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Posted by Bill S on March 3, 2008 at 11:36:45 pm EST
In reply to Gear For '09 AT Thru-Hike posted by wildthing13 on March 3, 2008 at 7:26:47 pm EST

wildthing,
If you haven't already thought of this, you should get the gear you think you want together and do a series of short hikes to see how it all works out. Try to get in a 4 or 5 day hike, since a simple overnight/weekend won't begin to stress the gear. And make the days at least 10 miles with what you think will be the maximum load (for example, if you plan on a week between re-supply stops, then carry 10 days worth of food and fuel - there are always delays on the real thru-hike). This will quickly tell you if trail-runners will work for you or if you need something sturdier. And it will quickly inspire you to cut the weight still further.

I agree with m0rpheu about the canister stove - you end up with too much weight in the canisters. But I have found that alcohol stoves don't fulfill their promised weight savings - the stove yes, but the inefficiency of the alcohol as a fuel soon adds up to too much weight in fuel. You can get very light white gas stoves (MSR's Simmerlite for 1) that are efficient enough to more than make up in fuel weight the heavier stove weight. Ten days worth of white gas is about 15 ounces weight, while 10 days of good-quality alcohol stove fuel (no, not isopropyl rubbing alcohol, which is very poor efficiency, I mean real stove alcohol) is about 30-35 ounces, or a pound more than the white gas, basically the weight of the Simmerlite.

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