Gear

  • Distance: 105mi / 169km
    Direction: Counter-clockwise
    Start date: Late August (shoulder season)
    Biome: Alpine environment at elevation
    Temperatures: Ranged from 32C/95F to below freezing with substantial wind chill
    Social: Solo. Stays in Refugios/Hostels as well as camping.

    Sleep system

    Down quilt: "Hammock Gear Econ Burrow 20F" – 733 gram

    Sleep pad: "Exped Flexmat Plus, 7 sections" – 277 gram

    Sleep/sit pad: "1/8 inch foam pad, medium size" – 97 gram

    Backpack + Fanny pack

    Backpack: "Atompacks AtomRE30, large, 25l main, 5l front" – 410 gram

    Fanny pack: “Mountain Laurel Designs Burrow” - 125 gram (out of production?)

    Carabiner: "Mini carabiner, spare" – 3 gram

    Shelter

    Tent: "Durston Gear, X-Mid Pro 1 with stuff sack" – 468 gram

    Tent stakes: "MSR Groundhog mini, 6x with DCF sack" – 60 gram

    Packed Clothing

    Sun shirt: "Patagonia Cap Cool Daily hoodie, XL" – 202 gram

    Rain jacket: "Montbell Versalite, XL" – 204 gram

    Shorts: “Decathlon running shorts” – 172 gram

    Fleece “Kuiu Peloton 97” – 165 gram

    Socks: "Wool socks, thick" – 81 gram

    Boxers: “ExOfficio boxer briefs” – 74 gram

    Wind pants: "Montbell Tachyon, XL" – 62 gram

    Rain skirt: “Zpacks DCF rain skirt” – 58 gram

    Tube scarf: “Buff merino” – 44 gram

    Clothes bag: "Reusable shopping bag, nylon" – 31 gram

    Worn Clothing

    Trail runners: "New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro V7, Size 13" – 283 gram

    Shirt: "Columbia Silver Ridge Lite LS, XL" – 229 gram

    Shorts: "Outdoor Research, Zendo Multi shorts" – 174 gram

    Socks: "Wool socks, thick" – 81 gram

    Boxers: “ExOfficio boxer briefs” – 74 gram

    Hat: “Headsweats running hat” – 53 gram

    Sun mullet: "Outdoor Research, sun cape" – 24 gram

    Sun gloves: "Outdoor Research, ActiveIce sun gloves" – 22 gram

    Electronics

    Phone “Samsung Galaxy FE 21 with case” – 213 gram

    Power bank: “Nitecore NB10000” – 151 gram

    Wall charger: "Anker Nano II 65w, EU" – 121 gram

    Smartwatch: “Casio GBD-H1000” 100 gram

    Phone cable: "USB-C to C cable, 2m" – 94 gram

    Head lamp: "Nitecore NU25 Gen1, head band mod" – 37 gram

    Ear phones: "MPOW, Generic bluetooth ear phones" – 25 gram

    Cable for smart watch: “Casio cable” – 17 gram

    Cable: "USB-A to micro, small" – 9 gram

    Silica gel pouch: Silica gel pouch (absorb moisture) – 6 gram

    ZipLoc: “ZipLoc for electronics” – 4 gram

    USB adapter: “USB-A to C adapter” – 3 gram

    Toiletries + First Aid Kit

    Anti blister tape: “Leukotape” – 77 gram

    Anti friction: “Vaseline” – 39 gram

    Hand sanitizer: “Hand sanitizer” – 27 gram

    Sun screen: "Sun screen stick, small" – 24 gram

    Jaw splint: “Custom jaw splint for sleep apnoe” – 24 gram

    Chafing treatment: “Diaper rash cream in container” – 22 gram

    Tooth brush: “Zpacks tooth brush” – 15 gram

    Deodorant: "Deodorant stick, cut up in Ziploc" – 14 gram

    Soap: "Dr Bronners Peppermint, small eye dropplet bottle" – 13 gram

    Bear line: "Zpacks bear line, 3m" – 9 gram

    Lip balm: “Ora Labs Essential Lip Balm” – 6 gram

    Padding for blisters: "Sheep wool, untreated w/ ZipLoc" – 6 gram

    Anti bacterial: “Neosporin” – 6 gram

    Silica gel pouch: “Silica gel pouch to absorb moisture” – 6 gram

    Pain pills: “Ibuprofene (6x) and Novalgin 500mg (4x)” – 5 gram

    Ear plugs: “Foam ear plugs in case” – 4 gram

    Sewing kit: "Hotel sewing kit and needle, safety pins" – 4 gram

    ZipLoc: “ZipLoc for toiletries / FAK” – 4 gram

    Tooth paste: “Tiny container” – 3 gram

    Glue: “Super glue” – 3 gram

    Padding for blisters: “Corn padding different sizes” – 3 gram

    Repair tape for tent: “DCF tape” – 3 gram

    Anti histamine and sleep aid: “Benadryl 6x” – 3 gram

    Stuff sack: "DCF stuff sack, tiny" – 2 gram

    Gauze tape: “Self sticking elastic tape” – 2 gram

    Anti diarrhea: “Immodium 6x” – 2 gram

    Pain pills: “Asprin 2x” – 2 gram

    Hydration + Food

    Water filter: “Katadyn BeFree, 0.6l" – 59 gram

    Electrolytes: "Self mixed electrolytes, small bottle" – 30 gram

    Water bottle: "Generic single use PET bottle, 0.75l" – 26 gram

    Water bottle caps: “Cnoc water bottle caps with tether” – 4 gram

    Spoon: "Optimus Titanium spoon, polished bowl" – 20 gram

    Miscellaneous

    Trekking poles: “Black Diamond Alpine Cork” – 515 gram

    Hut/camp shoes: “Walmart crocs” – 284 gram

    Sun glasses: “Ray Ban” – 41 gram

    Towel: "Sea to Summit, smallest towel" – 39 gram

    Knife/scissors/pliers/...,: "Swiss Army Knife, small" – 21 gram

    Trowel: "TheTentLab, Deuce of spades #2" – 16 gram

    Cards: "ID, Credit, Debit" – 15 gram

    Sun glasses case: “Soft case / cleaning” – 10 gram

    Waterproof bag: "Noaks bag, small, waterproofing phone" – 9 gram

    Lighter: "BIC lighter, small" – 9 gram

    Sharpie: “Sharpie regular” – 9 gram

    Wallet: “Custom UL wallet” – 8 gram

    Carabiner: "Mini carabiner, attach spoon" – 3 gram

    ZipLoc: “Ziploc for trowel” – 3 gram

    Lighterpack

    Disclaimer: These gear lists contain affiliate links. At zero cost to you, clicking one of these links may result in a small commission for me. Your support means the world!

  • coming soon

  • coming soon

  • coming soon

When I began thru hiking, I did benefit a lot from other hikers’ previous experiences with gear. I knew I had to do everything I could to increase my odds. Thanks to them I started out the Appalachian Trail in 2017 with a low base weight. I realized soon what a blessing this was. On each uphill, for every ankle roll and each moving second, really. My body was not burdened with carrying a lot of additional weight. I was able to keep up with cool but much fitter people because they carried more. And once I had gotten in shape, I was able to move fast while being safe and keeping the toll on my body manageable.

Ever since then I have become a bit obsessed with the art of taking less and choosing wisely what to bring. Using items for multiple purposes and replacing gear with knowledge and experience. The ultralight mindset of carrying less than 10 pounds is a tool for me to hike efficiently in the backcountry. It is not just about the least weight. Sometimes I carry a heavier item such as a water filter that does not have me wasting precious daylight hours.

Below a certain base weight, it becomes personal preference as one enters diminishing returns. Changing things up depending on conditions and social setting and trying new gear and techniques is a lot of fun! I also like to share my knowledge with others - if asked. Providing for example pack shakedowns and seeing the benefits to others has been meaningful to me.

Disclaimer: These gear lists contain affiliate links. At zero cost to you, clicking one of these links may result in a small commission for me. Your support means the world!