The Inevitable Gear Lists! Part 4: Hydration and Cook Systems

Welcome back to my gear list series! Give yourself a pat on the back for hanging in there this long. I firmly believe if you’ve made it through the first three, you just might have what it takes to make it to Katahdin.

A FEW THINGS FIRST:

One of the things you should know about me is that I’m a foodie. Cooking is one of my most cherished creative outlets. It is my hope to avoid a single honey bun or ramen bomb for the entire 2200 miles. So I’ve probably spent more time thinking about this part of my pack than anything else.

HYDRATION: Sawyer Squeeze, Cnoc 2L bag, 2 Smart Water bottles (1L & 24oz sport bottle)

Why I chose it/why I like it: I picked the Squeeze years ago after reading some reviews, and I’ve been really pleased with it. I ditched the bags that come with the filter because they were harder to squeeze and I wanted something with a wide opening to make filling faster, easier, and more adaptable to a variety of situations. If necessary, I have the capacity to carry almost four liters of water. That’s more than enough for the AT, but it allows me to save time in my morning routine. I can collect enough water for dinner and breakfast in one trip. I am already pretty slow to break camp in the morning, so anywhere I can shave a few minutes is a blessing.

COOK SYSTEM: Jetboil Minimo, Sea to Summit long-handled titanium spork, GSI Infinity mug, homemade pot cozy.

Why I chose it/why I like it: my Jetboil gets a lot of miles, on and off the trail. When I go car camping, it goes with me, too, along with the French  press accessory. I really like the stability of the system. Yes, it is heavy, and I have my eyes on the Stash, but it wasn’t in the budget to upgrade this year.

“But Tdee, you have a mug. Isn’t that redundant?”

Yes and no. Could I drink out of my pot, or its attaching bowl? Yes, I could. I have developed a system that employs all my kit at one time. At camp, I boil my water. When it boils, I add some to my mug for hot cocoa, some to my freezer bag meal du jour, and tuck it away to rehydrate. While that is going on, I use part of the rest of the hot water to clean my hands so I can remove my contacts, and the rest I pour on a bandanna to give my feet a rejuvenating sauna bath. When my food is ready, I use the bowl to just hold the freezer bag, no dirty dishes aside from the mug, which only sees hot cocoa and coffee. In the morning, as I’m packing up, I will throw a couple coffee sticks in my mug and hang it on my pack so that when I’m ready for a midday coffee nap, a hack I picked up from a previous thru hiker, I won’t have to stop and dig into my pack. I don’t even have to take my pack off. It’s a couple ounces of convenience and efficiency for me.

Find Trishadee Newlin's complete gear list for hydration and cook systems here.