-- SHELTER --
-Hennessy Hyperlight Hammock and Hennessy Undercover
I slept in my hammock for a majority of the trip and loved it. It was so comfortable, and it was so easy to find a site to hang it along the AT. There were always trees nearby that were sufficient. I didn't have to worry about flat ground or rocks. So, I could leave a shelter late in the day and know that I could find a stealth site before too long. There were a few sites where setting up the hammock was not possible, but at all but one such sites I stopped because I intended on Cowboy camping (for example, on top of the balds). There was one case where I was with a bunch of others, it was getting dark, and the best place was in a field. I set up the hammock like a bivy. It worked, but it wasn't ideal.
I stayed with the stock tarp. It provides sufficient coverage if pitched right. I combined it with the undercover to block out any wind-blown rain, and I very rarely got wet. However, the stock tarp only provides minimal coverage if you are trying to cook under it. I didn't do that too often and when I did I had my rain gear on anyway, so it worked for me. The advantages of the small tarp are weight, it packs up smaller, it requires less distance between trees (increasing the possible pitching locations), and it only has 2 stake out points.
I originally got the undercover to cut down on wind in the Winter. There were other advantages as well. It blocked wind-blown rain, it made it harder for mosquitoes to bite through the bottom of the hammock (other hammock users were talking about getting bit), and it prevented some bugs from crawling through the bottom slit.
I use the snake skins to pack up the hammock, tarp, and undercover. I don't use any other stuff sack with the hammock. When I am packing up, if the tarp is dry I stuff it and the guylines between the hammock and the undercover before pulling the snake skins. If the tarp is wet, I roll it around the hammock and undercover. The undercover keeps the hammock mostly dry.
I actually do like the bottom entry, although I seem to be in the minority. I think it keeps more bugs out of the hammock. I also hang my pack in a gear hammock at the foot end, so I can reach out and get something if I need to (although this is rare).
I have two really simple modifications to the stock hammock. The foot end of my tarp is attached to the normal hook. The head end is on a rope which I tie around the tree. Putting the one side on a separate rope allowed me to get a tighter ridgeline without making the setup too much more complicated. The other modification is that I attached plastic guyline tighteners so I didn't have to tie and untie a knot each time. I left the extra guyline rope though because occassionally I would pitch the hammock over a really steep slope so the guyline would need to be tied shorter or longer than normal.
Using the hammock in the cold weather was a challenge and required some practice. First of all, I am a warm sleeper, so I don't need as much insulation as some other people. I am good with just my sleeping bag until about 45 degrees (remember, I always have the undercover on). Below that I put my Neoair in the hammock and wear an appropriate amount of clothing. When it was really cold out (10-15 degrees), I would boil water and put it in a water bottle inside my sleeping bag, and I used a hand warmer a couple times. When I stayed in the shelters through the Smokies, it was pretty much the same process even though I wasn't using my hammock.
-- SLEEPING BAG --
-Marmot Helium 15 Degree Bag
This is my favorite piece of gear. It is well made and has held up with no signs of wear. It is warm, it is light, and it can pack up small (although I never compress it fully). I kept it for the full trip. It was overkill during the warmer months, but I never knew if the temperature might unexpectedly drop. Some people regretting switching to a lighter bag when it got suddenly cold at the beginning of May.
-- PACK --
-Gregory Z65
The pack is comfortable. But, everything started to fail on it as soon as I hit Maine. Seriously the only aspect of the pack that has survived is the hip-belt. It is heavier than many alternatives without the extra durability as I expected. And, I wasn't the only one. It seemed like everyone with Gregorys had something broken on their pack. 65 Liters was overkill, especially after I dropped my bulky fleece. If I did this hike again, I don't think I would use the same pack. The most common packs I was seeing among thruhikers were the Osprey Exos packs, ULA packs, Gossomer Gear packs, and Granite Gear packs. All are lighter, smaller packs. I am probably going to switch to the Osprey as they are light for the number of features they have and seem to have held up for most people.
-- PAD --
-Neoair Short
I love the Neoair. It is light, it packs up small, it is really comfortable, and it is surprisingly warm for having no insulation. It worked well for me both in the hammock during cold weather and in shelters, in huts, and on the ground. The short was long enough for me; I just put something under my feet (although I am short). I had no issues with durability. The only downside is that it takes a while to blow up, but the short length isn't too bad.
-Heatsheet Emergency Blanket
I took a small section of the orange emergency blanket with me. It went under the foot end of my sleeping bag when I slept in shelters to protect the bag from getting dirty. I was surprised that it didn't tear all trip and it doesn't weigh much. Plus, it might have some utility if the temperature really dropped (maybe?).
-- CLOTHING - FOOTWEAR --
-MLD Short Gaiters
Bringing these was my best last-minute decision. The gaiters kept most snow, dirt, sticks, and rocks out of my shoes. I thought I was only going to wear them when it was cold, but I had a ton of junk in my shoes the first day I didn't wear them. So, I continued to wear them every day for the rest of the trip.
-Northface Ultra 104 Trail Runners
I went through two pairs of these. They were comfortable and lasted much longer than I expected. I got over 900 miles out of each pair. They weren't really waterproof, but they kept water out for a little bit.
-La Sportiva Trail Runners
I used one pair for the state of Maine. They were a little lighter than the Northface 104s, but they are not at all waterproof. Most of the shoe is mesh. On the otherhand they dry really quickly. They were great in the warmer weather, but I wouldn't have wanted to use them in snow and slush. They were really comfortable and I got no blisters while using them (of course my feet were solid calluses by the time I used them).
-Knock-off Crocs
I brought these as a camp shoe, a town shoe, and a fording shoe. I didn't use them as much at camp as I expected. It was nice to get my feet out of my regular shoes for a bit, but I am not sure if they were worth the weight. I could probably find something lighter for that purpose. I did however use them a lot in towns. I could leave my shoes with my pack so they could dry while I walked around town. As for fords, I didn't have to do many this year because the water levels were abnormally low this year. So, I can't really comment. When I did have to get a little wet, I just walked through with my shoes on.
-WrightSock Double Layer Socks
These were great. They are lightweight, comfortable, and dry quickly. They eliminated the need for separate sock liners. I don't think any of my blisters would have been avoided with a different pair of socks.
-Polarfleece Socks
I brought these for the cold weather. I didn't need them too much, but when I did it was for walking around in the snow at camp along with my crocs. So, they got wet. In the future I will try substituting these with waterproof socks. They might serve me better.
-Superfeet Insoles
While not absolutely necessary, the Superfeet extended the life of my shoes a bit. They were comfortable and I went through two pairs in addition to the insoles that came with my shoes.
-- CLOTHING - RAINGEAR --
-Northface Prophecy Rain Jacket
The jacket worked well in the cold weather, wind, and snow. But, the liner started to break down and it lost its ability to be waterproof. Finally I replaced the jacket in Vermont as it was really leaking water when it rained. Also, for what it is it is a heavy rain jacket.
-Marmot Super Mica
This jacket is awesome so far. It is really light without sacrificing features (like pockets, pit zips, etc.). It actually keeps me dry. It is comfortable to wear as a wind shirt, even in warmer weather. I wish I switched to this jacket much sooner.
-Rain Shield O2 Rainpants
These are the best rain pants I have ever used. They are really light, breathable, and waterproof. The downsides are that they aren't very durable (I went through two pairs) and they look ridiculous (they are yellow and baggy). Once it got warm, I didn't use rainpants at all. I would just wear my shorts and get wet. But, when I needed them they provided good rain protection. I also wore them while doing laundry in towns.
-JRB Pack Cover
As a gear hammock, this did the job. Each night I would throw my pack in the gear hammock and hang it from the foot end of my hammock. It would keep all my gear off the ground. As a pack cover though, it was useless. The water went right through it. I don't know if coating it with something would help.
-- CLOTHING - BOTTOMS --
-LLBean Thermals
The long underwear worked as expected. They were warm for the weight. I kept them the entire trip just in case the temperature dropped unexpectedly.
-EMS Underwear
They worked and they survived despite the amount of wear they went through.
-Adidas Shorts
I was happy I took these. They are soccer shorts and I find them more comfortable than running shorts or hiking shorts. They dried quickly. I just wish they had pockets.
-Northface Convertible Pants
I wore them most of the trip. They were comfortable and had lots of pockets to carry stuff. I even wore them in the hot weather to prevent bug bites and scratches. They didn't dry too quickly though. And, they were heavy when I wasn't wearing them. At the end of the trip I never wore them because there weren't many bugs and it wasn't cold. So, they became dead weight. I would consider dropping them in the future.
-Northface TKA 100 Fleece Pants
I only carried these in the beginning of the trip. They were warm and I used them around camp and while sleeping in the cold weather. They may have been overkill though. I probably would have been better off with down pants if warmth is really necessary.
-- CLOTHING - UPPERS --
-Northface Lightweight T-shirts
These were great. They are really light, cool, and dry very quickly. I would definitely take these again, but three shirts may have been excessive. I could have probably gotten away with two.
-Northface Dinali Fleece Jacket
I only carried this in the beginning when it was cold. I didn't use it as much as I expected though. I would only wear it around camp and occasionally wrap my feet in it in the sleeping bag. It is heavy and bulky. If I expect Winter temperatures (where I would be wearing it most of the time), I would definitely bring it. If cold temperatures were only a possibility I would make do without it.
-Northface Fleece Pullover
Yes, I would keep this fleece in my pack. It is warm and isn't overly heavy or bulky. If the temperature could drop, having this is worth it. I would wear it around camp, in my sleeping bag, while hiking until I warmed up, and when I stopped for breaks.
-Western Mountain Flash Down Vest
This was my other last-minute addition that I don't at all regret. It is extremely light, packs small, and warm. I carried this during the beginning and end of the trip and dropped it during the middle. I would wear this around camp and in my sleeping bag. It added quite a bit of warmth to the sleeping bag for its weight. It is high quality and was worth the expense.
-Northface Prophecy Rain Jacket / Marmot Super Mica Jacket
I already mentioned my rain jackets, but they were also part of my layers. Both worked well as an outer layer and as a wind jacket. Most of the time while hiking I was fine with just a tshirt and my rain jacket.
-- CLOTHING - MISC --
-Mountain Hardwear Fleece Hat
This lightweight fleece hat was sufficient and doesn't take up much pack space. So, I kept it for the entire trip. I didn't have a need for a heavy hat.
-Underarmour Glove Liners
These were warm for not weighing much. There were only a couple times when my hands got cold and putting them in my pockets warmed them right up. The gloves were not bulky so I could manipulate things while wearing them. I also carried them throughout the trip.
-Turtlefur Balaclava
I only carried this at the beginning and end of the trip. I would combine this with the fleece hat when it was really cold out. It was quite warm.
-- COOKING - FOOD --
-Bushbuddy Ultra Woodstove
I quickly realized that the woodstove was a pain on a thruhike. It would take too much effort when I just wanted to eat food. And, it would take a long time and a lot of attention to boil water. When the available wood was wet or buried under snow it was hard to get a fire going. The advantages were that I didn't need to carry any fuel and I could melt snow without worrying about how much fuel I was burning. My conclusion was that the woodstove was fun on a section hike but was a pain on a thruhike.
-Jetboil Flash
I replaced the wood stove with a Jetboil within a couple days. The Jetboil is heavy but is really easy and is very efficient. I got a month on a small canister. Granted, I only boil water for dinner and occasionally breakfast, but still it lasted much longer than I had anticipated. My concern about the availability of canisters wasn't a problem. As long as I did a little advanced planning, I could get a canister when I needed one. Occasionally I would carry a 2nd partially filled canister just so I could completely use up a canister. There were also often partially used canisters in the hiker boxes.
-Ursack
I suppose this should be considered one of my luxury items. It is heavy. But, I was not comfortable with sleeping with my food like some people. And, I am pretty bad at setting up a bear bag. So, the Ursack was a good compromise. I just tie the bag to a tree away from my hammock. As far as I know a bear never tried to get in it and I never had any problems with rodents.
-Food
This will be a whole separate post when I get around to it. My food worked for me, and I was happy I did mail drops. For short trips I am going to try going cook-less to drop weight. I don't know if I would be ok on a longer trip without warm food though.
-- WATER --
-Katadyn Hiker Pro Filter
The filter worked. I never got sick. I always filtered my water. I could get water from pretty much any source if I needed it. I liked having the ability to pump water directly into my water bladder without having to hold the bladder. I didn't like the weight or bulk of the filter though. I am going to try Aquamira, but I don't know if the drops will work for me.
-Platypus 70oz Water Bladder
This was my primary water container. I almost never needed to carry more than the 2 liters. It never leaked and I never punctured the bladder. The only time I didn't like the bladder was in cold weather. The bladder became useless because the water would freeze solid.
-Nalgene 16oz Bottle
I used this to hold boiling water, either for a hot water bottle or for tea, coffee, or hot cocoa. The Nalgene doesn't have an problem with boiling water and retains heat well. 16oz was a good size for hot drinks.
-Gatorade 20oz Bottle
I only carried this in the beginning of the trip as the bladder lost a lot of its utility when it was cold out. The Gatorade bottle is much lighter than a Nalgene bottle.
-- ELECTRONICS --
-iPhone 3GS
This is a whole separate post. The iPhone worked well as a computer-substitute while on the trail. I was surprised about what I could do with it and I was surprised about the frequency of reception coverage. In general, it seemed like Verizon had better coverage along the trail, but I could still send emails at least once every few days. The phone allowed me to keep in contact with people through email as well as update this blog. Battery life was better than expected when I kept it in airplane mode as often as possible.
-Canon Powershot SD780 IS
I wish I could have had my dSLR. But, I don't regret the decision to not bring it. It would have been heavy, bulky, and would have required a lot of care to prevent it from being damaged. As an alternative, the Canon Powershot worked well. It is very compact and light, the battery lasts for a long time, I always had it accessible, and it could take decent pictures.
-- MAPS - NAVIGATION --
-Mapdana
I very rarely used the data on the mapdana. But, having a bandana was useful, so it didn't hurt to have data on it in case I needed it. The bandana could be used as a towel, head-covering, handkerchief, and napkin.
-The AT Guide
I just took the pages I needed for the section I was traveling. I really liked the guide. It was convenient to have the elevation profile in-line with the data points. Having the distances to the next several shelters was useful. I had no need for topomaps or any other data.
-- MISC --
-Petzl Plus Headlamp
This was a tiny headlamp that weighed nothing, was reasonably bright, and lasted forever on a set of batteries. It was sufficient for walking around camp and for minimal night-hiking. It wasn't quite bright enough for extended night-hiking, but I very rarely did that. I would take this headlamp again.
-Stuffsacks
I replaced one of my stuff sacks (the one for my sleeping bag and clothes) with a drysack. Water went right through the pack cover and pack material. The previous stuff sack allowed some water through. It wasn't a big deal, but I didn't want my sleeping bag or clothes getting wet at all.
-First Aid Kit
My minimal kit had everything I needed except a sewing kit. I would include a travel sewing kit next time. I needed to repair a few gear items several times and I needed thread and a needle to do it. Carrying a couple handwarmers in colder weather wasn't too much of a weight penalty and were useful on a few nights that were colder than expected. They were also a good emergency item in case someone got hypothermia.
-Book
I used the Kindle App on my iPhone about half the time for reading. The other half was paperback books that I picked up at shelters. Both options were ok. I was happy to have reading material.
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