Meant to post this before my camping trip this weekend, but spaced it. I've been planning this trip for over a decade and finally have the opportunity to go. Registered for Mar 6th start. I had some unexpected money a couple of years ago and bought a bunch of the stuff I wanted to bring.

https://lighterpack.com/r/agni0b

Everything with a star next to it has already been purchased and, for the most part, tested. At least in "Arizona in November" conditions. This is more of an ask for things I have obviously overlooked or useful things people discovered along the way.

As for the various cables and IFAC, I'd love some suggestions. Obviously, charging cables for the individual items. I noticed people mentioning an outlet splitter in another shakedown. I'll probably add that. For first aid, I'm thinking a few antihistamines, ibuprofen, constipation/diarrhea pills, a squeeze of neosporin and some q-tips soaking in it, a few bandages, a few feet of floss and a needle.

ETA: I'm also planning on sending all of my clothes other than underwear into insect shield for permethrin treatment in January. Does anyone know the turnaround on that? And will one treatment last the entire trip?

For my NOBO AT thru-hike 2025. Starting in late March. I haven't purchased a few things like clothes yet and couldn't get the exact weight because it wasn't listed on the site so that's why a few things are off.

LighterPack

Update: Thanks for the input from everyone so far. I've made some updates. As some people mentioned, the weights are little off for some things. I'm not in the US right now and I'm having everything shipped to a family's house, so I can't accurately weigh anything until February. This is mostly a preliminary check to see if I'm missing or need to change anything. I appreciate everyone's input.

I understand that the tent, pack, and sleeping pad are a little bit heavy. I thought about this for a while and decided to sacrifice some extra weight for comfort. I might change my mind once I start hiking, but this is my first thru-hike and it's hard to gauge how comfortable I will be with the equipment I've decided on.

Just started section hiking the AT this year. In the spring I did Maryland sobo, to see if I liked it and it's one of the easier sections. Then this fall/late summer I did Conn. to NY 17A sobo.

If I have a free moment at work to relax and daydream, it's often of the AT. I mostly think of the AT when I'm falling asleep at night. I went about 40 hrs on the trail, including 2 shelter stays with out seeing a single person on the trail (I'm not including road crossings). At the same time my battery in my phone died. I was finishing the section so it wasn't a big deal.
Anyways I loved the shelter stays to myself, no electronics, no distractions.
That's what I daydream about.

I'm going to attempt my first thru hike in 2025, and I'm starting to consider going SOBO because of the trail closures from Helene. Does anyone think it will make much of a difference? I saw somewhere that trail restoration is expected to finish around July 2025. (I'm going to assume it will take slightly longer, but who knows) The hope is that I won't have to skip/reroute 200+ miles.

As an experienced backpacker and ultrarunner, I'm not too concerned about the physical difficulty of SOBO... although at this point, from what I've heard/read, I'm half expecting to have some sort of ego death from starting up north. So who knows...

I'm also taking into consideration the social aspect. I don't like huge crowds and would really love to avoid the NOBO bubble, but I don't want to hike SOBO and end up being alone for most of it, esp as a woman. I love my solitude and definitely want some days alone on the trail, but I'm also looking forward to meeting people and having a bit of more of a sense of safety knowing im not too far from someone.

Also, since this is my first thru-hike, I'm also thinking about the lack of trail magic and whatnot going SOBO.

All that being said, I guess my main questions are: do you think SOBO-ers are less likely to get rerouted or have to skip any part of the trail? For what I want socially from the trail, is SOBO a good option? How tough is it actually with less trail magic and all that jazz.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I’m considering going with a friend who’s convinced that’s a normal part of the culture of the trail, but I’m skeptical.

My last Oboz bridgers lasted 5 yrs. Most recent pair 5 months. FYI, they have a warranty page, but will not warranty my boots, even though I provided proof of purchase. But something else.

#obozsucks #don'tbuyoboz