Pack: Hyperlite Unbound 40L (10/10)

I started the trail with the Gossamer Gear Mariposa and I didn’t love it. I switched to the Hyperlite in Marion, VA and I fell in love with it. I think this is the ideal pack for a thru-hike. It is water resistant, super light, comfortable, and has amazing outer pockets. The hip belt pockets, side pockets, bottom pocket, and back pocket make this pack special. 

Bag Liner: Nyloflume (9/10)

I was skeptical if this would hold up for the trail and it did. I used the same nyloflume liner for the whole trail and it kept my gear mostly dry. 

Water Bottle Holder: Chicken Tramper (10/10)

I loved having this right on my shoulder strap. I could easily acces my smart bottle any time during the day. 

Tent: Gossamer Gear The One (9/10)

I started the trail with the Big Agnes Copper Spur. I switched it out to save weight and I couldn’t fully fit my pack in the vestibule. I also broke two poles on it. I liked The One a lot more. It is lighter, more spacious, and easier to set up. 

Sleeping Bag: Nemo Disco 15 (8/10)

I had this bag for the entire trail and I liked it. It kept me warm even in the low 20s. If I were to do it again I would switch to an Enlightened Equipment quilt to save some weight. 

Sleeping Bag Liner: Naturehike (9/10)

I started the trail with the sea to summit reactor liner. It added some warmth to my sleeping bag when it was really cold but it was heavy. When it warmed up I switched to the Naturehike liner. It helped keep my bag clean and I used it by itself when it was very warm.

Sleeping Pad: Nemo Tensor (7/10)

I liked this pad but it was nothing special. I will likely switch to a foam pad or a Thermarest NeoAir XLite in the future. At the start I used a Nemo Switchback under the pad to boost the R value to 4.8 and protect it in shelters. When it warmed up I switched out the Switchback for a Gossamer Gear 1/8 inch pad.

Spoon: Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Spork (10/10)

I loved this thing. Not much more to say about a spork. I began the trail with the MSR Pocket Rocket and Tokes 750ml pot. I dropped them to save weight. I did not regret it. I packed out town food and found a lot of good food to cold soak. 

Headlamp: Nitecore NU25 (10/10)

I loved it. Light, reliable, and bright.

Portable Charger: Nitecore NB 10000 Gen2 (10/10)

Great portable charger. I could get 2-3 charges on my iPhone 16. Reliable and light. 

Shoes: Topo Pursuit 2 (10/10) 

My favorite piece of gear besides my pack. I used to wear altras but I will never go back. I love the zero drop, wide toe box, and durability. I made it through the trail in 3 pairs. 

Socks: Darn Tough and Injinji Toe Socks (9/10) 

I primarily wore my Injinjis while I was hiking and my Darn Toughs around camp. I switched out each pair once. In the future I plan to experiment with different toe socks. 

Midlayers: Patagonia Sun Hoodie and Mountain Hardware Fleece (8/10)

I love my sun hoodie and I will never hike without it. I liked my fleece but it was fairly heavy. I will switch to an alpha direct layer in the future. 

Down Jacket: REI Magma 850 (6/10)

I only carried this from Springer to Damascus and I never regretted dropping it. I was always warm while hiking and my sleeping bag was warm enough when I was in camp. If I carry a jacket in the future I will switch to the Enlightened Equipment Torrid because it is lighter. 

Rain Gear: Lightheart Gear (9/10)

I did a lot of research on rain gear and I was very happy I found Lightheart. The rain coat is not breathable but it has huge pit zips and is water resistant for life. I liked the rain pants as well. I used them more for warmth because I only had shorts. 

Sleep Clothes: REI Merino Wool Long Sleeve and Leggings (8/10)

Good sleep clothes, nothing special. It was great to switch into them after I was soaking wet all day. 

Camp Shoes: EVA Birks (9/10)

I absolutely love these and I will most likely carry them on all my hikes in the future. They are about 10 ounces for the pair. It was great to switch into them after having wet feet all day. 

Trekking Poles: Leki Khumbu Lite (8/10)

I used the Black Diamond Pursuit Poles for most of the trail but I bent the tips really bad. I switched to the Lekis because of their lifetime warranty. I liked them but I did bend one of them really bad when I was in the 100-mile wilderness. 

Food Bag: Hilltop (10/10)

I loved this dynema food bag. I also used their clothes bag, electronics bag, and toiletry bag. 

Water Filter: CNOC 2L Bag and Sawyer Squeeze (10/10)

I think this is the best water system to use on the AT. The 2L bag is easy to fill up from any water source. The sawyer is the best filter to have because all of the hostels have syringes to backflush. 

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Day 114: We had a wonderful and large breakfast at Shaw’s Hostel this morning. It was fun to socialize with all the hikers, many of which were SOBOs. Shaw’s was our favorite hostel on trail. Poet gave us necessary intel on the detour around Little Wilson, Big Wilson, and Long Pond Stream as they are still unsafe from the recent rain. We had our first day in the 100-Mile Wilderness today, 20 miles, 5,100 ft ascent. The weather was beautiful. Ryan found out that his dad got drawn for a moose permit in Maine this year. We came upon a plane crash site towards the end of the day. We camped with a beautiful view, one of our prettiest campsites on this thru-hike.  

Day 115: Our motivation this morning was to get to Mike and Patti for lunch at Gulf Hagus. They made us a delicious lunch. Hot dogs, cheeseburgers, taco salad, watermelon, brownies. We stuffed ourselves while hanging out with Mike and Patti and kept trekking. It was a tough day, lots of ascending and descending. We got our first site of Katahdin today! That was an exciting moment. 22 miles, 6,500 ft ascent. Camped at a campsite by a shelter, attempted to make a fire but it was a fail. I’ll never take firewood for granted again! We were exhausted anyway, we ate dinner then headed to bed to rest up for yet another day tomorrow! 

Day 116: First off, if I had to describe today in two words it would be HOT and BUGGY!! Ellie accepted her trail name Swiss given by me. She stays neutral when my dad and I have our funny disagreements and we ask for her opinion lol! She also had a winter wedding so it’s just fitting. Patti and Mike came through once again and brought us lunch/dinner. Around 3PM and 15 miles in we got to charge our electronics in their truck, sit down, and eat watermelon, bbq chicken, and potato salad. We drank Gatorade, chocolate milk, and refilled our waters. They also brought us our resupply. Ryan and my dad took a dip before eating due to the heat. We left with full bellies and hearts. We hiked on until we hit around 26 miles, only 2,500 ft ascent for the day! It was the buggiest section I had hiked on the AT and in my life. It was quite miserable. My dad called it the triple crown because there were black flies, mosquitoes, and deer flies but the mosquitoes were the worst. At one point Ryan put his full rain gear on despite it being very hot and humid. My legs were already covered with bug bites before today so I was not a happy camper. The itch was so intense and uncomfortable. I bitched about it but also put my head down and hiked until we no longer needed to hike. We landed on a campsite next to a stream. As soon as we got there we all dropped our packs, took our socks and shoes off, and dunked in the stream. It felt invigorating. The mosquitoes were still hellacious even though the sun was set. We put long sleeves and pants on, cooked dinner, got in our tents and went to bed. 

Day 117: Last full day in the 100-Mile Wilderness, 22 miles, 3,500 ft ascent. Very hot and humid. Took several breaks to either splash water in our faces or camel up. Eagle Eye took many opportunities to submerge his head under water and my dad would drop his pack and casually walk in the lake with his shoes on and take dunks. We are super excited to get to Abol Bridge tomorrow and finish up this thru-hike! We took dips in Rainbow Pond and set up camp. We were all toast from the heat, and fortunately it cooled down enough to be comfortable tonight.

Day 118: 18 easy miles today. We had a short hike in the morning to Abol Bridge. Ellie (Swiss) completed the 100 mile woods and we all did too! We were greeted at Abol Bridge by Patti and Mike, and Melissa, Jacob and their two boys Oliver and Cooper, all part of The Fitch Company family. Oliver and Cooper had AT shirts that had our trail names on them which was so sweet! We all ate lunch together and it was a wonderful completing the 100-Mile Wilderness/pre Katahdin celebration! We ate Italian sandwiches and all kinds of goodies. Growing up and living in Maine it’ll be nice to finally say we have completed the 100-Mile Wilderness. Once we were done eating we knew we had unfinished business so we got going. The rest of the hike was easy terrain. 

We signed in at Katahdin Stream and were hiker numbers 31 and 32. At the start of our journey when we checked in at The Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center we were hiker numbers 410 and 411. Then in Harpers Ferry we were hiker numbers 40 and 41. We camped at Birches tonight with three LASHers. We had good conversation around a beautiful fire, ate dinner and headed to bed. My mom, Celine, Jackson, Becca, and Cait are staying at Patti and Mike’s camp tonight in Millinocket and are meeting us in the park Thursday morning. Cait is a close friend and photographed Ryan and I’s engagement photos and wedding and will be there to capture the end of my dad and I’s journey! She truly has been there capturing life’s most precious moments perfectly! You just wait until you see the photos.

‘Twas the night before Katahdin. Today it started to hit. The journey is coming to a close. Sub four months, although it has felt like a journey of a lifetime, it has felt longer than four months. We have family and friends meeting us tomorrow for our last climb that leads to Katahdin’s summit. I’m so proud of my dad and I, not only our physical strength but also our mental capabilities. The AT has taught me to appreciate the little things, which are the big things in life. I will also never take a flush toilet for granted again! Being able to do this whole journey, every step of the way with my dad is something I will treasure forever. We made it together, as a team. I didn’t thru-hike the AT, my dad and I thru-hiked the AT as one. We are excited to resume normal life but will miss the moments on trail together thru-hiking, because we will never get that back but we will always be able to look back on the memories. Tomorrow flips a new chapter, finishing the AT and going on to the next adventure. I am tearing up as I write this at Birches shelter in the tent. It’s 9:24 PM and we are waking up at 5:45 AM so I better get some sleep. But how can I sleep it is the night before Katahdin!? So many emotions. Can’t wait to reflect more. Also on a funny note, after my dad hung the food bags and we were in the tent I looked at my dad and said, “I think my phone is hanging in the food bags.” His phone was also missing and I thought I may have placed them both in my bag. Sure enough my dad took my food bag down and both of our phones were hanging. He rehung the bag and marched over stating that was a classic.

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