Thru hike gear - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

I am planning a 03 AT thru-hike, I am collecting gear and would love to hear from anyone with detailed gear lists. I am planning on going light to ultralight,(depending on your definition). Thanks

boleweevel

#2

There are numerous gear lists around. For starters, why not get the ATC’s Workbook for planning Thru-Hikes. Their list classifies equipment as either “essential,” “useful,” or “luxury.” So, you can start thinking about what you really want to take with you. The quickest and easiest way to lighten up is not to bring stuff that you aren’t going to use.

Other than that, many journals on trailjournals.com have gear lists with them, so you can see what others start out with.

But, when it comes to indivual selection, there is clearly no consensious as to what people pack along. I used to think that the one common piece of gear that everyone had was a Nalgene bottle. No more.

So, look and see what others are bringing along, and then make your own choices.

Key question: Does safety and comfort justify its weight?

Peaks

#3

Minima-LIST

-Hiking Shorts (Kilt), quick dry
-polyester, polypro, synthetic t-shirt - no cotton
-midweight long underwear - again no cotton
-lightweight fleece - mostly for camp
-light rain coat - doesn’t have to be goretex parka,
just a simple waterproof anorak or jacket. You’ll only
wear it if it cold and raining. If it is hot and
rainging, enjoy the shower.
-2 pairs of socks - polypro liners if you want them - no
cotton in socks
-lightweight winter hat and gloves

Forgo underwear and pants. If it is real cold you can
wear long underwear bottoms. Try to keep em dry though.

Shelter- where will you be staying at night? If there
are shelters then, no you do not need a tent. If they
are just primitive campsites I recommend something.
Minilamists would bring a sil-nylon tarp and string it
up. - No bug protection and minimal rain protection.
You could also use a bivy - a waterproof sleeve for your
sleeping bag. Or get a 2 man tent and carry half and
half with Craig.

Stove - no you do not need one but you’ll haveto eat
cold food all the time. It’s up to you. The lightest
stove alternatives are the Esbit stove, or make your own
stove out of a V8 can and denatured alcohol.

http://www.thru-hiker.com/forceframes.html?ContentID=8

-You should prob bring a headlamp
-trekking poles are always good but not necessary
-minimal first aid, duct tape, advil, etc
-I’d get a bottle of Polar Pure for water purification
-platypus or water bottles.
-20 degree sleeping bag
-ridgerest or z-rest sleeping pad (necessary)

-make sure your hiking shoes are comfy, either boots or
trail runners.

Grimace

#4

I just typed this list up for a friend who’s spending a couple days in Glacier. It is a good start to get you on the right track. He wanted to go as light as possible and not spend so much money. He had questions about whether to bring shelter and stove.

Minima-LIST

-Hiking Shorts (Kilt), quick dry
-polyester, polypro, synthetic t-shirt - no cotton
-midweight long underwear - again no cotton
-lightweight fleece - mostly for camp (For AT you can ship home in summer months)
-light rain coat - doesn’t have to be goretex parka,
just a simple waterproof anorak or jacket. You’ll only
wear it if it cold and raining. If it is hot and
rainging, enjoy the shower.
-2 pairs of socks - polypro liners if you want them - no
cotton in socks
-lightweight winter hat and gloves (again you can ship home)

Forgo underwear and pants. If it is real cold you can
wear long underwear bottoms. Try to keep em dry though.

Shelter- where will you be staying at night? If there
are shelters then, no you do not need a tent. If they
are just primitive campsites I recommend something.
Minilamists would bring a sil-nylon tarp and string it
up. - No bug protection and minimal rain protection.
You could also use a bivy - a waterproof sleeve for your
sleeping bag. (Tons of other lightweight options, hammocks, tents that use hiking poles as supports, you name it)
Stove - no you do not need one but you’ll have to eat
cold food all the time. It’s up to you. The lightest
stove alternatives are the Esbit stove, or a make your own
stove out of a V8 can and denatured alcohol.

http://www.thru-hiker.com/forceframes.html?ContentID=8

-You should prob bring a headlamp (a fewlight weight options)
-trekking poles are always good but not necessary
-minimal first aid, duct tape, advil, etc
-I’d get a bottle of Polar Pure for water purification (you can also use bleach, Aqua Mira, filter, or none at all. The risk is yours to take)
-platypus, MSR’s Dromedary, or plain old 1 liter coke bottles for water. I’d recommend a 2 liter carrying capacity and maybe one extra for dry states - PA, NY
-20 degree sleeping bag, can be shipped home and exchanged for a 40 degree or fleece liner for summer months
-ridgerest or z-rest sleeping pad - some people cut them down to save a couple ounces - others use heavier air mattress like thermarest for more comfort
-make sure your hiking shoes are comfy, either light hiking boots or trail runners.

Grimace

#5

Like just about every hiker we met on the trail, we traded out gear along the way. Many things are a compromise. Lots of folks tried the go-lite packs, but then complained about their shoulders hurting. These packs are great if you really adhere to the ultralight philosophy, but many hikers don’t. Try to go with a pack with a decent suspension yet less than 4-5 lbs. We had way too many clothes in the beginning, even given that we started in Feb. You really only need one set of hiking clothes: (pants or shorts) and a shirt (long sleeve at the start, short sleeve later, depending on your cold threshold. Then a set of camp/town clothes. We wore lightweight nylon pants or pj bottoms that actually just looked like elastic waisted pants. We each had a long sleeved shirt (silkweight) to wear in camp too, for both the chill when you cooled off and to keep the bugs off and a fleece top for a warmer layer. We carried precip rain jackets most of the trip and pants in the snow and when we were in the Whites. Same with a hat. We had a couple pairs of socks and liners and a couple pairs of skivies (or just used running shorts with built in liner). We rinsed out our hiking clothes every night when the warm weather hit and most of the time, it was dry by morning. Gear wise, we used a variety of stoves, from a whisperlight to the pop-can stove to the msr superfly. I loved the superfly, 'cause it was so easy to use. Turn, click, fire. We had one pot and a cheap plastic bowl and two spoons as well as a pocketknife. We carried a tent about 3/4 of the time and ended up trading out a mountain hardwear lightwedge for a northface canyonlands. The canyonlands was nice, especially on a hot, mosquito night. We watched the skeeters and ticks crawl up the side in Conn. unable to get at us. nah-nah! Sleep-wise, do not skimp on the sleeping bag! We had 20* wanna-be bags in the smokies and froze our butts off! It’s no fun when you’re tired and sore and have to keep yourself crunched in a little ball all night because you’re so cold. That truly sucked. We envied another hiker who had a MH conduit down bags (and have since picked up a couple for future outings). We used a couple of 40* bags later on; some other folks used fleece bags. Some sort of sleeping pad is required gear. Both for sleeping comfort, sitting and claiming a clean spot in a shelter. We went the extra mile on some 2-inch termarests- 3/4 length. Worth the weight for our “older” bodies. We used a water filter for the majority of the trip. We bounced it ahead in the Smokies and used iodine only to find out that I had a bad reaction to the iodine. A few people took a chance, some got sick, some not. Others used bleach. That’s a glance at our gear…time for dinner. Hope this gives you a little info to go on…

Bramble "01

#6

listen to Peaks. do you want to backpack on the AT, or do you want to go-lite and run/hike to Maine? Just remember no matter how much or little you spend or if you carry 18lbs. or 50lbs. your chances of making it to Maine are slim. it’s a mental game.

Lone Wolf

#7

Thanks for all the great input. It sounds like I’m in the right neighborhoo. Basics I plan to take: Golite Cave shelter, (w/ mosquito net to be mailed later),GVP G4 pack, z-rest or Mt. Washington pad, down blanket vs. FF Humingbird, nylon shorts, synthetic t-shirt, lt. wt. long underwear, nylon pants, fleece jacket, precip, couple pair of socks, Provent rain pants, trail runner shoes, V8 stove, aqua mira, coke bottles and 2L platy bag, basic first aid and repair kit, zipka headlamp, other small odds and ends. I think my total will be around 12lbs, not counting what is worn. I’m still debating about seal skins socks, fleece socks for camp, fleece balaclava, UR sack vs. sil sack. Once again, thanks

boleweevel

#8

looks pretty light. Some things to consider

Why 2 pairs of pants? Hell, 3 if you count the long underwear.

I’d say the fleece hat is a must, or my wife had a mid weight capilene hat. A hat is necessary to regulate body temp on cold days. You don’t need it for the whole trip though.

Socks for camp are a good idea for comfort sake. Your other pairs will be wet a lot and the bugs love to get in your toes, those bitches!

I don’t know much about seal skins. Hiked SOBO and never encountered snow. Search this forum though. I think people wrote about them a few months back.

Repair kit? do you mean duct tape? Wrap some around a coke bottle.

Grimace

#9

The Seal Skin sox work, so I’ve seen. Goretex booties sort of. One pair of clothes to hike in, one to sleep in.

Bushwhack

#10

Your gear list looks good. It is about what we are carrying. Most on the trail take considerably more, but imo they don’t need to. Its just a personal choice. If you go that light, you will avoid injury more easily and you won’t have to work so hard as those with heavier packs. You wont have to carry as much food because you will go by resupply spots more often. On the other hand, you will be missing a few creature comforts – we got cold a few times, for example. You will also find that you do more miles per day than other folk. This is because you will feel like hiking longer because you don’t get beat up. We have taken lots of crap from people asking us why we are racing up the trail and telling us we need to stop and enjoy things more. Fact is, we are having a blast and more fun than the last trip when we carried heavier packs. Many who are on the trail are into the “social” scene more than us. We are into hiking and the woods and solitude, and going very light works great for that. Have a great trip. I wish ours wasn’t so close to being over.

Old Man

#11

Old Man- you may be “taking lots of crap from people,” but you and your son are dishing it out as well. Some of your shelter register entries are very negitive towards other hikers and how they are hiking and you don’t seem to care based on the fact that you are hiking so fast and won’t see them again.

You and your son are hiking one trail and leaving behind a second trail as you go and that is one of hurt feelings and resentment of yours and your sons attitudes towards other hikers. If you don’t want this to happen, please stop writing the negitive sounding messages in the shelter registers.

This is not your trail to dictate how people hike and that is what kind of messages you are leaving in the shelters. I ask you in the very kindest possible way to please stop doing this. Maybe then you won’t get so much “crap.”

Sprouts

#12

Old Man- you may be “taking lots of crap from people,” but you and your son are dishing it out as well. Some of your shelter register entries are very negitive towards other hikers and how they are hiking and you don’t seem to care based on the fact that you are hiking so fast and won’t see them again.

You and your son are hiking one trail and leaving behind a second trail as you go and that is one of hurt feelings and resentment of yours and your sons attitudes towards other hikers. If you don’t want this to happen, please stop writing the negitive sounding messages in the shelter registers.

This is not your trail to dictate how people hike and that is what kind of messages you are leaving in the shelters. I ask you in the very kindest possible way to please stop doing this. Maybe then you won’t get so much “crap.”

Sprouts

#13

Typical behavior from 2nd time thru-hiker types. They have “knowitall” syndrome. There’s nothing worse than being at Springer Mtn. in March with these types. All they talk about is “when I hiked last year” for hours on end. They’re such experts and their way is the only way since they’re SO experienced. Don’t let these clowns bother you. Registers are just gossip columns.

Lone Wolf

#14

Word. And it doen’t flatten out in Va, Conn, or anywhere but the canal in Harpers. Sorry Sarge. :>)
To be disheartened by someone blabbing over dinner about what you’ll see for the next hundred miles makes you want to burn thier gear in the fire pit. Now if they mention to not forget to go “that-a-way to see a cool water fall” or “Murphy’s has a nice lunch”, yeah okay. And married couples LIKE to spend time together.
I did tell a guy to put a hat on 'cause he was cold. Was that wrong?

Bushwhack

#15

Thought I would report that the AMC hut folks in the White Mtns seemed especially nice and helpful this year. We scored two work stays and another “hiker discount.” Also, they have been very good and telling thru hikers where the stealth sites are.

I’m not sure what you are referring to, Sprouts (several postings above), but I certainly apologize if something we wrote pissed you off. Didn’t mean to be offensive. (Except for the comment I put in regarding the jerks who smoke in crowded shelters!) And, I don’t have any interest in dictating how others hike because I know that our way is no better than any other - it just works for us. Maybe I stepped over a line, or maybe you are being a bit sensitive, or maybe you saw comments from the other “Old Man” out here, but either way I still apologize. There is no reason for arrogance out here and your comments will make me consider a bit more before talking to folks and writing in registers.

I certainly agree with much of the last two comments – there is a tendency for hikers to tell others too much. This applies to both those doing the hike the first time and to repeat hikers. In fact, I find that many who have down multiple hikes are less gushing with information and advice than some on their first hike. I find myself feeling awkward sometimes now that we see lots of SOBOs – they are always full of questions and I wonder if they would be better off just discovering things for themselves.

Old Man

#16

I was lucky enough to meet a few thru hikers on my maiden trip in NH last year, four days of agony and pain I can’t wait to get back to, they were all helpfull and encouraging.
With all the accrimony in the world you’d think that a bunch hikers could get along off the trail as they usually do on the trail.

Barry