Class of 2011

[Planeoljoe]

fritz

hmm food for thought to be sure. i think its going to come down to what the tents are like when im in them. i foresee many test nights and trips to the return counter. i never knew how many tent companies there are out there. well here goes nothing.

plainoljoe

[gopher]

After years of trial and error I have tried hammocks, and tarps and tents. I just bought a Lightheart tent that seems to have everything a Long distance Hikers needs . Light weight, bug protection, fast setup. room for hiker and gear without crowding. She has a website with the specs. However the reality is better than the pictures.

[traildust]

Joe,
Good luck with the hike. Think a little lighter on the pack. One person with that much of a load is a recipe for injury, even if you are in the top shape. It is not the early days that will get you if you go slow and steady. It is the grind of day after day with all that weight. Cut it down now to save the time and postage of mailing home stuff at Mountain Crossings.
Two person tents for me since I am hiking with wife. Just sold my EMS Tristar. Have a MSR Fling which is great for two with packs inside and dog but we are selling it to go with something lighter. Every year the stuff gets lighter, bigger, stronger.

Good luck.

traildust

[Turtle Feet]

Hi "Plain 'Ole" - here's some info I promised you...

Sorry it seems so 'disjointed'. These are basically just a word doc that 's a collection of notes I make as I go along. I've made notes about gear that I already have or need, prices and weights (from the manufacturer). Once I finalize some decisions, I'll pare these notes down and clean them up.

My next big decision is on a pack. The one I'm currently using is too heavy (nice, but too heavy!). I've decided to go with under & over quilts but haven't decided whether I'm making them or buying them. I still need a tarp too, but unless I stumble on some really good deal, I'm pretty sure I'll be making that.

Let me know if you have any questions! (sorry it took so long to get this to you - sometimes, when you 'work from home' you put in more hours than if you punched a clock! ....lol )

sherry (aka Turtle Feet)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AT Thru Hike 2011

3lbs 10oz tent (have) vs 3lbs 5oz nano, macCat, peapod or 2lbs 1oz with Crows Nest instead of peapod

Tarp Components:

Shock Cord: 1/8” $.15/ft (SailRite) shipped from IN, 1” nylon webbing $.35/ft, $.30 - Binding $.30/ft (acrylic biased) shipped from Sailmakers Supplies,MS

Tarp fabric: 2.25oz if 54” x 3yds not including corner patches (.25oz), binding (.50oz) & plastic hardware ?oz

Pack Weight:

Hammock: Warbonnet Blackbird SL 1.1 1lb 4oz $160 Double 2lbs $175(adjustable webbing susp) - paid $165 shipped
Nano 7 6.7oz $65 & ship


Tarp: OES MacCat Standard Spinnul 8.2oz $140.00 shipped with stuff sack
OR Warbonnet, Super Fly 1lbs 14oz $225
OR Speers Winter Tarp 17.7oz - incl. kit $107 (on Sale) + $17 for Acces. Kit

Stakes: Set of 8 - 9” aluminum (backordered at OES) .46oz $10

Sleeping Bag: Big Agnes Roxy (have) 2lb 13oz $189 , current pad 1lb 9oz (w/o stuffsack ….. GoLite short 1lb 7oz.) , WB Mamba $250, 1lb 3.6oz


Peapod: 2lbs 6oz. $359 (on sale)

Go Lite 21oz Waterbottle: 3oz. $5 (need 2)

Water Purifier: Steri-pen 3.6oz , Polar pure, aqua mira?
Headlamp: 2.9oz (Zebra light 2.22oz)

Hiking Poles: 2 Leki poles, check weight - 1lb?

Bandana (no camp towel needed)

Backpack: ? Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian Ki $199 (on sale) 3lbs 8oz, Meridan Vapor Ki 2lbs. 14oz $199 , Gossimer Gear Mariposa $170 1lb 5oz

11lbs 0oz +pack (2lbs?), clothing (3lbs?), toiletries & first aid (1lb?), food (8lbs?)

7lbs 7.5oz= pack, hammock, UQ, TQ

[Planeoljoe]

hey and thanks turtlefeet

lots to chew on over the comming months for sure. 11 months and 3 days now for me. ive kinda decided on march 14-15 as my start date only because it looks like many other people are doing that as well, of course, that can and probably will change as the months roll by. i keep reading about making this and making that and i suppose that would be alright if you knew what you were doing and were a proficient hiker but unfortunately im neither. even though it may be heresy to say i think im going to buy or get second hand everything i take with me. what im whiling to having second hand might be a pack or stuff sack maybe even some of the little things like a pocket knife and stuff like that but what i am not whiling to comprimise on, and i think everyone can agree with me, is the water purification system. what ever it happens to be. i like this "steri-pen" you wrote about. im giving that a good look. how i purify water is to me very important, so that will take many days of research to come to a conclusion on. i was looking at the katadyn products. i was wondering if anyone has used them.

i like some of the packs you included. do they have that granite gear nimbus in a mens pack? come to think of it whats the difference in a man and a woman's pack? surely not pastel colors ? Boots/shoes are another important thing to get. i want to get them new and break them in over the coming months. luckily that wont be too hard a good friend of mine owns a shoe and boot store so he should know the good ones. i hope.

well far to much to type in one post without cluttering up the forum. hows everyone's planing going? im interested in hearing from anyone who is like me and never done this before. good luck to us all and feel free to contact me if you in my area and would like to get in a few "practice hikes".

Plainoljoe

[girlnextdoortn]

To start a trip in 2011 what kind of shape do you need to be in. What are you doing to prepare for a the trip.

I have been thinking about doing in 2011. However, I have not been hiking in about a year from car wreck , surgeries..I am just starting to rehab from it all.

Before I had the accident I had hike all of the 40 over 6000 in TN and NC. Completed it and I didnt think it was to bad to do in less then a year.

[Turtle Feet]

To start a trip in 2011 what kind of shape do you need to be in. What are you doing to prepare for a the trip.

I have been thinking about doing in 2011. However, I have not been hiking in about a year from car wreck , surgeries..I am just starting to rehab from it all.

Before I had the accident I had hike all of the 40 over 6000 in TN and NC. Completed it and I didnt think it was to bad to do in less then a year.

You, know your best bet is to have a talk with your doc. Sounds like you're pretty familiar with the southern end of the trail!

Personally, I'm not planning much of an addition to my regular workout routine (P90X ) although now that I'm not 'punching a clock' I am planning to get more hiking and backpacking in this summer and fall - more for fun and sightseeing than training.

Living in the flatlands (by comparison), nothing we do around here really prepares for hiking at elevation. I've done some of that (most recently out in MT last summer), the hiking around the UP and N Wis is beautiful, but for the most part, not overly challenging.

[Turtle Feet]

Hey Plainolejoe... the Steripen has been questionable for me as far as dependability - sort of works when it's in the mood. Whether operator error or not, it's just not consisent in it's dependability. The one I have is the original model and it's a little heavy (3.6oz) - certainly heavier than a bottle of tablets (an ounce or so), so that's probably the way I'll go. Weight for me is a pretty important factor.

As far as the difference between mens/womens packs, it's generally considered to be the width of the spacing of the shoulder straps, and the lay of the hipbelt. Women having more narrow shoulders need the straps to sit closer together, as far as the hip belt, a wider belt is more comfortable for us as it tends to sit on top of the iliac crest. Other than that, as far as size, that's more about your needs depending on the length of days you're preparing for, ie. you wouldn't carry a daypack for a 10 day trip. I sort of wish women's packs came in pastels...lol...of course, they'd show the dirt more.

I have an old pair of boots I'll use for the first and last 1/4's or so of the trip, and a pair of trailrunners to wear in the middle 1/2 - at least that's the plan for the moment. I'd love to get my boots resoled before hand if possible. Those boots are like that comfy bathrobe you never want to have to give up, no matter how tattered and tore it gets.

Doing research online really helps. If there's a men's boot that gets outstanding reviews, see if your friend can special order them for you (if he doesn't carry them). For the most part, good hiking boots are generally found in specialty footwear stores (or like an REI). Good idea about breaking them in!

Have a great rest of the weekend!!!!

[LockJaww]

Hey Joe....Great Hendrix tune...Unrelated I know..I will also be attempting my thru next year...Springer date still flexible...Mid March to early April...
I would ask you to examine/research Western Mountainering sleeping bags...
Big Agnes tents...Good offerings around or under 3 lbs
Neo-Air sleeping pads..
And Garmont T8 boots...
Myself....at this point torn between two backpacks...both different ends of the spectrum....Dueter Air Contact Lite 65 Plus 10....
And the Jansport Carson......
Leaning toward the Carson just because I backpacked a bunch back in the 80's and 90's and the Carson is ...familar....and without a doubt ...It is a pack that will " make it " if I do my part...

[RETCW4]

Hi Turtlefeet,

I too had a change of heart with my pack. I hava a Kelty Redclod 5600 that I used wiith my son at Philmont a few years ago. eighs 5lbs 10 oz. I just bought an Osprey 65 at 3 lbs 8 oz. My next purchase might be a lighter tent.

This coming weekend I'll do my second shakedown of the year. I live with in an hours drive of the AT in MD & PA.
I am using Katadyn Micro Pure tablets now but might try AquaMira. Our Local REI had two AT thru hikers do workshops and they both used that.

Take care,
Tumbleweed

[Planeoljoe]

so another question before i overload myself on all the gear options (LOL i swear i think im about ready to just go to BPS and buy anything ) where do you, meaning everyone who reads this, turn to get your maps? will this year maps be good for next years hike? when do the new years maps come out? this thread has been amazing thus far and i think we are all in for a great hike in 2011.

[rapchizzle]

Just got my stove and cookpot last week for a short shakedown I did this weekend at Caesar's Head in SC. Previously used the old standby sterno but this Brunson stove with the little fuel bottles is snazzy!

I'm trying to decide if I need a new pack. I've got an Osprey Atmos 50 but I feel as though that may be a bit small. Looking at the Osprey Aether 70 and the Deuter 65. anyone have experience with either?

ALSO, my tent is way too heavy. It's a Eureka Timberlite XT2 and it's gotta be 7-8 lbs. I'm looking at the MSR Hubba Hubba but I'm not too fond of it having two doors and vestibules as it will be just me in there and I feel that those would be excess weight. I also have llooked at the MSR Hubba with it's single door/vestibule but I'm almost convinced that being a big guy, I'l be more comfortable in a 2 man tent...

[RETCW4]

Hi PlanolJoe,

I'm goign to order my maps from ATC in November. They should be good and I'll order a Handbook next January. With those two I should be good.

I'm doing a shakedown hike this weekend. Got my maps for the section at REI and Hudson Outfitters.

Tumbleweed

[healthymom]

And Garmont T8 boots...
...

Someone here recommended these boots to me. (Was it you?) When I found them online, the site had them listed at 21 oz for 1/2 pr (1 boot?) Is this right? That seems awfully heavy. Am I wrong?
I'm looking for something that will drain when I am slogging in the rain for several days. I recently did a 2 day shakedown hike and it rained the whole time. I found I didn't really mind the rain, it was the standing water in my boots that got to me.
Thoughts?
Dee
healthymom

[traildust]

so another question before i overload myself on all the gear options (LOL i swear i think im about ready to just go to BPS and buy anything ) where do you, meaning everyone who reads this, turn to get your maps? will this year maps be good for next years hike? when do the new years maps come out? this thread has been amazing thus far and i think we are all in for a great hike in 2011.

A.T. Conservancy. No guidebooks just the maps. Then again you can just by The Trail guide and it has the elevations watermarked into the pages that detail the hike.

[traildust]

Recent weather trends, more warm sunny days than cold snowy days, should be taken into consideration when you plan your start date. What would happen if we had more folks start April 1st than March 1 2011? How many more would finish?

Betting the pace is picking up now on the trail with better weather. Let the race begin.

[FritztheCat]

so another question before i overload myself on all the gear options (LOL i swear i think im about ready to just go to BPS and buy anything ) where do you, meaning everyone who reads this, turn to get your maps? will this year maps be good for next years hike? when do the new years maps come out? this thread has been amazing thus far and i think we are all in for a great hike in 2011.

Joe,

I picked up the AT Guide from Awol's webpage. I got the loose-leaf northbound edition and I really like it. I'll be taking this with me, even though it will be a year old. Awol does updates on a webpage so you can just print out the updated pages and add it to the booklet. Here's a linky: http://www.awolonthetrail.com/order.html

[Turtle Feet]

If anyone needs (or just wants) to do some shopping... Sierra Trading Post has a pretty good sale going, then you can use a promo code (2adventure) for an extra 20% at the checkout. I just bought a GoLite Jam pack (women's) for around $73 and that included shipping! I think I saved around $60 off retail.

Just fyi... whenever you go to buy something online, check out retailmenot.com for coupon and discount codes. I can almost always get either free shipping or some additional discount (or both) off a purchase.... and like Martha says, "that's a good thing".

[RETCW4]

Thanks for the info TurtleFeet.

Tumbleweed

[moondoggie]

You can google promo codes and then search the store you want for savings. I do this with every purchase. Sometimesyou save more and sometimes you don't, but worth the effort!