My gear list is pretty conventional, but I think some of the rationale is worth describing.
Shelter: TarpTent Moment DW
It's a pretty small shelter, just big enough to be "roomy" for one person. Advantages are that it is a true double wall, with ample space between the outer and inner tents for ventilation, and it pitches in a minute with two stakes. You unfurl the tent, insert the one pole, plant stakes, and it's up. From my longer camping trips, I've learned to appreciate easy setup/takedown with shelters. It gets old fast day after day, siting a tent with enough clear ground for each stake, repositioning them due to rocks, and tightening guylines. The Moment DW minimizes the fuss.
As a double wall tent, you can pitch the inner or outer tents separately. In the desert, I'll only be carrying the outer tent for rain and as an siesta shelter. North of there, I'll have the inner mesh tent as a bug screen. In fair weather I can pitch the inner tent alone with a clear view of the stars above me, though detaching the inner from the outer tent is a bit of a hassle.
I'm taking two titanium shepherd's hook stakes and two carbon stakes. The shepherd's hooks are easier to insert in dry, rocky soil, while the carbon stakes' thickness holds better in softer soil. I have two extra guylines attached to the tent, so I can use all four stakes in high winds.
Electronics
I figure I'll need enough power for my phone and headlamp to last between zero days, because on each zero day I can recharge everything in a motel. Per my research (Halfway Anywhere 2015 survey, and Yogi's guide), thru-hikers take zeros on average every 8 days, with a longer gap of 14 days for faster hikers. The frequency of zeros decreases through the hike as people adjust to the physical demands. I made a ballpark estimate that 13 days of power will be enough for me. Using a 6,700 mAh battery pack, a 2,850 mAh battery case for my phone (which will be in low power and airplane modes most of the time), and three extra AAA batteries for my headlamp I should have more than enough power. I might send home the extra AAA batteries after the desert as I will no longer be using the headlamp for night hiking. I'm not sure how much I will night hike as I will have a sun umbrella, but past experience has shown that I become miserable in high heat.
Going Lighter
I could spend more to buy lighter gear. This would mean more cuben fiber stuff, higher fill power down quilt, lighter ice axe and bear canister. I'd rather use stuff I already have though because I don't think the expense for optimized thru-hiking specific gear is justified. Compared to my current loadout, I'd have to spend $50-100 per ounce saved. The JMT hiker survey and personal experience suggest a low correlation between pack weight and hiking speed (except for record breakers e.g. Andrew Skurka), with a pound or two not making a large dent in daily mileage, so I'd mostly be spending to gain some subjective upper body comfort. I've found my pack pretty darn comfortable in past trips so I'll risk this. Pre-existing physical fitness seems to be a much larger factor in hiking speed.
I could also leave out some items, sacrificing some comfort in camp for hiking comfort. Going stoveless and ditching the silk sleeping bag liner are alternatives I'll be testing on the trail. I could also use disposable batteries instead of rechargeables, and a titanium cook pot instead of my aluminum one with a heat exchanger. Maximizing energy efficiency appeals to me though so I'll be bearing the extra ounces.
Shelter: TarpTent Moment DW
It's a pretty small shelter, just big enough to be "roomy" for one person. Advantages are that it is a true double wall, with ample space between the outer and inner tents for ventilation, and it pitches in a minute with two stakes. You unfurl the tent, insert the one pole, plant stakes, and it's up. From my longer camping trips, I've learned to appreciate easy setup/takedown with shelters. It gets old fast day after day, siting a tent with enough clear ground for each stake, repositioning them due to rocks, and tightening guylines. The Moment DW minimizes the fuss.
As a double wall tent, you can pitch the inner or outer tents separately. In the desert, I'll only be carrying the outer tent for rain and as an siesta shelter. North of there, I'll have the inner mesh tent as a bug screen. In fair weather I can pitch the inner tent alone with a clear view of the stars above me, though detaching the inner from the outer tent is a bit of a hassle.
I'm taking two titanium shepherd's hook stakes and two carbon stakes. The shepherd's hooks are easier to insert in dry, rocky soil, while the carbon stakes' thickness holds better in softer soil. I have two extra guylines attached to the tent, so I can use all four stakes in high winds.
Electronics
I figure I'll need enough power for my phone and headlamp to last between zero days, because on each zero day I can recharge everything in a motel. Per my research (Halfway Anywhere 2015 survey, and Yogi's guide), thru-hikers take zeros on average every 8 days, with a longer gap of 14 days for faster hikers. The frequency of zeros decreases through the hike as people adjust to the physical demands. I made a ballpark estimate that 13 days of power will be enough for me. Using a 6,700 mAh battery pack, a 2,850 mAh battery case for my phone (which will be in low power and airplane modes most of the time), and three extra AAA batteries for my headlamp I should have more than enough power. I might send home the extra AAA batteries after the desert as I will no longer be using the headlamp for night hiking. I'm not sure how much I will night hike as I will have a sun umbrella, but past experience has shown that I become miserable in high heat.
Going Lighter
I could spend more to buy lighter gear. This would mean more cuben fiber stuff, higher fill power down quilt, lighter ice axe and bear canister. I'd rather use stuff I already have though because I don't think the expense for optimized thru-hiking specific gear is justified. Compared to my current loadout, I'd have to spend $50-100 per ounce saved. The JMT hiker survey and personal experience suggest a low correlation between pack weight and hiking speed (except for record breakers e.g. Andrew Skurka), with a pound or two not making a large dent in daily mileage, so I'd mostly be spending to gain some subjective upper body comfort. I've found my pack pretty darn comfortable in past trips so I'll risk this. Pre-existing physical fitness seems to be a much larger factor in hiking speed.
I could also leave out some items, sacrificing some comfort in camp for hiking comfort. Going stoveless and ditching the silk sleeping bag liner are alternatives I'll be testing on the trail. I could also use disposable batteries instead of rechargeables, and a titanium cook pot instead of my aluminum one with a heat exchanger. Maximizing energy efficiency appeals to me though so I'll be bearing the extra ounces.
