When one chooses to hike for a minimum of 2190 Miles, one ought spend considerable time and effort selecting gear. Much of my knowledge regarding proper gear selection is based on internet research and hard lessons learned through experience (SPARTAN Ultra Beast.) Hypothermia thanks to exposure to the elements pulled me from the course early, but a 5 cent trash bag to keep my gear dry (when I plunged into the freezing water for one of the terrible obstacles) could have kept me in the race. Gear selection will not be my downfall this time.
Summit at the Ultra
I have been meaning to write this first gear breakdown for some time, so here it is.
Just the Basics
This is certainly not everything that I will be taking with me, but is a pretty good overview of the basic equipment needed for hiking in the wilderness. For starters, when you are going to be walking the Appalachian Trail (AT as most call it) nothing will bring you more pain and suffering then the wrong shoes. A quick search for hiking footwear will steer you toward large military style boots with superior traction, support, and most are waterproof. These additional features often come at the cost of excessive weight (feeling like you are wearing cement shoes.) My current shoe selection is my trusty Brooks Cascadia 8’s. They weigh next to nothing, have great support, and are not waterproof. Why not waterproof you ask? Well when the insides of the waterproof boots get wet, they take forever to dry which will lead to soggy and blistered feet. I have tested several different brands and be breaking in a few other pairs (INOV-8 Mudclaw and a pair of Vibrams The Beauty got me)
Most change shoes many times during an AT thru hike because shoes break down and your feet will typically swell, so shoes are subject to change.
Brooks Cascadia 8’s
Comfortable sleeping arrangements keep morale high and keep the weather and critters at bay. I purchased a hammock kit from REI because it was on sale at the time and will definitely be using it during the warmer months of the AT. The majority of my nights will be spent under my awesome Snugpak Bunker-3. It sets up in minutes and is a fly first style tent which allows you to set up the shell first (in case of rain) and keep the actual internal sleeping tent dry(ish).
Inside the tent, I have my Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad and probably the funniest sleeping bag I have seen. Can you say… Sleeping Bag You Can Wear? The evrgrn Crash Sack might not be the most thermally efficient sleeping bag out there, but when you can get up on the cold mornings, start a fire, and make coffee outside all while never having to leave your sleeping bag, you start your day off right.
Miscellaneous items in the photo include:
- Waterproof and airtight Sea-to-Summit bags (the better version of the life saving 5 cent trash bag)
- LifeStraw water filtration kit (essential and will be one part of my water treatment setup)
- Mini Gas Camping Stove (for all the coffees and dehydrated meals)
- First Aid Kit and Blister Pads (With European Magic Healing properties)
- Black Diamond Headlamp (Survived the Ultra Beast)
- Waterproof Matches
- Garmin Fenix 2 Smart Watch (This thing is a beast and tracks just about everything including GPS position, altitude, sunset/sunrise, and barometric pressure)
Action Shot from Mt. Tallac, Lake Tahoe CA
Oh! I haven’t forgotten about the pack. Pack sizes, carrying capacities, hydration bladders, waist and shoulder straps, and everything in between have evolved significantly since my last extended hiking trip in junior high school.
I am currently planning on using this Granite Gear Leopard A.C. 58 (the one I purchased was from REI but they no longer carry it.) Like Beauty, I have a thin frame and long torso, so most packs don’t fit me well. We will be taking this pack out into Red River Gorge next month to put it through its paces. Hopefully it all works out because I do like the storage space and how it fits me!
In addition to the cavernous storage spaces, pockets, and water sealed main compartment, the actual top of the bag comes off to save weight (but does have an awesome quick access pocket for maps and such.)
If you have been wondering this whole time where the name of the blog post came from, I present to you… the top of the pack.
Check back for my rundown on the food, clothes, physical conditioning program, gear updates, and why in the hell I am attempting the North to South Appalachian Trail thru hike in 2017 in the first place!
Beauty And The Beard 