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| The hexamid in all its glory and some asshole posing. |
Pros: This tent weighs like 12 ounces all things included. It takes all of two minutes to set up (once you know what you're doing). It's made from cuben fiber so it doesn't retain moisture like silnylon, so it won't weigh you down if it gets wet (and it will). Easy to repair with cuben fiber tape.
Cons: Cost. This thing costs a buttload, but I bought a slighter older, well loved model from somebody on the Gear Swap at backpackinglight.com. Unfortunately, this means it wasn't seamsealed, so halfway through our hike I had to "re-seamseal" all of the stitching with cuben fiber tape, which actually turned out to be inexpensive and easy. It rains a lot on the AT, and it sucks to get rained on in this thing. Or at least it did for me. Why? I didn't have the "bathtub floor" and I took a lot of splash damage through the mesh bottom. Trust me, it sucks to have residual splash damage hit you in the face all night. I used my own polycro or emergency blanket groundsheet most of the time, and eventually I figured out how to rig my groundsheet and various stuff sacks to block most of the splash. In addition, there's no way this thing will make it through another thruhike, as of right now I have parts of the mesh duct taped and lots of small damage taped up on the cuben fiber top.
Bottom line: It got the job done and weighed jack shit. Anyone who has thruhiked with Zpacks gear will tell you that it's the way to go. Did I mention that Zpacks has great customer service? I was having trouble with my zipper and they offered to have me send it in to get fixed, free of charge. I didn't take them up on the offer since I was using it literally every day at the time, but the fact is that they are willing to help thruhikers pretty much without fail. Regardless, I was pretty envious of anyone with a Zpacks Solplex, which seems to be made more for AT-like climates with its large bathtub floor and . If I was going to do the AT again, I would use a solplex, but since I'm doing the PCT this year, I'll be using the Hexamid Tarp, which is the same tent but with no mesh.
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| After 2189.2 miles of rain, dirt, and giardia. |
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| Looks pretty good before it turns the color of rusted robot shit. |
Pros: Waterproofish. Would definitely last another thruhike. Carries weight well. No frills, easy to use. Turns brown after hiking with it for too long. Amazing customer service. Offered to send me a loaner pack whilst they fixed mine up and then send it back to me once done. Turns out I can fix the problem myself so it wasn't necessary, but I'd put HMG service on par with Zpacks.
Cons: Waterproofish. Somehow water gets inside and soaks your quilt, unbeknownst to you. The brown stain will never go away, forever turning your 300 dollar NASA gear into a turd colored piece of shit that normal people sneer at whilst in town. Retains a smell... a bad smell, kind of like ammonia. Allows for absolutely no ventilation, this in turn makes you sweat profusely, this in turn warms your back up considerably, this warm sensation turns from uncomfortable to horrible pain when the heat becomes a thousand tiny stabbing needles. Way, way, way too big. Should have got a 2400, what the hell was I thinking? The only times I used the entire collar was when Cheyanne was dying and I carried most of her gear to halfassedly slack pack her for awhile.
Bottom line: I like this pack. I wish it was smaller. I'm going to keep it around in the hopes that I will one day get into packrafting or ice climbing (ha), but I don't plan on using it on the PCT or even CDT for that matter.
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| A very rare specimen, the giant slug with the head of a Cheyanne. |
Pros: Synthetic, won't lose warmth when wet. And trust me, you'll get wet, and you'll stay wet, for days, for weeks, for months, you will forget what it's like to be anything but damp and clammy and eventually you'll start to seriously worry about trench foot, but don't worry, it's all apart of the AT experience. Easy to wash. If it's hot (and it will be), you can drape that shit over you like a blanket. Tight. Did I mention that by using synthetics rather than down you're not contributing to one of the most despicable and morally reprehensible industries to ever exist?
Cons: Quilts can be drafty. That's why I got a wide. I didn't really need a wide, but this was my first thruhike, and I can be a baby if I want to, so ha.
Bottom line: I will be using this same quilt on the PCT... it's only a 30 degree so we'll see how that turns out.
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| Way, way, way too big/wide, to the point of being an inconvenience. |
Pros: Huge. So comfortable. Amazing. Luxurious. King in the castle.
Cons: Too big. Seriously, so freaking big. Barely fits in my tent/shelters. Also I've had this asshole for like five years and have entirely compromised its R-value (ability to reflect heat) by blowing moisture inside of it.
Bottom line: Don't buy the lie. Neoairs don't pop for no freaking reason. Trust me. I've had this one literally forever and have seriously manhandled it, and it's never freaking popped. I'll be using a neoair size small on the PCT.
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| Little rusted droid dude. |
Pros: Super easy. Reliable. Light weight. Can simmer (kind of). I've had this thing for a million years and I've never had a problem.
Cons: Doesn't do great in wind, canisters cost a bunch of money and weigh more.
Bottom line: A canister stove is a canister stove is a canister stove. If the PCT bans alcohol stoves, I'll bring a canister stove. It might be the Soto, it might be a Snowpeak, it might be something else, but I don't think it really matters.
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| Only about an ounce of difference. Don't use the mini! |
Pros: Easy to use. Decent flow. Immediate satisfaction.
Cons: Probably will break. The flow on the mini is total shit. I filtered all of my water the entire trail and somehow got a bacterial infection in my gut that I still haven't quite figured out, so I guess I kind of hate these filters.
Bottom line: I'll end up using a Sawyer Squeeze on the PCT because aquamira scares me more than most waterborne illness and it weighs jack shit, plus it's just so damn easy to use.
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| Looking like a total doofus with my O2 rain jacket in The Smokies. |
Pros: Costs almost nothing and actually works. Plus it's an obnoxious yellow color so you're sure to never get shot by a hunter.
Cons: Obnoxious yellow color. Can't wash. Disposable. Fragile.
Bottom line: I didn't have any problems with this jacket, and honestly I'd recommend them to just about anyone, but I think it's time for me to upgrade a bit. I won't be using this on the PCT, instead, I'll be opting for the Ultimate Direction Ultra Jacket.
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| "Quick, look like a model." |
Pros: Really light. Synthetic. Doesn't lose warmth when wet. Handy dandy pockets for keeping fickle things like your phone close to your body heat so that the cold doesn't destroy them.
Cons: None, really.
Bottom line: I'll use the no frills UL version of the thermawrap on the PCT.
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| "What are you doing?" |
Pros: Nice to have on laundry day. Versatile.
Cons: Stays wet when it gets wet. Honestly couldn't find very many practical applications for this particular piece of clothing.
Bottom line: I won't be using a windshirt on the PCT, instead I'll have a more functional rain jacket that I'll use for both rain and wind.
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| Not as uncomfortable as you might think. |
Pros: No blisters.
Cons: Get "stale" easily. Don't last long before the toes start busting through the fabric, probably 300 or 400 miles each.
Bottom line: I'll probably use these again. I hate blisters and I can always "layer" injinji liners with more durable darn toughs to get the most bang for my buck.
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| Pack down small. Especially handy for hitchhiking purposes. |
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| Rusted hardware. However, probably a universal screw that can be found at any hardware store. |
Pros: Very light. Very compact. Easy flick lock mechanism. Fairly inexpensive.
Cons: Annoying rattle. Didn't bother me much but is super noticeable after using another person's poles. Several obnoxious, albeit easy, repairs had to be made whilst hiking. My hardware kept coming loose on one of the sections and I had to find a super strong adhesive to bring it back to life. Locus Gear assisted me with this, emailing me all the necessary information and handy pictures to guide me in repairing my poles.
Bottom line: I'd use these again, and I will if my Gossamer Gear LT4s break, but until then the LT4s are my go to.
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| Not looking too bad after 500+ miles. |
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| The most noticeable damage. |
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| Lugs still looking pretty decent at the end of their life. |
Pros: Very light. Wide toebox, No blisters. Zero drop. Very comfortable. Somewhat aggressive lugs.
Cons: So slippery. I don't know what the fuck it is about Altras but their soles are insane slippery. It's unfortunate because I'll literally only use Altras. The Lone Peaks had a tendency to "pancake out" after about 400 miles, which is what I'd expect from them realistically.
Bottom line: I will only wear Altras. Lone Peaks or Olympus.
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| First pair of Olympus. Brand new at the time of this picture. |
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| First pair, end of their life. Most noticeable damage. Sole was coming detached from upper. |
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| Pretty much no tread left after 700 miles. Pennsylvania will do that to you. |
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| Second pair at the end of their 1100+ mile life. The tread was smooth as a baby's bottom. |
Pros: So much cushion. Wide toebox, No blisters. Very comfortable. Got 1100 miles out of a pair of these, that's half the AT fools. And it weren't no easy sections neither. They went through Pennsylvania, The Whites, Maine, and up Katahdin.
Cons: Again, so slippery. But Altra has fixed this problem with more current models. They teamed up with Vibram and now have not just nice soles, but the best soles in the biz. It's too bad they cost 150 bucks a pair now, oh well.
Bottom line: You bet I'll be using these on the PCT.
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| Use this book. It's the AT thruhiking bible. |
Pros: Pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Mostly just an elevation map so you can look ahead and laugh at how much your life sucks in the days to come. Also has detailed information and maps for trail towns. Comes with a nice little pdf document to save to your smartphone.
Cons: Sometimes just flat out wrong, in which case you're fucked. Seems to omit some really important information sometimes, like WATER SOURCES.
Bottom line: This is the most reliable guide for the AT regardless of its problems, I'd use it again and so should you. Guthook's app is good too, but it costs quite a bit.
What I would have done differently:
I would have used a Zpacks Solplex rather than a Hexamid. I would have taken a real rain jacket like an Outdoor Research Helium II and ditched the windshirt. I would have used the 2400 version of the HMG Windrider, or I would have used a ULA Ohm 2.0. I would have taken a small external battery for emergency phone charges... Other than that, I think I'm aces.
That about wraps it up. Obviously I used other random shit like water bottles, stuff sacks, electronics, etc., but I don't think I need to tell you how well a stuff sack worked... right? Maybe you disagree, if so, shoot me an email or leave a comment.
