The twist lock ones are $40: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007E0ZBZI
While twisting lock poles are not always recommended - I've had good luck with them over the years. My Leki ones need some hard love sometimes to twist/stay/re-twist but it's never a big deal. Although I would say that if I were to get new poles tomorrow they would not be twist lock.
Also - look at the different grip types. The cork are $70 while the neoprene are $45, with the quick lock feature.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM0YGW8
I personally like cork better. They don't make my hand sweat as much and don't cause any blisters. The neoprene ones may even last longer than the cork, if you take care of them.
Awesome list! I'd just like to add some variants.
Knife: Leatherman Sidekick $50 I like having a multi-tool with a saw.
Light: Black Diamond Cosmo $25 has red light for good night vision.
Water Bladder: 6-10L MSR Dromedary, $45-$50. I got the 10L last year and its opened up a lot of backpacking areas for me.
Water Filter: Sawyer squeeze $25 Just a cheaper version.
Stove & Pot: Jetboil minimo integrated system $135
Battery Pack: Anker Astro E1 6700mAh $17 Holds about double the charge, although if you are only charging one device, the Anker PowerCore 3350mAh will be fine.
Solar Charger:Anker PowerPort 21W $62 or for 2 oz lighter theAnker PowerPort Lite 15W $50
Dehydrated food: Mountain House $8-12
Trekking Poles: Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Quick Lock $45
GPS: Garmin GPSMAP 64s $245
Camp Chair: Alite Monarch for $70 or Alite Mayfly $100
I'm going to post a link to my gear that I have. Everything in the picture is about $800 total
https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/arck5m/2019_gear/
Definitely shop around for sales. The Gregory backpack in my post, I was able to find it for $130 online and then they had a first time 20% discount that I applied, ended up getting it for $106 after S&H. That was with Campmor.com.
You definitely don't need to spend a lot on a water filter system. Most people here and in r/ultralight will swear by the Sawyer Squeeze. It's about $30, not really going to find it cheaper elsewhere unfortunately, trust me I tried. Tablets would probably work just fine to be honest, especially in the Smokey's. I did an Outward Bound 14 day backpacking trip in Pisgah which is next door to it and we only used iodine.
My sleeping bag in my post, normal MSRP was $340. I got it for $170 at an REI garage sale in Dacemeber. Saved a lot of money there.
For a sleeping pad, really depends on if you're a side sleeper or not. If you sleep on your side, you do not want to get a closed cell foam pad, which is that one's you mentioned earlier about people using them down to their butts. Personally I have the REI Flash insulated and it's comfortable and not too expensive. Another popular pad here and on r/ultralight is the Klymit Static-V insulated which is about $90.
For trekking poles, personally I would absolutely invest in a pair. Especially in the Smokey's, the terrain isn't always forgiving when you're carrying a larger backpack and they'll help with any stream crossings. The one's I have are these. Very cheap, but very durable. Definitely no need to buy $100+ poles.
Definitely keep shopping around though if you find something you like.
Looks like 70$ on Amazon. Are they still the most budget friendly at that price?
Echoing the other comment that it’s unlikely you’ll see much if any ice, the forecast for the next week is trending high warmer without precipitation. You might see some patches here and there though in shadows. Personally I wouldn’t bring ice cleats and just rely on trekking poles to stabilize me for any slick patches I’d run across (if you’re looking for a recommendation for poles, these are basically the sweet spot for performance/$. I’d rationalize the cost over cleats with trekking poles making hiking much nicer year-round too.).
How far are you feeling like going? At around 4 miles each, Big Schloss or Tibbet Knob not too difficult and are pretty close to Harrisonburg. Both have really nice views from the top, but no fire towers. If you want a longer hike, you can do one after the other as they both share a common starting point. Wolfs Gap (the parking lot) does fill up on the weekends though, so I’d recommend starting earlier in the day. Big Schloss is the more popular hike, as the view is nicer and it’s a bit easier, but I prefer Tibbet Knob for the fewer people with still a really good view. If doing both, I’d recommend Big Schloss first to avoid some of the crowds. I’d also strongly discourage starting from the southern Tibbet Knob trailhead and doing both hikes in a single shot. The trail south of Tibbet Knob isn’t well marked and doesn’t see much traffic so it’s easy to get off trail if you’re not careful (also easy to miss the trailhead; it looks like a turnaround pullout along the (slightly scary) narrow forest road).