Black Mountain Crest Trail Prep
Well I began prepping for my treck on the black mountain crest trail this evening. I got everything I will take to eat, and packed it all up in zip locks, and I sorted through all my gear. I am trying to keep my pack as light as possible, but I will be doing part of my trip solo, so I also need to be prepaired.
Basically the plan for this trip is that I will drive out to Mount Mitchell Wednesday evening. I will camp out or sleep in my car Wednesday night, and Thursday morning get an early start. There are two sixers just south of Mitchell called Mount Hallback and Mount Gibbes. Thursday morning I intend to hike Hallback and Gibbes, and end up back at the top of Mitchell.
I will then saddle up and start up the Crest Trail, going at least as far as deep gap where I will set up camp and stay overnight. Friday morning I will then finish out the crest trail and meet Kevin and maybe Paul at Bowlens Creek. We will then drive around to the black mountain camp grounds or therabouts, and camp over Friday night. Then Saturday morning we will climb Mount Mitchell via the Mount Mitchell Trail. My car will be waiting at the top of Mitchell to take us back to their car, and we will all head out to some restaurant for dinner before we head home. Thats the plan anyway, and I will be sure to tell how everything works out.
So packing my gear I need to be prepaired for two days and nights solo backpacking. If I dont pay attention to weight then I could easily have a pack that is well over 40 pounds. However in packing I have been very picky, and I have been leaving things like half of my dishes, half of my utensils (I just have a spoon now), and as few extra things as possible. My end result is that my bag, without food and water, only weighs 21 pounds. With food for two days it weighs 26 pounds. With food and 3 liters of water it comes in at around 35 pounds. This was better then I expected and it was exciting to see my efforts to cut weight pay off.
For my future reference here is my gear list:
Top pocket: Headlamp and handheld LED flashlights, map, compass, gps (w/ two extra batteries), knife, spoon, duck tape, matches, NT, camera, first aid stuff, pipe, TP and spade, and deet.
Front pocket: water filter, stove and gas, pot and pan.
Side pockets: one liter water bottle on each side.
Main compartment: sleeping bag, pad, tent, poncho and pack cover, camp saw, clothes, food, bear bag and rope, and one liter of water.
And thats about it. If anyone sees anything that I should have but dont have listed above maybe you can post a comment and let me know. I also can always use advice on how to make my pack lighter and more useful. Finally, if anyone has any experience in the Mount Mitchell area and has any advice please let me know, and any stories are welcome.
Warren Said,
August 8, 2006 @ 15:25
Brad – mightn’t make a bit mroe sense to not take food that has to be cooked? I mean, if you can pack up a bunch of ‘cold’ items, you can dump the stove and pans.
bradlands Said,
August 8, 2006 @ 23:08
You very well could, but backpacking isnt about surviving with as little as possible. Backpacking is about maximizing enjoyment and accomplishment while minimizing size and weight, by thinking about what is essential for accomplishing the levels of enjoyment and accomplishment desired.
I mean if I wanted I could just go out there for three days with a walking stick, some water, and the clothes on my back. That is basically what outward bound does. They figure you dont need to eat, you dont need a tent, you dont need a sleeping bag, not to mention the pipe, camera, etc. but all those things are what makes backpacking as enjoyable as it is.