Seth and I were preparing for the trail for a over a year, so that leaves a lot of time for a person to obsess over every little detail. I'm the kind of person that makes myself so crazy with research that I just want to make a decision to end my anxiety. Considerations for gear for us were weight, durability, and versatility. As you'll see, Seth and I are a bit of a closed loop when it comes to gear picks, so we have a lot of the same items. We'll have to see how we deviate in our gear as we get more experience on the trail.
Packs
Zpack Arc-Haul Zip, Zpack hip pouches, shoulder pouches and Zpack chest pack.
The Zpack is considered an ultralight pack at 27.5 oz, which is a really easy way to start keeping weights low. We liked that it was highly water resistant and the material is durable. They are also more custom- fitted than some packs in that they ask for torso measurements and lots of adjustment points to ensure a comfortable fit. I've definitely felt comfortable in the pack so far and think the add-on pockets will allow for some organization.
Sleep System
Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilt (16.56 oz) Thermarest NeoAir X-lite sleeping pad (12 oz), Cocoon Mummy sleep liner (5.6 oz) and Zpack pillow dry bag (2 oz).
The Revelation quilt is a pretty popular sleeping bag for a thru-hike because it doesn't weigh too much, is made with quality down, and is customizable for a fair price. We thought a quilt might allow for more versatility like being able to vent more easily if it's too hot or wear it around your shoulders like a blanket if it's cold. The NeoAir sleeping pad is also a popular pick for a thru-hike due to it low weight and comfort (for a sleeping pad anyway). I had some trouble with one getting a hole on one of our shakedown trips, so I'm hoping that won't be an issue on the hike. We have mummy liners to add extra warmth to our sleeping bags as it's still pretty cold in the northeast in early summer, but this may be something we'll send home once we hit warmer weather. The pillow stuff sack will be filled with clothes or whatever isn't being used at night to make a pillow. It will serve as our waterproof bag for our clothes during the day.
Lauren's Clothes
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer down jacket, Arc'Tyrex Alpha SL jacket, Icebreaker Women's Oasis long sleeve half zip lightweight, Patagonia fishing shirt, Lululemon 4-way stretch running shorts, Icebreaker Vertex leggings midweight, Prana Halle hiking pants, Ibex wool bra, Ibex wool underwear, Patagonia synthetic underwear, REI thick wool socks, 2 pair Injini liner socks, Smart Wool socks, Xero shoes sandals, Ahnu hiking boots, knit hat and liner gloves.
I watched a lot of YouTube videos of peoples' choices of clothes. My goal was to have a layering system that I could add to and take away as the temperature changes throughout the day. People often say you carry your fear on your back and that became evident with all the socks and underwear. I'll be curious if I don't end up sending some of the extra pairs home, but right now I fear cold, blistery feet and swamp ass.
Seth's Clothes
Khul down jacket, outdoor research rain jacket, Northface rain pants, shemagh Afghanistan, REI thermal under layer , REI glove/mitt hybrids, Khul technical shirt, Prana Zion pants, Ex Officio underwear, Smartwool underwear, Outdoor Research gators, Brooks Cascadias, Xero shoes sandals, Injini liner socks, REI wool socks, Mil Surplus wool socks.
Seth's major differentiation from my gear is his decision to do trail runners instead of hiking boots. Lots of people use trail runners because the AT is so well-developed, so the extra sole and support of a boot isn't always needed. He's also going to use the shemagh instead of a more traditional knit hat for cold coverage. It's also a nice option for various medical uses like a sling or bandage.
Micellaneous Gear
Columbia sun hat, Ex officio sun hat with big treatment, Black Diamond Alpine trekking poles, Leki trekking poles, jet boils, Sea to Summit sporks, Black Diamond Revolt headlamp, Black Diamond Spot headlamp, smoking pipe, Sony RX 100 II camera and case, Outdoor Research rain pants, 4L Platypus Gravity water filter, poop trowel, 1L Smart water bottles, buck knife, and Morakniv companion knife.
These are a few of the more utilitarian items. We chose jetboil stoves because we like having water boil quickly and we already owned them, so they were the cheapest for us. Seth's trekking poles are the most durable of light trekking poles to support that big boy up the trail. I liked how the handles felt on my trekking poles, which are also very light. Seth quit smoking cigarettes for the trail (!), but he continues to enjoy his pipe. We decided on doing the 4L Platypus for filtering water so we can filter lots of water quickly and have the option of hosing each other off if we're feeling particularly gross. We have the knives for protection, but really they'll mostly be used for good prep.
Toiletries
Travel toothbrush, travel toothpaste, floss, nail clippers, hand sanitizer, lip balm, lotion, lily cup, all-purpose soap, travel sunscreen, retainers and case, deet, and earplugs.
There are some personalized things here that others may not have to carry. Like my parents spent good money on fixing my teeth (and also I had buck teeth before braces- maybe I dread the return of the buck teeth), so I'm committed to wearing my retainers. I also have psoriasis that just won't go away so I have to bring Eucerin to try to manage that. Seth insisted on soap, but I'm not convinced we'll use it that much- we'll see. I think hand sanitizer is more important to kill the Norovirus. I've been using a lily cup for my moonblood for a while now and prefer it to creating a bunch of waste. Everything else is pretty standard. Fingers crossed on continuing to floss on the trail.
Medicine Kit
Allergy medicine, ibuprofen, aspirin, Imodium, duct tape, sewing kit, iodine pads, water purifying tabs, tweezers, Gold Bond, lots of band aids, neosporin, gauze, self-adhesive wrap and Desitin.
Notice again, the fear of blisters and swamp ass in our med kit. Ideally, we wouldn't have to use any of this stuff, but this is what we think we could manage on the trail. I did secure traveler's medical insurance for anything severe that might happen.
"Office" Gear
We were gifted a solar panel charger at our wedding, which allows for about one and a half extra charges of the iPhone. Seth will be carrying the AT guide that provides all the information we'll need about the trail. Extra batteries are for his headlamp. Headphones and wire chargers round out the office bag for Seth. Not pictured is his phone. I'm not sure why there are three lighters in there, but to the extent we carry what we fear- Seth definitely wants to be able to enjoy his pipe!
I just have a phone charger, stamps, and a pen. My office is for postcard writing. Not pictured is my phone.
One of the things I learned about watching all those YouTube videos is who cares about the list of gear you're bringing before you've done the trail. We know nothing at this point about what we'll need- it's all speculation! I always skipped to people's post-trail gear videos because that's where all the experience is. It will, however, be interesting to see how the fear list changes as the trail unfolds.
