Wow! The last few weeks have been incredibly busy, none of which really incorporated much preparation for the A.T. So this weekend I had to get down to business. I started with the completion of my primary residence for the next 5 months. Weighing in at 18 oz and having around 80 square feet of surface area I am pretty happy with the outcome of my Tarp. A tarp for those of you who have not done much backpacking is a tent with out walls or poles, it is just a roof over your head. Kaci and I gave it a good shower in the backyard with the water hose to check for leaks and I was ecstatic to find out that it was leak free!
I am glad to say that I have already experienced some trail magic (trail magic is the random kindness of strangers and the over all awesomeness of things that happen to someone during their journey of the A.T.) and I have not even set foot on the trail yet. It happened a few Wednesdays ago when Kaci and I went to an A.T. clinic put on by Touch the Earth the Georgia State Outdoor Recreation Department. There we caught up with Lauren and met Tyson,"Knock Knock" (that is his trail name) and talked a lot about the A.T. Tyson provided lots of great stories as well as answered many questions I had about resupply and food issues, for a hike as long as a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Tyson was very helpful and he also offered to extend help as I hike if I have any issues with my gear as he works for a local gear retailer. So a huge thanks goes out to Lauren for telling me about the clinic and to Tyson for the great insight he provided. Oh- and they also helped with 3 bucks for the parking fee down town!
So on to pack weight.
Currently my pack is weighing in at around 22.5 lbs.
Here is the break down:
Backpack - 37 oz
Tarp - 18 oz
Stakes - 1.5 oz
Tyvek Ground Sheet - 6 oz
Umbrella - 12 oz
Soft Shell Jacket - 24 oz
Crocs - 16 oz
Balaclava - 3 oz
Warm Hat - 2.5 oz
Base layer top - 6 oz
Rain Pants - 12 oz
Rain Jacket - 20 oz
Down Coat - 43 oz
Drambag (water bag) - 7.5 oz
Origami bowl - .5 oz
Spork - .5 oz
Titanium Pot w/lid - 5 oz
Lighter - .5 oz
Wind Screen - 2 oz
0° Sleeping bag w/stuff sack - 68 oz
3/4 Therma Rest - 16 oz
Crazy Creek - 15 oz
Camera - 6 0z
Headlamp - 5 oz
Water Filter - 12.5 oz
Bandanna (3) - 4 oz
Stuff Sack - .5 oz
Wet Rib - 6 oz
So yes there are a few things still missing i.e. clothing, stove, pot stand, guide book, med kit, and misalliance things like wallet and phone.
The big weight items like winter sleeping bag and down coat are subject to change if the weather lightens up and allows spring to come to town but as it is, it looks like I will be starting off with a winter pack totaling just under thirty pounds. I have no doubt that I will be able to lighten up the load to around 20 lbs as soon as mid spring arrives.
So I pose the question what would you leave out or how would you lighten up my load as it looks so far?
Stay tuned for itinerary and start date!
I wouldn't worry about eliminating too much more weight. 30 lbs. is very doable. For my '05 thruhike my pack averaged 45 lbs. What will you wear on your feet while hiking? The best advice I got is "a pound on your feet is like 10 on your back."
ReplyDeleteI was VERY happy i decided to hike in trail runners rather than boots.
I found this blog through a friend (Liz Schale) on Facebook. I look forward to following your progress and reliving the trail through your eyes.
-Loki GA-ME '05
this is the eagle scout talking: first aid kit?
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through Lauren Killion.
ReplyDeleteA first aid kit should be minimal. Some ibuprofen, gauze pads, neosporin (sp), duct tape and dental floss and needle (great for fixing pack and gear). It's ok to start with a heavy pack cause you'll adapt on the trail and figure out what you need/ don't need. Plus if your going NoBo you can start ditching things after about 3 days when you get to Neel's Gap. If you want any advice I would be more than willing to help you out. I did my thru-hike last year.
Zombie
MEGA '09
Thanks guys for your great input!
ReplyDeleteSo to answer a few questions, I will be wearing trail runner shoes and I also love the advise about "a pound on you feet is like ten on you back" and I have definitely learned that lesson first hand when Hiking with students at Adventure Treks and they were running circles around me while I wore boots and they wore tennis shoes
And as for the first aid kit I have been putting off make an official kit I usually carry in no particular order: duct tape, dental floss and needle, new skin, ibuprofen, extra strong band-aids (not sure of brand), Imodium, antihistamine, Tegaderm, and I never leave home without a snake bite kit( just kidding).
I am already looking forward to Neels gap because I drive past it all the time and because I have heard that they are very good at giving good shake downs of hikers backpacks
Thanks for reading
ERIC