SGT Rock's Hiking H.Q. - Standard Packing List

Packing List

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Last Updated: 29-Jan-2010

In case you are interested in my current packing list. I've added in some weight since my thru-hike attempt in 2008. Mostly for luxury items, but a few items have been added to fix some minor issues I was unhappy with during the hike.

Item:

Weight:

Number:

Total:

Summer Clothing (50°F and up) - these clothes are always in my pack. They add a little comfort when the occasional summer cool spot hits or as dry replacements for part of my base I wear (listed below).

Buff - I added this on my thru-hike after getting frostbite on my ears. I was too warm for a real hat. I just needed some light insulation and wind protection for my ears and face.

1.31

Wal-Mart ankle high running socks. They are light weight with some padding for comfort, and they dry pretty fast.

1.48

Wal-Mart microfiber underwear. Dry well and prevent thigh chafe. Going commando has never worked for me.

2.05

Total

4.84

Rain Gear - I always carry these articles because in a surprise cool snap in summer it gives me something to wear in camp. I've seen high 30's in the Appalachian Mountains in July before.

Packa rain jacket/pack cover. One of my favorite pieces of equipment. It is waterproof, but the design breathes like a poncho while having the protection and for fitting of a rain jacket. You can also take this off or put it on easily without stopping and taking off your pack when the weather is on the boderline.

10.39

Frogg Togg Pants. Light rain pants that also serve as my wind break layer. Not much else to add.

7.95

Rocky Socks. I add these only when the weather is cold and wet, otherwise I hike in just my socks - these things can be too warm at times. Sometimes I wear these around camp as slippers.

3.39

OR Gor-Tex rain mittens. Add over wool gloves when hiking in the wet cold.

1.20

Total

22.93

Spring/Fall Clothing (30 to 50 degrees) - When the forecast for my hike looks like it can get into the 30's I add this layer to my pack. It is my insulation base layer.

REI PowerStretch Top. Good, light base layer for my top.

9.19

Arc'Teryx Rho Pants. Good, light base layer for my legs.

8.06

Army surplus wool gloves. I've tried many polypro gloves and liners, but I keep coming back to these.

2.23

Wigwam Wool Socks. I rarely ever walk in these. They are my warm socks I put on when reaching camp.

2.54

Granite Gear Stuff Sack. When I start hiking spring, fall, and winter I need an extra bag to carry the clothing in.

0.99

*Knit cap - Army. I've tried other fleece hats, but I keep coming back to this one.

2.23

Total

25.23

Winter Clothing (0 to 30 degrees) - If the forecast for my hike is going to be below the 30F level, I add my puffy layer to stay warm in camp. I rarely ever hike in this stuff.

Western Mountaineering Down Jacket. I like the loft vs. weight, but I'm still not convinced I like this better than my good old field jacket liner.

12.61

Army Field Pants liners Tough rip-stop nylon shell is quilted with polyester fiber batting interior for warmth. Same thing as the Army Field Jacket Liner. I don't need the pants as often as I need the jacket.

8.02

Polartec P300 Mittens. Lightweight warm mittens for wearing in camp when it is really cold.

1.80

Wigwam heavy wool socks to use in cold weather. At this level, I only wear the socks in camp. When I walk my feet stay warm enough.

2.61

Polypropylene head gaiter a fabric tube that can be made into a hat, balaclava, neck warmer, etc. Combine this with my wool camp to form a balaclava when I need it in really cold weather.

1.98

Total

27.03

Kitchen - these items make up my kitchen. I love to eat hot food and have been known to cook three hot meals a day, especially in winter.

Plastic Spoon. The only utensil a hiker really needs.

0.39

Evernew 0.9L titanium pot. The perfect size for me. Cook everything in the pot and eat out of it most of the time. It is also one of the lightest pots around at this size.

4.03

Homemade food bag. I wore out one food bag on my trip. It is about twice the size of one of those Kevlar bear bags.

1.20

Modified Ion Stove with titanium stand. Made from large tea light candles.

0.46

Plumbers cloth Pot Cozy/Windscreen. Combine two parts into one. Mine is a little chewed up after mice got to it in the Smokies.

0.92

Scripto lighter. I like scripto because they don't weigh much and hey have an adjustable flame unlike some Bic lighters these days.

0.64

2+ Liter Platypus. I usually only use this in camp, but there have been days I need to carry extra water.

1.24

10.1 ounce fuel bottle. This 330ml bottle came out of a vending machine for can soda. It fits perfectly inside my pot and leaves room for my stove, stand, windscreen, lighter, and priming tray.

0.74

1.48

Priming plate. It's only really needed in winter. But I seem to always carry it.

0.14

Lemonade jar with homemade cozy. Used for hydrating, mixing, measuring, drinking eating, etc. Multiple uses for a simple and light piece of equipment. My old insulated mug weighed twice as much.

2.05

32 oz water bottle - Gatorade bottle with carabineer. The clip allows me to hang it off my pack or hammock line when I need to. If it gets too nasty I can always buy a new bottle - and it comes with Gatorade inside.

1.98

7oz bottle - oil and milk. I found these bottle to be just the right size and they weigh very little.

0.49

0.98

Plastic bottle for Tabasco. Because you need the heat.

0.49

2 ounce container for cheese. Just an old pill bottle for Parmesan cheese.

0.42

Zip Lock bags (1 gallon). Breakfast, lunch, dinner, condiments, and trash.

0.46

2.30

Steri Pen. Something new I am trying. The jury is still out.

3.53

Total

21.52

Miscellaneous Gear - those odds and ends you need.

First Aid and Repair Kit with spare batteries. Just what you need to fix yourself or your gear up to get into the next town.

5.58

Stuff Sack. A small sack for keeping the knick-nacks in.

0.39

Fire Starter. Vaseline and cotton balls to start a fire when you really need one.

1.17

Thermometer. Tied outside my pack to let me know if I should snivel or not.

0.25

Total

7.39

Electronics - Technology is a bane to my hiking weight. Here is 3/4 of a pound of stuff just so I can have a phone. I started carrying this when pay phones started disappearing.

Waterproof sack. Smalles sil-nylon Sea-to-Summit bag I could find.

0.64

USB Cord. A short pigtail sized USB cable for the charger to plug into the battery box or the Duracell instant charger

0.42

Spare smartphone battery. That way I have a back up if the primary dies in the woods.

0.85

Headphone adapter. Adapts normal headphones into a phone.

0.35

DURACELL DR7000LI Instant Power Charger for USB Compatible Devices

Duracell Instant Charger. A new item to possibly give me a quick recharge in the woods. The jury is still out on this one. I tried something similar on my thru and it didn't work with the Motorola Q.

1.55

110 Charger. Charges from wall AC to USB.

1.77

Battery box for smartphone. This is needed for the Q battery to charge using the wall adapter.

0.85

AA Li batteries for camera. These work good in the cold and they can sit in your pack for years before you need them and still work.

0.99

Motorola Q 9c smartphone. Internet, email, camera, and it even works as a phone. It eats batteries if you leave it on. I tried using it as my camera on my thru but the quality wasn't good and charging was an issue.

4.66

Total

12.08

Hygiene - keep clean and healthy.

1 oz bottle for soap. Just the bottle weight is list here. I use mint soap because mint grows wild in the Appalachian mountains and I've never seen where a bear has been eating mint. That leads me to believe (despite what some web pages tell you) that bears don't associate the smell of mint with food.

0.28

Ultralight pack towel. Actually, only 1/2 of the original towel. You don't need much of one of these. If you want a big towel for showers, then bounce it. Many places will rent you a towel if they have a shower. A small camp towel dries quickly and is all you need.

0.60

Pill bottle - old snuff can. I found this is easier to get my pills out of since I put all pills in the same container. With a normal pill bottle I had to pour them all out and sort through them.

0.35

1/2 kids tooth brush and travel tooth paste (tube weight only listed here).. Make sure you leave it long enough to reach your back teeth.

0.46

Piss bottle. I added a 24 ounce Gatorade bottle last year when it was VERY cold. I didn't want to leave my warm hammock to go. The wide mouth helps make this a little easier. It takes some practice though.

0.35

Zip lock bag (1/2 gallon). For carrying toilet paper in.

0.25

Total

3.43

Navigation and lights - to make your way down the trail without getting lost.

1 Gallon zip lock. This is for keeping my journal, maps, pencil, Sudoku, and guide book in.

0.46

Black Diamond Spot with Li batteries. I took the strap off and replaced it with some elastic and a cord lock.

2.23

Trail journal pages. Steno sized sheets of paper.

0.03

0.62

Pencil. Can't run out of ink in the woods. I put a plastic cap from an ink pen over the tip so it doesn't poke holes in anything.

0.32

Map - average wt. I don't always need a map or maps in my pack, but when I do, I rarely carry more than 2.

1.59

3.18

Guide book. Depends on what trail I'm on as to weight. For the AT I like the AT Guide. Weight listed is for my heaviest guide. The BMT Guide shown only weighs 2.1 ounces.

6.57

Total

13.38

Sleeping Bag/Ruck/Shelter - the big 3 or big 4 depending on how you look at it. Sleeping bag, shelter, pack, and pad.

ULA Circut. I used my Gearskin during my thru. I loved it, but I missed having the ability to pack as I broke up camp. With the Gearskin I pretty much had to totally break camp before I could pack it. I also have fallen in love with the hip belt pockets.

35.23

Trash compactor bag. I carry one of these for my pack liner because I am paranoid about getting my gear wet. I also found it helps to put wet footware inside the bag and sleep with them inside your sleeping bag when the weather is going to dive and your shoes are soaked.

2.30

JRB No Sniveler Quilt. I love this quilt. I carry it in four seasons because it makes a good, light quilt in warm weather, and serves as my underquilt in cold weather. Plus you can wear it in camp when you need an extra layer in cold weather.

21.45

Hennessy Hammock A-Sym tarp w/JRB tie outs. I've found the Hennessy tarp still serves me just fine in wet summer weather. I added the JRB slingshot tie outs to take up slack when the tarp stretches in the rain.

9.43

Granite Gear stuff sack. This bag carries my JRB quilt and clothing in summer, and serves as my quilt bag in the other three seasons.

0.99

Carabineers. I added these to my hammock system just before my thru-hike. They made it easier and faster to set-up and break-down the hammock.

1.03

2.05

Pocket Pad. I carried a double layer of Evazote on my thru. But because I wasn't careful with how I packed it I pretty much killed it. I made a new one and left some space between the layers so they can be stuffed with handy extra insulation when it is needed.

11.20

Hennessy Hyperlight with snake skins. I love my Hennesy hammocks when the weather is going to include bugs.

18.02

Rock/Stake bag I added my 50' of line as the pull cord for this bag - 50' for a little bag? Voila! I now have a combination stake bag and throw bag/cord for my food bag.

2.51

Tree Huggers Hennessy Hammock tree straps. I tie the hammock to the carabineers and then clip the carabineers to the straps.

0.92

1.84

Aluminum stay. I made mine from some scrap aluminum. The jury is still out on the need for it.

1.73

MSR Nail stakes. Very good, light stakes. I started my hike with 4 and somehow ended with 5.

0.32

0.95

Total

107.70

Spring/Fall Hammock - when I expect weather between 30F-50F I change my hammock and tarp and add this stuff to stay comfortable.

Nuntatak Backcountry Blanket. I used a Hungry Howie quilt on my thru. Since I got off, I've been working out and my shoulders got too wide for the HH Quilt. So I switched back to my good old BCB. Since the BCB has a DWR shell I stopped using the top part of the JRB Weathershield.

26.82

Etowah 8'x10' tarp (+ 5.41 over Hennessy Tarp). In three seasons I switch to this large tarp. It offers lots of protected space.

14.84

Home made winter hammock (-6.01 over Hennessy Hyperlight) I got the instructions from Just Jeff's site and built my own top entry hammock for about $12.

12.01

MSR Nail stakes. Very good, light stakes. I started my hike with 4 and somehow ended with 5.

0.32

0.64

JRB Shock cords. Cords used to hold the underquilt and weathershield in place.

0.57

1.13

Total

27.99

Winter Hammock - when I expect weather below the 30's I add this stuff to stay comforatable.

JRB Weathershield bottom. An extra layer of wind/moisture block for the bottom of my hammock.

7.95

Total

7.95

Luxury Items - items that make camping a pleasure.

Flask. Just an old soda bottle for carrying bourbon in.

0.92

Cigar case. I cut down one of these to keep my cigars from getting crushed.

1.13

Book. Normally a Sudoku or crossword puzzle book.

3.75

Total

5.97

Clothing (Worn) -This stuff serves as my base clothing for all hikes - even in winter. Those surprise warm snaps hit even in January down here.

Wal-Mart ankle high running socks. They are light weight with some padding for comfort, and they dry pretty fast.

1.13

Patagonia T-Shirt. Light weigh wicking shirt. That means warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

5.16

Addidas Trail runners. New pair of kicks for my feet. The jury is still out on these.

27.77

Ankle braces with liners. I have injured my ankles multiple times - the worst ones have been in high boots. An ankle injury forced me off the trail in 2008, so I take care not to repeat that again.

4.03

8.06

ID, money, credit cards, and keys. Zip lock style hiker wallet. Keep the cards to a minimum: ID, ATM, insurance, emergency contacts. When I hike a short stretch I also have the car key with me.

2.47

Leki Gear Trekking poles. Working good so far. The take some of the strain off my knees and help when climbing.

9.72

19.43

Duct tape - on trekking poles. Duct tape can repair almost anything and it is good for blisters. You don't need to carry a whole roll though.

2.97

Patagonia nylon shorts. Loose for comfort. They dry well and don't weigh much.

5.23

Wal-Mart microfiber underwear. Dry well and prevent thigh chafe. Going commando has never worked for me.

2.05

Scripto lighter. I like scripto because they don't weigh much and hey have an adjustable flame unlike some Bic lighters these days.

0.64

Lip balm. Cool little lip balm pack for when you get wind burn on your face.

0.21

Leatherman Micra. I've tried smaller and I've tried larger. This is what I always go back to.

1.77

Dog tags. I've had this set for years. They are my good luck charms.

0.99

Ti wedding ring. To keep the hiker babes off me.

0.14

Zip lock bags (1 gallon). One is for the maps and guidebook page, and the other is for my MP3 player and camera.

0.25

0.49

Map. Carried in a zip lock bag in one of my pockets for a quick map/guidebook check.

1.59

Mesh Hat. A brim to keep the sun out of your eyes or to keep the rain off your glasses in wet weather.

2.30

Guide Book pages. Have the one out for the section you are on on the back side of the map in your pocket. That way you can see the map, then flip it over and see the mileage description.

0.07

Glasses with case. Transition glasses so they serve as sunglasses. The case is a microfiber bag so it also serves as a cleaner for the glasses.

0.88

Ultrapod camera tripod. So I can take self pictures when solo backpacking.

1.59

Soap dish camera case. Protects my camera from knocking around. I've added some foam to the inside. It is water resistant, but it goes inside a zip lock for extra protection.

1.34

Kodak Easyshare C160. Runs off AA Li batteries so I don't have to worry about trying to re-charge it when I get into town like I do with my cell.

4.77

Headphones. Serve as my headphones for my MP3 player and for my cell phone when used with the pigtail adapter. (See above).

0.42

Mapdanna. A bandanna and a trail reference in the same piece.

1.66

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Anorak wind shirt. Small, light, easy to put on when I need a wind block. I finally saw the light and got a wind shirt.

3.25

MP3 player/FM radio with Li battery. Stores 2 Gigs of music and runs off Li AAA so I can share batteries with my headlamp if I need to.

1.31

Casio Pathfinder watch. Compass, altimeter, barometer, and it charges off solar energy. You just have to calibrate the altitude whenever you get to a point with a known elevation so it stays as accurate as possible.

2.72

Total

101.24

Consumables - those supplies you use up as you hike so the weight goes down.

Days

Oz per day

Total

Olive Oil

1.5

5.8

Milk Powder

0.78

3.12

Dr Bronners Mint Soap

0.09

0.71

Toilet paper

0.16

1.26

Meds

0.01

0.14

Cigars

0.57

3.42

Toothpaste

0.03

0.75

Parmesan cheese

0.35

1.41

Food

38.90

155.60

Water @ 1.04 ounces per fluid ounce

33.28

Drinking alcohol

3.00

16.70

Alcohol @ .82 ounces per fluid ounce

7.3

1.5

8.70

Total

230.9

	Oz	Pounds
1. CLOTHING	4.84	0.30
2. RAIN GEAR	22.93	1.43
3. SPRING/FALL CLOTHING	25.23	1.58
4. WINTER CLOTHING	27.03	1.69
5. KITCHEN	21.52	1.34
6. MISC	7.39	0.52
7. ELECTRONICS	12.08	0.76
8. HYGIENE	3.43	0.21
9. NAVIGATION/LIGHT	13.38	0.84
10. SLEEPING BAG/RUCK	107.70	6.73
11. SPRING/FALL HAMMOCK	27.99	1.75
12. WINTER HAMMOCK	7.95	0.50
10. LUXURY	5.97	0.37
11. FOOD	230.9	14.39
TOTAL (summer)	430.4	26.90
TOTAL (spring/fall)	483.6	30.23
TOTAL (winter)	518.6	32.41

TOTAL (- food & water)	200.2	12.51
TOTAL (spring/fall - food & water)	253.4	15.84
TOTAL (winter - food & water)	288.4	18.03

12. CLOTHING (WORN)	101.2	6.33
GRAND TOTAL (summer)	531.6	33.23
GRAND TOTAL (spring/fall)	584.9	36.55
GRAND TOTAL (winter)	619.8	38.74