AT Thru Hike: Gear List

[@MazzyDuck]

LOved bOth your vidEos - the before and what worked and what didn't work. Extremely helpful videos. Congratulations on doing the trail. Its on my bucket list.

[@chemicalcraig69]

You've probably figured it out already, but from my experience: yes on the trekking poles, ditch the rain jacket, yes on the rain kilt and running shorts. Forget the pants.One lighter is enough, especially if you have a firesteel. Yes on the nail clippers. Ditch the hammock for a tarp and sleep closer to the earth. Snowpeak bowl instead of the trek. Great set up. In general I'd say get rid of the silnylon. I've been screwed too many times. I made gear with it for years. It is not waterproof.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Yup, Apache. I have a whole playlist of videos I took while on trail if you are interested in checking them out.

[@BackcountryBanter]

I never ended up taking the kindle. Though I am not sure it would hold up very well, given the moisture and temperatures it would be exposed to. The quilts were fine, but I did use a Tyvek ground cloth when I slept in shelters or on the ground. This helped keep the quilts clean and safe.

[@samridge817]

Sawyer Squeeze filter! Same! nice to see a light pack with same filter. Wonder if ill switch up or not as I just got mine the other day.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Mine did because it is an older model Platypus bag. The new ones have changed design and don't work well anymore. Evernew brand bags work perfect with the Squeeze as does a standard water bottle. Also, Sawyer has apparently strengthened their design and has better bags now.

[@nates386]

i see you have already taken your hike grats on that. this is whats worked for me: I bring a pair of Giro bicycle full finger gloves AND a super cheap/light "fleece like" glove, for when or if it will drop below 30 fahrenheit. this is a powerfull combo. The bike gloves i like have breathable mesh in between the fingers and padding for the knuckels. They are generally light weight, cost about 20 dollars, skin tight (i forget i'm wearing them) and dont take up much room at all. Check em out.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Because the titanium is stronger it can be formed using thinner walls thereby making a lighter product. Though it may be heavier by volume, it can be lighter by application.

[@BackcountryBanter]

I carried the down sweater at the beginning and end of the trail (cold times) and sent it home in between. You could probably get by with the lighter one, but it is quite nice to have the warmth when sitting around camp. Otherwise you will probably have to go to your sleeping bag for warmth. Some people got by with only a fleece jacket, but I prefer a little more warmth.

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

Well, looking at his videos, Joe thru-hiked the Appalachian trail, end to end, with or without the questionable knife. i wonder how many miles the gear snobs that put down his gear hiked. From the keyboard to the refrigerator?.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Basically they re-sell all the gear that people have returned over the last couple of months. It could be damaged or maybe it just didn't fit right. You have to get there early and wait in line until they open the doors, then you just kind of rummage through like a real garage sale and find what you need. It's not fun waiting for a couple hours and dealing with the crazy shopper people, but the deals are hard to beat.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Yeah, the lid is rather thick and heavy. But I like the little tabs on the edge that help keep it on. They make draining pasta a lot easier.

[@djjerome]

thank you very much for the info. i became interested in the exos when i was checked it out at rei. i like the fact that it's lightweight, but seems to have a sturdy internal frame and suspension system as well. some of the reviewers on the rei site said that the exos wasn't as tough as the other osprey packs. i'm assuming that the pack has been holding up pretty well for you though.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Sounds like a good idea, I'll have to work on that. I do have another video on my channel describing some of my favorite gear from my thru-hike though.

[@BackcountryBanter]

I ended up just leaving the gloves at home. Never regretted it. Though my hands did get wet when it rained, it never became a problem. I have a feeling they would have soaked through anyways. Now if it were deep winter, I would 100% take them.

[@seccat]

Ditch the under-quilt (too bulky) for a close-cell foam pad. And sleep in the shelters on cold nights. Switch to an alcohol stove, because you can find fuel at any hardware store.

[@Weskanoy]

Nice, thanks for sharing, what kind of knife was that? 1.2 ounce bare essentials deal..? Thanks..

[@BackcountryBanter]

Well, it is new for me as well, but I am taking a chance and using it on my thruhike (2 days!). If all else fails, I'll pick up some aqua mira. Are you thru-hiking with it? I feel like it is so simple that it should be fine as long as I don't let it freeze.

[@BackcountryBanter]

For most of the trail I wore no underwear. The liner in my shorts was all I needed. I had 2 pairs of socks the majority of the time until NH/ME where I got a thick pair of warm socks to sleep in. I did laundry in towns or at hostels whenever a chance presented itself.

[@ryannowak1284]

Did you carry your Patagonia down sweater/jacket with you the entire way? Also, have you checked out the ultra light Patagonia jacket (w/ the full zipper) at all? It is about 4 oz lighter but I'm not sure if it would be warm enough. Do you feel the lighter jacket would have been fine? I figured I could wear my rain jacket over it if it got too cold.

[@BackcountryBanter]

@kookiemoose I am going to try to. I just have to figure out a system. Either I'll take lesser quality videos with my phone or I'll have to find a way to upload my camera videos somehow.

[@Chasing_The_Dream]

Enjoying all your videos. You have a ton of good info. Still looking for the rain kilt video

[@mechris4u]

Looks like you thought everything through pretty well. Sucks that there is not an AT guidebook for kindle. I guess you could always download the iBooks or B&N app on your smartphone and see if they have one. Have fun!

[@Laspelotasconesto]

Ditch the pants, if you go in cold season the shorts and the long underwear is more than enough. I stuff an extra pair of medium or light in my sleeping bag in case I'm caught in a bad storm (which sucks) but it's barely any extra weight that make miserable nights more bearable.

[@BackcountryBanter]

I ended up making it and had a ton of fun. I posted videos along the entire trail if you are interested in watching them. They (and other videos) are listed on my channel.

[@dylancracken]

great video. i wish to one day do a thruhike myself. hope yours went well. Looking back, was there any items you didnt need? or that didnt perform as well as you had wanted? Thanks for posting. -Dylan-

[@BackcountryBanter]

The pack is great. Unfortunately, the one I picked up from the REI garage sale had a problem with the back support strut. Osprey replaced the part no questions asked and was very responsive. Due to the time it was taking to get the part in the mail though, I ended up just picking up a Golite Jam pack and using that for the rest of the trip. The Opsrey pack works great now though, it is very comfortable.

[@BackcountryBanter]

They held up fine. I saw others that used them with success as well. I actually swapped out shoes in NC, but that was due to my feet expanding and the Salomons becoming too small.

[@BackcountryBanter]

I use a quilt in my hammock instead of a sleeping bag. It is basically half a sleeping bag to save weight. Since your body weight compresses the insulation under you in a sleeping bag, you are not really receiving much benefit from the extra material and weight.

[@greerblack4545]

how did the kindle hold up? did you have any issues protecting your quilts when you slept in shelters without a sleeping pad?

[@BackcountryBanter]

Though I only used the Salomons up through the Smokies the straps seemed very adequate. Some other thru-hikers used Salomons continuously and I can't remember anyone that had a problem with the laces breaking.

[@ChristopherRankin101]

How did your straps on your shoes fare? I have the exact same pair of Saloman's and I'm a little worried about them- hiking from Springer to Damascus starting Saturday

[@Hullspawn]

How are you getting by with just a hammock and no roll mat/ contingencies for ground camping ?? I've heard there are patches of the AT without tree cover to hang a hammock from and while your tarp can be used for a ground shelter I've not read anything about ground quilts being used

[@uselessjoe]

thanks...I have to agree with you. What might seem like a good idea at first would not be a good idea by day 3.

[@Memphistiger02]

Hey man why did you not use the salomons? I am planning some small hikes just for fun, like 30-60 miles. Ive already screwed up and bought too heavy of stuff.

[@Loner2012AT]

Hey Apache! Had a great time watching you do the PCT. Great job! I miss hiking alot and am going to watch all your AT vids in order. I watched most in 2012, some before I started and also while on the trail. But prob missed some. Think it's awesome you made alot of your gear. We had alot of the same types of stuff. But my knife was WAY smaller, lol.

[@OnRappel]

Did that platypus bottle work good with the squeeze filter? I heard it only works with the crappy bags it comes with.

[@rayvit8155]

everybody seems to start with some common gears before going to ultralight, very interesting

[@Baristaboy2376]

I think u should consider getting a bigger knife. Not for protection but mainly for practicality. If u bought ur knife dull, it will be more likely to dull faster. Have you considered trying a leather man knife with all of the multifunctional it has. I have one and I love it. They aren't too bad on price and they are a definite help. It costs a little wait, but is totally worth it

[@lilricky2515]

Curious, how did those Kevlar shoe strings hold out? Any breaks?

[@annahd94]

I've been looking at that pack. You are so lucky to have gotten it for $30! Was it a scratch and dent sale at REI?

[@tomgilbert2573]

The no cook method is not that bad. I have gone two weeks before on cold rations and snacks on a patrol. Plus if u have ration packs it doesn't make a difference on the nutrient and calorie side.

[@BackcountryBanter]

You couldn't hit enough restaurants to survive that way. I have heard of people that use a no cook method, but this is typically for trips up to a week long. For thru-hiking you are going to need some substantial calories and nutrients. I can't see the no cook method working well. I think it might be miserable too. You could opt to take only a pot and cook on fires only. There are some places that forbid fires though so you would have to plan for that.

[@434robinson]

Great run through! Thanks for sharing. My only complaint is that the shaky cam is killing me!

[@BackcountryBanter]

I used them up through the Smokies, but they eventually became too small (as my feet expanded). That is when I switched out to the La Sportivas.

[@tombebee]

Kind of late looking at your video here, but wanted to check something. I use the Sawyer squeeze filter all the time and the Sawyer bags are not good. I have an Evernew bag that threads on correctly, but was told that the platypus bags would work also. However the threading on the one I got seemed ok, but leaked when I tried to use it. Did you have any luck with them threading correctly? If you did, perhaps they have changed them. Would have purchased another Evernew bag, but they are really hard to find in stock for some reason.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Unfortunately, a couple years back, Platypus changed their threading to one that is not compliant with standard bottle threads. Any of the new bags won't fit the squeeze filters well. I have an older Platy bag that fits the filter but I don't think there is anywhere you can buy them and I'm not sure how old it would have to be to work. If you haven't tried the most recent Sawyer bags, you may want to give them a try. I know Sawyer admitted that their bags were terrible and made efforts to improve them. Apparently their new line is much better. I still don't like that they are opaque though.

[@tomgilbert2573]

The no cook method is not that bad. I have gone two weeks before on cold rations and snacks on a patrol.

[@Fj4LiFe23]

I payed 285 for my ospray atmos 65...and it was worth every penny!!! 30$ is insane and all ospray's come with a lifetime amazing guarantee

[@RichAllfieldnohit]

Is there a specific reason you chose that first-aid kit?

[@uselessjoe]

Is it worth the weight NOT to carry a cooking device? and just eat hot meals when you hit food joints?

[@BackcountryBanter]

I had shirts. Typically one to hike in and one to sleep in.

[@kookiemoose]

Have a great thru hike. I was just reading a thread on amazon titled "pdf files on my kindle". I think it's possible to get that brick of a guidebook onto your kindle. Also you could visit Whiteblaze(DOT)net and ask the forum, I'm sure someone there knows how to do it. Will you be posting videos along the way?

[@hatsandsweaters]

Did you find that you needed a sleeping pad for when you spent the night in shelters, our did you hang your hammock inside? I think an underquilt is more comfortable for a hammock, but a sleeping pad allows for more versatility if you need to move to ground. It just seems redundant to carry both

[@BackcountryBanter]

I used a klymit x-frame as a compromise. it was light enough that I didn't mind carrying it for the few times I actually slept in the shelters, on the ground, or in a hostel. You really shouldn't hang your hammock in the shelters. They aren't really designed to hold the weight and it gets in everyone else's way. I tried not using a pad but the floors are so breezy and hard it was worth it to bring the klymit pad. If I had to choose, I'd definitely leave out the pad and take an under quilt.

[@royharper100]

Never skimp on the socks. Dry feet are quintessential. This is one important key component that equals the extra ounces.

[@txdurk]

Wilderness Logic has more compact quilts; really light too.

[@chrischapman2575]

I have to see this kilt! That sounds awesome

[@pangeria12]

How do u charge your stuff to keep video taping.

[@djjerome]

how did you like the exos 46?

[@xxbryan715xx]

Can you tell me your opinions on the osprey after use. I know you did not use it for the entire trail but I am still curious. I am looking at an atmos 50 (53L for my size) for the JMT this year and the PCT in 2016. Thanks for the help.

[@BackcountryBanter]

The exos is a great pack. I have seen a couple people thru-hike with them. They really carry a load well with their frame. Just make sure the frame fits you well, some people complain about it digging into their hips. I wouldn't pick it as my personal pack, but it still works great.

[@BackcountryBanter]

It is a Baladeo 22. I found it on Amazon.

[@silverliner5226]

Whoa whoa whoa... Thats a real dangerous knife! One slip and there goes a finger. High four for the gear pack though! Good video

[@solarobotify]

how sterdy is the knife

[@11UncleBooker22]

where'd you leave the cat on the A T ?

[@benny9771]

Yes you might need them

[@OnMeds1]

how did it go?

[@revmparker]

thanks for the idea about trailguide in E book form i think im gettin busy

[@bonkthetube]

How many times did you use drop boxes?

[@johncfl]

What about underwear and socks -- how many pairs and do you go into town to do laundry?

[@moneyshot68]

I don't know if kindle has email but you could scan it and email it as a PDF. Your AT book that is.

[@kookiemoose]

@Biophthera That's great, look forward to it. BTW I have jacket envy. That shell is fine.

[@tkpkalex]

did you finish?

[@solarobotify]

i like the rain kilt

[@BackcountryBanter]

Yup.

[@oleugim420]

BIC's never fail.

[@OnMeds1]

Congrat's. I'll check out ur other vid's

[@queticoahl]

Great video! Thanks

[@joejimenez7570]

Do you complete your thru hike? what was your trail name? -Smilin' Joe GAME 12

[@Jgrassey3]

How did that knife work out for you?

[@BackcountryBanter]

To be honest it's not too great. Because of the way it is ground, it really only functions well as a left handed knife (it's chisel ground aka flat on one side). On the trail I never found that I needed a knife anyways.

[@BackcountryBanter]

Yup, check out the videos on my channel.

[@aaronhewett484]

Thanks for the video.

[@Chasing_The_Dream]

No shirts?

[@BackcountryBanter]

I might make a video on it then. You are not the first one to request a kilt video.

[@pierre-olivierboucher258]

You do not need a big ass knife while on a hike. Its is not a survival situation...yet. I would reccomend a mora if you consider wieght/ efficiency. Btw thats what I carry on my survival+ letherman+ hatchet

[@BackcountryBanter]

In town whenever possible.

[@TheEllybelly123]

you should make a video response to this video saying what was needed what sucked what you wish you brought and what was unnecessary

[@warrenlc57]

Thanks for this video!

[@BackcountryBanter]

Mine has been working great so far. (I think, you never really know)

[@joesmith7156]

What is a REI garage sale?

[@daBlyyzee]

member's only used equipment sale

[@CriscoAtTheDisco]

i say keep the gloves and get a solar wrap for the bear grylls store

[@discgolface365]

shorts plus long johns equals comfort

[@CriscoAtTheDisco]

i dont think you should bring the kindle or droid with out a water proof case

[@CathyGoes]

Those cheap lighters will stop working real quick and some don't work at all. The fire steel is a few ounces. Why not bring it and practically guarantee yourself the ability to get a stove or fire started?

[@BackcountryBanter]

@laurenkuhlman It's the only way to protect myself from wild animals. He'll sleep on my pack all day and scare off bobcats by night.

[@ulfheonar1066]

link doesnt work

[@vandrare7835]

I hope that knife wont break...why dont you just take an army knife, nothing fancy. But they are very useful, and you have also some other tools inside it...just an idea.

[@stackoleebillylions]

Every piece of gear is brand spanking new and you have so much experience to comment on it. Something doesn't add up.

[@laurenkuhlman]

I hope you're taking the cat in a cat bjorn.

[@conandelaney2835]

I think if u go up mountains u should have boots and also if u are going on bad terrain

[@GoodBoy-ge3de]

Conan Delaney while that may be a popular opinion of those who don’t hike, boots can cause foot sores, weigh more, and don’t give the same ventilation you get from shoes. You don’t need ankle support if you choose your foot placement with care. Your comment was good intentioned, so I hope you don’t take this as a snarky comment.

[@vandrare7835]

Titanium weights 4500 kg/m3 and Aluminium 2700 kg/m3...so Titan is heavier than Aluminium, but stronger....but i think in case of tent peaks some people make a good business because people believe thet titanium is lighter....check it!

[@bellevaeinsideout]

Why don't you have a sleeping bag