At last... a gear list

QUICK NOTE!  If you want to be included on an email group to be notified when a new post has been put up here on my blog, please email usitalo2703@charter.net.  Put "Add me to the Oasis!" in the subject line, and Dave will send you a friendly reminder every time a new post is made here. 

I realize I’m so constantly in my head that I forget that other people may want to know something other than whatever philosophical thought I’m chewing on.  So, to be totally practical and physical… here is my Gear list!!!

My base pack weight is about 23 pounds.  Add food and water, and I’m look at 36 pounds or so.  A little heavier than I wanted, but acceptable. 

·         Down sleeping bag = 1 lb 14 oz plus 5 oz for a silk liner. 

·         Sacred sleeping clothes = long underwear and socks (those will stay dry at all costs).

·         My beautiful Deuter backpack is 3 lbs 14 oz – a little heavier than I wanted, but I tried a few lighter ones and the Deuter was just OHHHH so much more comfy. 

·         I was going to take a closed cell foam sleeping pad, but it’s just too uncomfortable – so I’m taking a blow up one = 18 oz (actually 1 oz lighter than the closed cell, though it’s only 60” long – my feet just hang off the edge a little, but not so much to actually touch the ground – I’m so short!). 

·         Alcohol stove, rodent-proof bag for food, odor-proof bags to put in rodent proof bag to help against bears.  1 pot plus a plastic mug.  Plastic mug is a late addition that will be a luxury item for me.  Also, long-handled titanium fork, BIC lighter and matches.  Swiss Army knife.  And (I’m so proud of myself), I made my own pot cozy from a car sunscreen to keep my dinner hot longer.  Yeah, I’m /that/ hardcore.

·         Nope, I’m not taking a gun or bear spray (I’ll depend on my amazing Ninja skills). 

·         I am taking DEET and spraying my clothes with Permethrin – ticks are probably the biggest danger.  Oh, and sunscreen.  And Benadryl.

·         Pepto tablets, ibuprofen, beano, gas-x.  (Lots of beans=smelly hikers!  It’s not just the sweat, folks!)

·         I still need to seam seal my poncho/tent – yes, they are one and the same.  My rain poncho is also my rain fly for shelter at night.  I don’t have a tent.  If it rains, I’ll pitch the poncho over me with my trekking pole.  If it’s buggy, I have a bug net that can be pitched with that same trekking pole.  And I’ll just use a painter’s plastic drop cloth for a ground cloth.  All for 22 oz, including emergency bivy in case of really hard rain.

·         Water is heavy!  3 liters (a scant day’s worth) is 6.6. pounds.  Collapsible water bottles are not heavy.  Chlorine tablets should kill anything swimming around in the water.  And my hiking partners have a Steripen – kills stuff with ultraviolet light – very cool. 

·         A week’s worth of food will be about 10 pounds.  It’s really hard to believe that I may get so sick of peanut butter that I won’t want to ever eat it again.  However, I have read that more than once by others. 

·         Repair kit including duct tape and extra “p-cord” (i.e. parachute cord, or as I called it to an REI associate – “string” – yes, you too can be a thru-hiker). 

·         Toilet paper, trowel, and hand sanitizer.  Toothbrush, paste, and floss.  Moisturizer (another luxury item). 

·         Plastic bags – keeps stuff dry, used for waste, makeshift ground cloth, or to waterproof shoes through a stream. 

·         Croc-imposters – Used as camp shoes or to ford streams and keep hiking boots dry.

·         Trekking poles (doubles at tent poles, back scratcher, bear bag getter)

·         Electronics will include an mp3 player (music when I can’t sleep), camera, cell phone, and head lamp – all can be recharged with my solar charger (I think it’s a great idea – we’ll see if it actually works well in “Trail-world”). 

·         Heavy and bulky items are my 2 layers of insulation and a light wind/rain jacket.  I get cold so easily, and layers is better, so 2 layers it is.  When I’m walking, it should be fine, but I get chilled once I stop pretty fast.  Also, pretty sure I’ll take a 2^nd t-shirt with me (merino wool) that will be “town shirt” so that I will smell a little better when I’m near civilization.

·         You know what else is surprisingly heavy?  Vitamins.  Yeah.  Go figure. But I got ‘em.

·         Besides sleeping socks, I’ll have 1 spare pair plus a pair to wear (3 pairs total), plus a spare pair of underwear (sorry if that’s TMI).    Oh, and skip this sentence if you are squeamish about TMI, but I’m also taking a diva cup.  Google it if you really want to know what it is (hint: men don’t have to use this).

·         I have a compass, whistle, thermometer, and guide book.  Also, a small New Testament and a booklet that someone is making me with some of my fav worship songs.  Notebook and pen.

·         Urgent Care/ER only insurance

·         Various and sundry compression sacks, dry bags, and stuff/ditty sacks to have some semblance of organization to all of this.

I’m probably missing something in this list, but not too bad.  Back to my regularly scheduled pontification on gnostic thoughts next post.