Fantastic post! I look forward to hearing more from you @katecloud! When do you plan on hiking? I read in your introduction you are choosing to hike from Georgia. I have heard from fellow hikers the Northern most sections are the most technical. You have provided an excellent gear review. I am always so grateful towards folks that remark upon gear that is so heavily relied upon in the out of doors.
I don't know much about your inflatable pad but my Thermarest is going six years strong and makes rocky areas a dream to camp over. I have a MSR Dragontail tent but that is due to its necessity of the four season design on my mountaineering adventures. What Salomon's do you have?
Have you read Bryson's A Walk in the Woods? I haven't seen the film, but the book was light and gave a pleasant narrative. I hope to do the Continental Divide trail after I finished building my house and can gather enough funding to take the required vacation. You seem pretty great and I wish you the best.
Truly,
H
P.S. If you are looking to go on a relatively brief backpacking venture this winter, I will be doing the River to River Trail in Southern Illinois. It takes less than two weeks, maybe less than one depending on your speed. There are sandstone bluffs, lakes and the Mississippi River to feast your eyes on when you finish. A nice way to keep your legs and connection to Nature strong. I began hiking after I got into rock climbing. Here https://steemit.com/motivation/@hmfoucault/steemit-community-what-do-you-do-for-fun is a link to an entry about climbing and seeking to develop a community using discussions of hobbies and passions.
This is a photograph of me near Panther's Den on a daytrip hike this Spring.
