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Re: [at-l] A Ponderous Ponderance (long reply)

Vandibere Hanson wrote:
> I've been pondering taking a walk this summer.  A rather long walk...Down
> that trail that people on this list seem to discuss with regularity.

Good for you! :) Just one question, have you hiked/backcountry camped
before? If you haven't try it first because you might not like it. :)
  
> What sort of a "bare minimum" set of gear would one need for a three month
> hike, starting in Maine, and continuing to wherever...?  My budget is that
> of the destitute college student...I've been saving for a wee bit, and
> whatever I save up in the next three months is what I'll have to spend on gear.

Bare minimum? I think if you ask 10 people, you'd get 10 different
answers. On my list: hiking boots, pack, sleeping bag, tent (or some
sort of backup shelter), warm clothes, food (stove, too), water
purification (either a filter or iodine).

> What sort of suggestions can you folks toss out?  I don't need loads of
> Super-Deluxo-2000 gear, just something simple that will do the job.  I
> figure...People made this hike before some of the newer advancements
> existed, so it must be doable.  I'd like to be at least comfortable, but by
> no means do I need a luxurious pile of goodies.
> 
> Anyway...Give me some ideas, here...Starting from the ground up.  And some
> sort of cost estimate, if it suits ya.  Even if you don't want to get
> specific, toss out some generalities as far as a set of gear goes.

Unfortunately gear is expensive. There is no way around it. When I look
at how much money I have spent on gear in the last year and 1/2, I think
"where the hell did I get all that money?!" But seriously, even when you
get things at a discount or find great sales, you will still end up
spending a nice wad o' cash, especially if you have no gear whatsoever
right now.

But - keep your eye out for sales (get Sierra Trading Post's catalog
http://www.sierra-trading.com/question.html). Look for used gear (check
out rec.backcountry - you can find people selling stuff cheap). Buy the
store brand (REI, Campmor and EMS both sell pretty decent stuff).

You don't *have* to buy the expensive stuff, but sometimes that is the
only option. Sometimes the good equipment is the stuff that will last on
the trail and willcost more than something that will "suffice." And on
the AT, you need stuff that is durable and can take a beating. Just
think - if you buy something that keeps needing to replaced, it may be
just as cost effective to have shelled out an extra few bucks for a
better item in the first place.

Here are my suggestions:

Pack - REI makes some nice internal frames at about $100 less than some
of the brand names. I believe EMS does as well. Sierra Trading Post
often has packs on sale for up to 50% off. But try on the pack you want
first to make sure it fits! 

Boots - this one is a bit harder. Boots can be expensive, especially
ones that will last several hundred - 1000's of miles. I luckily got my
Asolo's on sale from REI for about $110. Keep your eye our for sales,
and like the pack, make sure you try them on first! REI also sometimes
has used gear in their "attic" - people wear a pair of boots for a few
days and return them, at amazing savings to you! This is only applicable
if you live in a town with an REI. A few people *have* hiked in tennis
shoes (Gutsy comes to mind), but if you don't have strong ankles or
tough feet, stick to the boots. I would say get *at least* a mid-weight
boot and try to stick to all-leather uppers.

Sleeping bag - Down bags are alot more expensive. Again, look for sales
in stores and catalogs. You can get one pretty cheap - Kelty makes a 20
degree bag for under $100 (cold creek i think it's called).
You'll probably need a sleeping pad, but if you're strapped for cash, a
simple closed-cell foam pad can be had for about $10.

Tent - Eurkea makes great tents, and they're cheap! REI and EMS also
have store brands that are durable and cheaper than the brand names. Try
to stick to a tent 5.5# or lighter if you are going solo. You can ditch
the whole tent thing and set up a shelter using a tarp. But I wouldn't
be caught without some sort of backup shelter in case a shelter is full
or you don't make it on time before nightfall. Don't be tempted to get a
cheapie at Wal-Mart - they're heavy and not really water-resistant. :P

Stove - unless you plan on eating cold food the entire trip (yuck),
you'll need one. I have the Whisperlite. I love it and most people do,
too. It costs about $52. The fuel bottle is an additional $8 or so. I
would recommend a stove you know will work, and this one is definitely
it. It's field maintainable, and runs on white (coleman) gas, which is
supposedly available everywhere along the AT. If it's not going to work,
why buy it? 

Water stuff - at the very least buy a small bottle of
iodine/purification tablets. They're not very heavy, but they taste like
crap. Also, they might not get all the beasties in the water, and may
take a while to work. You can buy a filter - I think there are some
smaller, cheaper models available under $50. Just make sure they filter
out cryptosporidium and other pathogens. You don't need one with a viral
filter.

Warm clothes and food - you can probably figure this one out on your
own. Just stick to synthetics and far, far away from cotton for your
clothing. And two word: Liptons Noodles!!! :d

Hope this helps!

--
Diana ^(raven)^ * raven@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu
http://www.geckoworld.com/~raven
The Appalachian Trail 1998 * Georgia -> Maine
glittery-goth-hiking-phreeks
* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

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