As I unpack from my Sheltowee Trace trip I find there are several items I carried 26 miles and didn't use. The heaviest item is extra food. It appears I have enough food for another day on the trail, about 2 pounds worth! I also have 14 ounces of useless hand warmers. I've used these in the past but out of the four I tried none if them really got hot enough to make them worth carrying. I have a rain coat and rain pants which I didn't use. I also carried about a liter of water too much, which weighs 2 pounds! I have used my water filter in the past to collect and drink creek water but was worried about not having enough water. I passed at least 4 wildlife ponds while hiking the ridge on Sunday and could have easily collected water on the go.
There are some items I would liked to have had but was able to live without. An extra pair of wool socks would have been nice. There is something about having clean dry socks to start the day with. Also, a windbreaker with a hood would have kept the snow from going down the back if my collar. But wait, I had a rain coat with a hood that I could have used! I had four knives and didn't use any of them.
There are some lessons learned that I will apply to my next trip. Evaluating what you are carrying can make the difference in pounds. In this case about 4 pounds!
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