After hundreds of miles on the Appalachian Trail, gear choices get heavily refined. Greenbelly sat down with seven thru-hikers to find out what’s actually working in their packs.
For shelter, the Durston X-Mid series seemed to be the biggest winner, with multiple hikers praising its lightweight design and performance in heavy rain. The Zpacks Duplex Light also earned strong reviews for its spacious interior and easy pitch. Trekking pole tents were the clear preference, though rocky ground can complicate staking.
The ULA Circuit, Osprey Exos, and Adam Pax all had advocates, with a recurring theme of choosing smaller capacities to discourage overpacking. For sleep systems, quilts ruled without exception. The Zenbivy, Catabatic, and Enlightened Equipment models all made appearances, with several hikers recommending a 10-degree rating given cold early-season temperatures.
Water filtration produced the most spirited debate. Most hikers ran Sawyer Squeeze setups with Smart Water bottles, but one hiker made a strong case for the Platypus filter, citing its superior flow rate and easier back-flushing as clear advantages over the competition.
