Sam’s 5 Favorite Gear Items from the Appalachian Trail
Treeline writer Sam Schild shares his favorite AT thru-hiking gear items
December 27, 2024
Home > Staff Picks
Treeline Review writer Sam Schild is back from a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. In finishing the AT, he has completed the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking, the three major long distance hiking trails in the US (the other two are the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail).
Sam learned first-hand that the AT requires different gear considerations from the PCT and CDT.
The Appalachian Mountains are wetter than trails out west. The AT is also steeper and rockier, with more exposed roots, and those obstacles along the trail get more challenging when wet, which is often the case.
There are plenty of shelters along the trail to escape the weather. But between large crowds, snoring shelter users, and tenacious rodents, you can’t count on always staying in them. There are also a lot of towns along the AT, so food is rarely a challenge except for protecting it from those tenacious rodents and their larger counterparts: bears. There’s so much food along the AT that it’s a challenge to decide when to stop and when to keep going.
Considering these key differences and after consulting Treeline’s Appalachian Gear List and Strategy, he put together an ultralight backpacking kit for his first foray into East Coast thru-hiking. Here’s the gear that stood out over the entire AT.
We write mission-driven gear reviews. To find the best gear, we combine expert reviews, everyday user opinions, and rigorous independent trail testing—never native ads or sponsored posts. We are 100% reader-supported and may make a small commission from some qualifying affiliate links. Learn more.
Hoka Speedgoat 6 Trail Running Shoes
After testing tons of trail running shoes this year, I had a handful of pairs that still had some miles left when I started my thru-hike. So, I readied a few pairs to send to myself along the way, planning to wear through a handful of partially worn-out shoes. The Hoka Speedgoat has long been my go-to shoe for thru-hiking. I had a pair of Speedgoat 6s I used for my initial review of the shoe, so I started with those.
After I wore that first pair of Speedgoat 6 for 500 miles, I switched to another (non-Hoka) model I like for trail running. They were fine, but when they rapidly became unwearable after 400 miles, I had to buy a pair of shoes from a local shoe store. Luckily, they had a pair of Hoka Speedgoat 6 in stock.
When I stepped out of that store, I remembered why I keep returning to the Speedgoat for thru-hiking—they’re comfortable out of the box, provide excellent traction, cushion your feet on long days, and are surprisingly stable for a shoe with such a high stack height.
In total, I wore five pairs of shoes on the Appalachian Trail, and three were Speedgoats. I still have my fifth pair: some Speedgoat 5s I found on sale. (You can read my full review of that version of the Speedgoat here).
The Vibram Megagrip outsole and 5-inch lugs are ideal for the steep and often wet terrain on the Appalachian Trail. The breathable mesh upper dries quickly and fits well, so it doesn’t cause hotspots or blisters. These shoes are reliable in just about any terrain, but now I can say I know for certain they’re also great on the steeper, wetter, Appalachian Trail as well.
Hoka Speedgoat 6
Men's
Women's
Ultimate Direction Ultra Rain Jacket
The Ultimate Direction Ultra Jacket is a lightweight 6.6-ounce rain jacket with unique extras. It’s a 2.5-layer shell, which means it consists of two layers of fabric—an exterior face fabric and breathable waterproof membrane—plus an interior coating for durability. This is probably the most common design for a jacket you’d bring backpacking, hiking, or trail running, but the Ultra Jacket has a few standout features that make it great for the often sodden Appalachian Trail.
First, it has integrated waterproof mittens for your hands. On extremely cold, wet days, my hands stayed relatively warm and dry in these mitts. When you don’t need the mittens, which are sewn onto the wrist cuff, you simply stow them inside the sleeves. These mitts eliminate the need to have separate rain mittens and the need to keep track of where you put those rain mittens. They don’t have a separate place to put your thumb, but I keep my thumb in with my other fingers for warmth anyway.
The Ultra Jacket also has “peristaltic” armpit vents (UD’s term). These aren’t full-on zip vents, which add extra weight. Rather, in the armpit area, two pieces of fabric are sewn to overlap each other, letting air in as you move your arms. If I get hot while wearing this jacket, I raise my arms above my head to get even more ventilation.
It also has an excellent hood with great adjustability, so you can tighten it around your head laterally, around your face, or both when you want to batten down the hatches. The hood has a bill with a stiffener along the edge as well. I’m able to fit this bill over the bill of my hat, which keeps my hat drier and the rain off my face.
I used the V2 version of this jacket, which you can get at a discount now. I haven’t tried the newest model, but I’ve also tried the first version of this jacket, which was also great. I can’t imagine the newest model is worse than the V2, especially because it looks identical.
Ultimate Direction Ultra Rain Jacket
Men's
Women's
Nemo Tensor Elite sleeping pad (not yet released)
I tested an early sample of the Nemo Tensor Elite on the Appalachian Trail. This new offering from Nemo weighs 8.5-ounces and has a 2.3 R-value. This pad, which will be available in January 2024, is the lightest inflatable sleeping pad available. When I saw how much this pad weighs, I was skeptical it would be durable enough for a thru-hike. But after 2,200 miles, I’m happy to report I had zero punctures and no other issues.
This is the perfect summertime backpacking sleeping pad. It’s warm enough for chilly nights, but it isn’t too insulating when it’s warmer. I slept in temperatures ranging from the 60s to the upper teens. On the coldest nights, I was pushing the comfort limits of a 2.3 R-value sleeping pad paired with a 20-degree quilt. But it was just enough to keep me from shivering all night.
Other Nemo Tensor models (like the two Tensors that we've reviewed that are currently available) have higher R-values, but they weigh more. The Tensor Elite version sacrifices some warmth to create the lightest possible sleeping pad.
If you’ve slept on other Nemo Tensor sleeping pads, you’re likely familiar with how comfortable they are. The Tensor Elite is about as comfortable as other Tensor models, which is to say: very comfortable. I would absolutely sleep on this pad every night for 2,000 miles again, and probably will sometime soon.
Nemo Tensor Elite sleeping pad
All-Season
Extreme
Royal Robbins Amp Lite Short Sleeve Shirt (men's only)
Last fall, I picked up a Royal Robbins Amp Lite short sleeve shirt when I wore holes through the back of a Tencel-wool blend sun hoody on the Arizona Trail. I didn’t expect to love the Amp Lite as much as I do, but it was the best shirt I could find on the clearance rack at an outfitter in Flagstaff. Well, after I wore this shirt for most of the Arizona Trail, I decided it was probably the perfect men's hiking shirt for the Appalachian Trail. And I was right.
It’s made with a soft, stretchy polyester fabric that dries quickly and breathes well. In hot, humid conditions, while sweating profusely, I love the quick-drying material. And when it rains I’m doubly thankful for a shirt that dries fast.
This polyester fabric is super durable, too. After about 3,000 miles of wearing this shirt with a backpack, it’s still in great condition. The fabric has no holes, and doesn’t even have any thin spots that look like they will be holes soon. It also has no obvious stains on the shoulders, which is common after wearing the same shirt with a backpack for 2,000+ miles.
I love the anti-microbial properties of wool, but if durability is your top concern, a polyester shirt is best. But many synthetic shirts stink after wearing them for days on end, and that stink doesn’t go away when you wash them. To counteract this, the Amp Lite uses HeiQ Fresh FFL technology. This technology works. I still wear my Amp Lite shirt often, and it doesn’t stink even as my nose adjusts to civilization.
Royal Robbins Amp Lite Short Sleeve Shirt
For my thru-hike, I got a pair of prescription Ombraz sunglasses with transition lenses. These glasses are the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. Since they were transition lenses, I didn’t have to carry sunglasses and separate glasses for low light. Ombraz are a game-changer for anyone who wears sunglasses, but prescription Ombraz feel like I just entered a cheat code (or got Lasik).
Ombraz don’t have arms like traditional glasses. Instead, they use a cord that wraps around your head to hold them in place. This makes them awesome for doing anything active. They don’t slide down your nose when you sweat, and they won’t fall off no matter how you move. The armless design makes them lighter, which makes them more comfortable than glasses with arms. They’re easy to forget you’re even wearing them.
It’s a bummer when you lose or break your sunglasses (and a double bummer if they’re prescription). With Ombraz, you can simply let them dangle around your neck when you aren’t wearing them; they’ll never fall off, and aren’t likely to break either.
Ombraz Glasses
Do you know that feeling of fresh socks after wearing the same pair for days on end? Now, add the warmth of a puffy jacket, and you have the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Booties. I didn’t carry camp shoes on the Appalachian Trail. But when I slipped my feet into these each night at camp, I immediately felt relief.
My feet get cold at night, but that never happens with these booties stuffed with Apex synthetic insulation. I always carry them when backpacking unless it’s going to be hot at night. My size large pair weighs 2.3 ounces, which is less than a thick pair of wool socks. And since they use synthetic insulation, you can wash and dry them with the rest of your laundry. They also still insulate when wet. Even in humid and wet conditions on the Appalachian Trail, they kept my feet warm and cozy.
The Torrid Booties were overkill for most of my thru-hike. But I was glad to have carried these by the time I made it farther south in late November. Since they aren’t much heavier than a pair of warm sleep socks, I’ll happily keep bringing them for any trips when it might be cold at night.
Enlightened Equipment Torrid Booties
Why you should trust us
Sam Schild is a thru-hiker, trail runner, cyclist, and mountain athlete based in Colorado. Sam has completed countless ultra-distance self-supported trail runs on trails throughout the American Southwest.
He has thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and the Colorado Trail twice. And now he's completed the Appalachian Trail, making him Treeline Review's newest Triple Crowner.
You can read more about Sam on his author page or his website.
