Well, had a good rain, so we did a four miler with packs and rain gear to see how it did.
Happy in our Mark 1 rain skirts
The rain skirts worked like a charm. Ok, we are using “real” ones (not the Mark 1 in the picture), so they are incredibly light, breath well, and do well.
We have a set of very lightweight, but very waterproof, gaiters for each of us. Those did very well too. No water got into my 110 GTXs from the top, Happy’s feet stayed dry too. The skirt/gaiter combination worked much better than rain pants for us, and was much, much lighter than the Mark 1 DIY.
Now, Outdoor Research and Youngone and Moosejaw are now kind of WalMart brands, just like Patagonia. However, that has not reduced the price.
On the other hand, both the Helium II Happy had and my Helium Hybrid wetted out very quickly. Hers went back to REI.
I made the mistake of not getting mine from REI. So for mine I’m going to use Nikwax and try to renew the DWR. It appears to be a known issue that some of them need renewed before their first rainfall (e.g. mine, first serious use was when it failed me), but renewal seems to fix that. Happy got her money refunded and then bought a Goretex replacement.
We will do another stress test, or I may just do a stand in the shower test. 🙂
Heck, I’m going to do the five minutes in the shower thing.
I’ll report on that next.
But I want a jacket that will keep me dry in cold rain. For warm rain/warm weather I don’t really care, I’ve friends who hike wet.
And, I’ve friends who do the Continental Divide with afternoon sleet in just a rain jacket and shorts and let their legs get wet. A lot of people are comfortable with that.
More thoughts and reports when I know more and have better data.
Marmot Precip Link (I’m thinking of possibly switching if my Helium Hybrid doesn’t get more waterproof):Â (the most popular jacket on the AT)Â https://sectionhiker.com/marmo…
Sadly the DWR treatment didn’t work and the company basically told me I was SOL.
Happy’s Black Diamond worked like a champ in terrible weather and is still going strong now.
Funny. At this point I was playing with the idea but not planning on hiking in my heart of hearts. I still planned to work until I was 67 or 69 and then retire and maybe hike.
d20 on the West Virginia border while section hiking
We have tried various types of pre-hike conditioning for our section hikes.
Weights. Walking 4-5 miles a day. Stair climbing (I even knew a guy who went downtown and climbed up the stairs in a skyscraper, then rode the elevator down, then repeated, with a full pack). Martial arts training (the hard kind, where you sweat 3-4 lbs off during a work-out).
Most recently we started carrying full packs for hiking a local 4 mile circuit every evening.
A couple-three things.
I found I like my Northface 110 GTX shoes a lot better when carrying a pack. I tried some Wildcats (too narrow). Some other shoes (too narrow). Haven’t tried the Cascadia 12s yet. But I’m suddenly much happier with the Northface 110. I may very well just stick with them. Â
Within a week, carrying 20lb or so of sandbags in a pack it was much easier to walk with the load. We seemed to condition fairly quick.
My knees felt better with the weight (in fact, I realized I hadn’t had knee pain for some time).
Given how the weather got insufferably warm, we are holding off more hiking with packs, just going on our normal walks. But I feel better about putting off the conditioning given just how fast we started to adjust.
We will start up again in September, a month or so before we do our two week section hike, then in January for our February 15 through hike start (remembering that the “official” through hike definition is what you can do in a 365 day window. Starting at February 15 with fifteen days already in is like getting a February 1 start without the February 1 weather).
I’m comfortable with the conditioning we will be able to do. We may push it up to eight miles a night instead of four, depending on the trails available, etc. But I’m positive about the way we started to adjust.
The couple above were teachers who did half the trail a year over the summer break and who used a trail name that came together to make a word. Copy on the left and Right on the right for Copyright.
At ten miles a day you can start
Springer Mtn Notes Wed, Feb 7 and finish at Katahdin on Saturday August 18.
This kind of plan shows just how manageable the hike is.
My wife and I have done a number of section hikes. Usually we didn’t do much to prepare other than climbing twenty flights of stairs a day
Now she has us walking four miles every night with sandbags in our packs. It is surprising how fast that has gotten easy (just twenty pounds of sandbags but still). Since our base weight (pack/sleeping bag/pad + tent or cooking gear) is under ten pounds, 22 pounds or so to hike with is fair
The funny thing is I like my shoes better when I’m carrying a pack.
I’d forgotten that they feel better with a load. I’ve suddenly lost interest in checking out other shoes. I think I do need a rock plate insert but maybe I don’t.
I’m not sure how much conditioning we are getting, but we would walk the four miles anyway. As we get closer to October we will probably move up to six miles a night
I’m also working on stretching my calves. I just started with deep squats to stretch and they seem to work
Just one more step
//an aside
Our first section hike we planned on ten miles a day. That turned out to be easy for us. We’ve done longer or just stopped early on some hikes. I’m beginning to think that we can do fifteen a day without too much stress. Will see how it goes on October.
Then will see how things go next year. Planning on a hostel or hotel about twice a week. Taking time when the weather is hideous. Our goal is making sure it is pleasant rather than a grind.
Most of what passes for wisdom on rain gear has to do with temperature control rather than keeping dry. As a result, most clothing lists will have a rain jacket or a windshell rather than a rain jacket and a windshell.
Update. I, of course hike a lot in weather where I need actual rain gear and hike with a real rain jacket and a wind shirt.
This reflects the information available to me in 2018 which I consider flawed.
Happy in the mist on trail
That said, there are hikers who hike with umbrellas (attached to their packs — that way they are still free to use their hands and arms to make use of their hiking poles). There are hikers who hike with rain jackets of various types. There are hikers with “packas” and similar things. There are hikers with ponchos.
For me, a poncho just made the most sense. I even carried a couple of them “just in case” on our first section hike. Sure enough, it rained, we ended up using them. I discovered that a poncho and I don’t work well together after a couple of attempts.
So, it made a lot of sense, but a poncho just did not work out for me, in spite of trying different ponchos and approaches.
There are lots of advantages. You can get a poncho that covers you and your pack. Lots of ventilation. And … just didn’t work for me. You can also get rain sleeves to go with your poncho (think of them like gaiters for your arms). They make them of Tyvek and of Nylon and just about every other combination. Every objection has an answer, but if it doesn’t work for you it doesn’t work for you.
Not surprisingly, ponchos are rarer and rarer on trail.
I haven’t tried an umbrella on the trail though I’ve used them outside of the trail. Happy carried one on several trails and always sent hers home.
Umbrellas kind of work like a huge hat. Even better ventilation. They can protect against rain and sun and make backpacking a little cooler when the sun is hot. Lots of people swear by them.
I just didn’t connect with umbrellas.
In the same line as a Poncho is the Packa (a modified poncho with a cult following) and the extra long rain jacket (with a french name) that kind of covers the area of a jacket and a rain skirt.
For your legs, in addition to rain pants, there are rain skirts or kilts. I’ve hiked with two different skirts. I like them better than rain pants sometimes.
I’ve met guys who just transitioned to hiking with their rain skirt and compression shorts. I haven’t gone that far. But that is what I now carry for rain on my section hikes.
For leg protection, lots of people just do without, having either water resistant or waterproof pants or shorts, or just not worrying about getting their legs wet.
Which brings me back to rain jackets.
There are several types.
Water resistant ones. They leak or wet through eventually. Their sole purpose is to keep you warm(er) in the rain. Rather than fight the fight on how to ventilate sweat, they give up the fight and expect you to get wet from both sides. In normal life, you might carry one of those in your car and use it only to dash from the car to somewhere else before it soaked through.
Waterproof ones. These are totally waterproof. The classic yellow rain coat you may have had in grade school would have been one. Often very heavy. Sold to tourists. They trap sweat inside of them.
If you aren’t carrying a load or going very far or very long, they will keep you dry (since you won’t have time or reason to break a sweat). Some come with what are referred to as “pit zips” which is a zipper on the underside of your arm/arm pits that ventilates the jacket by opening it up where the rain isn’t hitting.
Water vapor permeable ones. Like goretex. In theory, as you sweat the water vapor can exit through the jacket while rain is kept out. Many “water resistant” jackets are variations on gore tex that just don’t work as well as they should. Some have pit zips as well. Others use breathable water resistant fabric where the pit zips go.
You can pair any of these with gaiters (knee high or ankle high) to cover the parts of your legs that stick out of a rain kilt — or with rain pants.
What works for you is something you probably need to experiment with.
Most backpackers are happy with their rain gear, and the bottom line is “cost is probably the most important criteria behind the purchase decision” (see below, link and copy of some of the statistics).
Light and cheap is possible for at least one item of gear selection and light, cheap and satisfied is possible.
For me that translated to a rain jacket and a rain kilt (instead of rain pants). Of the various jackets, I liked the https://www.rei.com/product/11… best.
I also use a Tilley Hat for sun protection (I burn easily) and I hike with the knowledge that when it is cold, the rain jacket also works as a windshell. I accept that I am probably going to sweat and probably going to get wet (which is why a dry base layer, used only to sleep in, is important).
Anyway, over several years, that is my thinking as to rain gear.
For a long article, with an excerpt below, follow the link.
The most popular rain jacket purchased by the backpackers we surveyed is the Marmot Precip Jacket, perhaps the best known waterproof/breathable outdoor recreation jacket ever made. An astonishing 28.8% of our survey respondents own this rain jacket, far more than any other, as shown in the table below. Rain Jacket
Brand %tage of hikers using This jacket Price Satisfaction 1-5
Knowing backpackers, it’s incredible that so many would share such a strong consensus about these three items.
Second, none of the top 10 rain jackets are made with a Gore-tex or eVent waterproof/breathable membrane. It would seem that having a Gore-tex or eVent membrane is unimportant to most backpackers when purchasing a rain jacket. That’s an eye opener.
Third, the backpackers who own these jackets are fairly satisfied with them (on a scale of 1-5, where 5 is the highest level of satisfaction,) but most of the ratings fall between 3 and 4, not approaching a 5.
If you were reading customer reviews on an online retailer’s web site, I doubt these ratings would have a big impact on your decision-making for or against a product. This tells me that cost is probably the most important criteria behind the purchase decision to buy one of these jackets, not performance or features. We see further evidence of this below.
By cross-referencing people’s gear with what items they said they would upgrade (and by reading through the gear comments), I tried to get an idea of the LEAST LIKED gear out on the trail.
Here’s what I came up with.
NOTE: an appearance here does not necessarily mean that this gear was not liked by other hikers.
LEAST LIKED BACKPACKS: Osprey Atmos AG 65, ULA Circuit
LEAST LIKED SLEEPING BAGS: ZPacks 20°, Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20, REI Igneo
LEAST LIKED SHELTER: MSR Hubba NX 1, Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1
LEAST LIKED SLEEPING PAD: Therm-a-Rest Z Lite SOL
LEAST LIKED WATER TREATMENT: Sawyer MINI
And here are a few more stats I managed to harvest from the data mound:
62% of hikers who would upgrade their WATER TREATMENT were using a Sawyer MINI. (I tell people that friends don’t let friends use a Sawyer Mini)
33% of hikers who would upgrade their SLEEPING PAD were using a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol.
33% of hikers who would upgrade their SLEEPING BAG were using a ZPacks or Enlightened Equipment bag.
52% of hikers who would upgrade their SLEEPING BAG were using a bag with a temperature rating of 19°F (-7.2°C) or higher.
Note: the most popular tent on trail in 2025 wasn’t sold in 2018
Ghost and Copper Spur.
My first tent for the AT was none. 🙂
We did a four day inn-to-inn segment. We drove to the trail head we were going to hike. Then we caught a shuttle south. Hiked north to our hotel reservation. Spent the night, then got up and hiked to the next hotel.
On day two we did our ten miles and got to our reservations before lunch. We would have kept going except we had reservations where we were and none were available anywhere else.
The next day, we got up in the mist and hiked in the rain to the next hotel. The last day we hiked to the trail head, picked up our rental, and drove to a hotel (after a good solid meal). In four days I lost ten pounds on that trip.
Happy hiking in the mist.
I then spotted a half dome at an REI garage sale. For about twenty-five dollars it seemed like a great deal. A little heavy, but split between the two of us, surely it wouldn’t be that bad. [spoiler warning — every time you look at some thing heavy and think, it won’t be that bad — it is that bad].
The next trip was mostly in shelters, with a night in the tent (and the poles broke — we replaced them later). I realized it was too heavy. So I picked up a tent from Mytrailco. https://mytrailco.com/collecti…
It only weighed about two and a half pounds. Semi-freestanding. It was a tight 28 square feet, and it doesn’t ventilate as well as some tents. Lots of people use tents like that (including single wall tarp-tents) and just use a microfiber small towel or wash cloth and rub the moisture off.
The cheapest place to get a microfiber small towel or wash cloth is a dollar store or grocery store where they are about a dollar or less. At outdoor stores they get closer to $20 and not any better.
That tent got returned, some people love it, but it didn’t fit us just right. Note. The company then went out of business.
Then Happy bought me a tent for a father’s day surprise. https://www.mountainhardwear.c… (note that it is often available for under $300.00 — do not pay full price or even close to that).
A lot of positives, even if it really is only semi-freestanding. Here is a review of the smaller UL2 version of the same tent.
We only used it a couple of times. Once on the trail. Once in the back yard with cold weather to test some gear. Nothing like a stiff breeze blowing through your tent at around 32 degrees to decide that perhaps it ventilates too well.
I was able to resell it on Geartrade.com.
We finally went with the new Big Agnes Copper Spur.
It is freestanding, which at the end of the day makes setting it up just a little easier.
It has near vertical sides, the new design makes for vastly improved interior space and height with dual side entries.
It is large enough for the two of us (remembering that about 1/8 of all hiking couples use a one person tent — they are smaller than us, 1/2 of all single hikers use a two person tent and a substantial number of couples use a three person tent). For us it is a good size.
It ventilates well (but is adjustable to ventilate less). Better than the Tiger Wall. But it can have the ventilation reduced and is easily adjustable.
It is just a little more substantial than some alternatives (e.g. the Copper Spur Platinum which has a number of reports of rain coming through the fabric; others that felt just a little too fragile).
It helps that we don’t do much in a tent except crawl in and sleep. With rain we tend to get up and get moving rather than try to wait it out. No cooking in the tent (which is a bad idea anyway). No eating in the tent.
The picture with this post is of the Ghost UL3 and the Copper Spur UL2 set up side by side in the back yard.
The Ghost is 39 square feet vs. the CS (Copper Spur gets abbreviated as CS a lot) at 29 square feet. 2.99 lbs (as actually weighed as we packed it) vs. 2 lbs 12 ounces. I have to admit that when I sold the UL3, I substituted titanium stakes (which was a selling point some buyers liked) for the original ones, which I kept.
The folded aluminum stakes are stronger and lighter than solid pegs and I’ve been pleased with them.
I have not been able to find anything like the original Ghost tent stakes for sale. I use a combination of those and titanium stakes for my polycro rain fly and vestibules, etc. and in staking out the Copper Spur to keep it from blowing away when in use.
The bottom line is that the original backpack and tent I had weighed over ten pounds together. I originally also used a Noah’s Tarp which added almost another three pounds. Now the tent and backpack together weigh about five pounds, the tarp I use adds an ounce or so.
Big improvement from about fifteen pounds to about five pounds.
One great thing about doing a number of section hikes over a number of years is the chance to explore gear.
Shoes
I started with cross-trainers. I have walked and hiked with hard court tennis shoes and then the related cross trainer styles for years. After that I picked up some Vasques at an REI garage sale that I really liked (the ones I had have been discontinued). They wore out.
I tried some New Balance 400s. Nothing breathes like them. The last is defective and the support disappears within a hundred miles or so of use (they’ve been discontinued too). Which I discovered when I started to get foot pain from them.
I tried basketball shoes (the curved “rocker” bottom style threw my knees out).
Since I had some great luck with NB cross trainers I tried some more various New Balance Trail Runners (had bad luck with them. I’d advise being very careful of the lower end New Balance shoes. A number of the lines do not hate good quality control and the quality and fit and characteristics vary between which factory made them. Each factory makes one color.
Other shoes have issues with the rock plates (which can cause trouble if you are carrying a load, it is like walking on a hinge — thank goodness I tested them out with a backpack filled with sandbags at REI for that set of shoes).
The higher end New Balance shoes are usually fine. That is when quality control and everything else kicks in. I’ve got a pair I do some walking in. I think the cushioning is just a little light, but I like them. But New Balance has flooded just about every niche. It makes it impossible to get a good handle on what they offer. To quote from https://www.solereview.com/bes…
“But it does have a problem – that of differentiation within its performance running catalog. There are too many New Balance models with shared ride characteristics, thanks to the lack of a distinct tiering strategy.Let’s take the Vazee line for instance. What’s the difference between the Vazee Pace, Coast, Rush and the Prism? And who should buy the Vazee Pace instead of the Zante?
Also, the ‘Fresh Foam’ platform is quite ordinary. Unlike Saucony’s Everun or the adidas Boost, the New Balance Fresh Foam is regular EVA foam. So it becomes hard to differentiate a Boracay (980) from a 1080 in functional terms except for the lower heel offset.
Today, the product nomenclature is also confusing. Old timers are familiar with New Balance’s numbering system which classified shoes by their intended use.”
I tried Altras (they threw my knees out — though they were invented to solve certain knee problems, they can cause others). On the other hand, other than almost crippling me, they were the most comfortable shoes I’ve used. The issue is the zero drop style. Zero drop (which means that the heels are the same height as the toes on the shoe) doesn’t work well for me.
I bought and used Salomons. They are just a little too narrow for my feet so that I ended up with sore feet all the time. If they fit you they are great and a lot of people love the comfort. There is a reason they are well loved and in the top shoes worn on the trial.
I have gone through two pairs of North Face 110s. I’m planning on trying some other shoes.
I hiked in these. Quality control went out the window at the end of the production run. I haven’t been back.
Cascadia 13 Brooks is ever changing. Not much in the way of reviews. Ratings compare it to the Wildcat as not quite as good. Which got me looking at the Wildcats.
Interestingly enough, while there is a complete subsection of backpacking or “hiking shoes” — and while that is what people are doing on the trail (they are backpacking or hiking), it seems that instead everyone wears trail runners instead.
Trail runners just seem to work better for most people, which got my attention as I started noticing the attempts to market shoes for backpackers to fit the niche that trail runners have created.
One of the first pairs of walking shoes I actually put on were New Balance, and had a rocker action to them. I could find no reviews, had a bad experience with rocker action in high end basketball shoes, and did not want to learn a new way of walking and hiking as a pioneer.
I also tried out some North Face Hedgehogs. They are trying to market those to backpackers. Their 110 trail runner is a better shoe for me (and for most reviewers).
As far as I can tell, there is something that the shoe designers are missing about how the shoes actually function.
I’m curious to find out what I actually settle on for a final shoe.
d20 & Happy
Afterword: in 2025 I’m using Topos—a shoe not available in 2018 at the outlets I had.
Something that fascinated me when reading through hikers and their finishing gear lists was that many of them had backpacks that they finished with that were heavier than the ones that they started with
The backpackers who switched from an Exos to an Atmos are the largest group, others had other switches, and most people who finished had light backpacks.
The truth is, just like shoes, backpacks have to fit your body.
In addition, backpacks have to fit the use you are putting them to.
For example, when we first bought backpacks for our first section on the Appalachian Trai, the guy at REI steered us to the award winning Gregory Baltoro 75 (and the woman’s version) which was about five-six pounds at the time.
It carries a heavy load well. It has lots of organization, has a built in day pack, it is sturdy, and is one of the best expedition packs out there.
But.
If you aren’t camping in the snow, if you don’t need the direct access to individual items of gear, if you would rather not carry quite so much weight, it really isn’t the right pack. For the Appalachian Trail it is really, really the wrong back.
d20 & Happy with packs we replaced.
Since we got the Baltero packs at REI, REI took them back. I ended up with an Osprey Exos that fits me very well. I use a very limited number of stuff sacks for organization (a couple ounces instead of a couple pounds for organization).
I even currently have the “brain” (the top compartment/lid) off as it reduces the weight a little.
My wife tried an Exos, it didn’t fit her well. She has a different pack now. One that fits her just right and weighs a lot less than her first pack.
But it took three trips to get the right pack for her and to make sure it was the right pack. BTW, she liked the Exos pack cover, so she kept that for use in the rain (and there is going to be a lot of rain on the AT).
I’ve run across a lot of packs on the section hikes we’ve done.
For section hikes we’ve done:
The Inn-to-Inn route in Virginia to Luray.
Then South from the North Georgia border.
Then north from Luray to Harper’s Ferry.
Then north from Harper’s Ferry to Pennsylvania (stopping before the rocks).
I’ve seen just about everything being used in the way of packs.
But there are good reasons for the most popular backpacks and good reasons why the cottage industry packs are still in business and doing well.
I”ve used snow stakes for a trowel. They just don’t cut it unless the ground is soft.
Too many people don’t use a trowel at all, they claim that they can make it work with just a hiking pole and kicking the duff (the ground cover). When they do that unless the situation is perfect, what the do is leave poop way too close to the surface. You can smell it when someone has done that.
As far as trowels go there is the classic plastic trowel. I haven’t used it. There is the Deuce of Spades. Excellent, light, aluminum, in lots of colors. I liked mine, it is just a little short. There are some titanium trowels. I picked one up from Massdrop with a credit I had. Narrower and longer than the Deuce. For most of the situations I’ve encountered, digging deeper, but not quite as much (the narrow vs. wide) is better. Not sure I would have picked it up if it were not free.
(As of 2025 I’m still using the titanium trowel and Happy6 still uses her Deuce of Spades).
Hat & Buff
I use a Tilley Hat. I had something very similar that I lost. The wide brim provides me with protection from rain and from sunburn when hiking (I burn much too easily) and covers my ears and neck. Many hikers will do just as well with a cap or a cap and sunscreen.
Tilley Hat is a category (mine happens to be that brand, but the one that disappeared was not). Pricing can be from under $20.00 (which is what I’m willing to pay) to way too much. https://www.amazon.com/Tilley-… Often out there used as well.
Buffs vary in price, weight and color. Pick one you like and that is the lowest price the week you buy it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009… is what I got, lower price when I bought it. I have a lightweight one for warmer weather and a heavy fleece/snow skiing one for cold, cold weather. Wool will keep you warm when wet, dries out easily, doesn’t pick up smells.
Bug screen. I need to pick one up some time.
(I’ve changed hats. Buffs are buffs).
Water
I use a three liter reservoir and it hangs in a water proof separator in my pack. I use a mouthpiece so I can drink as I walk. I’ve tried water bottles (and lots of people use Gatorade bottles and fruit juice bottles work really well — lighter and better shaped than Gatorade), but the platypus system works well for me. I can carry enough water when there is drought, it is easy to get to and drink through the day, and I can add electrolyte powder to it easily.
I’ve seen people hiking with as little as a single one liter bottle. You can tell people who are “signaling” status who list a Nalgene bottle as part of their equipment. The weight/price/etc. on them just doesn’t justify it. Compare the Nalgene to a Welch’s Cranberry Juice bottle emptied out (weight, price, etc.). https://www.amazon.com/Bike-Mi…
(And now I use Core and Smartwater bottles).
First Aid and Cooking
My wife (a CRNA) carries the first aid kit — basically a tick removal tool. We also both carry a little bit of cleanser (hand sanitizer) and biodegradable wet wipes, our own tooth brushes, tooth paste (dehydrated pellets), tenacious tape.
For cooking we’ve tried a lot of systems and alternatives. The basic choices are a canister system where it all fits together (like the MSR Windburner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y… which has an available 1.7 liter pot) and a pocket rocket and titanium pot. We’ve used both. The MSR uses less fuel, boils water faster, etc. (there are also alcohol stoves made out of cat food cans.
One of the pioneers for those never carries one on a trip longer than three days because the fuel weight at that point makes them heavier than a canister attached to rocket. That is both a brand and a category (and often under $20.00 as well). https://www.amazon.com/MSR-Poc…
(And I’ve changed that).
Sunglasses
I wear contacts. I hike with glasses that also serve as sunglasses. I’ve hiked in contacts and sunglasses. Just the glasses are lighter.
(Cataract surgery changed everything.)(note bifocals ruin your view of the trail and put it out of focus).
Headlamp
At night I use a Black Diamond headlamp. There are scores of headlamps available. Price and weight and features should be your guide, especially as just about everything ends up on sale in the $10.00 range rather than the full price.
Wool Gear (price first always).
Make sure they are really wool (watch out for wool cotton blends masquerading as wool) and that you like the type of neck (v-neck, quarter zip, round neck, don’t care).
Superlightweight quilt for cool weather camping/puffy use in camp (I would not use it for a puffy, not bad for weather that is around 50 degrees at night, I like it for that). https://www.amazon.com/Wearabl…
Capilene (an alternative) — watch for sales to drive the price down by 50% or more. https://www.amazon.com/Patagon… Also. Be aware that Silkweight is the milspec Capilene.
Wool alternative bottoms — again, it is so very, very easy to pay way too much. Look around and find the same thing cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/Minus33…
I’ll do a complete gear list at some point.
Hiking poles
After all is said and done, aluminum hiking poles (or how I fell, and will stick with Aluminum for a while).
(Note that manufacturing processes had aluminum and carbon at similar weights for a long time).
