Gathering Gear, Gathering Strength

My excitement is building each day, as I steadily heal from my bout with pneumonia and prepare for my upcoming trip on the Appalachian Trail, where I plan to run about 400 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I feel somewhat trepidatious departing after such an illness, but I have faith that the time of rest has given me time to make sure I am well prepared for my journey.

My plan is simple:  I will be self-supported, carry all my necessary gear and food, and stop to resupply or stay in hotels about every other day.  I plan to average about 35-40 miles per day, with wiggle room planned in case of weather or a necessary rest day.

Because the terrain can be tough in the Appalachians, and because I want to keep my pack weight down to a minimum, I am being extremely meticulous about what I bring.  I thought it would be fun to share my gear list, to give a better idea of how to "flashpack" through the wilderness, safely, and without breaking the bank! (I've included what I paid for each piece of gear)

First, food:  I plan to bring 2 lbs of nuts and dried fruit per day; resupplying along the way.  I will never be carrying more than 2 days worth of food, as resupply stops are frequent.  I won't be cooking, so no cookware, dried meals, or stove will be needed.  I know I'll crave fresh food and high calorie stuff when I arrive in towns, and hope to stay as plant based as possible... but seeing as it's the south, and I'll be ravenous, I will likely give myself some wiggle room.  

So, here is my GEAR LIST:

Sleep system:

Backpack:  Gregory Jade 28 Pack 2 lb 8 oz- $149.00

Bivy Sack:  MSR E-Bivy- 9 oz - $55.00 (closeout sale)

Sleeping Bag:  World Famous Sports GLITE 40 degree bag 1 lb 6 oz- $20.00

Sleeping Pad:  Thermarest Prolite Sm- 11 oz- $60.00

Clothing:

Jacket:  Mountain Hardware Youth Jacket (not sure of model)- 12 oz

Black Thermal Tights- 2 oz

Lightweight Thermal- 2 oz

Lightweight Poncho- 4 oz
hat, thin gloves, extra socks- 4 oz
the rest I'll be wearing

Other Gear:
Energizer headlamp and extra batteries
iphone and charger
water bladder and extra water bottles
iodine tablets
maps
zip-lock bags
toothbrush and toothpast
total- 10 oz (this is an estimate)

Total, that will mean carrying 7 lb 4 oz total without water or food.  With food and water, I'm hoping my pack will never be beyond 15 lbs. at the maximum.

An old picture of backpacking on the Lost Coast in California.

With many of the logistics taken care of, I can now simply daydream about the trip and rest up with Netflix and a good book, letting my body prepare for the challenge ahead.