Post-hike Gear Review

What worked, what might get changed, and what if anything sucked

After every hike I go through my LighterPack for that trip and cogitate over how the gear all worked out for me. One’s kit is always a work-in-progress, but you eventually get to the point where you’re pretty well dialed-in. I’m on the fringe of being able to say that. But of course, manufacturers are always coming out with new gear, and most of us are gear whores at heart. It’s hard to resist the siren call of the shiny new ultralight whatzit. I’m trying to restrict new purchases to items that replace something that wasn’t working out. Of course, I’m not responsible for any cool birthday and Christmas presents that I may receive (whistles innocently).

Here’s what worked (or not) on my last section hike. Most of it worked better than I myself did.

GREAT GEAR:

SWD Long Haul 50 Pack: Holy shizzle I am in love with this pack, which now has about 10 nights on the trail. On this particular trip, the XPAC fabric held up well to a rather ferocious thunderstorm; I haven’t sealed the seams, but my pack interior remained dry. It’s juuuust big enough for my roughly 10 lb. BW and a week’s worth of food. It fits like a dream, especially without the sternum strap. And it carries up to about 32 lbs. like it’s molded to my body. My only regret has been getting a stretchy lycra front pouch (it has a tear because apparently I’m rough with the pack). I should’ve gone with the stock mesh. Regardless, this is still my favorite all-time pack.

HMG Echo II Tarp: Remains the perfect backup shelter on the AT, and per usual it got one night of use when I wasn’t staying in one of the shelters. Including stakes and groundcloth, weighs just under a pound. Spacious. Easy to set up.

Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Pad: Appears to be quite durable, and it keeps the hips of this side sleeper happy. AND less noisy than my NeoAir. Worth the extra couple of ounces. The inflation system utilizing the stuff sack is wonderful.

SWD Lunch Box: Weighs 1.5 oz. more than a cuben food sack, but fits inside my pack perfectly, and is fully waterproof. And so far, rodent proof as well.

Anker PowerCore 10,000: Provided more than enough juice for my 4 days. I recharged my phone twice, and it only drained the battery by roughly half. I am hopeful that it could last as long as 10 days if I use my phone more judiciously. Charges my phone quickly. Fits nicely in one of my shoulder strap lycra mesh pockets (my phone goes in the other).

Voormi River Run Hoodie: Possibly the most versatile piece of clothing ever. Only weighs 7-odd ounces in XXL. Full coverage from sun. Never too hot when it’s warm and sunny, and does a half decent job by itself when it’s chilly. Dries quickly. Doesn’t stink. Even looks stylish. Will be wearing on all future hikes that aren’t in the dead of winter. If you haven’t checked out Voormi before, you need to. They’re getting it done.

Trekology Pillow: A pleasant surprise on its maiden voyage. At least as comfortable as my S2S Aeros, and lighter.

HMG Pod: Perfect for waterproof quilt storage, and happens to fit just right in the bottom of my pack.

GEAR THAT WAS OK BUT WON’T BE GETTING CHANGED:

Altra Timps: I LOVE the fit of these shoes. And the cushion. But the downside is that Altras aren’t terribly durable. I blew a shoelace eyelet on this trip, which was mildly annoying.

Luke’s Rain Jacket: Really, it’s somewhere between a windshirt and a rain jacket. I haven’t faced much rain on past hikes, so bringing this at less than 5 oz. has been a no-brainer. But it wetted out in the rain on this particular hike. Not badly though, so it’s going to get another chance. I will paint my toenails neon pink before I carry a 10 oz. rain jacket.

GEAR THAT LET ME DOWN:

Katabatic Flex 22 Quilt: For the umpteenth consecutive time when using this quilt, my feet got cold. Temps were never below 40 on this trip. I suspect it’s a combination of my crappy foot circulation, lack of a proper footbox (limitation of this type of quilt) and possibly the fact that the pseudo-footbox has a drawstring closure. Don’t get me wrong, this quilt has outstanding construction, and it keeps the rest of me toasty warm. And I want to love it. But I hate cold feet. I think I’m going to try replacing it with a Nunatak Arc 30 and see how that goes.

Pretty much everything else in my pack worked fine such that I didn’t pay attention to it. Which is a good thing. My base weight for this hike was 10.5 lbs., with a skin out weight of about 24.5 lbs. That makes a huge difference in my ability to even be out there on the trail.