Gear: Part 3

Footwear

 As mentioned in Part 2, I wear normal running shoes with debris gaiters.  I will be starting out with the Nikes that I have had for quite a while, as I could not find any new shoes that felt quite right.  I did add new Superfeet insoles.  The gaiters are made by Dirty Girl Gaiters (also perfectly acceptable as menswear), which are popular with thru-hikers.  The spandex is not waterproof, but is instead quite breathable and keeps out pebbles, dirt, seeds, etc.  The pattern also helps me hike faster.

Water Treatment

My primary water treatment method will be the Sawyer Squeeze Filter (3 oz).  I carry Aquamira drops as a backup and to double-treat sketchy water sources (ie. cow pond with dead cow floating in it, when there are no other sources for miles).

Electonics

In addition to the Garmin eTrex 20 GPS and super-fancy watch mentioned in Part 1, I will be carrying my cell phone with cable (not 'smart', but quite durable), Panasonic DMC-ZS6 digital camera (with spare battery and charger), and a Tikka XP headlamp.  I have considered picking up a small radio (ie. one that takes a single AAA battery) for the flat, open sections, but I have had difficulty finding one that is not integrated with this newfangled mp3 business.