All packed and ready to launch Friday.  My wife and I are continuing our section hike for this summer; 150 miles just south of Hot Springs, TN and up to Highway 19.  

I think we’re going to be wishing we planned longer days as we will average about 13 miles a day and we’ve been cranking out 12 miles in about 6-7 hours on some shorter trips.  This is our leisurely vacation hike, so I guess plenty of time to relax in the hammock, read and snooze!  

Pretty happy with my pack weight.  It’s loaded for the first leg (three days) and total pack weight is 19 pounds, 5 ounces minus water.  Water is a two liter bladder and 750ml water bottle for 6 pounds bringing my total pack weight to 25.5 pounds.  Granted this is only for three days, our second leg is five days and our last leg is 4 days.  We have two resupplies planned.  My Kit Bag comes in a 3 pounds 4 ounces.  I’m going light for my pistol, small Kahr CM9:







The wife is ready to hit the trail now…can’t wait.

ROCK6

That does not seem like much water for 3 days.

Seriously?

I'm sure he has plans to refill his bladder along the way; but, weight-wise, it'll never be more than 2-liters.

We refill/filter as we hike.  Springs are along the trail or you have to hike down to them, but 2-3 liters gets me more than a few miles.  The key is having a spring or water source where you plan to camp so you have enough water for a dehydrated dinner.  

I understand where you're coming from.  We did a lot of hiking in Texas and at times had to haul in all our water.  This is different, and several springs on the map are pretty reliable.

ROCK6

What's your daily calorie plan look like? How much weight do you lose on a trip like this?

I calculated one of the day's snacks/meals; for me, its around 4500 calories a day.  I'm expecting to lose at least five pounds and as much as 10 pounds.  It usually takes about four or five days to really kick in your "trail appetite" and after that all you think about is food; that is where you start to lose weight.

ROCK6

Enjoy you Lucky Dog!

Pics please when you get back.....

Oh - BTW - is the Kit bag in addition to the back pack weight? ie: total gear weight closer to 30# or is 25#?

In for the AAR with pics.

IN for AAR.

Pack-weight plus Kit Bag will come in at 29 pounds.  They need to be included together as the weight is basically carried the same way...

ROCK6

i did some of that section, went from Erwin to Hot springs, i think its about 70, i went solo and really like it

Good to hear.  We're traveling north, just south of Hot Springs and up past Erwin.  I won't lie too much...this is our "vacation", so I have a room booked in Hot Springs, NC (the Spring Creek Tavern) and we'll stay a night a Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin for our last resupply.

ROCK6

That is a really important point, and stresses the importance of knowing the route and what it offers and what it does not.

I did a hike over spring break not too far from me, and there were several legs of it with an entire day without a single water source.  The trail moved primarily along ridgelines, so no springs, no creeks, no nothing.  It added a completely new dimension to the challenge, and the normal method of toting some and using a filter to resupply enroute was not workable.  A LOT of water had to be carried.

LOVE this place! Great choice. And the small town of Hot Springs is very cool.

I am so in for the AAR. I live in the foothills and my wife is from Murphy, NC. I really cannot believe we have never done anything similar to this.

I may have just missed it, but what pack are you using? Did you go HPG on that too? I have a Recon Kit Bag in ranger green and have been thinking about going with a Tara to complete the kit.

Good point.  There are times we've hiked to springs marked along the route and they were dry.  We've (actually just me) also had to drop gear and hike down steep draws for almost a mile to find water and having enough capacity to carry water back up (in an empty pack) is important.  Although I try to balance 2-3 liters carried, I can (and have) carry up to 8 liters...and my wife has almost the same capacity.  

We've also learned that you top off just about every chance you get.  It's hard because you want to eat up some miles, but I don't like pushing it too hard when low on water.  There is no denying that you need to really research the area before hitting it...know the water conditions and forecasts.  Hauling a bunch of water for any significant distance takes a lot of the fun out of the hike!



I’m using a ULA Circuit (in Multicam of course!).  It’s just been a solid pack; excellent features and comfortable if you keep the weight below 30-35 pounds.  

For my big five:
Pack-ULA Circuit
Shelter-Dutchware Halfwit hammock
Shelter-Tarp is Hammock-Gear’s Cuben Fiber Hex tarp (newest investment and simply awesome)
Sleeping bag-Sea to Summit dri-down
Sleeping gear-Dri-down Underquilt by JacksAreBetter

I really don’t think I need the under-quilt and may dump it in the truck for the last leg; however it’s already calculated in my pack’s weight and I’m just going to play it safe for a good night’s sleep.

I have small notebook, so I’ll take some notes and pictures for the AAR…although this is my “vacation” it’s a great opportunity to assess fitness, gear and techniques to deal with potential bad weather (thunderstorms) and high humidity.  I like the aspect of time and distance calculations and caloric needs along with water intake.  More importantly, this is my wife’s passion, so I get to enjoy a little walk through the mountains with a great friend.

ROCK6

That's where I came in two years ago on my last section hike of the AT.  Used a 35L pack, which was admittedly pretty well packed.  Going with a 50L this year (largest I ever carried was a 65).

Nothing better then a trip planning gear list...  Well except the AAR.  

Subscribed!

ETA/ which SAK is that?  Farmer?

Leatherman have scissors or pliers?

The SAK is the "Bushcrafter" model from SOSAK customs.  Basically a Farmer minus the can opener and screwdriver.

The mini Leatherman is the PS model...small pliers with fold out scissors.  

I've found these two are pretty much all I need for food prep, first aid and equipment repairs.  I do have a Mora 510 (actually a 511 model with cut-off finger guard) on my pack's waist belt...just for my mental comfort.

ROCK6

Any pics of the ULA pack?  I never see good pics of it in multicam.  It looks like half the pack is black no matter the color.

 

I need to get off my ass and do something like this soon. I think a good 100 mile or so hike though Big Bend would be a kick ass time. I think a winter hike would be my best option. I do not have any experience in a long hike like that though.

Yeah, pretty much a half-and-half scheme...still, it works well for me.







ROCK6

Thanks.  I'm trying to decide between an Ohm 2 and a Seek Outside pack.  Seems like the latter is a little more versatile (more weight range) at the expense of about a pound more weight (and $).

The ULA packs are well designed but are pretty "mission specific".  I've found them designed for lighter gear as they may have the capacity, but once you exceed their rated comfort for pack weight, it's very noticeable.  Another issue is that they don't compress well with smaller loads.  I even ran across a late through hiker using the larger Catalyst pack.  He said he loved the features, but with a lighter load, they tend to flop a lot.  Can't go wrong with Seek Outside...good designs and sturdy packs; as you said, a little more versatility.  

ROCK6