Rain, Zero, and My Trail Name

Day 8

The breakfast at the Blueberry Patch Hostel was phenomenal. There was scrambled eggs, sausage patties, hash browns, cheese biscuits, pancakes with the most wonderful homemade blueberry syrup, and coffee. Gary said a prayer asking God to help us see the beauty of Him and the beauty of His will for our lives. After that he drove us back to the Trail and hugged us goodbye. Feeling rejuvenated, we hiked the first several miles quickly. After winding around a mountain a few times a small wooden sign on a tree let us know we had crossed into North Carolina. Soon after we had to climb the steepest ascent we've encountered yet which was tough. Right after we had another steep ascent to make it up Couthouse Bald. At long last we made it to Muskrat Creek Shelter where we had decided to stay the night. We had walked twelve miles to get there. As we sat resting we noticed the shelter was pretty trashed. Bits of garbage were strewn all over and someone had left some dirty socks at the back of the shelter. The shelter itself wad covered with much more graffiti than any other. We cooked dinner, ate, and picked out a place to pitch our tent. Christine went to use the privy and came back horrified. Apparently it was horrible. So we decided to move on to the next shelter even though it was already late in the day. It was slow moving, but we pushed ourselves to Standing Indian Shelter. We arrived just before dark where hikers huddled around a fire shouted my name. It was a bunch of the young hikers who had been at the first and second shelter with us. We sat with them for a bit, but since we were exhausted from so much hiking and it was already late we went to sleep soon after. When we told them we didn't have trail names yet the husband remarked that it can be very empowering to name yourself. I had been really thinking about doing that, creating a name that would help me 

Miles hiked today : 16.7 Total AT miles: 86.3 Total AT miles left to hike: 2099

Day 9

Since our legs were still sore from yesterday we started out later than usual. We hiked the gradual ascent to Standing Indian Mountain at 5498 ft. elevation, our highest yet. Then we made the gradual descent to Carter Gap Shelter, making for a nice short day after a long one. When we set up our tent in the woods nearby the shelter, we found a plastic bag with a can on generic Dr. Pepper and a can of Georgian beer. We dont know how they got there, but we thoroughly enjoyed them with dinner.

Miles hiked today: 7.6 Total AT miles: 93.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 2091.4

Day 10

We started to hear the patter of rain on our tent in the early morning. When we normally would be packing up, we stayed under our quilt. When the rain didn't go away we got everything ready in our tent and in a lull of rain emerged to pack away our wet tent. Armed with ponchos we began hiking and soon it began to rain again. It was extremely foggy so we didn't see any good views. It rained off and on all day, but that didn't matter because even when it wasn't actually raining the tree canopy leaked drops of water on us. So it was as if it was raining all day long. Hiking in the rain is a completely different experience from hiking in the sun. Everything is damp and chilled so my body stiffens and my movements become more machine-like. Covered by a poncho I feel more disconnected from the different parts of my body and it feels as if my body is propelling itself forward of its own volition. With the hood up my vision is limited to a small space in front of me as I peer out of the plastic tunnel. I do not look around me, but mostly fix my eyes on the ground to avoid slippery roots or rocks. Since I am a thinking introvert I live inside my own head a lot. Hiking in the rain amplifies this and even as my feet take me down a very specific path marked with white blazes, my mind takes me to far off and unfriendly places. As my mind sometimes does, it took me this day to a place filled with all kinds of off-hand comments and unexplained actions by my friends and family. These are probably the things they forgot instantly and I have held on to. I regret to inform you that most are silly and most are years now in the past. Some are about people I barely even know anymore. But each hurtful memory ran into the next, gaining momentum as they gathered together into a large ball of anger and sadness. Thankfully a steep climb up the slippery rocks of Mount Albert took my mind away from these things. It is there we passed our first one hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail. There was a tower on top of the mountain that was supposed to provide great views, but we literally could only see a few feet in front of us until the scenery disappeared into a sheet of white. We continued on through the wetness. At times it looked like we were in a rain forrest and I kept thinking I was in Jurassic Park. We arrived at the Rock Gap Shelter and decided to sleep inside rather than put up a wet tent. A lot more thruhikers arrived and filled it up, hanging wet clothing all over. A couple that had married only three days before starting the Trail was there. When we told them we didn't have trail names yet the husband remarked that it can be very empowering to give yourself your own name. That started me thinking that I could give myself a name that would help me make this journey what I want it to be. The husband's name was Stick in the Mud.

Miles hiked today: 12.1 Total AT miles: 106 Total AT miles left to hike: 2079.3

Day 11

We woke up at 6 am in total darkness. We packed up our stuff as quietly as possible and must have done a good job since the others in the shelter jokingly expressed fear that we had been eaten by a bear. We walked up a small mountain and back down to a parking lot where a shuttle picked us up to go to the small town of Franklin. The shuttle took us to a motel where we booked two nights. We decided to take our first 'zero day' here, a day of absolutely no hiking on the Trail. It felt nice to walk around the town without packs, enjoying real food at local restaurants. We enjoyed going to the Gem and Mineral Museum and an outfitter for some more food in their hiker box. When we saw there was a donut shop nearby we walked over there and ate the most fantastic donuts I've ever had. It was a pretty restful day and we went to bed fairly early.

Miles hiked today: 3.8 Total AT miles: 109.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 2075.5

Day 12

Our first official zero day began with two large vans from First Baptist Church pulling up to the motel to whisk all thruhikers away to their church for a free pancake and bacon breakfast. They also took our photo and printed it out there and provided paper and envelopes for us to send a letter to someone. They stamped and mailed it for us. They make free breakfast every morning during thruhiking season. After we had our fill, we went to the local supermarket to resupply on food. After that we walked to another outfitter/coffee shop where we got more free food from the hiker box, free coffee and bagels for being thruhikers and a chance to use an actual computer. It is there that I settled on the trail name of Hesychast. One of the definitions of this word is one who practices "inner prayer, aiming at union with God on a level beyond images, concepts and language." Repetition of the Jesus Prayer is a recognized approach to seeking this union. During this hike I hope to draw closer to God which I can only do if I give up on my unceasing mental wanderings. From the outfitter/coffee shop, we walked over another mile to the local movie theater to watch Muppets Most Wanted which was fun. After the movie we had a more than three mile walk back to the motel, but thankfully a local man recognized us as thruhikers and gave us a ride back. When we got back we packed to hit the trails again tomorrow!

Wonder

Day 5

We woke up at 7:30 and left the comfort of the hostel to eat our breakfast outside and threw away the trash in the garbage can. As soon as we started hiking it began to sprinkle. We donned our ponchos and ventured forth. It rained softly throughout our hike and was really foggy which made for some beautiful scenes. Looking to the left or right we could see different shades of trees as they disappeared into the fog. It was also windy so we didn't stop for lunch until we reached Low Gap Shelter where we stayed for the night. There were a lot of hikers at the shelter including a group of humorous young people we hung out with.

Miles hiked today: 11.5 Total AT miles: 43.2 AT miles left to hike: 2142.1

Day 6

The first long stretch of our hike was very easy walking across the side of a long mountain. I threw on the Avett Brother's album I and Love and You. Before too long my eyes filled with tears at the beauty of the music and the lyrics. I can't remember the last time I cried. As I listened I realized that I have not been overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountains here. In fact, I haven't really been in awe of anything in a long while. My sense of wonder is gone. I have understood this in regards to my senses. It is difficult to be wowed by food, art, movies, even the beauty of another person. We are overexposed to the bodies of celebrities, we are given too much access to a variety of cheap food, we have too many TV shows and movies that contain too much excitement and plot twists in order to hold our attention away from the others. It is difficult for us to truly appreciate anything when we have so much of it. But I think I have lost something deeper than a loss of sensuous wonder. It is some natural part of the spirit or the soul that is out of whack. So what can I do to regain a sense of wonder? Deprive myself of comforts and pleasures? Truly enjoying a frozen pizza after three days of hiking is one thing, but truly appreciating the simple love of my wife is something different. How can I actually feel the presence of God? How can I be overwhelmed by beauty or love or grace? Perhaps I can discover some answers on this journey. We had planned to hike twelve miles this day and set up camp on tpp of Rocky Mountain, but someone told us it was supposed to be very cold so we decided to hike more to the next shelter. We're sure glad we did because right after the mountain an older Georgian couple had set up trail magic at Indian Grave Gap. We had chicken burgers, hamburgers, bottled root beer, gatorade, spinach salad, strawberries, and bananas. Afyer we had our fill and thanked them we continued on up Tray Mountain which was extremely difficult, feeling sick from all the food. Once at the Tray Mountain Shelter we set up our tent and found our bottle of denatured alcohol had cracked and started leaking. Not too much got wet from it, but I should have known better than to store it in a cheap Walmart water bottle with thin plastic. Luckily, Christine grabbed a small bottle of Gatorade from the trail magic so we transferred it over. I will also keep it in a side pocket from now on. We went to sleep soon after dealing with the mess, fully bundled in all of our baselayers and jackets and sleeping quilt.

Miles hiked today: 15.4 Total AT miles: 58.6 AT miles left to hike: 2126.7

Day 7

We woke up to snow covering the entire mountainside. We were slower in leaving our warm tent than normal, but still managed to leave before anyone else. The trail kept maneuvering from the cold, snow-covered side of the mountain to the warm spring-looking side. But soon clouds blocked the sun and a strong wind prevailed so it was just cold all over. We planned to stay at Deep Gap Shelter, but decided to push a couple more miles to the Blueberry Patch Hostel instead of braving what was supposed to be a very cold night. So we walked to Dick's Creek Gap and headed west down US 76 toward Hiawassee. We walked about a mile before a real estate agent pulled over to drive us the couple more miles to the hostel. This hostel is really just a two-room building in an older couple's backyard. One room is full of wooden bunks hand-crafted by the hostel owner himself. The mattresses are comfortable and they provide pillows with clean pillowcases. One bunk is big enough for couples to sleep together. The other room is a little kitchen with a picnic table and a large wood stove. The owners do your laundry for you and provide clean clothes to wear in the meantime, provide snacks and cookwear, let you refill your Coleman fuel or denatured alcohol, and have another small building for the toilet and shower fully decked out with all the amenities you could need. To top it all off they make you a big breakfast in the morning and drive you back to the Trail. And they do all of this for you for free. They are Christians and really very truly kind and thougful. Gary comes in about once an hour to throw more logs in the stove and ask us if we need anything. We were going to go to town to buy some groceries, but we managed to find enough food to last us in the hiker box. We felt very blessed to be here and since there were only three other thruhikers here, we got to talk more with them, feeling more comfortable in small groups. We had a good night rest and are now waiting for breakfast.

Miles hiked today: 11 Total AT miles: 69.6 AT miles left to hike: 2115.7

The Beginning of Things

Day 1

Christine's parents drove us up to Amicalola Falls State Park where we were a bit too early to register for our thruhike. Outside the visitor center there was a scale and our packs weighed in fully loaded with food, fuel and water at twenty-three and twenty-seven pounds. I was very happy with that and so far everyone else's packs have been heavier. After two goodbyes we were off climbing the 604 steps up alongside the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. At the top we easily hiked the rest of the approach trail and passed our first white blaze. We were very surprised to make it there as quickly as we did. We thought it would take all day, but it was still early. We decided to move on to the next shelter. Throughout our hike it was misty so we couldn't see any far views and it was a bit cold, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air. We got to the Stover Creek Shelter earlier than most other thruhikers and nabbed a spot in the shelter. Plenty of other thruhikers came in throughout the day and we talked some, but there were many big talkers there so we mostly listened. It felt like the first day of school. We were the first to settle into our sleeping quilt just before dark, but soon everyone was trying to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 1.6 Total AT miles: 2.8 AT miles left to hike: 2182.5

Day 2

We weren't very tired when we went to sleep and we didnt sleep very well. So we got up at first light and were the first ones to leave. The weather was a lot nicer so we could check out some views. It was windy though so we couldn't stop to break too long without getting cold. We had to climb Sassafras Mountain and Justus Mountain which were small, but steep and a good way to break in our trail legs a bit. We got to Gooch Mountain Shelter early again and got a spot in the shelter. Most of the older thruhikers camped out in tents and the younger ones took over the shelter. Most of the young hikers from our first shelter made it here as well. We went to sleep when dark fell again.

Miles hiked today : 13 Total AT miles: 15.8 AT miles left to hike: 2161

Day 3

We slept a little better during the night and left earlier than most. We decided to only hike eight and a half miles because after that the Trail passed six miles through a zone where a bear canister is required of all overnighters. We hiked slowly and stopped at all the great viewing points. All of the young hikers from the last two shelters we stayed at decided to push through the bear canister zone. We got to the last campsite set up our tent and ate dinner. Then we looked at our watch for the first time since we started and discovered it was only 2:30 pm. Since we were exhausted we hatched the plan to go to sleep real early and wake up real early to ensure a spot at Mountain Crossings Hostel the next day.

Miles hiked today: 8.5 Total AT miles: 24.3 AT miles left to hike: 2161

Day 4

We woke with our watch alarm at 4:00 am and packed up our tent as quietly as possible. The moonlight lighted the path pretty well as we hiked up Blood Mountain, our highest peak yet at 4461 ft. It got fully light right before we reached the summit. The climb up wasn't as difficult as other hikers made it seem like it would be. The top wad very rocky and we really enjoyed some tremendous views. Christine kept pointing out spots she wants to build a house someday. On our way off the mountain we somehow missed our well marked path and walked down a very steep rock slab. Once we discovered our mistake we had to crawl back up and I slipped on a wet section of the rock. I wanted to see how far I could get without falling. Not even four days! Once on the correct path we walked down to Neel Gap and across US 19 road to Mountain Crossings which is quite the magical place. The first thing you see is a great big tree with branches spread out. Dangling from these branches are the shoes and boots from hikers past who have cast them off in favor of lighter and better foitwear. The tree is covered. This place is not just a stop for thruhikers, but is a popular spot for motorcyclists and tourists. Weekend hikers and boy scout troops start here for a few days of adventure. The outfitter itself is an old building from the 20s made from stone. We waved goodbye to several of the young hikers from the previous two shelters who had stayed here the night before and were moving on. Inside, the outfitter was filled with anything and everything a long distance hiker could ever need. It is here that they help thruhikers lighten their load of any unnecessary gear. The top portion of the walls are covered with more forsaken shoes and an array of thruhikers packs from the decades past fully decked out with gear. We bought two bunks in the hostel two staircases down the side of the hill. We bought a frozen pizza which they cooked for us and we devoured it in minutes, still hungry. We bought a few food items for the next section of our hike, but got most of our food from the hiker's box. A hiker's box is a place for thruhikers to leave anything they don't want to carry anymore that other hikers could find useful. In this one there was a lot of food, books, clothes, and other small trinkets. There was even a pack and a sleeping pad. Thankfully, a father and boy hiking team had a large maildrop sent to them and had a lot of good food left over for us to scavenge. We bought a box of mac & cheese and a sandwhich and shared those for supper. I spent the day writing this and resting. Christine sewed up a shoulder strap on her Walmart pack that was tearing loose. We think it will hold even if she has to repair it in spots every now and again. After supper I was stil hungry. Luckily for me, we were about to experience our first trail magic! A large van pulled up and several adults and children poured out carrying boxes and pans. They brought us hot Mexican lasagna and soup, cookies, lemonade, and tea. They also brought good socks the kids had funraised to give to hikers. We each took a pair to use as a backup when another pair bites the dust. It was a good.day to rest and we are going to ramp up the miles a little.

Miles hiked today: 7.4 Total AT miles: 31.7 AT miles left to hike: 2153.6

What I Am Nervous About

A few days ago, my dad asked my wife and I what we were most nervous about. My wife said "the cold" and I didn't say anything. The truth is I am nervous about nothing right now. Maybe tomorrow, when we're actually in the van driving down there, I'll feel something. The only thing I could think of to be nervous about was people criticizing our gear choices or criticizing whether or not we treat all of our water or criticizing us if we don't hang our bear bag in a way that ensures absolutely no bears will get it. But I don't get upset if people disagree with me when I have working knowledge and experience.  The truth is there is no wrong way to go about this. Everyone will have their own way to do what they have to do to succeed. And what will succeed for one person might cause failure to another.

I'm not nervous about bears because they are afraid of us. I'm not nervous about psychos because I never have been afraid of them and there are no more psychos on the Trail than anywhere else. I'm not nervous about ticks because we've sprayed down all our clothes with permethrin, will conduct daily body checks, and know the signs and symptoms of lyme disease. I'm not nervous about getting sick or injured because we both have insurance. I'm not nervous about quitting because we are prepared and mentally strong. We have no commitments ahead of us so we can go as slow as we need. We do not need to push ourselves when our bodies are tired. We have the time to rest. I'm not nervous about running out of money because we have saved more than people recommend and we know how to be frugal if we need to be. I'm not nervous about our gear because if anything doesn't work out, there are plenty of outfitters along the way where we can change out gear.        

There is nothing for me to be nervous about. I don't think I'm being overly confident. We know it will be hard and that at times we will want to quit. But I think most of the concerns people have with a thru-hike that might make them nervous are created by a hyper-anxious society, fueled by sensationalized media coverage of every murder and every car crash.  

Tomorrow we leave bright and early for a twelve hour drive, from Michigan to Georgia. We will spend the night at a hotel an hour south of Amicalola Falls State Park and begin our journey early on Wednesday, March 19th. Our bags are packed. All of our stuff is stored away. We are ready.

10 Day Countdown

As I become more annoyed at the inefficiencies, injustices, and hypocrisies of the corporation I work for, my eagerness to be on the Trail grows stronger. We have seven days left to work and will leave just two days after we finish work. My wife's parents will drive us down from Michigan to Georgia and we will all stay in a hotel somewhere down there. The next morning we will drive to Amicalola Falls State Park where they will drop us off. And then we will begin our adventure!

We started packing up all our things more than a month before our departure. And the small 'To Do' list  I wrote last month expanded into a million other things. We still have several thing left to do, but nothing we can't handle. We have three going-away dinners to eat this week, we have to pick up some flat-rate boxes at the post office and pack up a few more mail-drops, we have to watch the last film in Godfrey Reggio's '-qatsi' trilogy which explores the relationships between humankind, nature, and technology, and we have to pack up the rest of our stuff.

We've been going to Goodwill a lot, giddy to be free of one more thing. We're been looking up insurance policies and found good travelers' insurance, but still need to sign up. We've filed our taxes, but still need to send in our check. I've got a few more blogposts to write. I've got to load all of our music onto our Smartphone.

I'm trying to reread Walden. There are two other books I wanted to read before we leave. I'm going to compile a prayer list. I'm going to gather addresses to send postcards to. I've got to write-in some information in our guidebook.

I'm using the Avett Brothers to keep my sanity.

I should have hiked more, even though it was cold outside. I should have shaved off a few pounds from my belly.

But the adventure will be here in ten days and we will be ready!                

Final Gear List

I have finally compiled our gear list! Last month I thought we only had two more items to buy, but then I kept remembering one little thing after another. I spent a lot of time researching gear options, trying to save on good deals and sales without compromising on getting the best. The first thing I looked at was the weight, followed by reviews and cost. Someone's gear could look completely different depending on their personal hierarchy of value. We even cut off out all the labels on our clothes, cut off an unnecessary handle on one of our backpacks, and shortened our toothbrush saving us a grand total of 1.2 oz. It really isn't a whole lot, but it is a good exercise in the practice of backpacking as lightweight as possible. I've broken down all of our gear into different categories with a combined weight and cost at the end of each section and a grand total weight and cost at the very bottom of the post. The weight will be a little off, because I only actually weighed the gear that didn't have a given weight when I bought them and we might throw in another Ziploc bag or other sundries before we leave. The cost will also be off because I never kept track of the cost of our toiletries/med kit supplies, lost track of the cost of one of my shirts, and in some cases did not include tax in the total. Some of the gear we already owned and a lot of the gear we were given as gifts from family and friends. Thanks so much for keeping our total costs down! Still, the total weight and cost shouldn't be too far off and is really there just to give you and me an idea of the weight and cost of a thru-hike. Keep in mind that my wife and I are hiking together, so the gear is for two people, which means we can save more weight than people hiking alone. For instance, only one of us will have to carry a tent. Also, keep in mind that this is a base weight, meaning this is without food or water which will end up weighing down the packs a lot more, but also oscillate depending on how near or far away we are from our next resupply. Also, this gear list includes everything that we will be wearing so not all of this weight will be in our packs. We will almost always be wearing our shoes and pants and other combinations of the clothes.

Backpacks

Top row: Christine's backpack, Adam's backpack
Bottom row: large trash bags

Arrowhead 8.0 Backpack   36 oz.   preowned

Jam 50L Pack                   30 oz.   $109.99

Trash bag (x2)                  1.2 oz.  preowned

Total Weight: 68.4 oz./4.28 lb.     Total Cost: $109.99

Notes: I cut off the handle of Christine's pack which should save a half an ounce or two. The trash bags will line our packs, keeping the contents dry when it rains. 

Sleeping Gear

Top row: sleeping quilt, two sleeping pads
Bottom row: tent

ZPacks 20 Degree 900 Fill Power Down Twin Size Quilt   27.5 oz.   $560

Therm-a-rest Neoair Xlite Air Matress (x2)                      12 oz.      $95.97   

Hilleberg Anjan 2 Tent                                                  60 oz.      $570  

Total Weight: 111.5 oz./6.97 lb.     Total Cost: $1,321.94      

Notes: Our sleeping quilt fits both of us which saves on the weight and cost of buying two separate sleeping bags. Also, it will help us stay warmer on the colder nights. A lot of people switch out their cold weather sleeping bag for a summer bag during the warm parts, but to save money on another bag and the cost of sending it back and forth in the mail, we hope to just stick with this one and sleep on top of it during the warm nights. Since we have two sleeping pads and one sleeping quilt, the sleeping pads split apart from each other during the night while sleeping which is no good. But the makers of the quilt knew that and created lightweight fasteners to attach to the pads so they can attach to each other.

Adam's Clothes

Top row: watch cap, bandana
Second row: long-sleeve shirt, camp shirt, short-sleeve shirt, base layer top
Third row: Down jacket, shorts, pants, base layer bottoms
Bottom row: convertible mittens, poncho, camp clogs, shoes, socks

Cabela's E.C.W.C.S. Watch Cap                                               1.2 oz.       gift

Bandana                                                                                 1.7 oz.      preowned

Columbia Cool Creek Long-sleeve Crew Shirt                            6.9 oz.      $25.96

C9 by Champion Men's Ventilating Pieced Tee                           4.1 oz.      ???

Asics Favorite Short Sleeve                                                       4.4 oz.      $29.99

Taramar Men's Military Fleece 3.0 Long Sleeve Crew Shirt          5.9 oz.      $15.89

Montbell Frost Smoke Down Parka                                            12.7 oz.     $188.95   

Craft Performance Run Shorts                                                   3.7 oz.       gift 

The North Face Paramount Peak Convertible Pants                     17.1 oz.     gift

Glide Series Baselayer Bottoms                                                  7.8 oz.       preowned

Grand Sierra Mico-Fleece Convertible Mittens                             2.6 oz.       $12.95

Kelty Adult Rain Poncho                                                            8 oz.          $11.99

Foam Clogs                                                                              7.3 oz.       preowned

The North Face Hedgehog III GTX XCR Hiking Shoes                    25.44 oz.   $78.75 

Smartwool Hike Medium Crew Socks (x2)                                   2.9 oz.       gift

Gander Mountain Medium Weight Merino Wool Hiking Socks        1.8 oz.       gift

Total Weight: 116.44 oz./7.28 lb.     Total Cost: $364.48 

Notes: One pair of socks and one of the shirts will be dedicated to camp. This will ensure I always have dry clothes that do not stink TOO much. The short running shorts will act as my underwear during the colder months and as hiking shorts/swimming shorts during the hot months, 

Christine's Clothes

Top Row: watch cap, balaclava, buff, poncho
Second row: base layer top, short sleeve shirt, camp shirt, long-sleeve top
Third row: down jacket, pants, underwear, base layer bottoms
Bottom row: socks, sock liners, camp clogs, shoes, sports bra, convertible mittens

Under Armour Outdoor Fleece Beanie                                1.3 oz.      $15.89 

Cabela's Polartec Power Stretch Balaclava                          2.2 oz.      gift

Original Buff in Bloom                                                      1.3 oz.      $18.99

Kelty Adult Rain Poncho                                                    8 oz.        $11.99

Tarramar Women's Military Fleece Top                              4.4 oz.      gift

GSX Short Sleeve Performance Tee                                    3.5 oz.      gift

C9 by Champion Women's Endurance Tee                           3.4 oz.     $6.48

C9 by Champion Women's Full Zip Cardio Jacket                 10.2 oz.   $19.58

Montbell Frost Smoke Down Parka                                      12.7 oz.   $188.95   
The North Face Paramount Peak Convertible Pants              15.2 oz.   $52.35  
Stoic Merino 200 Boy Boxer                                                 2.5 oz.    $39.95
ExOffico Give-N-Go Lacy Low Rise Bikini Underwear            1 oz.       gift   
Terramar Women's Military Fleece Bottom                           4.4 oz.    gift    

Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew Socks                               3.4 oz.     gift
Smartwool Hike Medium Crew Socks (x2)                            2.9 oz.     gift
Wigwam Coolmax Liner Socks                                             1.7 oz.     gift
Meijer Foam Clogs                                                              10 oz.      $12.00
Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 GTX Women's Hiking Shoes          27.5 oz.   $100 
C9 by Champion Women's Seamless Racerback Bra                2.7 oz.     $13.59 
Grand Sierra Mico-Fleece Convertible Mittens                       2.6 oz.     $12.95 

Total Weight: 123.8 oz./7.74 lb.     Total Cost: $492.72    

Notes: Christine also has a dedicated pair of socks, underwear, and shirt for camp use only.

Cooking Gear

Top row: titanium pot, titanium cup, denatured alcohol w/ duct tape, water reservoir
Second row: windscreen, binder clips, cat food alcohol stove, mini lighter,
titanium spork, plastic spoon, Aquamira
Bottom row: water bottles, 50 ft. paracord, bear bag, trash bag

Evernew Titanium Non-stick Pot w/ Handle 1.3 L     6 oz.     $65.41

Evernew Titanium Cup- 400 FD                               1.8 oz.   $27.05

One Bottle Denatured Alcohol w/ Duct Tape            15.4 oz.  preowned

MSR 4L Dromlite Bag                                              4.2 oz.   $31.75

Aluminum Foil Windscreen                                      0.4 oz.   preowned

Binder Clips                                                            0.4 oz.   preowned

Fancy Feast DIY Alcohol Stove                                  0.2 oz.   $0.50

Bic Mini Lighter                                                       0.4 oz.   $1.00

Snow Peak Titanium Spork                                       0.5 oz.   $8.95

MRE Plastic Spoon                                                    0.2 oz.    preowned

Aquamira Chlorine Dioxide Water Treatment Drops    2.9 oz.   $11.95

Gatorade Bottle (x4)                                                2 oz.      preowned

50' Tan 550 Paracord                                                3.1 oz.   $7.25

Target Plastic Bag                                                    0.4 oz.   preowned

Ziploc Bag                                                                0.4 oz.   preowned

Total Weight: 38.9 oz./2.43 lb.     Total Cost: $153.86

Notes: Our bottle of denatured alcohol is wrapped in duct tape just in case we need the duct tape to patch anything. It also helps distinguish this bottle as non-drinkable. The water reservoir will mostly be used at camp so we don't have to keep going back and forth to the nearest water which sometimes can be a good distance away. We are using 550 cord and a plastic shopping bag to hang our food from a tree at night to keep mice from getting at it. The large Ziploc bag will be used as our trash bag between resupplies. The binder clips go with the windscreen to hold it together and give it some height.   

Toiletries and Medical Aide Kit

Top row: toilet paper, toothbrush, lip balm, floss, Christine's multivitamins,
Adam's multivitamins, bandaids, Mucinex, ibuprofen

Bottom row: wet wipes, antidiarrheal, razor head, antiseptic spray, diva cup, 

moleskin, molefoam

Toiletry Bag

   MRE Toilet Paper Pack (x6)

   Shortened Colgate Toothbrush

   2 Fl. Oz. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

   Vasaline Lip Therapy

   Up & Up Dental Floss

   50 Multivitamin/Multimineral Dietary Supplement 

   50 Adults' Gummy Multivitamin/Multimineral Dietary Supplement
   Needle (x2)
   Christine's Retainers (not pictured)

   Total Weight   11.4 oz.

Medical Aid Kit

   Up & Up Bandaids 

   Mucinex Fast-Max Tablets

   Ibuprofen

   Equate Antidiarrheal

   Razor Head

   Antiseptic Spray

   Diva Cup

   Dr. Scholl's Molefoam

   Moleskin    

   Total Weight     5.4 oz.

Up & Up Wet Wipes (x2)     3.9 oz.

Combined Weight Total: 20.7 oz./1.29 lb.

Notes: The needles will be used with the floss in case anything needs to be temporarily patched up. The toothbrush was cut down and we will both use the same one.  

Miscellaneous/Luxury Items 

Top row: pipe, guide book, Christine's journal, Adam's journal
Second row: tobacco, Tracfone charger, Smartphone, Tracfone, watch,
Bible, pocket notebook
Third row: pocket knife, earbuds, Smartphone charger, headlamp
Bottom row: towels, IDs/debit cards/money, waterproof bag, pens

Pipe                                                                           1.4 oz.    preowned

The A.T. Guide- 2014 Northbound w/ Ziploc Bag           8.3 oz.   $18.30

Christine's Journal                                                       3 oz.       gift

Adam's Journal                                                            5.3 oz.    gift

Tobacco                                                                      1.9 oz.    preowned

Tracfone Charger                                                         2.4 oz.    preowned

Samsung Captivate Glide w/ Empire Case                      5.9 oz.    $95.42

Tracfone                                                                      2.4 oz.    preowned

Watch                                                                          1 oz.       preowned

Bible                                                                            10.1 oz.  preowned

Pocket Notebook                                                           1.6 oz.    gift

Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Knife                            0.8 oz.    gift

Yurbuds Inspire Female In-Ear Sport Headphones             0.4 oz.    $25.99 

Smartphone Charger                                                      0.5 oz.    preowned

Black Diamond Spot Headlamp                                       3.1 oz.    preowned

Microfiber Towel (x2)                                                    0.9 oz.    preowned

IDs/Debit Cards w/ Waterproof Bag                                0.8 oz.    preowned

Pen (x3)                                                                        0.2 oz.    preowned

Total Weight: 51.3 oz./3.2 lb.     Total Cost: $139.71

Notes: The case without the Smartphone is pictures here because we used the Smartphone to take this photo. The Smartphone will be used for the Internet when wifi available in town, as camera and as music player. The Tracfone will be used to make calls. The pocket knife has tweezers in case we need to pull out ticks, scissors for cutting our fingernails and toenails, and of course, a small blade to cut food and whatever else needs to be cut. I won't wear the watch and will only use it if we want to calculate how fast we go or as an alarm in the morning if we want to make sure we start at a certain time. Hopefully I won't be tempted to look at it too often. As a writer it is very beneficial to have a notebook easily accessible at all times. Too many times have I told myself I would remember a great idea or thought only to lose it forever. The small microfiber towels will be used for cleaning out the pot and anything else that might need a good drying like our tent floor or our bodies after a rainy day. They dry quickly.  

            Total Combined Weight: 531.04 oz./33.19 lb.     Total Combined Cost: $2,582.70