Need help with Gear for AT

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#1

Hi everyone, i’m a sort of a nubie backpacker, never gone for more than a week…I would like to attempt the AT next year and i need some gear advice that i haven’t heard yet… Has anyone hiked the AT with contact lenses? I was wondering if i should use them or just bring my glasses, so many people wear them these days…I wonder if its too much hassle for the trail. Also does anyone recomend using gators for the trail or are they an item to be left behind? Does anyone bring a stool on the hike, such as a small tri-pod or one such as the byer tri-lite? And lastly a pack axe?? I have these items and bring them on the trail for my 2 to 1 week excursions…trying to lighten the pack…thanks

Birdman

#2

Hit the search button for “contacts”. Also type “lasik”. Post from the wife, Bramble, she’s in the field. Soon to be Dr. Bramble! Quite a few posts, ditch the axe unless its titanium, you can clear some blow downs, we have a Thermarest chair that fits our 3/4 LE. Very comfy on the back after along day.

Bushwhack

#3

Hi Birdman! I wore two-week disposable contacts when I was out for 6 weeks. I slept in them and would clean them or put in a new pair when we were in town. I didn’t really have any problems; however, I’ve gotten to where I can’t sleep in my contacts anymore, so the next time I backpack I’ll just leave the contacts at home and wear my glasses. I think it would be too much of a hassle to take them out each night.
I recommend using gaitors. Originally I just wore them when it rained, but I liked them so much I started wearing them everyday. I had the short ones and they worked fine.
I didn’t bring a stool or anything . . . there were times when it would have been nice, but my pack was heavy enough as it was. Didn’t have a pack axe either.
Good luck!

Rachel Bearbait

#4

Last year I didn’t take anything to sit on for my thru-hike. But I was jealous of those guys that had a little piece of foam sleeping pad to sit on. I should have broke down and got a piece. They also used it to put some support into their packs. But you can get hardheaded about what you are carrying. As far as the axe or any other cutting device, I recommend the Leatherman Micra. It is all I carried and I never wanted of anything else. Here is a link - http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/micra/default.asp

It comes with:

Scissors
Clip-Point Knife
Tweezers
Nail File / Cleaner
Flat Phillips Screwdriver
Extra Small Screwdriver
Medium Screwdriver
Bottle Opener
Ruler (Inch / Metric)
Lanyard Attachment

Oh yeah, a P38 just in case. I believe that is the number. It is a military no frills can opener. It is very small.

Two Scoops

#5

We saw several people hike in '02 with contacts. It didn’t seem to be a problem. Like others have said dump the axe and stool. We used a section of pad like Two Scoops mentioned. It came in handy at the end of the 3/4 length thermarest on cold nights and rough ground. Enjoy your hike.

Papa Smurf

#6

You have to say though that there wre more than a few places that a good heavy blade would have been welcome. I have a mechanic friend that works on air planes and does a lot with titanium. I was thinking about a carbon fiber handled jobber that might weight a pound for trail work.

Bushwhack

#7

Hey, thanks for all the input you guys have given me thus far, bushwack the pack axe i currently have is the Gerber back paxe , its really small with a carbon fiber hollow handle that balances the blade really well, for a small hatchet, only over 8 inches it does an awesome job. http://www.gerberblades.com/products/view.php?model=5912
Also the stool i have is the byer tri-lite and its the smallest stool ever, its really great and is smaller and lighter than an aluminum tri pod…both these items have served me well on say 4 day trips, I highly recomend them.
http://www.byerofmaine.com/s-tri.htm <–here is the stool if anyone is interested, it really does fold to a little larger than your hand and it rugged as hell, though it doesn’t look like it from the pics…

Birdman

#8

I’ve seen that Gerber one, its nice. Needs the four foot handle though. We crawled for an hour past one blow down near Charlie’s Bunion in the snow, now way around. If I had one for ten munites I could have made quick work of it.

BW

#9

I’m blind as a bat so I wore Focus Night & Day extended wear lenses on my thruhike and they were perfect. I could leave them in for a month and never had to touch them in the woods. I still carried a small bottle of saline drops and a case and extra pair of lenses just in case, but never had to use them.

I never saw a stool or axe though and never wished I had either. A small section of pad is nice to sit on and can serve double duty as others have pointed out. Aside from the unique situation that BW was in and actual trailwork, I can’t think of a time when you’d need an axe. LNT principles, as least as I read them, say that you shouldn’t use an axe to gather firewood. “Dead, down and detached” is the alliterative catchphrase I’ve heard. See Leave No Trace for more info. (My first attempt at a clickable link, hope it works)

Wedding Singer

#10

Maybe a folding pack saw instead.

Bushwhack

#11

I found that low gaters were invaluable to keep little sticks and stones out of my boots and some what keeps water out when its raining. I used to carry a light pack saw but got so little use out of it I leave it at home unless I am going out to do trail maintenance. I also use to carry a thermarest chair but dumped that for weight considerations. Sometimes I miss the chair. Thats one of the decisions you have to make yourself between light weight and confort while you hike and confort at night when you camp. I now use a GVP pack with the Z-Rest pad used for back support. Its a simple matter to take it out and sit on it when I stop for a break.

Big B

#12

Two things you may want to cinsider:

  1. Allergies may effect how well you can wear your contacts. If you’ve never been to certain area, or have never been there during that specific season, you may have some problems with wearing contacts. Just something to be aware of.
  2. One problem I have with my glasses is that they have small lenses. If I want to look anywhere but straight ahead - for example, if I want to glance at the ground - I have to move my entire head to look down, I can’t just move my eyes. So I don’t have good peripheral vision, or good up-and-down vision. If your glasses have big lenses it should be ok.

Rachel Bearbait

#13

I’ve used contacts on the trail (section hiking) for many years. I don’t know why it’s perceived as a problem, just wipe/wash your fingers when taking them in/out just like at home. Try it, you can do it and develop your own routine. The vision is so much all-around better than glasses that I only use glasses at bedtime whether on or off-trail, but to each his own. I use the Acuvue and toss’em every 2 weeks (carry extras). The only time I don’t like wearing contacts is when I’m working under the car and grit falls in the eyes.

Rocky Trail

#14

The carbon fiber light axe and the folding stool will be gone by NOC. Plus, about 10 lbs of other essentials! That’s OK we all did it. GA-ME '02

Papa Smurf

#15

Even though I don’t have one yet, hehe. Wished I’d held onto the 4.5lb Nikon and two lenses I dumped at Neels Gap. But when the longest trip you’ve ever been on is a week how you gonna know. Tuba Man’s horn is cool. Saved his life once, too.

Bushwhack

#16

I recommend looking into lasik surgery, seriously. I s pondering what to do about glasses/contacts until this year when i decided to get the lasik surgery. It was quick, painless (except to the wallet), and the results were amazing. I had really bad vision but now see better than 20/20. If you have Flexible Spending Account at your job you can use that to pay for it. Expect to pay $2k-$3k dollars total. but i figured over a five year period i will spend close to that in glasses and contact lenses.

Kyle & Lisa

#17

The problem I have had with glasses is that they steam up often. Not a problem with contacts.

Roadrunner

#18

I’ve used contacts and/or glasses since I was a kid.
Each has advantages and disadvantages, but either can be used
for the AT.

The advantage of glasses is that you only need a cloth to
clean them. One disadvantage is that they can fog up, unless
you use spit or ‘Cat Crap’ on 'em. Another disadvantage is that
they can break, so carry an old pair for backup.

Contacts require special handling, especially for cleaning.
They too can get lost, so carry a backup pair or glasses.
They’re light weight but need wetting, cleaning, disinfecting
solutions, which negate much of any weight advantage.

I’ve successfully used contacts in the Grand Canyon, but lost
one the last night. It was dry and the sucker popped out
while I was sleeping. (1 week extended wear type) I used my
glasses fo the hike out. On the AT drying out won’t be a
problem.

I just was forced to go to bifocals two years ago, and have
only used glasses since. With a good retainer they don’t
fall off, and fogging was not much of a problem, but did
occur at times.

Good Luck.

Scamp

Scamp