Gear We Ended with on the Appalachian Trail

[@wthurman5910]

Beautiful snow. Looks like Christmas there🧑‍🎄☃️🌲❄️⭐🎁🎀❤️❤️✌️🙏☕ Great to see y'all

[@hikinghomesteaders]

It was a magical winter wonderland!

[@charlesjohnson9662]

Thanks for taking the time to review your pack contents. Still not decided about trekking poles, I’ve been backpacking with the same stick since 1972 ! Looking forward to future posts. Happy new year 🎉

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Hope it was enjoyable for you. Hey, if it works for you then it works! Happy New Year's!

[@jamesadams2334]

Anytime I hiked with sunglasses they made sweat drop into my eyes. I ended up sending them home because I only used them twice on the entire hike. All good info! Thank You! I can see me getting lighter, (if I can ever hike again) because my pack is 27 lbs. with a liter of water and a liter of whiskey and 4 days of food however, I don't carry any electronics at all but do have an EMS 0* down bag. I want to go to a quilt instead and 2 less clothing pieces. Thanks again for vlogging your hike, it was so entertaining to watch and took me thru hiking again when I'm no longer able to do so. You guys rock! And, at the risk of sounding like a creepy old man, Gypsy, you are a very lucky man. Fern is just a tiny smiling breath of fresh air! Good luck on your future trips and your life together. geek

[@hikinghomesteaders]

The best use for sunglasses on the AT is for protection from bugs! Thanks for following us the whole time, we had so much fun bringing along everyone. That's a pretty good weight for a fully loaded pack, definitely recommend the quilt and maybe a sleeping bag liner, I found it was far less heavy or bulky than a sleeping bag. Really hope you can get back out there again! And thank you for the compliment. Fern is my ray of sunshine!

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

So happy Evan got a lot of use out of that pouch! I had the same pack as him for my caretaking job and loved it.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

The pouch really came in handy, thanks so much Chris! Hoping you had a lovely holiday season.

[@GreggObst]

This was hugely helpful and I have quite a few more items in my Amazon and REI wish lists now. Seeing the total base weight of that Atmos 65 loaded and still under 25 pounds is very encouraging. I got the AT stickers I ordered from your Etsy shop, Fern. Great quality product and I will be ordering more soon. Enjoy the snow!

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Glad we could help! Yes it's not really the base weight I had an issue with, it's going to the store for resupply and buying too much to carry 🙃 never grocery shop on an empty thru hiker stomach!! 😆 glad you liked the stickers!

[@SupTim1]

These are some of the most helpful videos

[@hikinghomesteaders]

We are so happy you found them useful! :)

[@debirusso9882]

I didn't need the equipment information but I loved seeing you at your cabin and walking through the beautiful wooded area. Just keep on keeping warm. When you put the snow in your cooker it reminded me of the many times I ate sugar on snow. love you guys!

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Sugar on snow!? Why didn't we think of that!😂 what about maple syrup on snow? Now that's a treat. Thanks for continuing to follow our journey!

[@debirusso9882]

@@hikinghomesteaders yes. We heat the maple syrup and pour on the snow and it gets hard like candy 🥰

[@hikinghomesteaders]

I've seen people do this! Can't wait to try it with our own syrup soon..

[@roxannebacon7951]

Wow how beautiful!!! Love your place!

[@hikinghomesteaders]

It's our little piece of paradise!

[@tkemp4184]

Good review. I use the HMG pods and love them. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2023.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Thanks, you as well!!

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

Great gear list..thank you so much for sharing. Really got some new ideas now for my wishlist. Merry Christmas 🎄 from the Netherlands.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Glad we could help! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

[@theoutdoordogandhikinggirl]

@@hikinghomesteaders happy new year

[@DanielOutdoors]

Thumbs down for modification on the Deuce to non Ultralight, Nah just kiddin. Thumbs up. have a nice weekend and congrats on your AT

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Had me going for a second 😂 thank you. It was an experience of a lifetime.

[@MoreAThanI]

I always roll some Duct Tape around the trowel, and then use some of it to patch things.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Smart move!

[@Chiamex]

I enjoyed the review very much!

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed your holidays!!

[@tobopej]

Very helpful. Have you posted your list of equipment somewhere? I couldn’t catch all the brands as you went through. Thanks.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Yes it's in the description under the video!!

[@tobopej]

@@hikinghomesteaders thanks. I’ll look for it.

[@truthnadventure]

Can I ask what snow shoes you have, both womens and mens, and what gloves to you wear in the colder weather and coats…Moving to Wisconsin and would love to see your winter gear, the orange gloves…??

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Of course, we use Tubbs Women's Flex Alp snowshoes, and the Tubbs Men's Wilderness Snowshoes

[@sanfranciscostitchco.9446]

Love the spool table!!

[@jonathanwtea]

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing. Been on the road for over 2 weeks, so apologies for just now seeing this. A couple of questions: Fern, does the Hyperlite pack have load lifters? If not, did you care or wish you had them, or nah? Gypsy, what are the pants you are wearing in this video? They look pretty rad. Catching up on your channel. Hope you both are well and happy! xo❤

[@hikinghomesteaders]

No, unfortunately the hyperlite packs do not have the load lifters, and yes she wishes she had them! Gypsy's pants are called summit skins, and he swears by them in the winter. Thanks for checking in! Hope you are well!

[@ironhorsealpha]

Great video guys. Appreciate the review. This might have worked well as a live stream too. Few questions: 1) given the pervasive canopy of the AT, how often did you find that you used the umbrellas? 2) Did you guys find that you used all the small stuff you brought? Like safety pins, extra lighter etc.? 3)Any plans for the PCT? Thanks again. Look forward to catching up on the complete journey.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

So we were lucky (or unlucky) in that last year was one of the driest years on record for the AT. Therefore we did not have to use our umbrellas too often. However when we did need them, we were very grateful. And the small things did come in handy every so often, you never know when you'll need to do an emergency gear repair on trail. Plus they're so light it really doesn't make a difference in weight. And who knows about the PCT! It's something we might want to do in the future but for now we are enjoying life in Maine. If anything maybe we'll rehike the AT again in a few years! Who knows.

[@shayzoo2]

Thanks for sharing! Of course the one link I wanted wasn’t there. 😂 is it possible to get the link to Caro’s trekking poles?

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Hello! Caro has had her poles for a few years now and I couldn't find the link to her exact pair. But they are a hike/ski hybrid pole and slightly thicker than the average Black Diamond. I would recommend most BD poles for backpacking. Here's a link to give you an idea. www.rei.com/product/147515/black-diamond-trail-trekking-poles-pair

[@shayzoo2]

@@hikinghomesteaders thanks!!!

[@seymourtrails6485]

Very informative! GS🥾

[@hikinghomesteaders]

Good Stuff! Hoping you enjoyed your holiday! 🎄

[@britrowland6148]

Hey guys, I've thoroughly enjoyed watching your channel. I started out as a thru hiker and had to get off 200 miles in due to injury. This year I have time to do about half the trail... If you could do half again, which half would you choose? I suppose I could do like a middle 1000 too.

[@hikinghomesteaders]

We really enjoyed the northern half of the trail, although we are biased! Once you leave the rocks of PA it gets really fun. Trail isn't as crowded as the south, and the NY delis are a nice touch. Doesn't really get super difficult again till you reach the Whites. By the time we got there our bodies were really feeling the 1800 miles we had already hiked, so maybe it wouldn't be as bad if you started somewhere in the middle, after PA. The southern part has its own perks too. Virginia was fun in its own right, pretty long but the rolling hills and beautiful farmland were so picturesque. Plus Shenandoah was a real highlight.