Long Trail Gear List: Section One

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.

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.