Early Spring Backpacking Gear List
I’ve spent the past two weeks working on a gear list for a series of 2 night section hikes I plan to do on the Masschusetts Appalachian Trail in March and April.
I expect day time temperatures at this time of year to be 30-45 degrees F and night time temperatures to go down into the 20’s F. I do not plan to hike through snow and I am not packing snowshoes or crampons. I do expect wet and muddy conditions and will be wearing Gore-Tex lined boots and high gaiters. My total pack weight is hovering just over 17 lbs, which is a few pounds over my summer pack weight. I welcome any comments you might have on my gear selection.
If you are just getting into lightweight backpacking, this gear list should give you a good idea about the range of gear you need to bring on a trip. I have brought along some luxury items including a heavy water filter and thick sleeping pad to provide extra insulation on cold ground. In addition, I am using wide mouth water reservoirs which reduce freezing in cold temperatures.
| Packing | oz. |
| Six moon designs starlite backpack with hip belt pockets | 25 |
| Gossamer Gear 3/4 sleeping pad as framesheet | 3.2 |
| Plastic whistle | 0.1 |
| Equinox pack cover with stuff sack | 3.6 |
| Gossamer Gear internal pack liner (lg) | 1.7 |
| Skunklight skylight - solar powered LED | 0.6 |
| Mini REI thermometer | 0.3 |
| Shelter & Sleep System | |
| Stake bag with 6 easton stakes | 1.9 |
| Gossamer Gear polycryo groundsheet | 4.5 |
| Sea-to-summit 35L event waterproof stuff sack | 3.3 |
| North Face Snowshoe - 0 degree, sleeping bag | 44.7 |
| Medium wool socks - sleeping | 2.6 |
| Patagonia Capilene 3 Bottoms | 7.5 |
| Patagonia Capilene 3 Crew | 8.2 |
| Black Diamond Firstlite tent | 43 |
| Exped Downmat 7 sleeping pad | 33.8 |
| Hydration | |
| 96 oz Nalgene canteen | 2.9 |
| 32 oz Nalgene canteen | 2.1 |
| General Ecology First Need water filter | 19 |
| Kitchen | |
| Modified Ursalite bear bag (bag, rope, sack, carbiner) | 3.9 |
| odor barrier bag | 1.1 |
| Snow Peak 700 titanium pot and lid | 4.5 |
| Snow Peak Gigapower titanium stove in plastic case | 4 |
| Tooth brush/paste (full) | 1.3 |
| Long handled titanium spoon | 0.4 |
| MSR pack towel | 0.7 |
| Blue tip matches in nalgene bottle | 0.2 |
| Head net ditty bag | 0.5 |
| maps | 1.3 |
| black polypro glove liners | 1.2 |
| Outdoor Research goretex mits - shells only | 4.8 |
| Mountain Hardware polypro hat | 0.8 |
| bandana | 0.8 |
| Outdoor Research windproof balaclava | 2.3 |
| Extra clothing | |
| Cocoon polarguard pullover vest with helium ditty bag | 6.4 |
| Golite reed pants (wind/rain) | 6.4 |
| Navigation | |
| id / cash / coinage/ credit / health ins - omniseal ziploc | 0.9 |
| Suunto a-10 compass | 0.9 |
| digital camera | 5.1 |
| paper journal | 0.9 |
| space pen | 0.1 |
| Green equinox essential bag | 0.2 |
| prescriptions/nalgene bottle (5 days) | 0.2 |
| 2-pair macs ear plugs in snack bag | 0.5 |
| small dental floss | 0.1 |
| Photon freedom led light with hat clip | 0.4 |
| swiss army classic knife | 0.7 |
| glasses case with sunglasses | 3.5 |
| 20 oz widemouth camp bottle | 1.3 |
| Outdoor Research Helium Grey ditty bag (murphy) | 0.4 |
| Gear repair | 3.8 |
| First Aid/Emergency Kit | 4.8 |
| Hygene | |
| small bottle purell hand sanitizer | 1.1 |
| small bottle dr. bronner | 1.4 |
| dermatone spf 23 | 0.9 |
| total pack weight in oz., not including consumables | 274 |
| total pack weight in lb., not including consumables | 17.2 |
| Wearing | |
| Asolo TPS 520 boots | 60 |
| Black Diamond trail poles | 16 |
| med wool socks | 2.6 |
| Ex officio brief underwear - synthetic | 2.2 |
| Patagonia Capilene 2 crew | 0 |
| Outdoor Research Celestial Jacket | 9.8 |
| EMS convertible pants | 14 |
| Outdoor Research high gore-tex gaters | 6.7 |
| total wearing in oz. | 111 |
| total wearing in lb. | 6.96 |
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Would you stick with a synthetic bag on the long trail in late april because of the rain and mud? I’m heading out for 4 days in late April and I’m torn about what type of bag I should bring. Any advice?
You probably already know this, but the Green Mountain Club and USFS ask that you not hike on the LT from April 15 through Memorial day because hiking in the mud erodes the trail. As for spring hiking - I’ll be out in the same time frame hiking a low elevation section of the AT in New Hampshire. I was just planning on bringing a warm sleeping pad and my 20 degree down bag.
Touche! I had forgotten about mud season. I think I’ll switch it out for a few days in the whites.