Gear I’ll Be Starting Out With On The AT and revisions 700+ miles in

The day has finally come! T-1 day until I hit the Amicalola Approach Trail. Pack weight with 3 days worth of food is looking to be about 26 pounds… not too shabby! My gear isn’t the most ultra-light, but it is the culmination of two years of shopping in clearance and used gear sections, waiting for the best sales, receiving gifts from friends and family, and researching for my best fit. I have only been making real money out of graduate school for less than 8 months, so this is a somewhat “budget-friendly” list but by no means can I even call it that because gear is EXPENSIVE! Here’s what I’m starting out with.

Update: I have added an “update” to each section to explain gear changes from when I started to about 700 miles into the trail.

LighterPack Gear List

Clothing Worn + Extras

Since mid-March is still pretty chilly, I’m going to wear clothes with some length. I plan to be in Virginia (my home state) by early May for my sister’s graduation and a wedding, so I will be changing out my wardrobe to clothes suitable for warmer days then!

• Patagonia Long-Sleeved Capilene Cool Daily Graphic Shirt (I got it on sale at REI)
• REI Convertible Hiking Pants with sun protection (purchased on FB Marketplace years ago)
• Patagonia Barely Baggies
• Synthetic Patagonia Nanopuff Jacket (purchased on sale in VT colors, when I was in undergrad. Go Hokies!)
• REI Take Your Time Sports Bra (REI, please bring these back!!)
• Ex Officio Mesh Underwear x 2
• Injinji Sock Liner x 2
• Darn Tough Socks x 2
• Altra Lone Peak 6 Trail Runners
• Altra Gaiters
• Mid-Layer: Athleta Heavenly Hail Hoodie (purchased from Thredup – it has a hood, large pocket, AND thumbholes)
• Buff
• Zensah Shin Compression Sleeves
• Drugstore knee straps
• Zpacks Possum Down Gloves (I mended this glove way too many times…)

Update: I have added ankle supports due to my frequent ankle rolling/sprains – I wear them from time to time. My shoes have switched to the Topo Ultraventure 3’s, but I am returning to my Altras now. I have also added on a short sleeve capilene cool daily shirt from Patagonia for warmer days. With weight changes, I’ve had to change my pants as well. I decided to purchase jogger styler hiking pants from Youer while in Marion, VA! I also switched my midlayer to Black Diamond Alpenglow Pro Hoody to decrease weight.

For rain gear:

• I’ll be trying out The Packa!
• I’ll also be trying out an ultralight umbrella from Zpacks that attaches to my shoulder strap
• Zpacks Vertice Rain Mitts

Update: I love this rain combo. Nothing has changed!

Now for everything else!

The Big Three + system:

My goals for this category were to stay within budget and to be warm. I was limited to certain brands depending on the gift cards I had at the time and sales that were happening.

• Gossamer Gear Gorilla Pack (my trail namesake!) with Nylofume pack liner and shoulder strap pocket
• Zpacks Plexamid Tent with 10 Zpacks stakes
• Polycryo Tent Footprint
• Sleeping Bag/Quilt: UGQ Bandit Quilt 20 degree (It was custom, and I waited until their sale!)
• Sleeping pad: Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Extreme (r value 6.2!!! My dad won a gift card to Bass Pro Shop, so this one was free for me!)
• Gossamer Gear 1/8″ Thinlight Pad
• Pillow: Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight and Z-packs pillow dry sack with clothing pod
• Sleeping Bag Liner: Sea to Summit Premium Silk Liner (adds about 10 degrees of warmth)
• Clothing
  • Merino wool baselayers – Smartwool and REI
  • Amazon down booties
  • Smartwool Mountaineering Wool Socks
  • Merino wool Buff
  • Xero Z-Trail EV Sandals (Great for hiking, too!)

Updates: With the weather warming up, I switched my sleeping pad to the Thermarest Neoair NXT X-Lite, ditched my liner, ditched my booties, and ditched my booties! I think I’ll still be warm enough though with my quilt and clothes.

Food Accessories + Water:

• Zpacks Big Food Bag
• Zpacks Reflective z-line (I hate this thing. It’s so thin! Still using it, though)
• REI towel carrying bag for rocks throws
• Zpacks Nylopro odor barrier bag
• Amazon backpacking stove and pot
• SOL rechargeable lighter
• Talenti container (cold-soaked lunches)
• GSI Outdoors Camp Dish Cloth
• Isobutane
• Katadyn BeFree Filter
• CNOC 2 L. bladder
• 1L. + 700 ml. Smart Water Bottles
• Justin’s UL on Etsy – Ultralight water bottle holder

Updates: Not much to update here! It is hard to fit all of my food in my bag, though. I would opt for a wider food bag and stronger cord for bear hangs. I added a Talenti container for cold soaking, since I only like to take my stove out for dinners.

Toilet?:

• BoglerCo Ultralight Trowel with SOL Duct Tape wrapped around the handle
• toilet paper
• CuloClean Backcountry Bidet as backup (I still have yet to try this out)
• Menstrual cup
• Backup tampon and liner
• Hand sanitizer (A MUST)
• Dr. Bronners unscented soap
• Kula cloth

Hygiene/Meds:

• Med Kit:
  • Turmeric supplements
  • Lactaid
  • Antihistamines
  • Aleve for my migraines
  • Advil
  • Sudafed
  • Astepro for allergies
  • Antidiarrheal
  • Leukotape
  • Bandaids
  • Moleskin
  • Ankle sleeve
• Hygiene:
  • toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Cetaphil face wash and moisturizer
  • camp towel
  • Mini sunscreen

Repair Kit + Electronics:

• Tenacious Tape
• Fire starter cord
• Various gear specific repair kits
• Anker 20,000 mAh Power Bank
• Anker 1 ft charging cable
• Anker 2 port charger
• Fitbit + charger
• Micro USB charger
• USB-C charger
• Nitecore UL Headlamp

Miscellaneous:

• Pepper spray
• Coghlan’s Function Whistle (thermometer, whistle, compass)
• chapstick
• Multi-tool card
• wired earbuds
• Phone (camera + wallet)
• Prescription glasses and sunglasses
• 1 pen
• small notebook
• trekking poles (I am currently using a pair I obtained from my second night on trail from my shuttle driver.)
• Thermarest z seat
• Gym + rehab: Rawlogy cork ball and exercise band
• foldable reusable bag
• nail clippers
• tweezers
• hairbrush/mirror combo
• Six Moon Designs Packing Pods for organization

Okay, I think that’s everything! There’s definitely a chance I’m missing something. It’s crazy and also not crazy that I’m carrying all of this stuff on my back for my everyday needs. I’ve had to mend and replace certain gear for functional and personal reasons, but I’m so grateful for how far everything has taken me! I still can’t believe I’ve completed 1/3 of the trail. Only just under 1500 miles left… ☺

Happy Trails from Bob!