Date: 2009-12-30
To: Gear!
Miles today: 0.0

As for gear, I¢m pretty well set since I have been backpacking for the last few years and have acquired a good amount in that time. I know I won¢t be going ultralight. As much as many hikers push for this, there is just some weight I do not mind carrying for that added comfort while on the trail for so long. I guess I do not want to go ultralight to keep my sanity in tack. As for gear¢¦.Pack: I have a couple packs to choose from. My favorite pack is my Marmot Femme Nikita (55L), which I have been backpacking with for five years now. It¢s bombproof! Although, when mountaineering, I needed a pack that was much larger since I needed to carry technical gear. So I purchased the Osprey Ariel (75L) pack. So now I feel a little like hiker goldie locks and the three packs. My 55L will be too small and my 75L too big and a 65L pack would be juuuust right. Lol. Maybe some of you experienced thruhiker will chime in here to give me your opinions on this one. Boots:I have a pair of Lowa leather backpacking boots (sorry I don¢t know the style) that I have been wearing on milder trail hikes (i.e. not on glaciers) for the last five years. They are getting a bit old, but I figured I¢d kill them on the first part of the trail where the weather conditions will be a bit colder. I then plan to switch to a lighter, more breathable pair of boots for the summer months. Wags suggested the Keene Voyageurs, so when my REI dividend comes, I will be checking that boot out for sure! I just need something with ankle support and will dry somewhat in the wet conditions on the trail. Clothing:I wear REI brand hiking shirts, but as many who have hiked in these knows very well, they smell like hell after a couple days. This is fine on a weekend backpacking trip, but dang, I want to limit the reek to a minimum when I¢m out for such a long trek. I have heard good things about Icebreaker, so I may shell out the cash for a shirt to hike in and wear one I currently own for in camp. I also have a Patagonia capilene 3 long sleeved shirt that I have used the last four months in all kinds of cold, so I¢m a believer. I have two REI brand pairs of thermal pants, one for mild cold and one for extreme cold. I¢m going back and forth as to which to bring. I will probably only need the milder pair, but the more extreme pair is oh so comfy. And since I¢m pretty sure I¢ll only be wearing thermals in camp, I¢m leaning towards the comfort. I have a pair of Northface convertible hiking pants as well as rainpants. I have used both of these in different weather conditions throughout the year and I¢m happy with what I purchased. I¢m sure there are lighter weight versions out there, but meh. As for jackets, I have a lighter weight one that is REI brand and made with Primaloft. The sleeves also zip off to convert the jacket to a vest. It is the only jacket that I wear while hiking in temps as low as 10 degrees, but once I stop, I want something warmer. So I also have a Mountain Hardware down jacket that I just got (thanks David!) that I wear at summits or ridges where temps are below 20 and it¢s windy. I think this over kill for the AT though, but I hate being cold. I¢d rather plan and carry the extra warmth. I¢m throwing around the idea for ditching the warmer jacket and just carrying a fleece to put underneath my lighter jacket and then use my raincoat if needed. I¢m not sure. This all seems like a lot of layers when I¢m reading it here, but once I¢m out, I know I¢m always grateful to be comfortable as oppose to ultralight. I guess we¢ll see once I start weighing my pack. Haha. I guess that¢s it for clothes minus gloves (I have OR mittens with waterproof covers), hat (cute REI knit hat that does the job) and socks (smartwool of coarse!). Trekking poles:MSR. They aren¢t the lightest poles ever and I definitely fight with the twist locking mechanism. I think the clipping lock feature on other poles in a better choice and I will buy these in the future. But for now, these are the poles I have and they do just fine minus me cursing at them when they lock up in the cold. ?Water Filter:So I have used a MSR sweet water for years now and I¢ve been pretty happy with it. Pretty happy up until I used a Katadyn Hiker Pro last summer. The Hiker Pro is SO much faster and the cartridge last much longer and clogs less often. Wags used the same filter and commented that she only needed to replace the cartridge three times during her 5.5 month thru hike! So I plan on buying those in advance and placing them in my 6 planned mail drops along the trail. I¢m also planning on bringing a small supply of Aquamira water treatment just in case of any unforeseen filter catastrophes. Stove:I have used a pocket rocket stove with fuel canisters for as long as I can remember. I like it a lot, but that might be because I haven¢t really used anything else. I was debating whether to switch to an alcohol stove to save weight, but after reading that enough thru hikers still use canister stoves, I have decided to stick with my pocket rocket. Cookpot:I just received the GSI alpine solo for Christmas (thanks Angel!) and I¢m stoked to bring this cookset on my AT hike. It seems pretty small, but my friend Angel assures me that it is more than adequate for my needs. It also has a strainer built into the lid! And the bag it is stored in doubles as a washbasin. Nice!Sleep Pad:I have a thermarest self-inflating pad from the women¢s trail comfort series. It¢s a little big and I¢m worried about springing a leak in it after 6 months of use on the trail. But I¢m going to stick with it and if something happens, my fall back is a Z-lite pad. Those do not self inflate so can endure some extra wear and tear that would be useful on a distance hike. But that would require me to spend money. So I guess I¢ll stick with the one I have and see how it goes. Stay tuned!Tent:I have a two man Sierra Design. (not sure on model. Yea I know, what kind of hiker am I anyways!?!). I was originally going to bring this tent, but it is bulky and heavy. I was then leaning towards a Tarptent since a good friend of mine whom hikes and backpacks religiously swears by them. But after camping in one on a few trips last summer in rain, I have changed my mind. The single wall collected condensation that didn¢t necessarily drip, but you would be soaked if you accidentally touched the wall. Me no likey. So I¢m going to stick with a two walled tent. I¢m leaning towards MSR¢s Hubba.Sleeping bag:I have Sierra Designs Stargazer 30 degree bag. It is overkill in the summer and a little lacking in the winter. I have a Summit to Sea liner to add warmth when temps are lower. There is only once that the temps were so low that the 30 degree bag plus my liner weren¢t enough. And to fix this, I just boiled some water, put it in my nalgene bottle and dropped it in the bottom of my bag. I was toasty all night long and slept better than anyone before that snowy climb. So I think that this bag will be more than adequate for the varying temps on the AT from March to September.I think that is it on gear. I have so much more I could type about but, this post is waaaay too long, so I¢ll continue in a future post.