Well, there's most of the stuff I will be living off of for the next 6 months. I don't have everything yet but I took what I did have and added in a few substitutes to get a feel for the weight of my filled pack. I'm trying to decide if the pack is really heavy or I'm just really out of shape. Or possibly both. I'm pretty sure I could shave some weight but I'm not sure I want to. I suppose I can pare it down a bit when I'm on the trail by sending stuff home.
Just came over from Reddit... Awesome trip planned!!! Can you geek out a little bit and give a list of what you decided to bring and your pack weight?
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over! I've certainly geeked out over my checklist. I actually posted an embedded Google spreadsheet of it a few months ago here: http://joenjasper.blogspot.com/2009/12/checklist.html
ReplyDeleteIt is updated constantly from the spreadsheet I'm using to plan the trip. As I add in and remove things, it publishes in real time.
Another redditor here. I'm pretty damn jealous. I've been thinking about doing a thru-hike for at least five years, but I just can't give up my job and they haven't come to their senses and laid me off yet.
ReplyDeleteGear changes I would make if it were me (based solely on the visible stuff):
- Get rid of the bug spray. Once you get somewhere you'll need it, it'll be easy enough to pick up.
- Go with a Bic instead of the cheap lighter. I always burn through the flint before I run out of fuel and the plastic isn't nearly as durable. Make sure it's colorful so you don't put it down on a rock and lose it.
- Ditch the headlamp and grab a dynamo LED flashlight with a USB port. They're pretty cheap and allow you to charge some of those devices on the go. I understand you'll have your Eee, but more power options (especially ones that don't rely on getting to a town) and less dependency on batteries is always a good thing.
- I might ditch the Jetboil. The ceramic (plastic?) shielding the filament cracked on mine, and so 95% of the time the piezo ignition just fires a spark into the body of the stove rather than the mesh that the gas comes out of. I typically end up having to use my lighter or a flint to actually ignite the gas, which is less than ideal.
Don't worry too much about the weight. It'll suck at first, but you'll get your trail legs and 40lbs will be nothing. I once met a couple who were hiking southbound from Maine, each packing about 70lbs. The woman was about 5'3" and couldn't have weighed more than 110lbs. Turned out they were moving to Florida, and they were walking all the way with all of their worldly possessions on their backs. I was in awe.
Anyway, best of luck. I'll be following your blog. Maybe when you make it up to Massachusetts we can meet up for a day or two. Mt. Greylock is a fun hike and the view from the top is stunning.
Thanks for the advice, Chris. I've heard a lot of iffy things about the Jetboil as well but I've used it on several trips and it's never given me any problems. If it does crap out on me I think I'll just switch to an alcohol stove.
ReplyDelete"95% of the time the piezo ignition just fires a spark into the body of the stove"
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, it's probably like 5% it works, 70% it sparks the stove, and 25% it sparks ME. That last 25 is probably why I'm so quick to dismiss it for a long trip, but other than that it really is an excellent product. Hope it holds out for you. Also, I love the Katadyn filter. Great choice there.
It's funny - I used a Katadyn filter exactly like this one on my first backpacking trip about 15 years ago. They haven't changed the design at all. I guess they got it right the first time. :)
ReplyDelete