Accouterment of the "ordinary" AT Hiker??

[lobster]

What brand would be most typical in each area?

camp shoe?
tent?
backpack?
footwear?
water purification/filter?
rain gear?
headlamp/flashlight?
hiking poles?
guides/maps?

etc. ?

[MOWGLI]

What brand would be most typical in each area?

etc. ?

For an etc., I prefer a miscellaneous brand.

[Rollergirl]

Gosh, not to be picky, but I didn't meet a single "ordinary" hiker on the AT...

Hike your own hike, isn't that the common mantra?

[bigcat2]

I'm not sure it this would be the average for everyone, but I'm happy to share what I use, which some things tend to be the "norm" as it were.

camp shoe? Orange Holey Soles (same as crocs)
tent? Eureka Zeus 2
backpack? Kelty Redcloud
footwear? Scarpa boots
water purification/filter? Kataydin Hiker
rain gear? North Face jacket and pants
headlamp/flashlight? Petzl Zipka Plus
hiking poles? Leki Super Makalu
guides/maps? Compass and AT maps

[Peaks]

There is no one piece of model or make of any piece of equipment that is carried by all thru-hikers. It's all a matter of personal preference, and budget.

I used to think that all hikers carried a Nalgene water bottle. But, many carry gator aid bottles or soda bottles, and others use a hydration system. All a matter of personal preference and budget.

[Nean]

I use the same things that everybody else uses!

[Tin Man]

I use the same things that everybody else uses!

...including a healthy dose of common sense...

[lobster]

What would be the most common item in each category?? In other words, what are the favorites of each type. Not what u might carry! What you saw being carried often.

[MOWGLI]

What would be the most common item in each category?? In other words, what are the favorites of each type. Not what u might carry! What you saw being carried often.

A backpack.

[lobster]

Thanks!!!!!!!

[Seeker]

what i use hiking.


camp shoe? none, or cheap flip flops (not a name brand)
tent? Hennessey Hammock Ultralight Backpacker Asym
backpack? GoLite Gust
footwear? HiTec Alpenlite
water purification/filter? Aqua Mira
rain gear? Stearns. Jacket-9oz, pants-12oz.
headlamp/flashlight? Garrity headlamp and Photon 1/4 oz light
hiking poles? none. elm staff i cut myself.
guides/maps? getting lost and finding my way home is half the fun!

actually, if i carry a map, it's a 1:50K scale military style (old habits die hard. i can follow the 1:50k almost literally in my sleep, but i can't use those non-gridded USGS 7.5 minute series map worth a flip. go figure.)

as you can see, most of my gear isn't the real expensive 'name brand' stuff. i make a lot of my own, have some really hi end stuff (like mysleeping bag and hammock underquilt), and bought my hammock and pack cheap on eBay, even though they are 'name-brand'.

for gear reviews, check out backpackgeartest.com if you haven't already. they're pretty good, most of them, and you can tell pretty quickly from a rater's profile if he/she has enough experience to adequately rate the gear.

[Moxie00]

On my thru and on sections I do now and while trail maintaining in Maine I see; Camp shoes, used to be knock off tevas or crocs and now alot of those funny rubber one are showing up. Tent, Tadpole type, several companies make knock off''s or copies so there are many brands. I see more tarps and hammocks each year. Footware-no one shoe stands out but the ultralites seem to favor various models of New Ballance. Water filter, I saw more of the Pur brand than others. Gregory and Kealty seem to be the most common packs but with all the ultralites alot of Golite and similar packs are showing up. Rain Gear, Froggs Toggs, hands down favorite, Petzel seems to be the most popular brand of headlamp but many models are seen. In 2000 most of the hikers carried one of the small LED lamps either around their necks or on a key ring or pack strap. Leiki is the most popular pole and most of the guides and maps are from ATC. However, ice cream comes in many flavors and what we use depends on what works for each of us and what we bought or were given. I suspect that very few, if any, hikers arive at Kathadin with the same gear they had the day they climbed up Springer. If it doesn't work send it home and replace it. I wore out 2 pair of boots, changed back packs once, ditched my Goretex in favor of Froggs Toggs and changed water filters twice. My stove, tent, underware and socks made the whole trip. I lost 55 pounds so I did get new clothing that fit. I found most hikers adapt as they go and every brand and model of equipment had it's fans.

[MoBeach42]

i'll play the game - listed after is what I percieved to be the popular choice with the people I was with from Harper's north. Then in parenthases I'll say what I have.

camp shoe? - crocs (I have a pair of Waldies
tent? - henry shires tarptent - if any at all (the same)
backpack? - Granite Gear (I have a Virga)
footwear? - everything (solomon trail runners)
water purification/filter? - bleach (I use PolarPure
rain gear? - frog togs/none (I got something light and yellow in HF)
headlamp/flashlight? - Petzel
hiking poles? - leki (me too)
guides/maps? - wingfoot (I carried some maps, the Databook, and Companion sections)

[prozac]

Kmart flip flops/ lighter than crocs and fit in my pack
Hennessy Explorer
Old Marboro cigarette backpack/ 10$ at yardsale
New Balance or Merrel low's/depends if in Pennsy or not
Iodine or trust in luck
frogg togg bottoms/ RedLedge Thunderlight jacket for pockets
Petzl Tikka
Komperdell Titanals/ very light, 54$ on sale/no shock absorbers,just a waste
Thru hikers companion/screw Wingy

[Red Hat]

What brand would be most typical in each area?
Well, if I am an "ordinary" AT hiker

camp shoe? any type of crocs knockoff brand
tent? Walrus(preMsr)zoid1
backpack?Osprey Atmos50
footwear? New Balance 800 series (806 presently)
water purification/filter? Aqua Mira
rain gear? Precip
headlamp/flashlight? lightest headlamp in my REI (forgot the brand)
hiking poles? komperdells with cork handles
guides/maps?Wingfoot

etc. ?

These are my typical accouterments....

[mweinstone]

as skill increases....equiptment becomes less important.i once got a flat on my bike in the middle of jabip with no way out. another biker tookout a knife..cut out my innertube and filled my tire with dirt and grass roots.i was able to ride home at the same speed as my friends because that guy knew somthing i didnt. likwise on the AT if lets say you were out of matches freezing in the woods you might not know that a fire can be started with a small piece of ice if you use the heat of your hand to melt a lens and catch the suns rays .i walked with a guy from springer to neels gap and his only food was milky ways.i asked how and he said he pigs out in towns and goes to them more often and that it works best for him.id be in sugar shock after two.matthewski speaks.

[Nightwalker]

What brand would be most typical in each area?

camp shoe? None
tent? Tarptent
backpack? Osprey Aether 60
footwear? Lightweight boots in Winter. Trail runners in Summer.
water purification/filter? Bleach
rain gear? Frog Toggs
headlamp/flashlight? Aurora
hiking poles? Leki UL Coretec Titanium
guides/maps? Databook

Who knows about typical. This is just for me.

[Kerosene]

New hikers and hikers looking to upgrade from their "father's" equipment can benefit from at least a starting list of products, recognizing that there will be a lot of variance due to personal preference, cost, etc. (Weights are approximate)

Camp Shoes: Crocs (10 oz)
Tent: Henry Shires Tarptent Virga 2 (26 oz)
Backpack: Granite Gear Vapor Trail with The Lid (32 oz)
Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends (< 32 oz)
Footwear: Extremely personal; Try this Boot Selector, Vasque, or Merrell.
Water Purification: Aqua Mira (3 oz)
Rain Gear: Frogg Toggs (15 oz)
Headlamp: Petzl Tikka (3 oz)
Hiking Poles: Leki (16 oz), but try going without initially
Guidebooks: ATC Guidebooks & Maps (6 oz photocopied by section)

[lobster]

What makes the Frogg Toggs so popular?

[Alligator]

What makes the Frogg Toggs so popular?

Light, breathable, & inexpensive.