Gear Part II: Clothing, Kits, and Bits
“Boy, you’re gonna carry that weight; Carry that weight a long time” Carry That Weight, The Beatles
It has been awhile since I posted my first gear entry. Pre-hike planning is the perfect time to go over kit and see if everything survived winter storage or if it is time to replace something just because something better came along.
Clothing Worn
My hiking clothes are fairly standard and pretty much settled. I have been a fan of Under Armour since my marathoning days; so, my hiking shirt is one of many Under Armour Tech 2.0 HeatGear T-Shirts that I own. Under Armour Tech Mesh 6″ Boxer/Jock shorts serve as underwear. I wear long pants as a bit of additional protection from ticks and other insects; Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Pants. Rarely do I zip off the legs converting the pants to shorts; however, nice to have the option. I like the cargo pockets on these pants. However, lately, they have not been staying up as well as I would like when the pack’s hipbelt is not buckled. I may need a new belt rather than the flimsy one that comes with the pants. Unfortunately, the belt loops are too narrow for most standard belts. My Arcade belt just fits; so, I might change to that belt this year. Darn Tough Merino Wool Hiker 1/4 Cushion socks cannot be beat. I have previously mentioned I wear Merrell Moab 2 Ventilators. I just cannot imagine hiking with trail runners. I have looked at the popular trail runners, but consider them too light, especially over the typical AT rocks. I do not think my feet would forgive me and nor would my hips. Top it all off with a Buff CoolNet UV+, frequently worn as a headband. And prescription sunglasses with a neck strap; current versions are Nike and Chums. I need glasses only for distance and driving; so, I save an oz or two by hiking only with sunglasses and do not carry a regular pair of prescription glasses.
Clothing Carried
Carried clothing is task specific. I recently read an article on The Trek that to go truly ultralight, you can do away with sleeping clothes. I guess that means sleeping nude or in smelly hiking underwear. Nope, especially when everything is wet. It just feels good to get into some dry clothes and it keeps your sleeping bag a bit cleaner. A second Under Armour Tech 2.0 HeatGear T-Shirt and Under Armour Training Shorts Tech Mesh HeatGear (with pockets/no liner) serve the task. I carry two extra pairs of Darn Tough Merino Wool Hiker 1/4 Cushion socks; one for sleeping (if necessary) and one to exchange those I am wearing when they get too wet. I know this goes against conventional opinion. However, my days in the Army proved to me how essential it is to take good care of your feet, especially when they get wet. That same article on going ultralight also advised to dump the camp shoes. That is another ill-advised suggestion, in my opinion. Getting out of wet hiking shoes, even if just from sweat, is another foot care priority. It also is nice to have something quick to slip into when you need to get up in the middle of the night. I am still playing around with camp shoe ideas. The only thing I know for certain is that I am not a Croc fan. My current option is Body Glove Sidewinder Water Shoes, weighing 1 lb. In warmer weather, I carry a lightweight hooded ASICS Rain Jacket; for colder weather, a slightly heavier Columbia Glennaker Lake Rain Jacket. Previously, I used an ASICS Dash running hat along with my rain gear. This year, I will be using a Columbia Tillie Creek Booney hat. For chilly mornings (and as a cover for my pillow), I have a REI Midweight Base Layer Hoodie. In really cold weather, I add a REI Co-op 650 2.0 Down Jacket.
Kits Full of Imagined Fears
First Aid: It seems almost implicit that I should begin “kits” with my first aid kit. Remember, Nightingale is a nurse practitioner; so, I must defer to her expert (if not wifely) advice. I carry a first aid kit that focuses on blister and wound care. For blister care, I have a couple needles and Leukotape (a couple feet wrapped on a straw). For wound care, I have Bandaids, Butterflies, and Gauze Pads, as well as single use packets of alcohol preps, Hydrocortisone Cream and Bacitracin. A few OTC meds like Tylenol, Sudafed, Benedryl and Immodium. I am an old man with old man maladies; so, I also need to carry daily doses of prescription meds. Toss in a pair of tweezers and a tick key and I am basically ready at just under 3 oz.
Tools and Repair: Pretty simple; a couple feet of duct tape on a straw, a couple safety pins, a Sawyer Squeeze gasket, Smartwater sport cap, Big Agnes tent pole splint, and a NEMO sleeping pad patch. Tools are basic; a Gerber Paraframe Mini Tanto knife, Emergency Whistle, Nite Ize Radiant Squeeze LED Light, Black Diamond Spot 325 Headlamp with 3 Lithium AAA batteries; 50’ of paracord and carabiner for bear hang. All totaled equalling 9.2 oz.
Electronics: On my last section hike, power management and maintaining my communication devices was an issue. So, this is an area that needs a close look. My current mobile phone is a Samsung S20+ 5G with Defender Otterbox. While hiking I generally keep my phone on airplane mode to conserve power. I limit my app use primarily to the FarOut guide, The Weather Channel app, Radar Express weather app, and text messaging. I do like to take a lot of photos; so, my camera gets a workout. Also, I keep my phone on at night to use the alarm to wake up in the morning. I, generally, do not use my phone to listen to music or watch videos while hiking. In the past, my Verizon branded 10000 mAh Portable Charger (got it free with the phone) gave me four good charges. But the power bank is a couple years old; so, I suspect its performance is significantly reduced. This power bank also weighs over 8 oz. Clearly, it was time for a new power bank. My wish list item was the Nitecore NB10000 Gen II Ultra-Slim Power Bank, 10000mAh at 5.3 oz; my sister-in-law gifted me one for my birthday last year! My other big electronic item is the Garmin InReach Mini (Gen 1). I generally keep this on only during the day while hiking; it has a pretty good battery life and should last five days. But I think I may have forgotten to turn it off one night during my recent section hike. I do carry a USB C (6′) Cable and Double USB Motorola Wall Charger in case I have a chance to plug in my devices. I haven’t worn a watch every day since I retired from the Army in 2012, but added an inexpensive Casio to use as a wakeup alarm instead of my phone. The Casio SGW-100-2BCF is a twin sensor watch with a digital compass and temperature. Currently, my electronics kit weighs 1.7 lbs.
Hygiene etc: Hand sanitizer, toothpaste/toothbrush, microfiber towel for 3 oz. TentLab The Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel, toilet paper, and wet wipes (yes, I pack them in and pack them out) at 2 oz. You gotta do, what you gotta do, when you gotta do it.
Other Bits
Let’s wrap this up with bits and pieces. I cannot hike without trekking poles. I fall even though I do use trekking poles. I cannot imagine how many more times I would fall if I did not use trekking poles. My choice for the last couple years has been Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles. These poles are tough. I am around 200 lbs and my trekking poles take a beating, especially on rocky trails. A few times I got my poles caught between rocks and thought they might break; but so far, they have held up to heavy use. Yes, I know,the following items are not necessary. Especially this item: Helinox Chair Zero,weighing 1.4 lbs. And I still carry a Garage Grown Gear closed foam Sit Pad. I attach a 700ml Smartwater bottle to my pack strap with an Aqua Clip Water Bottle Holder and a homemade ULA-type Water Bottle Holder. I also carry a collapsible silicone drinking cup as a water scoop for shallow water sources. Let’s talk about stuff sacks. After my last section hike, I decided to take a close look at stuff sacks – as I washed them all in a big tub. I am a bit obsessive with organization, but I shocked even myself when I counted 21 stuff sacks! For a total of just over 1 lb in stuff sacks! I have tossed aside 6 of these already; maybe a couple more in due time. And that’s all I have to say about that.
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Comments 6
FWIW, I solved my belt problem by taping together two elastic Velcro straps. (One end has a plastic rectangle ‘buckle’.)
I look forward to your posts, thank you!
Shocktop, thanks for the belt tip!
Hey Rick, thanks for helping me shaving 5 grams off my load! Pencil vs straw: never thought about it! 🙂
Brigitte, you are welcome! I have never been known for ultralight advice! LOL
Rick, I love this posting! You have so much great information on choices you’ve made and the reasons. I may, too, abandon my pencil for a straw. Best wishes – hope to see you on the trail.
Fun Size, thanks!