Last Minute GEAR

As all thru-hikers know: we're all gear sluts.  Fortunately, on last year's big thru-hike I learned a lot from talking to other thru-hikers about gear and from my own personal blunders.  This is the first trip where I'll be totally ultralight.

My sleeping gear:

• Mountain Hardware 20 degree sleeping bag
• Hennessy Ultralight Jungle Hammock*
• Ultralight Thermarest**

* Its awesome!  Its kind of a pain to set up but I know I'll get to be a pro after a week or so of continually using it.  It also doubles as a tent and bivy sack according to the situation.  Keeps you off the ground and dry in the rain.

** I'm bringing this because I found that the hammock doesn't retain heat very well from the bottom as your sleeping bag gets crushed against it.  I bought an old 1970s 3/4s thermarest from craigslist for last years trip and have been all about it.  Its stockier than the newer lightweight thermarests which many of my fellow hikers continually had puncture problems with and still doesn't weigh a terrible amount.

Cooking Gear:

• Snow Peak Titanium Trek 700 mug
• Homemade Heineken keg can stove*
• Homemade flashing windscreen

* My brother spent days figuring out the most efficient homemade stove design once we got back from last years trip.  This thing is badass, made from two halves of a Heineken keg can and cut to have support for my mug.  Using the flashing windscreen I was able to bring water to a rolling boil in a few minutes and have plenty of time to cook whatever.

My pack:

• Osprey Exos 58

I saw many other thru-hikers using this pack last year.  Its got a nice balance of features and is ultralight.  I was thinking of going down to a Exos 46 because I have some extra space in my pack, but I'm tired of switching packs around.  I want to develop a close relationship with this one.  I've named it "Exene" after my friend Thad's feisty cat.