User Panel
Look over this guy's equipment lists for some ideas:
http://www.andrewskurka.com/ If backpacking had a world champion, this guy would probably be it. |
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Holy Crap, you all are great. Thank you so much for all the advice. I wish I had more time to read the thread.
I will definitely get started on lightening the load. I had wanted to do it with the GHB loadout, make it a good field test using most of the gear we agree upon. And while I will still be taking the core kit, I realize that even though this was not planned, it should be fun - and if it isn't I'm doing it wrong. No promises, but I'll try to reply to specific questions and suggestions as time allows. Thanks again guys. |
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Ok, ya'll. You've convinced me. I'll get a sleeping bag. BUT! I'm keeping the woobie as well. With all the weight I'm going to pull out I'm not worried about it.
I think I'm doing the SnugPak Sleeper Light (32*) Square Foot. Zips open to make a comforter. Very small, very light, and everyone I know says SnugPak is good kit. So, unless someone can tell me a better way to spend my $55, I'll be ordering it this afternoon. Also, I've got my old Army "puss pad" Thermorest. I'll add it to the packing list when I update it. Quoted:
As has been already pointed out, lose the cotton stuff. I think you need to re-think your sleeping setup. You will be hating the AT if you are not able to get a good night's sleep. A sleeping pad and some kind of lightweight sleeping bag or quilt would be in order. |
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Lots of good suggestions to date, covering most of what I would offer. Couple quick thoughts about your health/comfort from a chiropractor: A dedicated tube of triple antibiotic ointment is always nice to have around -anything that needs tweezing or a bandaid could use some ointment too. Then more important: How many hours do you expect you will walk the first day? The second? Etc? How many hours did you walk today? How many will you walk tomorrow? Do you get where this is going? Most likely you need a plan to use some of the time between now and day one on the trail to get better conditioned for what you are planning. Also, to that end, while you can't be carrying a medicine cabinet with you I would strongly suggest planning on a minimum of 1000mg vitamin C twice per day to help avoid muscle cramps and facilitate repair. Obviously drink plenty of water. A bottle of B complex tablets might be your second best buddy during the first couple weeks as well. Best of luck. |
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The MOST important place to start is your feet
The hiking boots do they have the correct arch support for YOUR feet? Merrel Wool socks in the hiking thickness. I wear merrel wool year round sometimes the same pair for several days, how? After shower I use a deoderant stone (salt stone) which kills the bacteria associated with foot odor. The boots must fit right. I would also have some anti fungal cream , make sure it says Tolnaftate as the active ingredante since it also kills RING WORM, as well as jock itch etc. Godspeed |
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I recommend you carry "Crocs" instead of the flip flops/shower shoes. They are almost as light and much more durable. They also provide you with a much higher degree of protection as camp shoes.
They hang well from a carabiner on the outside of your ruck for easy access. |
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Be careful and be safe. I slipped on a slanted section in Sages ravine and dislocated my knee. That SUCKED.
I agree with ditching the cotton items including jeans. |
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I can't give any advise to you regarding the hiking part. I have never went on a backpacking trip. I usually stay out of threads that i have no knowledge of.
Have a good time, as this may be your only chance to do this sort of thing. My brother, back in the day, quit his job and drove for a week straight to get to the Yukon in Alaska so that he could paddle it. He knew that would be his only chance in his life. And it was. |
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Planning to fail. He's at the end of his rope and tying the wrong kind of knot / a hangman's knot. Time should be spent finding new accomodations / solutions, not planning to absolutely run out of everything hundreds of miles away from any support.
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Read what SandBoxMedic said, good advice there. I've only hiked the GA-VA portion of the AT, never got around to the rest of it. Unless I missed it you never mentioned if you've ever done any backcountry hiking. Unless you have I recommend you knock out a 10 day trip to shake out your gear, see how your body reacts, and get a feel for the trail. Last thing, since you are heading out NLT 7 Apr this doesn't apply to you, but for anyone else that wants to get into backpacking then make sure you pick up Colin Fletcher's book. Good luck.
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Yeah, prolly spent well over a year back country. Not as much as some, but more than most. Mt. Leconte is just a good stretch of the legs, right?
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Read what SandBoxMedic said, good advice there. I've only hiked the GA-VA portion of the AT, never got around to the rest of it. Unless I missed it you never mentioned if you've ever done any backcountry hiking. Unless you have I recommend you knock out a 10 day trip to shake out your gear, see how your body reacts, and get a feel for the trail. Last thing, since you are heading out NLT 7 Apr this doesn't apply to you, but for anyone else that wants to get into backpacking then make sure you pick up Colin Fletcher's book. Good luck. |
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I'd dump the laptop (due to weight and connectivity issues) and be sure the you have a good water filter because there aren't public water sources easily accessable at all points along the trail. Good boots and hiking poles are really critical on an AT hike. I've never hiked the entire AT. However, I've spent a fair bit of time on the trial in North Carolina (Cold Mountain and Shining Rock Wilderness areas). It's a beautiful hike, but beware of bears and wild hogs along the trail. Can't, unfortunately. I'm a freelance writer and it will be my only source of income. Believe me I would if I could. I'll have wireless wifi all the way up and AT&T has good connectivity on 90% of the AT. Here's an alternate thought - go old school. Older Palm device with removable memory and one of those foldable keyboards. The Palm LifeDrive might do the trick, although I'd personally go back to the older III series models - the old Palm OS was stable as a rock, and the things would run forever on a few AAA's. And you could carry 2 spares for less weight than even a netbook would cost. |
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Planning to fail. He's at the end of his rope and tying the wrong kind of knot / a hangman's knot. Time should be spent finding new accomodations / solutions, not planning to absolutely run out of everything hundreds of miles away from any support. nice |
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Good luck OP. I look forward to your updates and I hope you find what you are looking for.
I plan also to do some hiking on the AT as well as the divide. But it will be sectional type. Maybe a section of all three of the big ones. I cant take as much time off as you can wish I had thought of this when I was younger. Godspeed and good luck. |
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Good luck, OP. Sounds like a great adventure. I have always wanted to through-hike the AT, but unless I win the lottery, I doubt it will ever happen
A couple of things stuck out to me: As many have mentioned, definitely get more (wool) socks and liners. They're one of the most important items to consider for backpacking. If you can, leave your laptop at home. Since you have an Android, I'm sure you could do the majority of your posting with your cell. Then write anything extra in your notepads and, when you get to a restaurant or store along the trail with computer/internet access, you can post the big stuff. Get a sleeping pad. It'll help a lot with comfort after a long day on the trail, and it adds a good bit of insulation while sleeping too. "Cotton kills" is the truth. In middle school I did a science project inspired by backpacking that compared the heat retention abilities of different materials when dry and wet [insert emoticon of nerd pushing glasses back up ], and cotton was terrible. Wool, while heavy, is great, as is fleece. If you can swing them, get some trekking poles. They're great help when hiking, especially during creek crossings. Plus, they can be used with paracord and a tarp or poncho for shelter. Check with the different HTFs of the states the AT runs through. The locals may be able to point you to cool attractions along the way or provide other useful info about the areas you'll be in. Check out A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It's not exactly a guide or informational, but it's a hilarious read about the author's adventures on the AT. Again, good luck and Godspeed |
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Might want to print out a medical card with all important info.....laminate it....and put in wallet or clip to belt loop.....some where visible....or easy to find....also emergency contacts....as the case may be.
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How did you get a picture of my cousins?
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Planning to fail. He's at the end of his rope and tying the wrong kind of knot / a hangman's knot. Time should be spent finding new accomodations / solutions, not planning to absolutely run out of everything hundreds of miles away from any support. That is the great thing about being an American and having personal choice. If the man wanted a "life coach" I am sure he would have posted the thread in a different style. Good luck OP and enjoy the trail. Just keep your eyes out for the raccoons in the south, I heard they are pretty crafty http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/glockguy/5ca160fc.jpg |
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Good luck, OP. Sounds like a great adventure. I have always wanted to through-hike the AT, but unless I win the lottery, I doubt it will ever happen A couple of things stuck out to me: As many have mentioned, definitely get more (wool) socks and liners. They're one of the most important items to consider for backpacking. If you can, leave your laptop at home. Since you have an Android, I'm sure you could do the majority of your posting with your cell. Then write anything extra in your notepads and, when you get to a restaurant or store along the trail with computer/internet access, you can post the big stuff. Get a sleeping pad. It'll help a lot with comfort after a long day on the trail, and it adds a good bit of insulation while sleeping too. "Cotton kills" is the truth. In middle school I did a science project inspired by backpacking that compared the heat retention abilities of different materials when dry and wet [insert emoticon of nerd pushing glasses back up ], and cotton was terrible. Wool, while heavy, is great, as is fleece. If you can swing them, get some trekking poles. They're great help when hiking, especially during creek crossings. Plus, they can be used with paracord and a tarp or poncho for shelter. Check with the different HTFs of the states the AT runs through. The locals may be able to point you to cool attractions along the way or provide other useful info about the areas you'll be in. Check out A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. It's not exactly a guide or informational, but it's a hilarious read about the author's adventures on the AT. Again, good luck and Godspeed That book is freaking hilarious. I got in trouble while reading it because I would be up late and wake up my wife laughing at it. One of my friend's hates reading and that was the only book he has read and enjoyed as an adult. |
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You better make damn sure your pack is no more than 30lb's or your going to be hating life i'm afraid.
Good luck |
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I didn't catch all the comments for sake of time, but wanted to post a few things I saw needed from your first post.
backup water purification source - only takes once to learn the importance of that. tablets, filter, boil all three good methods sack and rope for putting smellables up in the air at night, I don't know the AT personally, but out west in the rockies, you have to hide the smells from bears, marmots and chipmunks. energy snacks - these may be part of the food, but high protein/calorie snacks throughout the day will help energize you as you go, beef jerky and granola work for me I don't know the camelback water product line, but make sure you are not carrying a lot of heavy plastic, collabsible bladders are good but also have one nalgene type bottle for mixing and multi-use. I have always just ditched all plates/bowls etc for just one big mug and a spoon. drop the cotton, go for wool or polypropolene undergarmets and socks. less weight, hold-up, warm and sheds water. I wouldn't travel anywhere without a map and compass, so take them and protect them in a ziplock close to your body. good luck. O75 |
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Yeah, prolly spent well over a year back country. Not as much as some, but more than most. Mt. Leconte is just a good stretch of the legs, right? Quoted:
Read what SandBoxMedic said, good advice there. I've only hiked the GA-VA portion of the AT, never got around to the rest of it. Unless I missed it you never mentioned if you've ever done any backcountry hiking. Unless you have I recommend you knock out a 10 day trip to shake out your gear, see how your body reacts, and get a feel for the trail. Last thing, since you are heading out NLT 7 Apr this doesn't apply to you, but for anyone else that wants to get into backpacking then make sure you pick up Colin Fletcher's book. Good luck. OK, this is where you lose me. How is it that you have all that gear on your list? You still have cotton? One pair of jeans? You should have at least one pair of wool/smart wool socks for every ten miles that you'll cover in a day. Spares socks would be good. But you know that already. Good hook for your book. |
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OK, this is where you lose me. How is it that you have all that gear on your list? You still have cotton? One pair of jeans? You should have at least one pair of wool/smart wool socks for every ten miles that you'll cover in a day. Spares socks would be good. But you know that already. Good hook for your book. [/quote] Again, not my typical set up. Part of my goal was to take most of the GHB contents and fill in the "back country" holes with more "civilian" gear. I've since thought better of that idea. And yes, damnit! LOL I like cotton. I've always hiked in jeans and have never had a problem. I'm not disputing the wisdom I've been given, I'm just saying it's never been an issue for me. The sleeping bag broke me for the time being, so I may just have to make do with the clothes I've got and buy some on the trail when after my next payday. I might have a few days reprieve, anyway. If so, I've got a 12ga to sell, in which case I will have time to post it in the EE. That should give me a few more ducats to add to the purse. |
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I'd dump the laptop (due to weight and connectivity issues) and be sure the you have a good water filter because there aren't public water sources easily accessable at all points along the trail. Good boots and hiking poles are really critical on an AT hike. I've never hiked the entire AT. However, I've spent a fair bit of time on the trial in North Carolina (Cold Mountain and Shining Rock Wilderness areas). It's a beautiful hike, but beware of bears and wild hogs along the trail. Can't, unfortunately. I'm a freelance writer and it will be my only source of income. Believe me I would if I could. I'll have wireless wifi all the way up and AT&T has good connectivity on 90% of the AT. Here's an alternate thought - go old school. Older Palm device with removable memory and one of those foldable keyboards. The Palm LifeDrive might do the trick, although I'd personally go back to the older III series models - the old Palm OS was stable as a rock, and the things would run forever on a few AAA's. And you could carry 2 spares for less weight than even a netbook would cost. Agreed that the palm system is both light and solid, however, he stated that the needed connectivity and I don't recall the palms, other than the phones, being able to do that. This is the perfect time for a tablet a long w/ an external keyboard. Less than 2.5 pounds for the whole setup. Long battery life; could be recharged w/ a small solar panel. You could load it up w/ ebooks. You can use it to take pics/video or to upload pics to from your camera and send them. Good luck OP. Wish I had the freedom to even just do some week long trips. |
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Good Luck OP! Grab some ear plugs, without a shelter you will be staying in the AT shelters and they can be noisy at night.
Some tips- Cut weight in every way possible. You may think you need it, but you will quickly find out you don't. This is all my opinion, do with it what you want. This is from a thru-hiking prospective, NOT a survivalist perspective. X_ Light Sticks - DONT NEED X_ Sun Screen- DONT NEED, YOU ARE IN THE "GREEN TUNNELL" X_ Bug Repellent- DONT NEED, YOU HAVE HEAD NET, BUGS ARE NOT A HUGE PROBLEM ON THE AT X_ Cotton Socks (2PR) - GET WOOL STOCKs X_ Cotton Boxer-Briefs (2PR) - SYTHETIC X_ Poncho Liner - USGI - YOU GOT A SLEEPING BAG, DONT NEED IT X_ CamelBak Bladder- WAY TO HEAVY, TAKE GATORAID BOTTLES, WEIGHT MUCH LESS, EASIER TO REFILL X_ CamelBak Better Bottle (2X)- USE NORMAL BOTTLES X_ Seam Sealer- DONT NEED, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING NEEDED SEALING, DO IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE __ Nylon Patch Fabric- YOU HAVE DUCT TAPE ALREADY TO PATCH STUFF UP X_ Perimeter Alarm System (Per Ragnar's excellent post)- DONT NEED .....X_ Alarm (You can find them at Lowe's now BTW) - DONT NEED .....X_ Trip Wire - DONT NEED .....X_ Cup Hooks- DONT NEED X_ Headlamp- YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTS PICK ONE OR MAYBE TWO X_ LED Lenser Flashlight YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTS PICK ONE OR MAYBE TWO X_ MiniMag w/LED Conversion YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTS PICK ONE OR MAYBE TWO X_ AM/FM/WX Radio- DONT NEED IT .....X_ Nitrile Gloves- DONT NEED .....X_ Sunscreen- DONT NEED .....__ Sunburn Relief- DONT NEED .....X_ Topical Benadryl Spray- DONT NEED, YOU HAVE BENADRYL ALREADY .....X_ Poison Ivy Relief- DONT NEED X_ Dental Repair Kit- DONT NEED There is a lot more I would do as well, but I wont go into detail unless you want me to. |
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I did 6 weeks on the Appalachian Trail last year and going to be up there the same time you are for 3 weeks this year. Other backpacking in the past.
I'm all about anyone doing this trip - dangit, everyone should do something like this during their lifetime. But you really really don't want to try this without at least the basics. You will hate yourself, stop hiking, if not seriously get injured / sick if you don't. First, $$$. This is going to be WAY more $$$ than you think. Just for food alone. Much less the odds and ends you will have to replace (socks for sure, possibly boots, other misc. stuff) Though it can be done - I met a couple guys who had just gotten out of the military, were jobless and homeless and hiking the trail. Started off with $500, ran out about where you're going to start. Made it the whole trail by working odd jobs in towns, bumming money / food / beer off people, collecting change at all the gear boxes in the shelters, etc. But it was tough. And while me and my cousin enjoyed a hot shower at the hostel and ordered pizza in, he was sleeping under the bridge and eating cold tuna and tortillas. (ok, so we gave him pizza and beer, but you get the idea.) Do the trip - just realize what it'll take. Even with the changes you're going to make, you have WAY too much stuff. First, get 3 pair of NICE wool socks. darn tough, smart wool, thorlos, stuff like that. Second, make sure you have a good pair of lightweight hiking boots. And SERIOUSLY break them in before going. Third, you only need a tent. Or a tarp. Not both. And the shelters aren't THAT bad (most of them. and some are dang nice) - you will welcome sleeping in them if it's frickin' cold or raining really heavily. Fourth - clothing!! You don't have near the right kind. Realize it's going to be COLD up there this time of year. We hit below freezing temps last year, some people had some serious snow. You need warmer clothes and rain gear (though you have the poncho, which will work for rain gear because you are on a budget) But seriously take some warmer clothes. You will need them for april and possibly part of may and again when you get up north. Get a set of heavier base layers and a fleece jacket. And drop the jeans. You will hate yourself after a weeks in them. Big difference between hiking and short backpacking trips - and a huge, long trip like this one. Invest in a pair of long synthetic pants. Campmor has some cheap ones for like $25. I bet someone on here has an extra pair your size they'd throw your way. Even a pair of synthetic workout pants from walmart would work - that's what I used last year. Drop the cotton underwear, just wear the exofficio stuff or go commando. You will want a pair of wool glove liners for the leather gloves too. Fifth - your laptop will not make the trip. It just won't. Don't even try. I'm not kidding. Sixth - you NEED a bear bag. Don't try sleeping with your food. Again, I'm not kidding on this part. I just use some light cord (spectra line, though para cord would work too) with a carabiner. Throw the carabiner over a limb, and I keep all my food in a sil-nylon dry bag anyways. Carabiner the bag to the cord, pull it up. simple, lightweight, and uses stuff you would have anyways. These are the major things. Get rid of most of the rest of the stuff you have. You seriously don't need almost any of it - keep a couple feet of duct tape, a mini sewing kit, TINY first aid kit - like 8 x tylenol, 2 x immodium, LOTS of moleskin and blister stuff, couple bandaides, maybe a couple gauze's. Don't really need anything else. Here's what I take usually. Backpack Rain cover (use a black trash bag for cheap) 20F sleeping bag US .mil goretex sleeping bag cover Silk sleeping bag liner Sleeping bag compression sack Sleeping pad Mosquito face net Small silnylon tarp spectra cord, tent stakes, and tiny bungies Trekking poles (though last year I just cut and made myself a hiking stick. Works fine for budget.) 3 x gatoraid 32oz water bottles Platypus 2L water bladder Water filter (don't skimp here. I also carry a bottle of iodine for emergency backups in case my filter breaks.) Silnylon bear bag with cord and carabiner Bic lighter Ferro rod with hacksaw striker Tinder couple feet duct tape mini sewing kit safety pins super glue 1st aid kit: couple bandaides couple butterfly bandages tylenol immodium LOTS moleskins blister bandages (you can also use duct tape in a pinch) Electrolytes Toothbrush - no toothpaste. Borrow someone's every once in awhile. And no soap - again, borrow it or get some while in town. Pack wet wipes roll toilet paper in ziplock baggie tiny bug spray tiny sun blovk (for the bug and sun block, what I'm going to try next time is get a lightweight contacts case and put some sunblock lotion in one side and bug repellent lotion in the other. You seriously won't need much if any of these two items) chap stick tiny hand cleaning gel (you will be outside all the time and touching things like the trail registers and such - I like having this at least once a day) compass maps and guide books small spiral notepad and pencil LED headlamp small clip on LED flashlight on pack lithium AA batteries for headlamp Frost Mora knife and sheath small diamond sharpening stone pocket knife (on me) Sometimes I take a multitool Sometimes I take a pair of sunglasses. Generally not on the AT Small sham-wow type towel digital compact camera with memory cards (also running off lithium AA) 2 x bandanas homemade alcohol stove w/ wind screen and small bottle alcohol (I usually don't eat hot food, but sometimes it's nice) small titanium pot though your titanium cup with work great pot scrubby titanium spork silicon bowl Pair Merrill mid-height goretex light boots 3 x pair Darn Tough socks 2 x pair fox river sock liners 2 x pair ex-officio boxerjocks Set of underarmour lightweight base layers Set of US surplus fleece level 2 tops and bottoms Level 3 fleece vest or down puffy vest Set of Dry Ducks rain gear (awesome cheap stuff for backpacking like this. Not for backcountry use) pair synthetic long pants pair synthetic shorts synthetic long sleeve button down shirt 2 x underarmour t-shirts fleece balaclava thin pair glove liners thin pair of neoprene gloves pair flight gloves (all layer together if needed) pair gaiters small dry sack for clothes That's it - including stuff I'm wearing. You really don't need more on the AT (unless you hit really cold weather. You might need more warm clothes.) alot of people do it on less. This isn't a bug out situation - and after doing this a few weeks you will suddenly realize how seriously difficult a real SHTF situation would be if you had to hump it yourself a long distance. Doing it for a few days is nothing. Doing it for a month of more is a seriously different situation. And you will really take a good look at your gear and what you need / don't need. Not that you can't do it with bare-bones gear. It's totally do-able, people have done it in the past. But why do you WANT to when just a little change in gear will make you FAR more comfortable and actually enjoy your trip? |
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Quoted: OK, this is where you lose me. How is it that you have all that gear on your list? You still have cotton? One pair of jeans? You should have at least one pair of wool/smart wool socks for every ten miles that you'll cover in a day. Spares socks would be good. But you know that already. Good hook for your book. [/quote] Again, not my typical set up. Part of my goal was to take most of the GHB contents and fill in the "back country" holes with more "civilian" gear. I've since thought better of that idea. And yes, damnit! LOL I like cotton. I've always hiked in jeans and have never had a problem. I'm not disputing the wisdom I've been given, I'm just saying it's never been an issue for me. The sleeping bag broke me for the time being, so I may just have to make do with the clothes I've got and buy some on the trail when after my next payday. I might have a few days reprieve, anyway. If so, I've got a 12ga to sell, in which case I will have time to post it in the EE. That should give me a few more ducats to add to the purse.[/quote] You may have "always hiked in jeans" but have you had to spend 2-3 days or more in the same cold wet pair of jeans that will not dry because it is too cold and rainy for them to dry and any real nylon hiking pants you might have packed tore last week to the point where you cannot wear them without an indecent exposure charge. In all your travels in the past with jeans have you gotten them wet and do you really know how heavy and abrasive they will get when they are wet. Bottom line is JEANS WILL KILL YOU, I hate to get all melodramatic on you but a real easy way to get hypothermia is to wear jeans on an early spring hike and then get them wet and not be able to dry them. I don't know what your hiking in jeans experience is but until you log multiple cold wet days in them you should listen to the people who are telling you to leave them home. I am not one to say you have to take this item or that item but I will tell you to leave the jeans home. |
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OK, this is where you lose me. How is it that you have all that gear on your list? You still have cotton? One pair of jeans? You should have at least one pair of wool/smart wool socks for every ten miles that you'll cover in a day. Spares socks would be good. But you know that already. Good hook for your book. Again, not my typical set up. Part of my goal was to take most of the GHB contents and fill in the "back country" holes with more "civilian" gear. I've since thought better of that idea. And yes, damnit! LOL I like cotton. I've always hiked in jeans and have never had a problem. I'm not disputing the wisdom I've been given, I'm just saying it's never been an issue for me. The sleeping bag broke me for the time being, so I may just have to make do with the clothes I've got and buy some on the trail when after my next payday. I might have a few days reprieve, anyway. If so, I've got a 12ga to sell, in which case I will have time to post it in the EE. That should give me a few more ducats to add to the purse.[/quote] You may have "always hiked in jeans" but have you had to spend 2-3 days or more in the same cold wet pair of jeans that will not dry because it is too cold and rainy for them to dry and any real nylon hiking pants you might have packed tore last week to the point where you cannot wear them without an indecent exposure charge. In all your travels in the past with jeans have you gotten them wet and do you really know how heavy and abrasive they will get when they are wet. Bottom line is JEANS WILL KILL YOU, I hate to get all melodramatic on you but a real easy way to get hypothermia is to wear jeans on an early spring hike and then get them wet and not be able to dry them. I don't know what your hiking in jeans experience is but until you log multiple cold wet days in them you should listen to the people who are telling you to leave them home. I am not one to say you have to take this item or that item but I will tell you to leave the jeans home. [/quote] Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? |
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oh I used to have a couple clothes pin like clips on my pack for hanging something like a chami or hand towel off to dry why hiking but they werent clothes pins. They were plastic and had kind of diamon pattern rubber pads in the jaws to grip what you clipped on there.
BTW i took them off because friends would clip all sorts of crap on them while I was hiking lol |
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I'd dump the laptop (due to weight and connectivity issues) and be sure the you have a good water filter because there aren't public water sources easily accessable at all points along the trail. Good boots and hiking poles are really critical on an AT hike. I've never hiked the entire AT. However, I've spent a fair bit of time on the trial in North Carolina (Cold Mountain and Shining Rock Wilderness areas). It's a beautiful hike, but beware of bears and wild hogs along the trail. Can't, unfortunately. I'm a freelance writer and it will be my only source of income. Believe me I would if I could. I'll have wireless wifi all the way up and AT&T has good connectivity on 90% of the AT. Here's an alternate thought - go old school. Older Palm device with removable memory and one of those foldable keyboards. The Palm LifeDrive might do the trick, although I'd personally go back to the older III series models - the old Palm OS was stable as a rock, and the things would run forever on a few AAA's. And you could carry 2 spares for less weight than even a netbook would cost. Agreed that the palm system is both light and solid, however, he stated that the needed connectivity and I don't recall the palms, other than the phones, being able to do that. This is the perfect time for a tablet a long w/ an external keyboard. Less than 2.5 pounds for the whole setup. Long battery life; could be recharged w/ a small solar panel. You could load it up w/ ebooks. You can use it to take pics/video or to upload pics to from your camera and send them. Good luck OP. Wish I had the freedom to even just do some week long trips. Later palms had wifi built in, and there were modules for earlier ones. But you're right about cell access. I guess it depends on what he needs internet for.Occasional uploading of his work? are there McDonalds or Starbucks near the trail? But if he wants to surf BOTD every night, it's not the right platform. |
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From the items that you listen that you will be bring I'd say your hiking/camping experiance is fairly low and thus it wouldn't be a good idea to hike the entire AT. Loose the jeans and buy those light weight zip off pants that dry fast. Loose the cotton socks, there just is no need for them. Get more wool socks and liners. At the very least 3 pairs each. I'd probably have 4-5 personally. Take care of your feet. They are the most important thing when hiking. If you haven't been hiking on a regular basis already... then good luck...
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From the items that you listen that you will be bring I'd say your hiking/camping experiance is fairly low and thus it wouldn't be a good idea to hike the entire AT. Loose the jeans and buy those light weight zip off pants that dry fast. Loose the cotton socks, there just is no need for them. Get more wool socks and liners. At the very least 3 pairs each. I'd probably have 4-5 personally. Take care of your feet. They are the most important thing when hiking. If you haven't been hiking on a regular basis already... then good luck... You all do know that every once in a while, the Army rucks too, right? LOL One of my goals was to field test GHB contents, now not so much. |
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So has anyone started a Dead Pool yet? Taking odds on whether I go Tango Uniform on the trail, and how long it will take?
The funny thing is that if I were to buy the farm, the first thing everyone will say is "Why didn't that dumbass have a proper GHB?" |
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The great thing about the AT is you can hike your own hike. No need to carry all those socks and liners, carry a few. When you wear them out, hitch into town and grab some new ones. The AT takes on average 5-6months to complete, and you are hiking against the seasons, Katahdin closes in the fall. If you hike the whole trail you will go through at least 5 pairs of shoes as well.
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Quoted:
So has anyone started a Dead Pool yet? Taking odds on whether I go Tango Uniform on the trail, and how long it will take? The funny thing is that if I were to buy the farm, the first thing everyone will say is "Why didn't that dumbass have a proper GHB?" It sounds like a great adventure if its your choice. If you need money, say so. I can spare some, and many of us could, if that gives you options. You are making us worry about you. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
So has anyone started a Dead Pool yet? Taking odds on whether I go Tango Uniform on the trail, and how long it will take? The funny thing is that if I were to buy the farm, the first thing everyone will say is "Why didn't that dumbass have a proper GHB?" It sounds like a great adventure if its your choice. If you need money, say so. I can spare some, and many of us could, if that gives you options. You are making us worry about you. Oh, goodness, no. My point was that I started with a very well equipped Get Home Bag and am ending up dumping everything people would say "would have saved him" if something went wrong. Just observing the irony. Just a joke. But thank you for the concern. Sincerely. |
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From the items that you listen that you will be bring I'd say your hiking/camping experiance is fairly low and thus it wouldn't be a good idea to hike the entire AT. Loose the jeans and buy those light weight zip off pants that dry fast. Loose the cotton socks, there just is no need for them. Get more wool socks and liners. At the very least 3 pairs each. I'd probably have 4-5 personally. Take care of your feet. They are the most important thing when hiking. If you haven't been hiking on a regular basis already... then good luck... You all do know that every once in a while, the Army rucks too, right? LOL One of my goals was to field test GHB contents, now not so much. I'm not military and those that are have my deepest respect.) Yes, the army rucks. They do it with ample field resupply options, air support, vehicle support, and the expectation of resupply every other day or so. You, on the other hand, will have none of those things. Rucking in the army is simply not the same as solo, long-distance hiking. If there were a dead pool, my money would be that with your loadout... if you started at Springer, you'd be done by Walasi-yi. The guys there would be able to bring you back to life for about $1300 worth of gear, though. |
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Quoted: Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? I'm kind of like you with the jeans. I spent years diddy-boppin' through the Rockies in jeans. Sometimes for six or seven days at a whack, walking all day long. But I had a base camp and changed them every couple of days. After a couple of days of sweating, particularly in humid areas, they crust up to the point of sanding the skin right off of you. I'm hardcore stubborn Irish, and even I had to eventually surrender to empirical evidence and start hiking in something else. I'll still do jeans if I'm only going to be out a couple of days, but you aren't daytripping here, you're launching your young ass into some serious business, and handicapping yourself right out of the gate is a bad start. For $60 or $70, you can get yourself a couple of pairs of good pants. More, if you hit up the thrift stores. They really aren't all that much more than jeans (assuming you don't rock the Walmart special jeans). Take this advice for what its worth, but I've already done many of the dumb things you young wankers are hankering to do, and I remember the consequences vividly |
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Quoted:
So has anyone started a Dead Pool yet? Taking odds on whether I go Tango Uniform on the trail, and how long it will take? The funny thing is that if I were to buy the farm, the first thing everyone will say is "Why didn't that dumbass have a proper GHB?" LOL. The odds of you dying on the AT is incredibly slim. Odds of your busting your ankle or something is up there, but a serious, life threatening emergency is slim. And this isn't a 'Get Home Bag' scenario. Or even a BOB scenario. You won't be bugging out 2,160 miles over 6 months through the mountains in almost ANY scenario. For that a BOB just won't do it. You need a fully equipped expedition pack and mad bushcraft skills or places to resupply along the way. Even then, on foot it'd be hard. (though it's been done before in history. Saw a cool movie last night - 'The Way Back' - group of guys escape a soviet gulog in siberia and hoof it on foot 4,000 KM to india.) And you will seriously reconsider what you need in your bags after this trip, lol. I certainly did. And someone on here said not to do the trip if you don't have alot of experience - yea, experience DEFINENTLY helps, especially physical conditioning. But hiking the AT doesn't need alot of experience or even smarts. Hell, 2/3rds of the hikers up there are totally stoned college kids. If they can do it, anyone with willpower and reasonably good physical condition can do it. |
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OP, if it would help, I might be able to get you in touch with someone who recently through-hiked the AT
Lemme know |
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Quoted:
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So has anyone started a Dead Pool yet? Taking odds on whether I go Tango Uniform on the trail, and how long it will take? The funny thing is that if I were to buy the farm, the first thing everyone will say is "Why didn't that dumbass have a proper GHB?" It sounds like a great adventure if its your choice. If you need money, say so. I can spare some, and many of us could, if that gives you options. You are making us worry about you. Oh, goodness, no. My point was that I started with a very well equipped Get Home Bag and am ending up dumping everything people would say "would have saved him" if something went wrong. Just observing the irony. Just a joke. But thank you for the concern. Sincerely. A GHB is like owning a swiss army knife when you are a cub scout. Alot of the items discussed for one are general purpose and may aid you in an general emergency. People are giving you information based on your desired goal which is hiking the AT. You arent headding home 30 miles from work. |
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I wish that for fucks and giggles I could roll outto the trail just get away. Learn as I go. I have gear,preps, the means to do it. Just leaving the family for a few weeks, would be hard.
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Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? I'm kind of like you with the jeans. I spent years diddy-boppin' through the Rockies in jeans. Sometimes for six or seven days at a whack, walking all day long. But I had a base camp and changed them every couple of days. After a couple of days of sweating, particularly in humid areas, they crust up to the point of sanding the skin right off of you. I'm hardcore stubborn Irish, and even I had to eventually surrender to empirical evidence and start hiking in something else. I'll still do jeans if I'm only going to be out a couple of days, but you aren't daytripping here, you're launching your young ass into some serious business, and handicapping yourself right out of the gate is a bad start. For $60 or $70, you can get yourself a couple of pairs of good pants. More, if you hit up the thrift stores. They really aren't all that much more than jeans (assuming you don't rock the Walmart special jeans). Take this advice for what its worth, but I've already done many of the dumb things you young wankers are hankering to do, and I remember the consequences vividly I hate to come off as a dick, but the AT ain't the Rockies. It isn't even close. Environmentally, we're talking apples and oranges. The AT is CONSIDERABLY lower elevation (Some parts do get above the treeline, but that's a fairly isolated section)... MUCH MUCH more rain fall than you see in the rockies. Most importantly, you're talking about many areas where the humidity will be hovering right around 100% much of the year. We're talking about environments where your gear will get sopping wet even if it is under a tarp and elevated off the ground when it isn't raining but you are walking through a cloud (Which happens... a lot... especially in april/may) If things get wet on the trail, you can pretty well expect them to stay wet until you get to town and a hotel room to dry off... or you stop at a clearing where the sun is shining, lay every bit of gear you have out on a rock or hang it up on a line, and sit around for a few hours while it dries off. Forget drying out overnight, because most likely you'll be covered with dew in the morning. My solution, and it's only a partly good solution, is to use the nylon pouch I put my tarp in as a primitive heat-dryer... stuff wet stuff in it and use it as a pillow overnight. This will get small items like socks and underwear to dry out. Of course, I'm NOT doing that if the ambient temperature is below freezing.. no way I'm wasting that many BTUs. |
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"Yes, the army rucks. They do it with ample field resupply options, air support, vehicle support, and the expectation of resupply every other day or so."
That's the way it is set up on paper(AKA in theory), but in real life that "resupply" can sometimes be a problem. Years ago I did Desert Training at Fort Irwin, California(Mojave Desert area), and I was working in the Combat Trains for an Infantry battalion. Among the many other functions our unit was supposed to handle, getting supplies for ourselves and the battalion was one of the most important, but we still couldn't seem to get the water trailer to our location every day. Most people figured out that when water was available it was best to fill up all the containers we could, since resupply was sometimes spotty. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? I'm kind of like you with the jeans. I spent years diddy-boppin' through the Rockies in jeans. Sometimes for six or seven days at a whack, walking all day long. But I had a base camp and changed them every couple of days. After a couple of days of sweating, particularly in humid areas, they crust up to the point of sanding the skin right off of you. I'm hardcore stubborn Irish, and even I had to eventually surrender to empirical evidence and start hiking in something else. I'll still do jeans if I'm only going to be out a couple of days, but you aren't daytripping here, you're launching your young ass into some serious business, and handicapping yourself right out of the gate is a bad start. For $60 or $70, you can get yourself a couple of pairs of good pants. More, if you hit up the thrift stores. They really aren't all that much more than jeans (assuming you don't rock the Walmart special jeans). Take this advice for what its worth, but I've already done many of the dumb things you young wankers are hankering to do, and I remember the consequences vividly I hate to come off as a dick, but the AT ain't the Rockies. It isn't even close. Environmentally, we're talking apples and oranges. The AT is CONSIDERABLY lower elevation (Some parts do get above the treeline, but that's a fairly isolated section)... MUCH MUCH more rain fall than you see in the rockies. Most importantly, you're talking about many areas where the humidity will be hovering right around 100% much of the year. We're talking about environments where your gear will get sopping wet even if it is under a tarp and elevated off the ground when it isn't raining but you are walking through a cloud (Which happens... a lot... especially in april/may) If things get wet on the trail, you can pretty well expect them to stay wet until you get to town and a hotel room to dry off... or you stop at a clearing where the sun is shining, lay every bit of gear you have out on a rock or hang it up on a line, and sit around for a few hours while it dries off. Forget drying out overnight, because most likely you'll be covered with dew in the morning. My solution, and it's only a partly good solution, is to use the nylon pouch I put my tarp in as a primitive heat-dryer... stuff wet stuff in it and use it as a pillow overnight. This will get small items like socks and underwear to dry out. Of course, I'm NOT doing that if the ambient temperature is below freezing.. no way I'm wasting that many BTUs. I guarantee you none of those solutions will work for a saturated pair of jeans.... |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
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Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? I'm kind of like you with the jeans. I spent years diddy-boppin' through the Rockies in jeans. Sometimes for six or seven days at a whack, walking all day long. But I had a base camp and changed them every couple of days. After a couple of days of sweating, particularly in humid areas, they crust up to the point of sanding the skin right off of you. I'm hardcore stubborn Irish, and even I had to eventually surrender to empirical evidence and start hiking in something else. I'll still do jeans if I'm only going to be out a couple of days, but you aren't daytripping here, you're launching your young ass into some serious business, and handicapping yourself right out of the gate is a bad start. For $60 or $70, you can get yourself a couple of pairs of good pants. More, if you hit up the thrift stores. They really aren't all that much more than jeans (assuming you don't rock the Walmart special jeans). Take this advice for what its worth, but I've already done many of the dumb things you young wankers are hankering to do, and I remember the consequences vividly I hate to come off as a dick, but the AT ain't the Rockies. It isn't even close. Environmentally, we're talking apples and oranges. The AT is CONSIDERABLY lower elevation (Some parts do get above the treeline, but that's a fairly isolated section)... MUCH MUCH more rain fall than you see in the rockies. Most importantly, you're talking about many areas where the humidity will be hovering right around 100% much of the year. We're talking about environments where your gear will get sopping wet even if it is under a tarp and elevated off the ground when it isn't raining but you are walking through a cloud (Which happens... a lot... especially in april/may) If things get wet on the trail, you can pretty well expect them to stay wet until you get to town and a hotel room to dry off... or you stop at a clearing where the sun is shining, lay every bit of gear you have out on a rock or hang it up on a line, and sit around for a few hours while it dries off. Forget drying out overnight, because most likely you'll be covered with dew in the morning. My solution, and it's only a partly good solution, is to use the nylon pouch I put my tarp in as a primitive heat-dryer... stuff wet stuff in it and use it as a pillow overnight. This will get small items like socks and underwear to dry out. Of course, I'm NOT doing that if the ambient temperature is below freezing.. no way I'm wasting that many BTUs. I guarantee you none of those solutions will work for a saturated pair of jeans.... Oh, goodness no. Like I said, the heat-powered dryer only works for small items. The sun would really never completely dry out a wet pair of jeans. Funny anecdote from personal experience. Back in the days of me being young and an idiot, I used to hike in all-cotton, winter weight BDU pants. What finally broke me of the habit was hiking on the Alabama Pinhoti in August. About the third day, the pants were so wet from sweat and humidity that it was as if I had walked into a swimming pool. The abrasion was horrible and the pants must have weighed 20lb. Sucked terribly. Went home and bought some lightweight zip-off pants that will dry in 20 minutes just by virtue of not being in the rain. Much, MUCH happier. |
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That's the way it is set up on paper(AKA in theory), but in real life that "resupply" can sometimes be a problem. Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything about that part . . . |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Oh, I'm not saying I haven't been miserable more than once. I dumped the cotton socks and got another pair of wool. Geez, you people act like you don't want me to die or something. Look, I've got some nylon athletic shorts. No cargo pockets but they aren't cotton either. Will that make everyone happy? I'm kind of like you with the jeans. I spent years diddy-boppin' through the Rockies in jeans. Sometimes for six or seven days at a whack, walking all day long. But I had a base camp and changed them every couple of days. After a couple of days of sweating, particularly in humid areas, they crust up to the point of sanding the skin right off of you. I'm hardcore stubborn Irish, and even I had to eventually surrender to empirical evidence and start hiking in something else. I'll still do jeans if I'm only going to be out a couple of days, but you aren't daytripping here, you're launching your young ass into some serious business, and handicapping yourself right out of the gate is a bad start. For $60 or $70, you can get yourself a couple of pairs of good pants. More, if you hit up the thrift stores. They really aren't all that much more than jeans (assuming you don't rock the Walmart special jeans). Take this advice for what its worth, but I've already done many of the dumb things you young wankers are hankering to do, and I remember the consequences vividly I hate to come off as a dick, but the AT ain't the Rockies. It isn't even close. Environmentally, we're talking apples and oranges. The AT is CONSIDERABLY lower elevation (Some parts do get above the treeline, but that's a fairly isolated section)... MUCH MUCH more rain fall than you see in the rockies. Most importantly, you're talking about many areas where the humidity will be hovering right around 100% much of the year. We're talking about environments where your gear will get sopping wet even if it is under a tarp and elevated off the ground when it isn't raining but you are walking through a cloud (Which happens... a lot... especially in april/may) If things get wet on the trail, you can pretty well expect them to stay wet until you get to town and a hotel room to dry off... or you stop at a clearing where the sun is shining, lay every bit of gear you have out on a rock or hang it up on a line, and sit around for a few hours while it dries off. Forget drying out overnight, because most likely you'll be covered with dew in the morning. My solution, and it's only a partly good solution, is to use the nylon pouch I put my tarp in as a primitive heat-dryer... stuff wet stuff in it and use it as a pillow overnight. This will get small items like socks and underwear to dry out. Of course, I'm NOT doing that if the ambient temperature is below freezing.. no way I'm wasting that many BTUs. Didn't read the whole post, did ya? |
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