We will be hiking hut to hut and will be sleeping in a comfy bunk each night, but you will need to bring appropriate hiking gear for the unpredictable New England weather. Conditions can range from warm and muggy to cold and rainy in a matter of minutes. Try to bring quality lightweight gear, and pack it in four different places:
- In/on your backpack
- On your person
- A bag that you will have access to at our Highland Center midpoint
- A bag for travel-related items you will not be taking on the trek – stash in your car trunk
Some people ask why carry so much when we are not “backpacking” in the traditional sense. Despite their divine connections and nearly boundless talents, the leaders cannot promise an 8-day string of sunny, 65-degree days – so we must be prepared for the ever-changing New England weather. It is often cool in the evening up high, and wet weather will compound potential heat loss which is why a wool/fleece hat, thin gloves and zip jacket along with a hooded rain jacket and pants are important gear additions. Remember that we must move each day – rain or shine – and must be prepared. We don’t want to be sitting in the unheated huts shivering in wet clothes because we didn’t have enough gear.
To comfortably hold your gear as you hike, your backpack plays the key role. Make sure your pack is large enough (45-55 liters) and comfortable for YOU. If you are purchasing a new pack, be sure to go to a reputable store to get it fitted to your body.
See the next level of detail in the downloadable, printable chart/checklist below.
Readying Our Packs at Pinkham
When we meet on Saturday afternoon at Pinkham after checking in at the lodge, we will come with our packs and all the gear that they are to hold, and neatly pack them up. We encourage advance work on this front, but still will be diving into your pack to help you optimize.
Once your pack and gear are sorted out, you will select lunch/snack food for the first four days of hiking and pack it in a Ziploc bag which in turn goes into your backpack. We will also fill up with 3 liters of water – enough for even the largest of the Day 1 hike options.
You need containers that can carry as much as 3 liters of water. Most participants choose to use a 2 liter water bladder and a 1 liter bottle. The bottle is very handy to have at night in the huts. The full three liters will be needed for our most demanding hike days.
Our target maximum pack weight is 23-27 pounds, including the pack and roughly 8 or 9 pounds of water and snack food just chosen. Smaller people should usually aim for the low end of the range. With careful gear selection this is achievable while still carrying all the necessary gear; your leaders carry extra emergency gear and still come in under 30 pounds. Strategic shopping to replace one of your heaviest items can pay off. Before dinner on our first day, we will do a pack weigh-in.
For the mountain
While each piece of gear has an important purpose, the most essential to immediate survival are the clothing layers we’re bringing (max configuration: shirt, light jacket, med/heavy jacket, rain shell). The number of components permits great adjustability, and in total will empower you to get through a cold, raw, rainy and windy day on a ridge without going hypothermic.
Also at the top of the list: a thoroughly tested and broken-in pair of hiking shoes/boots and socks. In vetting them while training, you will need to watch for and address toe jams and any other foot motion, friction and points of irritation (sole, ball of foot, toes, heel, arch, ankle, shin).
We will also want to make sure that we’re happy with the level of traction (a function of a shoe’s tread and rubber formulation) our shoes offer on White Mountains terrain. Usually the most challenging: smooth, wet rock.
If you need to purchase new boots, go to a reputable HIKING store to be properly fitted. Make sure that when you are heading steeply downhill your toes do not hit the end when laced properly. The store should have a ramp for you to test the fit. Also, note that if you go for leather boots, as a rule they will take longer to break in than their synthetic counterparts.
There is an item that can make the hike easier on your knees. If you don’t have trekking poles, get a pair and start using them. Those poles really do save your knees and help balance on the downhill sections day after day.
For the hut
We will hike in the same dirty clothes every day. Once at the hut, you will change into the set of clothes in your pack for lounging around, eating and sleeping. You should pack these in a separate plastic bag – you don’t want to sleep in damp clothes. You will want to bring light, comfy footwear for walking around in the hut at the end of the day. Crocs are a popular choice for this.
It is a good idea to put your name on your gear and clothing, as so much of it looks the same. If you lose it you will have a better chance of getting it back.
The huts will provide blankets and pillows to overnight guests, a longstanding tradition that was interrupted during Covid’s onset that has since been restored. Correspondingly, we need only pack a sleeping bag liner or bedsheet (blankets can be scratchy) and pillowcase. Though mask use is no longer mandatory, we ask everyone to pack a mask in case of an emergency that requires it.
At our Highland Center Midpoint
When we get to the Highland Center around 11:00 am or noon time on Day 5 (Thursday), you will have access to the “Highland Center bag” that you handed the leaders back on Saturday. You can shower if desired, change into the clean clothes and stash the dirty ones in their place. You will also want to grab the cool weather gear items, fresh batteries and anything else packed in the bag that you still want. Return the bag to the leaders when done with it.