Dan's Equipment

or

"If You Want It, You Carry It"

• Exact pack contents on 18 August 1996 (end of my first summer).
• Modifications before or during the second summer.
• Some brief equipment evaluations. (I am not a gearhead.)

18 August 1996 Equipment:

• Kelta Super Tioga External Frame Pack (circa 1988)
• On me
  • Leki Lightwalk hiking pole
  • Bandana
  • Coolmax shirt
  • REI hiking shorts
  • Socks (Thorlo Trekkers)
  • Vasque Clarion GTX Boots (from Springer, barely)
• Pack Bottom Compartment
  • Sleeping Bag (Kelty, 20 degree)
  • Camp Sandals (Teva pterodactyls)
  • Trowel
• Pack Top Main Compartment (approximately top to bottom)
  • Groundcloth (Clear plastic)
  • Tent (Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight)
  • Rainjacket (LL Bean StowAway)
  • Gaiters (LL Bean)
  • 2 mesh food bags (1 for dinner, 1 for everything else)
  • ThermaRest (3/4 length, thin)
  • Camp clothes
    • Coolmax shirt
    • Nylon soccer shorts
    • Coolmax briefs
  • Chamois shirt (long-sleeve)
  • Pot Bag
    • Aluminum 1 qt. pot
    • Sponge
  • Stove Bag
    • MSR WhisperLite Camp Stove
    • MSR Field Repair Kit
    • Lighter
  • Water Filter (Pur Scout)
  • Mesh Bag (for dirty socks)
  • 2 pr. socks (Thorlo Trekker)
  • Fleece Pants (100 Wt. Patagonia Capilene)
  • Balaclava (polypropylene)
  • Town clothes
    • Cotton shirt
    • Nylon soccer shorts
    • Coolmax briefs
  • Rainpants (LL Bean StowAway)
• Pack Left Top Pocket
  • 2 Quart Water Bottles (Nalgene wide-mouth, dark)
• Pack Left Bottom Pocket
  • AT Data Book
  • Pocket Knife (Swiss Army: 2 blades, can & bottle opener, scissors)
  • Spoon
  • Iodine Crystals (Polar Pur)
  • Snacks (for in-between meals)
• Pack Right Top Pocket
  • Random Bag
    • Vaseline
    • Toothbrush
    • Toothpaste
    • Neosporin
    • Camp Suds
    • Tinactin
    • Boot Waterproofing (Sno-Seal)
    • Lighter (spare)
  • Random Bag
    • Duct Tape (approximately 10 yards)
    • Band-Aids
    • Mole-Skin
    • Whistle
    • Chap-Stick
    • Old Bootlaces
    • 2 AA Batteries (spare)
  • Avon Skin-So-Soft (repellant and SPF 15)
• Pack Right Middle Pocket
  • Water Bag (REI 3 gal.)
  • Stuff Sack (Tight-weave nylon for hanging food)
  • 2 bandanas (1 for washing, 1 for cooking)
  • Headlamp (Petzl)
  • 2 Compression Straps (spare)
• Pack Right Bottom Pocket
  • 22 oz. Fuel Bottle
  • Toilet Paper
• Pack Front Pocket
  • Thru-Hiker's Handbook
  • Journal
  • Magazine (for leisure)
  • Pens
  • Extra Ziploc Bags
  • Short Parachute Cord (approx. 15 feet)
  • Long Parachute Cord (approx. 35 feet)
• Pack Map Pocket
  • Driver's License
  • Credit Card
  • ATM Card
  • Student ID
  • ATC card
  • Cash
  • Traveler's Checks

Changes by the end of the second summer:

• New socks and boots (same models) before start of second summer.
• Addition of long-sleeve Patagonia Capilene 100 Wt. shirt.
• Switch to an off-brand pair of hiking shorts instead of REI shorts.
• Replaced Skin-So-Soft with 100% DEET and all-natural Green Ban.
• Addition of several safety pins for repair needs.
• Updated Handbook and Data Book to current year.
• Changed boot waterproofing to Aqua-Seal.

Brief Comments

Remember the season I hiked: June-August for the Southern half, May-July for the Northern half. This affects clothing and sleeping decisions.

• Yes, some of us still use external frame packs. Easier to pack, cooler on the back, and it's the only pack I've ever owned. Having now worn the pack out (and killed the hip belt), I'll be looking for a new pack and will look seriously, but grudgingly, look at internal frames.
• I cannot recommend REI hiking shorts. The stitching on my second-summer pair gave out after a few weeks and I replaced them in Manchester Center, VT. with a pair that lasted the rest of the summer.
• A 20-degree bag served me just fine.
• I rarely wore the rainjacket while hiking. When I did it was because of a windy ridge, so it was wind protection because I was already wet. In 2 hours on Franconia Ridge, my rain jacket paid for itself and justified carrying it 2000 miles. I never wore the rainpants.
• I consider gaiters a necessity. The first summer I wore them only in rain or wet grass. The second (cooler) summer, I wore them except on hot days. I used high gaiters.
• Many others do not have camp clothes. I really looked forward to changing into them each day.
• MSR stoves are very reliable. With a 22oz. bottle I skipped most places to buy fuel, but liked the flexibility I would have lost with an 11oz. bottle.
• Thorlo Trekkers are the best socks money can buy.
• I got 1080 miles out of each pair of Vasque Clarion boots, but everyone wears boots differently. Both pairs were ready for replacement at the end.
• Even in the middle of summer, I would never hike without some sort of warm headgear (like my balaclava). It kept me warm on many evenings.
• I think water filters are unwieldy, annoying contraptions. Unfortunately, iodine is not recommended for long-term use and some water is not safe to drink. I used the iodine a fair amount.
• By the end, my waterbag was dripping around the valve.
• I think the Handbook / Data Book combination is ideal. In my opinion, the maps are unnecessary and the Companion cannot compare.
• No, I did not carry a camera. This is a personal thing (I don't stop to take pictures) that I cannot recommend to others.
• A fleece shirt would be better than a chamois shirt, but I went with what I already had.
• When the bugs get bad, the neurotoxins go on without complaint.