Appalachian Trail Northbound 2011: All Things Gear Related What Worked and What Didnt

Actual Summer Gear List: A.T Thru-Hike 2011 Mar 29th to Aug 30th Base Pack Weight: 8.65 lbs (Summer)

Tent: (24.3oz.) Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben SoloMid (10 oz.) BearPaw Wilderness Designs PyraNet1 Inner Net Tent 12 SilNylon Walls (Custom) (13 oz.) Mountain Outfitter 6 Titanium Ti-Eye Stakes (6 stakes /0.21 oz. each) (1.26 oz.) Backpack: (11oz.) Mountain Laurel Designs Burn Large (11oz.) Mat: (3.5 oz.) GG TorsoLite Pack Pad/ Sit Pad / Sleep Mat (19.5 x 30 x 3/4in.) (2.5 oz.) Foam Hip Doughnut (1 oz.) Sleeping Bag: (24oz.) LaFuma Extreme 700 XL 50* Synthetic Full Zip Sleeping Bag / Quilt - 1 lb 8oz. (24 oz.) Cooking Set: (5 oz.) Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo (4.5 oz.) REI Folding Ti Spork (0.6 oz.) Light: (1 oz.) Photo Micro Light (1 oz.) Firestarting / Tools: (2.45oz.) Mini Bic Lighter (1 oz.) Bathroom: (3oz.) Hand Sanitizer (1 oz.) Toilet Paper in Ziploc (2 oz.) Natures Weightless Trowel (0 oz.) (rock / stick) Bearproofing: (1.6 oz.) ZPack Cuben Fiber Rock Bag BPL Aircore Pro "UrsaLite" Dyneema Bear Bag Cord (1.3oz/50ft) w/ Nite-Ize #2 Biner Pack liners / Rain proofing: (1.5 oz.) Trash Compactor Bag (1.5 oz.) Showering/Camp: (7.9oz.) Teva Mush Sandals (7 oz.) (size 12) MSR Pack Towel Personal Small (0.9 oz.) (6 x 12in.) Clothing: 1. Raingear: (7 oz.) Dri Ducks Trail-Pac Rain Jacket (7 oz.) 2. Sleeping/Underwear: (2.8 oz.) REI Briefs (2.8 oz) 3. Pants/Shorts: (4 oz.) Sugoi Running Shorts (4 oz.) 4. Shirts: (7 oz.) Mountain Hardwear SS Zip Tee (7 oz..) 5. Hats: (4 oz.) Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net (0.9 oz.) OR Tech Mesh Hat (2 oz.) (2) EMS Bandana (2 oz.)

6. Gloves: (1 oz.) MLD eVent Mittens / Rainproof & Windproof (1 oz.) 7. Socks: (6 oz.) (3) Injinji Toe Socks CoolMax Crew length (6 oz.) Emergency / First Aid / Gear Repair / Body Prep & Anti Chafe (8oz. )** Bandagesetc Mini Signal / Tick Check Mirror Fox 40 Mini Whistle Tweezers Aleve Tums Ear Plugs Super Glue mini tubestraight razor w/ cardboard.. Leukotape P.. Bandaid Blister Stick Music / Photo/Ditty Bag: (21 oz.) Sony DSC-TX10 16.2mp, HD video, iSweep Panorama, 16gb SD) (7.5 oz. camera) STICKPIC MOUNT (0.5 oz.) 16GB Ipod Nano in OtterBox Waterproof case w/headphones/mini charger (6.5 oz.) Phone w/ charging cord (3oz.) Write-In-The-Rain Waterproof Journal and Pen (3 oz.) Water Storage / Purification: (5.6 oz.) SteriPen Adventurer Opti w/ Streamlight Lithium batteries (3.6 oz.) (2) Powerade 1 L Bottles (2 oz.) Food: (3.7 oz. empty) LOKSAK O.P 12.5 x 20 in. Odor proof bag (1.3 oz.) Sea To Summit 20 L Dry Bag (2.5 oz.) Footwear / Gaiters: (s) = summer (36.3 oz.) (s) Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 Trail Running Shoes (34.5 oz. / pair size 13) (s) Dirty Girl Gaiters (1.8 oz.) Trekking Poles: (16oz.) BD Trail Ergo Cork 145cm Flick Lock, (16 oz./pair) TOTAL = 207.35 OZ. (12.95 LBS) Base Weight FSO (FROM SKIN OUT) Worn / Carried Warm Weather: (69.3 oz. = 4.3 lbs) Footwear / Gaiters: (36.3 oz.) Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 Trail Running Shoes (34.5 oz. / pair size 13) SOLE Dean Karnazes Signature Insoles extra support and cushion Dirty Girl Gaiters (1.8 oz.) Trekking Poles: (16 oz.) BD Trail Ergo Cork 145cm Flick Lock (16 oz. / pair) Clothing: (17 oz.) Mountain Hardwear T-shirt Zip (7 oz.) Bandana or OR Tech Mesh Cap (2 oz.) Injinji Toe Socks (two pair) ( 4 oz.) Brooks Running Shorts (4 oz.) *Cold Weather Gear: Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus Frameless Pack w/ pockets (Large) (18 oz.) Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering Caribou MF Long (24 oz.) Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy XL (6.5 oz.) Thermarest NeoAir Large (19 oz.) Montbell ThermaWrap Jacket (Large) (10.8 oz.) Montbell ThermaWrap Pants (Large) (8 oz.) Acorn Fleece Socks XL (2 oz.) Warmstuff Fleece Beanie (2 oz.) Packafeather XL Alcohol Stove (1.4 oz.) *Summer Gear Carried only Part Way:

Thoughts on Gear Used and Switched During the Hike:

Railriders Eco-Mesh LS Shirt (8 oz.) Railriders Eco-Mesh Pants (10 oz.) DriDucks Trail Pac Rain Pants (7 oz.)

1. Backpack: a. Starting: Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 3500 cu in (approx. 58 L) which I found to be plenty of room to pack my added cold weather items. The shoulder straps where very comfortable, and the pack road well considering that I started off with a 5 day all out pack weight of 24 lbs which is close to the recommended max carry for frameless packs of 25lbs. Rather than simply cinch down the pack and use a closed cell foam pad or inflatable pad to help fill up the volume and maintain rigidity when I sent all the cold weather gear home, I instead opted to purchase the MLD Burn pack. b. Summer to Finish: I opted to use a smaller but more importantly for me a narrower profile Mountain Laurel Designs Burn 2300 cu in (approx. 38 L) which helped to hold the weight tight and compact along my back. This compactness was very comfortable for me, though the maximum comfortably carry weight decreased from 28 lbs in the Exodus to 24 lbs in the Burn. Sending home the cold gear, going stove-less, and streamlining my gear used for summer allowed this pack size to perfectly suit my needs. 2. Sleeping Mat: a. Starting: I started with a large size (25 x 77) NeoAir mat. Being very bony and not having much padding I felt that I would need both a warm and a comfortable mat that would allow me to roll around and sleeping in many different positions comfortably. The mat did its job well with a few exceptions. It remained a noisy sleeping mat throughout the time I used it, and it would lose air at night and need to be slightly re-inflated when the temperatures dropped and compressed the warm air from my breath. It was a comfortable air mat, and a far cry above starting my hike with a simple closed cell foam pad. b. Finishing: The Neoair started to show its wear by the time I reached New England and I sent it home in Maine and used my backpacks support pad instead. I used a tri-fold Gossamer Gear Torsolite pad for the back panel of the backpack and I multipurpose that to be my sleeping mat in conjunction with a small hip donut of cheap CCF that I cut from a hiker box mat in Caratunk, ME. Using just 3 ounces worth of sleeping mat to the last 150 miles showed me that I could have comfortably found a much lighter solution to sleeping than the 19 ounce Neoair. While I wont pretend that 3 ounces of CCF compared to a large air mat in comfort, it was comfortable enough what it made me question my decision to haul that mat for 2,000 miles without trying

something lighter once my body had adjusted to sleeping on the ground and hardened up a bit with trail life. 3. Tent: a. Start to Finish: I loved my Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben SoloMid pyramid tarp tent and would have only changed it to the larger DuoMid if I could have afforded it. It held up to heavy rain, blowing winds, light snow and ice, and being pitched in some less than desirable spots to allow me to get the morning views from mountaintops that I desired. I used titanium needle stakes for the entire trail and only if the ground was soft or high winds were expected did I pile rocks over each of the stakes to provide more stability. I used a Gossamer Gear polycryo groundsheet that weighed about an ounce and lasted me the entire 2,181 miles without a single tear or failure. These are certainly the best option on the market for groundsheets, and these lightweight polycryo sheets are available from multiple manufacturers. 4. Inner Tent: a. Starting: I used a Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy to both protect my down sleeping bag and provide added warmth and wind blocking during the cooler temperatures of March and April. b. Summer to Finish: I switched to a Bearpawd Wilderness Designs PyraNet 1 net tent for breathability and bug protection as soon as the weather warmed up enough. While this net tent was heavier than it could have been had I purchased with different modifications, it provided the crucial bug protection needed at many of the camps and shelters along the trail. Both my bivy and net tent could be hung inside my tent or inside a shelter. I found that the flexibility to do both those things was invaluable to me for the trip and that it helped to give me a broad range of sleeping arrangements that I was comfortable with. 5. Sleeping Bag: a. Starting: A Western Mountaineering Caribou MF 35* Long sleeping back was likely the best purchase for cold weather that I made. Being to cold at night in a sub-par sleeping bag will cause increased risk of injury from exhaustion, a lessened amount of motivation, and a higher risk of injury in a hypothermic situation. I am a warm sleeper and was able to be comfortable warm down to 28* in this bag. The coldest night I had was 18* and I ended up needing to put on my Montbell thermal layer in conjunction with fleece socks and a fleece hat. Overall the lightweight and compactness of a quality bag ensured that I had many warm nights when others where cold. I did utilize the Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy every night for the cold weather, and this provided extra insulation and wind protection, which was key

when sleeping in shelters early on in the trail, as the strong winds will cut through even the warmest bag if given the chance. b. Summer to Finishing: A picked up a lightweight and inexpensive LaFuma synthetic bag rated to 50* that could unzip fully to a quilt. This worked great for the rains of summer and allowed me the peace of mind of knowing that if a very heavy storm misted through my tent and onto my bag, or condensation collected on my bag that I would not lose all the insulating value of the bag. Did the trick and though not the lightest option, it was purchased on trail as I was able to see that my starting bag even fully unzipped was still too warm for me to use in the summer. 6. Rain Clothing: a. Starting: I started out using a rain set that didnt breath at all and by that I mean that it was very wind proof. This helped to make my rain layer another strong component of my insulation layer. I used an Eastern Mountain Sports Thunderhead Jacket, which I already owned, and a pair of Marmot Precip Rain Pants, which I purchased secondhand. b. Summer to Finishing: I wanted something lighter and much more breathable for summer than what I started with. I carried a DriDucks Trail Pac jacket for the rest of the trail, and had the DriDucks pants sent to me right before I began the White Mountains of NH to provide me with some level of cold weather protection in the mountains. The rain set cost me $18 and was patched with duct tape in 8 places when I summated Katahdin. I liked that the rain set did what it was supposed to do without costing much and being fairly breathable. 7. Insulating Layer: a. Starting: I used a Montbell Thermawrap jacket and pants for the cold weather of the start and I was very pleased with the performance. I opted for the synthetic filled Thermawrap set instead of the UL down set because I wanted to split my insulation and sleeping bag between synthetic and down insulation. Had I been more confident in my abilities to keep the down clothing set dry, I would have opted to save some weight and go with the down set instead of the synthetic set. I sent the jacket and pants home at Pearisburg, VA along with my Acorn fleece socks. 8. Shoes & Socks: a. Start to Finish: I used multiple pairs of Salomon XA Pro Ultra 2 Trail Running Shoes in different sizes and widths for the whole trail. I used multiple different aftermarket sports insoles till I found some that felt supportive and comfortable. I also hiked in Injinji toe socks for the entire trail. I started hiking in just one pair of toe socks at a time, but found that they wore out within 300-400 miles and got holes in the toes. I then switched to wearing two pair of toe socks at a time and carrying one extra pair, and I was able to get a set of two pairs of socks to last me almost 1000 miles using that strategy.

9. Gaiters: a. Starting: I began with Simblissity LevaGaiters, which worked great until they finally failed and couldnt be used. They allowed the user to put on the gaiters with their shoes still on which I found convenient. The metal tabs on the front of the gaiters that hold them onto the laces became abraded by my laces after about 1000 miles and preceded to cut through a pair of shoelaces. b. Finishing: After the cut shoelaces incident, the LevaGaiters could not be used anymore, and I used my Dirty Girl Gaiters for the rest of the trip. Loved the Girls and enjoyed the lightweight and quick-drying stylishness of them while also liking them for keeping out all the pebbles and dirt out of my shoes. 10. Bug Protection: a. Headnet: I carried an $8 REI headnet from start to finish. It weighed an ounce and provided me with an invaluable protection from kamikaze insects during the summer on the trail. I wouldnt leave home without it. b. RailRiders Eco-Mesh Long Sleeve Shirt: Good long-sleeved shirt didnt really repel bugs even though it was pre-treated with permethrin. Expensive but very functional and useful for buggy days or hiking in the sun for long periods. c. RailRiders Eco-Mesh Pants: I liked these pants because they dried very quickly and had a long zipper on the sides of the pant legs that opened up to a mesh vent to allow for cooler hiking even in the heat. I hiked through a downpour while wearing them, and after the sun came out they dried within a half hour while I continued hiking in them. I used the long sleeve shirt and pants all day everyday for New Jersey, and sporadically while hiking in other states, but I did use them regularly for my evening clothes and town clothes. They were a luxury pair of items that I was very glad to have on very buggy evenings around camp. 11. Cooking & Stove: a. Start: I began the hike using a 1.4-ounce flame adjustable Packafeather XL alcohol stove. It worked well considering the limitations of alcohol stoves and cold and windy weather. I used it for about the first 3 weeks or so and then I carried it without using it for another week and then finally sent it and my small fuel bottle home. I used the stove mostly for hot chocolate and cooking ramen and pasta sides. Once the weather warmed up I sent it home because I just wasnt in the mood for hot food on a hot day. Frankly for the price Id probably have been better off using a homemade cat food or red bull can stove. 12. Trekking Poles: a. Start: I started with a pair of Gossamer Gear LT4s carbon fiber trekking poles and within a few hundred miles I had multiple snapped lower sections and subsequently lost confidence in their strength and

durability for my style of hiking. I sent the broken pieces of them home in Pearisburg, VA. Overall there are many excellent reviews of these and other lightweight carbon poles just make sure that youre the type of hiker who will use them appropriately. I apparently am not cut out for using superlight carbon poles, and needed to extra durability of at least a thicker carbon, or alloy set of poles. b. Finish: I had my Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork flick lock 140cm hiking poles sent to me at Pearisburg, VA and used them without incident all the way to Katahdin. Stronger and more durable is more important on a thru-hike than lightweight when it comes to hiking poles and I would not use the same ultra-light carbon fiber trekking poles again on a thru-hike. 13. Camera: a. Start: Used a Sony TX5 waterproof and freeze proof camera for my start, and liked the functions and quality of the images enough that I upgraded while on trail and had the pre-ordered TX10 sent to me on the trail. I kept it in a camera case attached to my shoulder strap to allow me to easily take photos while hiking. A camera packed away in your bag is a camera that wont get used. Knowing What I Do Now - What Would I Have Done Differently and Done the Same In Hiking the A.T? Different Gear Choices: o Overall I was pleased with my gear selections. Everything worked as I had hoped, a few exceptions have been noted in the details above, and I was able to keep my base pack weight to a minimum. Without having done any dehydrating of food I did notice that my pack weight ended up staying close to the 25-30 lb mark every time I left town with a fully adequate resupply of food. Because this weight range was above what I felt was comfortable for me to carry everyday, I ended up consistently carrying less food than I could have to help decrease my pack weight. o Now knowing that food weights would keep my pack close to 22lbs on a regular basis, I would likely have been more comfortable with a lightweight internal pack that would have better supported a regular increase in food weight. See my reviews for the ULA Circuit and the Zpacks Arc Blast. Different Pacing: o I found that my pace often had wild swings in it, primarily due to me stopping at relatives houses along the way. I often took over a week off trail at a time, and then hiked for weeks on end without a real break. This caused severe strain on my body, somewhat due to lack of a regular rest day, and somewhat due to the high mileage

that I did for days on end to make up lost time. Trying to maintain >25 mpd for almost two weeks if a dangerous game to play if youre body is telling you not to do that. I would rather have taken shorter, more frequent stops, and also taken more of my stops in the woods to rest rather than in town. Some of my favorite days off were spent in the woods, and Id take more time relaxing in the wilderness than in town if I did it again. Different Food Choices: o My calorie intake was INADEQUATE and caused a fast and noticeably exhausting loss of weight during the first half of the trail. Even though I increased my food intake much more during the second half of the trail, my pace also increased, and thus I maintained INADEQUATE intake for much of the trail. I finished the trail weighing close to 15 lbs less than my ideal weight (which was the weight I started with). I would pay much more attention to my eating frequency, and maintain an every 1- 2 hr snack routine throughout the day, rather than my more commonly used binge and starve routine. Hard to finish a race when youre out of fuel, and though a thru-hike is not a race, it is an endurance event of epic proportions. Things Id do again: o Bring a Good Camera I loved having a good video/photo capable camera with me for this adventure. o Journal Every Day! Id have forgotten many of the little stories of the trail if I hadnt written in my journal each day. o Eat Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream a total treat and something that I visualized during hard days to motivate me into towns. o Dont Over Plan! I didnt really have a definitive schedule, just a general idea of where I wanted to be and when. That is a great thing to have on a hike, lots of flexibility. o Be Sure To Sleep Totally Alone a Few Times lots of opportunity to camp with people on the AT, so be sure to purposely allow some nights to be all alone, totally removed from any other people. You need to become confident in your own ability to be alone in the woods and be ok. o Take the side trails I cant tell you how many cool things I got to see when taking short side trails to scenic viewpoints and other interesting things. Remember the AT is like a highway at times, sometimes you need to use the scenic pull-over to get the best experience!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE GEAR REVIEWS SECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GEAR USED, AND CHECK OUT THE THRU-HIKE REPORTS SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE TRIP!