Date: 2006-11-13
To: Gear
Miles today: 0.0

This year I will carry my old gear I ended up with last year. It will be well broken in and very familiar. I¢ll only change a few items, I have decided to get a full length mattress and will need to replace some things which have worn out but most equipment will be the same. I will probably get a new camera (hopefully for Christmas) the old one was OK but when I printed some photos they weren¢t as sharp as I had hoped. I am looking at a 10+ Meg digital camera for this trip.Basically I will carry a full length pro-lite 4 thermarest pad, a 20 degree western mountaineer sleeping bag, a Henry Shire tent, a silk liner. This will be my sleep and shelter load. I will carry my old pack if I can get it fixed. It¢s a ULA Catalyst. I had problems with it but that¢s another story. I¢ll carry an alcohol stove, an ever new titanium pot and a click stand and wind screen for my cooking needs. This will include a flask for the alcohol and a lighter. I¢ll carry a Spork, a cozy from the tin man and an insulated mug. For clothes I will hike in shorts with wool socks (liners), Gore-Tex hiking shoes, and a short sleeve shirt. I¢ll have another layer consisting of a long sleeve shirt, a western mountaineering vest, a rain jacket and rain pants, smart wool long johns and water proof mittens, a wool hat and a base-ball cap. I¢ll carry a change of socks, (wool and liner) smart wool long johns and long sleeve shirt to change into at night to sleep in. I¢ll probably bring a light weight nylon wind shirt also. I¢ll bring a pair of crooks and sun glasses. I¢ll bring two small stuff sacks, one to keep my extra hiking clothes in and one to keep my sleeping clothes and vest in. I¢ll keep my food in another stuff sack which will have 50 feet of light line to hang it from a tree to keep the bears and varmints from eating my fuel. Also I¢ll use hiking poles (leki). I¢ll use a platypus drinking system. I¢ll use Aqua Mira water treatment. It¢s nice to also carry a bandana, some TP and a small container of anti- bacterial lotion. My first aid items will be kept in a zip lock bag and contain Band-Aid advanced healing blister ampoules, vitamins, Ibuprofen tablets, tweezers, and a needle. I¢ll carry a small cell phone and charger, a charger for my new camera and an extra SD card for the camera. I¢ll carry a map, a trail guide and a small knife. My watch will give me time altitude, weather and an alarm. I¢ll carry a head lamp and some other small things like a comb, tooth brush and paste. I like to carry a credit card a driver¢s license, my health insurance card and a debit card. I¢ll carry a small amount of cash and a phone card. Anything else is a luxury (some things I mentioned are also luxuries (phone, camera, crocks, poles, mattress pad, sun glasses, and others). You have to decide what works for you. It will be cold, wet and windy, so make sure your layers will keep you safe. I hesitated to make this list, but hope it helps with your hike preparations and helps those at home know what we carry on the trail. Some like other kinds of stoves and some carry filters. There are many choices and each is good in its own way. There is no one way to do this. Along the trail you¢ll see many ways and even new equipment at outfitters along the way. I¢ll keep a journal in a small pad and mail it home for trail journals 2007. If this helps or if you have any good ideas please sign in and lets discuss it.