8 Pound – Appalachian Trail Gear List
A 9 ounce hammock: This Gear List suggests using a hammock, which on the AT has significant comfort and performance advantages vs. a tent.
A three season (spring, summer, fall) Appalachian Trail Gear List
This gear list is fine tuned to the climate and terrain of the Appalachian trail rather than the more generic 9 Pound – Full Comfort – Lightweight Backpacking Gear List which is intended to cover most of the lower 48. For instance, the AT Gear List suggests using a hammock vs. a tent, since trees are plentiful along the AT, whereas flat, rock-free places to setup a tent and sleep on the ground are scarce. For more on hammocks see: Hammock Camping Series – Part 1 – Advantages of Hammock Camping.
If you aren’t interested in hammock camping, the list also includes and alternative options for traditional (ground) camping. Since most folks will be sleeping in AT shelters it doesn’t make much sense to carry a tent, which will go unused most nights. To save weight, just carry a light tarp in the low probability that there is both no room in the shelter and that it will rain. For more conventional tent & sleeping bag options see: 9 Pound – Full Comfort – Gear List.
This gear list is suitable for most backpackers on most 3-season trips (possibly 3+ season) along the Appalachian Trail (In some instances, you may wish to fine-tune this list to your particular trip needs and/or backpacking style by selecting suitable optional or alternate gear in this list.) I’ve also tried to list a number or items available from major retailers like REI, e.g. the excellent and reasonably priced Outdoor Research Helium II Rain Jacket at only 6.4 ounces!
Appalachian Trail Gear List – Summary with Weights
| SECTION | TOTALS | Lbs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing in Pack (not usually worn) | 2.3 | Rain jacket, warm jacket, gloves, etc. | |
| Backpack and Gear Packaging | 1.3 | Backpack, stuff sacks | |
| Sleeping Gear, Hammock, Tarp | 3.1 | This Gear List suggests using a hammock, which on the AT has significant advantages vs. a tent. See Advantages of Hammock Camping | |
| Alternate Sleeping Gear – Tarp Camping (alternate to hammock camping) |
3.3 | Since most folks will be sleeping in AT shelters it doesn’t make much sense to carry a tent, which will go unused most nights. | |
| Cooking Gear and Water Storage/Treatment | 0.8 | Stove, pot, cookware, water “bottles” & purification | |
| “Essential” Gear | 0.8 | Maps, SOS device, first aid kit, headlamp, knife sunscreen and small items not included in above | |
| BASE PACK WEIGHT (BPW) | 8.3 | BPW = all items in pack = all items above, less “consumables” (water, food and fuel) |
|
| 1 Pint of Water | 1.0 | Average amount carried when hiking (water plentiful) | |
| Food – for a long weekend – 3 days, 2 nights | 3.8 | See Backpacking Food “…reduce food weight” | |
| Fuel | 0.2 | 4 fl-oz alcohol = 3.2 oz wt | |
| Total of Consumables | 5.0 | Water, food, and fuel | |
| TRAIL PACK WEIGHT (BPW + consumables) | 13.3 | For a long weekend – 3 day trip | |
| Clothing Worn and Items Carried (not in pack) | 4.3 | Not included in pack weight: clothing worn on the trail, hat, shoes, trekking poles, stuff in pockets, etc. | |
| Camera Equipment Gear List (new page) | Details for Serious Lightweight Backpacking Cameras | ||
Detail of Gear List Items
Clothing in Pack (not usually worn)
| Clothing | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain Jacket | Outdoor Research Helium II (6.4) | 6.4 | From REI: less expensive than many at this weight |
| RainJacket (alt) | Patagonia Alpine HOUDINI (6.0) | Light! Minimal with tough fabric. Pricy | |
| RainJacket (alt) | Ultimate Direction, Ultra Jkt 5.9 | Light, great ventilation options, built-in mitts | |
| Rain Pants | Outdoor Research Helium | 6.0 | Light. Not insanely expensive |
| Rainpants (alt) | Rain chaps or rain kilt (2.0 oz) | For trips with low probability of rain, or warm rain | |
| Mid-layer top | North Face TKA 100 Glacier 1/4-Zip | 7.9 | For use as a mid-layer (and as a “windshirt”) |
| Windshell | Don’t bring anymore | If cold & windy, will layer rainjacket over my fleece | |
| Warm jacket | West. Mtn. Hooded Flash Jacket | 10.5 | Warmth Important for rest stops and in camp. |
| Warm pants | Western Mountain. Flash (6.5) CampSaver is one of the few places to get these great pants | For colder weather. Or folks that run cold in camp | |
| Warm hat | OR Option Balaclava | 1.8 | Warmer than hat – great for quilt w/o hood! |
| Warm hat | Mtn Hdw Power Stretch Balaclava | 1.2 | Warmer than hat – great for quilt w/o hood! |
| Liner gloves | DuraGlove ET Charcoal Wool (2.5) | Great liner glove – light, warm, durable! | |
| Camp gloves | Glacier Glove fingerless fleece (2.0) | 2.0 | Dexterity at camp chores or climbing in cold weather |
| Rain Mitts | ZPacks Challenger Rain Mitts (1.0) | 1.0 | For intermittent use. Expensive. |
| Rain Mitts (alt) | MLD eVENT Rain Mitts (1.2) | 1.2 | For intermittent use. |
| Rain Mitts (alt) | Outdoor Research Revel (3.5) | For constant use: waterproof, durable, grip palm | |
| Spare socks | DeFeet Wolleators or SmartWool PhD Light Mini |
1.8 | Will bring to wash & switch between pairs |
| Sleeping socks | DeFeet Woolie Boolie (3.0) | No day use; sleeping and dry camp only | |
| Sleeping top | Patagonia long sleeve Cap LW (3.5) | Dry/clean for camp. Only bring in very wet climates | |
| Sleeping bot. | Patagonia Capilene LW (3.4 oz) | Dry/clean for camp. Only bring in very wet climates | |
| Sleeping (alt) | Terramar Thermasilk top & bot | Inexpensive alternative to expensive base layers | |
| TOTAL | 2.3 | Lb |
Backpack and Gear Packaging
| Packing | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pack opt 1 | Mountain Laurel Designs 3500ci EXODUS (17 oz) | 17.0 | No frame. Almost all Dyneema. Very little mesh. Ideal for AT and shorter trips. [award winner] |
| Pack opt 1 | Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider (28 oz) | For those that want a frame. Light, super durable, seam sealed bag, good carrying capacity, good pockets. More $ [award winner] | |
| Pack (alt) | Gossamer Gear Gorilla 40 (26 oz) | Has frame. Durable. Right volume for AT. Record setting pack. | |
| Pack (alt) | Osprey Exos 38 Pack (34 oz) | Mainstream commercial pack, readily available | |
| Waterproofing for pack | 2x Gossamer Gear Pack Liner (1.8) (alternate: a trash compactor bag) | (1) liner for sleeping bag and insulating clothes (1) liner for everything else |
|
| Food storage | Quart-sized HD freezer bag | 0.5 | For storing organizing ‘todays’ snack food |
| Food storage | Aloksak OP Sak 12.5″ x 20″ (1.0) | control food scent – attract less animal attention | |
| Bear canister | Bear Vault BV500 (41) or Wild-Ideas Weekender (31) | (when reg’s require) Wild-Ideas is lighter but pricy. Bear Vault is a better value | |
| Stuff sacks | For sleeping bag, clothes, etc. | 2.0 | Silnylon: keep gear organized, clean, protected |
| Map sleeve | Gallon-sized freezer bag | 0.5 | Gallon: fewer map folds & shows more map area |
| Eyewear case | padded nylon sleeve + Ziplock bag | 0.4 | No need for a heavy rigid case |
| TOTAL | 1.3 | Lb |
Sleeping Gear and Hammock Camping Setup
| Sleep+Shelter | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammock Shelter Setup – For more on hammocks see: Hammock Camping Series (for conventional ground sleeping options see “Alternate Camping with a Tarp” below. |
|||
| Hammock | Dutchware Half-Wit (with Hexon 1.0 fabric ) |
12.5 | Light, all essential features & bug protection. Value! (weight includes kevlar/whoopie suspension) |
| Sleeping Quilt | Hammock Gear Burrow “+30” | 14.5 | (+40F + 2 oz over fill = “+30F”) Great value |
| Under Quilt | Hammock Gear Phoenix “+30” | 14.0 | 60″ long: (+40F + 2 oz over fill = “+30F”) Value |
| Tarp | Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp | 7.0 | Hammock specific tarp (wt incl. ridgelines & guylines) |
| Tarp (value) | Hammock Bliss XL Rain Fly (18.0) | Inexpensive and serviceable hammock tarp | |
| Stakes | 8 MSR Groundhog Y-stakes .5oz ea | 4.0 | Hold better than skewer stakes. Red easier to find! |
| Guylines | 3mm MSR Reflective Utility Cord 2.4mm reflect cord (8×4-ft lines) | 1.0 | 2 to 3mm – all work well – diameter your preference |
| TOTAL | 3.1 | Lb | |
Alternate Camping with a Tarp (if not Hammock Camping)
Since most folks will be sleeping in AT shelters it doesn’t make much sense to carry a tent, which will go unused most nights. To save weight, just carry a light tarp in the low probability that there is both no room in the shelter and that it will rain. For more conventional tent & sleeping bag options see: 9 Pound – Full Comfort – Gear List.
| Sleep+Shelter | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bag | Hammock Gear Burrow Quilt “+30” | Pers fave. Great value! (with 2 oz over fill = “+30F”) | |
| Sleeping Bag (alternate) | Western Mountaineering SummerLite (19) | 19.0 | Conventional +32 sleeping bag. Light, warm, highest quality, long loft retention |
| Sleeping Pad | T-Rest NeoAir X-lite “Women’s” | 12.1 | Perfect size for most. Warm. Super comfortable! |
| For more shelter options see: Recommended Tents, Tarps, and other Shelters | |||
| Tent (alt) | TarpTent ProTrail – 1 pers (26oz) | Full rain & bug protection for one person (has floor) | |
| Tent (alt) | Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 (33 oz) | REI: Freestanding tent for those who feel they need it | |
| Tent/Shelter (alternate) | MLD Grace Duo Tarp Silnylon (15) Cuben (7.8) | 15.0 | Pers fave for many trips: Huge coverage. Low weight. Great ventilation and views. |
| Bivy | MLD Superlight Bivy (7.0) | Perfect with tarp. When bringing will cowboy camp under stars most nights | |
| Ground cloth | Gossamer Gear Polycryo M (1.6) | 1.6 | Not needed with a bivy or shelters with a floor |
| Stakes | 8 MSR Groundhog Y-stakes .5oz ea | 4.0 | Hold better than skewer stakes. Red easier to find! |
| Guylines | 3mm MSR Reflective Utility Cord 2.4mm reflect cord (8×4-ft lines) | 1.0 | 2 to 3mm – all work well – diameter your preference |
| TOTAL | 3.3 | Lb | |
Cooking Gear and Water Storage/Treatment
| Cook/Water | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottles | Sawyer 64 oz Squeezable Pouch | 1.5 | For collecting treating water in camp – dry camps |
| Bottles | Sawyer 32 oz Squeezable Pouch | 1.0 | Use during the day (note: Platypus doesn’t fit Sawyer) |
| Purification | Sawyer filter (3.0) | 3.0 | To drink on the spot – greatly reduces water cary |
| Purification | Chlorine Dioxide tablets | 0.5 | For treating 2L bladder in camp |
| Cookset | Trail Designs Toaks 900ml Pot, Sidewinder Ti-Tri, 4fl-oz fuel bottle | 5.3 | Lightest, most practical cookset on the market. Zelph StarLyte Burner stores unburned fuel. |
| Cookset (alt) | Jetboil Zip Cooking System, Jetpower 100 Fuel Canister (18.5) | EZ to use. Much heavier than the alcohol stove cookset. Not “green” with non-recyclable canisters. | |
| Pot (bargain) | Open Country 3 Cup Pot (3.8) | As good as a titanium pot but only $16 | |
| Cookset(cheap) | TD $40-$50 pot/cookset option | Stay tuned: Working on what this will be | |
| Fuel container | Boston Round Bottle 4 fl-oz (0.8) or TD Fuel Bottle Kit |
(5 fl-oz act. cap) use squirt spout top for and medicine cup accurate dispensing | |
| Ignition | Standard (not micro) BIC lighter | 0.2 | Larger is easier to use with cold hands |
| Mug | Snow Peak Ti Single 450 Cup (2.4) Fave: MLD 475 Ti mug (1.3oz) |
1.3 | Eat breakfast & have coffee at same time |
| Bowl/Mug (alt) | Ziplock 14 fl-oz bowl (0.6 oz) | Pers fave: “mug” and/or bowl. Cheap, light, available | |
| Mug (alt) | Starbucks “$1,” 16 fl-oz cup (1.6oz) | Readily available, inexpensive, reasonably durable | |
| Utensil | Plastic spoon with big shovel | 0.3 | spoon handle cut to fit in pot |
| Coffee brew | MSR MugMate Coffee Filter (1.0) | For using ground coffee (and not Starbuck’s VIA) | |
| TOTAL | 0.8 | Lb |
“Essential” Gear (smaller items not included in above)
| Essentials | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAPS | 11X17 Custom Maps in ZipLock | 2.0 | Mapped with CalTopo and printed at Kinkos |
| Charging | 6000mAh Anker batt + cable (5.1) | for longer tips (~1.5 iPhone6 charges) | |
| SOS/Tracker | Preferred: inReach SE (6.9) | 2-way communication (a big deal!), visible GPS coordinates, and trip tracking+SOS | |
| SOS/Track (alt) | SPOT Gen3 (4.8) | Disadvantages: only 1-way com, no vis. GPS coord. | |
| GPS & Comm | Iridium 9555 SatPhone (9.7 oz) or Iridium GO! |
Make no mistake: voice communication is still the gold-standard for high risk trips | |
| Optics | ROXANT 7×18 monocular (2.0) | Light: scouting/route finding, decent, inexpensive | |
| Optics (alt) | MINOX BV II 8×25 binoc’s (10.8) | Scouting, much better wildlife observation, value | |
| Pen/pencil | Fisher Space Pen Stowaway | 0.2 | To mark up maps, take notes about trip |
| Toothbrush | GUM 411 Classic Toothbrush | 0.4 | Full head. minimal handle (but not cut in 1/2) |
| Toothpaste | Travel size 1/2 full | 0.7 | |
| Toilet paper | Whatever is on the roll at home | 1.0 | TP only for polish, use found materials first |
| Soap/sanitizer | Dr. Bronners | 0.5 | Dr. Bronner’s – repackaged into small bottle |
| Sunscreen | small plastic tube about 1/2 full | 0.5 | for face & hands: most of body covered—large hat |
| Lip balm | Bert’s Bees or similar | 0.2 | Minimal wt for dedicated lip balm |
| First Aid Kit | Meds, wound/injury, foot care | 3.0 | See detailed list at bottom |
| Headnet | Sea to Summit Head Net (1.2) | Mosquito netting – don’t take on most trips | |
| Insect repell. | Repel Pen Pump Insect Repellent Sawyer Maxi-DEET Spray (0.5) |
Convenient size; effective. Sawyer preferred. | |
| Foot care kit | Bonnie’s Balm in small balm jar | 0.5 | In case of wet feet. Never get blisters. |
| Compass | Suunto M-3D Compass (1.6) | 1.6 | Lightest compass with declination adjustment |
| Knife/scissors | Wescott blunt tip school scissors | 0.9 | More useful than knife – OK for plane carryon |
| Knife | Gerber L.S.T. Drop Point (1.2 oz) | Can cut bread and salami – very light for 2.6″ blade | |
| Knife (alt) | Spyderco Ladybug Knife (0.6) | 2″ blade – one of the lightest functional knives | |
| Firestarter | Bic Mini Lighter + trash | 0.2 | Energy bar wrappers are great fire starter |
| Light | BD Ion ii headlamp (45g) | 1.6 | 2 AAAs + headband. Bright, efficient dimmable LED (slide/touch operation a bit wonky, so not for all) |
| Light (alt) | Fenix LD02 w spare battery (1.0) | Best mini light available, attach to hat brim with clip | |
| Repair | Tenacious patch, duct tape, glue | 0.2 | Also consider NeoAir patch kit, and Aquaseal |
| Finance/ID | ID, CCs, and cash in snack ZipLock | 0.2 | More secure on me than left in car |
| TOTAL | 0.8 | Lb |
Clothing Worn and Items Carried (stuff not in pack)
| Worn/Carried | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirt | SmartWool Micro T Short-Sleeve | 4.5 | Light, comfortable. On trail, in shade. No need for sleeves. (put on fleece for cold/windy Wx) |
| Shirt (alt) | SmartWool NTS lightweight zip (8) | Shirt & baselayer: for colder weather | |
| Pants | RailRiders X-Treme Adventure (16) | Pers fave. Very durable, no velcro on pockets! (Use Code RRAAB21 to get 10% off your first RailRiders order) | |
| Pants (alt) | REI Sahara convertable pants (14) | 14.0 | On trail, in shade: will hike in shorts most days. Ex Officio and many others make similar pants |
| Underwear | Patagonia briefs | 2.0 | Dry fast, will rinse/wash most days |
| Bra | Lighter, quick drying spots bra | Not an expert on this one! | |
| Shoes | Inov-8 ROCLITE 295 (20oz) | 20.0 | Pers fave. Light, sticky rubber, durable, low heel rise |
| Shoes (alt) | Brooks Cascadia (25 oz) | Very popular trail shoe for LW backpackers | |
| Shoes (alt) | Lightweight trail running shoes | Most non-Goretex trail running shoes that fit well | |
| Socks | DeFeet Wolleators or SmartWool PhD Light Mini |
1.8 | Wolleators are pers fave. Light, thin, warm, simple, durable |
| Gaiters | Dirty Girl gaiters (1.2 oz) | I rarely find the need for gaiters | |
| Headwear | Nylon Ball Cap | 2.0 | Mostly shade on AT. No need for killer sun protection |
| Watch | Suunto Core with positive display | 2.2 | compass, altimeter, multifunction timepiece. No GPS |
| Watch/GPS | Garmin Fenix 3 Sapphire (3 oz) | Accurate trip track: GPS, compass, altimeter, time | |
| Sunglasses | Rx and non-Rx (polarized) | 1.0 | http://www.zennioptical.com/ for cheap Rx options |
| Glasses | Zenni clear Rx glasses (1.0 oz) | Great glasses! for $20 or so. But 2-3 week delivery | |
| Camera | Canon S120 + extra battery (8 oz) | Balance of wt, size, image qual; less $ than RX100 | |
| Camera (alt) | Sony RX100 or Sony a6000 | See Serious Lightweight Backpacking Cameras | |
| GPS/Comm | Iphone 6+ Ziplock baggie (7.5) | 7.5 | Primary GPS & map source (not leaving in car!) |
| Poles bargain | Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon | 15.2 | Pers fave. 1/3 price but equal to the best poles |
| Trek Poles | REI Carbon Power Lock (16 oz) BD Carbon Alpine (18 oz) |
Stiff, light, travel-friendly, won’t break off-trail/rough terrain (readily available) | |
| TOTAL | 4.3 | Lb |
First Aid Kit (detail)
| First Aid | Item | Oz | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain, fever inflammation | Naprosyn (Aleve), Ibuprofen, or Tylenol (fever) | 0.4 | In ziplock pill bag available at pharmacies |
| Foot/blister | Gauze + Leukotape Tape | 0.3 | For taping over blisters, or pre-blister areas |
| Foot/blister | Tincture of benzoin in micro-bottle | 0.2 | For getting tape or Bandaids to REALLY stick! |
| Wound care | Bandaids + gel blister covers | 0.5 | Assorted sizes – your preference |
| Wound care | Antibact. packets + wound wipes | 0.4 | Wound cleansing, infection prevention |
| OTC meds | Benadryl, Sudafed, Nexium, Imodium, caffeine tablets | 0.4 | All in tablet/pill form |
| Rx meds | Personal Dr’s Rx meds | 0.4 | |
| Pain serious | Dr’s Rx Painkiller | 0.2 | For serious injury, tooth abscess, etc. |
| Storage/org | Bag Poly 5×8 to hold 1st Aid Kit | 0.2 | Keep size down. Can only put in what can fit in bag. |
| TOTAL | 3.0 | Oz (included in “Essential” Gear) |
