Gear Shakedown

 

My gear is what I will be taking with me. It is important (not really important) to keep your pack weight down obviously, so the time spent on the AT will be enjoyable as time goes on! I have upgraded some of my gear in efforts to shave weight. Some cloths I will send home (for warm weather) and some I will get sent back to me (for colder weather up north). To start, I will be carrying my cold weather shtuff. I’ll start with the big stuff: Pack, Tent, Sleeping Bag, and Sleeping Pad.

My pack is an Osprey Exos 58 liter. I originally bought the Osprey Aether 61 or something from REI and it ripped a little bit near the sleeping bag compartment zipper after backpacking in Glacier National Park. I took it back to REI and they gave me a full refund, and the Exos was $20 more and a whole lot lighter so I went with it. It’s 2.6 lbs.

My tent is a Tarptent Rainbow, I like it because of the space and weight ratio. It is very possible to fit two pads in this tent as well. It weighs in at two lbs.

Sleeping bag is a North Face Kazoo 15, it’s awesome and warm. Synthetic/Down mixture, packs down to a 10 liter stuff sack. 2.12 lbs.

Sleeping pad is a Therm-a-rest Z-Lite, it’s a foam pad so its SUPER light. 14 oz.

My cooking system is simple, I’ll have 2 small titanium pots, made by Snow Peak. One is big (main dinner) and one is small (for breakfast, coffee, tea, etc.). I’ll have a spork, its this new contraption that combines the scoop of a spoon and the pierce of a fork. My stove is a Gigapower Stove by Snow Peak. It compacts down to fit inside the pot itself when not in use. I’ll be carrying the fuel canisters meant for those types of stoves. (Butane/Propane fuel mix) Pots: 5.5 oz Stove: 3.25 oz. All together: 8.75 oz.

First Aid & Toiletries will be at a minimum as well: First Aid will only include bandages, alcohol wipes, Germ-X, Ibuprofen, Neosporin, Tums, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, Ivarest, duct tape, and a few other stuff. This stuff sack weighs roughly 1 lb.

I’m carrying a water filtration system. I’m using a Sawyer Squeeze, you just put it on a water bottle and drink it and it filters it as you drink it. It weighs about 4-6 oz.

My electronics include a USB wall adapter with two usb ports, my cell phone and the charge chord, a GoPro and the charge chord, and my external battery and it’s charge chord, as well as headphones for jamming out in the middle of nowhere.

A couple other miscellaneous items are my headlamp, a journal + pen, the AT guide book made by David “AWOL” Miller, trekking poles, and a pack cover.

My cloths don’t really matter, but don’t worry! I will be warm!

Until next time,

CA