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[Max White]

Aqizzar just reminded me:
Get some good sunglasses and a good hat with a wide brim, like a cowboy or boonie.

There is another upside to this. It has been proven that given the right wide brim hat, if you see your reflection, then the indie anna jones theme will start playing and will not stop untill you take the hat off. This music makes for a faster walking pace.

[SalmonGod]

indie anna jones theme

?

[Max White]

Did I just butcher the spelling of that name? Oh well, I have been drinking, and my spelling isn;t good at the best of times.

[SalmonGod]

In the most hilarious way possible.  I'm pretty sure you just made that character out to be female, or at the very least a transgender of some kind.

[Akura]

I'm tempted to do a Google image search of "indie anna jones", but I think I might be a little afraid of what the results might be.

[ein]

Heh, I did some quick budgeting and a GPS unit is almost as much as a full set of military surplus clothing plus canteen, first aid kit, knife, and pack ($160 vs. $190).
If you're comfortable enough with using one, invest in some maps instead.
Also, for a good compass, I recommend a lensatic compass.
You can get an official military one for a lot (still cheaper than GPS), or a decent off-brand one for a lot less.
If you know how to use one (US Army came to my school and taught us how to read maps and use compasses for a week, I picked up how to use the compass in the first day of instruction) they are a godsend.
Watches are something of a personal issue, do you want digital or analog? stopwatch? 24 hours?

[SalmonGod]

Heh, I did some quick budgeting and a GPS unit is almost as much as a full set of military surplus clothing plus canteen, first aid kit, knife, and pack ($160 vs. $190).
If you're comfortable enough with using one, invest in some maps instead.
Also, for a good compass, I recommend a lensatic compass.
You can get an official military one for a lot (still cheaper than GPS), or a decent off-brand one for a lot less.
If you know how to use one (US Army came to my school and taught us how to read maps and use compasses for a week, I picked up how to use the compass in the first day of instruction) they are a godsend.
Watches are something of a personal issue, do you want digital or analog? stopwatch? 24 hours?

Wouldn't a good phone serve most of these purposes?  Especially if it's a few more years before this trip happens.

[Tellemurius]

in the future, all american citizens will be required to wear implanted GPS chips to be tracked.

dude watching abculatter_2 cross the desert on computer: "Hey bob check this out! some dumbass is crossing the desert by himself!"
Bob:"Lulz"

[ein]

Heh, I did some quick budgeting and a GPS unit is almost as much as a full set of military surplus clothing plus canteen, first aid kit, knife, and pack ($160 vs. $190).
If you're comfortable enough with using one, invest in some maps instead.
Also, for a good compass, I recommend a lensatic compass.
You can get an official military one for a lot (still cheaper than GPS), or a decent off-brand one for a lot less.
If you know how to use one (US Army came to my school and taught us how to read maps and use compasses for a week, I picked up how to use the compass in the first day of instruction) they are a godsend.
Watches are something of a personal issue, do you want digital or analog? stopwatch? 24 hours?

Wouldn't a good phone serve most of these purposes?  Especially if it's a few more years before this trip happens.

Yes because a phone is a perfect replacement for basic survival skills and devices and never fails.

[SalmonGod]

Heh, I did some quick budgeting and a GPS unit is almost as much as a full set of military surplus clothing plus canteen, first aid kit, knife, and pack ($160 vs. $190).
If you're comfortable enough with using one, invest in some maps instead.
Also, for a good compass, I recommend a lensatic compass.
You can get an official military one for a lot (still cheaper than GPS), or a decent off-brand one for a lot less.
If you know how to use one (US Army came to my school and taught us how to read maps and use compasses for a week, I picked up how to use the compass in the first day of instruction) they are a godsend.
Watches are something of a personal issue, do you want digital or analog? stopwatch? 24 hours?

Wouldn't a good phone serve most of these purposes?  Especially if it's a few more years before this trip happens.

Yes because a phone is a perfect replacement for basic survival skills and devices and never fails.

Not what I was trying to say.  It could probably cut down on some clutter and weight, though, especially since I'm sure he'll be taking a cell phone anyway.  Sure, it may be less specifically geared for GPS/Map/Compass purposes, but still undeniably capable.  And if you want to reduce things down to raw, infallible, core survival skills we could have him navigating by the stars.

[GlyphGryph]

Also, I don't wince at the thought of sleeping in a tent or sleeping bag, or even just a generic tarp. Though that may be because I've never done it before.

It's actually pretty great, imo. The key is finding places to sleep. Unfortunately, I've done most of my walking in places more amenable to hikers than the US, so I don't know how hard it is to fine nice places to spend the night outside along your trip.

[Heron TSG]

Next year I'm planning a 200 mile trek through the wilderlands outside of my hometown in order to deliver something to another town. From what I've been told, there are a few main dangers to watch out for. These will likely be different depending on where you are, but up here in the frozen northlands, I'll have to...

A) Learn to navigate with different methods. GPS is great until the battery dies, and maps can be lost or ruined. Learn the path and angle of the sun through the sky during your journey, and if possible bring along a lightweight sextant.

B) Not leave anything out that might attract bears. We have a lot of them, and they're all bigger than me.

C) Pack what I'll need. Around here, there are few grocery stores. At any given time, I'll be needing to carry enough food to make it through to the next stop, plus an extra meal or two in case of delays.

Take this all with a grain of salt, however, because I likely don't have much more experience with this than you do. (Neither of us seem to have done this before, but it sounds like you haven't even gone camping.)

[ChairmanPoo]

if possible bring along a lightweight sextant.

IDK to what extent that is practical. My father had to do sextant practices in order to get some kind of yatch license. He stated that orienting yourself with that stuff was near-impossible. To begin with, star charts were needed, and even with those it was a chore to identify the right star (for the most part they didnt) and get the right bearings.

[Heron TSG]

They're almost worthless at night if you don't have the requisite charts. However, they're fairly useful during the day (I may be thinking of an astrolabe here) because the sun is really easy to see and align the arm to.

[Africa]

Moderately experienced backpacker here offering my 2 cents.

You're almost certain to have a better time biking around the US than walking. Sure you need to budget for a touring bike, but you can get a Long Haul Trucker and all the gear, panniers, etc., for well under $1500, and then you have no transit expenses except occasional maintenance and repairs - and repairs should not be a major issue because LHTs (or any other serious touring bike) if set up right, are built to last.

If you're sure you want to walk, well for chrissake make sure you have a scenic route for much of the way. You absolutely don't want to be walking along roads the whole way. Check into 4x4 networks, I've heard mountain bikers can cross the entire country on dirt paths, fire roads and the like.

Take GPS.

Make sure you know plenty about backpacking, back country first aid, camping, bear-bagging, navigation, etc. There's some real remote areas out there. Also get good at stealth camping but it's still better to ask someone if you can sleep on their property.

Your gear list looks reasonable for a long backpacking trip. I don't see anything unneccessary on there. Although get a headlamp instead of a flashlight - it's one of the best buys you'll ever make. Batteries aren't hard to find either.

DO NOT GO CHEAP ON GEAR. Money spent on good gear is money well spent; money spent on cheap gear is a waste. It'll fall apart just when you can't afford it to. Good stuff will last half your lifetime or more. Make sure your backpack fits you and is comfortable carrying heavy loads, and make sure your boots are broken in and comfortable. For both of those, do other shorter hikes first to make sure the stuff works for you. Also get in shape first - there will be times when you're carrying like five days worth of food and possibly more than a day's worth of water on your back and believe you me, that is no joke. Water in particular is HEAVY.

Think about saving up and investing in gear that's ultralight as well as being high-quality. REI is a good place to get gear; army surplus is OK but I don't think you're gonna find anything ultralight there, and the quality can also vary, as does the knowledge of the staff. Ultralight options for camping include just a tarp or a tarp tent that you support with hiking poles (which you're assumed to be taking anyway). You can also look into camping hammocks. I have the Grand Trunk Ultralight Skeeter Beeter and love it - it packs up very compact, weighs a pound and 4 ounces, and is WAY more comfortable than sleeping on the ground - and cost like 70 bucks new including shipping. It includes a bug net, hence the "skeeter beeter."

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs615.snc4/59534_1613253657566_1423039006_31623368_6248452_n.jpg see a picture of it here. The only downside? If there's no trees, you're out on your ass. However, you generally want to take a sleeping mat along to use as insulation in the hammock, so if you can't find trees just sleep on the ground with the mat. You should also have a tarp (shouldn't weigh more than about a pound) in case of rain.
The skeeter beeter can also be flipped with the bug-net side down to use as a spot for a nap, or just to relax and read a book. Hammock camping is seriously the shit. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs563.ash2/148573_1721196036058_1423039006_31834084_7192165_n.jpg

For your sleeping bag, think about down versus synthetic. Synthetic is cheaper, heavier and bulkier, and will keep you warm even when it gets wet. Down is lighter, smaller, warmer per amount of weight, pretty expensive, and useless when wet. If you're smart about it, you can go with down and just make sure it always stays dry, and be fine. But be careful with it. And make sure you have a warm enough bag for whatever temperatures you might possibly encounter.

Get a camping stove. The MSR Whisperlite Internationale will set you back like 80 bucks new, plus 20 for a large fuel canister. Or, I got one used on ebay for 60 bucks not including the canister. The stove can burn literally any kind of fuel, you can fill it up at a gas station for a few bucks and have enough fuel to cook for a week. Then get a small light cooking pot and you can cook yourself up all kinds of noodles, rice, couscous, soup, whatever you want.

Obviously you should be able to camp out, but look into Couchsurfing.com. Good way to meet people and have a warm bed and shower to look forward to from time to time.

Don't take a gun.

Clothes, get the lightest stuff you can and not too many of anything, but just make sure you always have something dry to change into. Get a bunch of pairs of wool socks to wear under your hiking boots. Also, Chacos might be a good option, but make sure you like them first; some people love them, some people hate them. Have at least one "presentable" outfit to wear just for when a little bit of extra class helps you make a good first impression. Have layers as opposed to heavy clothes. Have a rain layer and a warmth layer and a windbreaking layer. Have sunglasses and a hat.

I see somebody posting not to take toilet paper. HORRIBLE IDEA. HAVE AT LEAST 3/4 OF A ROLL ON YOU AT ALL TIMES. ALWAYS. I can't emphasize enough how much you don't want to be stuck somewhere without TP when you really need it. TAKE TOILET PAPER. Also a trowel to dig holes, of course. The TP weighs nothing and you will regret not having, in a way I shouldn't have to describe. TAKE TOILET PAPER.

Deserts are not a good place to walk. Hiking across them requires either having someone supply you with water, or else caching it yourself ahead of time. Hiking in the desert without knowing where your next water is coming from is a good way to get dehydrated and getting dehydrated is an excellent way to die. Unless you can find a route where towns are definitely no more than 20 miles apart, I'd tweak your route to stay away from any deserts, or hitchhike/bus through more isolated sections.

Basically, the most important thing is have experience. You have years before you're planning to do this, so use that time doing shorter hikes, getting used to walking and learning the ins and outs. Go on the internet to learn things, meet other backpackers, become an expert backpacker. This is a quite doable trip, but only if you know exactly what you're getting into.