Packed and Ready! Another “What’s in My Pack” Post

The food is finished.  The bags are packed.  The only thing left to do is pack up our dog and take off for the Benton MacKaye Trail!  Since all hikers gear lists, I thought I’d do the ever popular “What’s in My Pack” post and let people get a glimpse as to what we’ll be carrying on the series of thru hikes we’ll be taking this summer!

The gear pictured in the photo above is all mine.  It includes the following:

Backpack: Gossamer Gear Mariposa (2012 edition; they look different now), EMS generic pack cover.

Hydration: Camelbak 2 Liter system, plus the Sawyer Mini filter and the bag included.

Cook/Storage: Sea to Summit 13 L food bag, MSR Pocket Rocket Stove, MSR Seagull pot, Titanium spork (Got it for cost when I worked in the hostel in 2013!)

First Aid Kit: Ibuprofen, Gold Bond Powder, Duct Tape, Carmex, Pepto Bismol Tablets.

Hygiene: Mini shampoo and conditioner (my luxury items!), Dr. Bronners, Picaridin, toothbrush, and Tom’s of Maine flouride-free toothpaste, baby wipes, toilet paper, Lady Cup.

Sleeping: Thermarest NeoAir, Chinook 36-degree micro mummy bag

Clothing/Storage: Thermarest fleece-lined pillow bag, bandana, headband (great for nights when mosquitos can’t resist the inside of your ears!), 2 pairs Smartwool socks, cheap running shorts (for town), Under Armour running shirt (for town), and a long-sleeved athletic shirt I got free from a race I ran this spring.  My clothes I’m wearing will be Smartwool Socks and Smartwool Bra, my Backcountry Ninjas Ambassador shirt, and my SkirtSports skirt.  Camp shoes are some weird random roll up shoe I got for five bucks about 8 years ago and I have no idea what brand they are.  Hiking shoes are Saucony Xodus 4.0.

Rain Gear: North Face Venture jacket.  I’ve owned two of these coats and I’d never buy anything else!

Tech: iPhone 6 in a Catalyst case, phone cord for charging in town.

NoKey’s pack varies a little from mine, being that he is the one carrying our Double Rainbow Tarptent.  Otherwise, his gear is mostly the same as mine.  He is carrying the same pack he carried on our AT thru hike in 2012 – a Granite Gear Crown 60.  The gear he is carrying is in the photo at the top of the page combined with mine.  We will also obviously be carrying whatever maps and guidebooks will be necessary to complete the trails we will be hiking.  This will change throughout the hikes, so I didn’t cover it here.

As far as weight goes, I’m not the kind of person who weighs things.  I’ve only ever weighed my pack twice.  The last time I tried weighing the set up I have above was on Memorial Day in 2014 and, minus a few things one needs on a long distance hike, I ended up with 18 pounds.  I estimate my pack to weigh, with four days of food and 2 liters of water to be approximately 20-23 pounds.  NoKey weighed his full pack this afternoon and had 24.8 pounds.

I’d love to talk gear with you!  Leave me a comment below on how your gear varies.  You can also find me on Facebook or on my personal blog to keep the conversation going!