Gear Review

Okay, so it is time to review the gear I used. Again, I know most people don't care about this, but some of my fellow hikers or anyone that followed along from a trail forum might.

Boots: Vasque Summit; and Superfeet insoles

The Summit's were too small after my feet swelled (and maybe not as broken in as they should have been). I returned both at REI for a full refund (YAY REI) when I returned to Michigan. I switched for Keen boots a few days in. I found these boots to be wonderfully comfortable. The tendon in my ankle had to adjust to a new boot, pretty painful for two days, but then I was fine. I also used the superfeet insoles. My complaint with insoles as a whole is that none provide enough cushion for adjusting feet. The ball of my foot hurt at first after about 3 miles, then after about 5 pretty much every day. I think this is something that we just deal with and over time becomes less annoying and painful. It would be nice though to have a shoe that allows enough room to shove pillows in the bottom - that is my suggestion for anyone out there in product development!

Socks: Smartwool Hiking Socks (3 pair)

These socks are great. I'm a converted fan for life. They pill a little and lose some their plush after overuse and washing, but I was tromping around in these socks for a few months before hiking. I tried sock liners in the beginning that never really helped (I found a use for them though when I walked around camp in my crocs to keep my feet cleaner). I picked up a pair of Trekker socks to replace a lost pair of smartwools (did I leave them hanging on a tree)? These socks have a built in sock liner and are all the rave - they worked no different than other socks. My feet smelled a bit worse after a day of wearing them, so they became my sleep socks.

Crocs for around base camp/showers

I bought off brand ones from Walmart for $6. I'd have gotten one size bigger than normal for hiking - swollen morning feet needed a push into them rather than slipping on like they should. Wearing them for extended periods (in town) gave me little blisters on the tops of my toes from wear if I wasn't wearing socks.

Pack: Gregory Triconi

This was a good pack, especially because I bought it on sale. I became envious of Bluto's very light and handy Ula pack and wanted one, but it was somewhere higher than $200 and I couldn't justify it when I had a working pack. The only external handy zipper broke right at the end of the hike (thankfully) and I'm in communication with Gregory to get it either fixed or they will replace the whole pack. They have great customer service (although they weren't equipped for fixing my zipper at Trail Days) and for that, a big thumbs up...BUT I'd go with a lighter weight pack with hip belt pockets next time. My cargo shorts had to carry anything I needed for the day because taking off the pack to grab something wasn't gonna happen.

Pack cover: REI Duck Cover

I was most worried about this - as everyone has different reviews of manufactured pack covers and what crap they were. I can say that I had a fair shake down as far as rain was concerned. It rained almost every day, and this pack cover was decent. When it poured for hours on me, yes water slowly seeped through and the inside of my pack got wet. I always used a compacter bag around my sleeping bag as back up and that stayed dry the whole time. So I agree that the only way to ensure nothing getting wet at all is to use compacter bags - a lot cheaper too! However, the pack cover was really handy to put my pack into when I had to put everything down on the muddy ground, saving my pack from becoming disgustingly muddy and gross. That may have been it's #1 unfailing use.

Sleep System: Big Agnes Encampment , BA Insulated Air Core, bag liner

The bag liner was worth the money. I don't know that it added any warmth, but I like the soft material much better than the inside of the sleeping bag. It was also great to keep everything cleaner so that I only had to wash the liner. The mattress was great too. I'm glad I decided on it. Yeah, blowing up and putting it away each night sucks, but I had a comfy nights sleep even atop rocky and rooted ground. The bag is a too heavy for backpacking and I should have chosen a lighter one, but what did I know then! One complaint I heard was that the temp rating wasn't true. I had a few really cold nights and on some when others were really cold I was toasty, but others my legs were chilly. Taking layers off when your cold DOES help, letting the loft of the bag work properly. It is a roomy bag, and maybe too roomy for me. The fabric rests along the edge of the pad, at least another two inches on either side. This would rest along the side of the tent and be damp in the morning. For what I needed, it worked...but I'd get a lighter bag for long term.


Tent: Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 & footprint

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this tent. At first I had some moisture issues, but that was my fault and after properly using the guy (sp?) lines I fixed the problem (the inside of the tent was wet from the rainfly resting on the inside screen during rainy nights). My only complaint is that anything in the vestibule touching the vestibule top would collect moisture through the night. However, this is small beans when most of my hiking companions were having some assorted issues during heavy rain nights, I never worried or had any problem. Overpriced, yeah-but I liked having the footprint for extra protection against wear on the bottom of the tent and I used it under my bag when sleeping in the shelters. I will also say that at Trail Days I tried out some hammocks - and I would have been a hanger if I'd had the chance before to try it. It is the most comfortable and easy way, unless your backpacking where there are no trees.

Water System: Katadyn Micropur tablets, 1L Nalgene, 2L Platypus

I first drank from the Nalgene, slung through my hipbelt straps and carried extra in the platypus all day because I thought the tablets took 4 hours to treat water (only 20 minutes actually). I had switched to iodine because I thought it would be a quicker system. I then realized this was not at all good for me (thyroid disease) and stopped immediately. I also got a drinking tube for the platy and then just used that primarily (MUCH BETTER). I went back to the tablets (after finding out 20 minutes was all that was necessary). Sometimes I didn't even treat my water when it came directly out of the side of the mountain. Yeah, I was taking a risk...but I didn't get sick and it was great tasting water. I didn't mind the taste of either the iodine or the tablets. But I don't have any problem drinking water with floaties either. When your thirsty, it doesn't matter. I'm glad I had the Nalgene though. Sometimes I had to get water using the lid as a bowl because it was shallow. I also mixed flavored drinks in it. I added a small 16 oz. empty bottle for hot chocolate and morning carnation instant breakfast. Cleaning chocolate drink is too messy, so having a 'chocolate bottle' was the way to go for me. I saw others with Steripens that either worked great or didn't work at all. They seemed finicky and fragile. My hesitance to get a pump was because of the weight, although a fellow hiker hated getting water because it was 'a chore' with his pump. I liked and will continue to use the tablets.

Stove: cat can stove, WalMart 1L aluminum mug, utensils

I never had a problem with my stove. It worked so well in fact that Bluto was envious of it and thought about converting to homemade alcohol from his canister stove. I am so happy with this stove. It wasn't stinky, and didn't burn anything. Once I figured out how much fuel I used per meal/per day and I could carry the right amount it became weight effective too (at first I had a whole 20 oz. bottle of alcohol, and it isn't weight effective if you carry more than 14 oz). My aluminum mug never failed me and I didn't burn food either (a common complaint). I carried a spoon and fork, although eventually just the spoon.

Hygiene / First Aid kit: toothpaste/brush, floss, bio soap, toilet paper, ibuprofen, daily vitamin, band-aids, antibiotic cream, duct tape, cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, anti-diarrhea, Benedryl, needle, safety pins

This got cut WAY down real quick. I cut the end off my toothbrush and got travel sized toothpaste (I had a bigger one to start). I ditched the biodegradable soap and sponge and instead washed my dishes with leaves and sand (more effective too!) and used tea and sunlight to destroy germs. Any place that had a shower had soap to use. Kept the floss, toilet paper, vitamins, two band aids, duct tape and safety pin. Everything else got pitched because likely you won't need it, or if you do, then go into town and get it. I kept two anti-diarrhea pills just in case, but never needed them. I added Burt's Bees Res-Q ointment, which can be put on anything and is a miracle worker. I also added the chaffing bar, earplugs, sunscreen and bug spray. The 100% deet spray pen didn't deter anything with wings and was useless. I also dried out several baby wipes for the next couple of days. Most of these things (and replacement items) were either found in hiker boxes or split between several people (ibuprofen).

Rope w/ homemade rock bag
Life Gear Flashlight
Ziploc Baggies
Matches
Bic Lighter
Knife - Cabela's Pine Ridge folding knife

I cut my rope down to about 30 feet after a few nights of hanging a bear bag, going for minimizing anything I feel comfortable with. When possible, I always used the bear cables (not always 100% secure without an extra carabiner keeping the food bag in place. The flashlight didn't last as long as I thought and wasn't nearly as awesome as I'd hoped. It was fun to play with the blinking blue light, but I traded for a headlamp in Hot Springs when the flashlight had failed me one night for a middle of the night grass watering. I reused my ziplock baggies when I could and didn't go through as many that way. I carried two lighters, but gave one away when someone needed it. I also learned to dip the end of a used match into the alcohol pooled inside my stove and use that to light the stove. This worked the best meant I could use the same set of matches over and over. I used the knife for everything and it was all that I needed. I might think of getting a bigger one or carrying a hatched for other trips, but for the AT, this small knife is fine.


Clothes:
Base/wicking Layer - REI & PolarSkins baselayer top/bottoms
Insulating Layer - REI ultralight fleece, Sporthill pants
Wind-proof shell - Marmot jacket
Water-proof shell - Frogg Toggs rainsuit (top) and Marmot cargo shell pants
Gloves
Rain hat
Turtle fur Balaclava
Underwear - BEST Sportsbra evah!
Sunglasses
Bandanas (2)

I added a third bandanna last minute that may not have been necessary. I lost the sunglasses the second day and never replaced them. I only needed one bra (putting on wet dirty clothes soon becomes the norm). I lost my rain hat within the first two weeks and replaced with a found baseball cap that worked better. A hat for sure is necessary for both weather (rain and snow) but also the sun and bugs. I used the gloves maybe twice, always getting wet from sweaty hands, but kept them warmer than nothing. I could have done without them. The Balaclava was one of the best pieces of gear I had. Regulating body temp through my head was HUGE - and it kept my earplugs in at night! Rainsuit - if I hadn't been sweating while wearing it, no doubt would it have kept me dry from rain. However, since you sweat from the inside and it raining outside, it just provides a barrier between the two. The only thing that really makes a difference is protection from the cold. I sent my snowboarding pants home (dumb I know, but it sounded good at the time) because they were too heavy and hot. I traded for a pair of zip-off cargo shorts and a separate pair of rain pants. Both being way overpriced, I wished I'd made better decisions at home and shopped at Salvation Army first! My nylon shorts I picked up last minute in Florida at Salvation Army were great for around camp and sleeping in ($1.50)! The sporthill pants were also too heavy and hot. It might be cold or chilly in the morning, but put on some lightweight clothes and get going - you'll warm up! Lightweight layers should have been key - I just hear 'layers'. I love my Marmot Windstopper jacket, but it wasn't the right choice. My cloths worked, but I made a lot of bad choices.

paper & pen
watch
Harmonica
Medium pack towel

The harmonica got sent home quickly. I was so tired at the end of the day, it wasn't an option and certainly not during the day when I was climbing mountains. Maybe on a different hike later. I was glad I had a watch. It helped me pace myself and know when to expect to be somewhere or where I was based on pace. It helped fulfill the detail oriented part of me that otherwise might have been wondering around scared in the woods with no idea of what was going on...or maybe I should have left the watch at home! :) Paper and pen helped keep notes until I could recount stories on the blog. I stopped actually 'journaling' on the trail quickly as it took too much time. The pack towel was great for wiping off the tent inside or out when wet since it had such great absorbency. I did throw away the little outside holder and just threw it in my stuff (ounces count)!

Appalachian Pages

I separated the book and sent half home and even bounced future pages when I could. This guidebook is the best IMO and I got the opportunity to look at others in detail. I eventually got in the habit of taking out that days page (or two) and kept in the my front shorts pocket with paper and pen after constantly having to stop to get into my pack if I wanted to before then.

Camera: Canon Powershot, charger, USB cord, 2 extra batteries, 2GB chips (2)

I didn't have any issues here and even got some water on it (and dried ramen noodles)! I took a lot of pictures and still never needed to change chips. Maybe if I had taken more videos that would have been needed. I always had a full battery and was never dead. This was a great system, and maybe could have even dropped a battery and chip. The charger/USB cord is light, although I did bump it when I could.

I guess the moral of the story is the same as everything I read and heard previously: research what you want, but it will likely be different for everyone, so just HYOH! I certainly underwent trial by fire, not having really any backpacking experience or doing a proper equipment shakedown. I made the worse decisions on my clothes, but I had no clue what I was doing, and made the best of what I had! I should have chosen lightweight versatile options. I've always been a live and learn kinda girl, so why should this have been any different!

I am planning more backpacking trips in Michigan (2 to 5 day trips) and will update anything that comes up or changes that I make. Nothai won an alcohol stove at Traildays that he gave me and I'll try out. I forget the name now, but I'll update later. I also realize I didn't take many pictures of mundane camp life stuff, so I'll be sure to do that coming up too.