While I don’t consider myself a true gear-head, I do enjoy looking at and thinking about the best gear. There is no substitute for actually field-testing gear for yourself, but of course, that involves buying the gear and getting out on the trail. I am not quite ready for that investment in time and money; so, I’ll content myself with virtual research. In reality, that is a huge advantage over the “good old days.” Online product descriptions and commercial reviews are usually quite detailed. And then there are the trail forums and hiker journals to learn valuable info from the hikers out there using the gear right now. Who knows what will be available in six or seven years when I will be in the shakedown phase of planning my thru-hike. Technology and gear designs change rapidly these days. It is difficult to imagine gear getting much lighter than the current ultralight trend, but again, who really knows. Ultimately, I will be more of a lightweight hiker than an ultralight guru; I am willing to trade a little gain in weight to gain some comfort or convenience. I agree with the common advice to keep base weight well below the 20-pound threshold; the lower the better. I plan on staying under 35 pounds of total weight. I know for many even that is too much. Back during my days in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, 35 pounds was the required weight for the semi-annual 12-mile road march qualification. I like the historical symmetry. (Of course, actual pack weights during deployments would push way above that “comfortable” 35 pounds!) (2/24/19)
Conventional wisdom is you are a lightweight backpacker if your base weight is under 20 pounds. That same wisdom claims your total weight pack weight should not exceed 20 percent of your body weight. My goal body weight for starting the thru-hike is 190 pounds (currently a required weight loss of 30+ pounds!); so, my total skin-out weight should not exceed 38 pounds. I’ll stick with my goal of no more than 35 pounds of total weight. This full pack weight also includes a lot of “nice to have” items. Many of those could be dropped; but like I wrote, I am willing to trade a little gain in weight to gain some comfort or convenience. (4/22/19)
Link: Appalachian Trail Section Hike Gear Prospectus 2021
Conventional wisdom is you are a lightweight backpacker if your base weight is under 20 pounds. That same wisdom claims your total weight pack weight should not exceed 20 percent of your body weight. My goal body weight for starting the thru-hike is 190 pounds (currently a required weight loss of 30+ pounds!); so, my total skin-out weight should not exceed 38 pounds. I’ll stick with my goal of no more than 35 pounds of total weight. This full pack weight also includes a lot of “nice to have” items. Many of those could be dropped; but like I wrote, I am willing to trade a little gain in weight to gain some comfort or convenience. (4/22/19)
Link: Appalachian Trail Section Hike Gear Prospectus 2021
I finally succumbed to the siren’s song! I resisted for a few months, but the sales at the end of season were too much to resist. I also wanted to get a lighter pack for section hikes than the one my son had loaned me last summer. So, first up is the Osprey Kestrel 48 picked-up directly from Osprey’s site; this was the 2018 model reduced almost 50 percent. You can’t beat a nice Osprey backpack for 100 bucks! This pack clearly is too small at 48L for a solid thru-hike option; plus, it weighs almost 4 pounds. The Kestrel has a smaller volume by 10L and is almost 2 pounds heavier than the Osprey Exos 58; so, that pack is still the thru-hike frontrunner. But I think it is still a nice section hike option for warm weather trips lasting 2-3 days. I have only used it so far on a day hike; but am looking forward to giving a full workout during at least one section hike this summer. (5/9/2020)
The Tent
The Sleeping System
When I think about spending five to seven months sleeping on the ground (okay, there will be some zero days sleeping in a bunk/bed), I have come to the conclusion that the sleep system may be the center of gravity for a thru-hike. You will be using your sleep system whether you are in a tent, a shelter, or even cowboy camping. The benefits of a good night’s sleep cannot be overestimated, especially during periods of athletic and competitive exertion like a thru-hike. Sleep plays a significant part in physical and mental recovery each day. It’s critical to dial in this part of your kit as quickly as possible. I believe this part of the equation will require the most practical research; reading online reviews and trail journals only offer up starting points. My first sleeping bag in the 1970s was probably typical for the time; a bulky, heavy, synthetic, department store rectangle, rolled-up and strapped to the bottom of my external frame backpack. I can’t even imagine how inappropriate this beast was for the task. But I could imagine even less the possibility of owning one of those expensive, down-filled mummy bags, which were the high-tech backpacking option of the day. I could splurge, however, on the standard sleeping pad of the day; remember those rolled up, semi-firm pads? Seemed like even the mummy-baggers used those, strapped to the top of their backpacks. I was issued one of these by the Army into the late 1980s; although, I never carried it into the field. However, my Army-issued sleeping bag got a lot of use despite being a heavy, bulky beast. The bag's weight also meant I was never cold. It was a one of my best pieces of gear. Nevertheless, the sleeping bag stayed in my vehicle or base camp; it was just too heavy to carry on long road marches or patrols. Enter the poncho liner; probably one of the best pieces of gear ever issued to troops – even to this day, soldiers exalt the “woobie.” (Read what soldiers really think about the poncho liner/woobie.)
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My poncho liner is one of the few pieces of gear I still have from my 30 years in the Army; I even have it listed on my AT thru-hike gear prospectus and half believe it will make the trek (despite its weight).
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Strolling along memory lane, I was carrying a heavy, bulky sleep system. But what will I be carrying hiking along the Appalachian Trail? Again, pure speculation based upon online research, my starting point for practical experimentation will be either the REI Igneo 17 or the REI Igneo 25 sleeping bag. The REI bags (including the Magma) show up on a lot of “best ultralight sleeping bags” for thru-hiking. Since it’s been a long time since I slept on the ground in a sleeping bag, I really don’t know any more what type of “sleeper” I am – do I sleep hot or cold? The difference in the bags: the 17 offers a gain of 8 degrees for a gain of 5 ounces (and $30 in cost) over the 25-degree bag. Does 8 degrees of warmth really matter (notwithstanding the"20-degree rule of comfort")? I know 5 ounces of weight matter – a lot actually! This is an item that may be worth picking-up used for field testing. (After a thorough cleaning!) To complete the system, I plan on adding a Cocoon Silk Mummy Liner (4.4 ounces) and a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad (12 ounces); both of these will increase the comfort rating of the sleeping bag. These are just the basic factors in a sleep system. It’s really much more complicated than selecting a tent or a backpack (I haven’t even mentioned “fill power” or “R-ratings”), which is why I feel a lot of field testing is in the future. But it will also be an expensive research study, an expense I am not willing to make until I’ve committed 100% to a thru-hike. That is the reason I am borrowing a sleeping bag and picked-up an inexpensive Klymit Static V2 Sleeping Pad for an upcoming section hike. The Klymit is definitely not a thru-hike choice, but it gets me out on the trail. And I also have my poncho liner! (7/23/19)
REI’s 2019 end of season sales and the arrival of a $100 REI gift card had me looking seriously at sleeping bags this past winter. Looking online, I saw the REI Radiant 19 on sale and available at my local store; reading its description and reviews, it seemed worth a look as an interim section hike option. At my local store, I took the opportunity to lay the Radiant side-by-side with my prospectus choice, the REI Igneo 25. I was immediately struck that the Igneo 25 is fairly narrow (which is not obvious in the photo). I am a fairly heavy man and while I hope to be below 200lbs for the thru-hike, I still don’t think I would be comfortable in such a narrow bag. Given the narrowness and the price-point, I really don’t think I even want to field test a used Igneo. The Radiant also looks narrow – but to me, all mummy style bags look too narrow. In-person, surprisingly, the Radiant, is wider in the hips and legs than the Igneo; however, at 2lb 80z, it’s heavier than the Igneo (by 14oz). I really don’t want to get into the reliability of temperature ratings; so, I am going to consider that even in the comparison. For the price of one Igneo, I could buy two Radiants. So, the Radiant is a clear choice as an interim section hike option. But considering that I would need a warm bag only about a third of the time on the trail, there may be reason to consider the Radiant as the thru-hike sleeping bag. Field testing the Radiant this summer is the next step. (5/9/2020)
Link: A comprehensive guide to the best ultralight backpacking sleeping bags.
Link: A comprehensive guide to the best ultralight backpacking sleeping bags.