My thru-hiking gear recommendations
A friend asked me what gear I'd recommend for a thru-hike, so I wrote it
up. These are the four items that matter most — what I used, what I'd
buy if I were starting over, and the small things I wish someone had
told me up front.
Backpack — Hyperlite Southwest 70L
I used a Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 70L
and it was fine, but if I were buying again I'd go with the Hyperlite
Southwest 70L instead.
Tent — Zpacks Duplex
Buy: Zpacks Duplex
I loved the Duplex and would buy it again without thinking. A few notes:
- Get the Freestanding Flex Kit. It's expensive, but worth it.
- Get the Zpacks Tyvek groundsheet. It keeps the tent clean and dry and dramatically extends its life. Important: cut it so the entire sheet fits under the tent footprint. If any Tyvek sticks out past the edges, rain pools on it and runs underneath you.
- Buy a few rolls of repair tape with your initial order. You'll want it eventually, and you'll save the shipping cost.
Water filter — Platypus QuickDraw
Buy: Platypus QuickDraw
I tried both and liked the Platypus much more than the Sawyer.