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Long Trail Gear List: Section One

The Old Montclair Shelter, Camels Hump, The Long Trail
The Old Montclair Shelter, Camels Hump, The Long Trail

Here’s the gear list that I’m planning to take on my first Long Trail Section hike over the Memorial Day weekend. It comes out to a base weight of 12.5 lbs which is a respectable lightweight load. With water, food, and fuel, I expect my total pack will weigh in at about 20 lbs. for the three day weekend. Later in the summer I should be able to shave off at least another pound.

Backpackoz.
Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus21.5
Gossamer Gear 1/3 NightLight as framesheet1.1
Gossamer Gear Medium Hip Pocket0.7
Mountain Laurel Designs medium pack cover2
Gossamer Gear internal pack liner (lg)1.7
Skunklight skylight – solar powered LED0.6
Mini REI thermometer0.3
Shelter & Sleep System
2 easton stakes0.6
Sea-to-summit 13L waterproof stuff sack1.1
Rei Kilo 20 down sleeping bag28.7
Medium wool socks – sleeping2.6
Patagonia Capilene 1 Bottoms5.8
Patagonia Capilene 1 Crew6
Hennessy Hammock Ultralite Asymm22.7
Hennessy Hammock Tarp8.2
Hennessy Hammock Undershield (optional)9
Hennessy Hammock Overshield (optional)3
Hydration
3 L platypus bladder1.4
3 L platypus bladder1.4
General Ecology First need water filter/purifier15.9
Platytpus hose and camelback bite valve2.1
Kitchen
MLD bear bag system (bag, rope, rock sack, carbiner)3.1
OPSACK odor barrier bag1.1
Outdoor Research Helium stove stuff sack0.5
Snow Peak 700 titanium pot and lid4.2
Snow Peak Gigapower titanium stove in plastic case3.8
Toob Tooth brush/paste (full)1.3
Long handled titanium spoon0.4
MSR pack towel0.7
Head net ditty bag0.5
maps1.3
black polypro glove liners1.2
Mountain Hardware polypro hat0.8
bandana0.8
Outdoor Research windproof balaclava2.3
Extra clothing
Cocoon polarguard pullover vest with helium ditty bag6.4
Mountain Hardware Cohesion Rain Pant10
Navigation0.9
id/cash/coinage/credit/health ins – omniseal ziploc0.9
Suunto a10 compass0.9
digital camera5.8
Brunton led lantern3
Green equinox essential bag0.2
prescriptions/nalgene bottle (5 days)0.5
2-pair macs ear plugs in snack bag0.1
small dental floss0.4
Photon freedom led light with hat clip0.7
Swiss army classic knife0.7
Grey ditty bag (murphy)0.4
Gear repair3.8
First Aid/Emergency Kit4.8
Hygene
small bottle purell hand sanitizer1.4
small bottle dr. bronner0.9
Ben’s 100% DEET1.25
base pack weight in lbs12.5

Since I expect very wet and muddy conditions due to spring snow melt , I’ve decided to switch back to a hammock-based sleep system. Sleeping in a hammock gives you enormous flexibility in picking a campsite below tree-line and raises you above the ground and mud. Furthermore, if it’s raining, as is common on The Long trail, you can cook under your hammock tarp without risking death by carbon monoxide poisoning or by burning your tent down around you. However, one of the greatest benefits of late spring and summer camping in a hammock is weight reduction because it eliminates the need to carry a tent and a sleeping pad. Leaving these components behind can shave 2-5 pounds off of a lightweight camper’s base pack weight.

Since nighttime temperatures on the southern half of the Long Trail can still reach the mid-forties in May, I have augmented my hammock with a little extra insulation using the Hennessy Hammock undershield and overshield system extensions. These provide an extra nylon layer above and below the Hennessey Hammock that reduce some of the wind-driven evaporative cooling that occurs when you are sleeping in a regular Hennessy. When night-time temperatures in Vermont warm up, I will be able to shed tthese extra layers saving another 12 oz. If my back is still cold, I can also use the 1/3 of a Nightlight pad that I’m using as a backpack framesheet for extra insulation under my core.

During this first section hike, I will also be testing a new pair of well vented, soft shell, Mountain Hardware Cohesion rain pants that I hope can serve double duty as regular hiking pants during black fly season, when it will be impossible to unzip the bottom half of convertible hikers. If this new pair of pant is not too warm, it might make it possible for me to only carry one pair of pants on Long Trail hikes, where daytime temperatures average in the the 70’s in summer.

2 comments

  1. Thank you for this great gear list! It is really helpful. I’m planning on hiking the long trail starting in the last week of may. Since you’ve now finished this hike, what were the high and low temperatures like, and was there a lot of rainfall? I’m going to use a Western Mountaineering summerlite and I’m hoping it will be warm enough. Maybe I will need to use a liner.

  2. Wow, havent looked at this gear list in a long time. myhike was going on four years ago now. you will love it. it rained fifty percent of the time. temps ranged from the forties to the eighties. I switched to a five ounce tarp by the end of my hike because I got hooked on staying in shelters. they have four sides and doors on the LT proper. You will be fine with a summerlite plus your rain gear if you get cold.

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