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Top Stoves, Filters, Rain Gear, and More on the Appalachian Trail: 2024 Thru-Hiker Survey
The 2024 AT survey is coming to a close. We’ll be covering the water filters, stoves, rain gear, and so much more in this final post. This post is all about the smorgasbord of smaller gear choices hikers make — including power banks, trekking poles, GPS devices, and more! Keep reading for all the insights and make sure to stick around to the end to find out about a new popular luxury item that made our list for the first time.
This year we collected 389 responses — a huge thanks to everyone who filled out the survey! The data was collected from October through November of 2024 through our survey, which was marketed using our social media platforms, Backpacker Radio, and TheTrek.co. Some responses from previous years were removed, and obvious mistakes in start and end dates were adjusted. No obvious duplicates were found.
Quick Navigation
Water Treatment
Illness
Resupply Strategy
Top Stoves
Top Power Banks
Top GPS Devices
Top Rain Gear
Top Trekking Poles
Self Defense
Menstruation
Luxury Items
Summary of Results
Water Treatment
We asked hikers how frequently filtered their water. The majority of hikers (84%) said they always filter their water. A whopping 99% of hikers said they at least filter their water almost all the time. Only two hikers this year claimed to never filter their water, and 3 said they only occasionally filtered.
Water Treatment Type
Water treatment is commonly done via five methods:
- A filter that water is pushed through manually, making it ready to drink instantly. This is usually attached to a dirty water bottle or pouch. In our survey we break the filter category down into small (e.g. Sawyer Mini) and mid-size filters (e.g. the Sawyer Squeeze).
- A pump that filters the water (e.g. the MSR MiniWorks). This requires no wait time.
- Liquid chemical treatments, which take a few minutes to react before the water is safe to drink (e.g. Aquamira).
- Tablets (e.g., Aquatabs), which operate the same way as liquid treatments. Tablet treatments have been around longer than liquid treatments and, while small, are bulkier than liquid options.
- Devices inserted into the water bottle or bag that use UV rays to treat the water (e.g. the Steripen).
Mid-size water filters are once again the most popular choice among hikers by a huge margin. The percentage has changed very little from last year, dropping to 92% from 93% of hikers using this filter type last year. The remaining 8% of hikers used multiple other less popular treatment types, although no hikers used tablets as their main method of water treatment this year. However, several hikers did mention carrying tablets or liquid chemical treatment as a backup method.
The most popular brand of filter mentioned was Sawyer, used by over 250 hikers, and the Sawyer Squeeze was the most popular model. The Katadyn BeFree and Platypus QuickDraw were also mentioned frequently. Exact numbers for each filter are hard to capture, as many didn’t remember the model name or switched models frequently.
Illnesses on Trail
We asked hikers about multiples types of illnesses or diseases they may have encountered on trail, including waterborne illness, norovirus, and tickborne illnesses. 11 hikers (2.8% of respondents) stated they contracted a waterborne illness such as giardia at some point during their hike.
Of those 11 hikers, five were part of the group who always filtered their water, three were from the group who filtered most of the time, and three more were from the group that filtered except for springs. However, there were many more hikers that always filtered than any other category.
We also asked hikers if they contracted norovirus and at what location on the trail they suffered from it. 12% of hikers in our survey contracted norovirus during their hike. It’s difficult to pinpoint any particular location where it was most common, but Pennsylvania and Virginia were mentioned frequently. Multiple hikers mentioned they suffered from norovirus in Damascus or shortly after Trail Days.
We asked hikers about their prevention tactics against ticks and Lyme disease. Many hikers used multiple prevention methods, with the combination of treating their clothes with permethrin and checking for ticks daily being the most popular options. Over two thirds of hikers who answer this question did at least one of these prevention tactics! Three hikers said they carried doxycycline — a prescription antibiotic that is often used to treat Lyme disease — just in case.
Regardless of their preventive measures, 20 hikers (5%) contracted Lyme disease this year. Of those 20 hikers, five reported checking for ticks daily, one treated their clothes with permethrin, and nine did both as prevention tactics. Three hikers who contracted Lyme did not use any prevention methods, one mentioned they used DEET-based insect repellent, and two did not specify whether or what preventive measures they took.
Resupply Strategy
We asked hikers about how many days they generally would go between resupplies. The vast majority of hiker typically resupplied every three to five days. The most common interval between resupplies was every four days, chosen by over 50% of hikers. There weren’t many outliers this year, with no hikers saying they resupplied more often than every two days. One hiker only resupplied every eight days — the longest interval reported.
84% of hikers exclusively relied on in-town shopping for their resupplies. 10% chose to do a combination of mail drop and resupplying in town, and 6% resupplied solely from mail drops. 
22% of hikers had some form of dietary restriction this year, with being vegetarian as the most common. Hikers with dietary restrictions were more likely to use mail drops, but not by much; the majority of hikers with dietary restrictions still purchased food in towns.
Type of Stove
Canister stoves were once again the most popular stove type, used by 88% of hikers this year. 7% of hikers went stoveless, while even fewer used alcohol or liquid stoves.
23% of hikers swapped out their stove along the way. When switching, the most popular switch was to send their stove home. 49 hikers sent their stove home and went without one, 30 switched to a different model of stove (usually another canisters stove), and 11 replaced their stove with the same model.
Top Stoves
Once again, the top stove model this year was the MSR PocketRocket. This canister stove has held the top spot since at least 2017. Below are the most popular stove brands and their common models, followed by a table of the most popular models. We asked participants to rate their level of satisfaction with their stove choice on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most satisfied. These satisfaction scores are also reported in the table below.
1) MSR (190)
- PocketRocket (167)
2) JetBoil (59)
3) BRS (37)
- 3000T (29)
4) Soto (31)
- Windmaster (20)
- Amicus (9)
5) Snow Peak (7)
There were no notable models for Snow Peak, as most hikers using that brand declined to mention the model they used.
Most Popular Stoves on the AT in 2024
| Rank | Model | Responses | Satisfaction Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MSR PocketRocket | 167 | 8.87 |
| 2 | BRS 3000T | 29 | 9.38 |
| 3 | Soto Windmaster | 20 | 9.15 |
| 4 | JetBoil Flash | 20 | 8.05 |
| 5 | JetBoil Stash | 10 | 9.2 |
Power Banks
Almost every hiker this year (98 percent) carried a power bank. The capacities of their power banks varied, with a cluster around 10,000 mAh and another, smaller bump around 20,000 mAh. 10,000 and 20,000 mAh are some of the most standard battery bank sizes, so it makes sense for hikers to fall around these capacities.
The 7501-10,000 mAh range was the most popular by quite a bit, with 41% of hikers carrying a power bank within that capacity range. 10,000 mAh is sufficient to deliver two full charges to most modern smartphones. Recalling that most thru-hikers are resupplying every three to five days, it makes sense that this power bank size is the most popular.
The most popular model of power banks were difficult to determine, with so many offerings from each brand and hikers not remembering exactly what model they had. Among the many brands listed, two were decidedly the most popular.
Nitecore was the number one brand this year in a very tight race, with 168 hikers using their brand of power bank. Anker narrowly lost its claim on the top spot this year, falling to second place with 163 hikers using Anker power banks. The only model of power bank that was a clear favorite was Nitecore’s NB1000. The overall average satisfaction rating of all hiker’s power banks was 8.63 out of 10.
GPS Devices
We asked hikers about their GPS devices and if they used them for the second time this year. The amount of hikers using GPS devices stayed consistent, decreasing by 2% this year. Garmin was overwhelmingly the most popular brand, with 215 hikers using one of their GPS devices. Specifically, Garmin’s inReach Mini 2 was the most popular model. Other brands and models were used by very few hikers in comparison. The top few brands and their satisfaction ratings are listed in the table below.
Most Popular GPS Device Brands on the AT in 2024
| Rank | Brand | Responses | Satisfaction Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garmin | 215 | 8.33 |
| 2 | Zoleo | 16 | 8.13 |
| 3 | Spot | 7 | 8.55 |
Rain Gear
We asked hikers about the type of rain gear they used this year and their favorite brands and models, adding for the first time the option of a rain skirt/kilt. A rain jacket was the most popular option, used by 88% of respondents. Many hikers used a combination of items.
For those who took a combined approach, pairing a rain jacket and rain pants was the most popular option: 76 hikers, or about 20%, opted for this combo. The next most popular combination was rain jacket and umbrella (20 hikers / 5%). This combination dropped in popularity quite a lot since last year, when 70 hikers or 17% used this combination. There weren’t even 70 total hikers who used umbrellas in any capacity this year. It will be interesting to see if umbrella usage continues to drop as time goes on.
Frogg Toggs was once again the top brand and model of rain gear used by hikers, perhaps due to its reputation as an affordable and easily replaceable option. Below are the tables of the remaining top brands and models and their satisfaction ratings.
Most Popular Rain Gear Brands on the AT in 2024
| Rank | Model | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frogg Toggs | 85 |
| 2 | Outdoor Research | 48 |
| 3 | REI | 28 |
| 4 | Patagonia | 41 |
| 5 | Marmot | 20 |
| 6 | Montbell | 17 |
| 7 | LightHeart Gear | 12 |
| 8 | Arc'teryx | 13 |
Most Popular Rain Gear Models on the AT in 2024
| Rank | Model | Responses | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite Rain Suit | Frogg Toggs | 87 | 7.05 |
| 2 | Outdoor Research Helium | Helium | 22 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Patagonia Torrentshell | Torrentshell | 21 | 7.43 |
| 4 | LightHeart Gear Rain Jacket | Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket | 15 | 7.73 |
| 5 | Montbell Versalite | Versalite | 14 | 8.77 |
Trekking Poles
We asked hikers about their trekking pole use, what type of trekking poles they used, and their favorite models. Almost all hikers used trekking poles, consistent with last year’s results. The split between carbon fiber vs. aluminum was also the same this year, with 55% of hikers using aluminum and 45% going for carbon fiber. Black Diamond was the most popular brand, with Leki not far behind. The top brands and their satisfaction ratings are listed below.
Most Popular Trekking Poles on the AT in 2024
| Rank | Brand | Responses | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Diamond | Black Diamond | 126 | 8.57 |
| 2 | Leki | Leki | 116 | 8.81 |
| 3 | REI | REI | 32 | 8.63 |
| 4 | Cascade Mountain Tech | Cascade Mountain Tech | 30 | 8.3 |
| 5 | Gossamer Gear | Gossamer Gear | 10 | 7 |
Self Defense
This year we asked hikers a lot of questions about their safety on trail, including if they carried something for self defense during their hike. 30% of hikers said they carried some form of protection with them. We also asked what they carried, and the results are shown in the table below.
| Protection Type | Responses |
|---|---|
| Knife | 46 |
| Mace/Pepper Spray | 11 |
| Gun | 3 |
Menstruation
We asked hikers who menstruate what type of products they used for that purpose. Each type of menstrual product was used widely and many hikers used a combination of multiple products. Tampons and pads were the most commonly used menstrual product overall.
Luxury Items
Last but not least, we also asked hikers if they carried a luxury item and what it was. About three-quarters of hikers said they carried a luxury item and some listed multiple items. The list of items was long and diverse. Some of the more popular luxury items are listed in the table below, but this is by no means a complete list.
A new popular luxury item this year was electric air pumps to blow up a sleeping pad, with Flextail being a commonly mentioned brand.
Most Popular Luxury Items on the AT in 2024
| Luxury Item | Responses |
|---|---|
| Pillow | 58 |
| Kindle | 29 |
| Electric Air Pump for Sleeping Pad | 52 |
| Book | 15 |
| Journal | 14 |
| Camp shoes | 11 |
Summary
- The majority of hikers always filtered their water from natural sources.
- Mid-size filters, such as the Sawyer Squeeze, were the most popular type of water treatment, used by 92% of hikers
- 12% of hikers contracted norovirus, 2.8% of hikers contracted a waterborne illness, and 5% of hikers contracted Lyme disease during their hike. Almost 2/3 of hikers treated their clothes or gear with permethrin to prevent Lyme disease, and 2/3 checked daily for ticks — many hikers did both.
- Most hikers resupplied every three to five days, with every four days being the most popular interval.
- Purchasing food in town was the most popular resupply strategy, with 84% overall choosing that method. 22% of hikers had dietary restrictions; those with dietary restrictions were slightly more likely to send themselves at least some mail drops.
- The majority of hikers used a canister fuel stove, with the MSR PocketRocket being the most popular.
- The most popular power bank capacity was 7,501-10,000 mAh, with Nitecore and Anker being the most popular brands.
- 60% of hikers used a GPS device, with Garmin being the most popular brand.
- Rain jackets were the most popular type of rain gear used, although many hikers took a combination approach involving rain pants, umbrellas, rain skirts, or ponchos as well. Frogg Toggs were the most popular rain gear.
- Almost all hikers used trekking poles, with aluminum being slightly more popular than carbon fiber. Black Diamond was the most popular brand.
- 30% of hikers carried some form of protection for self defense.
- All types of menstrual products are widely used on the AT, but tampons and pads are the most popular.
Thank You!
Thanks for all of you following along with this year’s survey and making it all the way to the end. The survey couldn’t have been possible without the hikers who answered all our questions. Many thanks to those who participated! Congratulations to all on your hikes! A huge thank you as well to Zach Davis and Kelly Floro for their help with this year’s survey. Don’t forget to check out the other posts from this year’s survey linked above. To stay updated on next year’s thru-hiker survey, subscribe to The Trek’s newsletter.
Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.
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Comments 2
Love the survey. Very informative and enlightening.
Next year, please ask some questions about Marijuana.
Like:
How much?
How often?
Attitude towards?
Preferred method of consumption?
You could do the same with booze.
Cheers!
It would be interesting to know more about the GPS devices. Why hikers brought them. How did they use them? Were they ever used in an emergency? On the AT, I think these things are a bit of a scam. It’s really hard to get lost, there are generally many people around if you need help (especially in the bubble). Perhaps they would be more useful in a shoulder season hike where crowds are minimal and weather is more of a factor.