2024 AT Gear List pt. 2 – Everything Else

Click the link above and to the right to check out my full gear list ^

And here’s a link to my 2024 AT Big 3 gear post.

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I’m back for the second part of my 2024 AT gear list! If you’re a female thru-hiker who’s looking for a general idea of what to bring on your thru, this post is for you! My base weight hovers around 16lbs. I’m not ultralight (nor do I try to be) but I do try to save weight where I can. During my CDT thru-hike, I started with way too much gear. This not only made traversing mountain passes more difficult, but it also contributed to the severity of the blisters I got. Less weight on your back means less weight on your feet. Listen and your feet will thank me!

First up, clothes.

 

Clothing + Worn Items

Pants: Kuhl hiking pants

Shirt: Columbia long sleeve with UV protection

Puffy: Enlightened Equipment Torrid Jacket with hood

Fleece: Mountain Hardwear Melanzana knockoff

Trekking Poles: Mountain Tech Cascade

Fanny Pack: Monster (?) from Amazon

Shoes: Altra Olympus trail runners

Camp Shoes: Glittery Croc Clogs

Sleep Clothes: Smartwool base layers

Socks: 2 pairs of Darn Tough socks + 1 pair of sleep socks

Misc: Dirty Girl gaiters, Smartwool Merino 250 glove liners, REI rain mitts, REI rain jacket, Buff sun gloves, 2 Buffs, visor, 2 pairs of underwear, 1 bra, windpants (dance pants), bug headnet

 

My philosophy when it comes to clothing is to maximize comfort, sun protection, and warmth. Prior to leaving for trail, I treated my most often used items with permethrin by sending them into InsectShield. Hopefully this will keep the ticks (mostly) at bay.

I wear long sleeve pants and a long sleeve shirt to keep bugs and flora from tickling my legs. I also like the sun protection as well as the versatility; if it’s warm out, I can roll up my pants and sleeves as I please. The only downside is that my clothes are a little blah. I want the cool colors and designs that other hikers can find in short sleeves and shorts. That’s actually a great idea for a clothing line now that I think about it: colorful and fantastic long sleeve shirts that have wacky designs and are perfect for sun-conscious hiker trash (don’t steal it!)

My fleece and puffy are new. I love my Melanzana, but it isn’t the warmest after a few years of wear, so I picked up a knockoff from Mountain Hardwear. The covered neck area keeps me warm and I appreciate the front hand pocket. I love my Enlightened Equipment quilt, so I chose their jacket to replace my leaking Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer. A hood is a must for me when it comes to choosing a puffy.

I love my Altra Olympus trail runners because of the cushion they provide. I can walk over rocks with no problem and my feet are well protected with the extra padding. In terms of camp shoes, I was converted to Crocs about 1.5 years ago and I haven’t looked back. I decided to try them out as camp shoes this year, and I’m sure they won’t disappoint. They’ll undoubtedly be useful for wading into all of the ponds and lakes I anticipate indulging in along the way.

Camp Kitchen

Pot: Toaks Titanium 750ml + homemade cozy

Stove: Soto stove + mini bic lighter

Water Filter: Katadyn BeFree gravity filter

Food Bag: 20L Sea to Summit UltraSil + rope + carabiner

Misc: Rag for wiping pot, small camp towel, Sea to Summit long handled spoon

 

I’m not a cold soaker because I enjoy having warm food at the end of the day raise my spirits. That being said, I’m bringing a Toaks pot with a Soto stove. On my other hikes I brought a 1L pot that had a lid that acted as a cup. On the CDT,  I intended to use the cup for tea while having a warm breakfast in the morning, but I only had tea a handful of times and never had a warm breakfast. As someone who’s not a morning person, my aspirations were a little too lofty. I didn’t have the patience, energy, or motivation to wake up earlier for a lengthy morning routine. The Toaks pot will save a bit of weight and space for this thru.

To keep my pot clean, I use a rag and wrap it around my fuel can before putting them both in the pot. Dirt and grime from the fuel can sitting on the ground would otherwise stick in my cleaned pot after eating. I use the small camp towel to clean my mouth and hands after meals and after brushing my teeth.

 

Toiletries + First Aid

Trowel: The Deuce #1

Feminine Hygiene: Diva Cup

Creams + Pills: Ibuprofen, Nivea lotion, stick mineral sunscreen, Burt’s Bees SPF 15 mineral chapstick. toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, polysporin

Misc: Band-aids, tweezers, gear tape, Leukotape, Swiss Army knife (small), ear plugs

 

I’m a big stickler about sun protection, so getting mineral-based sunscreen and sun-protective chapstick is important to me. Lotion may seem like a luxury item, but it was a necessity for me on the CDT. At a certain point, my legs got dry and cracked and were painfully red. Applying Neosporin and lotion helped my legs heal. I kept applying lotion afterwards and haven’t had any problems since.

Ear plugs are going to be a lifesaver on the AT given the high density of hikers sharing small spaces. They also keep my imagination at bay; if I can’t hear what sounds like a bear at night, there is no bear, right? Right? 😅

For my ladies out there who are looking for a period solution on trail, believe the hype. The Diva Cup is a great solution. Prior to trail, I had been using the Diva Cup for a couple of years, so I had practice with it. However, if you’ve never used one before, I wouldn’t recommend trying it for the first time on the trail. There is a bit of a learning curve, so give yourself 3 cycles to get used to it. The Diva Cup is easy to clean with either water and soap or by boiling for a few minutes. It can be changed twice a day, prevents odor, and leaves no waste to be packed out. When emptying the cup, I just dug a cathole and proceeded with my day.

 

Electronics

Satellite GPS Tracker: Garmin InReach Mini

Phone: Google Pixel 7 Pro

Headlamp: Nitecore (USB rechargeable)

Powerbank: Anker 10k

Misc: Various cords, wall plug, tripod

 

My electronics are pretty self-explanatory. The Garmin InReach Mini has served me well and my friends and family well; I keep them updated on my location through Garmin services so they can track my progress and see where I am on trail.

This year I’m primarily using my phone for photos and video recording. My Google Pixel is relatively new, so that combined with keeping it on airplane mode most of the time should leave me with a lot of battery power. I found that my Anker 10k powerbank was more than sufficient when it came to charging electronics, even when I was out on trail for a week. Given that I will be stopping in towns more often on the AT, 10k should be more than enough for me.

 

Navigation

Compass: Cheapo compass

Maps: AT Guide Pocket Maps

This year, I want to ditch FarOut for paper maps. Being glued to a smartphone is a habit I want to ditch and having a map on my phone will not advance that goal. On the CDT, I scrolled through FarOut comments throughout the day and at the end of the night. While I enjoyed the laughs hikers’ comments evoked, I hated that I was still scrolling while in the middle of the wilderness. For the AT, paper maps will be my primary navigation source, hopefully incentivizing me to spend less time on my phone.

 

Luxury Items

Six Moons Design Umbrella

Sit Pad

 

I don’t carry many luxury items, but I love the ones I do carry. My Six Moons Design sun-shielding umbrella is a must-have for me on trail. I expect rain more than excess sun to be the most common weather event on the AT. My umbrella will keep me drier than a rain jacket alone and for that I will be grateful.

My sit pad is also lightweight and multiuse. It protects my bum from wet dirt at campsites, but can also serve as a windshield when I’m cooking dinner on a particularly blustery night.

 

Misc

 

Pen + Notebook: Field Notes pocket notebook

Pack Cover: Camelback

Writing for The Trek will be a challenge that requires me to make it fun and interesting. While typing thoughts from my day out in a notes app does sound efficient, using pen and paper evokes something that a tiny, virtual keyboard can’t replicate. I wrote a few notes in my notebook while on the CDT, but the fatigue from the day usually left me turning over in my quilt instead. However, with fewer daily miles and more downtime at camp, daily note-taking will be a camp time ritual.

That’s my gear list! If you’ve made it this far, let me know what your favorite luxury item is.

 

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