Packing for the Appalachian Trail
ONE MONTH TO GO!
Everyone asks what I'm bringing on the trail. Packing for the Appalachian Trail is a constant battle between "I need it" and "I have to carry it". I'd like to think I'm a conservative packer, but know I could probably shed some weight off my pack. Danielle and I planned a shakedown hike for mid March which will help us figure out what we do and don't absolutely need. Below is a list of what I think I need...I'll keep you posted on my gear list post-shakedown. Keep in mind that I never paid full price for an item- stay tuned for my thrifty tricks in my next blog post!
Gear
Big Guys: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3, Osprey Aura65 backpack, EMS pack cover, 3L Platypus Big Zip, Leki Cressida Aergon trekking poles, Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite sleeping pad, Therm-a-rest Mira HD 3 season sleeping bag
Little Guys: Whisperlite Universal Stove*, titanium cooking pot*, cooking spoon*, Sea to Summit XBowl, REI mug, spork, Prezl Tikka XP headlamp, Steripen water purification system, Bear Grylls Knife with emergency fire starter, dry sacs
Hygiene & First Aid: Toothbrush, toothpaste, TP, bug spray, Supergoop! sunscreen, Egyptian Magic (all-natural multi-purpose ointment I swear by), Dr. Bronner's soap, contacts, tweezers, hand sanitizer, bandaids, duct tape, ibuprofin, iron supplement, probiotic supplement
Clothes
Hiking clothes: Headband, Moving Comfort Juno sports bra (the best sports bra I've ever owned), Synthetic Athleta hiking leggings, Nike running shorts, Nike synthetic hiking shirt, GoLite Polartec fleece, North Face Venture Hybrid rain jacket, Columbia rain pants, L.L. Bean Ultra Light 850 down jacket, two pairs merino wool hiking socks, L.L. Bean Katahdin Hat, North Face Gloves, Keen Targhee II Mid Shoes with Superfeet (Green) inserts
Camp clothes: Smartwool NTS 250 leggings, Patagonia Capilene midweight crew, thick merino wool socks, Crocs
Luxury Items**
GoPro Hero4 Silver Edition, three batteries, two 64GB micro SD cards, lightweight carrying case, backpack strap mount, wall charger, USB connecter, iPad mini 2 with LifeProof case and charger, SD card converter, iPhone5s and charger, Ankor 20,000mA external battery
*Danielle and I will both be using these items, so we will distribute the weight evenly. One of the many perks of hiking as a duo!
**I could probably lose all this stuff and it wouldn't take away from my Appalachian Trail experience (some might even argue it would improve it). BUT, I'm super passionate about photography and sharing our journey- especially with those donating on our behalf to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. For me, it is worth the extra weight to be able to upload video updates each week.