Final Appalachian Trail Team by 2026

After much deliberation, testing, watching YouTubers, reading, and talking to experienced long distance hikers, I finally have a gear list that I’m pretty happy with. Believe. If any changes need to be made at this point, they will need to be in place.

The big three/four

It was difficult to decide on this category. As an experienced hammock camper, I struggled with the decision to upgrade to a tent. Most of my experience with hammocks has been on short trips during the summer months and shoulder seasons. After testing my hammock setup with the rest of my AT gear on some very cold nights, I realized I needed more room to spread out. Another knock against the hammock was the considerable condensation inside the tarp during a 30 degree snowy night. In my own experience, double wall tents don’t usually have as much of a problem with this.

the store

I landed in a Nemo Hornet Osmo 3p tent. Before judging, I chose the 3 people solely on cost. I found it second hand and since funds are very limited due to saving as much as possible for the climb itself, it was the most logical option. It weighs 2 pounds and 13 ounces. This is a decent weight savings compared to my 3 pound 8 ounce hammock. The tent is fairly easy to pitch and is very spacious as a 2 person tent, but would be extremely cramped for 3 people. It will also work great for future trips with my husband and dog. The way I see it, everyone wins!

The sleep system

Again, after testing a few options in cold temperatures, I settled on a combination of a Nemo Switchback Closed Cell Foam Pad, a Nemo Tensor All-Season Inflatable Pad, a Nemo Fillo Elite Pillow, an Outdoor Vitals 0 Degree StormLoft Quilt, a Sea to Summit Fleece, and a cheap FreLaxy Sheet from Amazon for extra protection for the inflatable pad. This may seem excessive and full of redundancy, but I want to make sure I’m warm enough and have a backup if my inflatable mat gets punctured. I will most likely ship some of these items home when the temperatures are warmer. I will also carry a sheet of Tyvec for various purposes, such as a ground sheet, a pad to sit on, or a barrier for the shelter floor if I were to sleep in a shelter.

my backpack

My backpack is the 58 liter Osprey Eja. It’s not the lightest backpack out there, but it’s very comfortable and affordable. I originally had the older version of the same backpack that Osprey tried to make ultralight by removing the hip belt pockets and slimming the shoulder straps. They had also removed the adjustable torso in that version. After a grueling overnight trip with this backpack, I found it uncomfortable and did not fit my torso well. The new version has the hip belt pockets, which I missed, the adjustable torso and much more comfortable and wider straps. The comfort was worth the weight.

Food storage

This is the fourth item on my big 3/4 list. I’ve talked about this more times than I care to admit. I’ve gathered advice from many experienced backpackers, friends, family, and complete strangers on this topic, but I’m still not convinced I made the right decision. My considerations include my safety and the safety of other hikers, bears, and other hungry wildlife. I also thought about the availability of the perfect tree, the potential damage to said tree caused by multiple bear hangings, both successful and unsuccessful attempts. The daunting idea of ​​the time and energy required to hang a bag of food after a long day of hiking didn’t appeal much to me either.

After considering all of these factors and much deliberation, I chose the BearVault 500. I had chosen this particular size to carry Sherman’s dog food and my own. Sherman will not accompany me on this trip. At the time, this seemed like the most practical option, as I don’t have the funds or practical reasoning to own multiple sizes. Plus, it’s a great stool.

Kitchen for hikers

I’ve already covered food storage, but I will mention that I’ll bring an extra stuff bag in case I decide the BearVault isn’t worth the weight and bulk.

My stove is the very cheap and incredibly reliable BRS stove from Amazon. It doesn’t have a lighter so I’ll have to use a lighter to light it. It’s not the most efficient stove out there, but it’s lightweight and gets the job done – enough said.

My pot is the Toaks 750, paired with the Toaks Long Handled Titanium Fork with Polished Bowl.

I have a collapsible cup from Sea to Summit, an insulated bag from Big Sky International to keep my food warm while I rehydrate, and a tissue to dry my pot and clean my spoon, as well as to keep the fuel can from rusting my pot.

For water, I have the Sawyer Squeeze filter combined with the CNOC bag. I’ll bring a 1 liter bottle of Smart Water and a glow-in-the-dark Nalgene. I’ll be using Nalgene to help keep my toes warm on those very cold nights. You can put boiling water in a Nalgene! Who knew?

Electronics

I’ll be vlogging and blogging on my iPhone 12. This phone will get a lot of use on the road. I will also use it for my own entertainment, watching movies, YouTube videos, etc., and listening to music. I briefly thought about bringing my MacBook Air, but that would add 4 pounds to my backpack and a lot of worry. It would make blogging and editing so much easier though! Oh ok.

Here’s everything else in my e-kit. There is a solar flashlight that I may or may not bring. I have 3 different cables, an Anker 2000mA battery bank, and a wall charging brick with 2 USB and 2 USBC ports. To inflate my rig, I bring a Flextail pump to make the process quick and easy. Sorry for the noise to all my camping companions. Other electronics in my kit are the Garmin Mini InReach 2, a flash drive for additional video storage, 2 microphones with an iPhone adapter, and a Black Diamond headlamp with extra batteries. Lastly, it’s not an electronic, but I also have a journal and a pen here. These will all be stored in a resealable freezer bag.

Clothes

This category is not that interesting, or maybe it is for some readers. I just didn’t put as much thought into my clothing choice as I did with my other gear. I already had most of the clothes and wore them on day and night walks.

winter clothing

I have an older REI Puffy with a lot of tiles, but it still keeps me warm. For rainy weather, I have a Patagonia raincoat.

Not shown here, because it was a gift received after taking this photo, a puffy hat from Outdoor Research. I also have a Turtlefur fleece-lined beanie and a merino neck beanie. For warmer weather, I have a lightweight baseball-style cap from Skida.

For used clothing, I’ll be wearing a Columbia Sun Hoodie, Squak Micro Grid Fleece, New Balance Sports Bra, Skinny Girl Underwear, Free Country Hiking Tights, Injinji Socks, Darn Tough Socks, and Altra Lone Peak 6 Trail Runners.

The rest of my clothing is for various conditions, sleepwear and extras. I’ll be carrying an extra pair of Injinjis and Darn Toughs, sleeping socks from Alpaca, an extra bra and underwear, an extremely lightweight tank top from Free Fly, shorts from Layer 8, baselayer pants from Cuddl Duds, the Torrid Mitts from Enlightened Equipment, Smartwool gloves, a bug net, and, for extra warmth for my toes, a pair of Hot Sockees.

My bathroom kit and toiletries

This is probably the least glamorous part of hiking gear, but it includes realities and must-haves. Some items on my list are probably a little “extra”, but they are my choices.

My bathroom kit includes a Kula cloth, Tinkle Bell pee stand, Human Gear bidet, The Tent Lab #2 UL paddle, a small roll of toilet paper, and some dehydrated wipes.

For toiletries and first aid, I have a foldable toothbrush, travel toothpaste, dental floss with a sewing needle, a travel size deodorant, a travel size razor, Dr. Bronners soap, hand sanitizer, a foldable hairbrush, reading glasses, a small roll of KT tape for knees, lipstick, Q-tips, nail clippers, tweezers, earplugs, some hair ties, a small roll of Leuko tape, various medications, bandages, eyes. blush, gloves, antiseptic wipes and antibiotic ointment. I also have some Gear Aide sheets and other gear patches for repairs.

Finally, diverse team

The trekking poles are the Leki Lhasas. I have been using them for a few years now. They work great and save my knees from the impact of downhill walking.

My Gossimer Gear umbrella will serve as rain protection for me and my backpack, and protection from the sun. Looking at all my gear, I notice some redundancies that may allow me to reduce my base weight if I decide not to carry all the unnecessary gear.

Another redundancy is my fanny pack. The Osprey Eja has hip belt pockets that can serve the same purpose, but cannot be removed. The fanny pack will allow me to leave my backpack in a shelter while I run into town to run errands. Plus, I can store some extra snacks and my phone in a very convenient access point.

For navigation I have the FarOut app and the AWOL guide. I like to take notes in the guide and mark waypoints and objectives on paper. Call me old-fashioned or stubborn, both things are true!

This is it! My final equipment list. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything. If you did, you probably wouldn’t need it or have the space for it. Not to mention it’s too late to change anything anyway.

My next blog will come from the Trail! See you all out there!