Date: 2010-10-11
To: Gear Review
Miles today: 0.0

Okay, so I've been home for about 3 weeks now. I spent the first couple of days handling my gear; cleaning and storing it, and returning some items. So I thought it might be wise to post an entry on gear while it is still fresh in my mind. If you're not a backpacker, or thinking of becoming one, this entry won't mean much to you. But, for those who are, or who are contemplating an AT thru hike, just add this info to the comments from others and reach your own conclusions on gear.Since I had no previous backpacking experience, I contacted a 2009 thru hiker whose journal I had followed. His advice and suggestions were invaluable. If you¢re inexperienced like I was and are interested in a backpacking trip, you might want to do the same.PACKI used a ULA Catalyst, size Large. At 4600 cu in, it is their largest volume pack. I purchased it two years ago when I had no idea what I was really needed. Turns out that it was the right manufacturer, but he wrong pack model and the wrong size for me. If I were to purchase another pack for a long distance hike, I would buy the ULA Circuit, size Medium. At 4200 cu in, it is 11 oz lighter than the Catalyst. The Catalyst has more volume than I ever needed, so why carry the extra 11 oz? Also, the recommended maximum load for the Catalyst is 40 lbs and 35 for the Circuit. I never carried more than 32 pounds of gear. I would also spring for the optional aluminum stay for added support.HIKING POLESI¢d never do a long distance hike without poles, and they would be Leki¢s. I beat the heck out of mine, and they saved my butt every day. Without them, I would have fallen four times more often than I did, and they never bent or broke. Also, Leki offers a generous warranty. The strap on my left pole tore at the strap anchor point. I called Leki customer service, identified myself as an AT thru hiker, and they sent me a new set of grips and straps. I saw other brands of hiking poles break and bend ¢ not covered under warranty. Go with Leki¢s.SLEEP SYSTEMSpringer Mtn to Marion, VA - I started my hike in Georgia with a Marmot Pinnacle 800 fill goose down 15 degree bag. It never disappointed me. I also carried a Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite Mummy Bag Liner during that time, which claims to add up to 15 degrees of warmth. I never needed it with the Pinnacle, so I sent it home. I wore a pair of Patagonia #3 long underwear top and bottoms to help keep me warm, but more importantly, to help keep the bag clean.In Marion, VA, I swapped out my winter bag for a MontBell U.L Super Spiral 800 Down Hugger #5 rated at 40 degrees. This bag worked extremely well and is lightweight, too. I also wore a pair of lightweight lycra fitness shorts and a lightweight, long sleeve polypro top to keep the bag clean.Then, in Hanover, NH, I added the Thermolite Mummy Bag Liner to the MontBell, and used that combination for the remainder of the trip. I got my Patagonia long underwear back then, too, and wore them for the remainder of my hike.I started from Springer with a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core mummy inflatable pad. It developed a leak at the inflation valve, so I swapped out to a Thermarest NeoAir, saving about 7 oz. It, too, developed a leak at the inflation valve, which was replaced by EMS in Manchester, VT.FOOTWEARFootwear is a very personal item. What works for some causes blisters for others. My selection of footwear for my hike was limited by the fact that I have very wide feet and not many boot manufacturers offer wide widths.I started out wearing New Balance MT813 trail runners and wore out two pair between Springer and Waynesboro, VA. In Waynesboro, I switched to Vasque Breeze low tops without the Gore-tex lining. I wore the Vasque Breeze low tops from there to Boiling Springs, PA, where I switched out to Vasque Breeze boots to better deal with the rocks that Pennsylvania is noted for. The boots had the stiffest soles of all the footwear I wore during my trip, and my feet felt good through Pennsylvania. In New Jersey, I switched back to the same pair of Vasque Breeze low tops I wore earlier. They were bulletproof and finally bit the dust in Hanover, NH.I then wore a new pair of New Balance MT813¢s, which lasted less than 200 miles before falling apart. I actually sent them back to the vendor and received a refund. I then switched out to a pair of Vasque Velocity low tops, which performed well and lasted the rest of my hike.All of the shoes I wore had great traction when the trail was dry. None of them had good traction when the trail was wet, particularly on rock. I slipped and fell countless times on wet rock, but so did other thru hikers wearing other brands of shoes and boots. Bottom line is I wouldn¢t wear the New Balance trail runners on a long distance hike again. I don¢t think the soles are stiff enough, and they wear out more quickly than the Vasque low tops I wore.I started out wearing SmartWool socks. In Damascus, VA, I swapped out to Darn Tuff smartwool boot socks. They were indestructible and extremely comfortable. Go with the Darn Tuff socks. Lastly, I should mention that I was the only thru hiker I knew that had absolutely NO BLISTERS! I was lucky!I did not carry camp shoes or Crocs. I felt that my trail shoes were comfortable enough to wear in the evening and in town, that I didn¢t want to carry another 11 plus ounces of camp shoes or Crocs. And, when I came to a river or stream that needed to be forded, I just went barefoot.SHELTERI carried a Henry Shires Moment Tarptent for my entire hike. At 28 oz, it was light, and with only 1 pole and 2 stakes, it went up in seconds. It was roomy enough for me to store my pack inside the tent at night. At the recommendation of Henry Shires, I didn¢t use a ground cloth and I never had a puncture in the floor. The tent shed heavy rain. The only downside to the tent was the tendency to develop condensation inside the tent. I could usually prevent or minimize this by keeping the vestibule door tied open. Always reliable, I would use it again on a long distance hike.CookingI used an Etowah II alcohol stove paired with an MSR Titan Kettle pot from Springer Mountain to Marion, VA, and from Hanover, NH, to Katahdin. Between Marion and Hanover, I sent my cook kit home and ate cold food. The boil time for my stove/pot combination with 3 cups of water was about 11 minutes. That¢s far more than the 3 or so minutes the JetBoil system would boil the same amount of water. I used the time to boil to set up or knock down my tent, change into my hiking or sleeping clothing, treat water, etc, so the long wait for boiling water never really affected me. I would use the same system on another long distance hike. I carried 12 oz of fuel out of town stops, either denatured alcohol or Heet. The Heet seemed to boil water quicker, but that just be my imagination.