Clothing Weight

[PAontheAT]

Hi everyone! First time poster here!

I was wondering what is the normal amount of clothes hikers bring? Here is my current list: http://lighterpack.com/r/70opym. Clothing is around 5 lbs.

I know I should carry less socks / underwear but this is a comfort thing for me.

Thanks!

[kayak karl]

i never carried clothes by weight. either i needed it or i didn't. would never pull something out because it was over a number pulled out or the air.

[MuddyWaters]

Whats on back+ long johns, insulation and 1 pr extra socks

Most of yr, thats 1-1.5 lb

[Puddlefish]

Looks about right to me. A lot will depend on the weather and your starting date. I'm a thru hiking newb myself, but looks like you have most everything you need for the trail and to sleep in. Maybe add some gloves?

[The Cleaner]

Most hikers only carry 3-4 days of food.Most go into a town every 3-4 days for a shower,beer and a bed.Then if winter shows up everyone heads to town or hostel.Back in the early 80s you had to pack 10 days of food.Things have changed...

[Feral Bill]

Extras only in socks.

[turtle fast]

I'm not sure if you looked onto the versatility of zip off pants? You can have shorts and long pants in one and many times don't have to dig into your pack for a wardrobe change if too hot or cold. Coupled with thermals, you have a quite a few more clothing configurations.

[garlic08]

If you're asking about an AT thru hike, I don't think you're overdressing for a typical early spring start, especially with only a 30F quilt. If you're starting after mid-April, you should be OK.

A nice tip about packing clothing--you should be able to wear everything at once as part of a coordinated layering system. And yes, it's OK to put in an extra pair of socks and underwear.

The insulation you bring needs to protect you in the lowest temps forecast, based on your experience.

[Googan]

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm going by what others have used and what I feel comfortable with carrying to be on the side of safety first. I'm just going to let the trail tell me what I really need and what I don't. That only comes with your own experience.

[aka.cyberman]

Good job with your list. A lot of thought went into your list. Use your rain jacket as a wind shirt to save weight. You have rain skirt listed twice. Do you really need a Kindle? More weight savings. Take extra caution to have one set of clothes in a dry bag. Have fun.

[PAontheAT]

Thanks for the response...that is a great tip. I am leaving April 26

[Cheyou]

Looks like a good list. Remember to spray your clothing for ticks . If u bring the e book might need a bigger battery bank. I would skip it bring a paper back book

thom

[colorado_rob]

Just a couple of comments, but overall nice list.

Consider getting a lighter weight pair of long johns, given your relatively late, warm start date. I used 4 ounce silk ones, rarely put them on, for an early april start. Nothing wrong with three pairs of socks and underwear! I carry two, but total personal preference.

Not that you asked, but regarding other gear: Is that a typo on the headlamp being 10.2 ounces? Must be, but if not, get a lighter one, plenty super-bright 3 ounce LED headlamps out there.

It's debated endlessly on WB, but having both a filter and Aqua Mira seems like overkill. And lots of people, myself included, have been disappointed in that Sawyer Mini vs. the original, larger but still light Sawyer.

Have you tried the Kindle reader app on your Iphone? Try it sometime. It's free. I actually prefer my phone vs. my Kindle these days, even at home. If you put it into white text on a black screen, I can read for hours and hours without draining too much battery life.

Nice list!

[SteelCut]

If you put it into white text on a black screen, I can read for hours and hours without draining too much battery life.

I know it's off topic but that's a great gem I'd never heard before.

[English Stu]

Good list, nice to see an decent first aid/ toiletry kit and honest weight. I carry a fair bit it saves begging stuff or wandering about towns looking for stuff.I manage to use the kindle on my phone.
I would hazard a guess when on the trail you might reconsider ;
1) Guide book( photo copy important bits or dropbox important information, say telephone numbers, to the phone, or bounce maps along,.
2) 8oz toilet paper, though that is consumable and might not count anyway to base weight.
3) 3L hydration bag; get smaller bag-check water supplies ahead and fill up as you go along.

[Puddlefish]

The kindle paperwhite has a battery life of weeks, as opposed to hours.

[colorado_rob]

The kindle paperwhite has a battery life of weeks, as opposed to hours.

Hours for what? Reading on a phone kindle app? that's more like 20 hours, maybe more, easily. Not "weeks" though, but plenty of reading between town stops, and eliminates the need for an extra device that only does one thing.

Phones are so sweet these days, excellent cameras (on newer phones), kindle readers, AT guide readers (I had mine in PDF form on my phone), navigators and along pretty much the entire AT, communicators. I know, I know, lots of folks eschew them on the trail, and that's cool too. HYOH.

[DuneElliot]

Curious about the antibiotics you are taking. Why? Do you know what each is useful for and what the specific dosage for those things are? All antibiotics have different dosages (how much and how many times a day and for how long) depending on what they are being prescribed for: For example skin infection from a blister or a chest infection or a UTI. It seems like needless weight. Antibiotic cream is an obvious choice for a FA kit, but not prescription ABs unless you are a doctor.

If you have a good argument or reason for taking them then please elaborate, or leave them behind!

I also agree with ditching the Kindle and using the Kindle App on your phone. Most people whose blogs I have read who have taken them have sent them home within the first week.

[colorado_rob]

Curious about the antibiotics you are taking.

FWIW: I do in fact carry a few Cipro tablets on all my outdoor endeavors, as well as a few Vicodin tablets. Total weight a few grams in a little mini- ziplock. My doc prescribes them happily for me just for emergency use on my hikes/climbs.

Both have come in handy a time or two. Cipro is amazing in how fast it can "cure" a stomach bug. And vicodin has saved me once from a really dangerously cold overnight bivouac high on a mountain in winter (I had fallen and broken a rib, and couldn't move because of intense pain, vocodin relieved it, I hiked down safely).

[DuneElliot]

FWIW: I do in fact carry a few Cipro tablets on all my outdoor endeavors, as well as a few Vicodin tablets. Total weight a few grams in a little mini- ziplock. My doc prescribes them happily for me just for emergency use on my hikes/climbs.

Both have come in handy a time or two. Cipro is amazing in how fast it can "cure" a stomach bug. And vicodin has saved me once from a really dangerously cold overnight bivouac high on a mountain in winter (I had fallen and broken a rib, and couldn't move because of intense pain, vocodin relieved it, I hiked down safely).

Fair enough. I have no qualms with carrying them, as long as people know how to use them correctly.

Stronger pain meds also make sense, but got to be careful about carrying them. I don't bother because they make me extremely sick but I definitely understand the reasoning.