The hatchet is for wood prep and stake driving -in my mind. The Gatorade bottles are a good switch, I think. The books, I planned to downgrade by taking the pages that benefit the most. I can probably leave the AT book in place for those maps. I worry too much about getting lost, I guess
Wow my back is hurting thinking about all that stuff. I do take an emergency radio myself, no way without one. My pack weighs about 30 lbs with food and 3 liters of water.
Oh, I know! But the full Army gear is over 200 lbs with an assault pack, armor, ammo, water, and all. We never took that 2K miles, but we had to move fast with it. I hope to be much lighter than that and mosey a bit more. With all the food and water, I need to be . . . idk 25lbs or under?
I forgot, thank you for your service! I can only get, at most, a couple of miles into the woods and can't do that if I don't keep everything lightweight. Before I got things together, my husband carried my stuff up to the first group hang I attended. For me, just changing out from a synthetic bag to down under quilt and top quilt made a world of difference. I was also amazed at how much my clothes weigh.
Keep movin', keep believing and enjoy the journey!
I don't take extra clothes other than insulation like a jacket, and sometimes a shirt to sleep in that I haven't been hiking in all day. Honestly, if 90% or more of your waking day is spent hiking and the rest eating (okay so eating will increase in % over time), then you don't need much to keep you warm during the day (on most days), and then just go to bed.
You should check out a book by Andrew Skurka, The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide. He's also got several videos on YouTube.
Not all who wander are lost...
Bookmarks