Date: 2013-09-14
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Miles today: 0.0

I promised myself I¢d write a gear review on a gray and cool weekend day, and this is finally the day! I was amazingly happy with just about all of my gear and I replaced almost nothing. I was fortunate to have been considering an AT hike for a few years, so had the opportunity to keep a notebook with gear ideas accumulated through trail journals, Backpacker magazine, and online sources such as White Blaze. Since a date for my hike was set well in advance, once I had an idea about what I wanted to purchase I had a chance to wait for online sales. This allowed me to pick up gear items as they came on sale, which was really helpful. Along with having the time to research and buy gear, I was able to field test my gear in 2012 on my section hikes through the state of Massachusetts and part of Vermont. This gave me the chance to actually try my gear out on the trail, so I knew when I hiked the trail this year that my gear worked for me. I was surprised by how many fellow hikers I met who picked up everything at once and had never actually tested their gear. My system worked well for me.My last overall thought about gear before I get into the specifics is that I learned I¢m not an ultralight backpacker. I admired the hikers whose total gear weight with food and water was 20 pounds or under, but I decided I just wasn¢t ready to go there. Fully loaded with food and water, my pack weighed in the 30 pounds vicinity, and to be honest, I didn¢t weigh it all that often. I spent the first probably 500 miles thinking about every single item in my pack, trying to tweak my load to get the weight down. I was able to send a few things home, but I finally reached the point that anything else out of my pack would have meant less personal comfort. There¢s no right or wrong about any gear; it¢s whatever works best for you. So here goes:TENT: I brought a Big Agnes FlyCreek UL2 and I loved this tent. I opted for the 2-person version, after reading that the FlyCreek UL1 was on the tight side. The 2-person model weighs about 7 ounces more than the UL1 but to me the extra space was well worth the weight. I was able to pull my backpack into my tent with me and had plenty of room to sort my things out inside the tent. As I got further north and ran into bugs, I appreciated the fact that the Fly Creek is freestanding, so I could easily put it up inside a shelter if there was room. I also became very adept at setting it on tent platforms in NH and ME, staking the rain fly out with rocks. The one complaint some hikers have raised about the Fly Creek is that it¢s a front entry tent, and many prefer side access, but this was never an issue for me. I¢d leave my trailrunners in the vestibule, which also worked well. No complaints, and thanks to Big Agnes for this one.SLEEPING BAGS: I used two MontBell bags, the UL Super Spiral #1 and the UL Super Spiral #5. I started with the #1, which is rated down to 15 degrees, and then in Pearisburg sent that home and received my #5, a 40 degree bag. I loved both of these bags¢¦ super light, pack nicely, and because of the spiral stretch don¢t feel as claustrophobic as many mummy bags feel. The #1 was bulky, but I certainly needed the extra loft during my first cold month, especially my time in the Smokies. Once I picked up the #5 I felt as though my pack carried much better, simply because the warmer weather model takes up a lot less space and weighs next to nothing. Very pleased with both of these bags.SLEEPING BAG LINER: I used a Sea to Summit Cool Max sleeping bag liner and loved it. I started with this and quickly realized it was just an extra item to carry during the cold weather portion of my hike so I sent it home. I asked John to mail it to Pearisburg with my warm weather bag and I thoroughly enjoyed using it from Pearisburg through to the end. Using a liner helps keep your sleeping bag clean, and during the warm nights I¢d sleep in the liner on top of my sleeping bag. The cool max fabric felt like a t-shirt next to my skin, and I could easily throw it in the washer with my clothes. For many a liner would be considered a luxury item, but it certainly helped me get a good night¢s sleep many nights on the trail.SLEEPING PAD: I used a Thermarest Neo Air, full length, and absolutely loved it. No problems whatsoever with leaks, in spite of the fact that I often laid it directly on a shelter floor. This product is the closest I¢ve ever come to the feeling of an air mattress used for ¢car¢ camping, and it was so comfortable. Again, I could have cut a few ounces by using a three quarters length pad, but I didn¢t want to sacrifice my comfort.PILLOW: When I started hiking the Long Trail in 2005 I stuffed my clothes in a stuff sack for a pillow. This worked okay, but was never truly comfortable. I then tried a MontBell inflatable pillow, which I didn¢t like. I did some more research and read good reviews of the ExPed pillow, so decided to give this a try. For me it was a wonderful product. I¢d inflate it fully for laying on my back and reading, and then when it was time for sleeping I¢d let some of the air out. There are two sizes of this pillow and I ordered the larger one, although I learned that the smaller size would have been enough. Again, another luxury item, but I never seemed to have sleep issues on the trail, and I think my pad, pillow, liner, and sleeping bag all contributed to help me sleep comfortably.BACKPACK: I used the ULA Catalyst, which worked well for me. Many hikers carried the ULA Circuit, which is a smaller version of the Catalyst. I loved the waist belt with its zippered side pockets, the mesh pocket on the back, and the two side pockets. As I hiked longer days and more miles, I found my backpack bothered my shoulders, although this was a common complaint among most long distance hikers, so I can¢t fault ULA. Once I reached CT I contacted ULA to ask them about the fit, because I felt that my backpack wasn¢t carrying properly. Part of the problem seemed to be that I was tightening the belt as far as I could and it was simply too big. The ULA rep recommended sizing down to a small belt and nicely sent me one at half price, about $20. The belts are interchangeable, so once I replaced my too large belt the smaller one worked better. That said, however, by the end of my trek I was so glad to have that backpack off of my back!FOOTWEAR: I started my hike with Keen Targhees. I have worn these boots for years and loved them. Before I left I picked up a second pair and had them ready to be sent to me up the trail. They worked well for the first few hundred miles, but for whatever the reason, my feet started to rebel. I developed blisters on my heels and reached a point in Virginia where every step hurt. It was so discouraging, and I remember having to have several pep talks with myself to keep moving. When I reached Daleville, Virginia, I decided that something had to change. I visited the outfitter¢s there (I believe it¢s called Outdoor Trails) and spent a lot of time talking with one of the employees about my foot problems. She spent significant time with me, measuring my feet and making suggestions about possible alternatives. She ultimately sold me on a pair of Salomon Synapse trailrunners. I was concerned that I wouldn¢t have time to break them in, but she informed me that trailrunners don¢t require a breaking in period. I loved, loved, loved these trailrunners! My feet immediately started feeling better and I never regretted the switch from boots to trailrunners. I had a second pair shipped to me in Gorham, NH.TREKKING POLES: I used Leki Cressida poles and they worked great. I used to have Leki poles without the locking mechanism and I found they randomly collapsed. These poles were light, sturdy, had cork handles, and good locking mechanisms, which made them easily collapsible when necessary. I never broke one along the way so no complaints.COOKWARE AND FOOD: I used an MSR MicroRocket stove and a Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo Cookset. Both of these worked fine. I never had a problem finding gas canisters along the way. I have to admit that I¢m not much of a backpacking cook. Food on the trail was an issue for me¢¦ I simply don¢t like many of the cooked meals that hikers commonly cook. I was envious of many of my hiking buddies who were able to eat a different Knorr side with a package of tuna or salmon night after night. I struggled since I don¢t enjoy many of the backpacking staples. Fortunately there were certain key items that I never tired of, including peanut butter (any kind, especially Jiff Chocolate Silk), wraps (vehicle for the peanut butter), crunchy granola bars, tea, cheese (when the weather was cool enough to allow it), crackers, cookies, and dried fruit (especially dried cherries). My treat whenever I¢d find them were Mike and Ike¢s candies, something I don¢t eat at home! I¢d carry a candy bar for an afternoon snack, but even that grew old after several months. I had struggled with food on shorter backpacking trips but thought once I developed a hiker hunger I¢d eat everything and anything on the trail. The hunger happened, but I just didn¢t have a taste for a lot of things and instead would satisfy my cravings when in towns and at hostels. I found I loved Coke and Pepsi (the real deal, not the diet variety) and loaded up with these sodas whenever in town. Since I¢ve been off the trail, however, I haven¢t had a Coke or a Pepsi¢¦ I lost 20 pounds through my hike and I¢d rather not find them again!WATER FILTRATION: I used Aqua Mira drops and never regretted this decision. I started by carrying 2 full liters of water in Gatorade bottles, but took Infinity¢s advice and quickly shifted to carrying only 1 liter in a Smart Water bottle. ULA designs their packs to carry Smart Water sized bottles on the front, and I found that a one liter bottle was enough. Many hikers used steripens and others used the Sawyer Squeeze, but overall I was pleased with the Aqua Mira. It¢s reasonable, light, and there¢s never any mechanical failure. As the weather grew warmer and water sources weren¢t always as good I carried an extra 20 ounce Gatorade bottle with me. I developed an affinity for Gatorade and picked up a new bottle whenever in town.CLOTHING: Clothing is so much a personal preference that I won¢t get into many details here. I loved my wool based shirts and found they really don¢t smell as much as the synthetic varieties. I wore either 100 percent wool shirts (Ibex and Icebreaker) or part wool/part synthetic (Patagonia and OR). Field test them for yourself; I knew from lots of prior hiking that I can¢t tolerate the stink from the synthetics. I wore shorts by Mountain Hardwear and started with one size, downsized by the Smokies, and downsized again for my final time in Maine. I carried a pair of Mountain Hardwear pants as well, and downsized those in Hot Springs. I started with a Marmot lightweight raincoat and wasn¢t overly pleased. During my freezing rain incident leaving Hot Springs it simply gave out, and I replaced it with a Mountain Hardwear rain jacket in Damascus. I loved my Darn Tough socks (they¢re from VT after all!), and picked up a pair of Bridgedale socks at the outfitter¢s in VA. The Bridgedale socks felt lighter on my feet as the weather got warmer. My third pair of socks were Thorlos, which is a brand that has always worked well for me. I always made sure to have one pair of dry socks, even in the wettest weather, so I¢d have something dry to slip on my feet in the evening. I loved Ex-Officio underwear, and highly recommend it for its breathability and quick drying powers. I carried a MontBell UL Down Parka, which was wonderful during the cold weather. I shifted over to a MontBell UL Jacket as I headed north, which packs up to almost nothing and is quite comfortable. I carried an Isis powerstretch fleece, which I used all the time, and I also carried a Patagonia Houdini windshirt, which I didn't use too often. I also brought along a fleece hat and and a neckwarmer for the first part of my journey, but I rarely used the neckwarmer. My best find was a last-minute purchase at Eastern Mountain Sports before I left, and these were gloves with the mitts over (I¢ve heard them called glomitts). Really, really helpful to be able to expose your fingertips but then cover them up for warmth, and these did the trick during the snowy Smokies. I also appreciated my lightweight wool longjohns by Terramar, and I carried an Ibex long sleeved wool shirt for the first part of my trek.I guess I¢ve hit the gear highlights. Please feel free to send me specific questions via my guest book and I¢ll do my best to answer them!