Date: 2003-09-25
To: Post-Hike gear review
Miles today: 0.0

PACKI switched packs in the middle of my hike, and I wasn¢t totally pleased with either. The first pack, a Mountainsmith Auspex had less hip padding and structure. I changed because it was bruising my hip bones. My next pack, a Kelty Satori had a good hip belt, but an assortment of other problems. The shoulder straps had complex shoulder strap adjustments that seemed to have no effect. The load lifters slipped. The internal support structure wouldn¢t stay in place and the pack was unbalanced most of the time.Both packs had internal water bag holders which is a useless feature. I never met a hiker who actually uses this, because you would have to unload your pack to refill your water bag. I used carabiners to hang my water bag (Camelbak) to one side of the pack. It was also common for hikers to put the water bag in the top compartment. I tried that, but the condensation and leaking would get stuff wet, and I could not suck out all of the water.The best feature of my pack was O.R. belt pouches that I strapped to both sides of my belt. I put snacks, my knife, and my toothbrush & toothpaste in these so I could eat and brush while walking.COOKWARE & WATERThe First Need water filter/purifier is excellent! I went 1500 miles before changing the canister.   I could fill a 32oz. Nalgene in 50 seconds. I used Aqua Mira a little in the beginning, and it is great if you can find clean water dropping from a pipe or pouring over rocks. If you have stagnant water, which is very common in the middle states, you will still be drinking (sanitized) dirt. I found myself stretching my water supply waiting for a good running stream, and then I¢d have to wait at least 20 minutes before drinking. I had a 32oz Nalgene bottle for use with the filter, drink mixes, and measuring water for cooking. While walking I drank from my 2 liter Camelbak Unbottle with a bite-valve. I kept the bag upright, and it would leak from the threads if I ever filled it that high. I would like to know if other water bags leaked, too. The MSR Superfly canister stove with piezo lighter worked great for me. It was speedy and I never had to mess with liquid fuel or pull out a lighter. I cooked (boiled water) for dinner and breakfast most nights on the trail and the canisters would last about 10 days. ISO-Butane canisters were NOT hard to find, and partially used ones were common in hiker boxes. I may have bought ONE canister the last half of the hike.I took the two bowls from my MSR Titanium cookset. I would pack my stove away in-between the bowls. The smaller bowl I¢d use only for hot drinks; I didn¢t take a cup. The only piece of silverware I had was a MSR titanium tool-spoon. I put my food in two O.R. food bags ¢ one had breakfast and dinner meals, and the other had snacks (lunch). I think a simple sil-nylon bag would¢ve worked just as well. I hung my food using string and carabiners flung over a tree branch in the early going, but by the end I mostly hung the bags from the tuna-can strings in the shelters like everyone else. SHELTER & SLEEPI was very happy with my Black Diamond Beta light tarp, which weighed less than two pounds and set up with trekking poles. I used tyvek for a ground cloth. Many people were envious of my Big Agnes sleep mat. It weighs 1 pound, 10 oz and is more compact than any other sleeping pad. It blows up to about 3¢ thick and is more comfortable than a standard therma-rest. The only drawbacks were that it takes about 4 minutes to blow up, and it makes noise letting the air out in the morning. Still, I think it was great; excellent comfort for the weight/size.I used 3 sleeping bags during the hike. In the coldest months (the beginning and end) I used a Kelty Lighyear 25 degree bag. The coldest nights for me were in the 30¢s and this bag worked fine. It would be hot if the night temps were above 60, and it felt a little clammy when it was humid or raining. Most of the hike I used a bag I made at home using thermolite insulation on the top layer only. This worked great and weighed only 1 pound 4 ounces. I used a Ferrino 45 deg synthetic bag briefly in the transition between cold and warm weather ¢ no complaints.CLOTHESMost of the time I wore a cheap Target sleeveless synthetic shirt and JCP polyester shorts. Both held up fine. I didn¢t carry or wear underwear. From New Jersey on, I carried a second tee-shirt (duofold) and was glad I did, since even synthetics don¢t dry in the humid summer months. At the beginning and end (for cold weather) I carried long rain/wind pants, but traded them in during mid-summer for a second pair of shorts. For rain pants it is essential to have a long side zipper so you can get them on/off without taking your shoes off. I had Mountain Hardwear rain pants that I was very happy with ¢ they were somewhat ¢breathable¢. In Gorham I bought a fleece hat. I had a no-name fleece with a quarter-length zip the whole way. It also served as my pillow. I also carried a Frog-Togg rain jacket that was adequate. It was better than a simple nylon rainjacket, but higher-tech materials probably breath just as well.My biggest weakness as a hiker was my feet. Some hikers have small feet with straight toes, put on the first pair of shoes they see and hike with no blisters. But the people like me who had foot pain and blisters tended to migrate to light trail running shoes. New Balance 805 and 806 were common (because they come wide), and that is what I used at the end. I went through 6 pairs of shoes. Three were Gore-tex, which is nice for keeping out casual water, but will not keep out steady rain. I used Superfeet inserts in the beginning and believe they contributed to heel blisters. With my NB shoes, I used Spenco inserts. I carried Waldies for camp shoes, which are lighter and easier to get on than Tevas. Bridgedale socks worked great, and maintained their shape well with multi-day use and getting wet. I also used Smartwool socks which were nearly as good as the Bridgedales. I liked using gaiters (O.R. low) to keep pebbles and casual water out.ELECTRONICSDigital cameras are great! I used a Canon Powershot s30 and had no problems. I took a 120v recharger and extra battery. The charge would last me 3-4 days and I¢d take (and review) as many as 60 pictures in that many days. I only had to switch to the backup battery when I forgot to recharge at a town stop. I had 5 camera cards that I kept rotating in the mail so my wife could keep this journal current! If you don¢t have a hiking partner, make sure you get a camera with a timer, and something to use like a tripod for self-portraits. Pics are always better with someone in them, and no one was ever around when I had a landscape to shoot. I used a little bungee cord to strap my camera to a tree, or set it on a rock, or hung it by the wrist-strap. Some people rigged a screw to the top of hiking poles to make a uni-pod. I would brace my hands on top of my pole for steadiness. Learn about your camera features and practice before starting. Also, get a few tips about composition, and try being creative with camera angles. Avoid centering the person in the shot, putting too much sky in landscapes, and shooting dead-on at structures and signs. I wish I had known more about photography.   I used the Pocketmail Composer and service to maintain this journal, log photos taken, communicate with friends, and write newspaper articles. It worked great, and I only changed batteries once. I used Lithium Ion photo batteries, which are lighter and much longer-lasting than alkaline. HYGENE & MEDICALMolefoam is much better than moleskin or duck tape. It was crucial for me in protecting blisters while they healed. I carried Doc Brommer soap, but hardly ever used it. Germ-X waterless hand sanitizer was more convenient. I carried toenail clippers, since foot maintenance is so important. Near the end, my friend Kiwi gave me a great pair of compact clippers that also had a file rough enough to sand down calluses.   If you can find them, I¢d highly recommend buying them ¢ the maker is ¢KATHMANDU¢.Most stuff in this category is often available in hiker boxes. The rest of the list:Toilet paper (always taken from hiker boxes or ¢borrowed¢ from public restrooms)Cottonelle (wet wipes)Kid-sized toothbrushtravel size toothpasteZeabsorb AFBand-aidsAdvil (a must!)ACCESSORIESTrekking Poles with rubber tips. Rubber tips are a must! They make less noise and don¢t scratch up the rocks. I lost a few of these (getting pried off by rocks), then I super-glued on the last pair. Leki tips are the best and they will work on any poles. Super glue is also handy to have around.I used Wingfoot's 2003 thru-hiker handbook and cut out the pages. My wife mailed me the pages as needed in about 4 different sets. I kept the current page in a zip-lock bag in my pocket. Unfortunately the ¢perfect¢ zip-lock (8¢x7¢ clear) is not usually sold in supermarkets. I found them in a Dollar store.Gerber knife with scissors (great! ¢ scissors are more important than the knife)Black Diamond Gemini Headlamp (I only used the LED mode, so I could¢ve gone with a smaller headlamp)Seal-line pouch for wallet ¢ you gotta carry cash, since many small trail town businesses and hostels don¢t take charge cards. Mastercard was most commonly accepted. Lighter ¢ mostly for burning the cut ends of nylon string.Casio Pathfinder Altimeter/Compass/Barometer Watch ¢ the altimeter was great for helping you know where you are. I kept it displayed the entire hike. I never looked at the barometer and the temp reading was useless. STUFF I SENT HOMEMaps and sectional guide books ¢ to save weight, although I admit I stole glimpses of other people¢s profile maps whenever I could. Maps are necessary if you will be blue-blazing or using car support.Cell phone ¢ My CRAPPY T-MOBILE cell phone never got a signal. Most hikers who were getting any coverage were using Verizon. Gore Tex Hat ¢ just used rainjacket hood.Pepper spraySTUFF YOU MAY CONSIDERBeing from Florida, I was skeptical of people who wrote about getting sunburn in the woods, and I never did use sunblock. But in the early going when the trees were leafless, the sun really could be intense. I used sunglasses only one day (leaving Lehigh Gap). Some people say they help to deter eye-diving knats.