To Bee a Flip Flop
tales of
the Sparkle Chasing Mountain Mermaid
called Neck Knife
Shakedown taken from post SIX
Written on day 52, July 12, 2020, at mile 677.5
Shake Down
As my imposter syndrome is starting to wear off... I am feeling a bit more comfortable talking about my gear. I’ve got almost 700 miles under my feet but still 1500 more before I can call myself a thru-hiker... but a lot of you have been asking and I’m absolutely in love with my set up, so here’s a full pack shake down for your viewing pleasure!
My Big 3
PACK
zpack arc scout 50L
My pack has been perfect for me. It’s on the smaller side, and is definitely way more comfortable with less stuff but I can’t imagine carrying anything bigger.. There are tons of adjustments to get the proper fit. There are few pockets- two water bottle side pockets and one big mesh one on the back(which was one of the selling features for me), I added a small pouch to the front of one of my shoulder straps for phone, hand sanitizer and snacks. There are no internal pockets.. I am pretty organized and usually love pockets for things to have a home.. but I have instead been using a bag system to keep everything organized.
I attached a little fanny pack for my important things, like wallet and mask, for easy access and so they don’t get lost in all the packing and unpacking.
SLEEPING BAG and PAD
Enlightened equipment quilt 20 degrees,
Thermarest neoair xlite
Blowing up my sleeping pad is definitely the hardest part of my day haha, but I try to go slow and make it a meditation. It packs so small and light. I have found that when not blown up all the way, it’s cushier and doesn’t make noise (as much) when you roll around at night. It took a little getting used to, as my preferred sleeping style is- one I like to call the starfish, but I wouldn’t trade my pad for anything else out here.
My sleeping bag is quilt style, meaning it opens all the way up and can be used basically as a blanket. It’s great, stays dry and is very warm, however I have been getting super hot at night and have been toying with the idea of getting a sheet...
TENT
zpack duplex
My tent is the shit. Period. It was by no means cheap but I am SO pleased with it. It’s technically a 2 person tent, so I can lay all my stuff out inside while I’m sleeping, which has been clutch for these really rainy spells. It’s made of a fancy ultra light waterproof fabric called Dyneema and basically shakes dry. It uses my trecking poles for it’s structure, leaving stakes as my only hardware. I’m obsessed. It takes about 5 minutes to set up and take down. I’m in love with her... she has been named the honey comb.
The full rig, lets dive in
My daily uniform 🤗 - toes socks, bike shorts, tank, bandana, neck knife. Not pictured- I started with Altra, but ended up going back to my OG - Brooks Cascadia trail runners. I am on my third pair of shoes (the altras wore through really fast), and just got a new pair of shorts because I had a lot of holes and wore through the seams. I wear the same thing every day and it’s so fun.
All my clothes. I’ve got my hiking outfit, a sleeping outfit, and a town outfit. I have a long sleeve hiking shirt for cold mornings, a puffy for cold nights, and a rain jacket. Hat and sunglasses. A couple bandanas, that serve so many purposes!
At night, I lay out my sweaty hiking clothes to dry and stuff all the rest in a bag to use as a pillow. Not pictured is a bathing suit I keep hooked on the outside of my pack for easy access when I stumble upon water to mermaid in.
My battery pack (holds about 4 recharges for my phone), a phone charger, headphones, sharpies, headlamp, extra batteries, matches, journal and pencil, and my AWOL, which is a guide to the trail with all the info you could ever need, such as an elevation map with water, camping, view points, and resources/recommendations for when you go to town.
I’ve got a lot of toiletries... Toothbrush and toothpaste, shower wipes courtesy of Goodwipes, q-tips, ibuprofen and allergy pills, witch hazel, nail file, small mirror, hair brush, hair clips, scrunches, elastics of various sizes, deodorant(which I really just use after my nightly wipe down and before I put on my sleep clothes to keep them smelling as nice as possible), tweezers, little scissors, nail clippers, diva cup, toilet wipes, toilet paper, lots of bandaids
Pot, stove, homemade pot koozie, lighter, fuel, food bag all packed, talenti jar for cold soaking, collapsible cup, spoon, bag of tequila, bear bag kit
*update, I ended up mailing my stove home
These reusable free people shopping bags are super lightweight and stuffable and have been awesome to help organize. Shout out to Pearl for mailing me a ton before I left ❤️
These all live in the pockets on the outside of my pack- hand sanitizer, bug spray, Dr. Bronners, clips, and they serve as duct tape storage too!
My Nomadix towel is gold. It doesn’t hold dirt, dries super fast, and is great for stretching on. I use it ALL the time. I am the only one I know who carries a towel, but I am also the only one swimming multiple times a day haha.
Trekking poles, umbrella, xero shoes(I have been hiking in these on really wet days and it’s been a blast), 2 1L water bottles with sawyer water filters
I am by no means ultralite. My pack weighs in at about 32lbs when it’s fully loaded with food and water and tequila.
Loving my set up, my groove, this life.
Sparkle on! xo