Previous hike: less than a week left

I like to think of my backpacking gear in terms of its function compared to my life off the trail. The curious thing about this comparison is the role of the backpack. I haven’t quite discovered its corollary in life off the trail, so let’s first get my backpack and its accessories out of the way.

Pack and accessories

•Bundle: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider (70 liters) with 2 HMG phone pockets
• Waist bag: REI Trail 5 waist bag (5 liters)

Since I used to work as a bike mechanic, I’m used to customizing my equipment. For example, I’ve added bungee cord at various points around the backpack to help retain other items. I also changed the belt settings to allow me to make tension adjustments by pulling the ends of the belt tag from the backpack to the buckle instead of the original setting pulling the buckle to the backpack. I carry the large fanny pack because I don’t like having to stop and search through my backpack during the day. With this fanny pack I can keep the day’s food within reach and have bug spray, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer accessible while hiking. I can also store my water filter and collection bag in a separate pocket to prevent the filter from freezing. This leaves me room to store my headlamp and bug net in the side pockets of my backpack.

my bedroom

• Tent: Zpacks Duplex Classic 2p tent with a few modifications that allow my OCD side to live in a tent for six months. With Tyvek cover.
• Duvet: Katabatic Gear Sawatch 15, size L, with 900 FP upgrade
• Sleeping pad: Therm-a-rest NeoAir NXT Max sleeping pad, size L
• Pillow: An anonymous brand that I bought a few years ago for a bike trip. It works and is not too heavy.
• Pee Bottle: CNOC Outdoors Vesica 42mm 1L Collapsible Bottle I am an elderly man who urinates frequently and would prefer not to have to leave my tent in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature.

My kitchen:

• Stove: MSR Pocket Rocket 2
• Bottle: Vargo Bot XL
• Spoon: Vargo titanium long handle spoon

my closet

• Undershirt: 2 Unbound merino wool t-shirts, short sleeves
• Base Layer Shorts: 2 pairs of Dick’s Sporting Goods Compression Shorts with 7-inch inseam
• Shorts – Running shorts also from Dicks with a 5” inseam
• Sun Hoodie: Ridge Merino
• Inner socks: 2 pairs of Injinji toe socks
• Outer socks: 2 pairs of micro Crew Darn Tough Light Hiker
• Padded Jacket: Men’s Torrid Jacket by Enlightened Equipment
• Waterproof jacket: Montbell Versalite jacket
• Waterproof pants: Montbell Versalite pants
• Walking/Sleeping Beanie – An old New Balance wool beanie left over from a bygone era
• Gloves: An old pair of cycling gloves that are warm but light.
• Sleep Top: If it’s cold, I’ll sleep in the aforementioned hoodie. If it’s hot, in one of the t-shirts.
• Sleep pants: Some old polypropylene tights from the old days. Chances are you’ll wear them regardless of the weather. On previous adventures I learned that I sleep better when my legs aren’t stuck together from accumulated sweat and dirt.
• Sleep socks: An old pair of alpaca wool socks that I’ve had forever. I hate cold feet when I sleep.

Yeah, I’m probably wearing too many clothes. However, I know how much I sweat and how cold I sleep, so I plan to adapt to those issues to stay comfortable and warm while on the trail. No, my “base layer shorts” are not underwear; They are compression shorts. I’ve worn compression shorts when I run since the early ’80s, so I know what I need to wear to prevent chafing on my inner thighs.

My bathroom:
• Cat Paddle: Two of Swords
• Soap: a small bottle of Dr. Bronners
• Hand sanitizer: A small bottle that I found in one of the medicine cabinets at home.
• Carrying Bag – A small zippered bag from Hilltop Packs.

Electronics:
• Power bank, night use: Nitecore 20.00 m/ah
• Power bank, daytime use: Anker 5000 m/ah
• Load blocks: 2 unnamed blocks from home
• Sleeping pad inflator: Flextail Zero Pump 2
• Satellite beacon: Garmin In Reach Mini 2
• Watch: Garmin Instinct 2
• Various charging cables: five in total

Other probabilities and purposes

Of course, I have a foldable toothbrush, toothpaste, and some dental floss.

I also carry two CNOC water bottles and a straw that allows me to drink water hands-free. I found a company that makes a cap that allows a tube to pass through it. I’ve tried a lot of possibilities when it comes to hydration, and since I like to drink with a stopwatch, this system works best for me.

My goal for the rest of the week is to get a few more posts up before the tour. Then once I get to Alabama, I hope to post daily.

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Happy trails!

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