What’s in my bag? – The walk

Let’s talk about team…

What do I plan to have in my bag when I start my AT trip? My goal was to have a base weight under 15 pounds (base weight is everything I carry with me, minus what I’m wearing and consumable items like food, water, fuel, etc.), which is debatable at this point if I’m being creative with my consumables, but realistically, I’m already a bit over. But once warmer weather hits, I’ll be swapping out a few items that will surely keep me under 15 pounds. Especially if I can also adjust some other elements along the way.

The essential

• Bag – I chose the Durston Kakwa 55. I had been using an Osprey Atmos 65L, which I liked and handled heavy weights very well, but at twice the weight of lightweight frame packs, I felt I needed to switch to something lighter. On test hikes so far, I’ve liked it quite a bit, especially the pockets on the hip belt, which are much easier to open and close than my Osprey. I’ll line it with a nylofume liner to help keep my stuff dry!
• Sleep system – EE Enigma duvet combined with a Nemo Tensor all-season sleeping pad. I used them on a test hike last year in the White Mountains with quite a bit of success. I like the freedom of the quilt compared to a sleeping bag and it was very warm. Maybe too warm… I’ll complement them with a silk blend sleeping bag liner and an inflatable pillow.
• Shelter – Durston X-Mid 2 and floor cloth. I’m not sure how I feel about a tent with trekking poles, but it is relatively popular in AT surveys and has good reviews. I also really liked that the owner, Dan Durston, commented on random forums when people talk about his equipment while I’m doing my research, so the tie goes to that!
• Trekking poles – Black Diamond Pursuits has had them for a few years and they have held up very well. We hope they make it to Maine!

Clothes

• It is already property – Darn Tough socks, compression shorts, t-shirt, raincoat, beanie, gloves, Buff and Crocs.
  • I love Darn Tough socks, my ex manager gave them to me (thanks Dan). I feel pretty good about all of these pieces except the Crocs, but we’ll feel them out on the trail for a while and then re-evaluate them.
• Purchased for AT – Townshirt Sun Hoodie, Trail Shorts, HIKE Baseball Cap, CTUG Fanny Pack, Topo Ultraventure 4 Trail Shoes, Lightweight Eddie Bauer Puffy, Merino Wool Baselayer Pants, and Frogg Toggs Ultralite Waterproof Pants.
  • I’ve tried 5 different pairs of trail boots and runners over the past year in preparation for the trail and although I only have about 70 miles in them, so far I like the Topo Ultraventure 4. I’m really excited about the Townshirt Sun Hoodie, it feels very comfortable and should be a well worn piece for me for the first few months.

Kitchen

• Hydration system – Sawyer Squeeze with 2L Cnoc bag + Smartwater bottles, trail essentials, nothing new to see here.
• Cooking settings – MSR Pocketrocket Deluxe + TOAKs 750ml bottle and long-handled spoon. Once again, hiker favorites, nothing original on my part. However, I splurged on the Deluxe with push start.
• Food bag – The UltraliteSacks UL Bear Zipper Bag should be large enough to cover any long food transport.

Electronics

• It is already property – Samsung Galaxy S25+ and Buds 3 Pro, cables/charging block, Anker 20,000 mAh power bank.
  • They all work perfectly, although the power bank is quite heavy.
• Purchased for AT – Nitecore NU25 headlamp.
  • I upgraded from my old headlamp to the NU25. Slightly lighter, but the main reason was switching from AA batteries to rechargeable ones.

Miscellaneous/Luxuries

• Hygiene and first aid kits – Probably a little heavy on gauze and bandages, but we’ll fine tune these things over the first few hundred miles.
  • I hope the double combination of soap and hand sanitizer keeps me healthy and safe from illness!
• Dry bag – I’ll put my sleeping quilt and clothes here to hopefully stay dry. 3 layers of water protection will keep them dry, right? Good!?!
• Bear Hanging Kit – Hoping to see some black bears! Just not eating my food or being in my tent in the middle of the night…
• Garmin Instinct 3 – I’m looking forward to tracking my mileage and other stats with this guy!

All the details below, in their shameless glory.

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