Woohoo!!! Headed to Pennsylvania tomorrow for a section hike on the AT! We will be out 8 days, with a hotel stop in Lehigh Gap. I have been working on my pack all week, you know, so it wasn’t completely overwhelming here on the day before I leave. I have a Dana Designs Mazama pack. Not the newest or the lightest, but it is my backpack and I love it. It has a lot of pockets and helps me organize my stuff! 
As you can see I actually have it fully packed this morning. It’s a good idea to check the total weight before slinging the pack on for that first big climb out of Port Clinton, PA! Here is what is in the pack:
In the mushroom cap:
First Aid
Headlamp &Extra batteries
Pocket knife
Map
License/$$$
In the Main Cavity: Sleeping Bag
Pad
Cooking Stuff including Esbit stove/fuel tabs
Food for 4 days
Extra Clothes-Exofficio lightweight bug pants, long sleeved lightweight pullover, extra socks, and a windbreaker pullover.
Water bladder & water bottle
In the Outside Middle Pockets
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Water Filter
Toilet Paper/Hand sanitizer
Gatorade bottle
In the Bottom Pockets Poncho Pack
Cover Hat
In the Back Net
Tent
Camp shoes
Total weight = 31 lbs
I always come in at about 30. I am okay with this weight.
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During the summer water sources start to dry up. This is the case with the section we are hiking. Most of the time we are on a ridge with little opportunity to access a water source. Since the temps are going to soar into the upper 80s and 90s each day we need to be sure we can stay hydrated. I have space to carry 4 liters plus 20 Oz of Gatorade…but that may not be enough over a full two day period. We have the advantage of having 3 cars with us. We are planning on buying a few jugs of water and placing a car with the jugs in the most critical areas. This should solve the problem…and, honestly, if nothing else, just make us feel better!
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So now I am ready. At this point I need to stop thinking and start hiking! Up to the rocks we go! Hike on!
Girl Gone Hiking 
Good luck! Keep us posted!
I keep notes the old fashioned way on the trail, then update the blog when I get home! Looking foward to a good time with a couple of great backpacking pals! 🙂
I’m jealous! Tho – I’m on a maintenance crew week in Shenandoah next week. That’s a decent substitute.
I am so excited to reconnect with my backpacking pals and to almost, almost complete AT in PA. Still a little bit to go between Swarara Gap and Rt.501. 🙂
And I’ll take SNP! Think I will plan a “Shenny Shiver” overnight in January. Fun stuff!
I have trail crew colleague who is thru hiking next year. I took her out for a shiver this past winter (and wrote about it). I think it helped, but she still doesn’t like the cold.
I like hiking in the cold…but sleeping? Not sure yet, but I’d like to find out. And SNP in the winter is fabulously quiet. 🙂
It’s lovely. If you want company, just yell.
Will do!
Great.
Good luck on the hike. It’s a tough, rocky section once you get past Eckville. I haven’t been on the 309 to Lehigh Gap part yet but have read about it. I’ll let you decide once you’ve done it. I do some of my trail training from Eckville south to the Pinnacle (nice climb going south) and 309 south to the Allentown shelter (mostly gentle ups and downs with a few rocky spots). Used to hunt that area for years. Only hunt with a camera now. March on!
Good! All this I have heard about PA better be true! I will feel like I have truly done something. I take it one stone at a time. 🙂 We are slack packing out of Lehigh Gap which is very nice!
Good luck and have fun! Take lots of pictures, I miss the trail, even the parts in PA.
Thank you! I have heard so much about this section. Excited to see it for myself! 🙂