Part 4 Preparing for the Arizona Trail

Gear

This is the last post in this series. Gear. What I pack, why I bring some of those items, and how I pack them. I’ve done a few long hikes in the past so I already have everything I need. I don’t need to spend much time researching and saving up to buy new items. Much of my gear will be the same as past hikes with a few items changed out for weight or comfort. On my spreadsheet I have the gear all listed and in general categories. I’ll use those categories to go over the items in this post.

What’s in my Pack

Carrying items

This category covers the items I use to carry everything. My pack will be one of the few big items I change out. My previous pack, a Hyperlite SW, has served me well on the Colorado trail, Kungsleden, and the PCT, but it’s time to try something else. My Hyperlite just doesn’t quite fit as well as I would like. They’re designed with men in mind. The shoulders are kind of wide, even for a size small, and the chest strap is way too wide. I’m hoping a better fitting pack will feel better on my shoulders. I’m going to try the Symbiosis Gear Aspen. It’s designed specifically for women, so I’m hoping it will fix my shoulder problem, or at least not make it worse. The other items in this category include my Thrupack Summit Bum (fanny pack), Nylofume pack liner (to keep everything in my pack dry), water bottle shoulder strap pocket, and a plastic grocery bag for shopping in towns. This last item was especially useful in CA where bags cost a good bit and I’m not wasting as much plastic just trying to get my groceries to a place where I can organize my food.

Sleep system/Shelter

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for recovery which is important to be able to keep hiking. Only one item will be changed out in this category and that is my quilt. Usually I use a Katabatic flex 15 degree quilt. I love that quilt. It’s super warm and comfy, but I’ll be headed into AZ during an abnormally hot spring. The odds of the temps getting low enough to need a quilt that warm are low. I’ll be bringing a 40 degree Enlightened Equipment quilt. This is a little bit of a risk. The temps could easily be in the 30s, but are more likely to be in the 50s. I also always have extra clothes that I have yet to wear at night as well as my silk sleeping bag liner which can add 5-10 degrees of warmth. I’m hoping between the quilt, liner, and extra clothes, I’ll be warm enough on the cold nights. I still have time to decide to go back to my old quilt if the temps are looking low before I leave or have it shipped out if I need it later. The other items that will help keep me warm are my inflatable Therm-a-rest NeoAir and a ⅛” foam pad to add protection against the extra pokey things in the desert. The remaining items in this category include a small usb-c powered pump for my pad, stuff sack for my quilt, Zpacks Plex Solo tent with stakes, and a ground sheet for my tent which I will be using as my base for cowboy camping when I don’t pitch my tent. 

Clothes in my pack

These are all my spare clothes. I tried to keep the list short and chose only what I will use and need. Clothes are some of the heaviest items and the first place most hikers can drop unnecessary weight. For warmth I have a Ghost Whisperer puffy and a Senchi fleece. I can sleep in both if it gets too chilly. I’ll have backup socks, underwear, bra, and neck gaiter also all for sleeping. The neck gaiter can act as a pillow case on a stuff sack, a hat, or neck warmer; it’s pretty versatile. I typically only used rain pants in the past for warmth. I can count on one hand the amount of times I wore them for rain in the 200+ nights backpacking, so this time I’ll be trying the Body Wrappers dance warm up pants instead. They’re more like a wind pant and will add warmth. I’ll still carry a top layer for rain. This time a poncho/pack cover combo since my pack isn’t made from a waterproof material like my old one. I carry an umbrella (for sun or rain depending on the trail) so I rarely even use a rain jacket. 

Clothes worn

On the top I’ll be wearing a Jolly Gear sun hoodie, cooling neckerchief, sports bra, ball cap, and Ombraz sunglasses. I’ll have my Garmin fenix watch and sun gloves. For my legs, I’ll have ExOfficio underwear and REI shorts. I’m going with the shorts because I often get painful heat rash on the backs of my calves when I wear pants and I expect the extra hot AZ desert will be worse. For the feet are Altra Lone Peaks, Darn Tough socks, and Dirty Girl shoe gaiters. Many people can go without the latter, but I tend to kick my feet against the opposite leg while walking and get lots of debris in my shoes. 

Electronics 

There’s no change in this category from the last hike. In my electronics bag will be a 10,000 mAh Anker charging block, wall plug with 2 usb-c ports and a regular usb, 2 usb-c cords, Garmin watch cord, iPhone, corded headphones (lighter/less fragile/ no batteries), and Nicore headlamp. My mini thermometer and Garmin inReach Mini 2 finish off this category.

Kitchen/Water

Not much change for the food related items. For them I’ll have a dyneema food bag, Toaks 750ml pot, BRS stove, silicone lined spoon, Bic lighter, fuel cannister, and a quarter of a bandana. The only new item is the Alpenflow which is a fuel transfer device that will allow me to scavenge partially empty fuel cans from hiker boxes. 

For the water related items, I’ll be trying some new reusable water bottles. I had one on the PCT but lost it and just went to reusing a single use plastic soda bottle, but that’s not really a good idea to do for every hike. Those bottles aren’t designed for many uses and shed tons of plastic into what you’re drinking. To carry water I’ll use two 1-liter bottles by Igneous gear and Cnoc and a 3 liter water bladder from Cnoc in case I need more for a dry stretch. To clean the water on trail for drinking, I’ll use my trusty Sawyer squeeze filter and if the sources are especially bad (there are a lot of cow ponds I’ll be pulling water from) I will use a secondary cleaning method, Aquatabs, to kill anything the filter misses. The bladder holds dirty water and can attach directly to my Sawyer filter. On the clean end of the filter I have a coupler that screws to my clean-water bottles so I can set up a gravity filter. For electrolyte drinks, I’ll use a mini Nalgene that holds half a liter and will sit in my shoulder strap pocket.

Toilet

I have a Kula cloth I’ll use post peeing in the woods. I don't want to carry out extra toilet paper and drip drying increases the chance of chaffing. I have a Saalt menstrual cup. I don’t like needing to carry and pack out tampons or pads and the cup doesn’t create extra waste. I can just dump the contents into a cat hole, clean it, and am good to go. The Deuce trowel I own will be in my poop kit yet again. Digging a cat hole without a trowel in many environments is way too difficult. I do not believe the people that say they use their trekking pole or a rock to dig a proper 6-8 inch hole. I’ll bring pact bathroom wipes which I like because they are small little pucks that rehydrate easily and allegedly decompose faster than toilet paper, but I’ll be packing them out anyway. It’s best practice to leave nothing out there that didn't go through your body first. Seeing toilet paper “blossoms” on trail is disgusting and I don’t want to be part of the problem. To help my cat hole contents decompose faster, I’ll add a pact tab into the hole. The tab is a mycelium that will break everything down quickly then die off. It is not invasive and won't outcompete local mycelium. Finally, I’ll have sand sanitizer and a small bottle of soap. I don’t typically carry soap, but last year there was so much norovirus all over the AZT. Everyone was getting sick and alcohol hand sanitizer is useless against it. The soap will at least help wash off any viruses if I get to an area where there’s an outbreak. 

Health/Safety/Hygiene

This category covers a lot of the random little items that kind of overlap all 3 topics. I have an extensive first aid kit. I carry more than the typical thru hiker and I have also never needed more than Leukotape, a bandage, and antibiotic ointment, but I don't want to be caught out there if/when I do need it. I’ve taken wilderness first aid enough times to be scared into being prepared and knowing how to use what I have. Mine includes bandages, antibiotic ointment, gauze, tape, super glue, a prescription cream in case of a rash on my hip, Advil, Benadryl, diarrhea meds, and a few other odds and ends carried in a waterproof pouch. A mylar blanket can always be found in any of my packs, even a running vest. This is such a tiny and light item for how useful it can be if things go south. They’re very warm, can be an emergency shelter, and the reflective material is great for signaling rescue aircraft. Repair kits are extremely useful, as you can expect. I have needed to use items from mine in the past, usually the duct tape, sewing supplies, and type A airtight patches for holes in my sleeping pad (how I got the name Porcupine). It also includes zip ties and a spare gasket for my sawyer filter. Other items in this category include, tweezers, nail clipper, tiny jar of salve , sunblock, lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, extra hair tie and hair clips (also doubles as a clip to keep my hood from blowing off), ear plugs (great in hostels or noisy camps), tiny Swiss army knife (the one with a knife, scissors, and file/screwdriver), a small compass, pepper spray, and correct toes (toe spacers Blaze Physio recommended I wear in the evenings to help with my neuroma). 

Other

This is my catch all category for everything else that didn't quite fit in any of the other categories. That doesn't mean it isn't important. As I mentioned, I tried to be very intentional about the gear I chose. First off is my wallet with ID, credit cards, cash, insurance cards, print offs of permits, pen, sharpie, and postage stamps for mailing post cards. I use a pair of Gossamer gear hiking poles for stability and take some burden off my legs and have the bonus of preventing atrophy of the arm muscles. With this being a desert with very little tree cover, an umbrella is a must for me. I’ll bring my Zpacks sun umbrella. I used it in the desert of the PCT and it made a huge difference. I could keep hiking in the heat and be less affected than the others in my group. It was a good 10 degrees cooler under the umbrella than in the sun with just my hood up. It also works great as a rain umbrella which will help prevent the need of a proper rain jacket and rain pants. The only downside is it is difficult to use when it’s very windy. The last little items in this category are Romulus, my squishmallow keychain, and Katarina, my cat shaped coin purse keychain. Romulus is my only guaranteed company while out there and Katarina has a dual purpose of being able to hold things. I picked her up at a Dollar General in Etna, CA on the PCT. She held my bug net. This trail, I’ll keep the Aquatabs there for easy access. The only other item that may go in this category is a small watercolor kit. I haven’t decided yet. On the Colorado Trail, I painted a picture for every day on trail. On the Kungsleden I only used it once and on the PCT I used it twice in 500 miles, so I shipped it home. I was having a much more social hike and wanted to spend time with friends instead of painting. Fewer people hike the AZT, so I could probably make time in the evenings again for it. 

How I pack

Everyone has a different way of packing their pack that works best for them. The main objective is having what you need, where you need for when you need it. For me this means at the bottom of my backpack in my pack liner and in its stuff sack is my quilt, extra clothes, and puffy if it isn't supposed to be cold during the day (only worn during breaks and at camp; I’m way too sweaty to wear it hiking). I won’t need them until I get to camp. On top of that will be the sleeping pad and electronics bag (my repair kit lives in this bag). In that area are also any health/safety/beauty items I don’t need while hiking. Next is typically my tent and first aid kit towards the outside and my foodbag along my back between my shoulders. My fleece, pants, and cookpot will fill the gaps in this area. Along my spine in the pack will be my foam pad. This doubles as a frame for my backpack. I have a bunch of pockets on the outside of my pack. In the big stretchy pocket will be my poop kit, Sawyer squeeze plus bladder, ground sheet, and poncho. I need these items more readily available. In the side pockets are my umbrella when not in use, big water bottles, and bag for trash. On the front, I have my water bottle pocket for my electrolyte bottle and a small pocket on the other shoulder where I’ll keep my compass and buff or sun gloves when not in use. I keep all the small odds and ends in what I call my pouch (fanny pack). Lip balm, sunblock, knife, pepper spray, phone, headphones, teeth cleaning stuff, and sometimes my wallet. My inReach and thermometer usually live on the outside of the pouch.

I’m pretty happy with my current gear list. I could probably pare it down more, but as they say, you pack your fears. I’m too afraid to get rid of some of the items I don’t truly need. I probably won’t need my fleece, the keychains, some of the repair and first aid kit items, extra water bottle, but I don’t want to start without them. Altogether, everything in my packing list is 16.1 pounds. My base weight is around 12.3 pounds. I don't really like base weight as a measurement since it gives an inaccurate depiction of how much weight you’re actually carrying. It’s more used as a flex and for bragging purposes than true utility. Once I add the food (typically 1-2lbs per day) and the water (2.2lbs per liter), I’ll be close to 25 pounds at the start of each leg. I treated all the clothing, quilt, liner, shoes, and pack with permethrin (a longer lasting pretreatment antibug spray) so they’re finishing drying in the basement. Soon it will be time to load up my pack for my flight then repack for trail when I arrive at my hotel in Tucson. I’m excited to get back out there.