Appalachian Trail Section Hiking Packing List

As I prepare for my adventures in tackling the Appalachian Trail, I wanted to begin with the end in mind by only acquiring gear that makes sense for multiple days on the trail.  I struggle with finding the right balance of lightweight gear and making sure I have enough comfort on the trail to keep me sane.  What has me most worried is that I will pack way too much and need to dump items and send them back home or need to trade up at the first waystation.  I am trying to understand how much of this journey will need to be strategized on the trail versus what I can plan for in advance.  I’ll be doing my first solo overnight in September to test it all out.  In the meantime, here is my list of essential (and not-so-essential) gear.

My Complete Gear List and Base Weight: 19.31 pounds

• Base weight is all of my carried gear except food, water, trekking poles, and worn clothes. My base weight is 19.31 pounds.
• Pack weight is my base weight plus food and water after a full resupply. I estimate carrying around between five and ten pounds of food and water between resupplies (typically every three to five days).  I’ve allocated ten pounds for this.  My pack weight is approximately 29.31 pounds.