# Gear list with notes, from New Hampshire AT traverse.



## pedxing (Aug 29, 2003)

I just noticed that on my walk across NH thread, that I had promised a gear list.  Here is my gear list with notes on some items.  I'd love to hear what people think.  

Days used: 13.  Distance covered: 176 AT miles, + about 12 additional.

Gear List:

*Mountainsmith Ghost	*		    38 ounces

_I was pretty happy with the pack – it has a nice suspension a light bag and it really wasn’t too hard squeezing everything in to the 3100 ci.  It held up well to lots of banging around as I slipped and slid over difficult, rocky and wet terrain. 

One weird thing though: I seemed to get a bit of a rash where the shoulder straps were and where the pack mesh touched my lower back.  I’d read one report about this problem on another site (thruhiker.com) but figured it had nothing to do with the specific pack (that it was something like detergent in the shirt and friction).  I hadn’t had the problem before, but had never had the pack get wet while I was wearing it.  I wonder if there is some chemical in the straps that got released when the straps got rain soaked.  Has anyone had this problem?  The problem subsided later – maybe because there was less rain, maybe because whatever chemical was in the straps leached out.  Has anyone heard about a similar problem with the Ghost (or any Mountainsmith Packs)?  _

*Western Mountaineering Caribou	*	    21 oz.

_This was my newest piece of gear.  I settled on this instead of other ultralight bags, because it’s a bit roomier and has a full-length zip.  I almost got a Marmot Hydrogen on-line at a great price, but the dealer cancelled the order because they were out of stock.  I was very happy that I ended up with the Caribou… it compresses to almost nothing, is very warm and I really like the flexibility of the full-length zip.  I kept the bag unzipped and went to sleep in the liner with the bag near me… as it cooled off, I pulled the bag over me and used it as a blanket.  Even on cool breezy evenings near 4000 ft., I never zipped myself into the bag.  For me, the bag is a perfect compromise between heavier bags and the ultralight 1 lb bags with no zip (or half zip) and – in some cases -  no hood._
*Sleeping Bag liner*
*Foam matt (FY-20/bevazote)*
_This weighed about 6 oz after I carved it up.  It is subject to tear at corners (when cut), so vulnerable cut points should be reinforced with tape in order to prevent this.   It was surprisingly comfortable on the three nights I slept on hard surfaces (in a lean-to, on the ground when I used my Hammock as a bivy, and on the floor of an AMC hut)._

*Hennessy Hammock A-Sym (w/original tarp) *   31
_I still love the Hammock.  I need to improve my knot skills to make better use of it (esp. for quicker set up and take down), but like it even better as I get more familiar with it.  The tarp and the side tie strings give a lot of options for configuring the hammock – so I can balance air circulation with weather protection in whatever way I want.  I also could run cord under the Hammock and tarp to dry things out overnight without the risk that they would get rained on.  With a little more practice it got easier to set things up so I could lie comfortably and not get into that hammock “banana” shape – I actually felt looser getting up out of the Hammock in the morning than getting out of my own bed.

I had my first field test of using the Hammock as a bivy and it worked fine, my set up was pathetic – but it still did OK through moderate wind.

Late one day as I was hiking up Moosilauke (spelling?) it started getting dark before I could reach the shelter.  Moosilauke is steep and moderately difficult and was new to me, so I really appreciated being able to hang the Hammock quickly and easily without having to search for flat ground._ 

*4 stakes:* _For guying out the hammock and tarp, if needed and for digging cat holes_.   
*First Aid/emergency/medical hygeine kit* (incl. bug spray, iodine tabs, sunscreen lotion, whistle, compass, toothbrush, toothpaste, bandages…)
*Pants: Shorts + w/zip on legs, Bergalene type pants
Shirts:  One short, two long Capilene type
Rain Jacket and pants:  Marmot Precip
Liner gloves
liner baklava 
Fleece vest
Bandana (synthetic)*
_
The extra long shirt, Precip pants, gloves, baklava and vest were carried primarily for the Northern Presidentials.  I did not have them north of Gorham or south of Franconia Notch._

*Back Diamond Moonlight
Trail maps
Matches
Knife
Pur Hiker *
I still love the simplicity and immediate gratification I get with the filter… and no chemicals.  I almost used Aqua-Mira instead, but couldn’t bring myself to do it.
*2 pair coolmax underwear (one worn + extra)
2 pair socks (smartwool trail runners – one on, one back-up)
805 New Balance Trail Runners*
  I was a little disappointed in the grip and shock absorption.  I will have to see if my 904s so better.   Maybe boots serve me better for long hikes in bad weather in tough terrain.  After 9 days, I switched to EMS Gore-Tex Summits (light boots) and was relieved to be able to rumble down the trail and land on one foot with all my weight when leaping from a rock to the ground and enjoyed the superior grip.  I’m limited in my range of options for footwear, because I need them extra wide - 4E (or 2E at the very least).

*Leki Titanium Ultralight trekking poles: *
_I tried some terrain without hiking poles - 36 miles o/o 188 - and found it much better with poles.  It was a bit of a hassle changing lengths with these poles, but they were sturdy, lightweight and useful.  During my trip I made a mental note of the pros and cons of hiking sticks.  For me, the pros vastly outweigh the cons:
Cons:

Extra weight
One more thing to look after
The poles get in the way when you need to use your hands a lot to get around (I was glad not to have them for Mahoosuc notch, and they got in the way while going for the summit of Mt. Adams).
Cost

Pros:
Legs stay fresh much longer as the arms and chest take some of the work, impact and weight.
Great for balance in:  rock hopping and stream crossing.
Help in maneuvering around muddy and wet spots in the trail
On rugged downhills, they ease things for the knees and ankles by taking much of the impact.
Keeps the upper body involved, so it gets a work out, too.
Helps in keeping up a good rhythm/pace.
Can go much faster on down hills and rugged areas, since they can help in balancing and stopping.
Useful for other purposes:  Hanging things, setting up a tarp, tent or a hammock when used as a bivy, can be used as a splint in emergency, or to replace tent poles.
Can go with lighter boot or shoes, as the support is not as needed so the poles do work and take impact.
Some use in self-defense.
Can use to break up spider webs or shake a water laden tree or bush (so you don’t get wet)._
*70 oz platypus (+one small back up bottle with duct-tape)*
_This got annoying.  I find that only the first liter or so flows easily and then the water can stop at any point and I have to go into the pack to get it going again. I also lost the bite valve on Mt. Adams and happily switched to Gatorade bottles (+my small extra bottle that I had all the time) when I hit Franconia Notch.  I’ll try putting the platypus upside down in the pocket of the bacpack and see how that works next time._
*No Stove! * (food: dry sausage, cheese, bread, nuts, trail mix, trail bars, dried fruit…)
_I was happy with this decision.  I could just eat when I was hungry with no worry about clean-up, no holding off until the big meal.  I did have a few hot meals: at Mt. Washington Cafeteria, at Sunny Day diner off trail near Franconia, at a McD’s off trail, soup at Pinkham Notch for Lunch (as part of a mostly cold buffet) and when some very nice South Bound thru-hikers I made camp with near Garfield Pond offered me some of their curry couscous.  _ 
*Zip log bag w/tp
Multiple bags of different size (trashbag, grocery bag, zip locks)
50’ non stretch rope*

edit:  Eliminated parantheses as the one which followed an 8 turned it into a smiley face.


----------

