava. I sleep in it and hike in it. You can wear it like a watch cap or pull it down over your nose and mouth to keep you very warm. She's wearing a short-sleave Duofold wicking T-shirt over its long-sleeve cousin. I'll wear one or the other depending on the temperature.Thank you, ladies.I'm the dummy in the middle with the white cap. That's my ultralight and airy Flying Pig Marathon cap. It has a lot of miles on it and is good at keeping those pesky bugs off my skull. I'm garbed in a new Marmot Driclime windshirt. It's often too warm for its weight so I'm having 8-inch zippers inserted in the sleaves. They'll make it easier to roll them up and cool me down. The Columbia ultralight convertible pants I'm wearing are wonderful. I found them in the bargain bin at Campmor. What makes them special is they have built-in mesh skivies. Underwear is so unnecessary on a long hike. I've got my ultralight and tiny E-vent/Goretex rainproof overmitts from Mountain Laurel covering my leather reinforced micro-fleece hiking gloves. No cold fingers for me. At my feet are two pair of Smartwool thin cushion hiking socks. I don't like thick socks. If you wash them but never machine dry them, they last forever. The same is true of all your synthetic products. I've got 400 miles on my test pair of socks. I'll be walking in a pair of Goretex lined trail-running shoes. They're the North Face 103 XCRs. I've got over 400 miles on a pair, too, and there's lots of life left in them still. You can see several additional pairs in the picture. I'll get 'em as I need 'em. I'm holding my copy of the Thru-hiker's Companion data book and a well-worn Georgia trail map.Next to me is my 2-poundish Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack. I've added a mesh bag to the front of it which carries my Marmot Precip rainpants. It's great to have 'em so handy when the skies open up. I also carry my 2-liter Platypus water bag there. If I come across a nice water source I fill 'er up and drop in some Polar Pure Iodine concentrate to kill the nasties. Can you see the small alligator clips there to hang my wet socks and gear for drying?In one side pocket I carry a 12-ounce Nalgene bottle for sippin' water during a break together with an ultralight ditty bag full of munchies. The bottle is also for sippin' coffee mocha and presoaking noodles to reduce cooking time. The other side pocket carries my ditty bag full of those little gadgets and gizmos, first aid kit, sewing kit, Pietzl headlamp, you know, stuff. Also, the pocket keeps handy a half of a Z-lite sittin' pad. You can see it in the picture. Since the Vapor Trail is essentially just a big skinny sack, I gave it some additional rigidity with part of a curled up ridgerest hard foam sleeping pad. About half of a full-length pad rolled up as a cylinder. It's inside and surrounds all the other gear and prevents that gear from poking out the sides. It also provides torso warmth when I'm laying in my hammock.Speaking of hammocks, in the background is my Hennessy Ultralight Asym hammock tent with underhanging supershelter. I added the space blanket too per Mr. Hennesy's advice. I've slept overnight in 15 degree weather with all this gear to keep me warm and I'll do just find. You see the MSR one-man Hubba tent that Kathy is sitting in? It's staying home as backup. I got a couple of bulging discs in my lower back and they're much happier in the hammock than the tent. But I got the tent if I need it.Above the hammock is the hammock tarp. It's the 4-corner stock version. I keep it separate from the hammock hanging on its own ridgeline. I keep it at the top of my pack so I can put it up in a hurry and get out of the rain for lunch. My two Komperdell hiking poles help hold it up high so I can stand up underneath it. At night I lower it down real snug about the hammock to keep the wind and rain out. I'm pleased with the results. Some practice is required.One of the Komperdell, cork-gripped 3-section hiking poles is covered by my Marmot Precip rain/wind jacket. Can you find the other pole in the picture? I glued a very small compass to the top of its grip. It's magnetic needle always points directly towards Maine.Lastly is my cooking gear. I like it simple. I've used my Trangia alcohol stove a long time. So have a lot of people. It comes with its own aluminum cooking pot and lid/frying pan. With it I pack a pair of Smartwool glove liners to cook with. They don't catch fire too easily and keep my hands warm and dry despite their thinness. I keep the fuel in a Gentleman's plastic flask because it packs flatter and doesn't leak. The flask also has other uses. Note that I only carry two cooking spices, olive oil and hot sauce. I'll talk about cooking another day.There are a lot of other items not visible in the photograph. Maybe the most important is my empty 16-ounce plastic gatorade bottle hanging in a mesh bag from the ridgeline of my hammock. It's my motorman's helper. You don't want to get out of your toasty-warm sleeping bag at 2:00 AM just because your bladder is screaming at you. When man had to choose between the ability to pee standing up or that of a multiple orgasm, most say he made the wrong choice. Long-distance hiking is the exception to this sentiment. Mom, and others, please forgive me.Now I've got to put all that crap away.