What are we packing for our hike? That is the big question.
The gear list below details the items we are fairly certain we are packing. This list is not complete or trail ready. As we finalize our gear decisions and start actually packing for our adventure we will update this list with each and every item we are bringing. We will also include the weight of every item for the lightweight gearheads, and for the mother who wants to ensure her children are not overburdened!
Another thing worth noting is that we will not be carrying everything on this list at all times. For example, in warmer weather we will scale back our cold weather gear.
Index
Gear Lists
Damien's Gear List
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | ||
| Gossamer Gear Mariposa | 28.5 oz (808 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear Pack Liner | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Dry Ditty Sacks | 1 oz (28 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear G-Ditty | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Shelter | ||
| Tarp Tent StratoSpire 2 | 39.9 oz (1114 g) | Boys tent |
| Sleeping System | ||
| GoLite Unisex Z30 Quilt | 20.7 oz (587 g) | 30°F/-1°C |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season sleeping pad | 20.8 oz (589 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| Smartwool socks | 3.3 oz (94 g) | For sleeping only |
| Homemade pillow case | 1.3 oz (37 g) | |
| Cooking | ||
| Snow Peak 600 titanium cup | 2.4 oz (28 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Warm Sak | 0.7 oz (20 g) | |
| Snow Peak titanium spork | 0.6 oz (17 g) | |
| Water | ||
| SteriPEN Freedom | 3.7 oz (105 g) | Includes USB charging cable |
| Sawyer Mini water filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Camelbak Podium bottle | 2.7 oz (77 g) | 24 fl oz |
| MSR DromLite 6L | 5.3 oz (150 g) | |
| Clothing - Base layer | ||
| Craft Cool Boxer underwear | 3.8 oz (104 g) | 2 pairs |
| Icebreaker 150 t-shirt | 4.1 oz (116 g) | |
| Arc'Teryx Phase SL long underwear | 3.4 oz (96 g) | |
| Swiftwick Merino wool socks | 4.4 oz (125 g) | For spring and fall, 2 pairs |
| Injinji toe socks | 4 oz (112 g) | For summer, 2 pairs |
| Clothing - Insulation | ||
| Outdoor Research Radiant HD Half-zip Hoody | 17.3 oz (490 g) | |
| Rab Xenon puffy jacket | 10.5 oz (298 g) | |
| Backpacking Light Cocoon puffy pants | 7.3 oz (207 g) | For spring and fall |
| Integral Designs Hot Socks | 5.4 oz (153 g) | For spring and fall |
| Craft Winter Hat | 1.5 oz (42 g) | |
| Clothing - Outerwear | ||
| Mountain Hardwear Quasar pullover | 9.5 oz (269 g) | Rain jacket |
| Patagonia Houdini windbreaker | 3.3 oz (94 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Wayward short-sleeve shirt | 7.1 oz (201 g) | |
| Arc'Teryx Stride thermal tights | 9.5 oz (278 g) | For spring and fall |
| Helley Hansen Odin pants | 13.4 oz (380 g) | Pants for summer |
| TBD running shorts | TBD | |
| Buff | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Sea to Summit bug net | 1.0 oz (28 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| Montane cap | 2.0 oz (56 g) | |
| DeFeet Duragloves | 2.3 oz (65 g) | |
| MEC Cloudraker overmitts | 2.6 oz (74 g) | |
| Footwear | ||
| Sole Runner Transition Vario boots | 22 oz (623 g) | Spring and fall footwear |
| VIVOBAREFOOT Trail Freak shoes | TBD | Summer footwear |
| Lizard Shield waterproof socks | 3.1 oz (88 g) | |
| Dirty Girl gaiters | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Xtenex shoe laces | N/A | Weight included with shoes |
| Gear | ||
| Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles | 17.8 oz (504 g) | |
| Swing LiteFlex umbrella | 8.1 oz (229 g) | |
| Black Diamond Spot headlamp | 3.4 oz (96 g) | |
| Ryder Caliber Photochromic sunglasses | 1.4 oz (40 g) | Includes fabric stow-bag |
| Technology | ||
| iPad 3 | 23.5 oz (666 g) | |
| Pelican Slim Tablet Case | 18.8 oz (532 g) | |
| iPad charger and cable | 3.1 oz (88 g) | |
| Wacom Intuos Creative stylus | 3.6 oz (102 g) | Includes carrying case |
| Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V/B | TBD | |
| Goal Zero Sherpa 50 | TBD | |
| Memory cards | TBD | 6 SDHC, 6 MicroSDHC and case |
Renee's Gear List
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | ||
| Gossamer Gear Mariposa | 26.1 oz (740 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear Pack Liner | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Dry Ditty Sacks | 1 oz (28 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear G-Ditty | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Shelter | ||
| Hilleberg Anjan 3 | 51.2 oz (1452 g) | Girls tent |
| Sleeping System | ||
| Marmot Helium sleeping bag | 36 oz (1021 kg) | 15°F/-9°C |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All Season sleeping pad | 20.8 oz (589 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| Icebreaker socks | TBD | For sleeping only |
| Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat | 3.6 oz (102 g) | Sit pad and pillow |
| Therm-a-Rest pillow case | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Cooking | ||
| Snow Peak 600 titanium cup | 2.4 oz (28 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Warm Sak | 0.7 oz (20 g) | |
| Snow Peak titanium spork | 0.6 oz (17 g) | |
| Water | ||
| SteriPEN Emergency | 6.8 oz (193 g) | Includes batteries |
| Sawyer Mini water filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Camelbak Podium bottle | 2.7 oz (77 g) | 24 fl oz |
| Clothing - Base layer | ||
| Isis briefs | 1.4 oz (40 g) | 2 pairs |
| Icebreaker 150 t-shirt | 3.6 oz (102 g) | |
| Isis sports bra | 2.2 oz (62.4 g) | |
| Icebreaker Sprint long underwear | 5.4 oz (153 g) | |
| Icebreaker wool socks | TBD | For spring and fall, 2 pairs |
| Injinji toe socks | 3.2 oz (91 g) | For summer, 2 pairs |
| Clothing - Insulation | ||
| Patagonia hoody | 9.9 oz (281 g) | |
| Montane Featherlite Down puffy jacket | 13.9 oz (394 g) | |
| Mont-Bell Thermawrap puffy pants | 10.9 oz (309 g) | For spring and fall |
| Integral Designs Hot Socks | 4.8 oz (136 g) | For spring and fall |
| Craft Winter Hat | 1.5 oz (42 g) | |
| Clothing - Outerwear | ||
| GoLite Malpais rain jacket | 10.5 oz (298 g) | |
| Patagonia Houdini windbreaker | 3.7 oz (105 g) | |
| Craft PR thermal tights | 7.6 oz (216 g) | Thermal tights for spring and fall |
| Arc'Teryx Gamma LT pants | 8.8 oz (250 g) | Pants for summer |
| Adidas ClimaLite running shorts | 4 oz (113 g) | |
| Buff | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| TBD bug net | TBD | |
| Outdoor Research cap | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Outdoor Research liner gloves | 1.6 oz (45 g) | |
| MEC Cloudraker overmitts | 2.6 oz (74 g) | |
| Footwear | ||
| Sole Runner Transition Vario boots | 18.2 oz (516 g) | Spring and fall footwear |
| New Balance Minimus Trail WT10 shoes | TBD | Summer footwear |
| Lizard Shield waterproof socks | 3.0 oz (85 g) | |
| Dirty Girl gaiters | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Xtenex shoe laces | N/A | Weight included with shoes |
| Gear | ||
| Komperdell C3 Carbon Titanal trekking poles | 17 oz (482 g) | |
| Swing LiteFlex umbrella | 8.1 oz (230 g) | |
| Black Diamond Spot headlamp | 3.4 oz (96 g) | |
| Prescription sunglasses | 0.6 (17 g) | |
| Technology | ||
| iPad Mini | 11.1 oz (312 g) | |
| Pelican E-reader Case | 12.7 oz (360 g) | |
| iPad charger and cable | 1.5 oz (43 g) | |
| JVC earbuds | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Sony NEX-6 camera body | 13 oz (369 g) | |
| Sony 50mm f/1.8 lens | 8.3 oz (235 g) | Includes lens cap |
| Sony 16-70mm f/4.0 lens | 12 oz (340 g) | Includes lens cap |
| Camera charger, USB cable, extra battery | 4.1 oz (116 g) | |
Celine's Gear List
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | ||
| Gossamer Gear Gorilla Ultralight Backpack | 26 oz (737 g) | |
| Therm-a-Rest Z-pad | 1.8 oz (51 g) | Cut down for pack padding |
| Gossamer Gear Pack Liner | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Dry Ditty Sacks | 1 oz (28 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear G-Ditty | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Shelter | ||
| Tent poles | 13.9 oz (394 kg) | For Anjan tent |
| Sleeping System | ||
| GoLite Women's Z30 Two-Season sleeping bag | 21.2 oz (601 g) | 30°F/-1°C |
| Therm-a-Rest NeoAir sleeping pad | 14.6 oz (414 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| Icebreaker socks | TBD | For sleeping only |
| Mont-Bell U.L. Comfort System pillow | 2.8 oz (79 g) | |
| Therm-a-Rest pillow case | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Cooking | ||
| Kovea Spider inverted canister stove | 6 oz (170 g) | |
| Snow Peak Titanium Cook & Save pot | 6.1 oz (173 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Flat-Sak | 0.6 oz (17 g) | Stuffsack for cooking gear |
| Snow Peak 600 titanium cup | 2.4 oz (28 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Warm Sak | 0.7 oz (20 g) | |
| Snow Peak titanium spork | 0.6 oz (17 g) | |
| Water | ||
| SteriPEN Emergency | 6.8 oz (193 g) | Includes batteries |
| Sawyer Mini water filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Camelbak Podium bottle | 2.7 oz (77 g) | 24 fl oz |
| Clothing - Base layer | ||
| No-name synthetic briefs | 2.4 oz (68 g) | 2 pairs |
| MEC Merino Wool t-shirt | 4.1 oz (116 g) | |
| Nike sports bra | 3.5 oz (99 g) | |
| MEC Midweight long underwear | 4.7 oz (133 g) | |
| Icebreaker wool socks | TBD | For spring and fall, 2 pairs |
| Injinji toe socks | 3.2 oz (91 g) | For summer, 2 pairs |
| Clothing - Insulation | ||
| Craft fleece hoody | 11.0 oz (312 g) | |
| Montane Featherlite Down puffy jacket | 13.9 oz (394 g) | |
| Montane Prism puffy pants | 9.8 oz (278 g) | For spring and fall |
| Craft Winter Hat | 1.5 oz (42 g) | |
| Clothing - Outerwear | ||
| MEC Cloudburst rain jacket | 11.3 oz (320 g) | |
| Rab Solar jacket | TBD | |
| GoLite Rogue Valley thermal tights | 6.3 oz (179 g) | Thermal tights for spring and fall |
| MEC hiking pants | 11.6 oz (329 g) | Pants for summer |
| TBD running shorts | TBD | |
| Buff | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Sea to Summit bug net | 1.0 oz (28 g) | |
| Patagonia cap | 1.7 oz (48 g) | |
| Manzella liner gloves | 1.4 oz (40 g) | |
| MEC Cloudraker overmitts | 2.6 oz (74 g) | |
| Footwear | ||
| Sole Runner Transition Vario boots | 18.2 oz (516 g) | Spring and fall footwear |
| Skora Phase shoes | 13.2 oz (374 g) | Summer footwear |
| Lizard Shield waterproof socks | 3.0 oz (85 g) | |
| Dirty Girl gaiters | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Xtenex shoe laces | N/A | Weight included with shoes |
| Gear | ||
| Black Diamond Spot headlamp | 3.4 oz (96 g) | |
| Rudy Project Rydon sunglasses | 1.2 oz (34 g) | Includes fabric stow bag |
| Technology | ||
| iPad Mini | 11.1 oz (312 g) | |
| Pelican E-reader Case | 12.7 oz (360 g) | |
| iPad charger and cable | 1.5 oz (43 g) | |
| Skull Candy earbuds | 0.4 oz (11 g) | |
Laurent's Gear List
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | ||
| Gossamer Gear Gorilla Ultralight Backpack | 24.7 oz (701 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear Pack Liner | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Dry Ditty Sacks | 1 oz (28 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear G-Ditty | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Shelter | ||
| Tent stakes | 2.8 oz (79 g) | For StratoSpire tent |
| Sleeping System | ||
| Nemo Siren quilt | 20.5 oz (581 g) | 30°F/-1°C |
| Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 Short sleeping pad | 17.6 oz (499 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| TBD socks | TBD | For sleeping only |
| Therm-a-Rest Lite Seat | 3.6 oz (102 g) | |
| Homemade pillow case | 1.3 oz (37 g) | |
| Cooking | ||
| Kovea Supalite Titanium canister stove | 2.0 oz (57 g) | |
| Snow Peak Titanium Cook & Save pot | 6.1 oz (173 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Flat-Sak | 0.6 oz (17 g) | Stuffsack for cooking gear |
| Snow Peak 600 titanium cup | 2.4 oz (28 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Warm Sak | 0.7 oz (20 g) | |
| Snow Peak titanium spork | 0.6 oz (17 g) | |
| Water | ||
| SteriPEN Pre-Filter | 1.7 oz (48 g) | |
| Sawyer Mini water filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Camelbak Podium bottle | 2.7 oz (77 g) | 24 fl oz |
| Clothing - Base layer | ||
| TBD underwear | TBD | 2 pairs |
| Under Armour t-shirt | 3.8 oz (107 g) | |
| MEC Midweight long underwear | 4.5 oz (128 g) | |
| Icebreaker wool socks | TBD | For spring and fall, 2 pairs |
| Injinji toe socks | 3.2 oz (91 g) | For summer, 2 pairs |
| Clothing - Insulation | ||
| Champion fleece hoody | 11.0 oz (312 g) | |
| Patagonia Kids synthetic puffy jacket | 14.9 oz (422 g) | |
| Montane Prism puffy pants | 9.8 oz (278 g) | For spring and fall |
| Mountain Hardwear fleece beanie | 0.8 oz (23 g) | |
| Clothing - Outerwear | ||
| MEC Cloudburst rain jacket | 10.7 oz (303 g) | |
| Patagonia Houdini windbreaker | 3.6 oz (102 g) | |
| Craft PR thermal tights | 6.6 oz (187 g) | Thermal tights for spring and fall |
| MEC hiking pants | 8.3 oz (235 g) | Pants for summer |
| EvaSport shorts | 4.0 oz (113 g) | |
| Buff | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Sea to Summit bug net | 1.0 oz (28 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap | TBD | |
| The North Face liner gloves | 1.5 oz (43 g) | |
| MEC Cloudraker overmitts | 2.6 oz (74 g) | |
| Footwear | ||
| Sole Runner Transition Vario boots | 17 oz (482 g) | Spring and fall footwear |
| ZEMgear TerraTECH shoes | TBD | Summer footwear |
| Lizard Shield waterproof socks | 2.9 oz (82 g) | |
| Dirty Girl gaiters | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Xtenex shoe laces | N/A | Weight included with shoes |
| Gear | ||
| Black Diamond Spot headlamp | 3.4 oz (96 g) | |
| Tifosi Slip sunglasses | 1.3 oz (37 g) | |
| Technology | ||
| iPad 3 | 23.5 oz (666 g) | |
| Pelican Slim Tablet Case | 18.8 oz (533 g) | |
| iPad charger and cable | 3.1 oz (88 g) | |
| Sony earbuds | 0.4 oz (11 g) | |
Brienne's Gear List
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | ||
| GoLite Jam 50L | 30 oz (851 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear Pack Liner | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Dry Ditty Sacks | 1 oz (28 g) | |
| Gossamer Gear G-Ditty | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
| Shelter | ||
| Tent stakes | 4.6 oz (130 kg) | For Anjan tent |
| Sleeping System | ||
| GoLite Women's Z30 Two-Season sleeping bag | 21.2 oz (601 g) | 30°F/-1°C |
| Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 Short sleeping pad | 17.6 oz (499 g) | Includes stuffsack |
| Icebreaker socks | TBD | For sleeping only |
| Mont-Bell U.L. Comfort System pillow | 2.8 oz (79 g) | |
| Homeade pillow case | 1.5 oz (43 g) | |
| Cooking | ||
| MSR Aluminum windscreen | 1.7 oz (48 g) | |
| MSR LiteLifter pot lifter | 1.0 oz (28 g) | |
| MSR folding cook spoon | 1.0 oz (28 g) | |
| MSR folding strainer | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Snow Peak 600 titanium cup | 2.4 oz (28 g) | Handles removed |
| Gossamer Gear Warm Sak | 0.7 oz (20 g) | |
| Snow Peak titanium spork | 0.6 oz (17 g) | |
| Water | ||
| SteriPEN Pre-Filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Sawyer Mini water filter | 2 oz (57 g) | |
| Camelbak Podium bottle | 2.7 oz (77 g) | 24 fl oz |
| Clothing - Base layer | ||
| Pull-in briefs | 2.6 oz (74 g) | 2 pairs |
| Icebreaker 200 t-shirt | 4.0 oz (113 g) | |
| Moving Comfort sports bra | 2.3 oz (65 g) | |
| MEC Midweight long underwear | 4.1 oz (116 g) | |
| Icebreaker wool socks | TBD | For spring and fall, 2 pairs |
| Injinji toe socks | 3.2 oz (91 g) | For summer, 2 pairs |
| Clothing - Insulation | ||
| Patagonia fleece hoody | 7.9 oz (224 g) | |
| Patagonia synthetic puffy jacket | 13.8 oz (391 g) | |
| Backpacking Light Cocoon puffy pants | 5.8 oz (164 g) | For spring and fall |
| Outdoor Research Windstopper beanie | 1.3 oz (38 g) | |
| Clothing - Outerwear | ||
| GoLite Malpais rain jacket | 9.8 oz (278 g) | |
| GoLite Ether windbreaker | 3.7 oz (105 g) | |
| UnderArmour ColdGear thermal tights | 4.9 oz (139 g) | Thermal tights for spring and fall |
| MEC convertible pants | 11.3 oz (320 g) | Pants for summer |
| Buff | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Sea to Summit bug net | 1.0 oz (28 g) | |
| Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap | TBD | |
| Craft Thermal Multi-Grip gloves | 1.3 oz (38 g) | |
| MEC Cloudraker overmitts | 2.6 oz (74 g) | |
| Footwear | ||
| Sole Runner Transition Vario boots | 17.0 oz (482 g) | Spring and fall footwear |
| ZEMgear TerraTECH shoes | TBD | Summer footwear |
| Lizard Shield waterproof socks | 2.9 oz (82 g) | |
| Dirty Girl gaiters | 1.2 oz (34 g) | |
| Xtenex shoe laces | N/A | Weight included with shoes |
| Gear | ||
| Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp | 3.2 oz (91 g) | |
| Tifosi Alpe 2.0 sunglasses | TBD | |
| Technology | ||
| iPad 2 | 21.6 oz (612 g) | |
| Pelican Slim Tablet Case | 18.8 oz (533 g) | |
| iPad charger and cable | 1.5 oz (43 g) | |
| Skull Candy earbuds | 0.5 oz (14 g) | |
Disclaimers About Our Gear List
Gear choices and options are like a pandora's box. Once you open it you kinda wish you had left it closed because of all the variables. Do you choose the lightest option? the most comfortable? the pink or the black? (I'll tell you right now, if you're Brienne, you choose pink every time.)
Within the context of a lightweight philosophy, we have made our gear choices using the following criteria:
-
Using what we own. We've been aiming to thru-hike the AT for years. We've been buying gear that would help us reach that goal at every available opportunity. We already own a lot of what we need.
-
The best bang for our buck. As much as we'd love to be lightweight purists, unencumbered by pesky realities like budgets, we're not. We're just regular folks and when the ideal choice is not within our reach (ideal in terms of weight, materials and manufacturing) we make the best choice we can with the resources available to us.
-
Pro-deals, ambassador relationships, and review products. Because we're bloggers with a readership some companies give us deals in the hopes we will buy their gear and in the course of writing and photographing our adventures we will advertise for them. These aren't explicit advertising agreements, these are simply "we hope you use our stuff and in doing so help us advertise our product." We love these arrangements for obvious reasons. Some of our gear has also been acquired through the years by doing reviews for our sites and other publications.
-
Sponsorship. With this project we are seeking and accepting sponsorship from companies wishing to promote their products through our publishing. Sponsors for our AT hike are clearly advertised (that's the whole point!) but we make no claims about these products being superior or better than the competitors. We are extremely grateful for sponsorship which is making this trip significantly more doable for our family.
Gear List Specifics
Shelter
For a few years our family tried to find a lightweight 5 person tent solution. Oh boy, did we try. The kids were littler then and Renee was less confident in the outdoors. We were more comfortable all together. Theoretically more comfortable, I spent a couple seasons sleeping in a vestibule. But the rest of the family was cozy!
After a few years of seeking, without any real satisfaction, a 5 person shelter we finally took the leap to 2 separate tents. Of course this was inevitable before hitting the AT. The footprint of a five person tent is simply not manageable on a heavily forested trail like the AT.
For the AT we are taking a 2 person tent and a 3 person tent. One for the boys and one for the girls. No doubt, Mom & Dad will share the 2 person tent on occasion. We'll figure it out. The arrangements aren't set in stone, but 5 sleeping spaces will be available.
Backpack
In choosing a backpack for the AT we wanted a pack not too big but not too small. A pack without a lot of extras which add unnecessary weight. And of course something comfortable to wear. All of that... times 5.
We've owned lightweight backpack-worthy packs for years. When our kids were quite little I was carrying a lot of weight and used a bigger pack. As the kids have taken responsibility for more of their gear (yeah!), I have happily downsized.
Over the years we've fielded a lot of questions about kid's backpacks. Unfortunately most of the products we've used and can recommend are discontinued.
Between the ages of 6 and 10 (we didn't start backpacking till our youngest was 6), when the kids carried only their clothing and maybe a sleeping pad, they used the GoLite Ion packs. A women's small daypack which is no longer available. We still use the Ion as a light daypack for short walks.
Once our kids reached about 10 years of age we transitioned to the GoLite Jam Womens' small backpack. GoLite Jam is still in production but only as a unisex model.
For the last two years Brienne (ages 8 through 10) has used the Backpacking Light Absaroka, size small.
Using women and unisex small packs has been the best we could manage for lightweight children's backpacks. Now that they are older we have a few more options available.
Backpack Details:
Renee and Damien: Both of us are proud Gossamer Gear trail ambassadors. They are a great company that make excellent products. For this trek Gossamer Gear is sponsoring us with Mariposa backpacks - light weight, comfortable, and with enough volume to carry everything we need.
Celine and Laurent: Our oldest two children will be using Gossamer Gear Gorilla packs (thanks Gossamer Gear!), which is essentially a smaller version of the Mariposa. Sleeping pads and/or sit pads will be used for the back panel insulation, and they will also be using a lightweight aluminum stay for structure and support.
Brienne: Based on our success with the previous Jams we are happy to see Brienne grow into this updated GoLite model. She is happy also because it's purple.
Sleeping System
Sleep systems consist of three things:
- sleeping pad - provides cushioning and insulation from the ground
- sleeping bag or quilt - for warmth
- pillow - for comfort
Sleeping Pad
There are lots of variables to consider when selecting a sleeping pad. We are looking to minimize our weight for our thru-hike, while still maintaining comfort, warmth, and durability.
Sleeping Bag or Quilt
We have chosen down fill for all our sleeping bags and quilts to maximize our warmth, while minimizing our weight. The boys, who tend to sleep warmer, prefer quilts, whereas the girls who sleep colder prefer sleeping bags.
Renee's 15°F is a warmer bag than necessary for the season we are hiking the AT. However, it's an overall excellent bag and it's what we own.
Pillows and/or Sit Pads
Our pillows are usually double duty items, clothing in a stuff sack or a sit pad in a soft case.
Sit pads are not part of the sleep system per se but they do double duty as comfort/insulation when sitting on the cold or wet ground and can be used as pillows.
Shoes
Shoes are of particular interest to us, as I'm sure you can imagine since you're reading this on a minimalist shoe and healthy foot-powered activity themed blog.
Not surprisingly then, we will be sponsored by different shoe companies. We are so thankful for the support of these companies in keeping our family shod on the trail.
We will be wearing gaiters also with our lightweight running shoes to keep out the biggest pieces of debris and dirt that so easily slip into ankle height height shoes.
Clothing
This is the layered clothing system that we have been using for years in our weekend hiking and backpacking. These clothes are a part of our everyday wardrobe and wearing them on the trail won't be different from our at-home life, except we'll be doing laundry less often.
The following articles at Outsideways and FIMBY help explain a few of these clothing pieces in more depth:
- Underwear - And article on the importance of a good base layer for children in the outdoors.
- Pouffies (also called Puffies) - What is a pouffie/puffy? And why do we use them?
- Kid's Outdoor Gear Guide: Clothing Edition - In this very thorough article Renee explains the layering system we have fine tuned over the years.
Renee and I have written a two-part, in-depth tights review at Backpacking Light. This article is available for members only, or for purchase individually. If you decide to join the Backpacking Light community, use our coupon code for a discount.
First Aid & Safety
It's still to early to nail down exactly what will be in the first aid kit. We will fill in the missing pieces as we actually pack the items.
Each of us will carry a headlamp and small emergency and first kit that will include blister care, emergency fire starting & FireSteel, and water purification tablets. One of the parents will carry a more complete kit.
Sawyer will be providing us with bug repellents to help keep the insects at bay.
Water Purification
For this trek, we are bringing two forms of water treatment: UV and filtration. There are five of us, and thus we will be needing to treat a lot of water on a daily basis. Having multiple methods to treat the water is a safety net for us in case one method fails. For UV treatment, we will be using a SteriPEN, and for filtration, we will use Sawyer filters. We will also be using a SteriPEN pre-filter in situations where we need to get rid of floaties before treating the water. We'll probably add drink mixes to tannin rich waters on occasion to make them more palatable.
Personal Items
Each person will carry their own toothbrush and a few other "personal" items. Other things like soap, towels, floss, etc. will be shared and the weight distributed according to fitness and age.
We don't use hand sanitizer for weekend trips but we're thinking a longer, dirtier and more populated trip like this might require more germ killing; but we're uncomfortable using anti-bacterial products for regular skin application. Renee would like to experiment with an essential oil based sanitizer, like DoTerra's OnGuard.
We've used MSR Packtowls for years for all our camping and backpacking. There are light and absorbant. We'll bring 3 large towels, to be shared, for bathing.
We are a family of 2 males and 3 females, at least two of which will have to contend with having periods on the trail. Renee prefers the Diva Cup. The cup can be emptied into a cat hole. Used paper products will be stashed in double ziplocked bags and packed out with trash.
Weight Notes
The listed weight of all gear that requires batteries - headlamps, water purifiers, etc. includes batteries.
Phew! That was long!
If you have made it this far, and have questions or want clarification, or would like to offer thoughts and/or suggestions, please leave a comment.