I have a B.A. hv ul2. I would recommend getting the actual footprint because if you have to set up In the rain, footprint allows you to setup poles and rainfly first so you can keep tent body dry and clip it in while under the the fully erected fly. There are alot of places you could drop wieght. Maybe have someone do a pack shakedown for you, another's perspective often helps. Good luck and happy trails.
This is extremely eye opening! You have fully convinced us into buying one. Thank you very much for this tip! Looks pretty tricky to set up, but we'll just have to watch a bunch of videos on it
They make a polished bowl long titanium spoon that solves the irritating feeling on your tongue. Well worth it to get to the bottom of your dehydrated meal bags!
Lovely video mate (and dont take this the wrong way) but 10 kilos (22lbs) base weight is a heavy load! It will come out to close to 30lbs once you add food and water, and I dont know how strong you are, but that does sound a lot. For reference, I carry less than 20lbs with 4 days food and 750ml water (13lb baseweight), and I'm not exactly an 'Ultralight hiker'. You said you were open to suggestions, so for my 2 cents, I would suggest losing the sleeping pad for a womens Xlite (saves you 18 Oz!), swapping the sleeping bag for a 20 degree down quilt (saves 16 Oz), swapping the pack liner for a garbage bag (saves 2 Oz), ditching the Ursack (they dont reliably work, bears can get in them, and then you have a problem bear that is a danger to other hikers) for a Zpacks bear bag and Opsak (saves 6 Oz), diching the camp shoes (saves 10 Oz), ditch one set of headphones (saves 2 Oz) taking a lighter powerbank, and ditching the Ipod (and editing videos on your phone; it takes longer but saving the weight is important) saving another 46 Oz. Also ditch the hairbrush (take a small plastic comb if you have to), and get a lighter knife (5 Oz). By my count that saves you around 110 Oz (7 lbs). As someone who's done a lot of hiking, that is the difference between night and day at the end of a long day of many miles going uphill! You could pretty comfortably drop another 2-3 lbs on top of that (stripping back your toiletries, some clothes and a few other things as well). Dont let me discourage you, just giving some insight from a person who's done a fair few of these himself. Best of luck on your thru hike!
Hey Matthew! Thank you very much for this super helpful and thorough comment. I can't say how grateful I am for your honest advice. I'm obviously a beginner so I'm definitely going to take a lot of what you said into account and make those changes. Will be posting an updated gear video right before the trail. Disappointed to hear about the Ursack! I had no idea they were so troublesome. As for the iPad, looking into the mini version. Really want the iPad because creating digital artwork to document my experience is super important to me. Happy Trails and thank you again!
@@hikinghomesteaders no worries mate! I stumbled on your video because I'm in that 'binge watching everything Appalachian trail' phase that you've no doubt been on as well... I'm actually a little jealous you're about to embark upon such an amazing adventure :) There is a debate on the Ursaks. Some people have used them successfully, but there are a fair few videos out there (and images) on Reddit of bears getting into them. And for each time that happens, you wind up with a problem bear that is going to keep coming back (and it now associates hikers with food). We dont have bears here in Australia where I am from (snakes are a different story though!), so I'm only going by what I've read on US forums etc. Re your base-weight, as a goal, look to get your base-weight down to sub 15lbs (and as close to 10lbs as possible, with 12-13lbs a realistic goal). Most people that quit hikes, do so because they're carrying too much stuff (and then lose the mental game, or get injured). Im not saying it's not possible with a heavier load out, but you'll give yourself the best possible chance of success with as light as you can safely go. Enjoy the hike, and looking forward to seeing how it plays out for you!
@@matthewberry3055 Definitely can relate on binging all things AT. I truly hope you will be able to hike the trail someday! :) You've got some pretty sweet hiking trails in Australia too. That is so scary. The last thing we would ever want to do is put other hikers in danger. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will be practicing hanging a bear bag this weekend, haha! I will definitely work towards the sub 15lbs goal. I'm pretty strong, but like you said, better to play it safe with a lighter pack. Again, I really appreciate your thoughtful advice and you've inspired me to make some big changes. I'll be filming another gear video before we head out with my updated changes. Can't wait to share the trail with you. We will be starting the first week of April. (!!!)
You can save and clean out a Chapstick tube, melt some of the deodorant and pour it in the tube and you will have a small lightweight deodorant stick. You can buy empty sticks online but recycling is cheaper. Another good tip to need fewer underwear is to buy ultrathin panty liners (a weeks worth weigh grams) and change them daily. You could add a few to all your resupply boxes. Also laundry strips weight grams, take up no space and will save you a lot of money instead of buying detergent when you go to the laundry mat.
These are extremely helpful suggestions, thank you! I will definitely be making a deodorant chapstick instead. Panty Liner idea is brilliant, will try to scale my underwear down a bit with that. I had no idea they sold laundry strips either! Thank you very much and happy trails.
Regarding your water set up - may want to consider a CNOC 2 liter bladder. It has the ability open up with a wide mouth on one end to make collecting dirty water easier. The other end screws to filter. You should also get the attachment that allows you to attach your clean water bottle on the other end (also allows you to do gravity feed if you like as well as using to back-flush your filter). Best wishes for your journey.
Great editing and quality. Looks like you're pretty well dialed in on your gear. I would go smaller on the soap. looked like a larger bottle. I understand bringing the IPAD for use for editing. I know another family that did the same thing and it worked out as they could share the weight. If it gets too heavy to carry you might want to switch to editing on your phone. I'm leaving mid March. Maybe our paths will cross at some point. Good luck and happy trails hope to see you out there.
Thank you for the kind words, Stan! I'm thinking about now just bringing the iPad mini instead. Cuts the weight in half, and I can still use it for drawings. Godspeed to you and we hope to meet you out there! :) Happy Trails
I love the cordage on the trowel, I've been thinking of doing the same. The handle digs into my hand when using it, plus the cordage will be nice for hanging clothes. I would highly recommend trading out your paracord bundle (if you still plan to take it) to some of the Dyneema "Zing-it" cordage. It's way less bulky and very light weight, and because it's slick it's less likely to get caught in branches or fray from the friction. It also doesn't absorb water. It's not an expensive change either.
Have fun on your hike! The CNOC bags are nice that you mentioned. The paracord around the trowel is a good idea...that trowel always hurts my hand in hard to dig places with roots.
Thank you for the kind words. :) Highly recommend trying out paracord! You can secure the end by using some superglue. Thanks for the rec, I went ahead and bought one of the CNOC bags. Happy trails!
My understanding was if the ground is hard enough to hurt they recommend you turn the trowel around and use the sharper/narrower side for digging or loosening the soil before tossing it with the larger shovel. The Paracord is going to eliminate that option, but maybe it's better?
The CNOC is really what you'll need for "dirty water". I've heard many times that you really only will "need" one Smart Water bottle of water so in case the CNOC does break you should be fine if you have two bottles.
Never had to replace a busted Cnoc bag. I have had to replace lost/missing Cnoc bags. They're very durable. And worth the weight cost. You can collect a lot of water at one time and make it a gravity filter easily with a tube. They also make shallow water sources easier to deal with.
You mentioned you wanted a lighter weight knife. a Swiss Army Knife is a good option for light weight. If you want a fixed blade, the CRKT Minimalist Bowie is a pretty common knife to use. Small, lightweight, and easy to carry. Good luck on your hike. I can't wait to start mine in a year.
Re the Sawyer water bladder….yes I’ve heard they can break when squeezed and are hard to scoop water with. So I use the 2 litre CNOC bladder to gather dirty water. I bring along one or two of the empty Sawyer bags and use them to hold clean water while in camp or if I am hiking somewhere that lacks a water source. This way they’re not being squeezed and they are light and low volume when packed so provide significant extra water storage capacity when needed.
OK…going to be honest w you based on what I ended up ditching. Frogg Tops will shred the first week and blow out at the seams. You already have a foam pad so you could go w a light weight inflatable pad. Ditch the pack towel cover, and the Sawyer water reservoir…leaks leaks leaks. You’ll be way too tired and cold and hungry to string up lights. I find the floppy bottles hard to get into pockets. You don’t need the matches or carry just a few in your repair kit. Go w the long handled spoon. No individual wipes you have a giant pack of other wipes or get rid of those and carry just a few individual wipes. Ditch all that soap. (They have little dry soap leaves if you have to.) Cream Antiperspirant in teeny lightweight jar if you must…deoderant won’t keep odor at bay and is useless. One toothpaste between the two of you. No argonoil. You’ll have hair pulled back all the time and unwashed w plenty of oil…my hair is really dry and I never had a problem. Pair down medkit you just won’t use it all. Lighter knife. Carry a multi use bandana instead of tissues. 2 sets under wear and rinse out as needed w those 2 pair. Wait until you get to warm weather and send cami ahead. Ditch the keyboard. Teva’s are pretty heavy. So there…a few tweaks you can consider. Take it all w a grain of salt. You’ll figure it all out by Neel Gap. Good luck!
You can do a 1/8 foam roll for yoga by gossamer gear and others. I have a full size one and it is ridiculously light, and it is great for keeping my inflatable from slipping around
Outdoor vitals is giving away the polished spoon if your not a member and sign up. Also had 1/8 pad in stock, was waiting to hear from GGear for same. Gerber Dime is a mini leatherman, having trouble committing to a knife as I love my large swiss. You are making good choices and up grades. Time on the trail will be the true test. That's what hiker boxes are for. 🍀 Safe journey!
That’s so awesome! Sadly I already bought the spoon from REI (but yay for dividends!) Evan just bought the Dime and loves it! Thank you for the kind words and lucky Irish clover 😊 Happy Trails
The nemo switchback pad is nice but if your just looking for a siesta mat/sit pad i would buy the outdoor vitals 1/8" closed cell foam pad in the size short. You can fold it up rather than rolling it and stow it in the very back inside of your pack and its gives your pack a little more rigidity and comfort. Keeps poky items inside your pack away from your back aswell. Much less weight than nemo pad and alot less space needed. But honestly you will def get more comfort out of your nemo switchback and incase your prolite inflatable pad does fail you, you can always use your nemo pad instead. Soo many companies now make 1/8th inch foam pads. Gossamer gear thin light, mountain laurel designs goodnight and outdoor vitals foam pads etc... I own both the mountain laurel goodnight and the outdoor vitals versions. The mountain laurel pad is extremely minimal so i do recommend the outdoor vitals version over it cause its a little more comfortable and probably more durable. But to each his or hers own! 550 paracord would be best for your bear bag. 30-50ft max! But use what you have if need be. If the big agnes light string makes you comfortable than bring it! Its not that bulky and you could always mail it home at some point if need be. Stay safe and good luck on your trip!! Hike on!
How devoted are you to that Jet Boil? They're quick for sure. I just used a Pocket Rocket on my 1st thru-hike 5 years ago. Started with a Jet Boil but switched for weight. I carry a Leatherman Micra, because I use the scissors more than anything. A small Victoronix Swiss army knife with scissors would suffice as well. Your med kit should be simple: pain reliever, anti-diarheal (loperamide), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and duct tape. Maybe a few band aids.
Appreciate the advice! I'll definitely be bringing the Victoronix Swiss army knife instead and dialing in my med kit a bit more with your suggestions. Very much in love with our Jet Boil, we'll just have to see how it holds up after a couple hundred miles!
Check the Gossamer gear thin light pads. I think it will suit your needs and you'll lose like 1/2 pound. Use as side pad too and a windscreen while cooking. Those self-inflateing pads you guys have chosen are bulky and heavy too, you could probably drop close to a pound by switching those out.
I finally picked up one of these and it's great. It can be difficult to find because they sell out very quickly. Mountain Laurel Designs also sells one that is a different type of foam and weighs just a little less than the Gossamer Gear one. It doesn't look quite as durable though, but then again, I don't think either one are super durable.
Good for you for taking the plunge to hike the AT and I wish you best of luck! That said, 21 lbs seems very heavy for a small person like you and that’s without water or food. I’ve seen a few very helpful comments suggesting ways to trim down. Last thing you want to do is cut your trip short due to injury… ask me how I know…. Haha! I hope you make it and I will certainly follow along!
Thank you for the kind words Robin! I have thankfully worked really hard and got my base weight down to 16lbs since all of the helpful feedback on here. Feel free to check out my lighter pack link if you are curious to see the changes I made. lighterpack.com/r/fqslt1 I think I'm happy with 16 for now, will still probably mail a few things home after the first week. :) Happy trails and thank you for following along with our journey!
A few tips: 1 - The Gerber GDC Zip knife is very small and lightweight if you just need something to cut open packs of food and stuff like that. Not good for self defense though... 2 - Get a "Thermarest Neoair Xlite WR" sleeping pad (340g/12oz... WR = "womens regular"; which is slightly shorter and warmer than the regular version), and a "Therm-A-Rest Blockerlite" pump sack (150g/5,3oz) to blow it up (combined weight is 490g/17.3oz). The process of blowing it up is pretty effortless, and you will have a much more lightweight, compact, and comfortable sleeping pad. 3 - Maybe not the most important when you are 2 people, but having an extra light source as backup might be a good idea in case you are not always together. I have been trying a few different keychain flashlights lately, and really like these 2: * The Olight "i1R 2 Pro" has USB C charging (100 minute charge time), and a 5 lumen setting that lasts for 12 hours. This is not exactly luxurious when hiking on a trail, but it could do in a pinch. It also has a 180 lumen setting, but this only last for 23 minutes... * The Acebeam "M20" flashlight, runs on a single AAA battery, and has a clip that can be put in both forwards and backwards direction, which means that you can connect it to the brim of a ballcap, so it functions as a headlight. It has a 2 lumen mode (seem more like maybe half a lumen) that last for 25 hours, and is a very modest nightlight for a tent that (judging from the brightness) should allow you to conserve as much power as possible, while still having just enough light to see inside a tent. It also has a 30 lumen setting which is pretty good for hiking, and last for 4 hours. Finally it has a 150 lumen mode that last for 47minutes. The 1 lumen setting on my Nitecore NU32 headlamp and MH12S flashlight are both [barely] good enough for walking on a dark road at night, so one would think the 2 lumen setting on the M20 would be reasonable for hiking in "extreme energy saving" situations, but i guess not. BTW: I like that you will bring that iPad! Gotta have something to do during such a long hike..!
Thank you for this very thorough and helpful comment! I've already purchased the women's Neoair Xlite and I can't wait to try it out. Those flashlights look pretty sweet, I'll definitely look into them :) Thank you again!
Maybe you could go with the Bic mini lighter rather than full size. There are magic compressible towels that you add a few drops of water to and essentially create wet wipes to save carrying actual wet wipes
I begin in mid March! I hope to meet you and Evan out there! I'm on RUclips as Donn hikes. Just started my channel but please excuse my camera shyness.. 😂 good luck guys!!!
Artists unite! I actually ended up bringing the iPad mini along with me instead. It worked wonderfully and certainly helped to have a smaller size for a thru hike, but I still love my larger one for day hikes. :) Happy Trails!
At rei there's a better spoon, made by toaks its titanium and smooth stainless steel for the part that goes in ur mouth 10 bucks. Also Walmart has a great lightweight knife made by Gerber 16 bucks.
Nice review. I was curious what your base weight is? May want to consider zingit cord for your bear bag cord (strong and light weight vs the bulky yellow cord).
Just got my base weight down to 17.7 lbs. Still working to lower that slightly. Thank you for the cord rec, I just ordered some lightweight slick line :) Couldn't have lowered my weight with all the helpful guidance on here.
Good luck to you guys. I’ll follow! 2 Qs…1- You mentioned cord for bear bag hanging, but you also showed an Ursack??? 2- Any idea what your base weight will be, excluding food and water? Thanks!
This was an error on my part. I thought we might want to hang the ursack from time to time, but I guess most people just tie theirs to a tree! My base weight is currently around 21 pounds. Looking to cut back as much as possible. My lighter pack link is in the description of you’re interested :)
Yeah…I would lose the paracord. Much better, slicker, lighter non-stretching cord, like spectra reflective cord from Hammock Gear or something similar. The reflective aspect is really helpful in the dark and low light.
@@kathydomokos8837 Thank you for the input! Will definitely look into that spectra cord. Or not carry cord at all since we can just use the ursack string.
Do as many shakedown overnights as possible. Preferably in New England or NY. You're super heavy now, but could still make it. I don't know you. Hike your own hike. I would ditch 90% of the toiletries. Cold soak no jet boil. Or go to whisperlite. Ditch the matches. Ditch one of the sleeping pads. Get an 1/8" EVA pad. Ditch the sleeping bag. Get a quilt instead. Ditch the sawyer squeeze bags. They are horrible. If you want a water bag get a cnoc that opens with a slider. Start a spreadsheet or a lighterpack. If I was your size I would want a 8-12 LB base weight. Not an ounce more. I use a copper spur mtnglo and I like the lights. V cozy and a worth it lux item for sure. Hope this helps. My tone is very frank, but the mountains of New England are much less polite than I am.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful advice! I have followed most of it, and got my pack down to 16lbs. The only thing I haven't switched out is my sleeping bag. I'm really attached to it and not sure I wanna invest $400 in a 950 fill bag, but might have to do it during the summertime. Interesting you think the lights are worth it! I took them out, but maybe will reconsider. Check out my updated lighter pack link if you are interested. :) Thank you again for the advice lighterpack.com/r/fqslt1
My brother starts his thru hike doing the flip flop (Virginia to Maine, then Virginia to Georgia) April 3. Check out his channel Hike Over the Hill. Be safe!
I have a few other suggestions, that you might want to think about. -As of a few years ago the Sawyer bags are pretty good (they use to be really bad and I think they still have that reputation) -I like the Nite Ize Knife for 14g and 10 dollars on amazon -DROP: Extra stuff sacks (if you don't know what to use with them then just use ziplocks as you go) -Bear bagging is a myth, people maybe do it through Georgia (I think its silly) -Get a mini bic lighter ( a friend of mine has triple crowned with the same one) -Waterproof matches are very unnecessary but kinda cool -your toothbrush (that I can see you like) is heavier than it needs to be -either bring the Beats or the wired headphones (you can buy more in town if you have an issue) -Teava sandals are too heavy, bring dollar store flip flops or nothing as camp shoes -tent poles don't need a bag -ditch the lights -Paracord on the trowel is silly (your hands will get tough!) -hand sanitize looks big, I would go with a .5 oz one and you can refill it all the time hiker especially with covid -iPad is cool! keep it and lighten up other things -I don't think you need a Garmin (I hiked it in 2012 without GPS, a smartphone or maps) but hiking with a smartphone is great! a Garmin is overkill -one last thing: your battery pack is dependent on how much time in town you will have to recharge. you will be in towns every 3 or 4 days but you said you will be trying to not stay in many hostels. what may happen is you only have enough time to recharge it to 50% in a few hours at a cafe or restaurant then you will take off and in three days you will be in another town and just straight charge the iPad and your phones. However you will stay in hotels sometimes and be able to charge everything. what I am saying is the battery pack could be too big when you are able to go to towns so often. Also how many charging cables and plugs will you bring? I think you will find that the size of items in an organization senses is just as important as weight and you will drop things to streamline that as you go. If you ignore all this information you will still do great! your gear is very good, and I am just making some suggestions as someone who has thruhiked a lot (AT,PCT,CDT,LT,Hayduke,SHT,ViaDinarica,백두대간) I hope you have fun and when you get on the trail you don't worry anymore about weight. Just enjoy the trail!
Going lightweight is great and all, but Garmin is not overkill... A phone is better than nothing, but the implication of smashing the phone screen if i slipp and fall while hiking makes a Garmin Inreach seem equally important as a first aid kit. Things usually go ok, but you never know when things will happen... And im guessing her parents will appreciate to hear that things are going ok, so they dont have to go to bed worrying... It only weighs 100g, so i think its one of those things any serious hiker should invest in eventually. Oh, and "ditch the lights"..? Hiking is not about going max ultralight... With some reasonably lightweight gear, you can definitely pack a headlamp and at least a small keychain flashlight as backup - or ideally the awesome Nitecore MH12S; which i just bought 😋 190g/6,6oz including the holster and a 5000mAh 21700 battery. It gets 1500 hours battery life on the 1 lumen setting - and going all the way up to 1800 lumens, with 300 meter throw. I really like this flashlight 🤩
@@EspenFrafalne yeah you make a good point, I don't think the AT is that dangerous or remote, but it could be an asset. These are all suggestions, the lights could be nice. I have gone through different phases of being lighter or heavier depending on the trail and season. I did smash my black diamond headlamp on the Hayduke and hiked most of the trail with a cheap LED flashlight. I had to put it in my mouth to set up my tent in the dark. It all works but I think being light is really nice.
Advice like that is what caused "the bear shelter" Hang your fucking bear bag or get off the goddamn trail. I use a bear can. Always. I recommend switching to make up for douchebags who don't even bother to do the minimum and hang their gd bags.
Advice like that is what caused "the bear shelter" Hang your fucking bear bag or get off the goddamn trail. I use a bear can. Always. I recommend switching to make up for douchebags who don't even bother to do the minimum and hang their gd bags.
Sorry, I don’t remember your start date. If leaving in the cold weather, leave the camp shoes and take a second pair of trail runners; nothing worse than trying to put on frozen shoes in the morning. Two pair of trail shoes should get you close to half way, ship you camp shoes with a new pair of trail runners to a hostel around around 1100 mile mark. Looking forward to following your trip.
@@hikinghomesteaders No worries, you should be good by then. I really have a hard time getting going with wet/frozen shoes. Check out bamboo long spoons, I haven’t tried one yet but may be an option.
if your shoes are going to freeze remember to loosen the laces the night before and stretch them out so you can still put your foot in when they are frozen. after a few miles you will be warmed up
You can get the extended titanium spoon with a polished smooth finish
I have a B.A. hv ul2. I would recommend getting the actual footprint because if you have to set up In the rain, footprint allows you to setup poles and rainfly first so you can keep tent body dry and clip it in while under the the fully erected fly. There are alot of places you could drop wieght. Maybe have someone do a pack shakedown for you, another's perspective often helps. Good luck and happy trails.
This is extremely eye opening! You have fully convinced us into buying one. Thank you very much for this tip! Looks pretty tricky to set up, but we'll just have to watch a bunch of videos on it
They make a polished bowl long titanium spoon that solves the irritating feeling on your tongue. Well worth it to get to the bottom of your dehydrated meal bags!
Lovely video mate (and dont take this the wrong way) but 10 kilos (22lbs) base weight is a heavy load! It will come out to close to 30lbs once you add food and water, and I dont know how strong you are, but that does sound a lot. For reference, I carry less than 20lbs with 4 days food and 750ml water (13lb baseweight), and I'm not exactly an 'Ultralight hiker'.
You said you were open to suggestions, so for my 2 cents, I would suggest losing the sleeping pad for a womens Xlite (saves you 18 Oz!), swapping the sleeping bag for a 20 degree down quilt (saves 16 Oz), swapping the pack liner for a garbage bag (saves 2 Oz), ditching the Ursack (they dont reliably work, bears can get in them, and then you have a problem bear that is a danger to other hikers) for a Zpacks bear bag and Opsak (saves 6 Oz), diching the camp shoes (saves 10 Oz), ditch one set of headphones (saves 2 Oz) taking a lighter powerbank, and ditching the Ipod (and editing videos on your phone; it takes longer but saving the weight is important) saving another 46 Oz. Also ditch the hairbrush (take a small plastic comb if you have to), and get a lighter knife (5 Oz).
By my count that saves you around 110 Oz (7 lbs). As someone who's done a lot of hiking, that is the difference between night and day at the end of a long day of many miles going uphill!
You could pretty comfortably drop another 2-3 lbs on top of that (stripping back your toiletries, some clothes and a few other things as well).
Dont let me discourage you, just giving some insight from a person who's done a fair few of these himself. Best of luck on your thru hike!
Hey Matthew! Thank you very much for this super helpful and thorough comment. I can't say how grateful I am for your honest advice. I'm obviously a beginner so I'm definitely going to take a lot of what you said into account and make those changes. Will be posting an updated gear video right before the trail.
Disappointed to hear about the Ursack! I had no idea they were so troublesome. As for the iPad, looking into the mini version. Really want the iPad because creating digital artwork to document my experience is super important to me.
Happy Trails and thank you again!
@@hikinghomesteaders no worries mate! I stumbled on your video because I'm in that 'binge watching everything Appalachian trail' phase that you've no doubt been on as well... I'm actually a little jealous you're about to embark upon such an amazing adventure :)
There is a debate on the Ursaks. Some people have used them successfully, but there are a fair few videos out there (and images) on Reddit of bears getting into them. And for each time that happens, you wind up with a problem bear that is going to keep coming back (and it now associates hikers with food).
We dont have bears here in Australia where I am from (snakes are a different story though!), so I'm only going by what I've read on US forums etc.
Re your base-weight, as a goal, look to get your base-weight down to sub 15lbs (and as close to 10lbs as possible, with 12-13lbs a realistic goal). Most people that quit hikes, do so because they're carrying too much stuff (and then lose the mental game, or get injured).
Im not saying it's not possible with a heavier load out, but you'll give yourself the best possible chance of success with as light as you can safely go.
Enjoy the hike, and looking forward to seeing how it plays out for you!
@@matthewberry3055 Definitely can relate on binging all things AT. I truly hope you will be able to hike the trail someday! :) You've got some pretty sweet hiking trails in Australia too.
That is so scary. The last thing we would ever want to do is put other hikers in danger. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will be practicing hanging a bear bag this weekend, haha!
I will definitely work towards the sub 15lbs goal. I'm pretty strong, but like you said, better to play it safe with a lighter pack. Again, I really appreciate your thoughtful advice and you've inspired me to make some big changes. I'll be filming another gear video before we head out with my updated changes.
Can't wait to share the trail with you. We will be starting the first week of April. (!!!)
You can save and clean out a Chapstick tube, melt some of the deodorant and pour it in the tube and you will have a small lightweight deodorant stick. You can buy empty sticks online but recycling is cheaper. Another good tip to need fewer underwear is to buy ultrathin panty liners (a weeks worth weigh grams) and change them daily. You could add a few to all your resupply boxes. Also laundry strips weight grams, take up no space and will save you a lot of money instead of buying detergent when you go to the laundry mat.
These are extremely helpful suggestions, thank you! I will definitely be making a deodorant chapstick instead. Panty Liner idea is brilliant, will try to scale my underwear down a bit with that. I had no idea they sold laundry strips either! Thank you very much and happy trails.
Regarding your water set up - may want to consider a CNOC 2 liter bladder. It has the ability open up with a wide mouth on one end to make collecting dirty water easier. The other end screws to filter. You should also get the attachment that allows you to attach your clean water bottle on the other end (also allows you to do gravity feed if you like as well as using to back-flush your filter).
Best wishes for your journey.
Thank you for the suggestion!
13:54 the Tile thing seems like a great idea.
Thank you, that was all Evan's idea! We think its going to be really helpful
I was wondering about that… don’t you need wifi to use the tile?
Great editing and quality. Looks like you're pretty well dialed in on your gear. I would go smaller on the soap. looked like a larger bottle. I understand bringing the IPAD for use for editing. I know another family that did the same thing and it worked out as they could share the weight. If it gets too heavy to carry you might want to switch to editing on your phone. I'm leaving mid March. Maybe our paths will cross at some point. Good luck and happy trails hope to see you out there.
Thank you for the kind words, Stan! I'm thinking about now just bringing the iPad mini instead. Cuts the weight in half, and I can still use it for drawings. Godspeed to you and we hope to meet you out there! :) Happy Trails
Pika makes biodegradable powdered soap and a little goes a long way
Get Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Classic SD, it has a small blade, file, and scissors. Super light and inexpensive. Tweezers and tooth pick as well.
Thank you for the rec! Will definitely be looking into that. It would be nice to have multiple tools for sure.
I have a veryyyy similar set up to you!! I start April 8th! Hope to see you on trail! Great video!
Happy trails and best of luck to you, you will be hot on our tail! :) feel free to connect with me on Instagram! @cloudonamountain
I love the cordage on the trowel, I've been thinking of doing the same. The handle digs into my hand when using it, plus the cordage will be nice for hanging clothes.
I would highly recommend trading out your paracord bundle (if you still plan to take it) to some of the Dyneema "Zing-it" cordage. It's way less bulky and very light weight, and because it's slick it's less likely to get caught in branches or fray from the friction. It also doesn't absorb water. It's not an expensive change either.
Highly recommend wrapping your trowel! Thank you for the thoughtful advice on the paracord! I will definitely be swapping that out now :)
Have fun on your hike! The CNOC bags are nice that you mentioned. The paracord around the trowel is a good idea...that trowel always hurts my hand in hard to dig places with roots.
Thank you for the kind words. :) Highly recommend trying out paracord! You can secure the end by using some superglue. Thanks for the rec, I went ahead and bought one of the CNOC bags. Happy trails!
My understanding was if the ground is hard enough to hurt they recommend you turn the trowel around and use the sharper/narrower side for digging or loosening the soil before tossing it with the larger shovel. The Paracord is going to eliminate that option, but maybe it's better?
@@jonathanb.3747 I had no idea about that! Thank you for the advice, maybe if the paracord falls off, we will switch to that method.
The CNOC is really what you'll need for "dirty water". I've heard many times that you really only will "need" one Smart Water bottle of water so in case the CNOC does break you should be fine if you have two bottles.
Never had to replace a busted Cnoc bag. I have had to replace lost/missing Cnoc bags. They're very durable. And worth the weight cost. You can collect a lot of water at one time and make it a gravity filter easily with a tube. They also make shallow water sources easier to deal with.
You mentioned you wanted a lighter weight knife. a Swiss Army Knife is a good option for light weight. If you want a fixed blade, the CRKT Minimalist Bowie is a pretty common knife to use. Small, lightweight, and easy to carry.
Good luck on your hike. I can't wait to start mine in a year.
Thank you for the knife recs, Sam! Best of luck to you in planning your future thru hike. :)
@@hikinghomesteaders The Victorinox 580 has a teeny knife (enough to cut food with) and nail clippers, toothpick and tweezers on it. 1.2 oz
Re the Sawyer water bladder….yes I’ve heard they can break when squeezed and are hard to scoop water with. So I use the 2 litre CNOC bladder to gather dirty water. I bring along one or two of the empty Sawyer bags and use them to hold clean water while in camp or if I am hiking somewhere that lacks a water source. This way they’re not being squeezed and they are light and low volume when packed so provide significant extra water storage capacity when needed.
Thats a wonderful tip, thank you Lisa!
Love the paracord on the trowel idea! Thanks!
Great gear loadout! Good luck on the AT! Can't wait to do it (someday). Take care
Thank you for the kind words. Seize the time of health while you can. Can’t wait to share the trail with you all!
OK…going to be honest w you based on what I ended up ditching. Frogg Tops will shred the first week and blow out at the seams. You already have a foam pad so you could go w a light weight inflatable pad. Ditch the pack towel cover, and the Sawyer water reservoir…leaks leaks leaks. You’ll be way too tired and cold and hungry to string up lights. I find the floppy bottles hard to get into pockets. You don’t need the matches or carry just a few in your repair kit. Go w the long handled spoon. No individual wipes you have a giant pack of other wipes or get rid of those and carry just a few individual wipes. Ditch all that soap. (They have little dry soap leaves if you have to.) Cream Antiperspirant in teeny lightweight jar if you must…deoderant won’t keep odor at bay and is useless. One toothpaste between the two of you. No argonoil. You’ll have hair pulled back all the time and unwashed w plenty of oil…my hair is really dry and I never had a problem. Pair down medkit you just won’t use it all. Lighter knife. Carry a multi use bandana instead of tissues. 2 sets under wear and rinse out as needed w those 2 pair. Wait until you get to warm weather and send cami ahead. Ditch the keyboard. Teva’s are pretty heavy.
So there…a few tweaks you can consider. Take it all w a grain of salt. You’ll figure it all out by Neel Gap. Good luck!
I really appreciate your honest advice, thank you for this thorough shakedown!
One guy claimed that his Frogg Toggs top lasted him the entire AT. Seems crazy but he says it did.
I’m glad they worked out for him…wish they had worked out half as well for me!
You can do a 1/8 foam roll for yoga by gossamer gear and others. I have a full size one and it is ridiculously light, and it is great for keeping my inflatable from slipping around
Outdoor vitals is giving away the polished spoon if your not a member and sign up. Also had 1/8 pad in stock, was waiting to hear from GGear for same. Gerber Dime is a mini leatherman, having trouble committing to a knife as I love my large swiss. You are making good choices and up grades. Time on the trail will be the true test. That's what hiker boxes are for. 🍀 Safe journey!
That’s so awesome! Sadly I already bought the spoon from REI (but yay for dividends!) Evan just bought the Dime and loves it! Thank you for the kind words and lucky Irish clover 😊 Happy Trails
You can get a long handle bamboo spoon at gossimar gear
Very cool! Thank you for the recommendation :)
The nemo switchback pad is nice but if your just looking for a siesta mat/sit pad i would buy the outdoor vitals 1/8" closed cell foam pad in the size short. You can fold it up rather than rolling it and stow it in the very back inside of your pack and its gives your pack a little more rigidity and comfort. Keeps poky items inside your pack away from your back aswell. Much less weight than nemo pad and alot less space needed. But honestly you will def get more comfort out of your nemo switchback and incase your prolite inflatable pad does fail you, you can always use your nemo pad instead. Soo many companies now make 1/8th inch foam pads. Gossamer gear thin light, mountain laurel designs goodnight and outdoor vitals foam pads etc... I own both the mountain laurel goodnight and the outdoor vitals versions. The mountain laurel pad is extremely minimal so i do recommend the outdoor vitals version over it cause its a little more comfortable and probably more durable. But to each his or hers own! 550 paracord would be best for your bear bag. 30-50ft max! But use what you have if need be. If the big agnes light string makes you comfortable than bring it! Its not that bulky and you could always mail it home at some point if need be. Stay safe and good luck on your trip!! Hike on!
How devoted are you to that Jet Boil? They're quick for sure. I just used a Pocket Rocket on my 1st thru-hike 5 years ago. Started with a Jet Boil but switched for weight. I carry a Leatherman Micra, because I use the scissors more than anything. A small Victoronix Swiss army knife with scissors would suffice as well. Your med kit should be simple: pain reliever, anti-diarheal (loperamide), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and duct tape. Maybe a few band aids.
Appreciate the advice! I'll definitely be bringing the Victoronix Swiss army knife instead and dialing in my med kit a bit more with your suggestions. Very much in love with our Jet Boil, we'll just have to see how it holds up after a couple hundred miles!
Nice gear list…you could use fewer bags and stuff sacs…they all add up. All the best 🙂🙏
Thank you Mike! 🙏 Getting out here has been the ultimate test of what I truly need and don’t. So much has been sent home already!
Check the Gossamer gear thin light pads. I think it will suit your needs and you'll lose like 1/2 pound. Use as side pad too and a windscreen while cooking. Those self-inflateing pads you guys have chosen are bulky and heavy too, you could probably drop close to a pound by switching those out.
I finally picked up one of these and it's great. It can be difficult to find because they sell out very quickly. Mountain Laurel Designs also sells one that is a different type of foam and weighs just a little less than the Gossamer Gear one. It doesn't look quite as durable though, but then again, I don't think either one are super durable.
Good for you for taking the plunge to hike the AT and I wish you best of luck! That said, 21 lbs seems very heavy for a small person like you and that’s without water or food. I’ve seen a few very helpful comments suggesting ways to trim down. Last thing you want to do is cut your trip short due to injury… ask me how I know…. Haha! I hope you make it and I will certainly follow along!
Thank you for the kind words Robin! I have thankfully worked really hard and got my base weight down to 16lbs since all of the helpful feedback on here. Feel free to check out my lighter pack link if you are curious to see the changes I made. lighterpack.com/r/fqslt1
I think I'm happy with 16 for now, will still probably mail a few things home after the first week. :) Happy trails and thank you for following along with our journey!
I have a big agnes mnt glow and I installed the led lights. Yall should definitely take them. They are really amazing!
Thank you for the reassurance! Will definitely take them along :) we love having something to light our tent besides headlamps.
I'm leaving for the A.T. March 20. Good luck out there!
Thank you David! Happy trails to you :)
@@hikinghomesteaders 🙏
You can get that spoon with a polished tip, feels good!! Good luck!
I’ll definitely look into it, thank you!
A few tips:
1 - The Gerber GDC Zip knife is very small and lightweight if you just need something to cut open packs of food and stuff like that. Not good for self defense though...
2 - Get a "Thermarest Neoair Xlite WR" sleeping pad (340g/12oz... WR = "womens regular"; which is slightly shorter and warmer than the regular version), and a "Therm-A-Rest Blockerlite" pump sack (150g/5,3oz) to blow it up (combined weight is 490g/17.3oz). The process of blowing it up is pretty effortless, and you will have a much more lightweight, compact, and comfortable sleeping pad.
3 - Maybe not the most important when you are 2 people, but having an extra light source as backup might be a good idea in case you are not always together. I have been trying a few different keychain flashlights lately, and really like these 2:
* The Olight "i1R 2 Pro" has USB C charging (100 minute charge time), and a 5 lumen setting that lasts for 12 hours. This is not exactly luxurious when hiking on a trail, but it could do in a pinch. It also has a 180 lumen setting, but this only last for 23 minutes...
* The Acebeam "M20" flashlight, runs on a single AAA battery, and has a clip that can be put in both forwards and backwards direction, which means that you can connect it to the brim of a ballcap, so it functions as a headlight. It has a 2 lumen mode (seem more like maybe half a lumen) that last for 25 hours, and is a very modest nightlight for a tent that (judging from the brightness) should allow you to conserve as much power as possible, while still having just enough light to see inside a tent. It also has a 30 lumen setting which is pretty good for hiking, and last for 4 hours. Finally it has a 150 lumen mode that last for 47minutes. The 1 lumen setting on my Nitecore NU32 headlamp and MH12S flashlight are both [barely] good enough for walking on a dark road at night, so one would think the 2 lumen setting on the M20 would be reasonable for hiking in "extreme energy saving" situations, but i guess not.
BTW: I like that you will bring that iPad! Gotta have something to do during such a long hike..!
Thank you for this very thorough and helpful comment!
I've already purchased the women's Neoair Xlite and I can't wait to try it out. Those flashlights look pretty sweet, I'll definitely look into them :) Thank you again!
Maybe you could go with the Bic mini lighter rather than full size. There are magic compressible towels that you add a few drops of water to and essentially create wet wipes to save carrying actual wet wipes
Thank you! I'll definitely be brining a mini Bic instead. Those growable wipes are pretty neat! I know Jay goes outdoors really loves em. :)
I begin in mid March! I hope to meet you and Evan out there! I'm on RUclips as Donn hikes. Just started my channel but please excuse my camera shyness.. 😂 good luck guys!!!
We just subscribed, Donn! Hope to meet you out there too, and Happy trails. :)
12.9" Ipad! Yes! People call me crazy for using it on hikes.
Artists unite! I actually ended up bringing the iPad mini along with me instead. It worked wonderfully and certainly helped to have a smaller size for a thru hike, but I still love my larger one for day hikes. :) Happy Trails!
Best of luck on your AT Thru-Hike. I hope to hike it myself someday if luck goes my way. New follower here. Great video, excellent gear choices. Crow
Thank you for the kind words Crow! We truly hope you will be able to hit the trail soon. Life is too short.
When it's cold, sleep on your Nemo OVER the Thermarest. Huge difference!
Wow never thought of that! Thank you for the advice, William!
At rei there's a better spoon, made by toaks its titanium and smooth stainless steel for the part that goes in ur mouth 10 bucks. Also Walmart has a great lightweight knife made by Gerber 16 bucks.
Thank you! Really appreciate those recs
Nice review. I was curious what your base weight is?
May want to consider zingit cord for your bear bag cord (strong and light weight vs the bulky yellow cord).
Just got my base weight down to 17.7 lbs. Still working to lower that slightly. Thank you for the cord rec, I just ordered some lightweight slick line :) Couldn't have lowered my weight with all the helpful guidance on here.
Looks like you have a good setup! I can attest to those Sawyer bags leaking.
Thanks Seth! Yes I decided to definitely use a CNOC water reservoir instead. Love how the end completely opens up too.
Good luck to you guys. I’ll follow! 2 Qs…1- You mentioned cord for bear bag hanging, but you also showed an Ursack??? 2- Any idea what your base weight will be, excluding food and water? Thanks!
This was an error on my part. I thought we might want to hang the ursack from time to time, but I guess most people just tie theirs to a tree! My base weight is currently around 21 pounds. Looking to cut back as much as possible. My lighter pack link is in the description of you’re interested :)
Yeah…I would lose the paracord. Much better, slicker, lighter non-stretching cord, like spectra reflective cord from Hammock Gear or something similar. The reflective aspect is really helpful in the dark and low light.
@@kathydomokos8837 Thank you for the input! Will definitely look into that spectra cord. Or not carry cord at all since we can just use the ursack string.
Do as many shakedown overnights as possible. Preferably in New England or NY. You're super heavy now, but could still make it. I don't know you. Hike your own hike. I would ditch 90% of the toiletries. Cold soak no jet boil. Or go to whisperlite. Ditch the matches. Ditch one of the sleeping pads. Get an 1/8" EVA pad. Ditch the sleeping bag. Get a quilt instead. Ditch the sawyer squeeze bags. They are horrible. If you want a water bag get a cnoc that opens with a slider. Start a spreadsheet or a lighterpack. If I was your size I would want a 8-12 LB base weight. Not an ounce more. I use a copper spur mtnglo and I like the lights. V cozy and a worth it lux item for sure. Hope this helps. My tone is very frank, but the mountains of New England are much less polite than I am.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful advice! I have followed most of it, and got my pack down to 16lbs. The only thing I haven't switched out is my sleeping bag. I'm really attached to it and not sure I wanna invest $400 in a 950 fill bag, but might have to do it during the summertime. Interesting you think the lights are worth it! I took them out, but maybe will reconsider. Check out my updated lighter pack link if you are interested. :) Thank you again for the advice
lighterpack.com/r/fqslt1
My brother starts his thru hike doing the flip flop (Virginia to Maine, then Virginia to Georgia) April 3. Check out his channel Hike Over the Hill. Be safe!
I have a few other suggestions, that you might want to think about.
-As of a few years ago the Sawyer bags are pretty good (they use to be really bad and I think they still have that reputation)
-I like the Nite Ize Knife for 14g and 10 dollars on amazon
-DROP: Extra stuff sacks (if you don't know what to use with them then just use ziplocks as you go)
-Bear bagging is a myth, people maybe do it through Georgia (I think its silly)
-Get a mini bic lighter ( a friend of mine has triple crowned with the same one)
-Waterproof matches are very unnecessary but kinda cool
-your toothbrush (that I can see you like) is heavier than it needs to be
-either bring the Beats or the wired headphones (you can buy more in town if you have an issue)
-Teava sandals are too heavy, bring dollar store flip flops or nothing as camp shoes
-tent poles don't need a bag
-ditch the lights
-Paracord on the trowel is silly (your hands will get tough!)
-hand sanitize looks big, I would go with a .5 oz one and you can refill it all the time hiker especially with covid
-iPad is cool! keep it and lighten up other things
-I don't think you need a Garmin (I hiked it in 2012 without GPS, a smartphone or maps) but hiking with a smartphone is great! a Garmin is overkill
-one last thing: your battery pack is dependent on how much time in town you will have to recharge. you will be in towns every 3 or 4 days but you said you will be trying to not stay in many hostels.
what may happen is you only have enough time to recharge it to 50% in a few hours at a cafe or restaurant
then you will take off and in three days you will be in another town and just straight charge the iPad and your phones.
However you will stay in hotels sometimes and be able to charge everything.
what I am saying is the battery pack could be too big when you are able to go to towns so often.
Also how many charging cables and plugs will you bring?
I think you will find that the size of items in an organization senses is just as important as weight and you will drop things to streamline that as you go.
If you ignore all this information you will still do great!
your gear is very good, and I am just making some suggestions as someone who has thruhiked a lot (AT,PCT,CDT,LT,Hayduke,SHT,ViaDinarica,백두대간)
I hope you have fun and when you get on the trail you don't worry anymore about weight.
Just enjoy the trail!
Going lightweight is great and all, but Garmin is not overkill... A phone is better than nothing, but the implication of smashing the phone screen if i slipp and fall while hiking makes a Garmin Inreach seem equally important as a first aid kit. Things usually go ok, but you never know when things will happen... And im guessing her parents will appreciate to hear that things are going ok, so they dont have to go to bed worrying... It only weighs 100g, so i think its one of those things any serious hiker should invest in eventually.
Oh, and "ditch the lights"..? Hiking is not about going max ultralight... With some reasonably lightweight gear, you can definitely pack a headlamp and at least a small keychain flashlight as backup - or ideally the awesome Nitecore MH12S; which i just bought 😋 190g/6,6oz including the holster and a 5000mAh 21700 battery. It gets 1500 hours battery life on the 1 lumen setting - and going all the way up to 1800 lumens, with 300 meter throw. I really like this flashlight 🤩
@@EspenFrafalne yeah you make a good point, I don't think the AT is that dangerous or remote, but it could be an asset. These are all suggestions, the lights could be nice. I have gone through different phases of being lighter or heavier depending on the trail and season. I did smash my black diamond headlamp on the Hayduke and hiked most of the trail with a cheap LED flashlight. I had to put it in my mouth to set up my tent in the dark. It all works but I think being light is really nice.
Advice like that is what caused "the bear shelter"
Hang your fucking bear bag or get off the goddamn trail.
I use a bear can. Always.
I recommend switching to make up for douchebags who don't even bother to do the minimum and hang their gd bags.
Advice like that is what caused "the bear shelter"
Hang your fucking bear bag or get off the goddamn trail.
I use a bear can. Always.
I recommend switching to make up for douchebags who don't even bother to do the minimum and hang their gd bags.
have you tried hiking in the tank top?
Yes! I have hiked with it all last summer. Hoping I don't get a rash with the tank and my big pack though. Tends to rub at the shoulder straps a bit
Excellent work my friend 👍 new friend here 👍 God Bless 🙌 Thank you for sharing 👍
Good Luck to you and your partner.
that's a dope monstera!
It's the offspring of a plant my dad got in college!
God speed!
🙏🏼
Thank you for the kind words Donny!
Love it!! So excited for you guys! ❤️
Aw thank you Tuni!! I’m so thrilled for your upcoming adventure too! :)
I’m Caroline
Sorry, I don’t remember your start date. If leaving in the cold weather, leave the camp shoes and take a second pair of trail runners; nothing worse than trying to put on frozen shoes in the morning. Two pair of trail shoes should get you close to half way, ship you camp shoes with a new pair of trail runners to a hostel around around 1100 mile mark.
Looking forward to following your trip.
We are starting in early April! Thank you for the advice
@@hikinghomesteaders No worries, you should be good by then. I really have a hard time getting going with wet/frozen shoes.
Check out bamboo long spoons, I haven’t tried one yet but may be an option.
@@RhodeTrip1 I definitely see how frozen shoes would be a huge problem. Will definitely check out the bamboo spoons :) thank you!
if your shoes are going to freeze remember to loosen the laces the night before and stretch them out so you can still put your foot in when they are frozen. after a few miles you will be warmed up
Partner?
Yes, my partner, boyfriend, Evan!