Pre-Trail Thoughts

It’s crazy to think that I’m just a week out from starting the Appalachian Trail because I’ve been dreaming thru-hiking it since 2007.

My introduction to backpacking was in June 2007 when my dad, another girl, and I spent a week on the AT in Shenandoah National Park. When my dad talks about that week, he remembers it as being unseasonably hot and incredibly buggy, but I remember it as of the best weeks of my childhood. I got to be outside all day in, ate as much beef jerky as a I wanted (back when I still ate meat), and fell in love with the AT. I knew that I wanted thru-hike someday and now I’ll start next week!

What’s In My Pack?

What do you take on a multi-month hiking trip?

I’ve been considering this question for several years as I’ve acquired gear, decided it was too heavy and then got some more.

My goal is for my pack to be as light as possible. I’ve opted for lighter versions of things when possible. For example, my tent using my hiking poles to set up instead of having separate poles, I’m using a quilt that goes on top of me instead of a sleeping bag, and I’ve repacked things like soap and hand sanitizer into very small containers. The other way I’m keeping my pack weight down is by taking very few luxuries like changes of clothes or my kindle.

For the curious, my (almost) complete gear list (and its weight) is available on Lighterpack. I was going to type it all out again but I have over 80 items that I’ll take with me. The number shocked me but I weighted almost everything I’m taking individual (e.g extra contacts, contact case, and contact solution).

You think a week out my gear list would be set by now, but I’m still deciding how I want to protect my food from bears. (I’m hoping I’ll get to see bears but I don’t want them to eat my food).

There are 3 main options:

1. Bear canister: a large plastic container that is almost impossible for bears to break through but it’s the heaviest option (~2lbs)

2. Ursack: a kevar bag that’s bear resistant. This is normally my default when bear canisters aren’t require since they balance of ease of use (just tie it to a tree) and weight (~7 oz).

3. Bear Hang: ideally a lightweight waterproof bag of food that’s hung off a branch ~20ft off the ground, 6ft out from the trunk, and 6ft down from the branch. This is the lightest option (~3-5oz) but it requires throwing a rope over a branch on a daily basis and if they’re done wrong bears can get to them. Plus, if you’ve ever seen me throw, you know why this seems like a questionable choice for me.

My plan was to go with option 2, but I recently that the US Forest Service requires Ursacks to be hung instead of just tied to a tree for the first half of the Appalachian Trail. The main reason I like the Ursack is because I don’t have to hang it from a tree and if I need to hang it I could find a lighter bag.

As a result, I’m back to the drawing board trying to decide between option 1 and option 3. I have option 3 in my list for now but that still might change.

Next time you’ll hear from me, I’ll have finalized my choice and be in Georgia!

Happy Trails,

Linnea