What to Pack… A Constant Struggle

I feel like I could write a book about gear at this point, and I haven’t even started hiking!  The amount of time that I’ve spent looking at gear, reading reviews, and agonizing about what I think is the right course is absolutely ridiculous.  It’s especially insane when you think about the fact that this gear doesn’t even have to be my finalized gear, since I can change my mind and order things to be delivered to me in towns along the trail. That means I’ve spent hours, days, weeks, even months agonizing over decisions like what version of tent stakes do I want to carry… decisions that can easily be changed in a matter of days. Nonetheless, gear is a constant struggle that I spend an absurd amount of time pondering.  I know on some level this makes sense since gear is what can make me successful in my goal (having a lighter pack will make me more likely to hike further), keep me alive in dangerous situations, but also somewhat comfortable in miserable circumstances. Also, this is something that will be carried 2,650 miles, so it’s important that it’s both lightweight and is able to withstand the abuse that that involves.

So, what do you look for in gear that you’re going to live with for a potential 4-6 months? Well… I wish there was an easy one size fits all answer, but it comes down to personal preferences and circumstances. For instance, I’m semi-claustrophobic, so I cannot use a bivy for shelter, despite the fact that bivies are light weight and easy to use.  Each piece of gear (I own approximately 1,000,000 items now… plus or minus several orders of magnitude) needs to be evaluated for various pros and cons.  Below is a list of main things I plan to pack, and where possible, the reasons why I chose it:

1. Shelter: Zpack Duplex.  The Duplex is very light (19 oz, without the previously mentioned stakes) and guaranteed to last for the whole hike.  I contemplated moving to a tarp or hammock, but I decided I wanted an enclosed space for more privacy.  The duplex feels like a palace in comparison to other 2-person tents I’ve slept in, so it will give me enough space to move around and keep my belongings inside with me. The major con of this tent is that since it’s single-walled, I’m going to have to worry and be extra careful about condensation!  This tent is set up with my hiking poles and 8 MSR groundhog stakes.  I read conflicting info on if I need a footprint for this tent, so I made one using tyvek which has the added bonus of being able to write signs for hitchhiking on it!
2. Pack: Superior Wilderness Designs’ 50L long haul.  SWD is Michigan made, and I really liked all of the customizations they offered.  Additionally, I tried on the following: Osprey’s Eja, ULA Circuit, Granite Gear’s Crown, and Gossamer Gear. SWD’s backpack was the most comfortable for me, followed by the Eja, but the Eja also doesn’t have my beloved hipbelt pockets, so it was a pretty easy decision.  Another plus to this bag is that it’s made of water proof material.  The bag itself isn’t waterproof along the seams, but it will help in keeping my stuff dry.
3. Sleeping bag/quilt: Montbell Down Hugger 900.  This has been one of my more difficult things to pick out.  My dad made me an amazing Rayway quilt that I absolutely love and wanted to bring on the trail with me.  Unfortunately, I’m a notoriously active sleeper, and can’t get the quilt to stay on me while I’m moving every which way.  While this isn’t a problem in more mild temperatures, I’m expecting some pretty low temperatures in the desert and in the mountains, so  it’s not possible to take the quilt with me for these sections.  I recently bought the Montbell with my tax return funds, so I haven’t had as much time to try it out, but this bag is made for people like me who toss and turn. It’s patented technology helps you not get tangled when moving around and lets you spread out in the bag, which honestly sounds like the most perfect sleeping bag I’ve ever heard of.  I’m pretty excited!
4. Sleeping pad: Thermarest Neoair xlite womens. I’m a cold sleeper, and this has the R value that will keep me warm.  Also, as an occasional side sleeper, the thickness means I’m more comfy while sleeping.  Finally, at times, I have a hard time falling asleep while camping, therefore I opted for a regular length instead of going with a short one with my backpack under my feet.
5. Shoes: Hoka One One Challengers.  I opted for trail runners because I absolutely and completely hate wearing hiking boots or shoes.  They are too heavy and give me terrible blisters.  Trail runners are okay for people with ankles that don’t roll/sprain easily and lighter packs, which I am both! I tried on all of the trail runners at REI and then tried my favorites out on the trail.  My knees and shins love the cushioning on the Hokas!
6. Other foot clothing: Dirty Girl Gaiters, Injinji Toe Socks, Darn Tough Socks, and Goosefeet Gear Down Socks.  Yes, I will pack (at least initially) 3 different types of socks.  My feet get blisters pretty easily without liner socks, so I plan to wear the toe socks under the Darn Toughs in the hopes to minimize blisters.  I have some Dirty Girls to help keep all the rocks, sand, etc. out of my shoes.  Again, I’m a cold sleeper, so the down socks should hopefully keep my toes nice and toasty!
7. Rain Gear: I’m going to line my mostly waterproof backpack with a trash compactor bag to make sure everything keeps dry. I also have an OR Helium 2 rain jacket.  This is a lightweight jacket that can be folded into its own pocket. I opted for a rain kilt from MLD.  I hate pants, in almost all forms, so a kilt seemed like a no brainer to me! I also have some MLD shell waterproof gloves which will help a lot with cold hands too and a sun umbrella that can double as a rain umbrella!
8. Warm Gear: I opted for the mid-weight Capilene series for base layers and the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer puffy.  They’re all comfy and lightweight.  I also opted to get a Montbell wind shirt, since the desert can have some insane wind that I will need to contend with, and at only 1.9 ounces, I figure it’s worth it! My mom knitted me some possum down gloves that are really comfy, light, and warm!
9. Food and water: I’m not sure if I’ll go stove-less at some point, but for now I have the OLICAMP Ion stove and the TOAKS titanium pot.  I also upgraded to a long handled titanium spork, which will make it easier to eat out of MRE bags without getting my hands all covered in food.  I opted for the Sawyer squeeze.  Most people use this with Smart Water Bottles to attach their filters, but I hate using single use plastics, and they also are likely to have polymer break down after extended use,  therefore, after much deliberation and trial and error, I opted to instead use platypus bladders.
10. Trail Clothes: I decided to use a Columbia Silver Ridge Shirt to help with sun protection and a Purple Rain Hiking Skirt, cuz again, I hate pants.  I’m going to try to also switch in running tights, as these are my preferred hiking apparel, but I’m not sure how durable these are, so we’ll see on this one!  I’ll probably have to switch to technical pants for the more snow covered areas, and I’m really not looking forward to it!
11. Electronics:   I’m using an Anker battery pack to help get me through between towns. I also have a Garmin InReach Explorer that will allow me to have regular contact with my parents. I love the Petzl Zipka headlamps, so I upgraded to one that is 200 lumens for night hiking.
12. Luxury Items: A sea to summit inflatable pillow (it’s less than 3 ounces!), a journal with pen, my fitbit charger (I’m curious how many steps it takes to walk from Mexico to Canada), and baby wipes to clean myself every night.  For my camera gear, I opted to use my phone as my trail camera, so I added 2 Moment lenses, a teeny tiny Joby tripod and bluetooth camera shutter clicker for better pictures.  My dad claims that my .6 oz trowel is a luxury item, but I disagree!

There are also several miscellaneous first aid and repair items, but for the most part, this will be my set up at the start of the trail.  Right now everything weighs in at around 14 lbs +/- a few ounces (my scale isn’t precise enough to get a more accurate reading), and I’m pretty excited about it! My initial goal base weight (does not include clothes you are wearing or food/water/consumables) was 16 lbs, so coming in 2 lbs under is awesome!!!  I’m looking forward to see what changes and cuts I’ll be making along the way to make it even lighter!