These posts will be to review any and everything that I carried with me on my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Some things worked for me, some did not. Hopefully this will help someone with questions about what you need to be comfortable and safe on the trail. The things I carried may not work for you, but they just might. Some gear is dirt cheap, some I made myself, some gear is pricey. This is what worked for me.
The Backpack
If there is one piece of gear that every hiker has to carry, it's a pack. You will be wearing your pack for nearly half of your trip. There are a few things your pack does for you. It obviously has to carry all your gear, food and water and do it comfortably. Your pack will also eventually evolve through the length of your hike to serve as a seat, a backrest for a trailside nap, a clothesline and a trash bag.
If there is one company in my experiences that has never done me wrong it would be Granite Gear. I picked up a brand new Crown V.C. 60 right before the trip and NEVER had a single complaint about the pack. The Crown was developed to replace the Vapor Trail series of packs that were a staple on all of the long trails for many years. I switched to the Crown for a few reasons. One was to upgrade from my Nimbus Meridian which weighs in at about 3.5 lbs. I wanted something a little lighter and simpler. The rolltop lid really appealed to me and the stretch pocket on the outside I knew would be great for storing wet gear. Once I saw one in person at my local outfitter (Pack & Paddle in Lafayette Louisiana) I was sold.
The pack itself was perfect for every phase of the trip, from carrying a full 7 day resupply of food and fuel, to slackpacking 21 miles in a day with nothing but water and snacks tucked away inside. The pack was able to contract and expand as the gear and food volume inside was constantly changing. The Granite Gear hipbelts are an excellent design for any long distance hiker. They are interchangeable to accommodate your fluctuating waistline that will no doubt happen during your hike. The stretch pockets on the side were perfect for carrying water bottles, fuel, days worth of snacks, trash, and cameras. I carried anywhere from 20-30 lbs. in this pack for most of the trip with food and water. My only complaint would have to be the weakness of my own body when carrying a full resupply out of a town.
I ended up learning a lot about this pack in the 2200+ miles it was strapped to my back. The pockets on the shoulder straps held my iPhone so I could listen to music headphone free. After a rain day (or week) it's funny to see how peoples packs down the trail end up turning into a drying rack. Shoes, tarps, jackets, all dangling from hikers packs waiting the next break and sunny spot to be let out. I always kept my umbrella, fuel bottle, and tent in the back pocket. I think that is the key feature on any long hauling pack. It allows a lot of quick stash gear to be available or kept seperate from all of the dry gear inside the pack. A large internal pocket with simple stash pockets on the outside is a reoccurring theme in any successful long distance pack. No bells and whistles. Simple functionality.
I could go on for days and days about how excellent this pack is, you'll just have to get one to understand what I mean. Many people switch packs to lighter, simpler packs after a few hundred miles. I am happy to say I started out with the finest one on the market.
These posts will be to review any and everything that I carried with me on my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Some things worked for me, some did not. Hopefully this will help someone with questions about what you need to be comfortable and safe on the trail. The things I carried may not work for you, but they just might. Some gear is dirt cheap, some I made myself, some gear is pricey. This is what worked for me.
Sleeping Gear:
Sleep is sacred. It is especially sacred when exercising 8-12 hours a day back to back for weeks and months on end. Nothing is better for your body after a long day than a restful nights sleep. If I had one piece of advice when choosing your sleep system for the trail, it would be to go with the most comfortable gear you are willing to carry. If having a 3 lb. sleeping pad is the only thing you can get a good nights sleep on, carry it. If you are happy with a $5 foam pad from walmart, great. There may be some trial and error in choosing what's right for you. Here's what I liked...
Pad:Thermarest NeoAir Trekker
I've tried all sorts of pads. Z-lites, foam pads, and the classic self inflating thermarests, but this pad takes the cake. Being a side sleeper, the foam pads just never cut it. I tried to like them, I don't. I eventually ended up with this pad and for me it's the perfect balance of weight, packability and comfort. I like how the ribs run perpendicular to your body which makes the air tuning match your body shape really well. I like the pad to be blown up about 85%. I chose the trekker model because I am not the best campsite selector, and inevitably I choose a spot with a rock or a stick or something poking through my tent floor at night. Most of the time i'm too lazy to fish it out from underneath, so the tougher fabric on bottom adds a bit more protection. This pad is also a lot less noisy than the original NeoAir. This pad never lost air and I never, ever regretted taking this pad on the trail. 100% satisfaction. Weight: 20 oz
I've long been a fan of the Big Agnes sleeping bags. Yes, i've tried liking mummy bags. I've sewed myself a quilt. Then I slept in a Big Agnes bag after buying Ruthie one. I was sold. It's slightly non traditional in the fact that you slide your pad into the bag, where there is no underside insulation. The result is a bag you can't roll off your pad.
First of all, I would not hike the AT with just one bag. Many people tried and seemed miserable 50% of the time. I would recommend one summer bag (rating above 45*) and one winter bag (rating below 30*). There will no doubt be nights when it is below freezing and nights when it is above 90*. I left Springer Mtn. with the Cross Mountain foolishly thinking the temps wouldn't be so bad because of the mild winter. Dumb. I toughed through a lot of cold nights wearing all of my clothes and my wet rain jacket wrapped around my feet. Start the trail with a bag rated 30* or below and you will be happy. This was one instance of being a little stupid light. Nothing like waking up cold in the morning and going to walk in the rain. Be smart, and be warm at night. Weight: 27 oz.
After the elevation dropped off a bit; like when we passed through the Smokies, I supplemented some warmth for weight with a space blanket. I never used one before but I am an advocate for them now that I have. Not expensive, not heavy and can be used to help others if the need arises.
Downside: They do not breathe. Nothing can be waterproof AND breathable, no matter now much the company says it is. You will wake up a little wet from your own body heat and moisture not being able to ventilate. But on a cold night, you do what you have to. You will no doubt be much warmer than you will be without it, even if you're a little damp.
I've had my Lost Ranger for a bit now and I LOVE this bag. It's very warm and accurate for its rating. I've used it in Arkansas when there was ice and frost on my tarp and cowboy camping at 4500' in 25 mph winds. Can't say much for this, you will want to start with this kind of bag and get it back in Vermont or New Hampshire once you start gaining and staying at elevation. I like the yoke that traps a lot of heat and the hood is nice on really cold nights. On not so cold nights I slept with the bag unzipped a ways and let out some heat that way. Weight: 46 oz.
My suggestions for a sleep system are to try different things. You can certainly save more weight than I have, but this is what I like. I would defenitely try to buy bags with the same zipper side, no matter which you choose. Getting used to one side of a zipper and then switching is a slight annoyance. Down vs. Synthetic. My theory is to buy synthetic if it's light and warm enough. If not, buy down. Everyone knows that down has no warmth when wet so careful attention must be kept to ensure it stays dry. This goes for dampness from a unventilated tent as well. After a few wet days and nights, most hikers learn trial by fire.
Sleep accesories:
Yes, I carried a pillow for much of the trail. Some hikers scoffed. I laughed at how comfortable I was. In the summer months I wasnt carrying enough clothes to substitute a pillow. I saw people using there food bags as pillows(2/3!), shoes(disgusting), and backpacks. All of this is ok if it works for you but I carried the Cocoon Ultralight Aircore Pillow and LOVED it! I was willing to carry 3 oz. to be comfortable at night. Some time around Vermont the pillow sadly would not hold air anymore. I had most of my winter clothing back by this point so I was able to make a pillow out of my Patagonia jacket. I have not further investigated it yet, but would buy a new pillow if it can not be repaired. Worth my money. I would not suggest any other pillow but this one. Others can get to be much heavier and not pack well. I stuffed this into the same stuff sack as my sleeping bag most of the time. this also doubles well for hostel stays where the pillows can be all shades of funky or for zero days where you can sit by a lake or river reading the paper with a beer or coffee.
If you are a side sleeper, go with an inflatable air pad. Same goes for a restless sleeper like myself. Back sleepers will probably be happy with a foam pad. Buy the lightest weight bag in whatever style you are comfortable in. Make your own mind up on the material used to insulate the sleeping bag and for gods sake PLEASE buy a nice water resistant compression sack to store your bags.
These posts will be to review any and everything that I carried with me on my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Some things worked for me, some did not. Hopefully this will help someone with questions about what you need to be comfortable and safe on the trail. The things I carried may not work for you, but they just might. Some gear is dirt cheap, some I made myself, some gear is pricey. This is what worked for me.
Cooking:
I decided to go with a lightweight system for the trail because I knew I was not going to be doing a lot of "cooking". Most of what I was doing was heating up or rehydrating food. Seldom did I ever require any kind of extended boil for my food. This was a conscious decision on my part to keep everything simple and fuss free.
Stove: Super Cat Alcohol Stove
I have tried a lot of stoves from the Whisperlites, to the Trangia Burner and more. When I found out how simple the Super Cat was to make, use, and pack I was sold. It doubles as a pot stand, weighs NOTHING (0.25 oz.) and has no moving parts. Pour in alcohol, light, and wait. It has its limitations but it worked well for me. I even stepped on mine once or twice and was able to bend it back into place with limited damage. Not indestructible but tough enough with a little care. In colder temperatures and windy conditions, the efficiency is compromised but with a good windscreen and a little care you'll be ok. If interested visit SuperCatStove.com for more information than you could ever need about a cat food can.
The advantage of a canister stove is efficiency and speed. The fuel canisters if used correctly can last up to 2 weeks. The cook system as a whole weighs a bit more but cooks faster and is less effected by wind and weather. If cooking for two this is a much better solution. By the end of a thru-hike you would have probably spent roughly the same amount on fuel between alcohol and canisters. Another small advantage is that there always seems to be a 3/4 empty can of fuel sitting in a hiker box or shelter from someone scared that the fuel wouldn't last until the next town stop. But denatured alcohol is easy to come by in every town I stopped in. You can also use HEET or everclear. Just dont end up drinking your fuel.
Another system I like is a pot of your choice paired with the Caldera Cone cooking system. I've seen a few in action and they perform great and are very fuel efficient for an alcohol stove. If you already have a pot you like, the people at Trail Designs will make you a Caldera Cone specifically made for your pot. Excellent price and performance.
This was a simple decision. Light, cheap, and a non-stick coating that really helped with clean up of dried mac & cheese. I liked the pot to be wider than it was tall so it was more efficient on the stove. A common mistake I saw all too many alcohol stove users making. The pot held up great and I probably cooked close to 150+ meals on it plus countless cups of water for coffee. You can see the marks on the bottom of the pot from my stove. You could buy a fancy titanium pot with handles and a lid that doubles as a skillet. You could buy a bigger pot and make huge pots of ramen. I wouldn't. This pot is perfect for any solo trip and the price is right. I ate out of the pot with a little help from my homemade cozy and I highly suggest this to anyone in the market for a new pot. You can even buy this as a set with a cozy and pot gripper that altogether weighs 6oz and is only $20!! Buy it NOW!!
Accesories:
Fuel Bottle from AntiGravity Gear. 8oz capacity. With careful filling I could cook one meal and make coffee for 7 days on 8oz. Next time I would pack a small measuring cup and be more rigid on how much fuel I use at a time. You could bring also bring an empty soda bottle (8-20oz) like some people do. Works just as good. Just don't reach into your pack and take a swig of fuel.
Pot Cozy: MYOG. I am a big fan of bringing my food to a boil and then putting it into a cozy and then going about my other camp chores. The cozy keeps the heat in to cook the food while you're setting up your tent, getting water and changing into warm clothes. It saves fuel and is simpler than cooking food for longer periods of time. You can make one for a few dollars and it will fit your pot perfectly. One cozy lasted the entire 5 month trek, unexpectedly. Packing it in and out of your pack will eventually tear it up. Thank god for duct tape.
COFFEE!!
I still love coffee in the backcountry. From the expensive VIA's to the cheap instant stuff. It worked. It helped me get out of bed and get moving. So I carried a cup. This was also good for hot chocolate and mixing drinks or drinking beers in town. My cup also served as a measuring cup for water to cook with. I liked how it collapsed and my whole system fit together in my pot. Another cool product i've never seen before as an alternative to bringing a cup would be to get a set of HotLips and drink out of your pot. Good idea!
The windscreen I used was an 8" Trail Designs Windscreen and it surprisingly held up until the very end! I had cut the 8" version in half and folded it day in and day out for 5 months and the condition it is in the picture up top is how it looked after the trail. I would highly recommend this to anyone using an alcohol stove. One because it's a necessity, and two because its cheap and does everything it says it will.
And finally the ubiquitous Spork. Everyone has one on the trail. Most of the time they have the Light My Fire Spork, I hate that one. It's ugly, and they break all the time. Almost every outfitter along the trail has them and they're usually around $4. I dare someone to try and scoop peanut butter for 5 months without breaking one. Probably the best $0.79 I spent on the trail was on the Sea To Summit Spork. It's cheap, light and awesome. You can buy a titanium spork for $25 or buy 25 of these and I promise you wont care if you lose all but one of these. I would be upset if I spent the money on a titanium version and lost it, which i'm likely to do. FInd one of these at your local outfitter and buy 5. Mine has over 2000 miles on it. I think i've got my moneys worth.
These posts will be to review any and everything that I carried with me on my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Some things worked for me, some did not. Hopefully this will help someone with questions about what you need to be comfortable and safe on the trail. The things I carried may not work for you, but they just might. Some gear is dirt cheap, some I made myself, some gear is pricey. This is what worked for me.
Tents
I could write about tents and shelters all day. I don't have the time and patience to do so. If you'd like to read reviews of every shelter known to man and the pros and cons of them all, then read something like SectionHiker. I will say that if you think you can sleep and be comfortable in a hammock. Do it. Invest the time and research and talk to hammock campers and find out how they stay warm in different temperatures and dry in all weather. Hammockers have a distinct advantage on the AT because there are ALWAYS trees around you can hang from. I have a slight jealousy for people who hike with hammocks.
It worked great in good weather. Excellent ventilation, lightweight and versatile in how you could set it up. In bad weather, after I switched the trekking poles I was using, it was pretty bad. A few nights I was not able to pitch the tarp low enough to the ground to keep the rain and wind from soaking everything inside. With the right poles this tent could be great for someone. I like how you can set up everything separately or altogether as a system. Everything is customizable for nominal fees through the BearPaw website. I would add the 8" extension on the sides for sure and maybe an extended zipper front beak. Truth be told I really liked this setup. It just wasn't appropriate for me and my needs on the trail. I would still suggest this setup to people looking for a system that works well in different configurations.
Somewhere around New Jersey I switched to a TarpTent Contrail. I was swayed after spending yet another wet night at a less than ideal campsite. I wanted something lighter if possible, more internal living space and something easy to set up. A few of my hiking buddies all carried Contrails so I was familiar with the tent. I have to say that I LOVE this tent. I carried it all the way through Maine and will no doubt put many more miles on it in the future.
The tent has held up for me in fiercely windy nights, like the night in Monson when we camped in a baseball field despite warnings of 60mph winds that night. It was VERY windy that evening, can't say exactly how windy but the wind and rain was kept on the outside all night. I will say that the proper pitch does require a bit of practice to know exactly how all the walls and floor need to be setup. I love the ventilation on it, the large living space and the ease of setup. If you are comfortable with a tent that sets up with you trekking poles than look no further. Just remember to zip up your door on buggy nights.
It is possible to hike the trail without any form of shelter at all. Every year a few idiots try it. Some are successful and almost all of them put them in bad situations during the hike. Shelters are spaced roughly 8-12 miles apart up and down the trail. They come in all shapes and sizes and varying degrees decay. You will probably spend a night or two in an old mice infested shelter eventually. Some people love em, some hate em. I am indifferent. In nasty weather it's quite nice to not have to pitch your tent and have it wet in the morning. In buggy conditions it sucks to be attacked by mosquitoes and gnats as try and get your beauty rest. I slept in about 25 shelters during my hike due to laziness or simplicity. I'm not sure which.
The thing about them is they are first come, first serve. Often times they are full by the time you stop hiking, which in thru-hiker terms is just before sunset. A few caveats about shelters.
1) You are sleeping shoulder to shoulder with 4-12 other people. Every noise they make (SNORING, getting up to pee, making breakfast) can, and will interrupt your sleep. I grew to dislike shelters unless it was me and my hiking partners as the trail went on.
2) MICE!! Yes, the animals in the woods have learned that they can dine on your crumbs almost every night. The mice have been known to chew straight through packs and food bags to get at your next days food. I met a few people who woke up missing an entire days food (minus the Ramen, even wild animals don't eat that junk). And guess how they get to your food, by climbing over you and around your head.
Mice are not the only ones in the forest who scavenge off of hiker scraps.
I remember one day in Maine when after lunch I laid down for a quick catnap. I awoke to a feeling of a small animal running up my legs I had propped up on my pack. It startled me suddenly out of my sleep.I twitched my leg and saw a chipmunk that had been running up my shin flying through the air towards my face. It hit the shelter floor right next to me, jumped onto my buddies leg and leaped out of the shelter. It was hilarious but a deterrent in getting that 20 minute nap I like after lunch. Keep things like that in mind. I have many other animal invades shelter stories but that will do for now.
3) There are some amazingly nice shelters. Some so close to roads that you can order pizza. The other side of that coin are shelters that after sitting down with your Nutella wrap for lunch and propping up your feet, you realize that the entire roof is full of wasps (proceed to run out of shelter like an idiot). They will no doubt save you from a bad storm once or twice and subsequently, you will be banking on the fact that you can push on the extra 5 miles you didn't plan on doing to find the shelter full.
You can make up your own mind on how you feel about shelters. They could always be worse. If I could offer one bit of advice for anyone, it would be to try a few nights of cowboy camping. Sleep out in a field or on a rocky outcrop on a moonless, clear and starry night. You'll have to gauge humidity and dew points but the nights I remember best from the trail will be the good and bad nights that we threw our sleeping bags out under the stars and went to sleep. I would wake up on those nights and peer out of my bag and be amazed at how many stars I could see. Being deep in the mountains and high in elevation lessens light pollution and offers incredible views of the nights sky.
This is the second installment and opinions from a rookie duck hunter blabbing about the gear he used.
1. Decoys and Robos
A dozen mallards. Yup, that's what everyone tells you to start with. This, my friends is not the stopping point. Wood ducks, teal, motion decoys. The dozen mallards may work well if you're inundated with flocks of greenheads but in my limited expereience, variety is defenitely the spice of your spreads life.
Duck season 2013-14 is officially over. All wintered ducks that were smart or lucky enough to evade decoys and flock shots are now safe to roam about before migrating north again. For me, it was a huge stepping stone in learning the high art of waterfowling.
A good headlight will save you a lot of trouble and time when getting up to pee at night or pulling into camp at dusk to set up your tent. I started with my trusty Petzl Tikka. I loved this light and it had served me well for many years. The dim mode was great for reading or writing at night and the high mode (70 lumens) will light up the trail for any night hiking forays you may get into. The red mode is excellent when moving about the shelters at night so you don't wake anyone up with a high beam in their face. The battery indicator light comes on fairly early and gives you plenty of days to get new batteries. You will know when the batteries are dangerously low. About halfway through the trail it crapped out on me. I felt as if I got my moneys worth out of it and went out in a search for a new one.
I ended up buying a Princeton-Tec Remix in Pennsylvania. I was looking for something with a high luminosity for night hiking and fairly priced. I must have not read the packaging well enough because it has 4 different modes but all in WHITE light. I really like having white and red modes on my headlight. The high beams (100 lumens) for night hiking are ok but I felt as if the beam was too broad for really clear vision. I honestly wish I would have picked up another Petzl. This one did the trick for the rest of the trail but i'd rather go back to what worked for me.
I will probably replace my remix with a Zipka soon, purely for weight savings. I would recommend this light to anyone who may do any night hiking or moving about at night.
If you know you are the type to pull into camp early and are scared of walking in the dark, there is no real need to carry anything too expensive or powerful. I would carry an E-Lite in this situation. It will suffice for cooking and reading and its very compact. I would recommend carrying an extra battery with you in a sealed container because they might be hard to come by in a podunk town you stop into on the trail.
Camp Shoes
Ahhh yes you have finally settled into your sleeping bag and are warm and dry after a long day in the rain. But now you have to pee, hang your food, use the privy, etc. Putting on your muddy, cold, wet shoes is pretty nasty. I started the trail without camp shoes but quickly learned that for less than a pound I could really extend my comfort range in many situations. Pulling into camp I would get out of my shoes and let my feet breathe as quickly as possible. Ditto for long lunch breaks. A pair of camp shoes gives you something to walk around town in on zero days and is a luxury item that I was willing to carry. Not carrying a pair of camp shoes for a 4-6 month hike arguably falls into the "Stupid Light" category for me.
Now most hikers carried a pair of Crocs. Yes those ugly foam clown shoes. I carried a pair of simple sandals I bought for $12. The crocs are a great idea, they automatically label you as a hiker in towns and are lightweight, relatively cheap and from what I hear incredibly comfortable. Just go down to wherever an pick up a pair of ugly Crocs and you will fit right in on the trail.
More to come in the future with topics including, clothing and layering, footwear, socks and the items in your ditty bag. Ruthie and some friends are returning to the Eagle Rock Loop for some cool weather hiking and i'm gonna be taking along my Tenkara rod for some fishing on the Little Mo River. Excited to get back to the woods and on the water.
