It’s All in the Gear
Welcome to the obligatory pre-trail gear post. Although I’ve been subconsciously conducting research on the trail for months now, it wasn’t until recently that I decided to stick to my guns and make this hike happen. With that, I allotted myself one month to learn everything I could about thru-hiking gear. In the end, I’m happy with my choices but the true test will be on the trail. I expect I’ll be switching things out here and there until I figure out what works best for me.
Now if you’ve talked to me in the past few months about this hike, you might have noticed how I’ve been speaking in ounces. When you expect to be carrying all of your belongings on your back for five months, you too would be fixated on weight and second-guessing that three-pound tent. As of now my base weight is at 14.4 pounds, which I’m content with for the moment. If you’re new to this, base weight includes your pack and all the gear in it, minus fuel, water, and consumables. Since the latter could be 25-plus pounds, my goal was to keep my base weight under 15 pounds and thus far I’ve proven myself successful. I’d like to lower it even more, but I’m sure I’ll learn more on the trail about what I can let go of and what will prove its worth in weight.
Items not included in my initial base weight are those that will be mailed to me farther ahead on the trail where they’re needed. You’ll see these under the Sierra/cold weather section.
So without further delay, below is a glimpse of the constants in my life for the foreseeable future.
The Big Four
- Zpacks Arc Haul
- EE Revelation
- Cocoon Coolmax Mummy Liner
- Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Sack 13L
- Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol
- Zpacks Solplex
- MSR Ground Hog
- Zpacks 6.5″ Ti
Cooking and Hydration
- MSR PocketRocket 2
- Toaks Ti 750ml pot
- Sea to Summit Ti Spork
- Sea to Summit X-Cup
- Outdoor Research Ultralight Stuff Sack 15L
- Sawyer Squeeze
- Platypus Big Zip 2L
Miscellaneous
- Deuce of Spades Trowel
- Gerber UL LST
- Victorinox Swiss Army Nail Clip 580
- Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal
Toiletries
Technology
- AMIR Lens
- iPhone LokSak
- Black Diamond Revolt
- Anker Dual USB Charger
- Anker PowerCore II 10,000 mAh
- Auvio Earbuds
- SPOT Gen3
- Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack 4L
Clothing Packed
- Patagonia Barely Thong
- Patagonia Active Brief
- Thinx Hiphugger
- Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion Socks
- Icebreaker Oasis 200 Top
- Icebreaker Oasis 200 Leggings
- LLBean UL 850 Down Hooded Jacket
- Women’s Outdoor Research Helium II
- Women’s Sierra Designs Hurricane Rain Pants
- Outdoor Research Catalyzer Beanie
- North Face Women’s Etip Gloves
- Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack 8L
- Xero Women’s Z-Trail
Worn
- REI Sahara LS
- Patagonia Women’s Strider Running Shorts
- Patagonia Barely Sports Bra
- Patagonia Barely Thong
- 1/4 Darn Tough Socks
- Dirty Girl Gaiters
- Women’s Altra Lone Peak 3.5
- Women’s Black Diamond Trail
- Women’s Ironman Watch
Sierra and Cold Weather
- Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck
- Under Armour Leggings
- Wool Buff
- Waterproof Mitts MLD eVENT
- BearVault BV500
- Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe 50cm
- Hillsounds Microspikes
- Sea to Summit headnet
- Natrapel Picaridin 1 oz
You can also check out my list at lighterpack.com.
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Comments 2
Hi Kate, Chris shared this with me. How exciting… great effort! Good luck, look forward to reading about your adventures! ?
Jay
Oh hey!! That’s awesome, thanks so much! Hope all is well! 🙂