Gear

I have had a fair number of gear changes since the beginning of the hike. I mentioned one, my new backpack, in the last post, but I will now go through all my gear. At first I did not think I was going to change much gear. However most of my old gear is about 7 years old, so I will update some things as it becomes feasible or justifiable. At first I didn't really know what else was out there, and I wanted to use what I already had.
Backpack: I started with a Gregory Baltoro 70. This is a very nice comfortable pack, but big. I filled it up to start the trail and immediately regretted it because of the weight. I sent the lid back home a couple of weeks ago because I did not need the space and to save weight. But it is still too big. I have ordered a Granite Gear Vapor Meridian which should have been in Waynesboro today. It is a 52 liter pack and is 2 and a half pounds lighter than the Gregory.
Sleeping Bag: I started with an EMS 25 degree down. It has warmed up a lot, so I am now using my silk liner and a fleece blanket. When I get to New Hampshire I will go back to a warmer bag. My first thought had been to use this bag for the whole trail and then buy a new one, but I think I may buy the new one and use it for the White Mountains. If I do I will get a Western Mountainering Ultralite 20 degree bag.
Sleeping Pad: I started with my old Thermarest, and I think I will keep it the whole way. I could get a much lighter one, but it would not be as comfortable.
Stove: I started with an MSR Whisperlite. It is a great stove, if you are cooking for 4. For one, it is overkill, so I now have a SnowPeak GigaPower. It is much lighter and a better one person stove, just a little slower boiling water.
Shoes: I started with a pair of full leather boots and gaiters. I was worried about ankle support at the beginning. In Hot Springs I switched to a pair of Inov-8 Terrocs. These were much lighter and my ankles felt much better after I made the switch. Those lasted about 450 miles, but I wore them for 540 to get my monies worth. Next time I will switch once they start to wear out. I am currently wearing a pair of Montrail Hardrocks, and so far, so good. I have also gotten rid of the gaiters.
Water Bottles: I started with a Camlbak 100 oz and a nalgene. I got rid of the nalgene, because of weight, and I have been buying a new powerade bottle every 10 days or so. The Camelbak bite valve had been leaking on me, and then the bladder broke. I tried to replace it at Walmart, but their version is too cheap and broke right away. I currently have a Platypus 80oz bladder and I am happy with that.
Spoon: I started with a LightMyFire spoon that broke in two weeks. Replaced that with a cheap plastic which I accidentally sent home. Then I acquied a new one from an AYCE Chinese buffet, and then replaced that with a titanium spoon, which will hopefully go the distance.
No other major gear changes other than sending home two long sleeve polypro tops, one short sleeve hiking top, fleece pants, a bandana, my heavy fleece jacket and the ground cover for my tent. With luck I should not have to change out anything else other than shoes. I am expecting to need two more pairs before I finish since they only last about 500 miles.