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Got RAIN? – A Preliminary AT Gear List
I’m from Northern California. Where the weather is always perfect and the ground sometimes shakes. Pansy you might say. I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2009 and 2013, where I experienced maybe a total of 25 rainy days. Then I started the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 2015, and it rained 15 of my first 35 days on trail. That’s known as a wakeup call. When I think of the Appalachian Trail (AT), I think of rain. Rain, rain and more rain. Plus that green tunnel and a whole bunch of rocks too. Am I going to be tough enough for all that? Did the PCT and CDT teach this girl all she needs to know in order to happily survive?
I’m six months out but I can’t help myself (NoBo late April). The gear list is brewing. The grains are mashing out their sugars to be fermented into the perfect AT gear list. Yep, I’m a beer geek who loves hiking and the gear that goes with it. I’ve learned a lot since I first set foot on the PCT and I’m always striving to reduce my base pack weight. But these are a few of the realities that I must face:
~I am a large-bodied woman which means that my clothes are larger and weigh more.
~I have wide, flat feet.
~I am a thyroid cancer survivor and I have to carry extra meds in order to put one foot in front of the other.
~I like a comfy bed and pillow.
~I like town clothes.
~I am lazy and do not cook.
~I get cold very, very, very easily.
So here’s my 12.7 lb. base weight start:
| AT Gear List | oz. | lb. |
|---|---|---|
| zpacks 52L arc blast with hip belt pockets | 18 | |
| zpacks 20F wide med bag | 18.7 | |
| big agnes fly creek UL1 + gc | 39 | |
| 75.7 | 4.7 | |
| thermarest prolite small | 11 | |
| msr pack towel half | 0.7 | |
| toilet kit: | ||
| (snow stake, tp, hand sanitizer, wipes, powder) | 3 | |
| sit pad | 1 | |
| pills/prescription: | ||
| (ibuprofen, anti-diarrhea, anti-hist, vicodin, thyroid hormone) | 2 | |
| ziplock wallet | 1 | |
| trash compator bag/paint strainer stuff sacs | 2 | |
| zpacks dry bag pillow | 2 | |
| 2 1L smart water bottles | 2.8 | |
| 1 2L foldable platypus | 1.3 | |
| 2 cup (16 oz) ziploc twist container | 1.4 | |
| golite umbrella | 8 | |
| first aid/sewing/repair kit: | ||
| (bandaids, needle, ray way thread, air mattress patch, toenail clippers) | 1.5 | |
| sweet water purification drops | 0.8 | |
| whistle/thermometer multi | 1 | |
| swiss army manager knife | 1 | |
| emergency fire kit | 1 | |
| s2s pack cover | 3.5 | |
| toothbrush/floss/paste | 1 | |
| sunscreen/hibiclens/lotion/essential oils | 3 | |
| s2s headnet | 1 | |
| flip flop | 7.1 | |
| guide book | 3 | |
| spoon | 0.5 | |
| 60.6 | 3.8 | |
| jockey underwear | 1.5 | |
| costco wool blend long john bottoms | 6 | |
| mountain hardware long john top | 7.4 | |
| injinji socks | 1.6 | |
| zpacks possumdown socks (for sleeping) | 2.5 | |
| zpacks rain kilt | 1.9 | |
| mh hooded ghost whisper down jacket | 8.5 | |
| outdoor research helium ii rain jacket | 6.3 | |
| smartwool beanie | 1 | |
| mountain hardware gloves | 1.2 | |
| rei skirt (for town) ?? (might substitute for tyvek skirt @ 3 oz.) | 7.5 | |
| patagonia tank top (for town) | 3.2 | |
| 48.6 | 3.0 | |
| droid turbo cell phone w/ case | 7.6 | |
| anker 2nd gen astro 6700mHa | 4.8 | |
| chargers/cords/headphones | 3.5 | |
| ipod nano | 1 | |
| petzl e-lite headlamp | 1 | |
| 17.9 | 1.1 | |
| total | 202.8 | 12.7 |
| clothing worn: | ||
| golite pants | 11.6 | |
| rei sun shirt | 8 | |
| jockey underwear | 1.5 | |
| patagonia bra | 3 | |
| kuhl shirt | 4.8 | |
| injinji socks | 1 | |
| dirty girl gaiters | 1 | |
| leki trekking poles | ||
| diamond bling sunglasses | ||
| cold weather changes: | ||
| zpacks 0F wide long bag | 27.1 | |
| buff | 1 | |
| mouseworks hat | 1.8 | |
| backcountry ninjas long sleeve performance shirt | 6.6 | |
| goosefeet down booties | 3.4 | |
That camp on the CDT where I cried because my Jetboil wouldn’t ignite.
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