New Veteran, New Hammocker

**Grampy** · 05-11-2013, 17:36

I shall be medically and honorably discharged this month. I have never hammock camped before; but due to my situation I have learned that the light camping options of hammocking behooves me above all others. If I were fully healthy, I would go across the whole country; 'twould behoove me to attempt one part first. I decided upon the Appalachian Trail as it is closest to home.

Thus, my buddy, FireInMyBones, has been helping me prepare some gear. He suggested I join this forum for more input. FireInMyBones recommends I keep the 'base weight' under 15 lbs. So far, I am good. The books weigh the most. I have been attempting to memorize as much of the books as I can in order to downgrade their pages and reduce the burden. So far, the books are the heaviest items I have followed by the beast repellant, hatchet, then the jungle bag.

What are ways in which I can reduce my burden? What recommendations can I get on this or that?

The gear that I have gathered so far:

The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, DoA . . . .edit} downsize pages
U.S. Army Survival, Evasion, and Recovery, DoD . . .edit} downsize pages
10 liter dry bag - Sea to Summit
2 liter dry bag - Sea to Summit
Emergency crank radio - Scorpion
Pocket Profile AT maps – antigravitygear
All-weather notepad, small – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} remove
All-weather logbook, small - DoA
2013 Southbound: The AT Guide, David Miller . . . . .edit} remove or condense
Hatchet and knife “Bullseye” - Smith & Wesson
Sharpening stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . edit} consider
Wood stove - FireFly
Multi-tool – Appalachian Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . edit} consider
Flint
Compass & asthmas – DoA
Button compass
Matches, 2x – NDuR
Cold weather PolyPro top – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} consider \
Cold weather PolyPro bottom – DoA. . . . . . . . . . .edit} consider \
Hot weather PolyPro top – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . edit} consider | Clothing = $$ . . .
Hot weather PolyPro bottom – DoA . . . . . . . . . . .edit} consider |
ACU top – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . edit} consider /
ACU bottom – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} consider /
PT shorts – DoA
Beast repellant
Jungle bag, sleeping – Snugpak
Towel, microfiber – OutGo
Hammock – Grand Trunk
550 cord
Backpack “Catalyst” – ULA Equiplent
EyePro – CSS
Head and neck gear – Seirus
Reusable bandages – ACE
Holy Bible – GOD
3 liter water bladder – Camelbak . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} downsize to Gatorade, side pouches; shoulder straps hold thinner bottles

On Its Way:

Dutch clips – Dutch Gear
Dutch buckles – Dutch Gear
Bug net – Warbonnet
Hammock Tarp w/ stakes - Tad Pole . . . . . . . edit} en route
Cookware, 900ml Ti - Snow Mountain . . . . . . .edit} en route

To Get / Undecided:

Boots – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . edit} consider
Running shoes – DoA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} consider
Socks
Walking poles
Hygiene and poo gear
Duct tape, small
Food container
Water procurement
Carabiners
MOLLE gear and pouches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .edit} probable deletion
Medical supplies / Medicine (90 days or so)
Mat, Pad, Hammock Quilt

**MAD777** · 05-11-2013, 18:12

Welcome! That's quite the list you are in good hands with FireInMyBones.

**gunner76** · 05-11-2013, 18:33

welcome to the madness

just hope you don't plan to carry all that stuff at once.

**Grampy** · 05-11-2013, 19:24

Originally Posted by gunner76

welcome to the madness

just hope you don't plan to carry all that stuff at once.

Even if I stay within my weight goal?

**grannypat** · 05-11-2013, 19:26

Welcome from SC. I suggest you get a kitchen scale with a tare function and start weighing things. Geargrams.com has a spread sheet that will help you organize things.

**Gravity** · 05-11-2013, 19:53

The AT is a well-marked trail with plenty of resupply points along the way, so the chances of getting lost and having to rely on eating the vegetation are very low. So you could easily ditch the first two books, and save yourself the agony.

You also probably won't need the hatchet, big knife (something to spread peanut butter will be enough), emergency radio, sharpening stone, and even the compass.

Water bladders are convenient for day trips, but for multi-day outings many folks just prefer to carry a couple of 32 oz. re-purposed Gatorade bottles.

Whiteblaze.net is a sister forum with a huge amount of info about hiking the AT. You can submit your gear list for critique from folks who have a lot of experience hiking that trail. And they have a hammocking sub-forum as well.

**Gravity** · 05-11-2013, 20:05

You may enjoy reading these books:

- Hiking through, by Stutzman
- The wild bird's song, by Coplen

They are accounts of AT hikes, one northbound and the other southbound. I found both books in my local public library.

**FireInMyBones** · 05-11-2013, 20:15

I agree on not taking the big compass, but having no compass is not a place I'd ever want to find myself.
Having a scale is super helpful for keeping everything in check.
The books are fine for what you want to do, but I mentioned mail drops to you the other day (mailing things to yourself further down the trail so you could have it whe you need it), I recommend using that for yor AT guide. take what you need for the first little while until you get to the first USPS where you have the next section waiting for you.

Several people hardly even use a knife on the AT. However, Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH). If you want to carry something that is most multi-use, I'd take the knife over the hatchet.

**Wanderer4953** · 05-11-2013, 20:30

Welcome from a fellow vet. I'm also planning several long backpacking trips in the near future and personally I am trying to lower my pack weight as much as I can and still be comfortable. I used to carry a lot of items that I rarely used..(a K-Bar that only came out of its sheath for me to sharpen). I've even stopped carrying my canister stove for an alcohol stove that I made myself.

Good luck on your hike