A few stories about my gear for the AT SOBO Thru-hike

My backpack for the Appalachian Trail will contain essential items and a few more that will ensure I get sufficient rest, minimal hassles, eat great tasting food, keep the bears from eating my great tasting food, and take great photos. 

The Bearikade food canister weighs two pounds, which is two pounds more than I would prefer for nightly food storage.  But the smart and creative black bears have learned to leverage poorly hung hiker food sacks into bear food.   Not all campsites on the AT have secure food storage.  Even after practicing the “PCT method” of suspending food Sacks ten or more feet above the ground I am leery of doing it well every evening before collapsing in my tent.  Several of my training hikes included bag hanging practice.  After a failed hang in one camp I had a change of heart.  Using a bear canister is less complicated for me and safer for the bears. Not having to worry about where I store food at night means I can camp almost anywhere the rules allow, and sleep instead of looking for acceptable trees to toss a rope 25 feet up.

Long distance hikers 25 years ago had little need to carry electronic gear.  In 1996 my 12 pound base-weight backpack included a very simple point and shoot camera, which failed after falling in a Sierra Nevada creek. The electronic items I have in my pack for AT are part safety part luxury.  I carry a waterproof camera, InReach satellite transceiver, cell phone, a 13,000 battery pack and a power supply to charge them in town.  The InReach could save my life if I suffer a serious injury on the trail.  And the evening text messages to my lovely wife Cindy (aka Snake Maiden) to say “I am not dead yet” are weightless (even at 6.5 ounces).  The cell phone is a great navigation device and feeds my neurotic tendency to look at maps!  And the Olympus TG-6 waterproof camera, at 10 ounces, satisfies my desire to pretend I am a good photographer and attaches to a trekking pole.  Pushed into the ground the pole is magically transformed into a monopod for capturing more than the cliché smartphone selfie.  Cell phones take great pictures, but using a real camera helps me take even better ones.

I have happily owned many shelters from Six Moon Designs. The Six Moon Haven tarp and attachable net tent is a spacious backcountry shelter for one and can accommodate two. The combo weighs just under two pounds and will effectively ventilate the humidity I expect in the eastern states, shed the rain the AT is known for, and prevent condensation from dripping on my down sleeping bag.  There are a few lighter solo shelters out there, but I the Haven will be more effectively keep me dry and the mice and bugs out.

Food is a pretty big deal for me on the trail.  I tried some no-cook foods in 2020 when I hiked for one week on the CDT in Montana.  HORRIBLE.  I would have hiked at least another week if I had better food to cook in the evening. After meeting a hiker on a hot afternoon who pulled out of his backpack a bag of Kettle Chips, I really wanted to steal them and run away! In the spirit of enjoying my AT experience I chose a Soto Windmaster butane stove.  Butane stoves have an ability to simmer foods such as my tomato sauce with pasta, which is so, so good.  Alcohol stoves and fuel are barely lighter and burn either very hot or are cold out. And I don’t like the taste of burned tomato sauce! 

The other gear and clothes I am taking are lightweight upgrades from my CDT thru-hike in 2016. These include the Katabatic 22 degree sleeping quilt, Nemo foam pad, Montbell Torrent Flier jacket and Montbell Plasma 1000 down sweater. I am going to wear RailRider Eco-mesh long pants to help keep ticks off me. I do have a skimpy pair of shorts for days when the weather is unbearably sticky.

I am not hiking the AT to set a speed record or race to the finish.  I know hikers who have hiked the AT in three months and LESS!  That will not be my goal.  What I really want is to enjoy the AT experience while keeping safe, dry, and warm while stoking my sense of adventure. And HAVE FUN!  Even at 18 pounds base weight, I am optimistic I made good choices for my hiking style this year.