For the paddle-portion of our Pacific Northwest Circuit trip, which included the entire Columbia River from source to sea, we stuck with as much of our lightweight backpacking equipment as possible. Below is our full list!
Gear List:
Shared Gear:
- Shelter: Zpacks Duplex Tent
- Stakes for Tent/Tarp: Ultralight Carbon Stakes by at Stakes
- Stove: Olicamp ION Micro Titanium
- Pot: Olicamp XTS (1-Litre)
- Utensil: Snow Peak Titanium Spork (we share a single spork)
- Water Filter: Katadyn Gravity BeFree Water Filtration System (great for filtering and canoeing at the same time) and a Platypus QuickDraw
- Emergency Beacon: Zoleo satellite communicator (for messaging and emergencies)
- Poop Trowel: TheTentLab The Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel
- Lighter: Bic
- Ground Sheet: Tyvek (6′ Piece cut in half and carried by both of us — also serves as a wrap to waterproof sleeping pads when carried on the outside of our packs)
- Rags: PCT bandana for pot & a small towel for tent condensation
- First aid/gear repair kit: Razor blade, tweezers, mini nail clippers, needle, mini lighter, tenacious tape, duct tape, Band-Aids, Leukotape, first aid ointment, alcohol wipes, gauze, pain killers, and antihistamine all carried in a quart-size Ziplock bag for water protection. (Note: we carried just a little bit of each and added more as needed.)
Tim’s Gear:
- Backpack: Zpacks Arc Air 50L DCF Backpack with 2 Belt Pouches
- Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends Hummingbird UL 20°F Sleeping Bag (Regular / Titanium)
- Sleeping Pad: Nemo Switchback (Closed-Cell Foam / Size: Short)
- Water Bottles: Smartwater or Lifewtr bottles (~2-3 as desired)
- Food Storage: Ursack Major (Bear-Resistant Bag)
- Dry Sack: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack (13L)
- Head Lamp: Petzel Bindi (USB Rechargeable)
- Cell Phone: iPhone 12
- GPS Watch: Garmin Fenix 3
- Power Bank/Accessories: Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 mAh Power Bank; dual-port wall plug (USBC & USB); cables for power bank, phone, headlamp, & watch; all carried in a quart-size Ziplock bag for water protection
- Toiletries: Toothbrush
- Bug Protection: Sea to Summit Head Net
- Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Distance Z Trekking Poles – Pair (necessary for our tent)
- Bear Spray: Udap Bear Spray for grizzly bear country
Renee’s Gear:
- Backpack: Zpacks Arc Air 50L DCF Backpack with 2 Belt Pouches
- Sleeping Bag: Feathered Friends Egret UL 20°F Women’s Sleeping Bag (Small / Lupine)
- Sleeping Pad: Nemo Switchback (Closed-Cell Foam / Size: Short)
- Water Bottles: Smartwater or Lifewtr bottles (~2-3 as desired)
- Food Storage: Ursack Major (Bear-Resistant Bag)
- Dry Sack: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack (13L)
- Head Lamp: Petzel Bindi (USB Rechargeable)
- Cell Phone: iPhone 13 Pro
- GPS Watch: Garmin Fenix 5
- Power Bank/Accessories: Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 mAh Power Bank; Quick-charging dual-port plug (USBC only); cables for phone/power bank, headlamp, & watch; all carried in a quart-size Ziplock bag for water protection
- Toiletries: Toothbrush and Diva Cup
- Bug Protection: Sea to Summit Head Net
- Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Distance Z Trekking Poles – Pair (necessary for our tent)
- Bear Spray: Counter Assault Bear Spray for grizzly bear country
Canoe Gear:
- Cedar Strip Canoe built by Tim according to the “Wabnaki” plans in Gil Gilpatrikk’s “Building a Cedar Strip Canoe“
- Bending Branches “Black Pearl ST” Carbon Fiber Paddles
- Life Jackets
- Dry bags (2)
- Water proof cell phone cases (2)
Tim’s Clothing:
- Shoes: HOKA Mafate Speeds
- Socks: 2-3 pairs Darn Tough Micro Crew Midweight
- Gators: Dirty Girl Gators
- Underwear: 2 pairs ExOfficio
- Base Layer: Patagonia Lightweight Capilene Shirt & Pants
- Puffy: Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer UL
- Rain Coat: Outdoor Research Helium II
- Rain Pants: Outdoor Research Helium II
- Rain Mitts: Borah Gear
- Gloves: Synthetics Liner Gloves
- Sun Protection: Baseball Cap and Sunglasses
- Outfit:
- Shorts: Lululemon Synthetic Shorts
- Short Sleeve Shirt: Lululemon Synthetic T-Shirt
- Long Sleeve Shirt: Patagonia Sun Hoodies
Renee’s Clothing:
- Shoes: HOKA Mafate Speeds
- Socks: Darn Tough Micro Crew Midweight Hiking Socks
- Gators: Dirty Girl Gators
- Underwear: 3 pairs ExOfficio
- Bra: ExOfficio
- Base Layer: Patagonia Lightweight Capilene Shirt & Pants
- Puffy: Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer UL
- Rain Coat: Outdoor Research Helium II
- Rain Pants: Outdoor Research Helium II
- Rain Mitts: Borah Gear
- Gloves: REI Wool Liner Gloves
- Sun Protection: Baseball Cap and Sunglasses
- Outfit:
- Shorts: Lululemon Synthetic shorts
- Short Sleeve Shirt: Lululemon Synthetic T-Shirt
- Long Sleeve Shirt: Patagonia Sun Hoodie
Consumables:
We also carry the following but do not include them in our base weights or gear list: fuel, toothpaste, sunscreen, Chapstick, and DEET as needed. And of course food and water!
