5 days till BLAST OFF!

I am really excited about our hike, have I mentioned that?

Erin and I are still planning our hearts out, the boxes we have filled with food are almost ready for labels. Our shopping list is generally filling up with things we plan to eat before we leave; rather then food we plan to eat in California. We are itching to be on the trail.

We plan to soon have a list of locations on the blog that will help anyone who is interested in sending us care packages. And once we get in to Washington we will be eager to see who might surprise us at trail junctions with trail magic. Erin and I weighed our backpacks yesterday and got a rudimentary base-weight, minus a few small things we have already sent south.

Backup   ~ 13.5 lbs.

• Shared gear carried: Stove, cooking pot, tent stakes, SPOT, cellphone, and tent poles.

Kittredge  ~ 15 lbs.

• Shared gear carried: Tent, ground cloth.

We saved a lot of weight thanks to our tent. Tarptent Double Rainbow 2. It weighs about 40 oz.  Link : http://www.tarptent.com/double-rainbow.html

Going on a thru hike is a great opportunity to better understand how every fraction of an ounce adds up to the overall mass you carry on your back. Sadly, I realized that my point and shoot camera weighs over 4 oz. more then Erin's.... But that is the price you pay for waterproof/dust-proof/Kittredge proof electronics. Also, my Search and Rescue approved compass, with attached mirror is pretty heavy. Between the extra weight of my camera and compass I am hauling about a half a pound.

Hikers decide in the packing and planning stage how intensely they want to trim the weight of their gear. I could easily ditch the compass, but I find it is essential. Even if I never find myself in a position to use it, I will continue to carry the compass, it is likely the one item I have taken backpacking that I have rarely used. But it is essential. Many hikers carry smartphones, these tools can accomplish the same purpose as a compass, cellphone, camera, etc. And would in my situation, lighten up my pack.

I am eager to see what changes as we hike north. I'll provide a list when I can updating the gear I keep, and what is sent home.