Date: 2014-01-16
To: Gear List Description
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Gear List Description-Plastic box cutter without razor blade- The lightest knife handle I could find.Razor blade- Lightest knife I could find.Stuff sacks- To keep gear separate and compact.Toilet Paper- Well, you know what this is for.Bleach Drops- Cheapest and most versatile water treatment and hand/clothes/cookware sanitizer. I use a small plastic squeeze bottle for easy drops I can count.Plastic Spoon- Like what you find in fast food places¢¦small lightweight and easy to replace.Plastic bowl & lid- I end up with a lot of leftovers so this became a necessity.Cook pot & lid- This is a $8 grease pot from Wal-Mart and I need the size for big meals. This also has a strainer/steamer built in that I use a lot.Lighter- Easier then matches for fire starting.Gatorade bottles- 2 for drinking and keeping me warm at night.Headlamp- It¢s hard to see in the dark without it¢¦I like the small lightweight and cheap models.Shoes- Starting out with cheap Wal-Mart shoes that I found on sale ($15) that test well for me. (I know how to fit shoes to my feet.)They will last about 400-500 miles and then I¢ll switch to a water shoe with a cost under $20 (usually $10) for the summer. The water shoe tested at over 1000 trail miles, and I¢m not telling you what it is, but it has a thick cushy sole, is super lightweight, sticks to wet rocks like glue, and dries in less than an hour. I replace shoes as I go and will go through about 4 pairs.Socks- I use two pair thick socks and one pair thin to start. In summer it will be two pairs of thin socks. I switch back to the thick when it gets cold again.Tent & lite tarp- Tarp=$1.50 painters tarp for under tent. I love my tent! $25, 3 pounds, large, camouflage, easy to set up fast, tough (one tent lasted the whole 2,184 mile 2012 AT hike) ¢the only bad thing is you need to seam seal it and spray some extra waterproofing on it. Here is where you can get it-http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-1905-Camouflage-Trail-Tent/dp/B000P9GZGESleeping bag- I use a $20 Wal-Mart 3lb synthetic mummy bag you can find online. Look for the one that outperforms (keeps you warmer then) some $400 bags in the reviews. ¢bad thing about this bag is it will not compress much. Summer Bag- I use a 1lb $12 fleece sleeping bag for my summer bag. ¢bad thing is it is bulky.Sleeping pad- Cheap Wal-Mart 1lb closed cell pad¢¦$8.Backpack- Hey all you ultra-lighters, you can get a good midsized backpack for under $20 that weighs about a pound if you look around. The one I use is about 2lbs and a little larger but is still under $30.Sun hat- This was a gift but I¢m including the price in my budget¢¦$12.Fleece Hat- Warm and on sale $5.Stretch underwear long- I use long stretch synthetic pants some people use to run with in the winter. In the summer they go on sale all the way down to¢¦$3. Shorts- Cheap synthetic shorts¢¦$5.Shirt- Same thing as the underwear but with pretty pictures on it¢¦$3Warm pants and shirt- Got the pair on sale for $10¢¦this is like long underwear.Jacket- Synthetic jacket I picked up three years ago for $10.Bandana- $1Camp towel- Because I bath on the trail so much I need a small towel $1.Camp soap- Biodegradable camp soap $3.Toothbrush- $1 small brush.Toothpaste- $1 small paste.Toenail clippers- $1 for those growing nails.Fish line- Used to sew gear¢¦I take a little off a spool of spider-wire- $.40 Needles- Two large sewing needles for under $1.String- This is 150lb test braided line used for catfishing, it¢s 1/10 the diameter and weight of paracord and cheaper too¢¦$1.Safety Pins- Used for first aide, attaching gear to pack, and as clothespins for drying my laundry¢¦$2.Trash Compactor Bag- To keep inside of pack dry¢¦free from Sterett (Thank You!)-I don¢t usually get these but they are better than trash bags.Trash Bags- Multiuse keep things dry item¢¦$2Chess Pieces- My one major luxury item donated to me by STERETT. (STERETT has been a major innovator, promoter, educator, and contributor to chess in the US.) Thanks again my friend! 4ozBucket- One of the most multiuse tools in my arsenal. Read my bucket list post in the 2012 journal for an explanation¢¦$3Freezer Bags- Ziploc kind, used for food and gear...$1.Duct Tape- For repairs¢¦$2.Guide Book- AWOL guide¢¦$15Umbrella- I found that I sweat to much in raingear, even in a poncho, so an umbrella was a logical choice. In most rain you stay remarkably dry¢¦but in a strong wind it becomes useless.This post is for a description of my gear. Some of the above costs and weights are close but estimated¢¦I will have the final list posted with exact cost and weight of each item and totals. Here is what I have my big four at right now-Backpack-   $27      2lb Tent-         $25      3lb Sleeping bag-   $20      3lb Sleeping pad-   $8      1lb Total-   $75         9 pounds