Well get the AT out of your system then head out west for some real mountain hiking. No food drops on the John Muir trail or Pacific Coast Trail that I know of.
Appalachian Trail
- Thread starter Prof Sublime
- Start date
ditto what hash zepplin said.
I've used pack covers and they worked great for me in an internal frame pack. (gregory palisade)
I can't stress enough, NO COTTON ANYWHERE. PERIOD.
BOOTS, they can be your best friend or you worst enemy, make sure you get a pair that fit your feet well. there are these insoles you can get that you microwave then place in your shoe, then put the shoe on and stand so many seconds and it will mold to the shape of the bottom of your foot. My boots, la sportiva halite gtx's, they have never gave me a blister from the first day, they have those microwaveable molding insoles too.
Smartwool socks.
firestarter, I found these fat matches made out of starter log at academy sports, they work great. they also have waterproof matches in a plastic o-ring sealed container.
a stove, I love my jetboil, its compact, boils water very quickly and a small canister of fuel will last about 3 days (coffee, breakfast and dinner) for 2 people.
meals, backpackers pantry and mountain house make great meals for dinner and they offer a few breakfast meals too. they seriously are delicious. Oatmeal for breakfast is good.
water filter, get a Katadyn (sp??), its so much faster than those ceramic msr filters its laughable. and if your really paranoid about sterile water, get a steripen. its a uv light that you just submerge in your water for a minute or so and it kills any bacteria if there is any.
snake bit kits, get THE EXTRACTOR. don't use razor blades, they just get the venom in your bloodstream faster. the extractor is a miniature super suction device and has a variety of different head sizes for various poisinous bites.
sleeping pads, get one of those high loft ones. I have a big agness insulated. Its got about 2.5" of loft and folds up to the size of a nalgene bottle.
tent, I've got a kelty gunnison II, if you compare the specs of various tents, this one has the most interior floorspace and a large vestibule area. vestibule is a rain cover that goes over the tent and a large area outside the door to cover your shoes and backpack. its a 2 person tent with 2 doors, its adequate for 2 people and doesn't weigh that much.
headlamps, worth a million bucks.
lemon eucalyptus bug spray, it works well and doesn't have DEET poison.
sandals, you'll need them for river/stream/creek crossings, do not risk getting your boots wet, its not worth it, and dry your feet off before putting your shoes back on.
a tarp can be nice if its starts to rain really hard.
waterproofer, they make waterproofer in a spray bottle, even if your jacket says its waterproof, put an extra layer of water proofer on it also put some on your pants/shorts you plan to wear.
and plan to get into the best shape of your life right before your trip, lots of squats, trail running and core exercises. it will make your trip much easier.
just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.
I've used pack covers and they worked great for me in an internal frame pack. (gregory palisade)
I can't stress enough, NO COTTON ANYWHERE. PERIOD.
BOOTS, they can be your best friend or you worst enemy, make sure you get a pair that fit your feet well. there are these insoles you can get that you microwave then place in your shoe, then put the shoe on and stand so many seconds and it will mold to the shape of the bottom of your foot. My boots, la sportiva halite gtx's, they have never gave me a blister from the first day, they have those microwaveable molding insoles too.
Smartwool socks.
firestarter, I found these fat matches made out of starter log at academy sports, they work great. they also have waterproof matches in a plastic o-ring sealed container.
a stove, I love my jetboil, its compact, boils water very quickly and a small canister of fuel will last about 3 days (coffee, breakfast and dinner) for 2 people.
meals, backpackers pantry and mountain house make great meals for dinner and they offer a few breakfast meals too. they seriously are delicious. Oatmeal for breakfast is good.
water filter, get a Katadyn (sp??), its so much faster than those ceramic msr filters its laughable. and if your really paranoid about sterile water, get a steripen. its a uv light that you just submerge in your water for a minute or so and it kills any bacteria if there is any.
snake bit kits, get THE EXTRACTOR. don't use razor blades, they just get the venom in your bloodstream faster. the extractor is a miniature super suction device and has a variety of different head sizes for various poisinous bites.
sleeping pads, get one of those high loft ones. I have a big agness insulated. Its got about 2.5" of loft and folds up to the size of a nalgene bottle.
tent, I've got a kelty gunnison II, if you compare the specs of various tents, this one has the most interior floorspace and a large vestibule area. vestibule is a rain cover that goes over the tent and a large area outside the door to cover your shoes and backpack. its a 2 person tent with 2 doors, its adequate for 2 people and doesn't weigh that much.
headlamps, worth a million bucks.
lemon eucalyptus bug spray, it works well and doesn't have DEET poison.
sandals, you'll need them for river/stream/creek crossings, do not risk getting your boots wet, its not worth it, and dry your feet off before putting your shoes back on.
a tarp can be nice if its starts to rain really hard.
waterproofer, they make waterproofer in a spray bottle, even if your jacket says its waterproof, put an extra layer of water proofer on it also put some on your pants/shorts you plan to wear.
and plan to get into the best shape of your life right before your trip, lots of squats, trail running and core exercises. it will make your trip much easier.
just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.
IMO, jerky is one of the best survival eats available. I watch those survivalists on the tube and chuckle when they eat a bug, then hike 10 or 12 miles. They're probably munching on some jack links off camera.
Tortillas are a good substitute for loaf bread. Obviously they're also tasty cooked.
Tortillas are a good substitute for loaf bread. Obviously they're also tasty cooked.
Thanks alot fellas again, I will have to hit up the West coast one day and I will be getting plenty of jerky from my local Amish friends, probably in beef pork an chicken LOL.
Sam thanks for the great info but, I dunno if i can trust a dirty hot dog eating caveman hahahha jokes. Thanks though for the great info lots of need to know stuff there. When I do anything I try to learn as much as I can from the experience and then go fill the gaps with my own experience. Cheers
Sam thanks for the great info but, I dunno if i can trust a dirty hot dog eating caveman hahahha jokes. Thanks though for the great info lots of need to know stuff there. When I do anything I try to learn as much as I can from the experience and then go fill the gaps with my own experience. Cheers
you can send resupplies to a post office and hire some one to meet you with them to save weight. you can also do some fishing if you are skilled enough.
Yeah my friend I am hiking with told me about that, after I pack everything plus 2 weeks of food I will see if I should ship half there or not. We do have a few friends that hike the trail every summer. They are more the 'hippy' type that don't bring anything much and wonder in and out of towns looking for free food... haha
BigGreenAL
Member
Check out SPOT personal locator beacon, a nice little unit about the size of a cell phone that could save your life. If shit should happen to hit the fan just hit the emergency button. The proper local search and rescue will be notified via satellite. the run abut 150 bux, a small price to pay for a unit that could save your life.
My unit saved me in a serious situation. I was tuna fishing 100 miles off Jersey when I hit a floating palm tree while cruising at 35mph killed bith my engines instantly. I hit my spot and the coast gaurd was there in a chopper within an hour!
My unit saved me in a serious situation. I was tuna fishing 100 miles off Jersey when I hit a floating palm tree while cruising at 35mph killed bith my engines instantly. I hit my spot and the coast gaurd was there in a chopper within an hour!
^always a GREAT idea.
Now this was 30yrs ago I spent over a week on the Pacific Coast Trail with oatmeal in the morning. A bag of horse carrots and a jar of peanut butter to dip them in and a Butt load of Trail mix for the munchies. Good Times Good Times
Sam the Cave Man has some great items too. A good head lamp is priceless for sure. I always keep some sort of back up light as well.
May have already been mentioned... a good knife. Assuming you won't be skinning game on your hike, take a whittling blade (relative thin, carbon steel). The edge is much more durable on non-hide materials like wood, rope etc. Carbon steel will hold an edge better than typical stainless. A whet or diamond stone would be handy too.
Some jurisdictions consider a folding knife in your pocket as a concealed weapon. I hate sheath knives. In cases like this I put a folding knife in a sheath and wear it in plain view.
Some jurisdictions consider a folding knife in your pocket as a concealed weapon. I hate sheath knives. In cases like this I put a folding knife in a sheath and wear it in plain view.
Yeah I have a buck knife right now with a sheath, its my dad's from when he was an army boy. I wont bring that on the trail though, just going to grab a decent fold up.
^A good leather man tool would be good. gerber, and swiss army make good ones. Also a sheath knife is a good idea. it is a better survival tool than a folder. it is easier to cut your self with a folder, even if it is a lock blade. the trail is not a clean place to have a bad cut.
That's a good idea about sheath knives, HZ. Sometimes you need more steel than the old folder. A floor model belt sander comes in handy to prime the edge angle, especially on big knives. Makes stoning a breeze.
And Gerber stainless holds an edge as good, maybe better than typical carbon. Germans know their steel.
And Gerber stainless holds an edge as good, maybe better than typical carbon. Germans know their steel.
I think we all should just meet at the Trail Head and go with him.
I'll bring the peanut butter and carrots.
We'll have some Good Times
I'll bring the peanut butter and carrots.
We'll have some Good Times
sounds like a good idea. I will bring hash and herb. lol
I'll bring some homemade peach brandy.
doesn't sound like there will be much hiking going on with those additions.
I was jk. i'm not going anywhere east of Colorado or New Mexico. lol the west is the best
I'm not kidding.
