Gear

Gear is obviously a very important aspect of a thru hike. I have been building up my backpacking gear for years now. I like buying the latest and greatest as long as I know it is a quality product. Lightweight gear is the goal, but you have to balance weight with needs. Being dry, warm, comfortable, etc are all very important, so the absolute lightest item may not be the right choice if you end up being miserable because of it.

Right now, my pack weight goal is to be under 12 lbs without food and water. This is extremely doable but it does get expensive and you have to leave out some comfort items like a chair. 

I broke down and bought a bunch of stuff from ZPacks. I have ordered from them in the past and liked what I got, so I bought a new ArcBlast 52L pack, a Hexamid Solplex tent, and various other items. $$$ but I think it will be worth it. The waterproof nature of cuben fiber is my main reason for buying new gear. I love the idea of my tent not sagging when it gets wet.

I still need to acquire several important items, the most critical being a sleeping bag. It must keep me warm in the wildly unpredictable southern Appalachian spring weather. One day it can be in the 70s and sunny and the next 20 and raining. I am a cold sleeper so I know I will need a warm bag, but I am unsure of what to get right now. I plan on going by Mountain Crossings this weekend to see if they have any Western Mountaineering bags in stock that I can look at. My other options are a REI Igneo and a couple of other options from Marmot.

I also need to get a camera and battery pack, plus all the necessary cables, and keep it as light as possible. More research to do...