After reaching the halfway point, I wanted to take some time to send out some thank yous, as well as type up a gear review for those that have asked (and patiently waited for)

First of all, I want to thank my family and friends back home for all the support they have provided  since I hit the trail. It means a lot to know that I have that many people back home behind me.

Next, a huge thank you to everyone have met on the trail that provided trail magic. From a resupply of water on a hot day to breakfast, the kindness of people on and around the trail never ceases to amaze me.

Last (but certainly not least), everyone that is following the blog. I have never really done anything like this blog and I really can’t believe how large of a following it took on.

There have been 14,343 views on the blog from 3,041 people, in 31 different countries!

All the comments and words of encouragement I have received have meant a lot and are greatly appreciated. I hope that the blog might inspire an adventure of your own,  even if it is just a trip to a local park.

Now on to the gear review.

Clothing

During the colder weather at the beginning of the trip, I carried more and warmer clothing . Here is the rundown:

Hat: a lightweight smart wool beanie. Actually still have it in my bag today for cooler nights. Being wool, it stayed warm even when wet.

I also had a wool neck gaiter or buff from the Buff! Company.  I loved it consider it to be one of the most vital pieces of cold weather gear I had. It trapped heat from escaping your torso and could also be pulled up to cover your face if it got too cold. With the warmer weather  (kind of) here, I swapped it out for a lightweight Buff. (The light blue one you saw in recent pictures. It protects against UV rays, is treated with insect repellent and works great as a headband, or if its a cool windy day, I can unfold a bit more and cover my ears.

Shirt/jacket: In the colder weather,  I wore a mid weight generic under armor type baselayer. I also carried a merino wool longsleeve shirt if it got really cold and a generic under armor type t shirt.

I also had a light Adidas windbreaker (actually my golf jacket!). That when combined with my base layer, would take me down to around 25 degrees or so.

My puff coat is a down jacket from Outdoor Research. I bought it used on whiteblaze so don’t have too many details on it.  Great for camp at the end of the day.  It is still in my bag and is usually my pillow at night if it isn’t too cold.

Pants/shorts: I started with a pair of convertible Columbia pants. I liked the option to unzip to shorts, but have since sent them home and wear a pair of hiking shorts I found at a Goodwill on the trail.

Rain gear:

I had a pair of Frog Togg rain pants.  They worked ok but were a little delicate. They were wearing down and got finished off when I was blown into a bush in the Grayson Highlands Blizzard  last month.

My rain jacket is also my pack cover.  It is a Packa, and I love it.  It doesn’t get as hot as a regular rain jacket.

Pack

Mystery Ranch Sphinx 65 liter. It is on the heavy side at 5.4 lbs empty. But it is built like a tank and waterproof. I have thrown it around, sat on it and even slept on it one night.  It zips up the back for easy access to everything inside and carries weight very well.  Also, the hip belt pouches are large enough to swallow a smart phone and anything else you want quick access to.

Hammock

Warbonnet Blackbird xl double layer.  It has an integrate mosquito net and a little “shelf ” on the side that you can put things like a headlamp/cell phone for easy access to in the night.

I use a set of whoopie slings to hang it from the trees.  They are very during strong,  lightweight and allow for easy adjustments.

My tarp is a cuben fiber tarp with doors from hammock gear. Super light weight and easy to set up/ break down with the snakeskin.

Sleep system

I currently have an 0 degree under quilt from Warbonnet, the winter wookie. It was great in the cold weather.  It is very simple to set up, just clip it on each side of the hammock,  no adjustments needed and I never had s cold night. I may swap out it for a  inflatable sleeping mat though,  just to have the option to sleep in shelters.

My cold weather sleeping bag was a Marmot Never Summer 0 degree bag.  It was heavy,  but worth every ounce in the cold weather.

I have since switched out for an Enlightened Equipment top quilt, their 30 degree Revelation model.  It is super lightweight (16.5 ounces) and has kept me warm down to the upper 30s

Misc

Treatment: I started with aqua mira drops until the freezing weather went away and now use a Sawyer Squeeze. It works pretty good,  fills a liter in a minute or so.

Headlamp: zebra light. Great little headlamp that only uses one triple A battery.  It has three brightness settings and as the battery dies, it just drops to the next lowest setting instead of turning off.

Battery pack: I have an Anker 10050 battery pack that lets me quick charge up to about 4-5 times. Its always gotten me to town.

Trekking Poles: I have a pair of Pacer Poles. Kind of hard to describe the design,  you really need to look it up on their website. They provide a lot more support than regular trekking poles and kept me on the trail early on,  when I hurt my knee.

Stove: Caldera Keg. Its an alcohol stove made from Pepsi and red bull cans with a pot made from a Fosters beer can. Super light weight, packs into a plastic container that doubles as two cups and gets the job done.
That is most of the items I can think of right now,  if you have any questions or would like to know more,  please do not hesitate to reach out!