It’s a busy day today:  haircut at 8 am, work at 3 pm (last shift until October), and it’s our 37th anniversary today.  Yowzer!

Todays featured equipment: rain gear.

My rain gear includes a SnowPeak Umbrella, Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket, a DIY sil-nylon pack cover, and a DIY sil-nylon rain kilt.  I wore this out in the rain last week and in addition to keeping me reasonably dry, they are light weight, and breathe well.

And here’s what I added today.  Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers:

Yesterday, I bought a tripod for my iPhone.  Don’t worry, it’s small and light.  And, it should help me get more pictures from the trail.

I’m done buying stuff, well almost.  After talking with a good friend I became convinced it would be worth it to get a lighter “bucket”.  This one weighs a third of the old one; I saved almost 2 ounces (57 grams).  I wouldn’t go backpacking without one of these, they save a ton of trips to get water.

Todays featured equipment: first aid kit.

The kit includes: A sil-nylon bag, safety pins, duct tape, Chap Stick, nail clipper, Breathe-rite strips, Dermabond, assorted Band-Aids / butterflies, and moleskin.  Meds include daily prescription meds in individual packets; supplies of Tylenol, Naprosyn, Immodium-AD, Benadryl, and extra thyroid hormone (if I get separated from my bounce box).  Everything fits in the bag except the duct tape and Rx meds.

I mailed my bounce box off today.  It should be in Front Royal waiting for me when I arrive around July 1st.  BTW, I saved $19 on postage by going on line to print a label and pay.

Today’s equipment:  lighting.

I have a Black Diamond headlamp and a REI zipper pull flashlight for backup.  Spare batteries for both are in the bounce box. 

I am a slow walker, but I never walk back. – Abraham Lincoln

FYI – Today’s post was done entirely on my iPhone.

Less than a week; I’m now finalizing equipment and packing.  By the way, my base pack weight is now 17 lbs.  Darn, that’s up 1/2 lb from before.  The difference is that I added a Thermoball Vest in case it gets chilly at night.

Today’s equipment: Trekking Poles.  I have Komperdell carbon fiber poles that I bought on sale from REI Outlet last year.  They already have many miles on them and double as poles for my winter tarp.

One week until I’ll be hiking the A.T. – wow!

I’m done with getting new equipment.  My new rain jacket came yesterday and I’ve switched that out along with getting rid of some extra weight by changing most all containers/organizers to lightweight nylon bags; most are DIY.  I’ll post an update of my new back base weight in a day or two.

Today’s featured equipment is electronics.  I’ll be taking my iPhone 6 and have all sorts of maps and other hiking apps down-loaded.  I know it kinda defeats the purpose of being out in the woods, but I’ve found that on previous backpacking trips I have used electronics extensively.  GPS navigation is awesome, as long as it’s used appropriately.  I’ve been able to find many “short-cuts” using my GPS in the past and have relied on it heavily.  In addition to the iPhone, I have a Sandisk MP3 Player (16 GB of music and audiobooks), a 10,000 mAh Backup Charger, along with a charging adapter and shorty cables.  There are aLokSak Bags to keep stuff dry.  I’ve found hiking with the MP3 player is awesome, as long as there aren’t any rattlesnakes around.  😉