Thru Hike Preperation. ULTRA LIGHT TIPS

[Wolf - 23000]

I generally agree with many of your opinions and observations Wolf, but this statement is not necessarily true. The filter can be used in cold climate as long as precautions are followed. I blow/shake excess water out of filter then carry in pocket of shirt or pants. Body heat prevents filter from freezing. Don't know if Wmwood is aware of this.....

lonehiker,

You are correct, you can take precautions but it does not take to long before the water inside the filter expands and breaks the filter. If someone is screwing in the Sawyer filter into their water bottle, I would bet the are not taken those precautions. Also once a filter is not working correctly, many hikers are not always aware of it.

Wolf

[Wolf - 23000]

Starting a thru hike with too light of a pack can lead to injuries, just as well as starting with too heavy.

People feel pressured to show they can do more miles than their bodies are ready for.

MuddyWaters,

Well put! I too have met a lot of hikers who started off going lightweight without having the experience to go with it. As you put it can lead to injuries or worst.

Wolf

Wolf

[Shroomer]

Hey Will,
I really enjoyed the videos and you've got some great gear there. I used the ZPacks Double Hexamid on a thru hike of the CDT and never got wet, never popped a stake, even in huge storms above 13,000 ft. I'll be using it again on the AT this year. Joe makes great tents. Also used his 20 deg bag/quilt and found it to be a better bag than the 20 degree Western Mountaineering bag I used on the PCT. The ZPacks rain jacket which weighs almost nothing is the best breathable coat I've ever owned. I've used the Neo Air on both hikes and many others and still find it the best sleep I've had on trail. As for the Sawyer filter freezing, that is an issue, and it's solved by keeping it in a small zip lock in your pocket and sleeping bag at night, as you mentioned. One warm evening in New Mexico we left two of them out only to wake up cowboy camped in a hard frost. That was that, we had to pitch them out and buy new ones. I'm glad the Mini is so cheap. $20 on Amazon right now.

As for going too light, some folks definitely do, and they end up buying a few more bits of gear to make things right. My gear evolves somewhat on each long trail I hike. Used 3 different packs on the PCT until I found my ultimate in the ULA Circuit, which will be with me in all its shredded glory this spring at Springer. But, go as light as you can. Warner Springs Monty says, "The fun goes up when the weight goes down." And he's right! Go light, just don't go crazy, and if what you have isn't enough, just get the gear you find you need and have it shipped to your next town stop.

I used Dirty Girl Gaiters during 5 weeks of living on snow in the High Sierra in 2010, a high snow year, and agree that they are adequate, but not great when in crunchy stuff which can pull them up and off the velcro. On the CDT I brought along full length gaiters for the Weminuche Wilderness and they were much better during many weeks of snow on that trail. But I'm bringing the Dirty Girls for the AT. I still like them the best for all around comfort.

As for thru hikers and gear talk, it seems that's all most of us do when we get together along with sharing trail stories. This last weekend I spent 3 days at the GGG West (Gathering of Gear Geeks) at Henry Coe State Park just south of San Jose CA. The place was crawling with thru hikers, triple crowners and two of the greatest long distance hikers in America, Ken and Marcia Powers, the first people to thru hike the American Discovery Trail, Delaware to Pt. Reyes CA! Awesome folks, and that's all we talked about! Gear, gear and more gear. Ron Moak of Six Moon Designs was there with some awesome new tents that will give Joe a run for his money. I really liked several of them in cuben. And he's got two new lines of packs designed by Brian who began ULA years ago. Fascinating weekend and tons of fun talking trail and gear ad nauseum. Oh, and one of the triple crowners, Why Not, who was my trail partner on the CDT, had just returned from a 6 week trek across Patagonia and what was the jacket she used on the whole thing, the Rab you've chosen for your AT hike! It's a great choice.

Loved the videos and I think your set up looks more than sound. I bring more first aid, but then I'm an old Boy Scout and bring a lot of little crap that no one else might think is useful. Because of this, I never get below 15 lbs. Too bad, but that's my choice and I'm comfortable with it. Have a wonderful hike and I hope to meet you on trail.

Shroomer