Gear

I mentioned earlier that I should talk about what we carry on our backs all day and how we are equipped. Got a little time here and battery power while we zero to do that.
Let's go over what's in the backpack. As I mentioned in the beginning, I knew I couldn't carry alot of weight. So I researched and found the outfitter at Neels Gap in Ga. Mountain Crossing: highly recommend them! They specialize in what called Ultra Light hiking. Perfect for me.
Everything low weight. Also realized about the most I can carry before I start to have all sorts of problems is about 30 lbs. Some folks out here have 60 Lbs! I don't know how they do it or why. What's in their pack? Lawn furniture?
Anyway, if you were going to be gone from home for a week and all you could take was 30 lbs, including food and water, what would you take? It adds up fast. That's the dilemma we face everytime we come to town to resupply.
So you want your basics to be as light weight as possible, starting with the pack: ours is a Catalyst- I think made in somebody's garage in Utah. Weighs just a few lbs. My tent is a one person Big Agnes Fly Creek 1, with rain cover or fly, weighs about 1-2 lbs, super tent keeps me cozy and warm in cold weather and dry as a bone in rain. Love it. Goes up super fast. Then, down sleeping bag for cold weather( sent home for now) and lightweight bag for summer. The down bag was the most expensive item , but worth it on a cold night.
Then you need some type of air mattress for camping on the hard ground. Ours is perfect, and one of the best items in our pack- don't think I could survive without it. Great nights of sleeping with. It's like a pool float- you blow it up- super  fast- and it lifts you off the ground and it's insulated. Very comfy. Then my Sweety cut up  a sheet for us to go under the air mattress so it wouldn't squeak, which it did in the beginning . Then you have your clothing-the actual hiking gear is synthetics- to keep you warm or cooler, depending on the weather. Shirts, pants, a winter puff jacket. Even synthetic underware! No cotton, except around camp. And rain gear- jacket and pants. And pack cover for backpack during rainstorms. We carry two small stoves: an alcohol one and a Jet Boil, which is a small gas powered boiler- very fast and light weight. All told this comes to 15 pounds. Not bad. Add in  food and water and our medicine cabinet a bear bag line, water treatment and you are up to the 30 lbs. And don't forget toilet paper and a little shovel. Remember you have to carry everything!
Food: has to be non- perishable, after the first day out. So if you go for 5-6 days or 70-80 miles before resupply, it can be heavy. And water weighs about 2 lbs per liter- and we always start out with 2 liters. We usually have the tuna or chicken in a foil pouch, Knorr sides: rice or noodles. Not always satisfying. For lunch hard cheese will last for awhile, with a tortilla wrap, and of course, peanut butter! Used to have grits or instant oatmeal for breakfast, but got tired of that, now we go with cereals a dehydrated milk- good. Also real coffee with powdered cream.  And lots of power bars to give you protein, cause you're burning up lots of calories out here. But overall, after a few days, you long for regular fresh foods and greens and fruit.
So a trip to town or a restaurant is the best!
Oh yeah, the bear line thing. You have all your food in a big food bag that's the heaviest item in your pack. There bears all along the AT. (I haven't seen one and hope not to.) They love our food. So, at night you can't just have your food lying around, and having it in your tent is a big "no-no", they may come and eat you too! So, the solution is to put your food up in the air. Some shelters actually have bear cables, steel cables you clip your bag to and hoist it up in the air like raising a flag. Pretty nice and simple. But if you are tenting camping on your own, you carry a nylon rope, tie one end to a small rock and throw the rock and line over a tree limb as high as you can get it. Then you attach your food bag to the rope and hoist away, high enough for the bear not to get it.
And one last important item that's indispensable for us- hiking or trekking poles. They look like ski poles, but give you great balance as you hike- almost like walking on four legs. Saved me many times from falling or slipping on
rocks. Couldn't hike far without them.
That pretty much sums it up. Later I'll talk about our daily routine.


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