Date: 2014-02-15
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

Three weeks from today I will be flying to Chattanooga TN, where Tennessee, a thru hiker from the class of 2013 will be picking me up, putting me up for the night, and delivering me to Springer Mtn the next morning. It now looks like Meg, the gal from my gym, will not be traveling south and starting the trail with me. We have gotten close over these past few months sharing our excitement and trepidation over our impending trek, but circumstances for Meg have changed and her plans are in flux. She will be with me in spirit, and we may yet meet on the trail at some point.Yesterday I met Sir Laughs a Lot, a fellow hiker from Maine whom I was introduced to through a mutual acquaintance. Sir Laughs a Lot is starting the trail 2 days ahead of me. We met for the 1st time over coffee yesterday and talked trail for an hour and a half! We talked mostly about our mental preparedness, and only touched upon gear. We both talked about mindfulness, he from his meditation work, I from my recent yoga training. I hope and expect we will see each other on the trail with start dates so close together. Although we just met, there does seem to be a bond that develops quickly among fellow hikers. It will be like seeing an old friend, I'm sure.Though it will be my mental preparedness that will ultimately determine my success on the AT, I too have spent endless hours researching gear and picking former thru-hiker's brains on the subject. The following is a partial gear list. I am optimistic that this gear will work well for me over the long haul and cold start:BackpackI have an Osprey Aura 50 (small) which is actually 47 liters. I wanted to go smaller for the lower weight, especially as I'm able to shed bulkier winter gear. It is FULL with all the space hogging winter gear, but big enough.Sleep system1) Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1-This tent is their larger 1 person tent and has a side entrance. I wanted a 1 person for the weight, a side entrance for easier access, and a tent still big enough that I could fit my pack if necessary. I will turtle my pack against a tree most nights. 2) Mountain Hardware Phantasia 15 degree down sleeping bag. This bag weighs 2 lbs. 3) Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Lite. With my 62 year old joints, I feel like I need the padding. I wish I could get away with a Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite. I love the Z-Lite for it's weight and versatility. It makes a great lounge chair against a tree and a soft seat on a log, but night after night, it is not enough padding for me for sleeping. 4) Sea to Summit Thermolite Sleeping Bag Liner. 5) my comfort item, a Exped Air Pillow. I can't sleep for 6 months on a stuff sack!Kitchen1) MSR MicroRocket stove. This is Toretto's stove from his thru-hike attempt last year. He liked it and that is good enough for me. I have his titanium pot, a long titanium spoon for eating my Mountain House meals right out of the bag, and a GEI insulated plastic mug for my Starbucks Via coffee. The mug will also serve as a bowl. I will mostly boil water in my pot and eat out of the mug lined with a quart sized zip lock freezer bag to avoid having to wash dishes. I will eat a lot of dehydrated food initially to offset the weight of the heavier cold weather gear I'll be carrying. I will eat Mountain House meals, oatmeal, dehydrated peanut butter (BP2), dehydrated hummus and refried beans (Fantastic World Foods), dehydrated fruit (Trader Joe's), and Knorr pasta sides. Heavier food will include packets of tuna, salmon, and sardines (yes I like sardines and you can't hardly beat them for their protein), hard cheese when coming out of towns, tortillas which hold up and hold anything and everything, nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars. I will carry 1 liter of water early on when water is plentiful, and drink at water sources. A 1 liter Smart bottle is light and fits well in my pack side pocket. ClothesRain Gear- Patagonia waterproof jacket and REI rain pants. These are as much for protection against wind and cold early on as for protection against rain.Cold Gear-Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisper hooded down jacket for in campI will start hiking in medium poly pro (LLBean Powerdry) shirt and pants, quick dry hiking shorts, a long sleeve Columbia quick dry shirt, and a light weight fleece for further layering as needed. In camp at night I will wear expedition weight Powerdry. As it gets warmer, I will switch to light and medium weight Powerdry base layers. With a little luck, maybe some days this spring I can just wear the shorts and shirt! I'm not counting on it though, considering the winter we have had. I am starting in my Solamon Discovery W GXT boots which are heavier than some, but have been great boots for me. Once the worst of the cold weather is over, and I have my hiking legs, I will switch into my Pearl Izumi trail runners.Enough about the AT. I am a big college basketball fan. I am going to watch the last few minutes of the UConn game. I will be missing NCAA March Madness this year. Some how I don't think I will even notice once on the trail, however.