What’s in My Pack?

For the latest version of my gear list, check out my LighterPack!

As of 04.19.2017, I’m at a total weight of 23.8 lbs (without food or water) and a base weight of 18.2 lbs (also excludes items worn on-person, e.g. my trail runners, clothes, hiking poles). I will be carrying a maximum of 6-8 lbs of food immediately after each resupply. My water-carrying capacity is 2L, or 4.4 lbs of water. Cool-weather gear will be shipped home after I get through the Smoky Mountains, then (with assistance from my awesome brother) shipped back to me before I encounter cold weather again towards the fall.

There are certainly items I could cut to get closer to the “ultralight” territory, but honestly I’m more concerned about getting a good night’s rest and staying warm than a few more pounds. Granted, that opinion may change after lugging “a few more pounds” several hundred miles. Reassessing my backpacking strategy will be part of the fun (because I am a NERD)! I hope to write several more in-depth gear reviews as I hike, especially for a few new items that I am very excited to try out!

Gear Details

Shelter

  • Tent (Tarptent Protrail + Aluminum Stakes; 31.7 oz): Everything you’d expect in a tent designed by a former physics teacher. Light. Elegant. Functional. I’ve been sleeping in the yard at night to become proficient with set-up and take-down in the dark, in the rain, in the cold (or, what passes for cold in Alabama). The more familiar I become with this tent, the more impressed I am with its little details!
  • Groundsheet (Contractor Plastic ; 14 oz): Ultralight = fragile. I need to protect my beloved Tarptent! May find a lighter option later.

Sleep System

  • Sleeping Pad (NeoAir X Lite; 13.0 oz): Lightweight inflatable full-length pad. I could probably get by with the half-length version, but I already owned this one so why not use it. Probably the most comfortable pad available, at the weight. Not the most durable option, however. If it makes it to Harper’s Ferry without popping, I will be proud.
  • Down Quilt (Enlightened Equipment Enigma; 17.0 oz): Quilts are supposedly more versatile than sleeping bags. I’ve never tried one before, so I am excited to test out the vaunted Enigma (handmade in Winona, MN!). I went with the 20-degree version since I am starting later in the spring and I am bringing a silk liner.
  • Sleeping Bag Liner (Marmot Mummy Silk; 4.6 oz): I already owned this silk liner for a mummy sleeping bag. It should work fine with my quilt. Adds 10 degrees of warmth.
  • Pillow (Sea to Summit Inflatable; 4.15 oz): Go ahead and tease me; I don’t care. It’s worth the weight.

Pack

  • Pack (ULA Circuit; 38.5 oz): My roommate on my trip to China was horrified by my claim that I would rather have lost my boyfriend than this pack. Well… I still have the pack.
  • Pack Cover (ULA; 3.0 oz): Rain protection
  • Pack Liner (Contractor trash bag; 0.32 oz): Cheap, effective water protection.
  • Thruhiker Tag (0.1 oz): In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of increasing numbers of thru hikers beginning their treks during a relatively narrow window of time, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy initiated a thru hiker registration program this year. I will be starting after the “bubble” of thru hikers, but I still appreciate the nifty tag.
  • Pack Base / Sitting Pad (10″ x 15″ foam cut from old Thermalite Z-Rest pad; 1.4 oz): Squatting over a stove is for neanderthals. Also makes a nice base in the bottom of the pack for easy loading.

Utility

  • Trekking Poles (Pacemaker Stix Journey + Duct Tape; 19.9 oz): Cheap and effective. Durable (I’ve already put a few hundred miles on them). Compatible with my Tarptent. I see no point in dropping $150+ to shave off 2 oz. Wrapping the poles is an efficient way to carry a few lengths of sweet, sweet, useful duct tape!!
  • Headlamp (Black Diamond ReVolt 2; 3.5 oz):My brother was kind enough to lend me his nice rechargeable headlamp to replace my old ailing Petzl Tikkina!! Major upgrade.
  • Multitool (Gerber Curve; 0.8 oz): Let’s be honest, there is a good chance I will lose this thing, so cheap and light is the way to go.
  • Knife (SpyderCo Tenacious, 4.0 oz): Trusty pocket knife.
  • Trowel (MSR Blizzard Tent Stake; 0.95 oz): Ahhh the poop trowel. Subject of much controversy. You don’t want to know how long I spent researching the weight, durability, and effectiveness of the various options before settling on this wide aluminum tent stake. Virtually guaranteed to be the subject of a follow-up gear review, so brace yourselves.
  • Towel (PackTowl Ultralight; 3.4 oz): It’s a towel! A very tiny towel.
  • Ballpoint pen (0.1 oz): For trail registers, phone numbers, random thoughts, etc. Pencil fades, felt tip smears, ballpoint gets the job done.
  • Notepad (0.2 oz): Saves me from turning on my phone to take notes.

Water System

  • Filter (Sawyer Squeeze; 3.25 oz): The most popular water-purification tool on the AT. I’ve been using one for years with *knock on wood* no ill-effects from backcountry water. The only downside to this system is its susceptibility to freezing temperatures, making it an obligatory strange bedfellow on cold nights.
  • Dirty Bag, 1 Liter (Platypus; 1.2 oz): The bag that comes with the Sawyer is notoriously fragile. Mine sprang a leak long ago and was replaced with a Platypus.
  • Clean Bottle, 1 Liter (Used Smartwater bottle; 1.2 oz): Using an old Smartwater bottle has become de rigueur on the AT. A weight comparison with an equivalent volume old-school nalgene (6.25 oz) should tell you why. The smartwater bottle has an additional advantage in that its mouthpiece is compatible with the clean end of the Sawyer Squeeze. This allows the user to backwash the Sawyer without having to carry its standard backwashing syringe.

Kitchen

  • Stove (Snowpeak GigaPower, 4.5 oz): A very thoughtful gift. Thanks, Ted and Deborah! 🙂
  • Fuel Canister (Snowpeak GigaPower Iso Fuel; 3.7 oz): Canister stoves are light and convenient. Resupply should be readily available along the trail.
  • Lighter (Bic mini; 0.5 oz): I’ll carry one in my cookset and another in a hip-pocket. Transparent colors are useful for accurately gauging remaining volume (and they’re pretty)!
  • Pot, 700 mL (Snowpeak Ti Trek; 4.75 oz): Just the right size for one person to consume copious amounts of ramen. Thanks again to Ted and Deborah for the neat kitchen set!!
  • Collapsible Mug (Sea to Summit; 2.45 oz): Living the life of luxury. Good first candidate to get left in a hiker box if my pack is feeling heavy.
  • Spork (Snowpeak Ti; 0.65 oz): Yes, I know sporks are soooo 2014 and long-handled spoons / plastic spoons appropriated from a trailtown Wendy’s are the next big thing for thruhikers. But I already owned this one and it lived through grad school with me so it has sentimental value.
  • Odor-Free Bag (OP Sack; 1.4 oz): I am sure that anyone who runs into me will be wishing this bag could contain my thruhiker stank; alas, it is for my food.
  • Bear Bag (Mountain Lauel Designs; 3.6 oz): I’ve been using this well-designed, durable bear bag system from MLD for years now and I love it. Bear-bag hanging/retrieval is currently my favorite camp chore (…washing dishes is my least favorite, in case you were dying to know). We’ll see how I feel about it after a few weeks.

Clothing

  • Headband (Buff; 1.17 oz): I wear one of these every day as it is #GradStudentFashion. It’s a headband! It’s a hat! It’s a balaclava! It’s a neck gaiter! It’s a BUFF!!!
  • Down Jacket (Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer; 7.0 oz): Consistently reviewed as the best down jacket for backpacking, the Ghost Whisperer is a lightweight marvel. I have been coveting this jacket for years now and simply couldn’t resist when I found one for 50% off. I think I will be very glad for the hood on chilly evenings.
  • Rain Jacket (Marmot Precip; 11.4 oz): Decided to re-waterproof my trusty old rain jacket and (hopefully) save some cash.
  • Rain Kilt (ULA Rain Kilt, 2.55 oz): Hikers frequently complain that rain pants are heavy, difficult to put on in a hurry, and torturously sweaty. So I’ll be testing the rain skirt / kilt concept on this hike.
  • Fleece (The North Face Osito; 14.4 oz): Super fuzzy and warm!
  • Gloves (Head Thinsulate Fleece; 2.55 oz): Beat up old ski gloves that are only going to get more beat up!
  • Liner Gloves (REI; 1.05): Keep my hands from freezing when the need for dexterity precludes use of my ski gloves.
  • T-Shirt (Wal-Mart; 3.7 oz): A synthetic t-shirt is a synthetic t-shirt.
  • Sports Bra (Wal-Mart; 2.35 oz): See above.
  • Hiking Skirt (Patagonia; 6.7 oz): Another sentimental item that has stood the test of time. I do prefer it to shorts for the ease of layering / delayering leggings.
  • Underwear (Ex Officio; 1.0 oz): Hey, it’s a very thorough list! Also, I’ve heard too much about Ex Officio from other hikers to not try them out.
  • Wool Leggings (Icebreakers Bodyfit 200; 6 oz): So warm!!
  • Pants (Prana Sage; 12 oz): My very favorite dorky convertible hiking pants. Just to get through the end of spring, then they get sent home.
  • Hiking Socks, 2 pairs (Darn Tough; 4.4 oz): Forget Smartwool for hiking, they wear through too quickly. Darn Tough is where it’s at!! Also, they replace worn pairs for free at outfitters along the trail.
  • Sock Liners (Injinji ToeSocks; 1.7 oz): I have heard great things about these toe socks for blister-prevention. I’m excited to test them out. They look ridiculous.
  • Camp Socks (Smartwool Mountaineering Socks; 6 oz): I will give Smartwool credit for making some fantastically warm mountaineering socks. I’ve had these for a few years and they are still as warm as ever.
  • Camp Shoes (Xero Z-Trail sport sandals; 8.6 oz): These are currently my *favorite* pair of shoes. I’ve been trail running in these barefoot-style sandals for years now. They are the only running shoes I’ve had that don’t cause foot, ankle, or knee pain over time.
  • Trail Runners (Xero Prio; 12.8 oz): Because I love my Z-Trail sandals so much, I’m taking a leap of faith with the newly-released Xero Prio as my hiking shoe. While I have concerns about their longterm durability, I’d rather have the trail destroy my shoes than have my shoes destroy my feet!! Definitely an experiment.

Toiletries & First Aid

  • Container (Ziploc Bag; 0.05 oz)
  • Hygiene (Hand sanitizer, biodegradable soap, toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick; 4.0 oz)
  • Glasses (0.85 oz): Back-up for contact lenses. Guaranteed to get broken at some point. How long do YOU think they’ll survive?
  • Contact Lenses (Dailies 30 d Supply; 4.8 oz)
  • Sunscreen (Sawyer SPF 30; 4.0 oz): Although the AT is known as the “Green Tunnel” due to its extensive tree cover, everyone says wear sunscreen. So I shall.
  • Bug Spray (Repel 100; 1.15 oz): Apparently it’s going to be an epic tick season (either that or those damn corrupt entomologists in the pocket of Big Tick are just trying to milk us for research funding so they can buy more cadillacs and cocaine! /sarcasm) I’ll be treating my clothes with permethrin, as well.
  • Tick Tweezers (2.0 oz): See above. 🙁
  • First Aid (Triple antibiotic ointment, baby powder, moleskin, various meds, blister pads, superglue, 6.5 oz)
  • Emergency Poncho (1.6 oz): In case my raincoat gets eaten by a bobcat?
  • Garbage Bag (Ziploc + Duct Tape, 2 oz): Also acts as a source of duct tape!!

Electronics & Navigation

  • Phone (Nexus 5x; 4.6 oz): Equipped with Guthook AT App, the AWOL AT guide, and WordPress App for blogging. Doubles as my camera.
  • Water Resistant Case (CaliCase; 2.05 oz): Hopefully my phone will be safe inside my pack, but one can never be too careful.
  • Portable Charger (Anker PowerCore 10,000; 7.0 oz): Should be more than enough to recharge my phone a few times between towns.
  • Bluetooth Keyboard (iWerks; 10.4 oz): I hope this makes blogging from my phone easier. It takes a while to get used to the split keypad, so I apologize in advance for typos!!
  • USB Cables (2.2 oz): USBc to charge my phone, microUSB to charge my charger / keyboard / kindle.
  • Wall charger (1.6 oz)
  • E-Reader (Kindle; 5.7 oz): Because a paper copy of Infinite Jest weighs 2.56 lbs!
  • iPod (+headphones; 1.63 oz): Nothing helps motivate me through pointless ups-and-downs like a good playlist!
  • Map (Guthook AT Guide App; 0 oz): Navigation app for the AT with realtime updates on trail conditions.
  • Satellite Communicator (Delorme InReach; 7 oz): So my family doesn’t assume I’m dead. Hooray!