A great deal of time, energy, money and discussion goes into a thru-hiker's gear list. The important thing to remember is that it will change as you hike. Things break, new gadgets come out, etc. For me it became a daily challenge to lighten my load, so if I found a toothbrush that saved a couple of ounces, I bought it. Economy usually prevents this from becoming an obsession. My pack weight went from 46lbs. on day 1 to about 19lbs. on day 182, so it was worth every penny. Most people realize at some point on the trail that when you're lugging it around, lighter is better.

The only tiresome aspect of gear is "gear talk" -- the endless monologue some hikers inflict on everyone around them. "Is that a Petzl Tri-Beam flashlight you're using? Why didn't you go with the Quad-beam? It's so much brighter." This sort of conversation can be useful for the amateur camper, but it will get old for a thru-hiker. I recommend Bill Bryson's classic response to the gearhead who asked him why he chose a Kelty backpack: "So I don't have to carry all this stuff in my hands."

Any way, here's what I carried: