All the Gear I’ll Be Carrying for Half a Year

“She stared down at these things with a delight she had never felt for gold or gems. These things were freedom.”

The Final Gear List

I can’t believe I’m sitting here five days out from taking my first steps toward Katahdin. My emotions are all over the place, but logical me is really focusing on making sure my gear is dialed in and I’m not carrying any extra weight I don’t need to be.

All my gear for half a year. Everything in the far right column will be sent home when it warms up.

As the Real Hiking Viking once said, “Ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain.” I’m taking this to heart. And why yes, I did just quote him.

Clothing will be in a separate post.

Summer weight: 10.1 pounds

Winter weight: 12 pounds

Let’s get started!

Pack

Possibly my favorite piece of gear. Love this thing.

SWD Long Haul 40l – 30 oz

I stressed over bags for a long time before settling on this bad boy, and I am so excited for it. One day I will go frameless, but not on my first thru-hike. I wanted lightweight without sacrificing comfort, and I got it.

Because so much is customizable, it may seem overwhelming. I chose the standard recommended fabric and kept it simple without too many colors. As for the extra options, I ended up with the following:

Lycra mesh shoulder pouch: I got this for my phone as I know most women’s clothes aren’t generous in the pocket department.

Roll top pocket: This’ll hold my first aid kit and ditty bag and any other small miscellaneous things without a home so they are easily accessible.

Four-way stretch front pocket: I’d heard about the regular mesh snagging a bit (especially on the AT), and this will snag less.

Roll top side compression

Dual adjust hip belt buckle: Makes my hips happy.

Nylofume Pack Liner – .9 oz – Dry gear is nice.

Shelter

A chilly and wet shakedown hike, but I stayed warm and dry.

Dutchware Half Zip w/ DCF stuff sack – 12.3 oz

Dutch Whoopies and four-foot tree straps for suspension – 3.4 oz

Hammock Gear Dyneema fiber standard tarp with doors – 7.3 0z

HG Mesh Sleeve – 1.1 oz

Sleep System

Here I am wearing my quilt like a noob. I’m completely in love with it.

Katabatic Flex 30°F with 2 oz overstuff – 21.8 oz

Loco Libre 20°F Habanero Underquilt with 1 oz overstuff – 20 oz

Big Sky UL pillow – 1.5 oz

Water/Cook System

Cooking up a gourmet meal in the woods.

SOTO Amicus with Stealth Igniter – 2.7 oz

TOAKS Light Titanium 550ml Pot – 2.5 oz

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System – 3 oz

Fuel Canister – 4 oz

Two Smartwater 1L bottles – 2.6 oz

20L S2S Dry Sack as bear bag – 1.8 oz

S2S UL Spoon – 0.3 oz

Hygiene/First Aid/Survival

This area I think is highly dependent on the person and their needs. I’ll give a brief overview of what I’m carrying.

Ladybug Knife – 0.6 oz

Lightload UL Towel and dehydrated wet wipes – 1.2 oz

FAK – 1.9 oz

Gauze, leukotape, Trail Toes, antibiotic ointment, mini Krazy glue, and a few tabs of: Benadryl, NyQuil, vitamin I, Tylenol Sinus, Excedrin Migraine, and anti-diarrhea meds.

Repair Kit – 0.6 oz

Tenacious Tape, patch kit, duct tape

Ditty bag – 4.4 oz

Earplugs, Chapstick, sunscreen, toothbrush/toothpaste, floss, Deuce of Spades, baby powder, backup water tabs

Electronics

iPhone 7 – 6.5 oz

Anker PowerCore 10k, cables, headphones, wall charger in Litesmith bag – 11oz

NITECORE NU25 Headlamp – 1 oz

And there you have it! Everything I’ll be carrying on my journey to Katahdin, minus clothes. I figure this post is long enough already, so I’ll save clothing for another one. If you have any questions or want me to elaborate on why I chose something, let me know.

If you want to follow along on my journey walking across the eastern United States, feel free to subscribe to my page here on The Trek or follow me on Instagram.

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Comments 3

  • Laura Resnick : Mar 6th

    So excited for you, Allie. Can’t wait to read your posts!

    Reply
  • Mike Joyce : Mar 11th

    I’m looking into the same tarp or zpacks version. Neither come with cord for tie outs. What cord are you using for tieouts? Are you using any of the hardware to make hanging the tarp faster/easier?

    Reply

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