lessons learned

I have a major pillow problem. I am going to try to work that out with a soft sack and clothes. Forget any lightweight hiking pillows. I bought two and they were nothing.

For food, I learned that I will never pull out the stove for breakfast or lunch. I brought soup and such for lunch and never ate it. I found some tuna packets complete with mayo and relish and crackers. They were awesome. I would eat those every day for lunch. I brought Grits and oatmeal and never ate it. I think power bars for lunch. Oh, brought a couple of rice crispy treats and wished I had had more. They are light and wonderful.

Of course, I had a blister problem. PLEASE put some moleskin on at the first tingle. I didn't

I didn't have ground cover (tarp) under my tent this trip. I am not sure why you need it, but it was recommended to me.

Speaking of Water, bladder with easy access will prompt more drinking. Which is probably a good thing. I recommend this wholeheartedly! You don't irritate your hike mates and get the water you need.

New iPod Nano is a must have. No weight. Get the 4 gb.

Buy the mountain house meals and share. I couldn't eat a whole one. I brought one back with me.

PONCHO! Forget the rainsuit and get a big poncho. We had on and off rain and the poncho was awesome. Also, line your bag with a plastic trash bag just to be sure. While the poncho covered the pack most of the time, there will always be water moments. The interior plastic bag gave me some peace of mind.

I know there is more. Just can't think of it.

Kurt

Last Hike -Appalachian Trail

My pack weighed in at 29.5 lbs. I think I can do better. I brought back some uneaten food. I think I can get some lighter camp shoes. There are a couple of ounces I can save. Clothing wasn't an issue.

Also, I kept 2 liters of water, but walked by lots of water sources. Depending on the trail, you can trade convenience of water weight and a few more stops.

Kurt

My new gear

Getting ready for the next hike! I WILL be the lightest on the trail:

Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 1 Tent	2 lbs 6 ozs
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6 Sleeping Pad - Regular	1 lbs 5 ozs
Six Moon Designs Starlite/Medium w/Pockets/Stays	1 lbs 14 ozs
Slumberjack Saguaro 45 Degree Mummy Sleeping Bag Long	1 lbs 11 ozs
Cocoon Down Travel Pillow - Medium 11 in. x 15.5 in.	0 lbs 3 ozs
Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Filter	0 lbs 11 ozs
Snow Peak Giga Power Stove with Piezo	0 lbs 6 ozs

8 lbs 8oz for everything.

DIY: Freezer Bag Cozy

I found these reflective padded envelopes at Target for $1.60 each. I cut them down a bit and added velcro tape to make nice reusable Freezer Bag Cozies for my next backpacking trip. Much cheaper than buying the insulation grade stuff at a hardware store.

Save the Date

Our next trip is in the works. The Southern Appalachian Trail, starting at Springer Mountain and heading North for about 40-ish miles. We'll be hiking on the weekend of October 3rd thru 6th, 2008. Please make a note of it.

DIY: Alcohol Stove

I'm going to try to make one of these little alcohol stoves. This would be perfect for freezer bag cooking.

Cool Little Miniature Stove! - video powered by Metacafe

SectionHiker.com

I've recently been reading http://www.sectionhiker.com/, a great blog/website about hiking and backcountry travel. Philip "Earlylite" Werner is the site's writer and does a great job covering a variety of topics from food to shelter, as well as providing some very useful gear reviews. Check it out.