The Best and Worst Gear from My 2021 AT Thru-Hike (Non-Ultralight and Petite-Friendly)

I am 5’1″, 100 pounds soaking wet, and definitely not an ultralighter.

I have nothing against ultralighters, but for my Appalachian Trail thru-hike this year, I was not among their ranks. The primary reasons were that I couldn’t afford the steep prices that typically accompany ultralight gear, and I was skeptical about the comfort/usability of ultralight options. So I spent months finding the gear that I thought would work best for me during my AT thru-hike.

My base weight was about 20 pounds, which was a very manageable weight for me, even on the hardest ascents of the Whites and Katahdin. And with only a few exceptions, I absolutely loved my gear.

In this post, I will cover the top pieces of non-ultralight gear I loved, the very few that I traded, and why. For my full gear list from my AT thru-hike, check me out on HikerLink.

Interested in checking out Ann Marie White's complete article? Find it here.